May 2023 Auto Spotting Thread

[David]

Belated Happy May Day Everyone.

An interesting observation as I did a lunch workout at my 24hr club and then stopped at Costco to do the wives ToDo list.

When I came back out, I saw 4 VWQ ID4 and 2 ID5 EVs, then a Tesla S and X as well as a Y and I have to say seeing all 3 side by side the 3 is very cheap and looks even more dated than the S and X, but all three look very dated compared to the VW ID's. Then there was 3 R1T and 1 R1S from Rivian. WOW those are sharp EVs, then a couple of Bolts and a Bolt EUV. Then there was my Escalade, a half a dozen Dodge chargers and a lone Challenger and then a bunch of older 300Cs, Impala and a mix of asian econo box cars.

First time that in the immediate area of where I parked there was as many EVs as ICE and was very clear in a wider look that Hybrid Toyota and Honda have really taken over as well.

[Robert Hall]

Saw a gorgeous silver blue ‘67 Thunderbird on Saturday, no vinyl top.  Also saw a clean dark red ‘66 Impala ht at my new favorite ice cream/custard shop.  
 

The moving adventure continues.  I took the week off from work, rented a Transit high roof today for the week.  Drives pretty nicely, had to get used to the funky shifter.  

[David]

13 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Saw a gorgeous silver blue ‘67 Thunderbird on Saturday, no vinyl top.  Also saw a clean dark red ‘66 Impala ht at my new favorite ice cream/custard shop.  
 

The moving adventure continues.  I took the week off from work, rented a Transit high roof today for the week.  Drives pretty nicely, had to get used to the funky shifter.  

So painting is done and the great move in has begun?

[Robert Hall]

6 minutes ago, David said:

So painting is done and the great move in has begun?

Hopefully painting will be done this week.  Moving boxes to the garage for temporary storage.  500+ boxes so far, countless more to go…

[Robert Hall]

While out walking the dogs, I saw one of the new Amazon Rivian electric vans for the first time.  Pretty cool. 

[trinacriabob]

Some Charger spotting, telling me more and more how I will miss this car .... a chapter of Americana closing ...

Tampa Bay area, FL ... another great color ... wow, what a great color ... they really outdid themselves with the color palette in the last 5 or so years

Pensacola Beach, FL ... Louisiana plates

Dania, FL ... I also like this color, but not so much the gimmickry of the upline models, as well as the higher prices, insurance, and fuel costs,.   With 292 horses in the base V6 car, I'd be a happy camper.

[trinacriabob]

Some Buick spotting

Tampa Bay Area, FL - Have really enjoyed driving some rented Buick Veranos in the past

Pensacola, FL - seen near a Waffle House (classic) on Pensacola Blvd., which is "car dealer row."  What a (welcome) blast from the past ... Buick was not in stodgy mode with their last Skylark compact - some sweeps on the silhouette and interesting light bars, a really cool dash for a smaller car, and, if you scrutinize the photo of the rear cabin's interior, you can see the manual window crank.  Also, I suspect the A/C might not have been working, and you need it on the Panhandle. I often wonder what could jump out at me when I photograph car interiors up close like this.

[trinacriabob]

Some Cadillac spotting

Pensacola Beach, FL - seen within 15 or 20 minutes of each other - tackiness applied onto massive '70s land yachts (the headlamps on the Eldo were not rectangular) and, except for the grille emblem, it was hard to "knee jerk" identify an SLS as a Cadillac

[trinacriabob]

Some pony car and sports car spotting

Pensacola Beach, FL - "Smile, you're on C&G" ... I just know it's a Corvette ... I have a hard time telling the MYs apart

"Treasure Coast" area, FL - here's a grumbling and rumbling Camaro of 1970 to 1973 vintage.  I only liked from second-gen models from 1975 onward ... hey, there's a Wawa

"Treasure Coast" area, FL - here's what is probably a 1988 (+/-) Ford Mustang convertible, with burgundy cloth bucket seats (cloth?  in a convertible?) and a 5.0 (302 c.i.) V8

 

[trinacriabob]

A random spotting

Pensacola, FL - I had never seen this vehicle by Chevrolet before ... a "City Express."  The angled front driver and passenger windows made it look like something you'd see in Europe

[Robert Hall]

So after having a 2018 Ford Transit 250 high roof rental from Penske a couple weeks ago, I have a 2021 Ford Transit 250 high roof this holiday weekend.  The updated dash is nice.  This one only has 60k miles. 

