Fall Finds '23

Happy fall! Enjoy these cars before they're gone for the winter!

Above: (9/28/23) - 1992 Volvo 240 Estate (David)

Man I miss my Volvo. This, while not an exact clone of mine, is pretty close. I met the owner too, another RI Volvo enthusiast, and this old Swede has close to 350,000 miles on the clock. Although the odometer is broken, the owner suspects that number to be the closest to what he thinks it to be.

Above: (9/28/23) - 1996 Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA): Small Car, Big City (David)

A Miata! It's been a hot minute since we've featured a Miata on ONEC. I thought this very stock forest green Miata would be a perfect example to bring its presence back onto the blog. Being one of the last tiny sports cars sold in the US before safety regulations forced Mazda to redesign the car, I enjoyed seeing this car parked in front of a large city building, in this case the Providence Gas Company building.

Above: (9/29/23) - 1990 Volvo 240 DL (David)

Here's another 240 for you! This one is a rather clean example with some humorous bumper stickers on the rear window. 

Above: (10/1/23) - 1989 Land Rover 90 (David)

Hold on, are we in Providence or London? Yes, we're in Providence, and so is this Land Rover, but it wasn't originally. This classic Land Rover was imported directly from the UK to the US, making it quite a unique truck to traverse the streets. I did meet the owner, which is how I was able to get a piece of the back story, and the year of the vehicle.

You might think that this looks very similar to the Land Rover Series III from the classic era of Land Rover. This is the successor to the Series III. The 90 and 110 models were introduced in 1984 and 1983 (respectively), and were produced until 1990. Land Rover's goal was to essentially modernize their lineup, as they were starting to move towards the luxury market. Land Rover carried the design from the Series III vehicles to the new 90 and 110 models with very little changes, the most notable change being an upgraded front suspension. The 90 and 110 would be produced in this body style until 1990, when they were renamed to the Defender 90 and 110. This change also brought a refreshed, neo-retro look, incorporating modern design elements with the classic trademarks of classic Land Rover designs. 

Above: (10/1/23) - 1993 Volvo 240 Estate: The Cranston 240 (David)

Wow, look! Another 240! Okay, in all seriousness, I have been trying to photograph this 240 for months, and I've finally found it. Prior to my 240 madness of this year, I remember seeing this car everywhere, however, it was always driving, so I could never get a good photo of it. I always loved the black paint with the poverty spec wheel covers. If I could have my dream 240, I don't think this car is too far off from what it would like. This 240 appears to have clocked over 250,000 miles, but who knows if the odometer is accurate or not. Either way, this will continue to serve its owner well for many miles to come. Man, I miss my Volvo.

Above: (10/4/23) - 1982 Chevy Corvette (C3) (David)

Beautiful, and I'm not talking about the weather here! The C3, despite existing during the MALAISE era, is one of my favorite generations of the Corvette, behind the C2. 

The C3 defined the 1970s for American cars, carrying the torch high above the inefficient land yachts and unsafe compacts. When thinking of an American muscle car from the 1970s, I'm sure the Corvette would be what comes to mind. It stayed true to itself in the best way it could, despite making embarrassing performance numbers towards the end of its production in 1982. The C3's design is what kept it alive though, at least in my opinion.

Around 1973, most American cars saw major redesigns and changes to their styling and performance. These changes tended to shift more towards the luxury market and away from the muscle and sports car market. Think of the Chevelle Laguna and the Dodge Charger, which became shells of their former selves during this period. The Oldsmobile Cutlass gained a wider stance and the 442 was more of an idea of a performance package rather than the powerhouse it once. This, coupled with the '73 crisis, is what led to the downfall of American cars in 1970s, thus ushering in the Malaise era, which would last into the early 1980s. 

The C3 was one of the only vehicles that managed to stick this time out, along with the Camaro and other F-Body GM cars to a degree. The C3 also didn't change its design at all throughout this time, only receiving minor cosmetic updates which were mostly just cosmetic. This allowed the C3 to retain its image on the street, thus cementing its status as a classic in the years to follow. 

Above: Corvette Close Ups (David)

This particular C3 appeared to have several modifications done to it, all tastefully executed in the process. While the American Racing rims look great in this setting, the Corvette also has a nice side exhaust, and not pictured, a custom hood, with extra ventilation. This sure is one sweet ride, as they say.

Above: (10/13/23) - 1989 Volvo 740 Turbo Revisited (David)

Does this look a little familiar? Hopefully it does, because almost a year ago, we photographed this 740 Turbo on campus. Almost a year later, and its still making its way back to campus. I'm glad there's a Volvo enthusiast scene at URI, which now means I have to meet the owner! 

You can view the original entry in Mid Fall Finds '22. 

Above: (10/15/23) - 1996 Toyota Grande Mk. II Limited (JDM Import) (Sam)

This was a rare find, indeed!  When I first saw it, I thought "Look at this person using the antique registration loophole on their 1996 Camry" until I got closer and realized it wasn't a Camry.  This was something much more rare, a car I'd never seen before or even fathomed its existence until laying eyes on it.  What we have here is a 1996 Toyota Grande Mk. II Limited sedan, complete with a manual transmission and right-hand drive.  I believe some of the badging has been removed from the trunk, but other than that, the car appears to be stock and in very nice shape.  This one definitely goes on the list for rare finds!

