Minneapolis Street Sightings: Mercury Capri RS

Normally, I don't shoot cars this ratty, but I made an exception here. I realize Fox body Mustangs are not all that rare, even though they are beginning to die out. But, take a closer look. This isn't a Mustang. What we have here in a Mercury Capri RS. Like the GT trimline of the Mustang, the RS was the sporty version of the ill-fated Mercury Capri.
The exterior is in pretty poor shape, as the photos prove, and the paint looks horrible; at least there aren't any big chunk of metal that have fallen off due to rust. Yet. What once was a vibrant red with factory orange RS badging and striping has become faded, dry-rot almost a faded orangeish color all around.
The interior seemed to fare the same, though I didn't get to peek inside for fear of being watched by other members of the passing-by public.
When this sporting ponycar was new, back 1980-1985, these crappy Wal*Mart/Autozone/cheapie hubcaps shod on cheapie tires would have been non-existent; the rolling stock when new was a set of oft-replaced Michelin TRX-4 tires with 14" wheels. Unlike later Mustangs, this era of Mustang and Capri had metric measured tires in odd widths which made getting replacement tires a hassle, so finding a set of good Michelin TRX-4 and even the wheels alone is quite a feat in itself.
Overall I'm pleased with this sighting, however I do wish it was in better condition. But, being a rust-heavy state, I'm just glad I saw a Capri of this vintage that isn't in the junkyard by now. (Who knows, maybe this one is in the junkyard, or has been crushed already. I shot this in April of 2009, so there is a good chance this poor thing is dead by now.)

Diecast of the Day: Sunstar 1982 Chevy Camaro Z/28

The third generation Chevy Camaro (and the Pontiac Firebird to an extent) has been one of my favorite cars for the longest time, so naturally, I have a 1:18 scale version of one. This particular car is a replica of the 1982 Chevy Camaro Z/28 from Sunstar. Finished in the oh-so-common but oh-so-perfect red over gray color combo, this car features aluminum wheels, which it shares with the pace car variant as well.
I am very pleased with the attention to detail Sunstar paid with this model. First off, the paint is applied at a constant thickness, with some fading under the hood (normal in a real car?), and the rocker trim is tampoed on pretty well, though it's beginning to flake off (much like it would on the real thing!). I'd say Sunstar got GM paint quality down pretty good. *runs*
The interior is also really nicely done. The seats are correctly patterned, and the dash detail is very good, too. Bonus points for having a decently detailed steering wheel that isn't overly huge, nor looks completely generic. I only wish the hatch could open, so I can store the T Tops in the cargo space. Oh well.
The opening features are what really make this third-gen Camaro stand out as a model. As you can see. the hatch is the only main thing that doesn't open. But, the rest of the features more than make up for that measly fact. One of my favorite features, which is heavily exploited in the pictures above, is the fact that both panes of the T Tops come off as separate pieces. Having both T Top panes off allows the interior to be heavily examined, even without having both doors open. It really is that cool of a feature.
My advice is, if you're a Camaro fan, or just a Chevy fan in general. or maybe you just want a decently priced model car, you can't go wrong picking up a Sunstar Camaro. Or you can check out my previous posts for reviews on their European Ford Escort pieces. Really, for $30 give or take, this is one of the better budget models you can buy.

Diecast Of The Day: Maisto Citroen 2CV (Deux Chevaux)

As you know by now, I love quirkycool cars, both in real life, and in scale form as well. So, this Citroen 2CV was a must. I first had one of these when I was MUCH younger; it was a brown/gray one, which due to being a destructive kid, I tore up. Being much older, and a bit more mature (I think so, anyway), I began the hunt for one again. Low and behold, I found one at my local hobby stop. So, without hesitation, I snapped it up. I knew I wanted it to have a space in my collection again.
As I arrived home, my anticipation of holding my new toy grew even bigger when I got inside. I almost felt 10 again. Almost. Except this time, I wasn't intent on playing with it, so it remains in as-new shape.
The exterior is pretty well detailed for a budget model, with no obvious scaling flaws. The paint is applied well, and the transition from metal to plastic is done smoothly. The interior is casted pretty well too. I've seen some pictures where the top piece is off, but I don't want to risk breaking it trying to mimick the "top off" shots. Granted, it would be cool to show off the interior of this little guy but I don't want to break it trying to do so.
If you can't afford the Norevs (honestly I can't), my advice would be to snap up the Maisto while it's still affordable. Like the rest of the older Maistos, these lil Citroens are getting harder to find, and someday I hope to add another to my collection.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Mercedes B200 Turbo

