Boise Street Sighting: Ford Model A

As a longtime fan of post-war cars, pre-war cars are another item entirely; its not that I don't like them, per se, I just don't really know very much about vehicles made before 1940 or thereabouts. I do have a few favorites, though, and those all come from the Blue Oval. One of which is the legendary Ford Model A

In the early days of the automobile, Henry Ford made a killing in profits, mainly when he introduced the assembly line. His first major fruit came with the introduction of the Model T, and even though it was produced for eighteen years( 1908 through 1926), its successor would really put Ford on the map forever; like its Model T forebear, the A was also available in a wide range of bodystyles, and since so many were sold, and back then, cars had to travel much rougher terrain than their modern counterparts, the Model A doubled as the first successful SUV.

Coming in a wide range of bodies, the Model A truly was a car (or truck) for everyone. Two doors, Four doors, convertibles, pickups, you name it, one was available. It really is odd to see one model range be this comprehensive, but, really, up until the 1980s, that was the norm, and in Europe, its still common for a model range to be this comprehensive.

In the early days of hotrodding, Ford's venerable Model A proved to be a successful platform; likewise, the "A" was also a popular choice for auto restorers as well as enthusiasts of all ages. Case in point? The early As have been a staple in the Hot Wheels lineup since the 1970s. 

I hardly ever see vehicles this old, so I'm not going to whine about the condition too much; most of the Model As I see are either well-kept, decently restored, or have been chopped up and turned into various degrees of hot-roddisms.  This pickup is the antithesis of all that.

Baked in rust-coated stock body panels save for what looks like an aluminum hood, this old truck is in "as-used" condition, and would likely pass as a "used truck" in this region as late as the mid-1970s. After all, used late 1950s trucks are somewhat common in the dry Idaho climate.

Now, obviously, everything is stock, and the interior is about as bare-bones as it gets, but make no mistake, it is a truck--and is likely still a workhorse, even to this day.

I shot this in winter 2010 I believe, and I have not seen it since. I am glad I shot this for two reasons (besides the fact that I only have seen it once); I like roadster pickups, and this is a nice change from the rodded ones I see here at car shows.

Boise Street Sighting: Chevrolet Camaro

As a car aficionado, I try to steer clear of putting cliched cars on this blog. Part of that cliche criteria includes leaving out--or not shooting-- certain vehicles that are commonplace in damn near every subculture of the automotive hobby. I realize that Camaros and Firebirds are everyman's muscle-car, as is the Ford side with its Mustang and Cougars, and will continue to be so for quite some time, but there are certain versions of every single one of the mentioned cars that tickle my fancy.

Growing up in Kansas, I was inundated with images with third-gen GM F-Bodies slathered with various redneck and/or NASCAR stickers. As I got older, the beater third-generation turned into a beater fourth-generation, and then, slowly but surely, the amount of beater F-Bodies tapered off into near extinction.   Fear not, though, a part of the country exists where ever F-Bodies seem to thrive--not in large numbers, but they thrive nonetheless. Unfortunately, the surviving cars aren't quite what I would call Concours material.

First off, I realize there are a few things that aren't quite "right" with this particular car; I love the color on this one, and I do like the base steel wheels as opposed to the popular Rallye wheels. But those are the only pluses I'll give it.

Upon closer inspection, is this even a legitimate SS? Sure, it has the badges, but they're off-center and tacked in odd places.  Also, the much-loved "SS stripes" are not quite straight either, not to mention their piss-poor condition. Although I realize that the SS package wasn't strictly about power, I don't think I've ever seen a second gen SS with a padded vinyl roof. Shame, really, because honestly I like this application.

I don't recall what the interior looked like, but I can only imagine; the Idaho sun probably cracked the dash to shreds and decades of Bubba driving probably ripped the seat to bits. This poor Camaro definitely deserves more.

I am glad I shot this, because I have not seen it since; or maybe I have seen it because its been restored and I didn't recognize it? Or--worst case here is, it would up in Jalopy Jungle because Bubba didn't know how to fix it mechanically?

Either way, this poor muscle car definitely deserved a better fate than being left out in the sun to dry-rot.