April 2021 Auto Spotter Channel

[David]

List your auto finds here, from New Auto Releases to Oldies but Goldie's!  

[David]

Saw  while I was in line to get my Taco Time order a First Edition Defender and while I was not thrilled in the press release pictures, in real life I like it and the color. Love that it is a two door full size SUV.

[balthazar]

Beautiful restored ‘68 442 convertible, black top, med blue body.

[balthazar]

Took a short ride to check out a ''40s car'" for sale on the roadside: '39 Plymouth sedan, white w/ red rims, original spec & interior, repainted exterior. For some reason, didn't think to snap a pic.
Peeking from the backyard next door was a black '47 Chevy sedan.

[David]

Spotted this beauty on the way home from my sons tonight. Could tell it was a Plymouth, bit not sure what model. Yoda of old, can ya help me out here? @balthazar

[balthazar]

'65 Sport Fury- top of the line.

[oldshurst442]

Beat me to it Balthy.

Here...the fuselage version a few years later

 

[balthazar]

'71 Sport Fury GT, even 'toppier'.

[Robert Hall]

9 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Beat me to it Balthy.

Here...the fuselage version a few years later

 

Pretty incredible how much the styling changed in a decade, compared to the space monster styling of the '61.

 

[balthazar]

We'll never see that degree of change in a 10-yr span again (and haven't for about 30 years running).

[Robert Hall]

23 minutes ago, balthazar said:

We'll never see that degree of change in a 10-yr span again (and haven't for about 30 years running).

The changes from 1980-1990 was pretty drastic with the FWD-ification and downsizing.    Not as much of a styling change, but compare the differences between say a 1980 Grand Prix and a 1990 Grand Prix.

Going back further, with those Plymouths the styling difference from a 1951 to 1961 was quite drastic, as was from 1941 to 1951.     

[oldshurst442]

As was '31 to '41 and '41 to '51

Like Balthy said, we will never see a drastic change like that.  

It seems like every decade since the dawn of automobile time, the styling change was enormous.   

The '70s to the '80s was a significant downsize, and more surprisingly more squarish.  From the '80s to the '90s, not only FWD, but the cars by the end of the '80s began to take a more "aerodynamic" jelly bean shape.  And we have been stuck in that pattern ever since. 

[Robert Hall]

6 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

As was '31 to '41 and '41 to '51

Like Balthy said, we will never see a drastic change like that.  

It seems like every decade since the dawn of automobile time, the styling change was enormous.   

The '70s to the '80s was a significant downsize, and more surprisingly more squarish.  From the '80s to the '90s, not only FWD, but the cars by the end of the '80s began to take a more "aerodynamic" jelly bean shape.  And we have been stuck in that pattern ever since. 

Maybe the biggest change after the FWD and aero shift was the last 25 years where we have seen the rise of SUVs and CUVs to market dominance, pushing aside traditional 3 box cars...

Will the current decade be the decade of a big shift to EVs?  

[balthazar]

'The Death of Automotive Styling Progress'.

- - - - - 
10 years : 
 

[balthazar]

25 years : 

[Robert Hall]

Back on topic, I was out once this week, but I don’t recall seeing anything interesting. 

[oldshurst442]

I had the day off. Went to Mount Royal (cemetery) to visit my parents.  Beautiful day.  Sun. Not a cloud in the sky.  68F.  

1. light blue C4 Corvette convertible near the mountain top.  

2. light brown, air cooled  mid '80s Targa Porsche 911 on the outskirts of downtown Montreal.  Griffintown.  I was checking up the possible location of where the Tampa Bay Rays might be playing when we have them.  

3.  Not one, but TWO  Pontiac Solstices near my neighborhood coming home.  One red the other dark green.

 

[David]

Ran an errand during lunch, saw a cherry of a tan 1982 Z28. Old boomer driving it she had her Farrah Fawcett Hair and listening to ZZ Top. 😆

[oldshurst442]

4 minutes ago, David said:

Ran an errand during lunch, saw a cherry of a tan 1982 Z28. Old boomer driving it she had her Farrah Fawcett Hair and listening to ZZ Top. 😆

 

The only car I could tell who was driving was the Porsche. And like you, it was a Boomer. A 70-ish year old man.  He looked good and proud driving it.    He deserved a high five from me!  👋

 

[Robert Hall]

Saw a sharp yellow ‘68 Dodge Dart convertible out for a drive, top down, white interior. 

[Robert Hall]

Saw a blue-gray Mustang Mach-E in traffic yesterday, first one I'd seen...looked sharp...also saw the rustiest Escalade I've ever seen...2nd gen, around 2005 in that pearl white that was popular then...big rust spots and holes on the doors, rear quarters, front fenders, hatch..

