New Cars 2013: Dodge Dart

Small cars come and go. Dodge's history with pint-sized motoring has been somewhat lukewarm; first the Omni, and its successor the Neon, and along came the Caliber. All earned a reputation as a "terrible car" for some reason or another. The Omni wasn't a terrible car aside from rust issues-- my grandma had one, and they were quite common when I was a child. Neons, too, proved to be too-little, too-late. Yes, the car was hailed as a wonderful car, even byTiff Nidell, but once age set in, Neons started to fall apart. Leaking headgaskets, dying transmissions, and paint so thin you could scrape it off with your own fingernails (I tried on a junkyard victim), Dodge's 1994 entry into the small car world came up short.
In 2007, the aging Neon was replaced by a funky hatchback intending to do battle with the GM-Toyota collaboration Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix, as well as the Ford Focus ZX5 and Mazda 3. Unforunately for Chrysler, all of these alternatives proved to be better built, more fuel efficient cars. Competition, 1, Dodge 0.
Come 2013 model year, Dodge has a new--and very different outlook. Gone are the psuedo-crossover vibes that the Caliber was digraced with. Out with the cheap, Maisto-like build quality, too. The new Dodge Dart looks amazing in pictures, and in person it looks no different. Taking its name from yesteryear, it's clear Dodge is quite happy with the original nameplate. Fitted to a small car produced from 1960 to 1976, its clear the the first incarnation of the Dart was a success. After all, it spawned variations including station wagons, convertibles, and even muscle car versions; it was offered in a variety of colors ranging from mundane to wild, as well, and offered a bevy of interior choices to boot. Can the new one do the same?
Yes. Yes it can. For starters, the new car is available in a wide variety of wild colors; shades of oranges and bright blues and greens let customers know that Dodge (or should I say Fiat?) is looking after younger buyers? Like the car that first bore its namesake, the new Dart will have a good selection of performance parts from Mopar available quite soon. And here's one more thing--as with its 1960s muscle car forebear, the GTS trimline returns on a hotted up Dart.
Inside, interior materials are vastly better than anything ever turned out in the past ten year by Chrysler; the dash is soft-touch, the seats and steering wheel feel catered to the cars' occupants, and from my quick seat-time in one, not a cheap plastic surface mars the whole interior. Job well done, here.
With fuel efficiency in the high 20s in city driving and about 40 on the highway, the Dart isn't quite the fuel economy leader Chrysler was hoping for, nor does it fall to the back of the pack. Instead, the 29/38 rating is just about in line with other compact cars. To aid in the fuel-efficiency, a small turbo four is offered to boost driving fun; a normally aspirated four is also available, but I would skip it if you're any sort of enthusiast. I would also skip the chintzy (and very 2000s-era-like) hubcaps, and go straight for the alloy or aluminum wheels instead.
After playing second fiddle for more than a decade, Dodge has quite a bit of catching up to do--and with the Dart, they should be able to catch up just fine.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Fairmont

Ford has had its fair share of shit cars, be it by reputation, or by choice. In the Malaise-era, carmakers were scrambling to produce low-cost cars-for a low cost. Platform was nothing new to Ford, and during the Malaise-era, the blatant rebadging of Fords to Mercury was ever apparent. Billed initially as a low-cost medium-sized car, the Fairmont was the result of slipshod engineering--and build quality. I've never seen two Fairmonts with identical panel gaps--even in commercials. And the styling was.. well, for Christ's sake just look at it! Squares here, squares there, squares everywhere--except the wheels obviously.
To add to the Fairmonts not-all-that-redeeming characteristics, it was a choice as a baddie car in car chase movies--and it gained a starring role in many an episode of "Dukes of Hazzard". But not all was bad.
Since it shares its platform with the Mustang (and quite a variety of other cars), pillaging some junkyard speed parts should be no issue; fitting them shouldn't be a hassle either. Fixing the ever-so-common rust however... no one makes reproduction parts for these cars, and that's a shame because I'd hate to cut up a clean car to save a shit one. On second thought, just start with a clean car in the first place--well.. okay, maybe not. I have a thing for the two-door; it's a nice, cleanly designed (for its time) simple little car that be force-fed quite big power numbers. Any big engine will fit in the bay, and the addition of stickier rolling stock only sweetens the deal.. But what about the four doors?
Often overlooked by enthusiasts and hot-rodders, the four-doors were Ford's bread and butter vehicles. Available only with the six cylinders, they were common with criminals, detectives, and other markets where fleet sales mattered, and engine output did not. But is that the point of the Fairmont four door? Probably not. Vynil seats, monotone paint, and black stock wheels (because steelies sounds too boring, right?) mark this sedan as a basic, likely ex-fleet or rental car. It'd be a good bad-guy car, too, or maybe even a good sleeper.. Or maybe I'm reading too much into this plain-jane sedan.








