Minneapolis Street Sighting: Acura SLX

Isuzu and Honda had a relatively weird relationship in the 1990s; Isuzu gave Honda the Rodeo SUV, which became the Honda Passport, and there was the Honda Odyssey minivan which became the Isuzu Oasis. Then, there was the awesome Isuzu Trooper. In a staunch effort to move Acura into the emerging luxury off-road segment dominated by the Land Rover Discovery (which incidentally was sold as a Honda), the Isuzu Trooper became the Acura SLX. Packed with luxury features, and a substantial price hike over the already expensive Trooper, Acura's first foray into an emerging market didn't quite go as planned. Due to a highly controversial Consumer Reports finding that the Trooper has a substantial chance at rolling during high-speed maneuvers, not many SLXs were sold, and these facelifted ones are quite rare.








The SLX was Acura's first foray into the luxury-SUV Market, and to be honest, it wasn't successful because it wasn't good. Most people who buy luxury SUVs could care less about how well it does or doesn't do off-road. On road, is where its abilities matter--and that's where the Isuzu-bred SLX failed--miserably. Road handling is awful; it's top-heavy, it guzzles fuel like no-ones business, and because it looks exactly like an Isuzu Trooper, it doesn't really stand out in a crowd. Pretty much the opposite of what the luxury SUV buyer is looking for. As a result, prices now are at rock-bottom provided you can actually find one. Off-road prowess will be decent, but nothing else is. The fact that Hondas are also known for serious rusting doesn't exactly help its cause, either.
I've seen a few SLXs, but never thought to blog one, then it hit me. This is probably the only facelifted SLX I've seen here. I'm stumped on the name SLX, though. Since it was a Trooper clone, shouldn't it have been called the TLX or at least something more logical than SLX? Whatever the reason, the Acura did start their **X nomenclature for what its worth. I generally view this as a bad thing; I miss actual names, like when the Legend was simply that, not the RL, or when the Integra was an Integra, and not an RSX.
Aside from that little rant, this particular SLX strikes me as being well looked after. These, and Troopers, tend to rust heavily in the wheelwells, and on the door bottoms. Here, I see no evidence of such rust. I also respect that the factory wheels are still in good shape, and free of curb rash. I couldn't speak for the interior, but I would assume that it's in good nick as well. One thing I took notice of, is the spare tire cover. I'm sure its a factory option, but the two other SLXs I saw didn't have any spare tire that I could see.
I enjoyed this sighting, if only because it's of a relatively rare vehicle that I probably will never see again. I do realize its more modern than anything else I would post, but it's probably rarer than most of the stuff I post too.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Chevrolet Corvette

As a child, I loved the contemporary Corvette, for the same reason I did so the Firebird--it looked cool. As a youngster, I associated the Corvette with all things awesome, even if the car itself was no more cooler than a Camaro. When I was in first grade, a kids' mom had a tan C4 Corvette that I used to get rides home in sometimes. I remember it because it smelled like a combination of burnt cigarettes and stale perfume--not quite a good combination, no? Anyway.. that's not the point. I had a bunch of these cars when I was little-- well, not this exact casting. I had the original Hot Wheels C4 Corvette that was simply titled "1980s Corvette". In 1984, the C4 was introduced, so it could've represented any Corvette from 1984 to 1989. I often called them a vast array of names "85 Corvette", "new Corvette" among many others. Sadly, almost none (except this one) survived my destructive childhood.
This one, I've had for about the same time (I think) as the Peugeot 405 I posted earlier; like it, I baby this one incredibly. I make sure that if there's dust on it, I clean it off. While I don't like the real car very much, I have a strong bond with this lone example of its Hot Wheels brethren. And I hope that does not change.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Toyota MR-2

As readers of this blog know, I am fascinated with Toyota as a whole-- no, not Corolla, and not the modern day Camry either--and it sure as hell isn't the Prius. The Toyota I'm referencing mad light, sporty vehicles. Vehicles built not only for the driver, but vehicles that evoke emotion to passers-by as well. Cars like the original Celica, the Supra, and the much-fabled earlier efforts such as the legendary 2000GT. In the 1980s, Toyots slowly began to drift away from what made them so special, not only to driving enthusiasts, but to little kids who loved cars alike--and that would be me. As the 1990s wore on, and into the 2000s, it seems the Toyota have lost their way. And clearly, with the introduction of more Hybrids than actual driver's cars, they have.
Remembering what made Toyota great, and recognizing it go hand in hand. For me, the MR2 represents the pinnacle of post-modern Toyota design. Light, relatively quick on its feet, and able to withstand a bevy of aftermarket modifications, this is what a true sports car should be. And it was so successful that Pontiac tried to emulate it with the Fiero GT--and they couldn't. As a child, I quite loved both cars, and as a grown man, I still do. But the MR2 holds a place in my heart like no other Toyota does--well, except for the 2000GT, and early 1990s Celica All Trac.













