Minneapolis Street Sightings: Pontiac Catalina 455

With the death of Pontiac on the horizon, I'm constantly on the lookout for old and/or classic Pontiacs. This Catalina is a prime example of what I mean when I say classic Pontiac; it's got the huge hood (under which a 455 sits) and an even huger wheelbase. This car screams "cruiseboat" and most certainly it's capable of such acts. With its huge-cube engine, and a very un-speed-worthy 3 spd automatic on the column, cruising the boulevard is this Detroit boat's forte.
The exterior and interior combo is PERFECT! The only thing I can ask for now is the paint to be polished and the interior to be free of dust and dirt. The chromed steelies are a neat touch too, though I'm not sure if I prefer them or Pontiac Rallyes. I do know that I want one of these for my personal collection right next to my Bermuda Blue GTO and red Fiero GT.

Diecast of the Day: AutoArt Chevy Impala 510 SS Concept

Now, for a rare piece of AutoArt history. This 1:18 Chevy Impala SS was made exclusively for the American market, but that's not why it's rare. Very few were made in compared to AAs normal 5000 +/- run. It's estimated that about 5 or 6 hundred exist today if that. I got mine for $50 or $60 10 or so years ago as a birthday gift from a hobby store in Michigan; now they can be had for $100-$200 if you can find one. I've found some on eBay for $70-$80, so I guess they're not TOO pricey.

The Boyd wheels are done correctly, the base B-body interior is replicated authentically and as with other high end AutoArts, all four doors open as does the hood; when the hood is opened, the modified 5.7 engine is shown, and it appears to be correct. My main gripe is the headlights; the mounting point is evident and messes up the authenticity of the car.

Since the Impala SS has been a favorite car of mine, I was bound to get one in 1:18; I didn't have any idea that one I ended up getting would be rare. As with my other cars, I try to baby it, but with age, pieces have worn, as has the paint finish. I guess it's not worn down too much considering I used to "drive it around". I'm so glad this one didn't come under my hands when I was in my destructive phase. I now need the UT SS to compliment it, but I can't shell out enough cash right now to acquire one. Darn.

Minneapois Street Sightings: Pontiac Parisienne

Here's car that's not seen too often in my area; until I started shooting them that is. It seems that ever since I shot this Parisienne, more and more have been popping up. The Parisienne is the rebadged twin of Chevy's popular gangsta fave, and elderly-woman mobile, the Caprice. Since many "homies" haven't heard of the Parisienne, quite a few can be found un-gangsterfied. Which is good--to a point. Good GM B bodies are getting quite scarce now in any form, but the 1980s "box" cars are among the most ruined, so it's nice to see one unpimped.
This specimen is a nice one, save for the missing fender skirt. The emblems are all intact, as are the original hubcaps. The two tone blue seems to be in nice shape, too. What I dig about this example is the fact it has no rust, and has no obvious crash damage. What would be neat, though, is if this car was in showroom shape. Or maybe I should wish that on its Caprice twin since many of them are gangstered up or demo derbied by now.

New Car Review: 2010 Chevy Camaro

In 2002, when GM announced the death of the Camaro, and Firebird, fans around the country (and world) behaved in such a way no car company has seen before. Thousands of letters, and ceremonies were held in its behalf; the Camaro had developed from a pony car to a motoring icon. Since its death in 2002, numerous promises of the Camaro were heard. But the promise was most delivered in 2006 at the Detroit Auto Show with the announcement of a Camaro "concept". Due to mass amounts of public praise, the Camaro concept was deemed a production vehicle. Since the decision to being the car to production, a ton of pre-production mules have been seen testing in cold weather, and in the hot; on the street, and on the track; in the States and in Germany. There were even "spy videos" and pictures put out by GM themselves to get enthusiasts ready. But, did all the hoopla and hyping ruin the car's debut? To date I have seen FOUR on the street, and a bunch at Chevy dealers.

