Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Mustang convertible

In the beginning of the 1960s, the idea of an affordable sporty car was mostly a foreign concept, with exceptions made by the Chevrolet Corvette, as well as the AC/Shelby Cobra-- scratch that. Those aren't really what I would call "affordable", and those two certainly weren't practical vehicles by any means.

Whether you are a Mopar nut, a GM guy, or a died-in-the-wool Ford fan, you can agree that 1964 was quite a big year for the automotive landscape in the US; that year marked the launch of three very successful (but very different) performance-oriented vehicles.  On April 17 of that year, Ford launched a vehicle that has not missed a single beat-- the same cannot be said of its current (and longtime) rival, Chevrolet's Camaro.

After going through it's ups and downs, the iconic ponycar is going to be redesigned this upcoming spring to celebrate its 50th birthday; something that cannot be said of its Mopar rivals, nor can be said of its Chevrolet rival either.

I was going to walk readers through a brief history of the Mustang, but I realized that would take quite a while, so I didn't bother.  Instead of shooting a nicer, popularly equipped model, or a model up in ranks like a GT or even a Boss 351 or 429, I chose to spotlight a lower-end Mustang that everyone can enjoy (and also afford.)

At first sight, this particular looked well-looked-after, and it was; no obvious rust or bondo, and no real sign of any sort of damage. Good. As I made my way around the car, my previous assumptions were correct. The paint looked immaculate, but was far from show-quality. Minor ripples and orange peel let me know this Mustang has been repainted at least once-- but the color is a fairly pretty color so I'm not complaining.

The hubcaps were a factory item, too, so no real complaints on that front either, though I would've preferred sportier rolling stock; then again, hubcaps provide appeal to older people--those same people are customers of the new car, too, so I guess hubcaps weren't a bad idea.  I could, however, do without the white-line tires; they just scream "geezer alert", as does the luggage rack festooned to the trunklid.

Inside, this example was clean as a whistle, though I'd be hard-pressed to identify what was stock and what wasn't. I can't really say much in that regard save for that it looked like a well-dressed interior, with the automatic, this pony was ready for cruising on a nice day, as opposed to lighting up a Christmas-tree at the local quarter-mile track.

I was glad I shot this car. Why? Even though first-generation Mustangs are extremely cliche cars by now--especially on the West coast where cars don't rust, I rarely see them outside of dealerships here; I'll take any example I can shoot, even if its a base-model destined to be a subject of Wheeler Dealers.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Pontiac GTO

As an enthusiast, I can't help but love muscle cars; there's some debate about what really was the first muscle car, but its hard to argue that the introduction of Pontiac's GTO ended up playing a major role in this genre of Americana. By model year 1964, Pontiac would decide to shove bigger and beefier engines into the LeMans and Tempest two-door post coupes (or would those be sedans), and convertibles; the idea behind this move is to create quick cars that are mildly affordable, and cars that also have massive aftermarket appeal.

This particular car is a second generation model, and this one is an example of the first year this bodystyle was made; 1968. How do I know?  Logo turn signals/side markers, the vent windows, and hideaway headlights. And this example also has the chrome bumper, which I don't quite like. I do admit that this one looks tons better than the 1971-1972 cars, and that's ironic, coming from someone who likes the 1971-1972 Chevelles and Cutlass' a whole lot more than their 1968 counterparts.

While I am a huge fan of classic Pontiacs, I do feel that the GTO is a tad overhyped, as it (along with the Firebird and Trans Am) is the cliche "sweet" Pontiac. 

This GTO is what I would call a good "nice-weather  driver"; it isn't perfect and it doesn't intend to be so. The paint is clean, and the trim is fairly clean as well. However, the paint intself is a bit faded, and the red hue doesn't quite make the car; it seems rather drab--and totally un-muscle-car-like. I know I am nit-picking here, but I am not quite sure I like the idea of a chrome rear bumper with the plastic "Endura" nose; yes, I realize its factory, but it just looks a bit silly.

The main thing that really bothers me about this otherwise-nice example is the damned wheels. I used to adore everything from Colorado Customs and their ilk, but looking back on it, those wheels--for the most part-- are tacky and have horrible patterns--and these are no exception. While I do admit that I rather hate these wheels, there are certainly worse choices--like say Bonspeed wheels or about ninety percent of Lexani's entire product range--so yeah, the wheel choice could be worse.

Overall, I am glad I did shoot this; I think 1968 is my favorite year for the GTO, along with a variety of other Pontiacs, and I have never spotted another one on the street. Hopefully, this summer will change that, but for now this is the best I've got.

Lawrence Street Sighting: Chrysler Newport

I'm about to own up to something; I don't know that much about the Chrysler corporation, besides some of their engines, and their muscle cars. With vehicles aside from Chargers, Challengers, and Dusters, I'm a rusty nail--and I use my carspotting to learn about cars as I shoot them. I love finding new cars, and although I was aware of the Newport's existence, I hadn't really seen one this old, this close.

