Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Electra 225

I try to keep custom cars down to a minimum unless they're special or outlandish. I tend to flock to cars done in a style or theme that's not too common around here. For that reason, I tend to avoid rat rods and most Tri-Five Chevies. Not that I don't like them perse, they're just a tad too common.
Car trends come and go every few years; about ten years ago, having a bright orange Honda Civic with white wheels, white graphics, and a big wing on the back was considered cool, and fast forward five years ago, and all-out "rice" started to die out. However, in the bling trend, it worked much the same. About ten years ago, having 24s and lift was considered "ballin"; and then rims got bigger, and there were better styles and brands available. Lifting is now quite passe, and often looks ridiculous. The idea now is to fit bigger wheels on the car, but have it sitting relatively stock. Here, we have a custom Buick Electra done in donk style. Unlike most of the examples I see around here, this gorgeous one is rather tasteful.








This car is awesome! The paint color is great; not too pearly, and no ridiculous murals. The vinyl top, too, is quite a nice contrast to body's darker hue. Definitely the route I'd go. There are a few nits to pick with this example, though. I don't approve of the exhaust tips--they look stupid on a Camaro, and they look even worse here. The wheels, too, could leave a bit more to be desired. Asantis or Forgiatos would do this car the justice it so much deserves. I didn't really inspect the inside, but that's where quite a number of donk-style fall flat in my book. Ugly steering wheels, TVs point every which way, and dumb-looking sound installs. Thankfully, from what I saw, this Electra had none of that.
All it needs is a wheel swap, a Sunday afternoon spent detailing, and me behind the wheel. Overall, quite a clean cruiser that could stand to be cleaned up some.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: VW Rabbit L

I've always maintainted the I have somewhat of a soft spot for Malaise-era vehicle, domestic and not. As a long-time Golf GTi fan, I can respect the original car's origins; the humble Golf (nee Rabbit in the 'states) was nothing more than grocery-getter with good mileage, that happened to handle well. VW tried marking it the sportier version as another model line, and it caught on like wildfire.
But this tired L isn't quite the GTi that Volkswagen fans know and love. What we have here is the two-door Rabbit in its simplest form--the "American" form. Cheap materials in the interior, lighter, more flimsy steel for body construction, and a slightly asthmatic 1.7L engine that made...wait for it..75 horses; unfortunately, less than 60 of those made it to the road, resulting a a very slow hatchback that got merely okay gas mileage. Seeing as how the new Golf makes a staggering 110 horses in base form, I'd say nothing's changed, right? And it, too, has been Americanized, and made extensively cheaper than its German-market equivalent.









Unlike the last Rabbit I featured, this silver base two-door is far from mint. Thankfully though, rust appears to be the most of its problems, aside from the marred grille and right headlight. Paint is generally shiny, and free of any major defects. The hubcaps, and other trim (aside from the obvious grill) are in excellent condition and have definitely stood the test of time. One thing I am curious about though (and maybe this is common, and I just now notice) is the lack of side marker in the front, but the rear does have one. Maybe this is in the process of being converted to a Euro front? In any event, it looks to be in rather fair condition save for the body damage and relatively minor rust.
I've always liked VW's smallest car for sale in America, but as the years press on, I'm seeing less and less of them. Hopefully, there will still be some good ones left twenty years from now. Sadly, like the Beetles, these, too, might become almost extinct.

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.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Pinto

As one knows now, I have a certain fondness for 1970s and 1980s domestic-marketed cars that generally get a bad rap. GM had the Vega/Astre, the Monza/Starfire/Skyhawk/Sunbird coupes, and the T1000/Chevette; Chrysler had the K-cars, the Omni/Horizon, and the Volare/Aspen twins, and what did Ford have? Ford had the Mustang II, the Fiesta (not the new one) and the Granada/Versailles/Monarch, and the Maverick/Comet, among others. But the car that's by far my favorite "forgotten Ford" only second to the Maverick/Comet, is the Pinto/Bobcat.
Introduced in 1971, the Pinto was Ford's answer to the rising popularity of small Japanese cars, and like the new wave of imported cars, the Pinto wasn't without it's share of problems. While the little imported cars, the Pinto, too, was rust-prone, though this wagon debunks the myth entirely. However, the Pinto had a more serious problem-- it could exploded under a severe-enough rear-end collision. Because the gas tank was positioned right below the rear axle, the tank would rupture on impact, result in deadly fires. Ford knew of this problem almost instantly, but declined to fix it, stating initially that the fires were result of "unfortunate circumstances". Pinto sales steadily declined until the little car was replaced in 1981 with the front-wheel-drive Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx.










I've never seen an earlier wagon in my life, so this was quite a surprise; also surprising, too, was the condition. I've seen numerous rusty Pinto hatchbacks, and the few later wagons I've seen have all had serious rust damage. There's not doubt that being a Minnesota car, this Pinto is probably masking some nasty underside cancer. On the surface, though, it appears relatively nice.
The paint is predictably flat (probably not a metallic color anyway), and big bumpers seem to have held up quite well, despite looking completely out of character with the rest of the wagon. The trim, too (only the badging here from what I can see) is quite clean, and is still intact--definitely a feat worth noting since the glue/pins/screws holding the badges on tend to give out quite often. The fact that three out of the four wheels are present suggests that the steelie currently in on the driver's side rear is likely the spare tire. I think it's quite neat to see a relatively forgotten car in such decent condition more than thirty-five years after it's introduction.
I can only wish for more happy motoring from this Pinto owner, and I can hope that his vehicle doesn't become a statistic in Pinto fires. After all, it's lived nearly four decades without becoming one.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Mustang

