Boise Street Sighting: Mazda REPU

As I've said on numerous occasions, Boise, Idaho is one of the coolest places I've been when it comes to finding old vehicles still being used daily. The lack of salt, and overly dry year-round climate make this city on of the better places to find old cars in decent shape. Since Boise isn't a trendy city, big-city fads like donkriding and minitrucking haven't made a tremendous impact on the car culture there. The result? Many, many rare cars and trucks scattered about the city like diamonds in a field. A good portion of the vehicle I saw whilst there were of the GM variety, so not many "street sightings were had. Since I am a sucker for old Japanese trucks, I went gaga when this thing caught my lens.
What is this, you ask? Well, the title says Mazda REPU. Let me explain. Before the Ford-Mazda joint venture Courier/B-Series, Mazda had their own compact truck. Like the B-Series that came after it, this little pickup did battle with Toyota and Datsun as well. Unlike the truck that replaced it, however, this little guy did without pistons. Rather than being simply a four letter catchy name, REPU actually tells the buyer, and enthusiast/onlooker what they're looking at-- a rotary engined pickup.
Powered by the same 13B found in the much-loved RX7 sports car, this classic minitruck was the world's first--and only-- rotary powered pickup truck. Made from 1974 to 1977, just 15,000 were speculated to have been built--actual production figures are unknown. Unlike its piston-powered competitors, the rotary drank gas at the same rate as a contemporary fullsize car. Toyota's SR-5 achieved 27 MPG on the highway, the Datsun got a decent 24 MPG on the highway, and the REPU? It's official EPA rating was 14 City and 19 Highway. Not too terrible by today's standards until you remember how small these trucks really were. Since Japanese vehicles had much higher tendency to rust out, most of the surviving trucks are in the Western part of the US. Fitting, since I saw this exmaple in Idaho.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Jeep Grand Wagoneer

I have a soft spot for certain "timeless" SUVs; the original Range Rover, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the '73-'87 GM fullsizers, the Dodge Ramcharger, and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. As far as SUVs go, nothing can be the 1970s to early 1990s as far as toughness goes. So many of this breed of virtually indestructible SUVs got used as they were intended to that finding a clean, unmodified, undamaged version is tough here in the rustbelt. But, they certainly do survive.
This particular Grand Wagoneer is real beauty. Not only has it remained in stock shape, it doesn't have a single ounce of salt-damaged metal on it. It surely looks showroom fresh, not only based off the paint that just screams "1980s luxury", but based on the unpeeled wood appliques as well. It's once in a blue moon that I see a 1980s vehicle in amazing condition here in Minnesota. Not only am I amazed about the fact that it has no rust anywhere on it, but the fact that all the trim is there simply astounds me. Chryslers are notorious for loosing bits and pieces as if they were being played with by a two-year old. This example is stunning, though.
The beige paint is incredibly shiny, almost appearing to be a garage queen when it isn't driven. The wood applique is in amazing shape. No rips, no tears, and no peeling to be found. Same story for all the original badging.
Since this particular example does without the AMC badging, it's probably a post 1987 vehicle. Even so, for a 20 some odd year old truck that suffers from a rather chronic rust problem, this example was absolutely pristine. These trucks command big money because of their extremely loyal following; like Land Rovers, these GWs in great shape are almost worth their new MSRP in today's dollars. Finding a well-optioned 1988-1990 model like this one will set you back about $15,500-or more. If you want one of the more sought-after ones with the overhead console, and wood interior bits, expect to fork over $35 large. Yes, I said $35,000. A more sedate, common version is still going to bring around $10,000. However, if you look around, deals can be had, provided the seller doesn't know the value of what he or she has.
Would I recommend buying one? Absolutely, if you are up to the task of preserving it. Why preserve it? These rigs are not very common at all. They weren't when new, either. Would I recommend it if you needed a vehicle to do well in the snow? Of course. The downside, though, is, like other Chrysler products, the paint protection is rather poor. When rust starts, it doesn't stop. So if you are one to daily-drive your vehicle, the Wagoneer isn't the truck for you. If you want something to stand out, and have the means to take excellent care of your vehicle? Sure, go ahead and buy one. It's well worth it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting and Business feature: MGB limo by Quality Coaches

Now this is an oddity; usually when one dreams up the idea of an MGB, a limo is not what comes to mind at first. Probably never to be honest. That is, unless you're not Quality Coaches.
Home to more than half of my blog entries over the past few years, Quality Coaches is a little shop nestled just off of Nicollet Ave on 38th Street. In a seemingly unassuming building with a dirt lot lie the most amazing collection of foreign cars the Twin Cities has ever seen, British or otherwise. Unlike most "repair shops" operated by a family or team trying to earn a quick buck by misdiagnosing your car, the guys and gals at QC know firsthand what a business is all about; friendly, fun service done by honest car guys. When they're not restoring customers' cars, these folks are playing with their own toys.
Drivers and projects owned by the employees range from 1955 TR3s to Escort Cosworths, all the way up to Lamborghini Jalpas and Ferrari F355s; these guys know their stuff. One of the employees has an Isuzu Rodeo that most definitely is not stock.
I've seen some pretty awesome classics on my visits over there, but this oddity takes the cake. As the license plate says, this limo is made up of "2 MGBS", and sits on on a stretch-welded Nissan chassis, and is powered by a Nissan pickup 2.0, with Toyota transfer cases. As with the chassis, the stock MGB tranny wouldn't do, so a Volvo 122 donated its 4 speed tranny as well as brakes. Inside, the funster has Toyota seats mated to the "original" MGB pieces. Looks pretty good, and I bet it's quite comfy, too. Outside, it sports a paint color called "Ice Blue". I've gotta say, this color looks downright fantastic. Would I change anything about this little limo, (or would that be big MGB?) Probably not. Although I usually like these cars as either full-on track toys or nicely modified cruisers/weekend racers, seeing an offbeat one every now and then is a nice treat. And as far as "offbeat", I'm pretty sure this example is by far the most offbeat MGB I've seen, and quite frankly I love it.