In the 1980s, Japan knew what sports-oriented drivers wanted; fast cars, but at affordable prices; Decent gas mileage, but fun to drive; ability to slalom as quick as a Ferrari 308 while having the capacity and front seat space as a Corolla. Yep-- the MR2 was the little Toyota that definitely could. Before the SW20 came out in 1991, there was this-- the AW11. Produced from 1985 to 1989, this little car had either the legendary 4AGE or the supercharged version, the 4AGZE, pushing 112 (?) horses and 145 respectfully. With the supercharged engine, this 2300ish lb car accelerated to 60 MPH in roughly 7 seconds; unfortunately, with the non-supercharged 112 horse engine, 60 MPH came in a rather poor 8.7 seconds. A straight-line screamer the MR2 was not. What it excelled at was corners, and boy did it handle. Experts say that, at the time, the MR2 was one of the best handling cars on the market for purchase. No doubt that it still plays out today.
With the arrival of the SW20's mini Ferrari looks, and finally an all-new roadster form--the MR-S/MR-2 Spyder coming for 2003, and not to be replaced, it seems as if Toyota's fine mastery of sports cars is done for good. But wait-- don't they supply engines for Lotus? Yes--and no. The Lotus Elise, Exige, and Evora all use Toyota powerplants, so I guess one could say that Toyota does still care about its sporting nature; it just does so for a lot more money--and with a more prestige nameplate adorning the cars. So does the legacy of the MR-2 live on? Every time an Elise or Exige passes by, there's the answer. It does--and it does it more expensively than the original.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Fairlane 500

There's a never-ending battle between the Chevy and Ford guys over which "ute" looks best. As a guy who's neither a solid Ford nut, or a die-hard Chevy fan, I have to say it comes down to generation. The later '60s, to me, were a rather bland time for American automotive design, at least for companies other than Ford. I quite like the '67/'68 and '69 Mustang, I'm a big fan of the Torino and its variants, and I am staunch fan of the big four-doors as well. I am sort of hit or miss with the Ranchero, but I'm leaning more towards the "like" side of the fence with this '67 model.














1967 was an odd year for the Ranchero; it's the year For made the switch back to a good mid-size vehicle after basing it on the compact Falcon. As a ute fanatic, I think this was the proper choice, especially for people who wanted big-car comfort and a light-truck hauling capabilities. In Australia, this popular format continues to this day, with the ute as a quite popular form of transport down under. Despite overall great appearances, this 1967 Fairlane 500 (ute) has quite a a few minor rust areas, but I won't let those little nicks bring down the vehicle any. It's obviously lived a hard life, as both a work truck and a slight customized daily driver. I love the rolling stock on this one-- to me, Cragars are quite the good choice for any 1960s or 1970s land barge, and the slightly-worn patina makes this one have a "down-home" hotrod feel to it. With a 289 underhood, and Cragars, I don't think this needs anything else to get my seal of approval; it's got power, its got a fine set of wheels, and it has a fairly respectable paint job. I like the color, and the amount of chrome is just right. Not too much, not too little.
I do find it quite sad that this is maybe one of.. I don't know.. six or seven I've ever seen (I'm counting all Rancheros, not just blogged ones) in this rust-hell state, and I wish I could find more. I've been a life-long "ute" fan, and it really is a shame that I don't have more to show for it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Customline

Mostly when I go out shooting, I expect to see remains of vehicles of the last thirty or so years; 1960s vehicles are slim picking around here, with pickups and donks making up the brunt of the limited selection. 1950s vehicles are hard to find just lingering along the street, and usually when they are found, they're likely to be of the tri-five variety in somewhat resto-rodded condition. Thankfully, even though this poor Customline suffered from extensive rust, it had something that a majority of those generic tri-five Chevys don't: character. Swathed in just enough rust to have patina, this old Ford surely has lived a storied life--and it still is living one as I write this. Cars like this make me excited to keep shooting.













