November Car Spotters

[Robert Hall]

Was in the drive thru at Dunkin Donuts this morning, behind a Ford Ecosport.  Studying the rear, I realized the portion of the right taillight on the rear door has a door handle built into it... the rear door is side hinged like the old Rav4 on these, i think.    But behind me was a more interesting car--a maroon w/ white top early 80s Olds 98 4dr...appeared solid. 

 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Robert Hall

[ocnblu]

Saw my first 2019 Colorado with the "CHEVROLET" grille, an orange Z71 extended cab at a local dealer.  I have to say it looks great, the mesh itself is gloss black, with the word spelled out in a textured band, and the lettering has a different, fine rectangular gloss mesh.  Very detailed and cool.  Test drove it.  LOVE IT.  The 8-speed shifts sooo smooth.  Giant chip in paint down to bare metal at bottom center edge of passenger door knocked the grin off my face, must have happened inside the dealer's shop on their lift when they were prepping it, like the door was opened against the lift.  We'll see.

[balthazar]

'70 (real: 242 code ) GTO, Ram Air III 366/400, 4-spd, A/C, hood tach car. Need to check the trunk & see if the Ram Air pans are in there. Correct block, have to check head numbers. Rough & beat all way around, top to bottom, but complete. Guy who owns it gave it to my buddy, wanted him to get it running/fixed up some, but the owner is currently living in his car, so that's completely unrealistic, me thinks. Going to be advertised instead.

Edited November 11, 2018 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

That GTO would be amazing restored.

Today saw a 57 I think Rambler driving past as I was eating pizza.

[David]

Red Robin for lunch and this beauty was parked right there for me to check out. Needs a bit of TLC but very solid and cool.

[balthazar]

'61-62 T-bird, med blue, worn & forlorn, sitting at head of driveway on back residential street, obviously parked for at least 10 years.
'73-74 Cutlass sedan, pale yellow, very solid/clean original, blasting down the highway in the left lane.

[David]

DAMN, Just realized this past weekend was the Seattle International auto show. I drove by as they were winding down the final day and they had 6 Ford Rangers there for test driving, 3 jag iPace and 3 Mercedes-benz MQC. 

I am so pissed that I missed this year. Where the hell was the advertising.. bummer 

[Robert Hall]

Was up at 4:30 am to do an airport run this morning.  In the departures lane at the airport, saw a pointy black CTS-v wagon...those were so cool.   Saw a 1st gen Olds Aurora on the freeway when heading home. 

[balthazar]

Ferrari 458, (I had to google to ID the model), yellow, slogging thru central Jersey traffic.

[Drew Dowdell]

 

 

[balthazar]

You know you got an oldie when your wheels and your FIREWALL are made of plywood.

[Drew Dowdell]

20 minutes ago, balthazar said:

You know you got an oldie when your wheels and your FIREWALL are made of plywood.

and when your firewall is under your seat

[A Horse With No Name]

57 minutes ago, balthazar said:

You know you got an oldie when your wheels and your FIREWALL are made of plywood.

....or a cobalt from Vinton County Ohio with rust repair from nearest available materials.

[A Horse With No Name]

9 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Was up at 4:30 am to do an airport run this morning.  In the departures lane at the airport, saw a pointy black CTS-v wagon...those were so cool.   Saw a 1st gen Olds Aurora on the freeway when heading home. 

I have been seeing tons of V cars lately.

[David]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I have been seeing tons of V cars lately.

Seems allot of them must have come off Lease as my local Caddy dealer has a ton of CPO. Interesting they are all around 18-28 thousand miles on what is clearly a 3yr lease car. Should be some great options for people who want a performance luxury sedan, wagon or coupe.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Seems allot of them must have come off Lease as my local Caddy dealer has a ton of CPO. Interesting they are all around 18-28 thousand miles on what is clearly a 3yr lease car. Should be some great options for people who want a performance luxury sedan, wagon or coupe.

I really am liking Cadillacs styling direction more and more.

[ocnblu]

I was behind a white/black top first-gen Mustang convertible this morning, with an infant seat in the back seat.  It was traveling 60 in a 50.  Same trip to work this morning, I saw a '71 LTD 4-door in that neutral tan color they had, and a black vinyl roof.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 minute ago, ocnblu said:

I was behind a white/black top first-gen Mustang convertible this morning, with an infant seat in the back seat.  It was traveling 60 in a 50.  Same trip to work this morning, I saw a '71 LTD 4-door in that neutral tan color they had, and a black vinyl roof.

