Boise Street Sighting: BMW 2002

If a car enthusiast ever wanted a city lost in time, Boise certainly is it. Nestled in the valley, the town is home to many an outdoorsy type, so older trucks most certainly expected. Along with older trucks, older cars drive around a plenty. What's more, this clean 2002 is one of several I saw in my five day trip there last year.
My aunt and I were riding around, just scouting the city for interesting items (cars and otherwise) to shoot. I opened upon this Bimmer, and to be honest I was excited. Out my way, I rarely see older Bimmers, much less in decent condition.
This example was pretty straight. Yes, it had signs of aging, such as a shine-free BMW roundel, and polish-free wheels. Other minor niusances were the damaged light lenses, definitely not a cheap repair. Certainly though, repairing the lights is far cheaper than finding replacement body panels.
The only that pissed me off, is when the owner came outside, she was complaining about the fact that this 2002 was too old to "cash for clunk". No offense m'am. Even though you're hot, you deserve that POS Camry that was parked across the street.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Miller-Meteor Fleetwood Hearse

When Americans think of big, luxurious, rear-wheel drive sedan, thoughts of Cadillacs and Lincolns come to mind, right? Of course. But what about when the term "hearse" is brought up? Cadillacs still apply. And rightly so. Ever since the days of the car-based hearse, these big brutes have been the weapon of choice for hauling murder victims through the streets to their final resting place.
With added wheelbase along with rear "cargo" room, these purposely-built people haulers certainly stand out from a crowd, but it certainly raises a question. Would it have been feasible, cost-effective for Ford and GM to build wagon version of their respective luxury vehicles? Before the SUV went mainstream, station wagons were primarily used for family transport. And, like today's trend of luxury, loaded-to-the-hilt SUVs, many Cadillac and Lincoln sedans were bought loaded down with all the bells and whistles, too. If offered as wagons, I suspect sales would have been very not bad.
Proof of this comes with the station wagon conversions I see on eBay or craiglist from time-to-time. Mostly made from ex-funeral-home flower cars, these wagons are often well done and provide a glimpse of what could have been. While the Cadillacs are a relatively common platform for these conversions, I have yet to see a Lincoln-based wagon conversion. In fact, I don't think I've seen a Lincoln of this vintage made into a hearse.
The example Cadillac hearse shown below is a good idea of what many of the suriving hearse look like. Most are taken very good care of and are not left to rot, nor are they turned into rolling musichouses on ginormous wheels like their sedan brethren. Sadly enough, due to longer than usual life as a funeral coach, most of the hearses I see on a day-to-day basis are missing trim, particular the hood ornaments.
However, this particular example looks pretty clean. No rust, the paint is in near-perfect condition, and most of the badges are intact. Unfortunately, the only trim piece missing from this example was the one piece I cared a whole lot about. Some asshole stole the Cadillac crest!
I dare not look inside, but I assume the casket either isn't there, or does not contain a body. At least I would hope not. But, like I said, I didn't peek into the interior. i would imagine, save for the funeralcoach bits, it mirrors standard Cadillac Fleetwood fare. Rich, plush seats semi-lavish faux wood trim, and instantly recognizable as straight out of 1988. That said, I would still drive this beast. Or perhaps turn into the wagon clone I secretly lust after.

Minnepaolis Street Sighting: Plymouth Volare

During the Malaise era, automakers struggled to churn out decent cars; everything for Chargers and Mustangs, to sportier specimens like Corvettes suffered as a result. Big V8s were extremely down on power, too, marking the near end of the muscle car. As a result, even sedans were immune to the power cuts. Ford had the Fairmont/Zephyr twins, GM had its Nova/Apollo/Ventura/Omega quadreuplets, and Chrysler was responsible for its lackluster offerings, the Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen.
Offered in sedan, wagon, and coupe forms, the Volare/Apsen were available with a variety of engine choices, and trimlines to suit a wide spectrum of prospective car buyers. Engines ranged from the trusty 225 slant six, and two V8s, a 318 and 360 respectively.
Unfortunately, like many cars of this lackluster era in automotive history, the Aspen and Volare were plagued with rust problems. Lee Iaccoca even went as far as saying that the 1976 first-year cars were rushed into the market too soon.
As far as roadgoing examples go, this particular four door is one of only a handful I've seen in my 22 years of existence, and my first one in Minnesota. As with all 1970s/1980s cars, the paint has stood the test of time pretty well. No obvious pitting, no deep gashes in the metal, and the trim seems to be intact. Surprisingly, this example seemed to be relatively rust-free.
Unsurprisingly, this example is free of hubcaps, which to be honest, adds an honest feel to this almost-forgotten Mopar sedan. Id likely keep it hubcap free and do some mods to the 360 likely underhood. If not, I'd toss one in, throw on some inset Cragar SS' or Ansen wheels and rake up the rear end a little bit. 1970s "highschool hot rod" anyone?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Acura NSX

