Minneapolis Street Sighting: Plymouth Fury III

While out shooting, I see hoards and hoards of GM products, and a slightly lower number of Ford products; for whatever reason, a vast majority of the Mopar products I see often seem to be around when I do not have a camera present. To be perfectly fair, I haven't really tried to shoot many Mopars because more often than not, they're Diplomats or Gran Furys, and the occasional Fifth Avenue--honestly, those cars, while I do like them, aren't quite what I'm looking for under the Mopar banner.

I am aware of the multitude of Mopar muscle cars--I quite like them, but honestly I don't see them around--at least outside of shows. Heck, even the more common Barracudas, Coronets, and Chargers are even rare spots here. What I do see are the big cruisers, and the luxury-oriented vehicles. That's where the Fury lineup fits in. According to wikipedia, the base model (so-to-speak) Fury I was marketed at fleets, rental agencies, taxi drivers, and police officers. As the number designation climbed, the vehicle became nicer, with the Fury III being the top of the line.

Apparently, this was the answer to vehicles like the Pontiac Bonneville, and Buick Electra, and Ford Galaxie? Not an overly expensive vehicle, and not quite up to Imperial, Cadillac, or Lincoln standards, but still, a very nice vehicle aimed at people who had more than average money to drop on a new car. I would equate to a Chrysler 300C or Cadillac CTS of today?

First off, I don't see many Mopars around here so this is a nice change; second of all, this is a very clean car, especially considering where it lives. I see this car now once or twice a day, shopping at the SuperAmerica just down the block from where I spotted it for these pictures.

Yes, it really is this immaculate. The paint is absolutely stunning, and if original, this Fury sure is holding up well. I don't think I can recall seeing any this nice, even in Lawrence; not only is the paint in awesome shape but the chrome bumpers are as well. Ditto the hubcaps.

I am impressed with this well-kept Fury III, and being a fairly upscale domestic car when it was new probably sealed its fate as a keeper. I doubt a base model (Fury I) would ever be saved, much less kept in this condition.  I applaud the owner for keeping such a wonderful piece of non-muscle Mopar history alive and well.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The name Monte Carlo conjures up different images to different folks; for some, the name invokes images of a treacherous historic rally race, and to others, the name brings about memories of the 1980s G-body and its NASCAR dominance. But Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe wasn't strictly about speed or racing by any stretch.Not by a long-shot.

When the Monte Carlo debuted, it was Chevrolet's answer to the spot between the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Mark series; filled with luxury appointments, but at an affordable price. It was the step below reaching anything with Buick-class luxury, but it was bigger than, say, a Chevrolet Chevelle. So it was neatly positioned for people who wanted to be able to buy an opulent vehicle from the same dealer that sold Corvettes; and sell, they did.

The name "Monte Carlo" was instantly recognizable, and just the name itself brings about easy recognition from all walks of life; Chevrolet, as a company, knew this, and that car ran until the rear-wheel-drive G body was dropped in 1988; however, in 1995, the nameplate was bought back--again on a luxury-oriented vehicle, despite being front-wheel-drive. Ultimately, the nameplate was canned after the 2007 model year, and there have been no signs of seeing the nameplate return. Quite a shame, because I think there is room to build a rear-wheel-drive luxury two-door and price it a bit higher than the Camaro.

I really like this one; everything is top-notch here; excellent color combination, and excellent wheels. I love that the paint is not only a neat shade, but the application looks tremendous as well. Normally, I would balk at older cars without much chrome, but here the minimalist approach works very well.
The Chevrolet Rallyes are the best wheels for this car, though I don't think it would look bad on any other set of modern wheels that weren't overly huge.

I especially like that even though this car has a show plate on the front, it does get driven daily in the summer. I have seen it numerous times, and can vouch for that. If you own a muscle car (even if it is geared toward the luxury end of the spectrum, what fun is it if it isn't driven? Apparently this owner thinks those same thoughts, and I applaud him for it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Pontiac Grand Prix

A few days back, I brought readers an Oldsmobile Cutlass 442; now, I want to take time to look at a more plebeian G-body--this Pontiac Grand Prix. Often heralded as a somewhat sporty vehicle, at least in some of its more modern offerings (particularly the GT and GTP versions, as well as the Turbo Grand Prixs of the early-1990s) many Pontiac fans often forget that the Grand Prix was also a bread and butter vehicle. Up until the 1988 redesign, a four door was not offered. Up until then, the Grand Prix was a two door car that focused primarily on luxury, at least up until the end of the Malaise-era. This white example is something I would expect to find being driven by an older owner who very likely bought this car new. This is not the five year old, ex-Avis special sitting in the back-corner of Jalopy John's Used Cars, nor is this the car the W-Body.com members would lust after.
This late 1970s example is a good candidate to represent what Minneapolis looked like thirty years ago--and its not often that someone preserves what is technically a bottom-of-the-barrel midsize GM two door.