And it's a big freakin' car. At the time, the Newport was the biggest Chrysler (and the poshest) you could buy this side of an Imperial--and it shows. Hell, it makes the house look small by comparison, and that house isn't small. Going by the pillars in the doors, I would wager that this one is a Newport Custom, and came with either 383 or a stonking 440 cube V8, but while both engines were powerhouses, the car is no muscle machine. 383s had 325 horses, and the 440 pumped out a healthy 50 horses more, but because the car was geared toward luxury, the ride was slow, steady and smooth--the opposite of such tire-smoking, axle-hopping beasts like the Charger and Roadrunner.

While the Newport did continue on well into the 1970s (and eventually died in 1981), the big car image was lost by the mid-1970s; with downsizing, the nameplate lost its big-boy heritage, and the nameplate (like Chrysler's letter cars) went on to become just another car in the sea of lookalike Chryslers with no real merit. Quite sad, because I think this Newport is a fine car --and would be even finer if it is restored.

Really, this Newport is a sad sight; I remember this car from my youth, too, but I don't remember it looking this bad. I guess time has taken its toll. On the plus side, minus the cancer eating the lower portion of the body, this old barge has held up quite well. I especially like the fact that the original dealer plaque still adorns the trunk. This clarifies why I remember this car from my youth; even though Hutchison is fairly far away, this thing has remained in Kansas its whole life.

Despite the fact that only one hubcap remains, the rest of the trim is in great shape, and because of this, I would wager that this example is worth a restoration; most folks would simply derby it in this shape, and that's why these cars are nearly extinct now. I haven't see one in years, and unfortunately, this is the nicest example I have ever seen.

I am glad I managed to shoot this; I like the color, and although I am a bit iffy on the general styling theme, I can say this definitely sticks out versus another cliched big Chevrolet sedan.

Lawrence Street Sighting: Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

Here in Lawrence, much like Minneapolis, older Cadillacs are fairly common if one knows where to look; since most of the population in Lawrence is elderly when school isn't in session, classic cars are much easier to find in acceptable condition. I have a thing for pre-1977 Cadillacs, but I have specific years I go after. While the 1966 to 1968 cars aren't quite my cup of tea, I respect them for what they are.

Based on the combination of front fascia and hubcaps, I have pinned this one down to a 1968 model, although I am probably wrong; what's odd though, is during my research, I never found any models called only Fleetwood, but there is no other designation on this particular car. I can only conclude that this car is actually a Sixty Special Fleetwood Brougham? How's that for a name as long as the car itself; I gotta say this is a pretty intimidating looking car, I would not want to meet this in a dark alley. While I generally don't like this generation, I give the owner credit for keeping this old 'lac presentable. 

 As most would expect, this Fleet is in pretty good condition, especially considering its age; while the car has minor evidence of surface rust hiding under the vinyl roof, the rest of the surface is pretty good. The chrome is in great shape, showing almost no signs of actual wear; oddly enough, or not so odd, the hubcaps are free of any curbing, dents or any other infractions.

My favorite angle for these Cadillacs is the rear quarter; I honestly never cared for the post-1964 pre-1969 front end; I realize it is still a Cadillac, buf this generation never really had an elegant fascia; the 1969 restyle fixed all that for me.

Nevertheless I still had fun shooting this example; I found it on Google maps, and was kinda iffy on whether or not it would still be at its house. My luck proved right, as I did actually find it at the address that Google promised.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Camaro "Z/28" convertible

Out of all the cars featured here on The Automotive Way, I can't think of two more cliched cars than Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros; as a car enthusiasts, I love both cars, but so do millions of other car enthusiasts; they're popular at car shows, and I see them by the tens every day, usually with at least one tacky aftermarket add-on aside from a blinging set of wheels that generally don't work with the car.

Growing up in Kansas in the 1990s, classic Camaros were a relatively common occurence, and I thought nothing of seeing multiple on the same day. As the years went by, I began to see less and less first-generation Camaros, and even the much-bashed third-generation slowly got less and less common--and that was in Kansas.

Minnesota is a whole different ballgame; rust hits cars rather hard here, and even some of the early fourth-generation cars are starting to look fairly shabby. I don't see very many pre-third-generation Camaros at  all, thought at shows it seems like the cars are in droves--and usually look quite a bit alike. These early cars look good, and its hard not to make them look even better than stock. Sometimes, going the cookie-cutter route when it comes to modifying can make a car look worse than stock, instead of better.

First off, as a member from a car forum I'm on pointed out, this is not a real Z/28 as the badge would lead you to believe; instead, it's a very good phantom "clone"; the only things bringing it down are the modern (and tacky) footwell speakers and the rather obvious choice of Torq Thrust/Bullitt style wheels, except in chrome. While the wheels look great, they don't really suit this classic Camaro.

The paint on this thing is fantastic; the color's beautiful, and the white stripes really work here; I dig the stock badging and it's probably my favorite part of this car; insider, as I said, the modern touches ruin the feel of the interior and I'm not sure about the seats.

That little blurb being written, I don't hate this car; in-fact, I think I do like it, but as with most Camaros, I'm just not into it. There are other cars I like more, but for what it is, this tribute phantom Z/28 is very nice.

I am glad I shot this, because I have not seen it since; I hope it's still living, and I hope it's either been returned to as stock as possible, or at least had some new wheels put on it that are less blingy.