[trinacriabob]

Yesterday, April 14, 2021, sitting there to the side at a gas station.

AMC Pacer!  In fairly good condition, too, considering ...

[trinacriabob]

On 4/8/2021 at 4:34 PM, David said:

1982 Z28

Old boomer

Farrah Fawcett Hair

ZZ Top.

Enough said.  Especially with the Farrah Fawcett hair.

This lady is probably of the variety that relishes, or relished, her smoke breaks outside her place of work with kindred souls.  Oh yes, this (stereo)type definitely exists.  Don't be arguing with me, folks, and throwing down that PC card.

[oldshurst442]

14 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Enough said.  Especially with the Farrah Fawcett hair.

This lady is probably of the variety that relishes, or relished, her smoke breaks outside her place of work with kindred souls.  Oh yes, this (stereo)type definitely exists.  Don't be arguing with me, folks, and throwing down that PC card.

I do not know what is happening in your neck of the woods, but Quebeckers, older Quebeckers were heavy heavy smokers.  These folk still smoke today regardless of the health warnings and the general un-cool factor that it has today unlike the status it once had. 

But...older French Quebecker males DO smoke less than French women today .  Also, at least in the Montreal area, YOUNGER females smoke (and vape) far far more than the males.   I wanna know why that is?  

 

[surreal1272]

On 4/8/2021 at 3:57 PM, balthazar said:

'The Death of Automotive Styling Progress'.

- - - - - 
10 years : 
 

There was noting wrong with either (aside from the color choice), if you ask me. The 70s started the design decline for me. The 80's were the nail in the design coffin.

[trinacriabob]

@oldshurst442 I'm just starting to see the term Quebecker, like you've used above, more and more.  I would always just insert Quebecois into an English sentence.  I thought other Anglophones did, too.

The Europeans still smoke a lot, but less than before.  I don't know if some people (who have exposure to things European) think that smoking equates with being European.

If she's a stick, and she smokes, I supposed smoking could make her look chic.  Remember how in '70s and '80s movie there was often that "after sex" smoke?  (Sort of like "apres-ski" means doing the hot tub and wine & cheese thing at some resort after a day on the slopes.)

Now, if she looks like she slam dunks Oreos while watching soaps and talk shows, and then flicks her ashes from the open window of a beat up 1999 Grand Prix, then that would not look chic.  It might look more like a wake up call to a casting call for Jerry Springer.

[oldshurst442]

The term Quebecker as I have learned to use it IS by some Anglophones. And I sometimes think that Quebecois hate the term Quebecker when a certain type of Anglophone uses it to describe them.  

I dont hear it as often anymore. On the English media, they now use Quebecois.  

I think they dont like it because it seems like an English description of a person that hails from Quebec.  Just stick an English 'E' and English 'R'  at the end of a very French Province of Quebec and we have an English descriptor to describe a French people in a French Province.  And coming from a colonial English person...its as close to an insult as it can get.  

Anyway, back to cars being spotted in April.  

Going to the bus stop to pick up my son an hour or so ago and I saw a black Pontiac G6 convertible. 

I wasnt going to mention it as I dont think its that interesting of a spotting. But I didnt want to derail the thread with socio-political terminology from a country that most of you arent a part of anyway...     

 

 

 

[David]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

The term Quebecker as I have learned to use it IS by some Anglophones. And I sometimes think that Quebecois hate the term Quebecker when a certain type of Anglophone uses it to describe them.  

I dont hear it as often anymore. On the English media, they now use Quebecois.  

I think they dont like it because it seems like an English description of a person that hails from Quebec.  Just stick an English 'E' and English 'R'  at the end of a very French Province of Quebec and we have an English descriptor to describe a French people in a French Province.  And coming from a colonial English person...its as close to an insult as it can get.  

Anyway, back to cars being spotted in April.  

Going to the bus stop to pick up my son an hour or so ago and I saw a black Pontiac G6 convertible. 

I wasnt going to mention it as I dont think its that interesting of a spotting. But I didnt want to derail the thread with socio-political terminology from a country that most of you arent a part of anyway...     

When someone says Canadian, I think of Ehhhhh.  

[Robert Hall]

17 hours ago, David said:

When someone says Canadian, I think of Ehhhhh.  

Which is similar, but different to 'eeeeehhhhh' which is more of a groan, one of my standard catchphrases... 

I can always spot a Canuck in my midst in IT when someone says 'JAAAH-vah' instead of 'Jaa-va'.  

