Bike Ride 14

5/13/22

David: What a great way to kick off summer. The weather was warming up, but it wasn't ready to make you die of heat stroke, and people were starting to take their old cars out for their maiden voyages for the summer. I was fresh out of college for the summer, so I had a day to go out and bike ride. As you know, I can't simply go on a bike ride and not look for cars, so you'll see a great compilation of all kinds of cars. For this ride, I was actually aiming to ride over to the East Side of Providence to find a classic Saab 900 that I had seen at a repair shop a few days earlier. It took some time, but it certainly was a refreshing, needed ride after a long and cold Spring.

Above: 1966 Volvo PV544 Sport Coupe: Aka the "Ford" Volvo

It's really hard to believe that this is a car from the 1960s. This is a Volvo PV544, which was produced from 1947 to 1966, and they never really bothered to update the design. That's what makes these cars unique though. At first glance, this does look similar to a post-war era Ford Deluxe, which is why Sam dubbed these the "Ford Volvo." It takes heavy inspiration from late pre-war and post-war American cars. This car belongs to the same person who owned the 122 sedan and 940 wagon we documented last summer (reference Bike Ride 11 for more), and also attempted listing this for sale earlier this year. He either decided he wanted to keep the car or it never sold, because it has remained in this spot since.

Chevy Camaro Z-28

This is new to the neighborhood, and has been given a warm welcome on ONEC. It's a very nice third gen Camaro Z-28, not an IROC.

1990 Ford Bronco

NOT the OJ Simpson Mobile, but Imagine if it was though???

Above: 1985 Chevy Corvette C4: The Official Car of Cranston Returns

The C4 continues to be the official car of Cranston. Even when I leave for school for a few months, the C4 continues to do Cranston proud. Although it looks to me like the birds got the best of this one. Maybe not the best idea to park under tree in the summer...

Above: 1986 BMW 325i (E30)

This is not an M3. It may look like one, but according to one of my friends who is a BMW expert, it's a regular 325i with a body kit. I'm glad these haven't fallen to victim to the Chevy SS illness, which is cloning non SS cars as if they were. Anyhow, this is a really nice example of an '80s E30, and one of the nicest ones I've had the chance to see.

Above: 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS w/ AWD & Intercooled Turbo

Now this is something I had never seen before. It's an Isuzu Impulse, a '90s sports car that has since been forgotten. So what exactly is an Isuzu Impulse? Despite its Japanese brand, we don't have to look much further than the States. This shares blood with GM. It was built on the GM R-Body, which was the platform for cars like the Pontiac Sunburst. The Impulse was one of the last cars produced on the R-platform, before it was discontinued in '93.

Above and Left: 1993 Saab 900 S Combi Coupe Revisited

This 900 might look a bit familiar. This is Jim's 900 S hatchback, if you recall from the Fall 2020 entry. We have some better angles on the car, and it looks absolutely amazing. This is one of the cleanest 900s I've been around, and had the pleasure of seeing. If you want to learn more about it, check out the Fall 2020 entry entitled Jim's Cars.

Classic 1971 Saab 95 Wagon

Also at the Saab house was another classic Saab, although a much older one. This is a '71 Saab 95 wagon, one of the original Saab models from their early days in the 1950s. This was marketed alongside the Saab 93 and its successor, the 96, as a seven seater family car with more space and practicality. Saab kept these in production for almost 20 years, before the Saab 99 and 900 phased both this and the 96 out of production. Today, these are a rare sight and, like the Citroën 2CV, has become an enthusiast car for die hard Saab fanatics. And also like the 2CV, these never caught on as much as Saab intended. While affordable and reliable, its 2 stroke engine (replaced by a Ford made V4 in '67) turned most people way, since other brands offered more user friendly cars. The Saab also looked strange, but this was because it was one of the most aerodynamic cars ever produced at the time with a drag coefficient of .30. Today, these classic Saabs are an impressive sight, and a reminder of where Saab came from. This is what set the standard for Saabs all the way until their death in 2012. Saab always overengineered their cars to be extremely reliable, aerodynamic, and quirky, which led to their success and as some might argue, demise.

1962 Ford Thunderbird

We move on to another strange looking car, the third generation Ford Thunderbird. The third gen Thunderbird was produced from '61 to '63, and of the classic T-Birds, was the most rounded off one. As you'll see below, the next T-Birds came more square and larger, with the final models in the '70s and '80s becoming a former shell of what they once were. Of course, Ford tried to revive the classic name in the 2000s with a modern take on the classic '50s design, although it never did well.

Above: 1964 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

Here is an example of a fourth generation T-Bird. For '64, Ford squared the rounded design of the third gen T-Birds off, and the last of the 2 seater T-Birds, until 2002. The 1964 model was unique from most of its generation, being the only one to have the "Thunderbird" emblem in the taillights, making it easily distinguishable from other T-Birds.

1990 Volvo 240 DL Sedan on the East Side

I traveled up to the East Side of Providence, and cut through some side streets. I noticed a Volvo 240 parked in one of the drive ways, and a Mercedes 380SL convertible parked next door. These both appear to be drivers, and are in good shape. I'm glad to see that.

