Minneapolis Street Sightings: Chevy Corvair sedan

So, this Corvair wasn't exactly found on the street, but I do think it qualifies, for a few reasons; it's clearly visible to the public, I didn't go into any driveways, and it's not a dealership find. That said, let me jump into my thoughts on this particular example.
This Corvair caught my attention, and rightly so. I don't often see Corvairs, and when I do, it's almost never the sedan model. Much less in this condition. The white paint looked nice, and it lacked obvious peeling that affects GM products of today by far. The trim seemed to be all there, if not showing its age. The wheelcovers seemed to be in remarkable shape, too, especially given the car's age. Overall, the exterior presentation was nice, considering this car just as easily could have been left for dead in a farmer's field up north (which does happen quite a bit I'm afraid.)
The interior was in great shape, too, with the dash seeming pretty damn new. Oh, and I love the details on old dashes. The example on this Corvair is no different; the big, two spoke steering wheels is PERFECT for a car like this. Granted, it does remind me of every other car from the 1950s through 1970s, it still looks good. The dash switchgear is awesome, too. It seems as if cars back then were about functionality, but style as well. I do like new interiors too, but even the nicest of today's interiors have NOTHING on classic car interiors. While I couldn't look it over too closely, I would definitely go back and do so, again, to take in all the details.
There was one thing I didn't care for on this example, though-- the "Heartbeat" license plate. C'mon. We know it's a Chevy. But it's from a period in which Chevy didn't tackify their product with that lame Heartbeart slogan, nor did it plaster the decal on its vehicles. So, please, owner, if you are reading this: REMOVE that damn license plate. All it adds is tackiness and lameness to an otherwise exemplary specimen of a not-too-often seen car.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Buick Wildcat

Okay, so it's another Buick. This time, it's a Wildcat coupe, and a frequent neighborhood visitor at that. I have been trying to shoot this car all summer, and my efforts seem to have paid off; I caught it at two different places in 3 days. The exterior seems pretty solid for a Buick (or any car, really) of this vintage, so out came the Kodak Z885. Granted, it has a front damage, and it has the inevitable cancer, but still. The paint color is so 1960s/1970s GM it isn't even funny. It has the common but good looking Buick rally wheels, too.
The interior looked MUCH better than the body. The seats had very little wear and tear, and the dash looked PERFECT. the shifter was intact, and so was the steering wheel. The only downside was the aftermarket speakers, but hey, it's a 30+ year old car with a (likely) AM radio.
A huge, 400+ cube V8 lurks under the hood, too, so gas mileage is dismal at best. It doesn't have ABS or airbags, either, so it likely takes a football field to stop from 75 MPH. The owner probably gets about 10 - 12 MPG in mixed driving conditions, so it wouldn't be a terribly practical on the gas mileage front, either.
But that's beside the point. It's a 30+ year old car, and it's still prowling Minnesota's roads in search of a new longer life.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Buick Riviera

I showed you the 1980s model Riviera (I think it's an '84 but I'm not too sure) and now I bring you this specimen. This Riviera is a second generation model, which ran from 1966 to 1970, and offered three V8 engine choices--the famous Buick Nailhead 425, a 430, and the big honkin' 455 incher.
This example seems to be deteriorating, and it's quite a shame, really. Even though it had current plates, it didn't appear that this car has moved since god knows how long. The paint is sun warped, the dash is cracked, and the wheels seemed to be stuck into the tires. Not a good sign.
The interior didn't fare to be in much better shape, I'm afraid. The dash was warped beyond repair, and every single piece of chrome or trim in the thing had been mauled begone recognition--this car beckons for more than a simple resto job.
I did like that the chrome was mostly intact, so this car can still lend parts--if the owner does indeed decide to strip it rather than using the cash for clunkers crap on it.
The neighborhood this car was resting in led me to these conclusions; ratty houses with taped and boarded up windows, doors with metal burglar bars, and at each street corner sat a waiting cop car and a matching bait. In a way I'm glad this thing is in sad shape as some gangsta won't try to "jack da whip". I want to save it, though, but I'm afraid this example is past its prime. And that's a damn shame because second to the 1963-1965s these are my favorite Rivieras.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Buick Riviera

