Bike Ride 10

8/28/21

David: With college starting up soon, I decided to do one last good bike ride before I had to move in. I covered my usual path of the Cranston/Warwick area, and for the fun of it, decided to swing by Conntech to see if there were any new Saabs at the shop. I think this bike ride is one of the best ones yet. It has everything, from classic muscle cars, to old daily drivers, to projects, and to modern classics. I definitely enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy the cars I found.

Above and Left: 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible

Earlier before this bike ride, I had spotted this car and was really hoping I could find it while riding my bike. Sure enough, it was still there. This is a very nice '66 Cutlass. It looks to be original too, which is pretty cool to see. GM B-Body cars from the '60s are some of the best looking cars in my opinion, and I'm sure Sam will back me up on this.

BMW 325i (E30) at Rest

Down the road from the Cutlass, this classic BMW E30 sat resting in this junkyard. It's sad its stuck here because it really looks like a solid car and one that is worth a second life. I hope someone saves this car, because if I had the chance, I would. This is too much of a nice car to let nature get the best of.

2022 update: This E30 has left the junkyard and is hopefully being saved!

Above: 1991 Toyota Corolla SR5 Coupe

It's hard to believe this is a Corolla, but it is! This was one of the last sporty Corollas before it became a regular compact sedan. This has been sitting at this location for a while now and has not appeared to move. It belongs to some shop where we've documented a few cars before (The gold '80s El Camino and the blue '80s Crown Vic), but apparently these cars must all belong to the owner because they just sit in the lot. We will document the same gold El Camino, which has moved later in this ride as well. He moves them around occasionally, but I haven't seen these cars on the road.

2022 update: Sam has confirmed that this car is still in this location, as well as the two cars previously mentioned. Reference Late Spring Spotting '22 for the entry.

Above and Left: 1981 Volvo 244 DL at Andy's

Now this is an old 240 and one of my favorites that I've seen on here. This must be a 1980-83 model based on the headlamps and taillights. 1983 was also the last year of the quad headlights and different rear end. This 240 looks to be pretty well taken care of, but it definitely is a survivor, as most 240s are. Still, this remains a great example of an early '80s Volvo and also a great example of a clean 240.

Above: 1967 Buick Skylark at Andy's

This car is another Facebook Marketplace car and one we've seen around town before. I've usually seen this car around the Providence area, but today it made its way to Cranston for a tune up from Andy's. This car has also appeared on Marketplace numerous times, but I don't know if the owner had much luck. It's a heavily modified '67 Buick, and I believe its a partial restomod.

Above: 1979 Pontiac Trans Am Revisited

If you recall from one of the earlier summer entries, I documented this Trans Am and a '59 Dodge pickup. The pickup has since left Andy's, but this car remains. Now up close, you can see it's been customized a little bit. The headlights and rims appear to be aftermarket, and I'm not sure what's under the hood. It's not for sale, but, like the Monte next to it, it's been at Andy's for some time.

1970 Chevelle on Jack Stands

Another car at Andy's, this '70 Chevelle SS was a surprise guest tonight. It must've been there for a short while because I haven't seen it since. It looks to be a true SS as well, and I love the iconic red with black stripes paint scheme. Truly an icon of classic American muscle cars.

Two Tone Ford Econoline Van

Across the street from Andy's is this '80s Econoline van. It's a pretty straight forward van that I don't think sees much use anymore these days.

1970s GMC C-Series Pickup w/ Bed Cover

Another pretty straight forward vehicle I found, a pretty clean survivor GMC Squarebody. I believe this still gets use today, but not too much. Its moved places and, aside from the mismatched tires, is a solid truck.

1983 Chevy El Camino Revisited

As mentioned in the '91 Toyota Corolla entry, we return back to a classic El Camino found in Bike Ride 6. Here, you get a better angle of the truck, and it looks to be in great shape.

1987 Chevy Monte Carlo SS with Hoosier Drag Slicks

I believe in Bike Ride 7, we documented an '80s Cutlass at this location. That car has since gone or turned into one of these '80s GM G-Bodies. This '80s Monte is one serious car. Its a drag racer, complete with Hoosier slicks and custom racing rims topped with gloss black paint.

