Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mazda RX-7

I've always been a fan of Mazdas, and I've enjoyed the RX-7 from an early age; I think first ones I can actually remember identifying on the road were the FCs, and I knew what these were by the time I was about four or so. To me, these symbolized sporty imports as a child. I didn't know much about Japanese sports cars besides the RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX and earlier Z-cars. This (and the equal vintage Z-Car) are what I learned to associate with popup lights before  I learned about the Corvette.

I obviously didn't know bodycodes when I was little, but I always called these the "80s RX-7", and even at about three or four, I was right. The FD3S debuted in 1991 as a 1993 model on our shores; these were available from 1986 to 1992 on our shores, and were available in a larger variety of models than the successor, the FD was. I would wager that the FD is more popular here in the US, but the FC is still an awesome car.

I love this car; I love FCs, and I've been wanting to shoot one for a good while now; and while this one isn't entirely stock, it isn't a bad example. Sure, the paint could be glossy, and it could be stock height, but what fun is stock, when the car isn't yet considered a "leave-it-stock-asshole" classic yet?

Honestly, I love the stance on this; it's pretty low, but not enough so that it scrapes ground like that damn tC I posted up yesterday--and damn these wheels. While most non-wheel guys would think these are BBS wheels-- they're not. They're wheels from a 1998-2003 Ford Crown Victoria LX--and they look badass here. I love laced-pattern wheels, and these are a subtle--and quite nice--change fro the normal idea of throwing BBS on everything. Well done, and well spotted I think.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Scion tC

As with any form of car customization styles, fads come and go; in the late 1990s to the mid 2000s, thanks to magazines like Import Tuner and Super Street, the ricer fad started--then the movie series "Fast and Furious" came and amplified the trend by a million. Now that the ricer trend has all but died down, the "Fast and Furious" movies, as well as the magazine, Super Street have changed focus, instead focusing on nicely-tuned imports versus bodykitted wonders.

Around 2008 or 2009, a new form of the ricer trend was developing; it's called stance and its where you fit exceptionally wide wheels onto a car and leave it for the most part looking stock-- save for hoards and hoards of stickers, and possibly a garish paint color. Sometimes the cars are done up reasonably well, and I don't hate them, and other times, all the work is done to car that honestly doesn't deserve the attention, as is the case here.

Like my buddy Alan explained on his blog Auto Neurotic Fixation, the stancetards love these little shits; not a sports car by any stance, these things were offered with a TRD Supercharger from the factory, bumping the horsepower from a 160 to an even 200. I suppose the idea of a supercharger makes these idiots think that its fast? Sorry pal, it's still an Avensis.  I doubt many Scion owners (much less "bros" who modify them) even know what that is. Props to you if you're in the know, because the car is boring enough that I'd fall asleep if I had to write about it.

In many ways, the Scion tC is equivalent to the Paseo of the 1990s; it wasn't fast, it wasn't a sports car, but it didn't really look offensive--- until some dumbass does this to it. Then we have a problem--and being white, it was probably either a dealer demo, or an ex-driving school car.

As I explained above, I really don't like these things-- much less this one; it's loud, the thing shakes like a 1997 Cavalier RS on its last legs at a stoplight, and the tires rub on the fenders every single time there's a change in road conditions. Cool? Nope, you're a fucking poser that thinks being a car nut means driving the loudest, fartiest, scraping-est thing in uptown.

I like your "fuck you" sticker, too. Classy, dude.  By the way, that's what all of us who have to hear your loud-ass piece of shit think of you. Oh, and you wasted a clean set of Volks--unless they're knockoffs, which they probably are. And the "Form> Function"  sticker? Yeah. I don't see any form--all I see is a compact car that used to haul groceries and crap to and from a college campus. Now, it's primary function is to go over speedbumps at an angle as to not fuck up the tires.  Dumbass. Oh, and your "lower it" sticker? Your shit isn't lowered; its just sitting on wheels with no suspension. Hence the shitty ride; I hope you enjoy fake teeth, because yours are all going to fall out if you keep driving this shitbox.

Okay, rant's over; this has been "fuck a Scion tC" with slightly more profanity than you're used to. Case closed. End of discussion. Scion tCs are poser cars. 

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Toyota Paseo

Toyota had a lot going for it in the early 1990s; nice-looking (if not plainly styled) cars and trucks, no cluttery design cues that didn't fit, and.. they made sporty-ish cars. With the Celica and MR2 being mostly known, and the Paseo being quite an underdog--or a pretender if you will, I would say it was the equivalent of today's Scion tC. Despite Toyota's claim (and Scion's for that matter) that the car was a proper sports coupe, it wasn't.

