Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Eldorado

   I know I keep writing that Cadillacs are a dime a dozen here--and honestly they are. By this point, I am almost bored of them. Well--most of them anyway. I tend to look past the vast majority of sedans because they're the most often seen bodystyle. El Dorados, on the other hand, are not quite as common, thus I tend to go after them moreso their sedan counterparts. One problem--aside from very few generations (this one notwithstanding), El Dorados don't really do much for me on the whole. I tend to like specific examples of the breed rather than whole groups of model years.
   Introduced in 1967, this one marks the start of the seventh generation in a long series of personal luxury coupes; what makes this generation unique, is it shares the underpinnings with two other much-lauded GM personal luxury coupes--the Buick Riviera--which debuted for 1963, and the Oldsmobile Toronado--which debuted in 1966. Reading up on wikipedia, I learned that Bill Mitchell had a hand in the design of this bodystyle---yes, that Bill Mitchell--you know, the one who penned the 1963 Corvette, 1963 Riviera, and the 1970 Camaro and many other classic GM designs.
   And he did a swell job with this car; sure, it isn't exactly as good looking as the Riviera, but it does have unmistakable style that can only be described as "Cadillac". From the traditional long hood short(er) deck, to the big eggcrate grille, this personal luxury coupe means business. With 430 cubes under the hood, I'm sure it handles whatever business its owner dare throw in its direction--except for racing.. but its a Cadillac, so why bother?

   I will say that this generation of Eldorado is far from my favorite--those have to be the 1957 and 1958 cars, and the 1964 cars tied for first, with the the Boss-Hogg era cars coming in third. Okay, I still like these, but they're not my prime pickings. I have no qualms about this particular car, though. The paint suits it quite well. I don't see very many green Cadillacs, but this Eldo wears the hue quite well; its sets off the minimal chrome quite well. I also dig the stock hubcaps even though they're not the prettiest design Cadillac has offered.
    I didn't get to peek inside, but I would probably guess that the interior is just as nice as the exterior; in decent shape, but likely shows some wear. I would also guess that this example doesn't get driven much, as evidenced by the flat tire--which was there for more than a week. 
   This is by no means the coolest Cadillac I've shot, and it's by no means the nicest example even, but.. I still dig it, and its a piece of Cadillac's history that still exists to roam the mean streets of Minneapolis. 

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Bentley Turbo R

I can't help it; I love finding rare and off-the-wall stuff. I usually expect to see pre-1960s Bentleys--because, well, they're collector cars more than anything. Post 1980s Bentleys are fairly rare here, unless the Bentley is a Continental or any of its derivatives. Even then, Bentleys are far and few between here. So I was stunned when I spotted this out of the corner of my eye.

I got closer, and realized that not all is what it at first seemed; shiny, the paint was not. Chrome, the trim--again--was not. And not all the centercaps were present, either. Surely, this once-noble motorcar has seen better days--and hopefully it will return to those better days.

As I mentioned above, spotting this one was a real treat; I hardly ever see these, much less in dilapidated condition, but hey--a Bentley is still a Bentley, and I will shoot accordingly. With weathered paint, and dull chrome--and godawful US spec headlights, this Bentley is far from a collector's car; and it has every right to be. Even as an enthusiast of British cars, I think these leave a little to be desired. I'm sure they're great luxury cars, but--like their newer counterparts--the styling doesn't leave anyone filled with very much emotion.

The rolling stock can't decide whether it wants to be sporty or luxurious, either. I'd rather a set of nice (but not generic) 5 spokes than these factory turds; sure, they look period--and I do mean period. This style of fat face and not much spokage was quite popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and even Bentley was immune. I guess shallow spokes and big surface meant classy? I mean, c'mon, in 2003, the Lexus SC430 had that basic style of wheel, and we all know what a classy car that was.

I would gladly drive this thing; first, I'd make sure all the maintenance is up to snuff, and give it a good Sunday wax, but I would still sport it. And for under $30k, an old Turbo R makes for a pretty nice budget Bentley, too.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Eldorado

I usually pass on Cadillacs these days; actually, I lie. I still shoot them, but it takes quite a car to get me to notice. At first, I was shooting anything I deemed old or classic, be it rare or not. This seems to be the case here, as I used to shoot any and every Eldorado of this vintage I dare see. I've probably blogged at least five of these by now, and to be honest, I don't shoot them anymore. Hell, you'd be hard-pressed to get me to take a second glance at these now. With a lethargic V8 an front-wheel-drive, this this is definitely a product of the emissions-choked 1980s; and it shows. These aren't collectible, and they're not really a favorite on any Cadillac enthusiasts must-own list. Stodgy, iffy build quality, and a understeer does not a Cadillac make--well it does if you're familiar with most of the brands' offerings from 1978 to about 2003.