Above: (10/17/23) - 1992 Volkswagen Jetta GL Eco Diesel Mk. II (Sam)

Here's an old beater you don't see too often.  I remember the days when you'd still see these cars out and about quite regularly, but nowadays most of them have gone to the great junkyard in the sky.  Not so for this particular car, which continues to soldier on over thirty years after its construction.  I shouldn't really call this car a beater since I think it's too nice for that.  Aside from the obviously-faded clear coat, this car had no rust, broken trim, or other missing parts that would classify it as such.  I hope the owner continues to maintain and take good care of this car.  

Above: (10/17/23) - 1969 Ford F-100 Restomod (Sam)

In striking contrast to the previous entry, we have this '69 F-100.  I've dubbed it as an F-100 since its lack of trim seems consistent with the base model pickup.  This conjecture will have to do, since the identification badge has been removed.  I'm not sure how far the restomod went on this particular truck, but I think I spied a Dakota Digital dash inside the dashboard.  This is probably my limit as far as restomods go.  Enough of the truck's original character has been preserved, yet it has the performance and reliability of a modern vehicle.  It's not some crazy unrecognizably-customized version of its former self, and I respect that.  I also like the way the red line on the grille pops with the all-black paint on the truck.  

Above: (10/19/23) - 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Revisited (Sam)

This Cutlass has been spotted numerous times previously by me, but I took the opportunity to get some better shots of it.  This car sits outside of a garage alongside an '80s Caprice, so I think the shop owner is a GM aficionado.  I'm not sure what the plans are for this car, but I hope it gets returned to the road soon.

Above: (10/19/23) - 1963 Chevy Impala Lowrider Convertible (Sam)

I vaguely remembered seeing a '63 Impala at a nearby house a few years back, so I decided to check it out over my Fall break.  But what's the fun of hunting for an old Impala if you're not also driving another old Impala around in the process?  That's right, I decided to make a detour on one of my Fall cruises to check in on this '63.  When I spotted it, I noticed the owner had started some metalwork on the bottom half of the car.  It had also been joined by a trio of Suburbans, and I can only imagine what's inside those shipping containers.  This is a really sweet ride, and I hope the owner gets the bodywork wrapped up soon.  

Above: (10/19/23) - Suzuki Cappuccino Roadster (David)

This is such an adorable car! That's also a sentence I though I'd never say, but here we are in October 2023, and when faced with a Suzuki Cappuccino, one of the smallest cars ever made, it's hard to react in such a way. 

The Cappuccino was a Japanese Kei Car, produced from 1991 to 1998. It was super light, weighing just over 1500 pounds, and super tiny, with a full wheelbase of 6.7 feet. The little car is powered by a 657 cc three cylinder turbocharged engine, coupled to a five speed manual transmission, or three speed automatic. Power ratings were somewhere in the low 60s, which honestly seems like more than enough for a car that's just a hair larger than a go-kart. 

During its first years of production, roughly 15,000 cars were produced. About 13,000 of those were sold in Japan, and the others were export models. The Cappuccino was initially sold in Japan only, but in 1992, Suzuki began exporting Cappuccinos to the UK. Some other cars were exported through third parties to other European countries, but the majority stayed in Britain. Roughly 1100 cars were exported and registered in the UK, which proved the car to be a success in both Japan and Europe. 1995 saw a revision to the design to keep up with European emission regulations. The Cappuccino received minimal modifications, essentially just lightening the vehicle. The new models saw the option of an automatic transmission, power steering, and came standard with an airbag and ABS to all four wheels. 1998 would mark the final year of production

This Cappuccino is clearly modified. It looks like the car received a wrap, some new rims, and a sport steering wheel. So far this has been the tiniest car I've ever spotted, and probably the smallest to show up on ONEC! Maybe something in the future will challenge this. Honda Beat owners, I'm talking to you!

Above: (10/26/23) - 1991 Cadillac Brougham (David)

And now, the opposite of a Cappuccino, the Cadillac Brougham!

Above: (10/27/23) - 1996 Volvo 960 Estate (David)

The Volvo 960 is often overlooked by Volvo enthusiasts. For one, its powered by the less favored six cylinder engine Volvo made, and two, it existed during the time of the 850, a radical new car for Volvo, which made the 960 look old. Nonetheless, I was very excited to see one of these in parking lot during an afternoon walk in Providence. I've never photographed one of these before, nor can I recall the last time I ever saw one. 

The 960 was introduced to follow in the footsteps of the 760, exactly like how the 940 was introduced to replace the 740. However, the timeline is confusing. The standard 940 left production in 1995 when the 850 debuted a few years prior. The 960, on the other hand, lasted until 1998, which coincidentally lined up with the 850's end of production towards the nearly identical first generation V and S70 models. 

The 960 was very similar to its 940 relative, the only difference being the 2.5L six cylinder engine and slightly different trim. In 1994, for the 1995 model year, the 960 received a facelift, with a revised front grille and headlights. They were more narrow and squinty than the original design. In 1997, it was renamed the S90 and V90, to correspond with the model rename the 850 would receive when it would transition into the V70 and S70. 1998 would mark the final year of production for the 960 or S/V90. The name would be revived in 2016 as Volvo's new flagship model, replacing the V and S70.