Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Electra 225 Limited

How do I find all of my spottings outside of uptown? Well, sometimes I ride around, and get lucky--other times, I explore new tools in aiding in my car search. Ever since googlemaps came out a few years ago, I have been using as a tool to find and scout out new and unfamiliar areas; although google last visited Minneapolis' poorer areas in 2008, I tried my luck in seeing if any of my internet spottings were still there. Fortunately, out of maybe fifty cars spotted, only seven or eight were there; this Buick Electra is the only car on the street that remains; all the other google spottings from this street are gone--either crushed, or donked.
I previously featured an Electra that I shot much closer to home--and that one was in much better condition. This one, though, doesn't look all that bad... until you get up close.













I'm not quite sure what to make of the front grille treatment; it is not at all stock, but surprisingly aside from the dual Buick badges (wtf?), the chrome-capped fascia doesn't look awful. It doesn't look right, but it could be a whole lot worse. Turning my attention to the side, I noticed a bit of tinworm on the lower fenders, but honestly that's to be expected--it's a Minnesota car for crying out loud, it isn't going to be perfect. The color suits it well; it's a period color, and it honestly looks okay with the Buick rallyes--this color I think would look better on a Cadillac or maybe a Pontiac. The vynil roof looks to be in pretty good shape, too. I find that extremely satisfying because that means that there's likely no serious roof rust.
What I find the most interesting is the continental kit, or the appearance of one, anyway; I've never seen a fullsize Buick with one, and it honestly just looks weird.
I do appreciate the fact this big Buick is in respectable shape, and could easily be saved if the owner wanted; I don't whether this big barge even runs, considering the old-style license plates, but I'm sure it could be made to do so--that is, unless it's been sitting ever since google spotted it in August 2007. That might be a problem. One can only hope its not the case, but I suppose being dead is better than being donked--maybe.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Electra 225

I try to keep custom cars down to a minimum unless they're special or outlandish. I tend to flock to cars done in a style or theme that's not too common around here. For that reason, I tend to avoid rat rods and most Tri-Five Chevies. Not that I don't like them perse, they're just a tad too common.
Car trends come and go every few years; about ten years ago, having a bright orange Honda Civic with white wheels, white graphics, and a big wing on the back was considered cool, and fast forward five years ago, and all-out "rice" started to die out. However, in the bling trend, it worked much the same. About ten years ago, having 24s and lift was considered "ballin"; and then rims got bigger, and there were better styles and brands available. Lifting is now quite passe, and often looks ridiculous. The idea now is to fit bigger wheels on the car, but have it sitting relatively stock. Here, we have a custom Buick Electra done in donk style. Unlike most of the examples I see around here, this gorgeous one is rather tasteful.








This car is awesome! The paint color is great; not too pearly, and no ridiculous murals. The vinyl top, too, is quite a nice contrast to body's darker hue. Definitely the route I'd go. There are a few nits to pick with this example, though. I don't approve of the exhaust tips--they look stupid on a Camaro, and they look even worse here. The wheels, too, could leave a bit more to be desired. Asantis or Forgiatos would do this car the justice it so much deserves. I didn't really inspect the inside, but that's where quite a number of donk-style fall flat in my book. Ugly steering wheels, TVs point every which way, and dumb-looking sound installs. Thankfully, from what I saw, this Electra had none of that.
All it needs is a wheel swap, a Sunday afternoon spent detailing, and me behind the wheel. Overall, quite a clean cruiser that could stand to be cleaned up some.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Electra 225

Living on the mean streets of Minneapolis is no easy task for car freaks; it seems that with each passing day, the chance of spotting a land yacht preying on smaller traffic is growing slimmer and slimmer with each passing day. I rarely ever see the big four-door GMs, mostly just two-doors. And even then, the examples I spot tend to be rather ratty. Missing hubcaps, flaking paint, and a half-torn vinyl roof withering in the wind. Wait, no, sorry. That's Kansas. Here, the big two-doors are quite uncommon, but less-so than their four-door counterparts. I don't think I've seen any fullsize Buick this year aside from this lone Electra 225. Equipped with curb feelers, "swanger" wheels, and a probably-not factory dual exhaust, it's clear that the owner does respect his baby-- and he's careful with how he parks it and drives it, making sure that no other traffic dare come close to either hitting it or parking close to it.











Seeing these old yachts is a pleasure for me; I didn't really grow up with these, so I don't have "attachment" to them; I do appreciate like I do other cars, though. I remember growing up seeing bigger cars than I'm used to now, but at the time, I considered them everyday fixtures. I'm almost positive there was a brown 225 at my elementary school. Who owned it? I don't know. But this car brings back Pinckney memories, circa 1994.
Despite the badge being slightly broken, all the other trim appeared to be in immaculate shape. The grillework looked fantastic, and the wheels showed nary a hint of brake dust or road grime. The paint, too, was outstanding. Again, its clear the owner of this big boat enjoys his car, and wants to make a positive impression on others. I don't think I've ever seen one this clean--and I do mean ever.
The haphazard dual exhaust isn't quite my taste, and neither are the curb feelers. It's a lot better than the other fate that's so common with big cars, that's for sure. For all I know, this example could've been saved from the infamous donk trend, but as it sits now, the owner clearly has no intention of doing so.
And I hope those intentions stick with him. This Electra is way too nice to chop up for the sake of making it ride like a pickup.