Minneapolis Street Sighting: Datsun 280Z

I realize I already featured a Z-car this fall; I am aware of the fact. Unlike the blue and silver Turbo model, this normally aspirated car is an earlier model, made during the oil crisis rather than the later years, known as the Malaise Era.
What sets this yellow 280Z apart from its later brother, are two stark contrasts; first up, the condition. Unlike the 280ZX Turbo I shot, this particular Z seems to be in rather decent condition for a Minnesota car. Yes, the paint is faded, and the yellow seems remarkably drab versus the shiny paint on the later car. The second stark contrast would be the level of options. Since this is an earlier car, it is bare-boned than the much later Z I shot before this one. No aluminum crosslace wheels, it lacks scoops and louvers abound, and certainly there are no distinctive emblems, save for the Datsun logo and 280Z fender script.
But that's no bad thing. On older cars, I much prefer simplicity. Although time-period graphics and logos are certainly cool in a kitschy way, they do nothing but draw the enthusiast away from the car itself. On most cars, the examples I tend to shoot are the bare-boned versions. Certainly there's no harm done in passing over gaudy, stickered-up cars in favor or clean ones, right?
Although this vehicle is pretty straight on the surface, it does suffer from typical Nissan hatch rot. There are two large exposed rust areas, which I'm sure are hiding a much bigger problem underneath. The hatch alone makes me fear what the other rust-prone areas are hiding. Could there be doorjamb rust? Likely. Underhood crevice rust? Probably. Frame rot? Not sure, though I wouldn't be surprised.
Would I do anything to this example before I "dibbed" it? Of course. Would I change the main presentation of the vehicle itself? No, I wouldn't; I'd simply fix the rust, and drive it as-is.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Bentley Continental R

I haven't shot many Bentleys for the blog for one reason; the desirable ones simply are not common. I see Continental GTs in droves, and I frequently don't shoot them. Classic Bentleys, however, evoke a much different response; I shoot them when I find them. Four doors are extremely rare, as such I've seen only one to date. Two doors, on the hand, are slightly less rare. Still, though, this is the only one I've seen in recent memory.
As one would expect, this Continental R has "flawless" paint. Though it is a Bentley, it does suffer from the orange peel that almost all 1990s cars exhibit. Heck, this example had a couple dings in it, too. Sorta surprising, given the fact it likely cost $225k when new. On the hand, though, the wear and tear proves this R definitely is no garage queen. As with the body, the wheels had minute imperfections; three of the four wheels were marred with slight curb rash. Again, suggesting that this big British luxury coupe is enjoyed by its owner. With most exotics, I'd cringe at the thought of road use, but I find such imperfections perfectly acceptable. It shows that this owner is proud of what he drives, and enjoys it accordingly.
Would I drive this Continental? Absolutely. Would I take it over its successor? Of course. Am I mad that this particular example sports a few blemishes? Not one bit.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Skylark Custom convertible

When thinks of 'American convertibles', the first car that comes to mind is probably something rather cliche, like a '65 red Mustang, or perhaps a *cue crappy music* "little red Corvette". This big Buick is far from that extreme. It's loud, but in a different way. Unlike most convertibles of the '60s, this cruiser doesn't use its flashy paint to grab your attention. Instead, it does so by using its engine and exhaust note. Okay, so it was likely a generic 350/4BBL combo as a typical GM should be.
But still; seeing GM convertible that isn't either an F-Body, a Corvette, or a typical A-Body Chevelle or Cutlass is a pretty rare sight in Minnesota. Especially if said convertible is in pretty stock condition. As you might expect, being a Minnesota car, this big Buick has some imperfections. While the badging looks extremely good for its age, the rest of the body seems to suffer; there is rust lurking in damn near every crevice, most notably under the doors. Another thing that pained me regarding this example was the rather poor headlight fit. Not only the headlight-to-fender gap awful, the spacing seems to suggest this vehicle was involved in an rather nasty front end collision at some point in its life. Overall though, despite the obvious gremlins, I'd drive this beast. While definitely not in show-car condition, it does make for a pretty decent driver. Here's hoping this example is either restored or left alone. I do not want this classic Buick to meet the same fate as so many "ol skoo' whipz" meet. Quite tragic, really.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: BMW E28 524td

Okay, I'll be blunt here; when I first saw this E28, I thought "hmm...clean E28...can't hurt to shoot it." Once I crossed the street to examine it a bit more closely, I'm glad I shot it. On the surface, it appears to be a straight, rust-free black E28. Typical BMW wheels, no nasty "tuner" mods, not gaping holes in the bodywork; it looked untouched. Once I read the badge, I learned why. It wasn't a performance model in any way, shape, or form -- unless the only performance you're referring to is fuel efficiency.
Most E28s here in the States came with a 2.7L straight six (528e), a 3.2/3.4L straight six (533i/535i), and then finally the 3.5L straight six found in the M5. So what is the 524td, and where does it stand? It's the basest of the base in the E28 lineup. And being a "base model" BMW wasn't really a bad thing; this new turbodiesel was the fastest, quickest, and most silent diesel-powered car of its time. While this is the only 524td I've seen in recent memory, this little boostfed alt-fuel six was apparently a good engine; Ford purchased a limited quantity of these engines and used them in the Lincoln Mark VIII LSC. How odd is that?
To be honest, E28s get mixed emotions from me. They're not all that rare, even in the rustbelt; I encounter a decent-to-nice one almost everyday, so they're sort of an iffy subject for me to shoot. If I like said car as a whole, I'll shoot. If not, well, I'll either nod in approval or shake my head if it's either riced or in crap shape.
As the car stands, this example of one of BMW's finest (and most cliched) sedans is a pretty good one. The paint is in nice shape for a car of this age, and unlike several of its clones, this one shows no rust. All the factory trim is in great shape as well, including the oft-faded BMW roundel. Likewise, the trunk badge, too, is in spectacular shape. I almost expected to not know what model this was due to a missing badge. Thankfully, that was not the case. Would I change this car in any way? Probably not. I don't like the factory BMW wheels for this generation, but for history's sake, I'd likely leave them on. Ugly wheels don't hurt anything if they're factory.
So am I glad I shot this particular E28? In short, yes. While not the most flashy, performance-oriented model, this particular car goes against the stereotype that BMW only produces sporty vehicles. The truth is, in Europe BMW produces more diesel and turdodiesel vehicles than they do petrol; they have economy-minded cars, too. It just goes to show that what you assume might not always be correct.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Triumph TR-6

My god, I freakin' love these cars. I guess over the course of 2010, they've certainly grown on me. At first, I was like "yeah, they're cool, I guess." but now it's like "Whoa! That's hot!" every time I see one. While I've seen numerous white ones, I'll still shoot them, and as this example proves, you can even find TR-6s beyond the Quality Coaches vicinity. Nice!
Like the other two I've blogged, this pristine example was spotted within walking distance of my house.
Like the first one I blogged, this one, too, was pristine. No rash, rust, dents, or damage period. Again, this one looked almost showroom fresh. Although I've seen a few white examples, I don't really think white is its best color; it's certainly better than red at least. Red is just too.. blah. I do like the various greens and blue I've seen them in, though. Anyway, back to this example. Everything about this little bugger looked awesome;the paint, the trim, the Union Jack logo on the rear fender, the chrome. This thing was amazing!
Would I change this example up? Probably not, even though I'm generally not a fan of white cars. How about the rolling stock? Yeah, I'd keep those too. The stockers have actually grown on me. I used to detest them, now I love em.