Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick LeSabre Custom 455

Buicks are classy cars; cars like this LeSabre make that evident. Minimal chrome, an minimal vynil trim make this big GM stand out from other cars of the era; add six passenger capacity (with front bench seats) and a big stonking V8, and you've got a cruiser.

While most people would associate the 455 mill with loads and loads of power, when fitted into the LeSabre, the 455 had only 250 horses; loads of torque was standard, though, but that didn't shave any time of the big boat's leisurely performance. Motor Trend's road test of the car yielded a 0-60 sprint of 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 121 miles per hour. Okay, so the big Buick wasn't meant to be fast; but it still looks odd with the 455 logo on the front fenders.

I would wager that these sedans are going to be more popular as they get older for two reasons; not many have survived the demolition derby phase, and the ones that have survived are likely in very good condition (as this one here is) ; while Rallye wheels were extremely popular on the LeSabre, the ones I've seen have had full-face metal hubcaps, and arguably, the hubcaps suit the nature of the car better; Rallye wheels suggest a muscle car, and despite having a mother of an engine, performance suggests otherwise.

I have loved 1970s GM cars for quite some time, and this fullsize Buick is no different; granted, I think it looks better as a Centurion convertible, but still. The lines look great, and despite me not being a sucker for four-door sedans, I quite like this.

It's got enough dirt on it render it a daily driver, but it doesn't really show its age very well--and that's a very good thing. Does this car look like its forty years old? No, it does not.While I will acknowledge the missing trim, this LeSabre looks like something that could pass as an extra in the movie "Used Cars". Waitaminute...

I really like this bodystyle, and again, while I don't like four-doors, I am happy I shot this one; I've never seen a well-kept four-door Buick of this era, and I've certainly never seen one with all the stock badges and hubcaps in place. Well-spotted and well shot, I say.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Caprice

I realize that Caprices and Impalas are almost cliche now--for car enthusiasts of all walks of life. But here me out; in Minnesota, thanks to a certain trend, these cars are getting more extinct by the day, much less rust-free examples. There are two main reasons these cars are getting much harder to find--demolition derbies, and donkriders.While I admit the donk game is changing, and some of the cars look very nice, I find it sad the "ryderz" tend to go after clean cars with no rust--such as this one here. Granted, the things are now being done up rather subtly compared to five or six years ago, there is still no excuse for hacking up a clean, low mileage, original car.

The demolition guys always start with the beaters, and tend to ruin them even more, and in their quest to build a demo car, they often destroy what they don't need. Why? Because rednecks. That's why. I hate demolition cars not only for the destruction itself, but the fact that most demolition derby cars aren't really car guys; they just like destruction. Most of them swap engines and throw whatever parts they can onto a demo car, without thinking about how well the shit goes together.

 And that, my readers, is why full-size American cars--particularly the full-size Chevrolets are disappearing. In large numbers.

I was shocked to see this example; not only is this one super-duper clean, it's original too; right down to the fender skirts, the landau roof, and all the intact badges. I'm not sure if this one qualifies as a time-capsule car, but it's pretty damn close. This is honestly the nicest stock one I've seen in person--and I took a bunch of pictures to savor the moment.

The beige hue looks dull--I'm not gonna lie; it suits this big boat well, though. I'd rather it another color, but stock is good. This looks probably as it did new--and that's a very good thing. Not many left.

Even though this one is for sale, I applaud the owner for keeping it so nice for so long. Shame it's next owner probably won't do the same. As time passes, we lose more cars like these. I can only hope that this one was saved--if not, yet another clean car falls victim to donkrydin homies who don't know "bout tha whip".

Minneapolis Street Sighting: AMC Ambassador SST

More often than not, my sightings come from three major players in the American-car market: GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Lately though, things are slowly beginning to change, as I've begun stricter shooting procedures. As readers may (or may not) have noticed, I've shifted from "any old car regardless of condition" to "if it's interesting, why not?". AMCs fit both of these bills quite nicely. As a child, I quickly grew fond of the AMC Eagle, and as I got older, I developed a thing for the AMX-line of cars. It must not be forgotten that AMC did produce other vehicles. Growing up from the much smaller (okay, maybe not very small) Rambler with which it shared its name, the Ambassador quickly rose to full-size car status. A quite good looking coupe (and quite rare, too) was also available, but it seems that the sedans are the most commonly seen today--and they're no everyday car; this is the first Ambassador I've seen in quite a while--at least in Minnesota. In fact, this may be the vehicle I shot on-the-go without hubcaps a few years ago.
Popular in many 1970s and early 1980s movies as the bad-guy car, or as a cop car (in Dukes of Hazzard), the Matador was quickly a forgotten sedan; clearly, it isn't an enthusiast favorite, because I see far more LTDs and Impalas.. but the Matador is awesome in its own right.











This Ambassador is in terrific shape; the paint is in extremely good shape, and the trim is not only intact, it's damn near flawless; certainly not what I was expecting. Both from afar, and up close, this big AMC oozes class--if only somewhat. Many people bag on the big guy's looks, but honestly it doesn't look that bad. It looks odd, especially from the front, with its "coffin nose"-esque hood and grille treatment. Out back, the full-width taillight bar is an interesting touch; not many cars had that feature, nor was it executed as well as it is here.
I would rag on the Dayton wires, but honestly, the owner could've done quite a bit worse. They're not horrible, but they're great. In the era of big chrome wheels with 5 or fewer spokes, multispoked wires actually are a refreshing change; I like that they're not gold, at least. Would they be choice? Probably not. But I would still drive it.