Late Summer Cars Part 2

8/20/22 to 8/31/22

Part 2 of the late summer cars

Above: (8/20/22) - Classics at Tire Warehouse in Providence (Sam)

Left to right: 1970 Ford Mustang Ambitious Project (Pic 1), and a 1986-90 Chevy Caprice (Pic 2)

Here's two finds from the day I got new tires for my car and took it on its first drive.  The first photo is of a weathered Mustang sitting in the abandoned auto lot next to the tire shop, and the second is of a really clean '86 to '90 Caprice that was in the tire shop getting work done.  The owner had mounted a transformer badge on the quarter panel, which I thought was pretty comical.  

8/21/22 - Classic Toyota Camry LE (David)

Here's proof that Toyota makes reliable cars. This is a daily driven second generation (1982 to 1986) Camry. The Camry was introduced as a replacement for the Corona. Like the Supra, it was originally marketed as the Celica Camry, before dropping the Celica name and becoming its own model. The second gen Camry is when this change occurred. The Camry was affordable and reliable, and was very popular when they debuted. My mother swears by these cars, and my grandfather was on back order for one because these were selling out. Today, the Camry remains one of the most reliable and affordable full size sedans on the market. 

Above: (8/21/22) - Mercedes Benz Gazelle Kit Car Spotted in Cape Cod (David)

You might be thinking "what on earth is this?" Don't worry, I thought the same thing when I saw it. This was spotted at another wedding gig on the Cape. I had time to kill and was walking around the lot, when I noticed an old car out in the distance. I walked over to it, and this is what I found. This is a kit car based on a Mercedes Benz SSK roadster produced from 1928 to '32. The Gazelle kit car was produced during the '70s up until the early '80s by the company Classic Motor Carriages, CMC for short. The platform it was based on was none other than the Ford Pinto. I too was shocked to hear that. Today, you can find these cheap, but if you want the real SSK, you'll have to be raking in the dough, as these sell in the millions. 

8/24/22 - Chevy Corvette C4 in Providence (David)

Here is a C4 spotted not in Cranston! 

8/24/22 - 1976 Mercedes Benz 300D (W123) (Sam)

This car was spotted on the road during my third trip up to Maine in 2022 while we were driving through Mass.  I don't know much more about the car other than that it looked to be in nice shape.  

8/24/22 - 1980-85 (6th Gen) Chevy Caprice (Sam)

Another pre-Maine sighting was the 6th Gen Caprice.  Probably one of the most generic-looking cars you'll ever see with its boxy styling, but I like it nonetheless.  

8/24/22 - 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible (David)

My family and I took a day trip to Boston one day before I went back to school. It's something we usually do to get out of town for the day. These next two entries are two city slickers I found on the streets of Boston. 

The Saab 9-3 was found on Newbury St. Earlier we had passed by a street that had not just a Saab 900, but a Saab 9000 as well. As you can see, I wasn't able to get some photos of them. Hopefully on my next voyage up I'll find them again.

8/24/22 - 1988 Toyota Camry (David)

The Camry was found in the North End of Boston. It was in good shape, with some after market rims. 

Above: (8/24/22) - Ford F-150 XLT (Sam)

The third of my pre-Maine finds was this clean OBS 9th Gen (1992-97) Ford spotted on the highway.  It looks to have mostly avoided the rust, but I think that's because someone gave it a Bondo job and repaint.  You can see a few scabs in the wheel well of the bed.  

Above: (8/30/22) - 1924 Studebaker Convertible: A Newport Classic Car Tours Vehicle (Sam)

This was spotted outside of the Audrain Auto Museum in Newport, RI.  As the sign on the side says, this Studebaker belongs to Newport Classic Car Tours, a company that offers classic car and boat tours, and even classic car rentals.  

Above: (8/31/22) - 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park Station Wagon (David)

Say that name ten times fast! This is a new classic in town. I see this driving around town often, and I finally got a chance to see it up close. This is a nice Mercury Colony Park wagon! Like the Grand Marquis, this was also based on the Panther platform. Like the Chevy Caprice and Olds Custom Cruiser, it was one of the last large classic style station wagons before minivans became the new trend.