On the surface, this Fairmont appears to be a beater in awful shape; but considering the lack of surviving Fairmonts, this example is one of the cleaner ones I've seen--that's pretty sad in itself.
Tired brown paint compliments the rusted steelies well; with the addition of the broken trunk badge, this four-door seems like it'd be the perfect "cheap used car" about ten or so years ago. Today, this thing could pass merely for a "beater". Not a good fate for what used to be a popular car.
I like the overall appearance of this old Ford even if it is a bit messy; it obviously could stand a bit of a clean up, but what for? In this shape, it's destined to be scrap metal before long. Ironically, even though this is the Maverick's successor, I see way more Mavericks than any Fairmont. Maybe the Maverick was a better built car?
I don't know, but one thing's for certain; I'm glad I shot this turd when I did. It's not quite the most exciting I've shot, but in a city where classic cars often succumb to horrible modifications if not rust, a good spotting is a good spotting.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Plymouth Valiant

Speaking of evil, the Plymouth Valiant may be a noted vehicle-- for the wrong reasons. It got its film debut in the cult classic, "Duel", about a frantic motorist who gets terrorized by a trucker and can't escape his wrath. Unfortunately for Plymouth, the symbolism of the Valiant as a pile of crap rung true to its actual reputation.
Before the much-loathed Aspen and Volare, and long before the K-car, the Valiant took on the role as Plymouth's "entry-level" compact car. Although Road and Track did hail it as one of the best compact cars of the era, I assume the magazine meant the firs-generation model, which started in 1960. The second-generation, which this is, lasted from 1967 to 1976 (technically the 1974 to 1976 cars are considered a different generation). Available with quite a pallet of colors, with a stonkingly huge array of engines, there was a car for everyone-including a folks who desired a V8 four-door. Sadly, the wagons and convertibles were both dropped with the arrival of the second-generation car.
As a result of their not-quite-fanfare with Mopar enthusiasts, prices for the second-generation car are fairly low compared with earlier cars. That doesn't mean they're not worthy vehicles, though. When cleaned up nicely (or preserved), the second generation cars make great-looking fairly reliable transportation, as shown here.














Normally, I don't take much notice of these Darts and Valiants; I really enjoy the earlier cars, but these middle-ground cars are honestly ho-hum to me for the most part. Once in awhile I see a nice example, and take a closer look. Finished in a deep green, and sporting all of its correct trim, this middle-ground economy car begged me to take a closer look.
From across the street, this sensible four-door looked great. Even up close, this guy didn't look too bad for a Minnesota car. I've never seen one in this hue before, and it looks quite good. I normally aren't drawn to mundane four-doors, but here this one takes the cake. Originality over all wins here. Factory hubcaps, trim, and badges really do make a car.
This is the most excited I've even been for a bottom-feeder car from a relatively forgotten marque, but damnit, it's a part of America's motoring history. For better or worse, I'll let you decide, but I had fun shooting this. Not likely to see another in this shape, for sure. Great shoot of a mundane car, but hey.. it's alive and kicking. That's gotta count for something, right?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Lincoln Continental Mark III

I gotta say I'm a sucker for Lincolns; always have been, and likely always will be. Earlier, I brought readers what I think is one of the worst (and most generic) looking Continentals of all time. In contrast, I bring readers one of my favorite generations. I've long been a fan of Lincoln's big two door coupes, and aside from the Mark VIII, I tend to like them all. While I first piqued an interest in the Mark V and IV, I think the III is probably my favorite. For one, it looks badass--almost evil-- many of its color choices, and removing the hubcaps gives it even more of a "serial killer" look. It's not everyday I see a classic Lincoln, and even rarer when its something as iconic as a Mark coupe. Unfortunately, this example isn't exactly prime-- but who cares when its as badass as this?


I love these old Lincolns; sadly, they're not quite common anymore. In my years as a car spotter, I've only seen two that I can recall on the street. One in Lawrence, and this one. Like one in Lawrence I shot, this one isn't in great shape either-- ironically, unlike the Lawrence one, this example is free of noticeable body rust. Where this one does suffer though, is the overall decaying condition--a problem that seems to plague many of Minneapolis' prestigious Fords, from LTDs to Mark VIIs and everything in between. That's not bad, though.
I love cars in forlorn condition, and this big thing is no exception. In fact, I probably like it more in this condition. Without the hubcaps, and the torn up vinyl roof, this Lincoln doesn't scream "HELP!" as much as it says "Get out of my way motherfucker!" It's exactly the opposite of what I'd want to see looming in my rearview mirror. Every car deserves a horror movie made after it, and this one is prime-picking. Imagine, you're on a dark road in a little Chevette puttering along, and all the sudden you hear and engine with no lights.. then out of nowhere, a pair of headlights flashes in your rearview mirror, and the following car comes closer.. creepy? Well.. good.. because that's exactly the vibe I get from this.
Aside from being good fodder for a cheapo horror movie, this once-classic coupe is good restoration fodder as well. New vinyl, a set of proper hubcaps, and a redone interior and this thing will be good to go. Just lay off the candy paint and 26s, and all is well. If not, I'll find the owner and talk to him.. maybe.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Impala