Boise Street Sighting: Sterling 825 SL

If you're an '80s baby like I am, you likely remember a "new wave" of British luxury saloons; cars like the Jaguar XJ6 and upper-crust Bentley Mulsanne and Rolls Royce Silver Spur twins. But what if you wanted something a bit lower priced than a Jaguar, but also something more reliable than said Jaguar? Then you got a Sterling. What is a Sterling you ask?
During the 1980s, British car giant Austin Rover decided they wanted to make a return to the United States to take on luxury vehicles from Germany, as well as the not-yet-in-full-swing Japanese luxury sedan market. They did so by partnering with Honda. In 1986, Honda introduced its Acura division to the US. A year later, the first Sterlings appeared Stateside.
Sharing a majority of its mechanicals with Acura's new luxury sedan, the Sterling lineup promised British luxury with good reliability, along with a decidedly sporty feel; changes for said sporty ride were in the spring rates and dampers, not to mention slightly lower profile tyres. With its 2.5L V6, though, the 825 was no sports sedan. All models of the 825 save for the "base" S came with real wood trim and Connolly leather also shared with Rolls Royce and Bentley. Outside, the uplevel SL gained two-tone trim and aluminum wheels versus the standard plastic hubcaps. Initial sales were poor, but in 1988, the engine was enlarged to 2.7L, thus renaming the lineup the 827 series instead of the 825 pictured here. Even with the addition of a hatchback, sales didn't meet Rovers expectations, and the lineup was eventually dropped from our shores in 1992.
I have seen very few Sterlings in my life, and I have to say, this one was in great shape for its age. Being an 825, this example is a first-year 1987 model, so I have to say this is a pretty neat find being a one year car and all. Outside, the paintwork is about as nice as a near 25 year old pseudo-British luxury car can get. It does have typical British/Japanese nicks in the hood, however. Other than that little blemish, this 825SL is a rather tidy car. Idaho, being a hot, dry hell in the summertime that it is leaves no wonder why the windows are tinted all around. The alloys, too, are in good shape, with no curb rash or pitting anywhere on the surface. Even the tires look to have been Armor Alled recently. Unfortunately, since I didn't want to appear suspicious, I neglected to look inside, but I reckon it was likely in good shape as well.
As usual, I have to give me "would I drive it" analysis; I would drive it. Probably not for very long, since I don't want to break it. If it were mine, I'd keep it in storage or something. I'd be worried about breaking any of these likely-irreplaceable exterior pieces. On second thought, as much as I find these BritishJaps interesting, I wouldn't want to deal with the headache that comes with owning and keeping up one of these rare sedans.

Boise Street Sighting: Chevy Van 108

Boise has lots of interesting old vehicles scattered about; I would almost call it the Idaho version of Alameda, CA. It's a city where 30 year old vehicles mixed in with smarts and Maximas are the norm. Over the course of my weekend in the city, I spotted probably 100 classics or so. Due to time constraints, I only shot a handful of them. As with any urban setting, classic cars are a lot more common than trucks out here, so finding older utility vehicles proved to be a tad tough. Luckily, with this tired example, I hit paydirt.
Nestled just off the main drags sets Western Boise; its a neighborhood filled seemingly rundown houses, where trashed is piled up for weeks on end; its a wonder the trash trucks even hit that part of town. Naturally, the vehicles the Westerns' residents drive match the overall state of the neighborhood. Gone are the lifted Silverado four doors on 37" IROKS sporting Dick Cepek wheels, the multicolored, bodydropped Four Runners on 24" Intros, and the slammed post-facelift Chevy Express' riding on multithousand dollar 22s. Out West resides a different breed of "utility vehicle"-- one that actually sees the duty it was meant for.
Sitting about a block away from where I shot that patinaed Dodge truck last year, I found this little guy. Built in a time where "compact" vehicles truly were compact, this Chevy Van competed with the Ford Econoline and Dodge A-Series vans for its share in the compact van market. But, being small didn't necessarily mean simple. Two wheelbases were offered along with a multitude of engine choices. Want a basic van suitable with doing weekend house chores? Get a 230 I6 powered 90" wheelbase version. Not quite your thing? How bout a 108" wheelbase model powered by a 350? And what transmission do you choose? a 3 speed automatic, or a more tradition (and common) 4 speed stick? It's up to you, with Chevy trucks. Wow. That sort of sounded like an ad. Oops.
Anywhoo, as I mentioned earlier, this example, although tired, was complete. Despite this particular van being a nondescript shade of white, it seemed to be complete. While it did suffer from a case of missing hubcaps (and to be honest, which nearly 40 year old daily driver doesn't?), all the trim was there, and the badging was all intact as well. What I like about these older vehicles is the badging. Unlike modern cars, you can tell there was serious thought in designing even the simplest of badges. Today? Well.. we have stupid plaques on the tailgates and trunks to remind us which boring we drive. Aside from that stupid tatoo-like sticker on the front of the vehicle, this van represent an honest, hard-working daily driver that likely has about 100,000 miles of everyday use on it, if not more.
Would I drive it in its current state. You bet. Would I drive it fast? Probably not. I'd be too scared to tip it over in a crosswind. I think it'd be handy around town. And being this small, it probably isn't a pain in the ass to park, either. Not to mention the likely better gas mileage out of a van of this size.