Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chrysler Lebaron Convertible

In the 1980s, Chrysler was recovering from severe bankruptcy; the company nearly lost it all, and wedged its hopes on a new platform that would underpin an upcoming people mover--and so much more. With the launch of the K- platform in 1981 model year, the K-cars quickly become Chrysler's fastest (figuratively) sellers--and with good reason. Every bodystyle, from two-door formal coupes, to five-door wagons, and the conventional four-door sedan was offered. Turbo, non-turbo, four, and six cylinder powerplants were offered as well as a choice between automatic and manual transmissions. So why are these K-cars so hard to find today? Rust--and Chrysler's awesome transmission problems--and paint problems. In the 1980s, all three domestic automakers had serious problems with their paint. Be it the clearcoat coming off in droves, or paint simply peeling after a year or two, and straight up random fading, domestic cars were terrible at remaining the same color they were when they left the factory. More often than not, Chryslers of this vintage have either had a cheap respray or two, or the owner simply doesn't care and they're showing signs of significant surface rust, and bare metal.

Since Chryslers of this vintage are fairly rare around here to begin with, seeing a pristine one is that much more of a lucky find; I've always been partial to the odd variations of common cars, and these bread and butter Chrysler convertible fit the bill quite nicely--and in this case, literally. I seldom see Lebarons of this era, and I can't really seeing more than one or two other convertibles; neither of which were in very good condition. The paint on this early example is immaculate, as are the wire hubcaps and other chrome bits. The grille marks this example as a 1983 or 1984 car, which are apparently a tad bit less common the post-1985 examples. Odd, because all the ones I've seen are 1983-1984 cars. I applaud who ever owns this particular car because they're doing a damn good job taking care it, especially in one of the worst states for cars as far as rust and natural environments go. I normally wouldn't flock to 1980s Chryslers, much less convertibles, but this Lebaron was so clean I couldn't help but not pass it up--and I hope it stays clean as long as possible. Congratulations on a well-kept, and seldom seen car.

Fuck You

This new blogger interface is IMPOSSIBLE to use. I hate it, and I hate the way you now have to upload pictures manually, one by one. This is ridiculous.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Volkswagen Quantum

Growing up in the early 1990s, Volkswagens other than the common Jettas, Golfs and classic Beetles were pretty scarce to me; maybe it had something to do with the fact that I lived in Northeast Kansas, but I never saw many VWs outside of those three nameplates. As I got older, though, I began to notice a variety of Volkswagens I hadn't seen before. I've heard of them, yes, but it wasn't until much later that I knew much about them.
I've been a longtime staunch fan of the Volkswagen Passat, and it remains one of my favorite Volkswagens to this day. In 2012, a multitude of versions are--unfortunately all sedan because Americans apparently don't understand the concept--or the ideology-- behind a good station wagon.
Originally offered in both a sedan and a wagon, the Quantum offered something that only Subaru and the more copact Toyota Tercel and Honda Civic wagons had at the time; 4 wheel drive. Sure, it was available on Audis too. but they were much more expensive that even the Quantum.
 In 1990, the Quantum finally became known as the Passat in the US, like it had been known as outside of the US; the rest is history, and proof that once you stick to a good name, do not change it. Volkswagen seemed to have forgotten that when they horribly attempted to rebadge the Golf as the Rabbit once again. I would laugh if VW renamed the Passat the Quantum again after its next redesign.