These early-to-mid-fifties Fords are pretty scarce here. Aside from the mid-decade example I posted at the beginning of the month, this example of a ratted out Ford represents all of this car's presence in my state. I'm sure there might be others, but I have not found them as of this writing. From a distance, this poor car looked like it would maybe make a good restoration project, but as I moved closer, I could tell this was not the case. Despite having solid trim, and decent-for-its-age chrome, this midlevel Ford clearly needs quite a bit of work to make show-worthy. The paint has quite a bit of surface rust, and I shudder to think what's hiding underneath, much less the underbody. However, the chrome is savable if someone is extremely diligent about their work. Aside from having extensive pitting, and surface rust on both bumpers, the chrome really isn't all that bad. Unfortunately, one of the hubcaps seems to missing, and I doubt the factory ones are easily found.
It's unclear what model year this specific car is, and I'm not very good at indentifying model years of older cars, unless I know that model like the back of my hand. I can narrow this down to 1952 to 1954 obviously, because the 1955s look different (and better). Since this has a V8 badge adorning the front fender chrome, I can assume that the awesome 239-cube V8 sits underhood, being motivated by a 3 speed automatic. Unlike most automatics today, this transmission started out in second for decent acceleration, and made the most out of the V8's 140ish horsepower. Yes, 140 horses with a three-speed sounds like a performance recipe, doesn't it? Well.. keep in mind this was nearly sixty years ago, when V6s capable of 300 horses were unheard. So, to people who drove this car when it was new, it probably felt "fast" to them. Quite a long way we've come in this last sixty years, but I guarantee you that no one will forget these cars.
In my days of shooting, this is one of the few cars that's sparked more questions than answers for me. I know virtually nothing about these cars, and still don't. I love learning new things regarding car every day, and its usually the pedestrian cars like this one that spark the most interest. I hope whoever owns this once-proud Ford Customline can restore to its original glory-- and have fun doing so. Isn't that what the hobby is all about?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford F-100 Custom

For almost forty years, the Ford F-Series has been the best selling vehicle in America. Offered in a multitude of bodystyles, cab and bed lengths, and engine sizes, this truck has made farming, hunting, and just country living in general fairly easy. But, there's another side to America's best-selling vehicle. If the farming, and ranching side aren't to your taste, there are also multiple luxurious versions to choose from. Rewind roughly thirty-five years, and the Ford truck lineup was totally different. Sure, there were luxury editions, and there were plain-Jane farm-boy/working-class ones, too. But back then, another bodystyle was a common fixture in the pickup industry--the stepside. Or in Ford-speak, Flareside, as it was known in its later years. I posted a 1957 example awhile back, and while this one is quite newer, it appears that it does indeed share the same bed. How's that for a trip?











I like the Ford F-Series, I really do. There are some generations that just irk me for whatever reason. To be quite blunt, I never really liked many of the 1967 to 1979 trucks. For whatever reason, the general styling kind of bored me; they show up in countless movies being either driven by bad guys, or just as generic background vehicles that get wrecked. Back home in Kansas, I used to see these things all the time, in various states of disrepair. Now, though, it seems that these trucks are getting harder and harder to find. I can't remember the last time I saw a relatively straight example. Minnesota poses even more of a threat than Kansas. Unlike Kansas' relatively non-harsh climate, Minnesota has snow, ice, salt, and tons and tons of accumulation in the winter, making it tough for older vehicles to survive.
Somehow, this old Effie seems to have weathered the storm-- for now. Caked in factory brown paint with stock spoked wheels, this truck looks about as period-correct as can get. However, I'm still not quite sure about the bed. Is it stock? Is it a retrofit? Whatever the case is, it looks fairly decent on this one. I don't know if I've seen any other stepsides--excuse me--Flaresides with this bed, but perhaps I just haven't been paying attention. I quite like this bodystyle even if the bed does look a little funky.
I hope to find more of these to compare examples, but alas, this is probably the only one I will find in this state. Sad, but I guess that's what happens when you live in rust-hell like I do.