[David]

2 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

So after having a 2018 Ford Transit 250 high roof rental from Penske a couple weeks ago, I have a 2021 Ford Transit 250 high roof this holiday weekend.  The updated dash is nice.  This one only has 60k miles. 

Is this the actual move into your new house Robert? Wishing you all the best for the holiday move if it is.

[Robert Hall]

On 5/27/2023 at 12:11 PM, David said:

Is this the actual move into your new house Robert? Wishing you all the best for the holiday move if it is.

Just another weekend of moving content between the houses.  The actual move w/ movers of the furniture is scheduled for June 9th...though that date may move.  Should be actually living in the house w/ the dogs that weekend.  I have a camping cot and slept in the house a couple nights this past week, was great...very quiet.   Loved watching the sunset from the patio and sitting out there after dark.  Need to get some of the outside lights sorted.

 Getting a bunch of misc work done--had the carpet cleaned, ducts cleaned, alarm system and doorbell cameras installed, furnaces serviced, got the yard service going, getting the concrete pad and electrical for the hot tub done this coming week...

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Robert Hall

[Robert Hall]

Saw a neat burgundy '32 Ford roadster w/ a tan top and interior in a driveway this afternoon... had flames painted down the sides.

Saw a really clean dark red '92-97 Cadillac STS in a restaurant parking lot...always liked these cars. 

Saw a dark gray Cadillac Lyriq on the freeway, 2nd I've seen (saw and sat in one at the auto show in Feb)...car looks great on the road in motion.    

Saw a black Tesla Model S upside down in a ravine off the the side of I-480, flashers on, guy standing beside it on his phone..

[David]

Lovely wagon, amazing most old autos here in Canada are rusted out,  but this is sexy wagon.

[trinacriabob]

On 5/22/2023 at 5:42 PM, Robert Hall said:

While out walking the dogs, I saw one of the new Amazon Rivian electric vans for the first time.  Pretty cool. 

It very much looks like something that could double as an ambulance rounding a busy traffic circle in Sofia, Bulgaria with the ambulance graphics in Cyrillic characters but making the wailing sounds of an ambulance in Paris.  Just a thought.

[trinacriabob]

Spotted on May 26

About to leave Starbucks and I see this coming in to park, so I took out my phone

Side view - I spoke with the owner, he said it's a 350 V8 when I asked "350 or 305?", and, so I could take a "better" photo, he ducked ... the color is the firethorn metallic two-tone of that year, those are some of the wheel trim options that were offered,  and they had their heads screwed on correctly for the 1976 MY in offering a deep burgundy for the interior trim, but lost their minds for the 1977 MY when they went over to potent firethorn (red) interior trim.  I'd prefer some thin whitewalls, which look great on Lincolns and larger FoMoCo RWD products.  The interior had the regular bench seat without an armrest, manual windows, simple warning lamps instead of the full instrument cluster, and air conditioning.

Angled rear view - if only they could have grafted similar simpler rear lamps onto the very last-gen MC instead of the ones with the squiggly Coke bottle contours.

Angled front view - this thing was menacing and you could easily have a gathering for a picnic on its hood ... a very unique window of time for American automotive styling.

[trinacriabob]

Spotted on May 28

Well, it's apparent that that this is a Rite Aid store.  I know the car's owner and the owner likes their popular mid-'90s value-packed rendition of the big RWD Thunderbird coupe.  Without the little V8 badge, it runs with FoMoCo's 3.8 L V6 which, unlike Buick's 3.8 V6, has a cast iron block and aluminum heads.  This car also has a sunroof and there's a spoiler in the back.  I've only driven this type of T-bird once, albeit equipped with the reliable and smooth FoMoCo SOHC 4.6 L V8, and I enjoyed spending a long weekend behind the wheel of one.  I liked it more than I thought I would.