Living in Minnesota, I see a lot of Canadian cars, but these one leaves me confused. I know the US didn't get the Mercedes B-class, and being a 2004-2006, it seems too new to import into the States. Coming a scant 2 or 3 weeks after I shot that awesome Mercedes Vaneo (which I will post soon), the B had me stopping in my tracks. I knew what it was, since this car shares styling cues with the C class sedan, and that horrid R-Class MPV/SUV/Whatever-the-hell you call it.
My first impressions were good. While not being overly big, the B-Class doesn't appear overly small, either; in fact, it seems like it could easily be Mercedes' starter in the US lineup, save for that dreadful A-Class. The design is pleasing, with no obvious design flaws. The exterior flows nicely, and the side crease is welcomed, although a cliche design element. The rear end is typical Mercedes, with the taillights looking like a cross between being German and Korean, and the same can be said for the front as well.
Being a newer car, I can't really comment on how interesting the interior is because, well, it's too modern for me to care too much. However, I do like that this particular car isnt loaded up with needless electronic gadgets as I didn't see a navigation system nor did I see any COMAND controls (Mercedes' iDrive), so that's a relief. If there's one thing I hate most about newer cars, it's the lack of driver involvement, and every time I see a newer non-economy car that isn't shrouded with electronic nannies, it makes me have that much more faith in car buyers.
Sadly, Mercedes has no plans to offer the B-Class here, and that's quite a shame. With the BMW Mini becoming a big POS, and getting fatter, America needs a true "small car" besides the upcoming Fiat 500.

Diecast Of The Day: Ricko 1:18 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

A few months ago, I went into my local hobby shop (Hub Hobby for all you Minnesota folks, if I'm not the only one, that is.) in search of a few cars. The Ricko Alfas have been on my list for awhile, partially since I love interesting looking sedans, and I figured the Italians are the only ones who make whole lines of cars beautifully (sans Fiat *cough*). I've been an Alfa fan for quite some time, so I figured an addition to my 8C was necessary. As I was shuffling my way through the high priced AutoArts, this little guy garnered my attention. Priced at $29.99, I figured it was a decent deal, so home with me it came.
Once I got the car off its base, inspection began. Overall, I was (and am) pleased. The paint finish is pretty good, with minimal flaws, the wheels appear to be correct size in ratio with the body, and the headlights and taillights are correctly cast/replicated. A neat feature, aside from all opening features, is that Ricko went the extra mile in putting all the right trim on the car, and they even painted the engine correctly.
Overall, a pretty nice replica of an oft overlooked Italian Stallion. (Yes, I know it's a sedan, but it's a performance-oriented one.)

Life After Death: Where Old Cars Go To Die: Domestics Edition

As stated with my last post, the local "pick and pull" had relatively few interesting cars this time of year, mainly due to CFC just ending. The yard was overflowing with SUVs and trucks of all shapes and sizes, but mostly those of the GM and Ford variety. The selection of trucks, vans and SUVs that were dying reminded of the typical used car lot selection--single cabs, extended cabs, leather, cloth, 2WD, 4WD, the yard had it all. Want a 1996 Chevy 1500 Z71 with leather? Want a 10 year old Toyota 4Runner without rust? Or howbout a mid 1990s Ford Explorer? Maybe you fancy an Isuzu Trooper? Or are you looking for a Dodge Caravan or Voyager? Perhaps a Windstar is more your liking.
When I arrived, the selection of cars shocked me, to say the least. One whole half of the yard was littered with Chrysler products from end to end. Intrepids, Avengers, Caravans, Durangos, Rams, Spirits, Cirrus, Neons, no matter the modern Chrysler product, this yard had a vehicle you could cannibalize if needed. The GM and Ford selections didn't fare much better, though the selection of cars in both categories were much more limited. Grand Ams and other 3.1 powered goodies accounted for most of the GM selection, with a few 1999+ thrown in for good measure. On the Ford side, Escorts and ZX2s and thier derivatives seemed to make up most of that side, while the selection of sports/sporty cars at either brand was pretty slim. I can't remember seeing any Mustangs, and I saw maybe two GM F Bodies.
Making my way through the truck section to start out, I got bored of combing through endless rows of dead Explorers and full-size Chevy trucks, so I didn't even finish the section. I did notice a few oddballs, though I managed to snap only two.
First up is a Ford Escape V6. Written on the windshield is the stock number, which signifies it as a CFC. Sort of sad, really, because these Escapes aren't even that old. Being a 2001, and only eight years old, it should've had a long life ahead of it. But, no.. the idiot owner decided it was worth $4500 towards the purchase of a new, more fuel efficient vehicle. Like what? a $35,000 Escape Hybrid that gets 5 MPG more?

Next up on the list is a bit of a shocker. Lost in all the remains of Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees, I knew a piece of the modern-Jeep-pie was missing. Skipping through hoards and hoards of once trail rated machines, this Wrangler had me doing a double take. Why? Not only was it the only one in the yard, it seemed as it was saying "what the hell happened to me?" If I knew I was waiting to rot, wilting in the cold, Minnesota winter, I'd have that kinda look on my face, too.