OWhen I think of big cars, brutes like Chevys venerable Impala come to mind. No surprise then, that more than half of my Chevrolet sightings consist of some manner of Impala. First introduced in 1958, the nameplate has long been a staple of "luxury" among the GM circle. Fitted with a whole range of engine and transmissions, the Impala really was the upper-crust sedan for middle-America. Four doors, two doors, hardtops, sedans, and convertibles, the lineup included a bodystyle for damn near everyone. It's no wonder that the Impala heritage continues to be strong today. It seems that every summer, I tend to shoot a vast array of Chevrolet's most popular lineup this side of the Corvette, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I've always had somewhat of a soft spot for these big boats, and seeing one that wasn't donked or completely restored made this find that much sweeter.





Like the last Impala I posted, I did not carstalk this one; it was a completely random spotting. I saw it a couple nights before this in Uptown, but since I was working, no pictures ensued. As luck would have it, I did see it when I was free. From across the street, it looks like a nicely kept four door. Even up close, it definitely isn't too shabby. Obviously, the drivers' side doors look a tad out of place, but at least they're rust-free--I hope. Aside from the minor setback, the car is complete, and pretty nice. I like the rolling stock, too. 1980s-s era American Racing wheels give this big Chevrolet a cheap movie vibe, but that's no bad thing. I can easily picture this one sliding across wet pavement chasing some baddie in an equal vintage Dodge Polara two door, or perhaps even a Dodge Aspen. Or would this be a candidate for being chased by a square-body Crown Victoria police car? Either way, the wheels scream "car chase." The dealer plaque on the trunklid is a neat touch, too. I know its becoming a tad cliche to write about how cool those are, but I love em-always have, always will. I've always been a fan of old-school script on cars, from dealer plaques to manufacture font, and this Impala is no different. The Chevrolet font unmistakable, and I would almost call it timeless. Almost as timeless as the Impala nameplate itself. I've always liked this generation of Impala, and this one is no different. Despite my shooting hoards and hoards of them, finding and shooting Impalas never gets old--regardless of time of year.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Lincoln Continental

When one thinks presence, luxury, stateliness, the marque Lincoln is quickly at the top of the list is it not? If you're into classic American cars, there are two brands that constantly battle it out for luxury supremacy-- Lincoln and Cadillac. Just like every other car brands, both Lincoln and Cadillac have had "bad years" in terms of sales, but in terms of styling as well. To me, the quintessential Lincoln is the 1961-1963 Continental, and the least quintessential Lincoln would be.. this?
It's like Lincoln was stuck in a transition phase between the 1961-1969 cars, and the almost-as-popular 1975-1979 cars.--and they probably were. Hideaway headlights, flat sides, and fender skirts hint at the 1975-1979 models, as does the formal grille, while the white-wall tires, and Lincoln and Continental scripts, as well as the sideways logo bring the spirit of the 1961-1969 cars back. The chrome line on the front fenders separating the hood and fenders is a nice touch, too, and it was one of my favorite elements of the previous generation cars.
But the combination of details is where it goes wrong; none of these cues mesh with each other. It's like Lincoln was in a rush to design a car, but had the 1975-1979 cars already planned and simply threw something together. As a result, this generation is quite uncommon. I often still see the 1975-1979 cars, and the 1961-1969 cars are widely represented at car shows both across the nation and worldwide, but these seem to be forgotten--for the better.










While I am no fan of this generation by any stretch, this particular car looks nice for what it is. Really, this generation is nothing to look at, with its generic mish-mash of styling cues. Drab white paint, swathed with minimal does not a convincing luxury car make--sort of like a 2012 Lincoln MKZ. But this example could be quite a bit worse. No rust--at least not visible except for the usual spots. Steelies, too, drag this car down, especially the modern GM steelie. And to make matters worse, it's parked outside a local paint shop that specializes in donk work. All of these conditions come together to make a luxury car that will soon become a rolling showcase for illicit audio equipment and giant wheels.
In a way, it is a loss, but on the other hand.. will anyone really care? Lincoln enthusiasts don't like this generation, and they're obviously not valuable, or else these would be common on the show circuit, and in classic car dealers. As it is, I have not seen one except for this one, and I wasn't all that impressed.
I never liked these, and this one is soon getting a donk treatment, which will render it even more useless. Oh well. It's shame, but at least its not one of the good ones.