I usually try to not shoot custom cars, but some cannot be helped; they're either too awesome to pass up, but sometimes, the bad sides of automotive customization rear their ugly heads. Yesterday, I brought readers a fantastically ugly Ford pickup, and today, my example of Cadillac's least pretty Eldorado is no different. On the bright side, at least this once-luxurious barge isn't pretending to be a race car of any sorts.

Where do I start with this? First off, I thought the whole mural trend died out in about 199, and honestly it probably did; this poor Eldorado looks almost abandoned--and it probably is. The paint-job I'm sure costs loads of money when it was new. The detailing is extremely intricate, but unfortunately age hasn't been kind to it; the shine or candiness has all but disappeared, leaving extreme fading around the text and "Lowrider" logo; I'm almost wondering if this car was in Lowrider magazine when it was a fresh build. It certainly meets all the criteria: small diameter reverse wire wheels, gaudy-but-showcar paintjob, and gold-plated trim.

Cars like this leave me torn; on one hand, I despise them and think they're mostly garbage, and on the other side, they're at least better than donks. Way better. At least these things aren't jacked up so high they ride higher then pickup trucks. Also, these things for the most part, are done fairly tastefully by "ghetto" standards. I almost like this one. Almost. My love for this generation of Eldorado is dying rapidly, but it's nice to know that not all of them are red, white, or black with stock wire hubcaps an church grilles.

I would save this one, but it's too far gone at this point; at least there are plenty of others out there should I start caring about this bodystyle. As far is this one goes, its best days are clearly far behind it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford pickup

Over my years of car spotting, I have only recently noticed a severe drop in classic trucks, much less rust-free example of classic trucs. To me, a "classic truck" is a pickup whose design has not only stood the test of time, but one whose design is almost instantly recognizable as belonging to certain brand. The '75-79 Ford pickups fit both criteria quite well.
From an early age, I grew fond of this bodystyle, and as I got older and grew more appreciative of certain vehicles, my love for this bodystyle grew even more. I like this trucks best in two-tone schemes, so I was sort of pleased when I noticed this truck--but this sighting wasn't as rosy as it initially appeared.
I have always liked the idea of a "sport truck"; however, this idea is likely best left to factories and well established tuners, not Joe Blow and his garage. As a moderate enthusiast of Ford trucks, I was a tad saddened by this. I never really like to this generation customized, and this one borders on the tacky side of things.

Up close, this truck saddened me; first off, the condition isn't as great as it initially appeared. The paint appeared originally, with a dash of redneck-repair. Flat in spots, glossy in others--and that's just the start. The mesh taillight accents, combined with the cheesy visor make for a terrible combination of add-ons. The fender flares only add to the ridiculousness. It really is a sad-looking truck in person. I'm less than impressed with the--dare I say it--riceyness of this example. On the uspide, Cragar SS wheels are always a good choice; the diameter and combination of tires is a great choice too. Unfortunately, the rest of the truck sucks.
I love these trucks, but unfortunately, I would not drive this one. The owner ruined what once was a very classy truck. Ditch the body mods, keep the rolling stock, and beef up the engine, and then we'll talk. Until then, keep on trukin', Cletus.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mazda 626 Turbo

As I've always said, the vehicles I grew up with were more interesting than those on sale today from the same manufacturers. I have always loved Mazda, partially because the brand remains part of my childhood. We never had any of the interesting ones, unfortunately. Aside from the more plebeian 323s and 626s, Mazda marketed plenty of interesting versions of its more staid passenger cars. With the rise of the "budget" performance cars, the 323 GTX was launched as an effort to bring the idea of all-wheel-drive performance to a new crowd; Audi's fabled Quattro was much too expensive to be enjoyed by an audience with modest income. Turbo power is seen as the answer to good fuel economy, and good power today; funny thig is, some twenty-five years ago, the same was also true. Turbocharged imports came on the scene faster than magazines could write rave reviews. Mazda has long cared about drivers, and has always marketed their vehicles as driver's choice cars. Obviously, with the rotary-engined vehicles, and the much-lauded MX-5 roadster (Miata here in the 'States)Mazda has shown that it cares about the driving public--and the bread-and-butter 626 was no
different.
Shown here in the five door hatch guise, the Turbo made up the sport end of the 626 lineup; this lineup also consisted of the GT, the LX notchback (nee sedan), and LX five door hatchback. As far as collectability is concerned, I would venture to say that all of these cars (the Turbo included) are long forgotten by now--and that's a shame, because more of these cars aught to be saved, even if they weren't much when new.

