Minneapolis Street Sighting: Geo Prizm

With the rise of "captive imports" in the 1980s, GM saw fit to compete with the Japanese cars in build quality, and in price; a partnership with Toyota was launched in an effort to build a cheap, quality economy car that would compete with the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Corolla. In 1989, the Geo brand was launched as a downmarket, youthful brand that would supply vehicles in the emerging "budget" economy car segment of the market. Much like the Scion of today, Geo was the first real attempt to capture the "new-driver" segment as a whole. Instead of new-from-the-ground-up vehicles, the brand was comprised of a variety of different vehicles for many Asian manufacturers looking to improve their success in the US market.
One of the strongest sellers aside from the Tracker SUV was the Prizm sedan. Basically, a rebadged Toyota Corolla, the new car featured slightly different front and rear fascia, and a new selection of wheels and hubcaps; other than minute changes, buyers could purchase the same car under an American nameplate or a Japanese nameplate, whichever their heart desired.
Because it was a Corolla in all but name, Prizms lasted quite awhile; even though the car was discontinued almost twelve years ago, I still see many Prizms around. Even more shocking, is that most of the Prizms I see are the first generation car, like this one--or would this be a first generation "truck"?









Looking like something out of a rejected Top Gear USA episode, this once-economy sedan has been turned into a cute little hauler. Capable of hauling what exactly, I'm not quite sure; I would normally scoff at such a car-to-truck conversion, but for some reason I find this little Prizm kinda cute; maybe its the combination of huge rollbar with affixed lights and the rather small body in comparison.
Prizms on the whole do not get my attention, for better or for worse. What is apparent here, is that owner likes to have fun with his or her transportation; I really like the idea of a home-made pickup truck, and with the slow-and-steady demise of the compact pickup market, doing this only makes sense; where else can one get 30+ real world MPG with the convenience of a bed? Nowhere but here--and I'm sure that's why the owner did it. Major props given, because even though I would never have thought of the idea, I rather like the execution. If only the rest of the Prizms were this cool!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Geo Tracker

There are certain cars and trucks that I have a fondness of, for various reasons. The Geo Tracker is one of those vehicles. Many people dismissed it as just another cheap piece of crap. I refute that argument. I grew up with one. Seeing a first-generation Tracker in any condition brings back fond memories, but seeing one in mint condition takes me back to when I was five years old.
My dad had a black one--a 1993 model, base, two-wheel-drive with a 5 speed manual. Black with fuschia trim, it was probably the most fun car I ever rode in. Yes, that includes a Mercury Capri, and various Ford Explorers, but the Tracker remains to this day one of my favorite--and most hated by classmates--family vehicles.
When I was five, I thought an open-top vehicle was awesome --and still do. Many memories were had in it-- racing through Pillsbury Crossing and seeing if I could get wet sitting in the back seat, screaming down Iowa street with the top off in an a down-pour, and long hauls up to Michigan and back in freezing cold weather with fogged-up windows.. the list goes on.
My dad's was a base model-- but not quite. Unlike the one featured here, my dad's had LSi wheels upfitted at the dealer. He thought the base painted steel wheels looked cheap--and they do. The slant/directional five spokes were much classier, and admittedly gave it the "Barbie-car" look that was so popular in the early-to-mid nineties. But I didn't care. I was five. It was a convertible. I loved it.
Ultimately, my dad lent it to someone who was learning to drive a stick, and it first notice, it appeared the clutch was dead--and because it was worth so little money-wise, it wasn't fixed. But that's the most dramatic mechanical letdown it ever faced. 150,000 miles of road trips, hard winters, rock-hauling, drum-hauling, mudd-bogging never let it down once. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. And boy, did it pay for itself over the long run. At a shade over $9200 new, one would think the Tracker was just another disposable piece. But it outlived everyone's expectations--and it wasn't just our example. Despite the rust bug, tons of these things are still going strong in Minnesota, just in less-than-pristine shape. In Kansas, too, they're not quite gone. I love these, and I hope they never go extinct.











This fuchsia example was probably about as nice as I'd ever seen. No sun bake, no rust, and the original dealer sticker still adorned the tailgate. To see something this nice, this clean in a usually rust-laden state was a shock. Obviously, the fuchsia isn't my color of choice, but it represents the Tracker well; in the 1990s, bright and ostentatious colors were quite the norm for "youthful" vehicles. Trucks like the Ranger Splash, and new for '94 Chevy S-10 and utility vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Explorer two-door, and even compact cars like Ford's Escort line and Pontiac's Grand Am GT model came in youthful colors.
The wheels, too, are a tad lacking. I much prefer the styled aluminum directionals as opposed to these travesties. Okay, they're not horrible.. but.. they bring down the appearance of the whole vehicle. Wheels can either make or break a car, and here they break it. At least they're all original and haven't been swapped for something cheap/ugly/huge yet. And seeing that this Tracker is in impeccable condition means that no bling will ever harm this. That's quite good, because Trackers remind me fondly of my childhood--and the last thing I want to see is one defaced.