The early 70s Fords still had a really good look. My parents had a 71 country squire as a kid.

[Drew Dowdell]

 

 

 

[balthazar]

^ That the new G-wagen? Didn't know it was available in 'flat orange'.

[trinacriabob]

On 11/11/2018 at 3:39 PM, balthazar said:

'70

I've got a soft spot for this car.  We had one in the base model with a 250 c.i. (Chevy manufactured) I-6, no A/C, and no fancy electric accessories.  My dad was reluctant to buy a Pontiac, having graduated to Oldsmobile and Buick, but this was the most hassle free car our family ever owned.  It was bought as a second car, mostly for the dog.

Yesterday:

A 2006 or 2007 Monte Carlo in the metallic bronze, with 5 spoke alloy wheels and a vertical spoiler, making it an LT model.  I once had a rental with a black interior and it didn't look that good.  This one going down the street had the tan interior and it was in near perfect condition.  Sweet.

Adieu, GM mid-size personal luxury coupes. * sigh *

Edited November 16, 2018 by trinacriabob

[trinacriabob]

A sampling of the Big 3 on one freeway trip

First, (Ford)

A metallic gold Lincoln MKS.  It was cruising along at about 70 mph and a tiny lady was driving it.  This car looks better from the rear and the side than it does from the front.  I could have sworn I saw a differential under it from behind, or maybe that was something else.  I had always assumed this car was FWD.

Second, (Chrysler)

A metallic charcoal Dodge Charger.  It was the latest rendition.  I couldn't tell if it was a V6 or a V8 nor could I tell if it was FWD or AWD.  The guy driving it was glancing at his phone. 

Third, (GM)

A silver Pontiac Bonneville of the latest model run, probably 2001 to 2003.  It had alloy wheels, the ribbed cladding, and a spoiler.  I love the rear tail lamp fascia on that car.  I'm guessing that someone might either like it or hate it.  It's unique.  For its years, the car was in good enough condition. A stocky blue collar Italian guy one shouldn't pick a fight with was driving it.

[Robert Hall]

Drove by an exotic car dealership w/ a variety of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, at least one McLaren in the showroom.   Saw this black Ferrari 488, then a new '19 Chevy Silverado for the first time.  Looks better in person, esp. in gray w/ the chrome trim.  The front fender edge and grille area is still too busy, too many cutlines and large gaps, IMO.     Also saw a gray Bentley Continental GT on a windy, hilly road appropriately named Bentleyville Road.   And I saw so many Audis...mostly silver and gray.   Audis seem to far out number Mercedes and BMWs in the fancy areas of eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio (the small towns all look like the North East/New England more than the Midwest).   And as a random aside, I also discovered there are many horse farms in eastern Cuyahoga County, something I didn't realize... 

 

 

Also drove by a house where someone had an affinity for GM 2 seaters—-a black Allante, a red Fiero, a silver Fiero, a gold Reatta, and a red C4 Corvette all in various states of disrepair w/ grass growing up around them. 

Edited November 24, 2018 by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

I saw a car identical to mine yesterday.  I tapped on my horn in acknowledgment.  It was a beehive church type lady who didn't respond.  Most of the time, people nod and/or smile when I drive by a car that's identical to mine.

I then saw a chick barreling down the fast lane of the freeway in a newer Corolla in which one of the rear lights was out.  The bigger problem was what looked to be a small black Maltese dog in her lap.  Did she sleep during driver's ed in high school?

[trinacriabob]

I saw an early to mid '90s Buick Roadmaster wagon at a supermarket parking lot at about lunchtime.  It was in perfect condition.  It did not have the wood paneling and, IIRC, that was offered, since I was driving a smaller Buick product at that time and had the brochures.  It was white with a tan interior, had the alloy wheels, and, badda bing, whitewalls.  (If you're going to put whitewalls together with alloy wheels, make sure they're the thin stripe ones by Michelin that people have on Cadillacs and Lincolns; otherwise, fail.)  I'm guessing it had a 5.7 liter V8 and, at that stage, it was probably a Chevy version and not an Olds version.  Not sure if the 5.0 (307 c.i.) was still around in the early to mid '90s.  Memory lane sighting!  Damn, those sleds were big.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 11/15/2018 at 3:28 PM, balthazar said:

^ That the new G-wagen? Didn't know it was available in 'flat orange'.

Badge engineering at its finest...