I have a soft spot for Japanese cars, and since I love sporty/sports cars to boot, I thought this Acura NSX was a perfect candidate.
Introduced in 1989 as Honda's (and Japan's) answer to Ferrari, the NSX forwent typical V8 or V12 power in favor of a 3.2L V6 engine. Like most other supercars, it was rear-wheel-drive. A lot of people dismiss NSXs as being poseurs, or "lame", stating that they'd rather have a "real sports car".
To me, though, that's why I like em. Honda has a well-proven history in motorsports outside of the US, and like Toyota used to do, Honda made race-oriented models of their cars as well. In case the bog-standard NSX wasn't brash enough for you, the Type R was introduced overseas. Sadly, the Type R, like most of Honda's good offerings, never came to the US, due to absurdly high projected price. At $84,000 in 1999, the Type R would've added $11,000 more to the price, thus rendering it a near-$100k Honda.
This example was in great shape, showing little signs of modification, which usually means it wasn't driven hard. The paint and body was in excellent shape, showing no signs of repaints or decals. The wheels were stock fare, again, which are telltale signs that this example is likely babied and not treated like the race-car it could very well be. Again, the interior was bog standard as well. And I like it that way. I'd rather see one of these kept in pristine shape than turned into another track monster. I mean, yeah, I love full-out track cars, but ya gotta draw the line somewhere.

Toyota: The Rise and Fall of a Performance Icon

In 1957, when Toyopet first sold its cars in the US, Americans were lukewarm with the idea of foreign cars catching on. While American car companies produced big, brash, V8-powered, stylish sedans, coupes, wagons, and convertibles, small was virtually unheard of. If American had heard of small cars, it was more likely than not names like Volkswagen, Morris, MG, Triumph, Jaguar, and sportier cars from the likes of the more expensive Porsches and Ferraris.
The VW Beetle was a huge hit in the US, with people from all walks of life buying up the small cars left and right. In addition to the more sensible folks, the car developed a cult-like following with hot rodders and surfers alike. Finished in matte colors, Empi wheels, and surfboards, a new trend was born. The rise of the compact "hotrod"/"tuner car".
But all that would change in the late 1960s, when Toyota's Corolla subcompact came over in 1968. First introduced as a coupe, a sedan, and wagon, sales of the little car took off. Learning from the success of its Corolla, Toyota set up shop permanently in the 1970s, bringing over their little truck and their Cressida luxury sedan, along with a host of other models suited to economy driving, as well as fun driving, too. Cars like the Corona, Cressida, Corolla, Sprinter, Starlet and Tercel began to fill our nations roadways, hot on the heels of arch rivals Datsun, Mazda, and Honda.
Not content with Datsun having all the fun with its Z cars, and Mazda rolling out its Rotary cars by the dozens, Toyota introduced its Celica for US consumption. Initially available in a distict notchback, as well as a fastback, this was Toyota's first real sports-oriented car. In addition to its Celica line, Toyota explored a new category of cars, when the SR-5 line was introduced; a sporty trimline to their already semi-sporty line of hatchbacks and coupes. Packing a stiffer suspension, 14" wheels, and 4 speed stickshifts, this line was today's first North American foray into what would become the tuner market. In 1985, this experience would pay off.
1985 was a big year for Toyota. The AE series Corolla was introduced with its legenday GT-S version, and the its stablemate, the MR-2 was born. The Celica was redesigned to fit the design theme established by the Corolla of 1983, and the Supra was awaiting its radical 1987 redesign. Both cars launched a cult following that continues today.
In the 1990s, Toyota' perfomance lineup was in full-swing. The Celica had a GTS-All Trac brother, the hot Corolla GT-S Twin Cam was one of the better handling FWD cars around, the MR-2 got a turbo variant, the Supra got redesigned in 1993, and, even the egg-shaped mid-engined Previa van got a supercharged version. Throughout the 1990s, though, Toyota's performance image took a backseat. Focusing more and more on fuel economy, and pleasing the bread and butter car buyers, performance versions of mainstream models were left to dry up. The AWD Celica was not brought back to our shores when the Celica was redesigned in 1994, the MR-2 left in 1996, and the Supra was discontinued in 1999.
The MR-2 was redesigned for 2000, becoming a Spyder, and losing its Turbo variant. While it was still a sports-oriented vehicle, the notion of it being a sports car is all but lost outside the circle of MR-2 enthusiasts. Also in 2000, the Celica was redesigned, boasting an angular, chiseled design language that managed to speak "Dirt Devil" rather than "sports car". It, too, lost its performance variations, with the exception of the GT-S, which produced no torque down low, and had to be driven hard to eek any ounce of performance out of its high-strung 1.8 2ZZ-GE.
However, with the rise in popularity of Nissan's 350Z/370Z, and Mazda's commitment to its RX-8, Toyota announced it would build a reincarnation of its AE86. Bowing in Tokyo 2009, this Subaru-Toyota venture uses a 2.0 Subaru flat-four for propulsion. Although it can't hold a candle to the original AE of 25 years ago. I'm glad Toyota is trying. This new FT may be the RWD car Toyota's needed for so long.
Long live the Japanese sports car, and long live Toyota. Welcome back-- we missed you.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevy Impala two door