I've always been a fan of obscure German cars--obscure cars in general, too, but.. hey.. who's counting. I don't think I have ever seen a Quantum in recent memory on the road; the only one that stands out was spotted in U-Pull-It a few years ago in the wintertime--and that one was a wagon. I don't think I've ever seen a sedan, so this one was a treat for me. Parked in a shitty neighborhood that also housed random GM H-bodies, I had to do a double-take to be sure I was, indeed, seeing a Volkswagen Quantum.
As far as niceties go, I have no idea how this one fares; its the first one I've seen, and it's in okay shape; obviously the paint isn't terribly glossy, and it has a few nicks and scrapes here and there, but its over 25 years old. What Minnesota vehicle won't show signs of age by then? Although, I can't bash it too much, this is a decent example. The wheels are still the factory wheels and all the trim is there.
One thing interesting that I noticed about all sorts of VWs is that before the days of the S, SE, SEL nomenclature, there were numbers designating special features. This particular car is badged as a Quantum GL-5, signifying the number of gears in the manual transmission. It also sports styled wheels similar to those on the much-loved GTi, once again signifying the GL-5 as the most sporting of the Quantum line. A sports car it obviously is not, but a sporty car it is--for 1980s standards. I guess the modern equivalent is the VW CC R-Line with a stick? I guess once a sporty four-door always a sporty four-door.
This is honestly one of the more mundane vehicles I've shot, blogged, and written about, but I guess since I'm a closet VW fanatic, it only makes sense, right? After it, this thing does count as a classic--and it isn't hellaflush or stanced either, thus rendering it one more stock Volkswagen roaming Minneapolis' streets.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Porsche 944

I lust after 944s--I really do. They bring back memories of my childhood, for better or worse. I had plenty Matchboxes of them, and they're one of the first oddball Porsches I liked--and still do. I can't help it.  But, for years, I have lambasted the Porsche 944--okay, not really.
Like many other 1980s sports cars, the 944 has earned the reputation as an engine swap candidate. To help it earn that reputation, let me start off by saying that even when introduced, the 944 wasn't the most powerful two-door sports car offered. Surely, the Turbo was decent, but what about the base model?
Well, it was what it was; I've written times amany about the 944, and how its roots are from the 924, which was anything but a Porsche, and how the 924 was a dawdling piece of crap not worthy of the Porsche crest-- but that doesn't mean I don't like them.  As with any facelifted car, I can see past the facelift, and see past the new wheel trims, the rear spoiler, other styling alterations; to me, the 944 immediately looks like a 924 with changes--which it is. But it's not a bad car. It's just a bad Porsche.













This example is probably the nicest 944 I've ever seen parked on the street; gleaming paint in a dreary sky, spotless teledials that do not sport one little ounce of curb rash, and black trim that looks immaculate, I could go on and on.
The 944 is often a "forgotten" Porsche, and therefore many examples are abused, hacked into track cars, or simply neglected. To see one in pristine shape in the middle of the rustbelt is nothing short of amazing. I could not find one fault with this car--and that says something. I'm generally pretty picky about cars that are still somewhat common.
As it stands, this is the nicest 944 I've seen--and I would gladly sport it. Would I like a 951 more? Absolutely. But would I cherish it as much? Probably not. I'd drive the wheels of it whilst I cherish and covet this one. Base 944s are getting more scarce, and the possibility of them being the next "collector Porsche" is very real. And I bet "resale red" only helps the cause.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Ranger

I've always been a bit of a Ford fanboy when it comes to pickup trucks; granted, I like GM's offerings too, and a fair bit of Dodges offerings, but when it comes to domestic trucks, I fall into the Ford camp. Case in point--the Ranger. I've always liked it. I don't much care for the newest rendition, but the little truck looks great in any year, 1983 to 1992. There's something about the small Ford's styling that's got an edge over its GM competitor. Be it the "small F-150" styling cues, to the rear fenders and bedsides that looks great in almost any wheel/tire combination, or the front end with its eggcrate grille on the early trucks to the Explorer face of later first-generations--there's really no way to mess these up without visibly hacking them to bits.
Growing up in the rustbelt in the mid-1990s, the custom minitruck trend was in full swing; I saw hoards and hoards of these first-generation Rangers that have succumbed to ill-fitting wheels and tires, body modifications that look absolutely horrendous, and even worse yet, fitted with front clips and fascias from entirely different vehicles.
In Minnesota, things are vastly the opposite; as of 2012, the custom minitruck segment is all but dead, and the sheer amount of fully custom rides is quite staggering--at how uncommon it is. Most trucks of this era that have been modified are usually in various states of disrepair languishing behind a body shop, or used as second-vehicle transportation in lower-income areas. Better yet, some continue to roam the streets, their faded paint and curb-scuffed Billet wheels serving as a rolling testement to vehicle customization from about twenty years ago. But not all custom trucks are rolling reminders of what once was the mainstay in automotive trends.









