Car Spotting with Sam and David

Spring '23 Edition

5/27/23

David: As sort of a follow up to last winter's entry, Car Spotting with Sam and David, Sam and I once again took to the streets on our bikes and searched for some classics and other unique vehicles. We were able to track down quite a bit of finds on the streets of North Providence. A lot of these cars have never been seen before, so we hope you enjoy what we found!

Above and Left: 1997 Nissan "Hardbody" Pickup

David: This truck raised the question: "How on earth has this been preserved so well?" We certainly don't know how this old Nissan managed to survive New England, but we were shocked to see one in such good condition. Most of these rust pretty easily or were worn into the ground by years and miles of use. These old Hardbodies are certainly great little trucks, so we're glad this one has been saved.

Above: 1998 Mitsubishi 3000GT "Pez"

David: Another '90s Japanese classic you really don't see too much of. They're certainly cool cars to see, as they're cool looking sports cars to see as an alternative to the other famed Mitsubishi sports car - The Lancer. While seeing a nice Lancer is always cool to see, something like a 3000GT is like listening to a deep track from a popular band.

Above: 1994 Toyota Camry XLE

David: Again, another typical '90s beater in near mint condition that made us ask "Who on earth preserved this?" This is a near mint '90s Camry, that I think is almost car show quality. Whoever did preserve this, you're doing the Lord's work.

Above: Ford Trucks: Old and New

A sixth gen (1973-79) F-100 and a tenth gen (2009-14) F-250. We almost missed this one, but Sam caught sight of the old, boxy tailgate and stopped the procession, allowing David to get in and do what he does best: obsess over Swedish cars take some photos.

Nerf Pedal Kart

David: We were riding our bikes when... blah, blah, blah, let's cut to the chase.

The Nerf Pedal Car is one of the most influential vehicles in automotive history. With its Avant Garde styling, complemented by its unmatched performance and handling, the Nerf Pedal Kart set the standard for modern car design and handling since its conception in the early 2000s.

While most cars today try to push boundaries in speed, handling, and design, it all wouldn't be possible without the influence from the Nerf Pedal Kart. Unfortunately, Nerf only made a few thousand of these, as the world wasn't quite ready to accept the boundaries that the Pedal Kart pushed. This makes it quite collectible among enthusiasts, but they also frequently fetch large asking prices at auctions, which is why they're very uncommon to see.

1977 Cadillac Coupe Deville Brougham

David: This appears to have tail lights from an early '70s Eldorado, so I'm not sure if they're placeholders for the correct set of tail lights, or if the owner just took whatever he could get.

Sam: I think the lights are factory, they just look a bit odd because of the ubiquitous missing bumper fillers. The taillights are the older style that was used in the mid-70s, but they were re-used on the downsized Coupe Deville before being replaced by the vertical slits that adorned the full-sized Caddy lineup from 1978 till the style's long-awaited retirement in 1992. This Caddy also appears to be suffering from a severe case of VTR, vinyl top rot. If left untreated, it can cause such symptoms as leaking, flaky roof skin, back window delete, and in extreme cases, instant convertible. All jokes aside, this caddy needs some serious metal work (and possibly a roof donor) to get it back on the road again. Unless the owner decides to convert it to an un-convertible convertible.

2000 Saturn SL2

David: Here we have another mint '90s/2000s car, a Saturn SL2! A Saturn is a car typically found as the butt of a joke or a car most people wouldn't bother giving a second glance at, but we certainly did with this one! Again, who preserved this!

Above: The Last of the Classic American Land Yachts

A 1989 Lincoln Town Car and a 1983 Chevy Caprice Classic.

Sam: Two great 80s classics here. By the 1980s, the great American land yacht was a shadow of its former self. On a continuous downsize since 1977, the Chevrolet B body lacked some of the grandeur and bloat presence of the previous generation of barges. Nonetheless, it was still extremely popular, and it remains so today among the purists who preserve show-quality examples and the custom community who make dazzling lowriders and tricked out donks out of these boxy boats. The late 80s Town Cars have also garnered a similar following. Both of these examples are well preserved and still in great shape. I've actually seen the Lincoln out on the road several times over the last few years, so it's cool to finally have found where it resides. The Caprice looked like it had been resting for a bit, judging by the layer of dust on the car, but it was still plated and none of the tires were flat. Here's to hoping it makes an appearance sometime this Summer! Parked next to these two gems was a 2000s-era LeSabre, which I'm guessing gets daily duty when the weather is too harsh for either of these cars. I'm also guessing the garage in the background is their dwelling place during the colder months, but I'll have to check back in during the winter to confirm that.

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