As I mentioned above, interesting cars were far and few between, with both domestic cars I snapped being GM products. Most of the GMs in the yard were of the A body variety, with Cutlass Cieras making up the biggest portion of the "collection". While Chevy Celebritys were common cars here 10 to 15 years ago, seeing one today is a rare sight, so seeing one in the junkyard kind of sucked. What made it all the more sad is that this one was not only Eurosport, but a Eurosport wagon. The Eurosport was to the Celebrity what the STE was to the Pontiac 6000, the T Type was to the Buick Century, and the International was to the Cutlass Ciera. These cars had, for the most part, meatier tires, more standard features, and sportier body styling including upgraded alloy wheels, and different paint and trim options. These relatively small appearance changes helped the car look more towards the "nice" department, versus base models being bland, or "meh" in slang speak. In gray with red pinstriping and badging, this Celebrity was probably a relatively nice looking car in its day compared to a base wagon, or even the hubcapped CL.


Progressing through the GM section older cars became more and more common, with rust hulk G bodies making up most of the inventory. Big GMs are a rare sight here, both on the street, and in the yard, as I found out by this lone specimen of Oldsmobile 98 coupe. Being the curious fellow I am, I poked around this beast and found that the original wire hubcaps were intact, and inside the relatively clean--for a junkyard--interior. Being so complete, this yard finding made me a bit sad. At least it wasn't candy painted and thrown up on 26s like so many kids would find "tight" or "cool" today.

Moving onto the Ford section didn't yield too many surprises, however. There were only two cars I found worth photographing out of the whole 200+ car lot. I skipped the Windstars, and more than half of the Taurii and Escorts got no glance from me. I was nonchalantly wandering through the corpses of America's Best Selling wreck, when in the corner, something caught my eye. I noticed the subtle lip kit, and unique alloys, so I moved in for a closer inspection. I found a Taurus SHO in the yard. This 1994 model was not a CFC, so I'm led to believe it had a rough life to end up here. The body seemed to be in great shape, with no rust, and no crash damage. Methinks it suffers a grenaded transmission. One too many burnouts, perhaps?

The only other car I shot in the Ford section was this Mercury Capri. Suffering for marketing screw-up, these underpowered convertibles didn't sell very well in the US. The back seat was too cramped for a four year old, the engine wheezed at mountain altitudes, and the top was a chore to open and close. But, I still like em. I'd never own one, but I do think they were, and still are nice cars from their era. This example was one of two or three I've seen in the yard throughout my four or five times visiting, so they are slowly disappearing from our roads. Maybe I should shoot the next one I see parked. Just maybe.

Life after Death: Where Old Cars Go To Die: Imports Edition

As a car enthusiast, I have mixed emotions about going to junkyards, especially since rare cars can be found in shoddy condition. Even more sad than a rare car that bit the dust, is seeing perfectly good vehicles with no body damage in the yard. Such was the case at my visit to a local "pick and pull", in the Twin Cities area.
Since Cash for Clunkers, or CARS, hit, yards are filling up fast with unwanted, clean, damage-free "clunkers" that the government deemed "worthless". Moreover, it's the consumers who traded their decent, often low mileage cars and trucks in for a new "fuel efficient" car who are worthless.
Peering upon the rows and rows of clunked, and barely recognizable Chevy and GMC fullsize trucks and tucked amidst the corpses of what once was America's top selling vehicle, the Ford F-150, gems were to be had. And I'm not talking about the cars on my "guilty pleasures" list either. Yes, there were Montero Sports there, and Explorers were there in droves, but that's not the point.
I came to this junkyard, like I do the others, hunting for photogenic material, and I found a few vehicles that piqued my interest.Sitting on death row in the "Foreign" section of the yard, Camries and Corollas sat out in the Minnesota air, rusting to their death along with Subarus and the occasional 10 year old Maxima. Though most of the Japanese cars bored me to death, there were two cars that caught my attention. One was a 1985 Mark II Toyota Supra. Unlike the majority of the Japanese cars in the yard, the Supra had seemingly no real crash damage, but it did have some rust. Maybe it had engine problems, or maybe the owner was too stupid to baby it. What ever the reason, here it lay, on death row, rotting, fading, wilting in the soon-to-be harsh Minnesota winter.

German cars were also present at the yard, with CFC'd Audis and BMWs making up the bulk of inventory here at this pick and pull. Scattered throughout the hoards and hoards of twisted remains of once-luxurious Audi 100s, 90s, V8 Quattros, and BMW E34s, a select two cars got my attention enough that pictures were warranted. The first is a VW Quantum wagon. It seemed to be in great shape given its age, and how many miles it had (85k), so I think this car was accepted from a charity, or a car someone donated through their website. Quite a shame, really.

Next up, in the sea of dead, rotting cars, I was surprised to see an E28 in here. Well, in this case stunned is the more appropriate word. Sitting in a row of malnourished, and badly beaten and weather-worn Mercedes and Audis, this E28 had me almost on the verge of tears. Maybe. The black paint still looked decent, the tan leather was immaculate, including the dashboard and shifter, which is quite a shock in junkyard dogs. To make the matter even more tear inducing, three of the four BBS-type alloys were sitting behind the car relatively scuff-free. What pains me most is this wasn't a CFC victim, either.It's as if the owner woke up one day and said "To hell with this old car, I want a new one."