New Cars 2010/2011: Saab 9-3X

In the later 1990s until very recently, Saab was controlled-- I mean owned-- by GM. Their lack of exclusive product showed; needless rebadges of certain GM models (as well as a certain Subaru model), decline in build quality as well as fit-and-finish, not to mention design characteristics. With the Subaru Impreza WRX-based 9-2X and that travesty GMT based 9-7X behind them, Saab is now looking toward a brighter, more Swedish (and Dutch) future.
The 9-3X was one of the last models commissioned by GM. In an attempt to go fighting after Volvo's popular XC70, Saab hastily dressed up their 9-3 wagon, gave it some ungainly side cladding and presto; the 9-3X was born. First impressions reveal crisp lines, a rather sharp inward-pointing front end, and that traditional (and quite ugly) Saab rear roof. I do like the car as a whole; it looks svelte without looking too upscale for what it is, much the same way as its main competitor does.
Inside, you've got typical Saab niceties, which are good to the eyes, but are hard to the feel. The seats feel way to firm, the dash seems way too elegant, and the hand controls even look rich. Heck, even the colors give off a sports car vibe. That would be fine in an upscale sports sedan; but the Saab 9-3X is the opposite of that.
What the Saab 9-3X is, though, is a gussied up, long in the tooth station wagon that many people won't grasp. Priced at nearly $37,000 to start, it at least undercuts the XC70. But when it's fully loaded, however.. watch out. That seemingly affordable $37 Grand skyrockets to a mid-boggling $46K. Okay, so it's not that expensive, but its a far reach from what I would expect to pay. For that money, I'd probably take a used Audi Allroad, and and Audi Quattro. Not that I'm biased or anything.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: BMW 2002

I love night shooting. Not so much for the cars, but the whole funky light aspect of it. Most often than not, I don't see much at night save for the odd drunkard trying unsuccessfully into a taxi and failing. Oh yeah, and then there's the whole drunk-guy-who-wants-me-to-take-his-picture thing.
In a night filled with obnoxious blinged out Escalades and the occasional roaring police car, this cute little Bimmer was an awesome find; it certainly stood out sitting along an uncommon barren Lake Street. This example was pretty nice, especially for a Minnesota car. No rust, no bondo, paint was shiny, and it had daily driver plates to boot. How cool is that!?
A closer inspection of this little guy revealed that this is an early example. Euro bumpers, older wheels, and lack of US-exclusive items make for one stunning Bavarian/German coupe. The red paint looked amazing in that light, almost seeming a tad orange. The hubcaps were in such incredible shape, too. What a wonderful little car! The interior looked to be in the shape as the outside, so I'm gonna take a stab and say its owner deeply cherishes it. And let's face it, only a fool wouldn't cherish a fine automobile.
What's funny, though, is I had quite a few people ask me what it was. Some couple (they may have been drunk, so..) asked me if it was a "1950s Mustang. Really!? A Mustang!? Are you blind!? Then about 10 minutes later, some older guy asked if it was an Edsel. Seriously? An Edsel? I mean, I get that not everyone is a car person, but asking those questions are the equivalent of asking if a Murcielago is a Chrysler LeBaron. Some people..
In the end, people like that almost make my night-time adventures seem worth it. I love what I'm doing, and I love sharing my knowledge with others. Even if said "knowledge" seems almost like a "Duh!" thing.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Galaxie 500

As I've stated before, in Minnesota, cars don't last long up here. Seeing anything older than 1980 is a surprise for me, and when I do see vehicles fitting that category, it's at a car show. Most of the pre-1980 vehicles I see are either blinged, or are in the process of. So seeing this Galaxie was a treat for me.
Like most examples I shoot for this blog, the paint isn't exactly pristine, but it is the factory color. From across the street, the finish looks respectable. While not matte per-se, the luster is long gone. In addition to the exterior condition, the interior, too, was a bit battered. At 40+, though, what do you expect? It's in better-than-restorable condition, heck, I'd even say it's in better shape than most "drivers" I see here. In the state it's in, it looks like a car you'd see in a TV B-movie. The generic moon wheelcaps only enhance that imagery.
I could imagine this car with a little cherry police light stuck on the roof, flying over hills and crashing through alleys and trash whilst chasing the bad guys. On the other hand, I could envision this beast wit the speedo needle buried, running down a desolate highway with a CHP Monaco in tow. Ya think I've seen enough generic car chases in my life? Nope. I don't think so. I'm gonna watch Duel again.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Volvo 122S