Introduced in 1964, Ford's Mustang became an instant success story for Ford. A variety of engines and trimlines meant there was a Mustang for everyone--mild to wild, grocery-getter to dragstrip-star. In the 196s, even the base Mustangs looked decent, but as time wore on, the base cars got further and further down the chain of "economy car with a name", rather than a cheapened muscle car. In the 1970s, the Mustang gave way to the Mustang II, and since 1974, base Mustangs have never been looked at in the same light.
In 1979, the Fox-body Mustang made its debut. Although there were V8 cars, the less-stellar six-cylinder and four cylinders made up the brunt of production. Going on the fact this car has no trim badging, full-faced wheelcovers (hubcaps), and is painted a rather pedestrian color, I'm going to assume that this packs the oh so wonderful 85 horse straight six. Yes, you read that right. EIGHT-FIVE STAMPING HORSES.
While I am a fan of the Fox in all of its iterations, be it Lincoln Mark VIIs, Ford Fairmonts, Ford LTDs, Mercury Capri, or whatever, the early four-eyed Mustangs look the best of them all. Not too many are around anymore, so I'll take any four-eye I can feasibly find. I'd love to find a Cobra, a Mustang GT, or any shape of Capri, but the likelihood of that is probably nil. I guess I'll make do with the economy special I shot instead.









As far as Malaise-era base models go, this Mustang isn't too bad. Full-faced wheelcovers are so much a part of this car as is the 1980s-era detailing. Flat body, simplistic trim, and very few creases and styling theme mark a time when cars were drawn on paper, and complex surfacing wasn't yet the "in" thing. While most would criticize this Mustang for looking too plain.. you have to remember that cars as a whole looked quite a bit boxier and generic than they do today--okay maybe that's debatable--and as result, used decaling and add-on trim to look sporty, Mustang included.
This is the opposite of a sports car though. Caked in all its bare glory, this little pony was intended for school runs, grocery shopping, and in-town driving, and not much more. After all, what else do you expect from a lousy 3.3L six with barely enough torque to spin one rear tire.
I usually don't fawn over base model cars, but for some odd reason, this little 'stang has just enough going for it to be featured here. These models aren't seen very often, much less is more-or-less decent condition. No doubt I'll snap another if I see it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercury Cougar XR-7

Malaise-era luxury cars have always intrigued me. The Thunderbird name, too, has always been one of my favorites. Harkening back to 1955, the original idea of the Ford Thunderbird was to have a personal car to may or may not have competed with the Chevrolet Corvette. When the Mercury Cougar made its debut in 1967, it was intended as a more luxurious offshoot of the popular ponycar, the Ford Mustang. In 1971, the Cougar changed focus, and became a personal luxury coupe, facing such rivals as Chevrolet's Monte Carlo among others. In 1977, the Thunderbird and Cougar would become twins, a relationship that would last until both vehicle's demise in 1997.
While I quite like the 1977 to 1979 cars, the 1980-1982s take some getting used to. More formal and square than the previous cars, these new models looked very upright and luxurious, in a way that only a Malaise-era turd can. Gone were the opera windows, the Lincoln-esque profile, the general long-ness of the car, and in were the short-deck long-hood motif that graced every other 1980s vehicle. At least they were still rear-wheel-drive, and able to be had with a (emissions-choked) V8.











The 1980-1982 aren't quite the most cared for Cougarbirds; I still see far more '77-'79s and '83-88 cars than these. Not surprisingly, these haven't succumbed to the bling trend yet. Every single one I have seen save for this one has been a complete rustbucket. Thankfully, this two-tone XR-7 was quite nice. Granted, the color combination is questionable, but at least it appears original. Aside from the odd color choices, I can't really complain about a bone-stock 1980s vehicle I seldom see. The chrome, and badging are in relatively nice shape, especially for their age. The wheels are ugly, but honestly they look better than 90% of the aftermarket options, so I'm glad they weren't changed. On the whole, nothing about this car screams "trashy", except maybe the image the car itself presents.
All in all, quite a rather boring beast of a Cougar, but its a generation that is quite scarce today. This may be the last one I ever see, and for once that's a good thing.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Porsche 928

As a 928 enthusiast, Hot Wheels had the bases covered for me; when I was little, I had a bunch of a casting called "The Predator" or some such if I remember correctly. As I got older, the name was changed to "Porsche 928", and throughout my years, I had numerous castings. My favorite was probably the aqua/green one that was in the Porsche 5 pack. I had a bunch of them, but somehow they all went missing. My next favorite, and I am not sure where this casting originated, is the white one pictured here. I do like the simple Hot Wheel 5 spokes, but thought this casting needed a proper dose of European flair. So did Hot Wheels, apparently. Out with the 5 spokes, and on with the BBS-replicas.
The color and wheels suit this car extremely well. Again, like the Camaro from last week, my biggest gripe here is with the wheel size. If just toned down one notch, this casting would look worlds better. As it sits, though, I'm not complaining. It's nice that Hot Wheels took the time and effort to replicate a car that doesn't exactly have a cult status among Porsche aficionados. As a 928 enthusiast, I respect Mattel's efforts to replicate my childhood dream car. I just wish they didn't skimp on the interior. For $.99 though, we can't have everything can we?