Minnepaolis Street Sighting: Chevy Corvette Stingray

This Corvette Stingray is a special post for me; no, not because it represents x number of posts, nor is it in uber-fantastic condition, but still drivable. It's my first Corvette shoot-ever. Kind of odd, really, considering the number of 'vettes modern and otherwise I see driving around.
Like most of my shootings, this classic Stingray was seemingly abandoned until the day after I shot it. Since these photos were taken, I haven't seen it a single time. Maybe it got restored, maybe it didn't. All I know is that it isn't collecting dust under a tree anymore.
With this Stingray, I can't really assess paint condition, since most of it was buried under a thick layer of dust, grime and tree sap. Beneath all of mother nature's wrongdoings, the paint color looks like it would be extremely gorgeous when cleaned up. I will say that the chrome appears to be in decent shape though. That alone makes me wonder how long it had been sitting before I first noticed it in March. I didn't get a great look at the interior, and since a few people were approaching me, I didn't step in for a closer look. I should have, though; I'm wondering whether this car is a 4 spd or auto; either way it's extremely fast with the 454, even with "only" 425 horses, which is likely an underestimation.
As a car nut, I hope I see this thing returned to its former glory, and for all I know, it might just need a good afternoon with a claybar and extensive amounts of automotive cleaners. Who knows, perhaps the owner is getting ready to so over the winter. One can only hope, right?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Eldorado

Over all the blogs and shootings I've done, for the most part, classic Cadillacs seem to elude me. Either I see them too late to shoot, or they're in unblogworthy examples. In some extreme cases, both conditions apply. That's not the case with this sweet Eldorado, though.
I've been car-stalking this thing for since the beginning of May, and just recently I caught up with outside an upholstery shop on the west side of the city. No doubt it won't stay stock for long, if the vehicles inside the shop were anything to go by, so I shot it for memories' sake.
The paint on this thing was in great shape, showing no wear and tear; nary a rock chip even. Blue on the outside, white on the inside, I bet it's gonna get some ice cream paint job. Blech. It looks great as is. Despite the guy's crap taste in music, he seems to keep the car in pretty good shape. Interior, too, is relatively stock save for the crummy-ass Grant steering wheel. What was wrong with the original wheel? Not tight enough dogg? It seems to be in great shape mechanically, too, which is a shock, considering I've seen this thing driving hard, bobbing over speed bumps, and peeling out (yes, it's FWD.)
To be honest, though, this generation of Eldorado is far from my favorite-- perhaps it's my least favorite. Everything works design-wise except for those taillights. Although I can't fault Cadillac alone for this styling blunder. 1969 (which I think this is) was a lame year for GM in general. While some of their cars looked good, others were merely so-so styling-wise; Camaro, Chevelle, Cutlass, Firebird, LeMans, Malibu, and a few others I can't think of. I much prefer the 1971-1972 cars from GM as a whole. Slightly chunkier styling on heavy cars works. Maybe that's what I prefer the Challenger to the Camaro. But I won't go into that. I'll just let this Eldorado be enjoyed in its former glory, and save my Camaro bashing for another time.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: VW Beetle convertible

