Late Summer Cars

8/16/21 to 9/19/21

The end of the Summer marked the end of high school and the beginning of college for both of us.   We were moving into new chapters in our lives... ok enough cliché crap.  We still photographed cars, although on a less-frequent basis (Well, David technically still went out some weekends and photographed tons of cars).  

Above: (8/16/21) - 1991 Pontiac Firebird (David)

Spotted in Coventry, RI, my family and I were doing some back to school shopping at Walmart, and I saw this when walking into the store. Its a modern classic, but one that's certainly a driver. Other than that, there's not too much to say about the car. This is probably Pontiac's last good model, before GM decided to kill them off a few years later. I'm a huge fan of the rims on this car, the design looks pretty rad. 

8/18/21 - 1970 Buick Riviera (Sam)

This car appeared outside an auto repair shop in Providence.  I don't know much more about it than that.  It disappeared a few weeks later, probably having received whatever work it was brought in for.  The front bumper was a bit tweaked, but it was otherwise in good shape.  

8/18/21 - 1996 Buick Century (Sam)

I spotted this car on I-95 one morning.  Nothing extremely remarkable and definitely not a classic yet, but these cars are becoming a rarer sight on the roads.  Once a common sight 10-15 years ago, these 90s Cutlasses and Buicks have all become scarce in recent years.  

8/18/21 - 1979 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT (Sam)

This is a very well-maintained and well-optioned F150 that I spotted in Providence one morning.  I think the owner lives a few streets over from me, as I've seen the truck parked there on several occasions.  It shares the garage with a C1 'Vette which gets brought out and driven from time to time.  

8/18/21 - 1964 Chevy El Camino (Sam)

This was just a quick spot while out in Cranston.  No, I'm not driving while I'm photographing cars, although the picture makes it look like I am.  

8/18/21 - 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Sedan (Sam)

Yet another car gradually approaching classic status.  These cars have also grown increasingly rarer as of late, and it was nice to see this particular example still going strong.  

Above: (8/19/21) - Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan (David)

This is technically a Thayer Street car, but since it wasn't on the street, its over here. This Saab has been parked here for a while, and it's always in this spot when I'm heading over. I decided to photograph it, since it is an Aero car, a high performance trim level of Saab cars. I am unsure if the owner still drives it.

8/20/21 - 1987 Maserati Biturbo Spyder (Sam)

This was a quick fly-by shot as I was heading down to campus.  I guess this is what you do when you baby your car: you rent a truck to transport it instead of driving it on the highway.  That or it isn't currently driveable.  

8/20/21 - 1973 Dodge Challenger (Sam)

This is a local North Providence car that I've seen many times over the past few years.  This was the first opportunity I had to document it, so I snapped it up (no pun intended).  The photo was taken the day before I left for school, making this one of my last pre-college finds.  This particular Top Banana car is equipped with a 440 Hemi and an automatic transmission and is in good shape with some minor dents and defects in the paint.  

Above: (8/21/21) - 1938 Ford Standard Coupe Hot Rod (Sam)

This was another find on my way down to school.  We passed it briefly on the highway, and I was able to snap a few photos.  

Above: (8/25/21) - 2005 Saab 9-2X Aero (David)

The 9-2X is an interesting Saab. It was only sold from 2005-2006, and is very clearly a Subaru Impreza with a Saab front end. Affectionately nicknamed the "Saabaru," these are sort of a cult classic. You get the Subaru Impreza WRX parts, but also with a Turbo, and for a cheap price because its a Saab. So, that being said, these cars are sleepers. This Saabaru is an Aero, making it a performance tuned model, with handling and parts similar to the WRX STI. 

8/25/21 - 1999 Chevy C5 Corvette Convertible (David)

Another modern classic, the C5 Corvette was the last Corvette to feature the iconic pop up headlights. This was spotted at a Target in Warwick, as my friend and I were doing a late night run there. 

8/28/21 - 1972 Chevy K-5 Blazer Ragtop (Sam)

My dad spotted this one day in Providence when he was going to pick up some pizza.  I can't attest to the exact condition of the car, but it appears to be pretty minty from the photo.  None of us have seen it since this photo was taken.  

8/29/21 - Meyers Manx VW Dune Buggy (David)

Another last minute back to school shopping trip find. This was found at Shopper's World in Natick, MA, a strip mall with a bunch of stores. Walking out back to the car, this just happened to be outside waiting for its owner. I will say, I was definitely not expecting this. 

Above and Left: (8/30/21) - Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 (David)

This. This right here. What a find. I was speechless when I saw this car. I had never seen actual classic Ferrari in person before, and this car was absolutely stunning. This happened to be in a parking lot that I was driving out of, but I immediately had to pull over to investigate this car. Of all the unique and obscure cars I've seen out before, this takes the cake. It's Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, which was produced from 1967 to 1971. What a find. 

Above and Left: (8/30/21) - 1989 Volvo 240 DL Wagon (David)

In my friend Paul's neighborhood, this 240 wagon is a common sight driving around. It's in excellent condition for its age, and is still running like it did out of the factory. Obviously, its no classic Ferrari, but nonetheless, an old 240 is still a pleasant sight to see. 

Above: (9/3/21) - 1930 Ford Model A Sedan Hotrod (Sam)

Here's another Hotrod Highway, spotted by my parents this time and actually being driven.  

9/4/21 - 1968 Pontiac LeMans (Sam)

Another car spotted by my parents.  The owner of this LeMans was probably enjoying the last of the good weather before he put the car away for the winter.  Thanks to my parents for this cool find!

Above: (9/8/21) - MGB Roadster Near Memorial Union (David)

And so I begin college! I saw this during my first week of classes down at the University of Rhode Island, URI for short. Wow, what a clean MGB this is! This must belong to a professor or faculty member, as it was parked in one of the smaller staff lots. I don't think I've seen one this nice before. This is very clearly a summer cruiser, and certainly a car the owner takes pride in. I love the rims and decal on the bottom. This was the only time I saw this car, but I hope to see it again soon.

Above: (9/11/21) - 1995 Saab 9000 CSE at Barlow Hall (David)

Here we have another URI find. This is the second 9000 I've seen, but the first I got to see up close. I met the owner of this car, and it has a pretty cool story. The owner got this for free from a friend, but the car needed a bit of work done to it. After it was squared away, it became his daily driver. The odometer stopped working, but he estimates that there is roughly 75k on the car itself, which is very low for a 9000. He also mentioned the radio wasn't working, so I brought it up to Sam as a potential interest. However, these types of radios aren't his specialty. I see this car around campus occasionally, and I'm glad to have met another fellow Saab enthusiast at URI.

9/16/21 - 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix (David)

My dad spotted this at a gig he was performing at, and sent it in. Behind the Grand Prix, you can see a 1960 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible. Thanks dad for the finds!

9/19/21 - 1972 Plymouth Duster 340 (David)

Once again, my dad found this car and submitted it in. He found it while driving through Johnston, RI. Unfortunately, he was only able to catch the front end of the car, but it looks like a project Duster, given the primer gray front right fender. Still, a Duster 340 is one of the last muscle cars before the malaise era. Thanks again dad for the find!