 Equipped with a 1.5L four cylinder churning out a hundred stamping horses, the two-door Toyota was far from fast. Based on the Tercel, the Paseo was more of a sporty-looking car for people who didn't have Celica  (or Supra) money (hey, that resembles the Scion tC being based on the Corolla--for people who can't have an FR-S).   Exterior styling was decent; it wasn't amazingly good-looking, but it wasn't ugly either. Again, this also applies to the Scion tC. Inside, the appointments were a little bit better than bare, and there was no way to change that--unless you went to JC Whitney and ordered "chrome-look" vents and switch-panels).

Paseos here fall into two distinct categories--the sort-of-preserved, meaning no body damage, but a wee bit of rust and other minor blemishes, and totally riced out beaters that belong at U-Pull-R-Parts; this example is a good representation of the former. While it does look "nice" from across the street, it is obvious there is wear and tear.

Aside from the minor rust (and to be honest, what 20 year old Minnesota doesn't have any), the bodywork seems to be in great shape--especially for a vehicle that is viewed as an economy car rather than a potential collector's item. All the trim is present, and even the spoiler hasn't broken yet. The only issues I have with this example are the piss-poor fading on the hubcaps--and really, that's about it.

I've did "one-shot-wonders" of Paseos in the past, but they're getting thin out here. I wonder if I should start shooting more and more decent examples. I had fun shooting this one, even if I was a bit perturbed by the college students questioning what I was doing.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Pontiac G8 GT

I usually stay away from modern cars--but there are some that catch my fancy; one of these is the Pontiac G8. It was introduced in 2008, and only a year after it was introduced, it was killed (as was the whole Pontiac brand). For being fairly rare, I still see a good number out my way--but they're still not common by any stretch. Hailed as a cut-price BMW 550i, Car and Driver, Automobile, and Motor Trend liked the G8, whereas a number of foreign publications didn't. For $35,000 or thereabouts, one really couldn't go wrong; problem was, most Pontiac dealers (at least my way) didn't really know much about the cars, and I can recall more than once I asked an obvious question (is it rear-wheel-drive?) and the salespeople didn't know.

But that wasn't the main problem; like most modern cars that are considered niche products, the ads simply were not there. GM cited slow sales as the reason for killing Pontiac, but the only thing they really advertised was the fucking Grand Prix (which by this time was almost five years old), and the dowdy-looking G6 range.  So, how bout them dollars you could've spent advertising the G8?

Since this is a farily new car, I'm not going to bitch about the condition of the thing; I'm going to praise it. I love these things, and probably will for a very long time. 2008 was a shit year for GM. While GM did bring out a new Malibu (which they haven't topped yet), Saturn and Pontiac both got knocked out for good--right after redesigning the whole lineup to go from meh, to "wow, that's nice"... and the phrase "for a Pontiac" needn't be uttered. The G8 is simply a nice car.

I love these wheels on it, too; I know they're simple five spokes in brushed aluminum, but they look fantastic. And no cheesy Holden centrecaps either.  I would definitely drive one of these--hell, I'd even sport the V6 base model--and I don't say that with very many GM cars. Just goes to show that GM did make a mistake. Oh well, at least the Camaro is a hit.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mazda B2600i SE-5 4x4

I have always been fascinated with Japanese compact trucks--and I have always been a staunch Mazda advocate; put the two together, and you've got my dream ride. Okay, sort of. From an early age, I've always had a soft spot for these, and I love them in extended cab form best. Sure, the single cab was probably the most-bought (because that's what I saw tons of in Kansas), but these uplevel SE-5s look classy.

While Toyota had a trimline called SR-5, Mazda had it's own SE-5; both trucks came with 5 speed manuals initially, and both trucks offered a more sporting appearance than the base model. I've searched and searched and still do not quite know what qualifies as an SE-5 aside from more youthful colors (like this one pictured here) and more stickers, and special wheels. While it is hailed as something special among its followers, the SE-5 is nothing more than a 1980s marketing exercise to gets sales spurred.

This is where Mazda fell flat; Toyota trucks sold in droves compared to Mazdas. I still see old Toyotas on the road, despite the rust problems, but these Mazdas are seriously hard to come by--even in Kansas. Part of that may be the fact that dealer networking in the 1980s (even with Ford) wasn't quite what it is today--and the fact that Ford was pushing the Ranger instead of trying to help Mazda sell its own pickup. Couple that with low dealer inventory, and you've got a recipe for a slow-seller; and in 1993, the Mazda design was replaced with a badge-engineered Ranger--which ultimately sold so poorly that Mazda discontinued it quietly after a few years of literally no ads (print or otherwise).

I live in the rustbelt--obviously--so finding one of these alive is a miracle in itself; the fact that this one is rust-free is an added bonus. The paint looks amazing, and aside from the replacement (and rusty) rear bumper, this example is true to its original state.  The color is fantastic--only because I love teal and probably all of its shades. All of the stock trim is not only intact, but it's untouched or ruined by the weather; too bad the same can't be said of the black plastic bits (namely the grille).

