Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Model A

This sighting was a rarity for me; in a land where pre-1950 classics are not the norm, even at car shows, this pristine Model A had me going gaga. Growing up, I never saw what the big deal was. I thought they were "too old" for me to like. As I aged, I began to appreciate them, not only for what they were, but I grew to appreciate them in general. It's not quite everyday I see one, either.
In all honesty, I'm still quite lukewarm on the Model A. I understand their place in automobile culture and history, but I'm just not "into" prewar cars very much. This example was very, very nice. The paint, and stance are correct, the yellow wire wheels are so 1930s it's cool. Normally, on a new car, I'd call this combo "rice", but it's factory here! Take that, Michigan-themed Honda Civic I see around all the time. The chrome on this example was not quite top-notch, but for a daily driver (which I understand this A is) it looked pretty good. The details (most noticably the plaque in the grill) revealed that this Model A is a driver, and does get its share of road use during the months that allow it. Considering its all manual in its functions, it's gotta be a pretty fun, not to mention unique, drive.
I talked to the owner, and he is the original owner, who bought the car new. Now that's what I call dedication. He's taken immaculate care of his pride and joy, and if you didn't notice the modern cars, nor the modern lettering in the signs, you'd be hard pressed to think this was shot recently. I have never seen a daily-driven, street-parked car this old, and in this condition. Major, major kudos to the owner for keeping such a historic vehicle alive and running.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Plymouth Volare wagon

This particular sighting kind of bums me out. I don't think I've even seen a Volare wagon before, and quite frankly, these pictures suck. When I went back a little later, the car was gone. Anywhoo.. for those who don't know, the Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen twin replaced the compact Valiant/Dart twins to much initial fanfare. They did have their faults though; like numerous mid 1970s vehicles, these Chryslers rusted out faster than people could buy them. A sign of dire quality control, I suppose. Not many of these cars are left, and the few I see are often ratty. Surprisingly, this one not so much. What this one lacks in beaterness, it makes up for in rice? Wait. Rice? Yes. Sadly enough, the owner of this almost-pristine example decided it needed some racing "rimz" and some sweet hood scoops to feed his wonderful 140 horse V8. I'll give them credit for not sticking a bodykit on it, but honestly, the only reason it isn't present is because it likely doesn't exist.
Aside from that whole deal, the paint looks remarkably neat; I'm not quite sure this color is stock, but it looks great on this example and doesn't draw too much attention as do the hood scoops. Inside, all seems to be well save for the (blue!) trim. Gack! Yep, whoever attacked the hood attacked the interior as well. One can only hope this example doesn't get equipped with a Grant steering wheel later.
Besides those relatively minor nitpicks, this wagon is an extremely nice example of a vehicle you don't see anymore. I'm not sure how I feel about it being riced. On one hand, ricing is terrible and should never be done, but I suppose being riced is better than being left to rust. If only just.