1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Next to the Monte was this pretty stock looking '87 Cutlass. We believe it's an '87 going by the grille. This could have been what the project cutlass turned into, but I doubt it's the same car.

Above and Left: 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 at Leo's Tire Shop

In the first picture, you might think this is a pretty nice looking '71 Cougar, but when you look at the second picture, you'll see why its at the shop. It looks to be that something fell on this poor Cougar's fender and left a nasty dent. Although, aside from that, this car is in great shape. I believe that the dent was fixed because I haven't seen this car at Leo's since this entry.

A Pair of 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442s Awaiting Restoration

Talk about wanting to restore some classic cars. This pair of '68 Cutlasses deserves better! Also found at Leo's, these were sitting in his back lot. Both them were in pretty fair condition, but they look savable for sure. You could probably use two cars to build one, but I'm not sure what the fate of the Cutlasses will be.

2022 Update: One of these Cutlasses can be seen again in Bike Ride 19. Check it out to see which Cutlass it is!

Above and Left: 1991 Dodge Dynasty w/ 75k original miles

One of the last legends of the K-Car era of Chrysler, the Dodge Dynasty. This is technically a C-Body car, but not the C-Body from the 60s. This C-Body here was revived in the 1980s as a variant of the K-Platform for the Chrysler FWD cars. Anyways, this '91 Dynasty is a true survivor in excellent condition. It only has 75,000 original miles too! When I saw this car, I couldn't get over how clean it was. There wasn't a scratch on this car, and I think its either a great show piece or a good museum vehicle. Certainly a driving time capsule of '80s and '90s Chrysler cars.

Above: 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup Project

This truck had been here for a little while before I got to it. I remember two of these showed up in the Spring, but the other was in better shape and moved somewhere else. This F-100 was left to sit. Sadly, it looks like it'll need a repaint as well. The previous owner seems to have painted over the Chrome parts in primer gray and never replaced the glass. It looks like a promising project, and one, like all cars on here, gets a second life as nice example of a '50s work truck.

Above: 1966 Plymouth Valiant 200

I think I vaguely remember this at a car show from when I was younger. It could have been a different valiant, but the one I remember was also blue and needed work done to it. This was a surprise find. I was riding down Post Rd. and happened to look down a side street, and saw this beauty. It's definitely a project, but maybe a just a repaint might do.

Triumph TR-7 Convertible Project

I'll be honest, at first sight I had no idea what I was looking at. I though it was a homemade project first, but as I looked closer at it, I realized it was a TR-7, just not one that looked like how I normally see them. I think the out of place, oversized wheels were what threw me for a loop.

Saab 900 Combi Coupe

We return to Conntech Saab, for some more Saab action! Up above the TR-7 thing was this awesome early '80s 900. This is my dream Saab. I love the "manhole cover" rims this has on it, and the "flatnose" early '80s 900s look really nice too. In 1987, Saab updated the front end to the "facelift nose," which is a bit more common. I remember an '84 900 that looked exactly like this popped up on Marketplace in RI a few months prior, so there's a chance it's the same car.

Saabs Old and New

Left to Right: Saab 9-3 Convertible (Navy Blue), Saab 9000 (red), and a Late '80s Saab 900 Combi Coupe (Black)

This black 900 is an example of a "facelift" era 900. It's definitely a fair example of one, as it appears to be missing a little bit of pieces. The rims are also a bit less common. Most 900s have the sunburst rims, which you can see on the silver 900 two entries below this one. Beside it is another project Saab, a late model 9000 in red.

Saab 900 Turbo Convertible

I believe in bike ride 6, this 900 convertible was there at the time. Here is a closer shot of it.

Above: Studebaker Classics: A 1960 Studebaker Lark Wagon (Pic 1) and the 1950s Studebaker Lark Revisited (Pic 2)

Now here is a unicorn of a classic. A Studebaker Lark wagon. Studebaker is a forgotten brand that made some pretty interesting cars like the Avanti in the 1960s before going under in 1967. Here is a 1960 Lark. As you can see, it looks kind of unique from most of cars in the early '60s. For example, compared to the Chevy Impalas and Ford Galaxies, this car is pretty square and modest. I don't know too much about Studebakers but I am aware of the cars they made.