When I first saw this Grand Prix parked along East Lake, I was honestly shocked; I don't see many undonked G-bodies of any vintage, let alone the not-quite-favorite early 1978-1981 bodystyle. Finished in stock white, and wearing its factory hubcaps, this is almost what I would call a time-capsule car. Unlike the last 1978-1987 Grand Prix I blogged, this example showcases no rust, visible or otherwise. Nor does this example show any sort of accident damage; if I had cropped out the modern cars, someone would be hard-pressed to say these pictures weren't taken in 1985. That's how clean this example was.
Inside, the story was much the same; with the exception of a dash-top compass, which may or may not be factory, this old Ponch looked as good as new. A peek inside revealed almost no wear to either seat, and all the woodgrain (yes, I know it's fake) looked impeccable. Truly a feat for any GM car to be honest.
I don't even like this bodystyle, and I was quite impressed; not everyday does a pedestrian-spec G-body come this clean; and judging by the handicapped placard, I imagine that this one is going to stay in its current state--for good.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Pontiac Bonneville wagon

I've been on a 1960s kick lately; for whatever reason, I am beginning to think that the 1960s is one of the best decades for post-modern car design; every brand had consistent themes, styling was a mix of luxurious-ness, but most cars still packed tons of incredible details that would lure enthusiasts to inspect them more closely. I've brought readers examples of Pontiac's Bonneville before, but never a wagon-- and I have come to a not-so-startling conclusion; the Bonneville wagon is probably my favorite bodystyle for the nameplate. I love wagons--always have, and likely always will. As a "late-bloomer" in the classic car scene, I first discovered the mid-1960s Bonneville last winter, and pored over its many exquisite details; unfortunately, I did not get very many closeup shots of these details on that example nor this one. That still standing, this white wagon is probably the coolest American car I've featured this year.













On the whole, this particular Bonneville was beautiful; I normally don't care for white cars, but on this wagon, it works--quite well. It makes the big wagon seem a bit smaller than it actually is, and the rolling stock certainly helps matters. Another thing I quite liked about this Bonneville, is the sparse amount of chrome. Normally, I'm a sucker for older cars with varying degrees of chrome, but here, the absence of it clearly sets it off. With only the "Bonneville" script adorning the doors, the minimal application on the grillework and tailgate, this American wagon screams "class" not many others can.
No doubt this example is stock, aside from the lowering job and Torq Thrust wheels, both of which look excellent here. I'd say this is about as close of a "hot rod wagon" one can get without doing any drastic changes; for someone who recently got interesting in mid 1960s iron, I'd venture as far to say that this Bonne is certainly the best of the breed I have seen yet.
I would loved to have shot this on the street, but I'm not complaining; I realize I've broken my own rules, but hey, an awesome find is an awesome find, right?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

In the hustle-and-bustle of the big city, donks are quickly becoming the transportation of choice for young folks who have the desire to look "cool", and as a result, stock and almost-stock examples of Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe are getting harder and harder to find. Poking around in the numerous sidestreets revealed that not all of them are rusted or blinged; instead, there are still some quite nice examples, even of base models, still around.
The 1970s examples are big and bold, and laden with enough chrome to make even the "hardest" blingster jealous; the 1980s versions are stark contrast. Not much chrome except for the wire-wheelcovers, the two-tone paintschemes were on the way out, and the car itself was much smaller. Did it still deserved to be a called a "luxury coupe"? You bet. Vinyl ruffled seats, optional landau top (which this example was lacking), and a choice of engines meant that buyers could option out their Carlo from either simple, to pure 1980s luxury kitsch. Solid colors, though, without the vinyl roofs look the best, and too many people overdo it when it comes to either customizing or restoring their Carlo.. Plain and simple is just how I like these.









It's not often that 1980s "in-cars" escape whatever fad is running rampant in car culture; for years, Monte Carlos have been prime fodder for lowriders, and demolition derbies. Now, there's a new enemy--donkriding. Donking is when someone takes a car, and jacks it up on obscenely huge wheels, and does little to no performance mods to offset the added unsprung weight. Thankfully, this example is as pristine as can be. No modifications, good or bad, adorn this almost-classic luxury coupe.
It's never easy to shock me, when carspotting; somehow this maroon Monte Carlo took me by surprise. I guess I wasn't ready to see a rather nice example or a car so commonly ruined in mass numbers; the paint is fantastic, especially considering the fact that it lives in rust-hell. The trim, too, has withstood the test of time quite well, only showing minimal fading.
Seeing how this Monte is equipped with one mirror, I'm guessing it's a base model. No bad thing, really, it just means its likely motivated by either a diesel 305, or the more common 3.8 V6. I'd rather have the V6 than the diesel for obvious reasons, and given the upkeep, I bet the V6 actually gets better mileage than the diesel.
It's not often one of theses is preserved or at least left stock, and this owner seems to take great pride in his or her near-classic coupe. One only hopes that this nice example can survive for many more years to come.