Late Spring Spotting '22

5/15/22 to 6/17/22

SCHOOLS OUT 

5/15/2022 - Double Trouble! A Saab 900 Convertible (Blue) and a Mercedes Benz SL Convertible (Red) (Sam)

This was taken near our friends' house in Kingwood, NJ the day we left to come back home.  I saw the classic Mercedes and the Saab and decided they were definitely worth a photo.  I wasn't able to take a closer look because I had to finish running some errands before we left (I had to grab a gallon of milk for breakfast.  No, I didn't chug it).  

5/15/2022 - 1970s Chevy C-10 w/ Lift Kit and Fog Lamp Roll Bar (Sam)

This find was spotted while at a gas station in Clinton, NJ.  From the round headlights, this Squarebody is from '79 or earlier ('80 and on used the square sealed beams for headlights).  It's clearly been customized, with a lift kit, custom grille, and LED lighting on the roof.  I also think the headlights are aftermarket LED -style because of the weird cross-shaped reflections in them.  A pretty clean and cool rig, and I wish I had the chance to see it in action.  

5/15/2022 - 1975 Buick LeSabre Convertible (Sam)

No, that's not Bon Jovi driving, even though it kinda looks like him.  This incredibly clean '75 LeSabre convertible made its appearance during the ride back home.  I like to think of this sighting as a sort of premature welcome into the GM full-sized family, since I bought my '65 Impala a week after this photo was taken.  Cruise on, land yacht!

5/15/2022 - Tri-Five Era Chevy 3100 Pickup (Sam)

Another find on the ride home was this resto-mod  Tri-Five ('55 to '57) 3100 pickup.  It's sporting a new suspension, aftermarket rims, and that green is definitely not a factory color.  I'd be willing to bet there's an LS motor under the hood, too.  Regardless, it's still nice to see this truck on the road and being enjoyed.  

5/30/2022 - 1968 Pontiac GTO Convertible on I-95 (David)

This was part of a motorcycle convoy for Veterans day. I should've rolled down the window, as that glare takes away from the photo. 

Above: (5/31/2022) - 1953 MG TD Midget (David)

It's really hard to believe this is a car from the 1950s. However, this is very clearly a 1930s design, which was known as the T-Type body style. The MG T-Type series cars were produced from 1936 up until 1955, before they were replaced by the MGA Roadster. You can see an example of an MGA in the Kane Automotive Entry in the Fall '21 collection for more details. Despite the antiquated design, these were surprisingly very popular, with many drivers saying it was a comfortable and enjoyable road experience. I think that alone sums up most MG cars. 

Above: (6/2/2022) -  1967 Chevy Corvette C2 Stingray 4MT (David)

I went on a day trip to Boston with one of my friends, and this was spotted close in the central Boston area. If you need further convincing that the Corvette C2 was one of the most elegant American cars ever produced, look no further. This '67 Corvette is one of the best looking cars I've laid eyes on. Must I say more?

6/8/2022 - A Beater 1969 Cadillac Eldorado (David)

And here we have something that is the polar opposite of the Corvette. This is big, beat up, and boring. Yet, despite this, I can't make fun of it because it's not trying to be a Corvette. This is, or in this case, was a high end luxury car, and here we see it being used as a daily driver. That makes me happy to see, as I'm sure this is maintained to run. 'Till we meet again, Caddy.

6/8/2022 - Custom Vietnam War Era Jeep M-38 (Sam)

I spotted this Jeep as I was leaving the Job Lot parking lot in Johnston.  I was trying to get a tarp for my car, but I didn't realize Job Lot changed their hours and is only open till 7.  I'm not a Jeep expert, so I don't know too much about this rig.  David thinks it's a Vietnam-era Jeep, but I can't confirm or deny this.  

David: I might be wrong, but this looks to be a late model M38 Jeep, one of the last Willys Jeeps before ownership was passed to Kaiser, then to AMC. These were the successors to the GP (Jeeps) used in Korea and WWII, and were kept in service up until '71. After doing a bit of research, the M151 Jeeps phased these out, and were distinctive by their horizontal grille bars.

6/8/2022 - 1964 Chevy Impala Lowrider (David)

I've always liked lowriders. They're one of my favorite communities in the vast world of car culture. The lowrider community seems to have transcend the idea that more power and speed is modding, as their motto is very simply "slow and low," also the name of a Beastie Boys song. To many, as well as myself, these cars are works of art, with each car having a unique and complex design specific to that car, so that no lowrider is really the same as another. Or maybe it's the use of primarily '60s GM B-Bodies, since those are some of the nicest looking cars produced. I'm not sure what it truly is about them, but a lowrider is a car that captivates attention where ever it goes.

6/11/2022 - The Seekonk Saab (Sam)

A late '80s Saab 900 Sedan I spotted while at a gas station.  The photo quality is poor because it was parked down and across the street from me.  I had to zoom in as far as my camera would go to photograph it.  I only photographed it for reference to show David, but we've decided to add it to the blog anyways.  Don't worry, it will return again in a better-quality photo.  

The Seekonk Saab can be seen again in the Late Fall Finds '22 collection.

Above: (6/11/2022) - Full Size Oldsmobiles Old and New: A 1965 Cutlass and a 98 Regency Brougham (Sam)

Here's two more Oldsmobile finds for you.  The first was seen while driving through Providence (my dad is the one driving, not me, so nothing illegal goin on here) and the second spotted nearby my house.  Both of these cars are white, and both are in nice condition.  I'd have to choose the Cutlass if I was to pick favorites because I'm more of a fan of 60's cars than post-Malaise boxes.  I can't knock the 98 too hard, though.  The fact that it still exists and wasn't run into the ground ten years ago is impressive.  I think the car is someone's daily (maybe warm weather daily) because I've seen it this year and last during the Summer months.  

6/14/2022 - Cranston Classics Revisited (Sam)

Left to Right: 1980s Chevy El Camino, 1987 Ford Crown Vic, and  '91 Toyota Corolla SR5.  

These have already been photographed before, but I figured I'd shoot them again as a bit of an update.  Not much has changed since the last shot, and I don't think any of them have moved (aside from the El Camino).  

6/17/2022 - 1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible Spotted in Mt. Vernon, NY (David)

This is a '65 GTO that was seen in passing while traveling on vacation. It looks to be a restored classic, and one that is being enjoyed by its owner on a nice sunny day. Nice!