The wheels on this thing are awesome; I know it's a basic 5 spoke design, but this wheel design has to be fairly rare, as I've only seen one truck in person rolling on these. All the other SE-5s I've seen have had the white painted wheels, which honestly look horrible.

The interior in this thing looks factory-fresh, too, last time I checked; all the trimmings were there, including the seats, which disintegrate prematurely on these trucks; no idea, why, but almost every single running example I've seen has seats worn down to nubs--and this one didn't. I would almost wager that this one was a lower-mileage example that has been very well looked after--and that's no bad thing.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Lincoln Town Car limousine

Most of my sightings aren't "rare" or "special" cars by many accounts; sure, they're rare for up here, or at least, really nice (or really crusty) examples of vehicles that used to be everyday cars and trucks; every so often, I catch something that is clearly out of the ordinary. I developed a love for hearses a few years ago, when I started paying closer attention, and shooting more and more of them; limos, however, took a sideline. Why? Because.. well, I don't see many of them, for starters. And most of the ones I do are cliched, 1980s-era Cadillacs that look like they could easily be found at the no-credit car lot for $800 down whilst needing three times that in bodywork.

 I almost never see Lincolns, though. I've always liked this generation Lincoln Town Car; Besides the 1961 to 1969 cars, and the 1977-1979 cars, this bodystyle is my favorite of the bunch; no other Town Car since these has looked elegant. while being a bit "muscular" as well. I've not seen a limo of this gen in person for quite a while, so seeing this one was an awesome change from the norm; while it's about as tattered as a Ford Transit basking by the British sea, this Town Car still has a certain aura about it; almost as if it knows its in dire straights and wants to be saved.

Limousines are awesome--and they always have been. But what happens when that shine and prestige wears off? This happens; they become neglected and left to rot in the elements. This Town Car was a pretty classy car once, hence the name. Sadly, being left outside has done a number to it. It might not be as bad as it appears, though, because at least there isn't any rust forming--or present, for that matter.

Sure, the car is caked in dust and grime, but once that's gone, the paint should resemble a new car again; white with gray is always a classy combination, and this stately Lincoln wears it well. I'm not a fan of the antennae/thing on the decklid, but I suppose it serves as an aerial?

The rolling stock, too, is less than desired; I mean, c'mon, who puts these dinky-ass hubcaps on a limo? Never mind that the 'fifth wheel' is the wrong hubcap for Lincolns, nor does it match the shittastic hubcaps sitting on all four wheels. Bad move, guys; I do suppose it fits with this once-proud limo's neglected image, though. If anything, they help bring it down to "crap" level instead of "prestige".

I am shocked that a limo would be left to deteriorate, but I guess it's inevitable. Cars don't last forever unless we maintain them--and that clearly isn't the case here.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Dodge Ram Horizon 170"

Over the past few years, I've developed a growing interest in RVs and campervans; same with conversion vans, but that's another story entirely. I recently have become fascinated with GM vans, but the Dodge-based campervans are gaining my interest. Like the GM campers, the Dodges are fairly common around here, but mostly its the newer vans that are still around. Pre-facelift vans are scarce here for a number of reason; the most common reason for their rapid disappearance is rust--particularly around the rear wheelwells.

This also did in the GM and Ford vans, too, but it must've been more harmful to Dodge's vans, because while I still GM vans and Econolines from time to time, these old Dodges are damn-near impossible to find; that's a shame, because I sort of like these--especially in camper trim.

I haven't seen many out my way, and I haven't seen many growing up in Kansas either; maybe that's why I am drawn to them? I know I do dig the Dodge trucks from this era, too, so maybe that's where the interest comes from.

Honestly, this camper is in good shape; yes, it shares scars of daily use, but nothing too extreme. The paint, while faded, is still in good shape; the brown decals/trim is heavily faded, but the fact is, it all remains on the vehicle with no peeling, ripping, or even minute tears.  I'm not feeling the little space under the headlights, but I guess that's the result of stupid headlight regulations that were in place in the 1980s, but what can you do? The wheels on this example aren't my first choice; I'd prefer some period Dodge aluminum hubcaps on steel wheels, but these newer Ram van wheels don't look horrible.

Obviously, I didn't peer inside so I can't comment on the quality inside; it would appear that this does have a sleeper, and probably a kitchenette too; I'd like this as a recreational vehicle. For me, it'd be the perfect road-tripped. Not a huge camper, but big enough to sleep me, store my clothes, and whatever else I needed to bring with me on my cross-country adventure. I'd gladly sport this, even though I know I didn't take very many pictures of it.