Here we have a nice Buick Riviera to kick off the street sightings for the week. The car had a street presence nothing else on this block could touch; not even the C4 Corvette that the owner decided to be a spraypainted yellow. As I walked around the car, I saw that it was mostly intact, so I decided it would be a good blog feature. I don't see many of this vintage, let alone this much intact. The paint on this car wasn't showroom-shine clean, but it certainly wasn't pitted and discolored/faded. The chrome bits seemed to be intact, although the emblems looked a little worn down. Hey, it's nearly 30 years old, so who can complain? The original wire hubcaps are slick, and a touch of class to this clean Buick. However, I'd shine them up a bit and maybe rechrome them along with the bumpers and emblems.
The interior seemed clean and mostly original save for the crappy hacksawed 6x9s gracing the rear deck panel. Honestly, not everything needs a bumpin system to "Crank Dat Soulja Boy" to. Dammit. At least it doesn't have 24s on it, yet. Nor is it a gaudy color, so I give the owner credit for at least keeping it looking stock on the outside. For now, anyway.
I'd like to see more Rivieras (and Toronados, too) of this vintage preserved and kept in good condition. No one thought the 1960s and 1970s Rivs would be classics, but these 1980s examples are nearing the 30 year old mark. They, too, one day could be collector's items.

Guilty Pleasures

We all have them, even car enthusiasts. Cars that go in the categories are cars, trucks, and SUVs that "normal" car enthusiasts would scoff at. Cars and trucks that are neither signifact, or special in any way, shape or form; cars that mean essentially nothing to the average Joe. For me, though, there are a few cars that fit my guilty pleasures list. You saw one of them, the 1995-1999 Lincoln Continental.

The others on this list are:
1991-1994 Ford Explorer Sport/two door
1993-1996 Dodge Intrepid two tone
1997-2002 Ford Expedition
1998-2004 (?) Mitsubishi Montero Sport
1999-2004 Dodge Intrepid

Automotive Guilty Pleasures: Lincoln Continental

The first in this sub-series is the 1995-1999 Lincoln Continental. Yes, I realize this is a FWD 4.6 V8 Continental; I do realize it has many, many gremlins such as air suspension that is prone to failure, and I do understand that the 4.6 is a chore to do maintenance on; I do realize many car freaks consider the styling to be bland, almost atrocious, and the wheel choices hideous. I don't care. I like this generation, and again, I have no idea why; it's some sort of strange attraction, if you can call it that. From the time I was about 7 or 8 I liked the styling of these. My favorite angle of these cars in the front 3/4 view. I am drawn to the headlight/grille/fender lines and I have no idea why. I also like the wheels on this model. I do realize they are some of the ugliest wheels Lincoln has dreamed up, but I like them. Same goes for the omgfwd layout. A bunch of people shun FWD "luxury" cars such as this and the Cadillac STS, but I dig em. On the Continental, though, I am drawn to silver or pine green ones; those two colors look right on it. No tan, no black, no white; pine green or sliver seems to be the best (dare I say sexiest?) color choices for this particular FWD barge. Oh, and the best part? I can feasibly buy a running one for $1500-$3000. I almost want to.

Diecast of the Day: Road Signature Oldsmobile Toronado

Dunno if this is going to work or not, since my comp is broken, but here goes. This is Road Signature's 1:18 Oldsmobile Toronado. I've been wanting one of these for awhile now, and I finally have it. Verdict? The paint, fit and finish is very good. The paint is glossy but it does show some orange peel, and the chrome trim is very fragile. The doors and hood do open, but again they were VERY fragile; I'm almost afraid to open them. The main neat feature that prompted me to buy this car is the poseable headlights. They do open and close; how cool is that? Especially at this price point.
The interior is nicely detailed, too with each piece of trim replicated to scale. The steering wheel and wood look accurate, as do the seat contours, and details. Since I am afraid to open the doors (they are extremely delicate), I can view the interior from outside, which is a bit of a letdown since the interior looks amazing.
My only complaint, aside from the fragileness part is the fact that the chrome looks fake almost; Road Signature tried too hard to make the chrome appear real. Overall, this Oldsmobile Toronado is a good model to have in a collection, and it's one of the few non-Cutlass oriented models around. If you are an Oldsmobile fan, or love obscure/forgotten American cars, buy this piece; it has astounding shelf presence.