Mercedes Benz 380SL (R107) Convertible

This is the Mercedes Benz I mentioned previously. It looks to be well taken care of too. Nice!

1984 VW Golf Cabriolet Mk. I on the East Side

Continuing down the road, we come to another '80s classic, a VW Golf Cabriolet. I don't know if we've had any of these featured on ONEC before, so this may be our first. This is a first gen VW Golf, produced as a successor for the Type 1 Beetle, something most people don't know about these cars. Also, the Mk. I Golf marked the change for VW's switch to front mounted engines, instead of the air-cooled rear mounted engines seen in their classic models.

Above: 1993 Volvo 240 Wagon Daily Driver at the East Side YMCA

Our second 240 on this bike ride! Here is a beat daily driven 240 that was parked at a YMCA. Once again, I love seeing these still on the road.

Above: Saab 900 Turbo Convertible at Tomasso Swedish Motors, Pawtucket RI

We've made it to the car was I looking to document on this ride, this late '90s Saab 900 Turbo 'vert. I had spotted this earlier in the week driving by the area with a few friends, and I made it a mission to return back and find the car. This old Swede was found at a different Saab specialist, Tomasso Swedish Motors, located right over the Providence border in Pawtucket. The car looks to be in good condition, with very minimal rust. Hopefully it gets back out on the road soon!

Nissan Z32 300ZX (Z32) at a Maintenance Shop

Traveling back from Tomasso's I noticed this Nissan future classic parked at a service station. The 300ZX Z32 was the facelift model replacing the Z31 in 1989. Some might argue its the more desirable version of the 300ZX. This one is no worse for wear than any other daily driven sports car we find on here. The 300ZX is also a very '90s looking sports car. It just looks like it's from the '90s, giving it a very timeless appearance.

Above: MGB Roadster: "Pre Rubber Bumpers" Era MG

In the back of the shop, I noticed the distinct body shape one can only make out to be that of an MGB. This is a pre-rubber bumper era MGB, similar to the one we saw last summer, check out Mid Summer '21 for more info on this era of the MGB. This is another great example, finished in the iconic British Racing Green. Nothing is more English than that.

Above: 1967 Ford Mustang w/ 200 I6 Engine

This is cool. It's a base model Mustang with an I6 engine, something you don't see often. The last I6 Mustang we saw was the blue restored one in the second A&W Cruise In entry. Here, we have what looks to be a survivor. I found this car "as is" so I was able to get a shot of the engine bay. I hope this car is kept stock to preserve the base model Mustangs from the horrid "Chevy SS Illness" which is making a car something it's not, for example making this a Shelby GT-350, and marking up the price when you go to resell it. There's nothing wrong with owning a base model of a muscle car, and if anything, it makes your car more unique than most other cars. When Sam and I saw that blue Mustang with the 200 straight six engine at the A&W, we were intrigued, as we were used to the norm of all Mustangs having loud V8s. So seeing another Mustang like that one made me happy, and I'm sure Sam would say the same.

Above: 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

Traveling back to my hometown, I spotted this old land yacht parked side street. This is one of the biggest Cadillacs ever produced, with one of the largest V8 engines ever put in a production vehicle. Notice I said V8, because Cadillac offered a V16 at one point, however this was back in '30s. This was offered with a 472 CI engine. And if you think Cadillac stopped there, oh no, they didn't. In 1971, you could get a 500 CI engine. Imagine that.

Modded Maxda Mx-5 (NA) Miata in Pawtuxet Village

Traveling through Pawtuxet Village, here we have a clean street parked Miata. I like this one a lot, its got some cool rims and a roll bar you often don't see on these.

Deteriorating BMW 325i M3 (E30)

This is indeed a real BMW M3. I could tell because it did say M3, although the badge is hidden by the trash can in the picture. I really hope this gets restored. The M3 E30 is such a collectible car now, it was a little saddened to see this car in mediocre condition. The E30 was also the first year for the M3 trim level package. The previous generation, the E21, didn't offer, which makes these "first generation" M3s very collectible. Examples in great condition can fetch high five figures, and even six figures.

1968 Datsun 1600 Pickup

Here, we have a driving project '68 Datsun. I've seen this truck before, but finally got the chance to photograph it. Since 2020, this old Datsun has been in this condition. In front of it is another classic Datsun pickup, but it was under the tarp, so I couldn't photograph that one. I believe I've seen it without the trap a number of times.

Abandoned Ford Ranger: Parked Since 2009

Next up, another truck. This Ford Ranger has been left to sit. It's sad because, despite being parked since 2009, (according to the sticker) this looks like a really nice truck that definitely could have a second life. Obviously, I don't know the true reason of why it's parked, but if the engine or drivetrain has something wrong with it, that body alone is worth enough to be saved. Just throw a 302 inside and call it a day. This has potential to be a Danger Ranger.

Above: 1972 Buick Skylark Sedan

This has got to be one of the most bizarre cars I've ever seen. I thought this was a normal Buick when I noticed it off in the distance, but when I rolled up, I realized it was far from that. It looks normal on the outside, but it had these bizarre advertisements that said "I love RVs", and then it had the spare tire monstrosity on in the back. This looks like a car you'd see on a cursed cars meme page.

This Buick can be seen again in the Mid Fall Finds '22 collection.

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