Some vehicles have a stereotypical "vibe" to them. The Ford Mustang is the iconic ponycar, the Corvette the iconic sports car, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are iconic economy cars, and the Beetle, well, that gained a cult following for a variety of reasons. Hippies loved them for the cuteness, hot-rodders loved them because they were cheap and RWD and good alternate "hot rod", VW fans loved them because they brought "cheap speed" to the masses. In all, the Beetle is one of very few cars that has a wide spectrum of fans. So why is it that so few good classic examples are seen today? Rust problems plagued the Beetle from the start, and then there's the whole "Hitler" issue, which I won't delve into.
The example featured above is a much later car, evidenced by the ugly, Brazilian built interior and those ungodly wheels that resemble a really bad trailer wheel pattern. As the classic Beetle aged, attempts to keep it modern were relatively futile. Sure, you had the ever changing array of funky colors, but the wheel choices got worse as worse, as did the interior.
As the 1960s wore on, new safety standards emerged, meaning changes for some of Beetles most distinguishing features. The turn signals got bigger and bigger, as did the taillights, not to mention the bumper. For me, this is the worst Beetle generation I can think of. Everything that made the 1949-1964 cars awesome was all but gone by 1973. The slim, chrome bumpers were replaced with heavy, ungainly units, the wheels had been restyled and now resembled low-rent trailer or lawnmower units. Even worse still, the addition of new cues, and new script. An attempt to make the legendary little vehicle modern destroyed it in my book. VW knew it couldn't keep ruining a legend, and in 1979, finally killed the "classic Beetle".
From 1979 onward till 2006, the Beetle stayed alive south of the border, as did its stablemate, the VW T2 and T3 van, or VW Bus as its commonly referred to as. Gaining new features since 1980, like catalytic converters, and (gasp!) finally, an airbag. In 1996, VW Mexico did away with one of the car's most recognizable styling cues. Chrome bumpers. I've never seen a "new" classic Beetle, but my guess is that it looks downright awful compared to pre-1964 cars.
While I despise this generation of VW Beetle, I do admit that this one is good shape. The paint is a great color, and is in awesome shape, save for a dent in the front fender. Again, even though I hatehatehate those wheels, they're in decent shape, and have not (surprisingly) rusted through yet. Even that terrible interior seemed to survive the elements. Well, it was living in California for most its life. Maybe that explains it. Is it bad I almost want this one to rust away? I loathe this generation, and will forever do so. Give me a 1961 instead, thanks.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Mustang

Throughout this whole journey, I've featured nary a first generation Mustang, and with good reason. While the 1971-1973 cars are first generation Mustangs by technicality, they certainly look quite different than their earlier siblings. Like most "common" classics, a good number of the first generation Mustangs I see are usually sporting modern wheels, matte paint, and have various tasteless body mods done to them; seeing a pretty stock example is a treat to the eye.
Unlike most classics I blog up here, the paint and trim on this vehicle looks pretty immaculate; no bondo, no misalignment, and certainly no bubbles peering through the paint. The same story goes for the wheels, which I am thankful for. I am one of the few that seems to appreciate stock wheels on vintage Mustangs. Not that Torq Thrust, or Bullitt style wheels look bad, per se, but it seems like every "modded" classic Mustang, first gen or otherwise, has the same wheels. It's quite refreshing (and quite better looking) to see an old pony still using stock fare.
The interior, too, was in excellent shape. Hard to believe this example is more than forty now. Interiors of the 1960s to about mid 1970s have this certain "timeless" appeal to them; they looked good when new, and look relatively modern today. While the non-airbagged steering wheel, and possible lack of seatbelts wouldn't meet today's requirements, I can see where the idea for the new Mustang's interior came from. Still, though, I'd like to see more "retro" interiors in cars without making it gaudy (attention Chevrolet Camaro.)
I can only hope this example stays clean, and undonked/gangstered/thugged/whatever. As a car enthusiast, I am hurt by the lack of classic, unmolested classic cars now. It is my believe that over 50% of the classic cars on the road today are in the hands of "ballers" who have no idea about the history of "the whip". I'm glad the homies don't like the Mustang, and it makes me happy to see a stock looking non-generic color still on the road today. Let this little pony live another forty years. I know it can do it!

New Cars 2010/2011: Mazda 2

Like it's sister car, the Ford Fiesta, I have been anticipating the Mazda 2 for well over a year. In fact, I checked Laird Noller's site almost every day of the week to see when they were coming in. The minute I saw one pop up, I had to go down to check it out.
As with the Fiesta, the example Laird Noller had on display wasn't the greatest; it wasn't even midgrade. This model, with hubcaps, and cheapo tires was exactly that-- the basest model Mazda offers. Oh but it has an automatic transmission. Despite that niggle, I''m still quite fond of the little guy. I have a Matchbox or five of Mazda 2.
On the internet, I've searched and searched for pictures of the 2, and despite all my picture findings, this is one of the few cars that surprised me in person. It really does look like its smiling at you, and not with the silly grin on the 3 either; the 2 looks happy to see its owners. You could say it looks happy to be in US, even.
I didn't get a chance to check out the interior, but I am saddened that no leather is offered at all. It does have the obvious power amenities, though, which is nice. Even without the leather, the 2s interior is well thought out for a car of this class. And look, the gauges are in the proper position!
While I have only seen the base model so far, I have quite high hopes for this cute little bugger. I only hope the Fies2wins do as well over here as they have done in Europe. Bring on the small cars, and fill our roads with these instead of Expeditions, please. :)