I've always been a fan of the early Rangers, and despite the somewhat-iffy mods, this example looked pretty good.  I normally despise yellow--or any other bright/off colors on domestic pickup trucks, but not here.  The only two things on the exterior that I'm not really a fan of are the Mack (I think) hood ornament and the purple/blue/whatever stripe running the length of the truck. I mean.. c'mon.. yes, this looks badass for a Ranger, but it isn't quite ballsy enough for the hood ornament. I'm a sucker for Ansen (and lookalike) wheels on about anything pre-1990s and American Here, the wheels look awesome, and dramatically change the little truck's appearance.  I'd normally scoff at the side-pipes too, but here this minor piece of hot-rod nostalgia somehow...works. I can only hope that there's more than a 2.3L four and a 3 speed auto to back up the looks though.
As it stands, I'd probably drive it; I'd do burnouts in it, I'd get it sideways in the wet, I'd flog this little turd through every snowstorm I could; in other words, I'd hoon the hell out of it. Why? Because I can. And because a Ranger can take that abuse. 

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chrysler 300

Usually when car spotting, my findings end up being the GM variety, with a slight smattering of Fords. Lately, though, that's not been the case. Slowly but surely, vintage Mopars are popping out of the woodwork. Everything from Imperials to the ever-popular K-cars are coming out in droves. I recently stumbled upon quite the trove of vintage Chryslers, and I began appreciating these cars like never before. I have always enjoyed the true muscle cars like the Dodge Dart GTS, Plymouth Roadrunner, and of course the wing twins, the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird. But, I recently started to take interest in Mopar's other cars; the forgotten Three Hundred. I know of the mid-1960s 300s, and I obviously know of the 2005 reincarnation of the famed 300C moniker. But there's another side of the famed 300 moniker. The later 1960s and 1970s cars were absolutely huge--not that there's anything wrong with that, though. I've always equated luxury barges with marques like Cadillac and Lincoln. Slightly down the luxury food chains are the middlemen, Buick, Mercury, and last but not least Chrysler; that's where the 300 comes in. Billed as a luxury car, the Three Hundred competed with cars such as Mercury's Grand Marquis two doors, Oldsmobile's Ninety Eight two doors. Although not as luxurious as the New Yorker or Imperial offerings, the big Chrysler still held its own in on road--and in the showroom. Unfortunately, thanks to derbiers, and frequent rusting along lower fenders and inside door jams, most of these big Chryslers are not a common sight on our roads anymore. Engine choices are a 400, or a 440, and these big barges could even be had a four-speed-stick. I'm sure shifting yourself in one of these would've been pretty fun. Heck, I don't think Chrysler even offers a stick shift car anymore aside from the Challenger. I bet this thing can really roast its tires, and knowing its hefty weight, I bet it does the whole sideways thing fairly well too.


 









I've never seen one of these up close in person until now; I quite like this. I'm always intrigued by new and interesting cars, and lately older Chryslers are tickling my fancy pretty well. Like most cars, the paint is pretty much shot--but hey, it appears original at least. The chrome appears intact, and not quite ruined either. It's rare that something this old (and something not saved as much) would be in decent condition, but it appears that the owner of this Three Hundred is intent on saving his car. I would be too were it mine.
The thing I like most about this big Chrysler is the mere fact that its a four-door hardtop. Pillarless doors are so damn cool, and they look so right on a big car. I hate sedans with actual B-pillars. To me, B-pillars only clutter up the lines of a car.  Another thing I quite like about this badass four-door is the fact that it doesn't need any dress up to look imposing. I can picture this thing--quite easily I might add--roaring down a desolate road 'Duel' style chasing and scaring motorists in random economy cars. Maybe even haunting a new Chrysler 200?
Who knows, maybe I can even find a dead 200 to blog-- if I care about it in twenty years.