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

Similarly, the way Canadians say the words "pasta" and "Mazda" surprised me, given the high number of ethnic types living there and who would pronounce it differently in their native tongues.

Back to spotting:

Midweek.  I have a feeling these stickers are going to be on cars for a long time.  It might be parallel to people in the South still thinking they're fighting the Civil War.

Probably rides well and has a reliable 4.6L V8.  I'm trying to be "glass half full" here.

[trinacriabob]

Spotted sort of deliberately, by going into the showroom while my car was being serviced.

It's about the rear pillar area ...

- - - - -

NO

This was on the new 2021 Buick Envision

- - - - -

POSSIBLY

This was on a new 2021 Acadia

- - - - -

I liked the outgoing Envision more.  Regardless, I wouldn't want to be in crowded traffic conditions and with rowdy drivers in a place like Manhattan and be driving the uppermost of these 2 scenarios.

[David]

On 4/17/2021 at 8:07 PM, trinacriabob said:

Spotted sort of deliberately, by going into the showroom while my car was being serviced.

It's about the rear pillar area ...

- - - - -

NO

This was on the new 2021 Buick Envision

- - - - -

POSSIBLY

This was on a new 2021 Acadia

- - - - -

I liked the outgoing Envision more.  Regardless, I wouldn't want to be in crowded traffic conditions and with rowdy drivers in a place like Manhattan and be driving the uppermost of these 2 scenarios.

Makes sense on the Acadia as that section is so big, they really need a window there. Agree that the Envision also should have a window too, crazy that we are removing the shoulder checks for the corner of the auto due to lack of windows to ensure roll over protection is there for the roof not crushing down.

[Robert Hall]

Speaking of GM CUV quarter windows, I recall sitting in a Terrain at the auto show last year, the quarter window was but a small rectangle, reminded me of an opera window on a '70s personal luxury coupe. 

With the thick pillars and small quarter windows on any modern CUV or SUV, a back up camera and large side mirrors are quite useful.   Though in my Jeep, I still find myself doing the over the right shoulder look back when merging on one local freeway where a ramp from another freeway merges from the left and I have to immediately cross 3 lanes to traffic to get to my exit.

 

Terrain:

Edited April 19, 2021 by Robert Hall

[Robert Hall]

Saw an unusual new Silverado today---a dark gray regular cab longbed 4x4, with small wheels and tires...didn't realize they were building regular cabs anymore.   Not sure of the trim level, but it had chrome bumpers, black steel wheels w/ chromey hubcaps.  Had some sort of badging on the front fenders, couldn't see the front end.

[trinacriabob]

7 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Speaking of GM CUV quarter windows, I recall sitting in a Terrain at the auto show last year, the quarter window was but a small rectangle, reminded me of an opera window on a '70s personal luxury coupe. 

With the thick pillars and small quarter windows on any modern CUV or SUV, a back up camera and large side mirrors are quite useful.   Though in my Jeep, I still find myself doing the over the right shoulder look back when merging on one local freeway where a ramp from another freeway merges from the left and I have to immediately cross 3 lanes to traffic to get to my exit.

 

Terrain:

Duly noted.  Yes, on some GM models, the beltline goes up and it narrows the rear quarter window to a mere rectangle, as shown above.  That would not work for me.  

And I was thinking of the opera window thing after I posted my 2 CUV photos.  The thing was that, for some reason, you could see out of the old school opera windows.  Possibly because of the more vertical backlite, the fact that the opera window was taller, I don't know ...  My parents owned two GM colonnades from the '70s and I had no problem seeing out of them.  The GM mid-size coupes were very satisfying cars to drive on so many levels.

Edited April 20, 2021 by trinacriabob

[David]

Ran to Home Depot and a very silver haired man was driving this old Studebaker pickup. @balthazarany idea what year?

[balthazar]

On 4/19/2021 at 6:38 PM, Robert Hall said:

Saw an unusual new Silverado today---a dark gray regular cab longbed 4x4, with small wheels and tires...didn't realize they were building regular cabs anymore.

Silverado has 2 tiers; the Custom & the LT. You can get a regular cab/8-ft bed in the Custom series; my GMC dealer has a Sierra in that configuration on the floor.

^ The Studebaker above is a '49-53.

[David]

Just saw a B&W Volvo XC40 next to a MB GLA and Volvo Wins hands down as a far better looking crossover.

Square and straight to the back, not coupe like and not squeezed pinch a load look like MB has on their crossovers.

Really impressed with the Volvo compared to MB which is a styling Fail.