New Cars 2010/2011: Ford Fiesta

Like most foreign automakers, Ford has just realized that building a better small does count. So for 2011, the Fiesta is finally gracing our shores. I've been anticipating this car for over a year now, and I'm ecstatic at its arrival. However, this midrange example is far from what I expected.
Fit and finish is excellent for a Ford product; they've certainly improved since the Aspire, that's for sure! But, the paint, the body trim, the wheels.. it all feels somehow cheap-- and it is. For $13,000 though, you can't really go wrong. I'd much rather have this little guy than a Yaris or Fit. Hell, I'd take it over a Versa. Even the midgrade model. I expect the SES to be quite a bit better, with all its extra amenities, nicer wheels, body kit, and non crappy tires and exhaust.
Inside is where the cheapness really shows; the dash, like most Ford products in caked in an ungodly plastic that makes the whole interior seem like a Tata Nano competitor. The seats are awesome though. Even my somewhat round frame had no trouble sitting down and getting comfortable. I like the layout of the controls, too. Easy to read, reach, and touch--something that cannot be said of the Yaris or Versa, and I won't go near a new Fit. Honda uglied it up too much.
With the base S coming in at around $14,000, and top level SES' approaching $21,000, Ford has a Fiesta for everyone. Even the quirky European colors arrived in the US intact. So, get shopping. Pick your color and name your price. I guarantee you'll have yourself a better compact car than the idiots who bought a Yaris thinking they're so cool because they have a Toyota.

New Cars 2010/2011: Cadillac CTS Coupe

When the second generation CTS bowed in 2007, I, as well as other automotive critics worldwide, knew Cadillac had a stunner on its hands; tested at the legendary Nurburgring in Germany, this Cadillac would mark the first "real" European fighter from Cadillac.
Previous attempts include the last generation CTS, which was a fine car in its own right, although it seemed to lack a tad on the "sport" side of the spectrum (hidden car pun in there!) Then there's the Catera debacle. Okay, so calling the Catera a "bad car" isn't really appropriate; it just didn't have enough "Cadillac" in it. The styling didn't say Cadillac, the power didn't say Cadillac, and the price was.. well.. you get the idea. I don't think the whole "Caddy Zigs " campaign worked either. But what do I know, I was only about 9 or so when that car came out.
Fast forward to 2008. Near the start of the auto show season, there was an announcement that GM was considering more variants of the CTS, to truly "attack" other premium players, namely the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G37. Proposals included the wagon, which and I reviewed already, and this stunning coupe, which you see above you. Sharing only the front clip and taillights with the sedan, the coupe has a sharp distinctly Converj-esque roofline. While it looks GREAT from behind (uh oh!), it does absolutely nothing for visibility. That is why we have mirrors, and on a car like this, you should definitely make use of them. In profile, the CTS Coupe leaves a bit to be desired, if you look it in the wrong colors. In both black, and red, the car is absolutely jaw-dropping. In white, though, it looks.. somehow wrong; like the designers rushed it into production.
I didn't get a chance to sample the interior, but its no different than GM's latest efforts. High quality, good touch and feel, but the theme seems a bit.. 2005? It's like the dash was designed in 2005, as a general idea of what GM predicted a "future dashboard" would look like. Still, though, the interior in the new car is of a way higher caliber than the "Euro look" of the first generation. And please, don't even compare it to the Catera. That's like saying the interior on Ford Fiesta is better than a Ford Festiva. Well, I would hope so anyway.
If you are looking for a sexier alternative to the bland, BMW 3 Series, and don't want a Japanese coupe, then the CTS is your car. Whether you choose the DI V6 or the V8 equipped V, you'll have one stylish ride. And it's cheaper than either the BMW or Infiniti to boot.