The 2010 Camaro presents itself extremely well; some would argue that it's too retro; it's no more retro than say, the 2010 Mustang, which appears smaller. It does carry a theme throughout the exterior and interior, which cannot be said for Dodge's Challenger. Whie the Camaro does have retro touches, it thoroughly modern, to boot. The exterior is pallet of crisp lines and enough retro cues to remind you that it carried heritage going back 40 years. The rear fender "vents" mimic those found on '69 Camaros, and the front grille fascia combines aspects of the range of first gen Camaros from '67 through '69. The rear fascia, with its inset double taillamps is a smart throwback to the '70-'73 cars with a hint of '69 thrown in for good measure, and the side profile very clearly recalls that of the '69.
Inside is where things really stand out. The interior is nice, if not a tad cheap in some areas. The dash is hard plastic, but the details and switchgear are nicely arranged, though they appear a bit to Tonka for a production car. The backlit gauges are a neat touch, and the aqua hue GM chose for the interior lighting suits the car perfectly.
Now onto performance. With the 3.6 V6 pumping out 304 horses, and running to 60 in 6 seconds, the SS version seems obsolete (and so does the Mustang for that matter). Yes, there are those who crave more power, but if the V6 has more power than the outgoing 2002 cars, and gets better gas mileage (29 hwy) , who needs the V8? The SRT Challeger has 425 horses, but at $45,900, it seems to be a waste of money for the performance you get. So, if I were you, my $30,000 would be spent on the 2010 Camaro.

Lawrence Street Sightings: Porsche 912

Yes, I am aware this is technically in a parking lot, but I don't care. It's a nice example of a 912. The paint is in excellent condition for its age, and although I didn't grab a good shot of the interior, it's in pretty good shape too. The leather wasn't worn, and the dials and switchgear were intact, but it had modern audio. Something I wouldn't do for the sake of ruining a nice classic sports car. The exterior is pretty nice, too. The tan over brown combo works well, and it seems period correct. Another aspect of this 912 I fell in love with is the correct hubcaps instead of the ever-so-common Fuch Porsche wheels. While not as pretty as a 930 or a 964, it's definitely better than, say, a 914. 912s are fairly cheap, too. unlike their 911 cousins, a good 912 should run you about $7500 versus $11,500 or so for a 911.

Diecast of the Day: AutoArt 1:18 BMW E46 320i

This 1:18 BMW 320i touring car is a nice model for a variety of reasons. First, the attention to detail is great for the MSRP ($50 +/- $5), and the subject matter is one not done by budget brands. The Michelin tires are replicated to match the 1:1 tires and the BBS wheels are done correctly too. The paint is good, but it does have some orange peel. The main drawback is that, as with other AA race cars, it's sealed, meaning no opening parts, and the wheels turn one way versus both ways. I wouldn't mind the white version for my collection, but it's not a priority right now. Overall, this is a nice addition to any BMW fan's garage, but I wish budget brands made one, preferably with opening parts.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Volvo 850 T5-R

Yes, I realize this is an old sighting, and yes I am aware that the pictures aren't my best, but honestly, how many 850Rs do you see? Much less T5-Rs? Not many! Slathered in dirt and grime, the cars around it seemed generic in comparison. The T5-Rs well-kept paint and body were in amazing shape, as were the charcoal 17" 5 spoke wheels. The badges were intact, too, and would almost suggest this car doesn't get driven very much. And that's a shame.

Volvo built 2000 T5-Rs for the US market, and it came in two colors: black and yellow, with the latter being more rare; a scant 185 made it to the US; the rest were black. So what is an 850 T5-R? Better side sills, new airflow friendly bumper, 17x7" wheels, and a boost of 18 HP to give a total of 240HP versus 222 HP. That figure put it within the more common, but more expensive BMW M3 sedan. The M3 had RWD instead of FWD and was not suitable for winter driving, nor was it much fun at the gas pump. 20-25 MPG versus 18 to 23 MPG at most. So, if you want a good sport sedan for $14,000 or less, you have three rare choices: Mercedes C36/43 AMG (coming soon), BMW's E36 M3, or the 850 T5-R. But, please, if you choice the Volvo, give it tender loving care; don't leave it to rot in the elements. 2000 of these cars exists, so be careful with them.