Yesterday I brought you a little European roadster; today, I'll bring you a European two-door sedan. I've seen a fair bit of wagons out my way, but two-and-four-doors are not as common. Two doors are the rarest of the bunch in Minnesota. Like all vintage cars, rust is quite the problem on these old Swedish tanks. I often see the 122 family either missing half its trim, or caked with rust. In extreme cases, both symptoms are present.
Thankfully, this example was pretty decent. While not pristine by any means, it certainly looks like a decent driver. The paint was faded, the trim, for some reason, was gold, but at least it was in clean shape.
Inside, sparseness rules. No A/C (windows were down in the 92* Minnesota weather.), power probably nothing, and it was littered with bike parts. I'm guessing this old Swede is someone's daily transportation. I betcha with the 4 spd (like this one had), it gets pretty good gas mileage, too.
If this clean Volvo 122 was mine, though, I'd either totally restore it, or race it. For that, I'd gut it, put in a decent rollcage, and do some suspension mods, and obviously stickier tires. On the other hand, for a total restoration, I'd strip off the gold crap, and those foglights up front. I like them fine, but they don't suit a restored vehicle. Or, I could simply leave it as is, and enjoy a rare offbeat classic car.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Fiat 2000 Spider

This summer, I've had mega luck finding cute little sports cars, no matter what the condition, and this Fiat 2000 Spider is certainly no exception. However, unlike the vast majority of my classic sports car finds, this one wasn't outside Quality Coaches. Instead, I found this little guy by accident.
Cruising around on the other side of Hiawatha, I discovered a whole new neighborhood filled with amazing cars, some blogworthy, and others..well, not so much more than a pile of rust that somehow manages to keep driving. This Fiat is certainly an awesome example of the former. Ironic, though, that I found this one so soon after blogging my first-ever Fiat spider shoot.
Unlike the first example I shot, this bright red version seems to be in more stock condition, with less interior rips, and less non-stock trim. It even has all the correct badging, although some of it (like the Pininfarina logos) is a tad faded after 30 years. What I loved most about the example (besides the car itself) was the non-wire wheels. Don't get me wrong, wire wheels are indeed awesome, but I've never actually seen the stock later Fiat wheels. To be honest, the wheels pictured here remind me a bit of Driv3r.
As you can see, this 2000 Spider is in impeccable condition, so I won't delve into describing it; instead, the pictures can talk for themselves. As with all my blog shoots, I had major fun with this little car! It seems..so right. Too bad the the rest of these little guys have rusted away by now. :( Damn you, Minnesota winters!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Galaxie 500

Wow. It's been awhile since a featured a big old Ford on this blog. As luck would have it, we got new neighbors, and they drive something cool! Stand out in a sea full of Priuses, Lexuses, and Expeditions this beast does. Like my other neighbor's Ferrari, you can pick this Galaxie out in one glance. Not only is it two times bigger than all the other cars, it's not beige, silver, or white either.
This example, like a fair number of the cars I feature here, suffered from daily driver syndrome. It's got bumps and bruises, scrapes and cuts abound, but it soldiers on.
As noted, the paint is pretty decent shape save for the actual crash damage up front. Although faded to all-hell, the hue does appear to be the factory hue supplied by Ford, which is good. It has a certain "patina" if you will. The chromes bits are all intact, too, including the DEKE Ford plaque on the trunk thus letting folks know where it was purchased. Unlike most 1960s cars I see here, this example is free of bondo or giant rust holes. Sadly enough, though, it likely suffers from severe rot underneath. I didn't get a chance to examine the interior, though, but I would assume it's in the same condition the body is in. Not pristine condition by any means, but not elevated to beater status either.
As it stands, I would gladly drive this example, but not before removing the hubcaps and chrome trim. Why would I remove those two items you ask? If I'm gonna drive it, I'm gonna drive it Dukes of Hazzard style, and I don't want to ruin irreplaceable trim pieces. I might as well sell the hard to find parts to someone who needs em. But that scenario would only happen if I drove this. Like most cars on my block, this thing doesn't get driven much. I can only hope I don't watch this classic Ford become one with nature over time.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercedes 280SE

Every once in a blue moon, I spot a decent W114/W115 series Mercedes still kicking around, and to be honest, most of the ones I see are very nice examples. Suffice to say, this example is a little bit less than what I would call "pristine". To say this generation of Mercedes doesn't rust is a myth in itself.
Looking at this lone example proves the myth false. Caked with more rust than an abandoned school bus sitting in a north Minnesota pasture, this poor Benz clearly has seen better days. The paint was shot, and to be frank I didn't know what was original versus what was simply slapped on to hide the rust. At least the remaining trim was decent. That was honestly the only plus going for it.
Likewise, the interior was also in piss-poor shape. The seats were pretty much ripped to oblivion, the dashboard was a waste of space, considering it looked as if it had been salvaged from a U-Pull-It example. The metalwork inside was "restorable" at best. Nothing on the interior of this once-classic (and once-classy) Benz looked savable.
As much as it pains me to say this, the 280SE you see below would probably be better if it was someone's parts car. There is absolutely nothing on this poor car that doesn't need work. If it were me, I'd knock down the $2200 asking price to maybe whatever it's worth in scrap metal and sell it for that price. Heck, even as a "project car", this one needs a boatload of work just to be drivable. No word on whether it runs or not, but considering how faded the asking price is, I can bet dollars to donuts it's been sitting there for over a month. Quite sad, really, but even stately cars must meet their fate sometime.