We also return back to another classic from Bike Ride 6. Another Lark, and one in the same shape as last time, sitting on some other car's front end.

Above: Forgotten Saabs: Saab 900 Combi Coupe and a 900 Convertible w/ Mismatched Hood

Here are some more classic 900s. The silver 900 was also seen in Bike Ride 6, but I don't think we caught the convertible with the mismatched hood.

Above: Two Saab 900 Convertibles and a Saab 9-5 Aero Sportcombi

Two more examples of classic 900 Convertibles. Next to the dark blue 900 is a 9-5 Aero wagon. It too was in the background of a Bike Ride 6 post. It looks like a sweet ride though. I'd love to get my hands on a 9-5 Aero, they're a modern sleeper.

Above: Saab 900 S Combi Coupe and a 2000 Saab 9-5 Sportcombi

I love the plate on the 900.

Above: Shot of the Saabs in the Conntech Back Lot

I think you can see almost every model of Saab in this picture. Can you guess which Saab isn't there?

1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

Another example of a '90s American Luxury, and as stated in the Bike Ride 4 entry, one of the last true American Luxury. This is not a fast car like most modern luxury cars are expected to be. This car brought you places in a more dignified way. You got there in the most comfortable way possible, and in classy style. Even in its delipidated state, this car still is trying to demand your attention and admiration. Maybe one day the American auto makers will return this principle.

1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4x4 at Jay's

We don't usually have Jeeps on here, but these old Cherokees are becoming a rarity. This is the second generation of the Cherokee, which was an odd time for Jeep. It was changing hands between Chrysler and AMC, since AMC was going under. Chrysler kept a lot of the AMC Jeep models in production, but Jeep was slowly making its way towards a more luxury market. This is one of the last AMC era Jeeps, before Chrysler changed the design in 2002 to the Liberty, but kept the Cherokee name in export vehicles. This is not to be confused with the Grand Cherokee, which is its own model.

Saab 9-5 Sedan w/ 5MT

This 9-5 has a 5 speed manual transmission. Not something you see on these normally, but still pretty cool. Otherwise, this is a 9-5 "Arc" which was the mid trim level 9-5. The base was known as the linear and the top was the Aero. The difference was essentially in the engine. A linear got you a low pressure turbo, but with the Arc and Aero, you got the full pressure turbo. And that, my friends, is some more Saab history for you.

Above: Mercury Capri XR2 and a Jeep Cherokee

While the main topic of this section is the Mercury Capri, I will take some time to elaborate on the previous Jeep Cherokee entry. This is one of the last Cherokees before the change to the Liberty in '02. The Cherokee name would return in 2014, but the SUV would also be completely different from its ancestor, becoming a luxury SUV. I almost feel like they're trying to compete with Land Rover in design and market, but I really hope they'd go back to their roots. I could spend a whole page ranting about where all cars are going, but I've already gone down a rabbit hole on this Cherokee.

Now, back to the Capri. Another forgotten car from the '90s, the Capri XR2 was marketed as a competitor to the Mazda Miata and the Toyota MR-2. It was based off the Ford Laser, built in Australia. It was a two door roadster produced shortly from 1991 to '94, but never really caught on with what it was intended to be, since it was FWD and underpowered. It was also sold with out a Ford cousin, something a bit unusual for Ford to do. Today, you don't see these much, as they haven't really caught on to the collector's market yet. I think they have potential though. Although a underpowered two door coupe, it still has Mazda roots and came with a 5 speed manual transmission, so I think it will make its return someday.

1986 Porsche 924 S Project

Lastly, we have a modern Porsche classic, the 924 S. This is a project, and nonetheless an example of '80s Porsches. A weird time in the company's history with models like this one, the 928, and the 944, we are now seeing the resurgence of these. I am unsure of the date on this 924, but judging by the rims and badging, I'm going to assume its an early '80s model. I am no Porsche historian, but I appreciate their mark on automobile history, and to this day, they make some of the best looking sports cars.

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