Big Chevys seem to be my most common sighting, along with same era Cadillacs. With for good reason-- they're popular cars with a wide demographic. Everyone from gangsta wannabes to little old ladies drive them; from the candy painted 1988 Caprice on 24s to the pristine 1970 Chevelle SS cruising around the lake, there's a certain "mood" that comes with a Chevy, a sense of pride if you will.
Unfortunately, like the example I brought you Saturday, this car is a different kind of "daily driver"; a daily beater. I see this thing daily, and it never seems to get better. A far cry from a restoration project is, but it could be a decent project for some car enthusiast. If it was for sale, that is.
The paint, as you can see, is quite tattered, giving the car an feel of abandonment. Fear not, though, this thing still runs. (no relation to www.stillruns.com) The trim is intact, but shows tremendous wear. My favorite detail on this particular car is the "Mala" nomenclature. Maybe it's intentional, maybe it isn't. Whatever the case may be, it's a humorous case of "appropriate badging".
With a 283, I doubt this is a slouch, but its far from a 427. However, since the 283 does have plenty of hop-up parts available, so extracting extra horsepower shouldn't be a problem. Infact, I think if this beast were mine, I'd go for the speed parts, and widened steelies wrapped in good rubber. For kicks, I'd leave the body in this condition, though. Who would expect a ratty old Chevy to kick their ass at a stoplight. On second thought, what car guy wouldn't expect such a thing. Plan foiled. D'oh.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevy Impala four door

When I was at Augsburg, I used to see so many classics and unusual cars, it was hard for me to photograph them all. Maybe it was because I was running to class, or maybe it was because I was unsure of whether I should photograph said car. Whatever the case was, I was happy to have shot this. I used to see this Impala quite a bit during my couple years as a student.
As college-student-owned classics go, this one is pretty good condition, both for its age, and the duties it partakes in on any given day. College students drive their cars hard, and this Chevy is no exception. While the paint and body look good from a distance, they alone cannot tell the story of this specimen. Peeling out, tires scraping the curb, and hard braking are all in a day's work for this poor old girl.
What I liked most about this particular Impala, is not the fact that it lived close to me; it's the fact that while the person drives it like a bat out of hell, she keeps it looking stock, and has no intention of modifying it in any way.
The paint and body are in decent shape for this daily driver. Not only is the paint all one color, but the trim is intact, and present, right down to the dealer badges on the trunk. Even the oft-missing Chevrolet script on the trunk, and grille, is still present. How's that for surviving the harsh winters? Even the interior isn't in too bad of shape, although all I got was a lousy ass driver's side shot to prove my point.
I would like to see this classic Impala restored before the Minnesota winters claim it, but alas that will never be. It's now got all four hubcaps missing, and has a brown fender. On the bright side, it has no chance of being tortured a person who think it would look good on "dem twenni-sixez". At least.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ferrari F355 Spider

Now, most of my sightings are older, classic vehicles. Very rarely do I feature a modern vehicle, with for good reason. Most are pretty damn ugly in comparison with their classic counterparts. The same hold true for Ferrari, I'm sad to say. Last built in 1998, the F355 represents in my opinion, one of the more beautiful "non supercar" Ferraris. Powered by a 3.55 liter V8, the sound these things make is like nothing else. I swear it's enough to make even the most non-car person turn their heads in shock and awe.
This example is well-presented (as a Ferrari should be) with no obvious damage except for a small curbing on the front bumper, no doubt from entering/exiting parking areas. The wheels are standard Ferrari fare, so no surprises here, though I would like to see it on HREs or Fiske wheels.
Again, the interior isn't that different than the standard Ferrari fare. Red with a tan interior seemed to be the most cliched color combination. Oh well, whatever works I guess. But-- what is that? a real polished shifter? Can it be?!? YES! It is! Even in Yuppieland Minnesota, someone drives a proper Ferrari! Kudos to him! I cannot tell you how many exotics I see that turn out to be paddle shifted or e-Gear or F1 or what have you. If you have an exotic, do the right thing. Get a stickshift. Please. Driving gods will thank you for it.