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This example is fairly clean; no obvious rust, and no bondo, either. Quite rare for a Japanese cars of this vintage--or any car of this vintage, really. The color leaves a bit to be desired, but this is a product of the 1980s, so it really isn't a surprise that the hue sucks. I'm just glad its all one color, though. That in itself is a quite rare feat. I like the wheels on this example, too. Stock 5-spoke "sawblades", but they're nice--even by today's standards. Inside, it had a 5 spd manual, and I'm sure this is a hoot to drive, even if it isn't overly exciting. I remember reading somewhere that turbos with a 5 spd were fairly rare, and the hatchback body style makes them that much more so. I would almost venture to say that this is a once-in-lifetime find--and an interesting one at that.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Volkswagen Rabbit L Diesel

In the heat of the rising gas crisis, foreign cars took America by storm--and that gas crisis was only the beginning of what would happen. In 1975, the Volkswagen Group brought out a new small car that would eventually replace the Beetle--and develop a following of its own. With the rise of the Volkswagen Golf, came all of its Variants (okay so that one came a bit later. There was the GTI for the performance minded, there was the regular three and five door, and then there was the legendary diesel. In 1975, the Golf came over to the US as the Volkswagen Rabbit; in its first iteration, there were two doors, four doors, automatics, and manuals, and the hot-hatch favorite, the GTI. Throughout the models' ongoing history, the basic formula stayed the same--a premium compact car with enough value to wow even the most meager shoppers, but have enough engineering gusto to impress the motoring press. Since the car's introduction to the US, it has always been called the Golf--expect the first generation, which was badged as a Rabbit in the 'States. Briefly, it returned sometime in the last ten years but I don't care to remember exactly when. This vehicle I'm showcasing here is an example of the often-rusted-to-death first generation three-door diesel. In L trim, this one was not quite the most expensive model offered. For that reason, the L was stuck with a lethargic 1.6 diesel that pumped out a tune of either 52 or 68 thumping horses. Worse yet, was the torque rating. The 52 horse engine made do with 69 ft/lbs of torque, while the 68 horse version had a whopping 88 ft lbs. Not terrible for a vehicle this light, but I'd think something with less than a 100 ft lbs wouldn't scoot along very fast--and it didn't. Gas mileage was decent, though, as long as you consider sub 40 mpg decent. In its day, the diesel got 48 mpg highway, and 33 city, which equates to 43 highway and 35 city. Not terrible, but definitely not what I was expecting. Still, though, one could do worse when it comes to economy motoring.

As I explained up top, this version of VW's wondercar is far from the fast version; so to see it still in tidy condition is no big surprise. No rust, no dings or other mishaps mar the straight panels--heck, the original wheels are still on it. I don't think I have seen a first gen Rabbit this decent since the green one I blogged awhile back. Oddly enough, that green one I've seen multiple times since I shot it. Sadly, I've only seen this one once. I'm quite intrigued about the life this one leads, because I've never seen it parked at this house again--though the Mecury lynx I see parked there I see driving from time-to-time. I'm also curious to see how this little guy fares in the winter. I know older diesels aren't known for surviving the cold very well, and I do know that skinny tires do better in the snow. Will winters eat this thing alive, or does it have enough to make it through? I can only hope I get to witness it puttering through snow to find out. Till then, happy VW days, be safe Rabbiting along the roadway!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: AMC Concord DL

Quite a number of my findings hail from GM, Chrysler, and Ford when it comes to the domestic front; but as a disconcerting auto enthusiast, I appreciate cars from all marques-- mainstream or not. Lately, I've been fascinated with AMC--honestly, I've always been fascinated with AMC--but lately I've been getting into the Javelins, and their much hotter AMX cousins, as well as the Hornet, and all of its offspring. The Concord can trace its roots back to the AMC Hornet lineup, which was introduced in 1970. This lineup included hatchbacks, two and four door sedans, and a wagon; as enthusiasts know, the Hornet wagon morphed into the AMC Eagle, and the Hornet sedans found new life as the AMC Concord.

  As far as non-collector Minnesota cars go, this little Concord was pretty clean; aside from the obvious saggy-ass syndrome. In true Minnesota fashion, the maroon hue displayed here is far from pristine; it likely would be so if the owner spent a day with a good claybar, though. No obvious rust, and no major dents mar the body--surely a sign of quality care taken by its owner. The only thing I see visibly wrong--and I wouldn't necessarily wrong per se, just odd, are the selection of hubcaps. These hubcaps look like those off of a same-era Chevrolet Celebrity. I didn't get to see inside, but I imagine the inside was just as well taken care, if not showed signs of daily use. A far cry from the badass performance AMCs, this little Concord sure serves someone well--and why shouldn't it? It's a normal, run-of-the-mill sedan that just happens to have an interesting path. Shame, though, that these haven't really garnered an enthusiast following. Then again, I don't see people running out in droves to collect Ford Fairmonts either. All in all, a very good spotting; not only is this a relatively rare car from a forgotten automaker, but its a vehicle that can be picked up on the cheap, and saved from death--if you know where to look, and if you want to be the kind of car guy (or girl) that prefers individuality over common themes at car shows.