Bike Ride 23

David: For Bike Ride 23, I ventured to an area not yet documented on ONEC. This was of course the Coventry Bike Path, which travels through West Warwick. Like Warwick, West Warwick is filled with many old garages, which are home to some nice classics. This bike ride documents a few of those garages and the cars I found parked at them. A lot of the cars were parked in, so getting some decent angles was a bit tricky. However, like always, I did the best I could. Enjoy this haul of finds, which includes lots of GM classics as well as some old Mercedes Benz classics too!

Above: 1995 Chevy G-30 Conversion Van w/ ABS 

We begin this Bike Ride with a van. Please don't judge a book by its cover because I promise that there a lot more exciting finds to come following this old conversion van. This is a '95 Chevy Van, making it one of the last of the third generation Chevy van G-Series which lasted over 20 years from 1971 to 1996. Of course, being a conversion van, that adds a bit more mojo to this old school van. You also can't forget that ABS!

Above: 1966 Chevy Impala 

Making Sam proud with a GM B-Body find, this Chevy Impala was found at an old garage off the bike path, and closer to a main street. The garage was either closed and in bad condition or permanently closed, as the place was kind of a junkyard... literally. There were all sorts of old beaters parked out front, a collection of cars, including an '80s Oldsmobile Delta 88, that trailed into the rear of the shop where I found a '70s Pontiac in the back. Unfortunately, this car was fenced off and I didn't feel like committing a felony today. 

This Impala and the Checker Cab, which will be discussed below, were the only noteworthy classics not buried in a mass of old hoopties. This '66 Impala is a two door coupe, that looks to be completely original. This car either has the 283 or 327 under the hood, as there is no engine designation on the badging. According to Sam, Impalas with small block engines didn't have the luxury of designated engine badging, although his '65 is an exception. A peak into the interior showed normal wear on the seats, but for an over 50 year old car, I'd say they held up well if they were the original seats. The exterior showed its age, with several aged areas, like the rear quarter panel and bits of chrome trim around the car. Based on this evidence, I concluded that the car was brought here at some point for engine work, but I could only assume. 

Above: Impala in Perspective

As I stated earlier, this classic Impala was in good condition. You can see in these pictures where the car started to show its age, but from what I could tell, a few rust spots here and there was all that really seemed to be harming this car. Hopefully this car is actually being worked on and was not left to sit at this garage. It would be unfortunate to see that happen to an old Impala, and I bet Sam would easily back this statement up. We'd be upset to see any old car left to sit anyways!

Above: 1964 Checker Marathon A-11 Taxi Cab: The Most Iconic Taxi 

Perhaps this is a car a bit unexpected to see, but I'm so glad I was able to find one of these classic Checker cabs. Even if you don't know much about these, or don't know what "Checker Cab" means, you've definitely seen one before. It's instantly recognizable, and when you see one, you automatically think of New York City. These Checkers were produced for over 20 years, with almost zero changes made to its appearance, which essentially allowed itself to become a staple of NYC culture today. 

The A-11 entered production in 1960 at the Checker Motors Kalamazoo, Michigan plant, and the first Taxis were sold in 1961. The Checker Cab was so successful, that in 1964, an anti trust law suit was filed against Checker Motors for monopolizing the production and sale of taxis. This led to Checker licensing the sale of its vehicles to its drivers to keep them from purchasing other brands of taxi cabs. It was originally powered by a Continental Motors inline six overhead valve engine, which was eventually replaced for the Chevy 350 CI small block in 1965. The Checker Cabs would use the 350 CI until 1980, when it was downsized back to a GM built inline six. By the late '70s, the Checker Cabs were being replaced by other fleet vehicles produced by the Big Three, such as the Chevy Impala, Ford LTD, and Plymouth Satellite. The Checker Cabs, while very reliable, were horribly inefficient, especially with the introduction of US government emissions standards in 1973. 1982 marked the final year for the Checker Cab, as the Checker Motors Corporation became a subcontractor for GM, producing body panels and auto parts. Checker Motors would officially shutdown in 2010, after filing bankruptcy. 

It's hard to imagine late twentieth century New York City without the Checker Cab. The Checker Cab is as much a part of New York as the Red Double Decker Bus is to London, England. Today,  despite being out of production for over 40 years, it has become an unofficial symbol of New York City, and rightfully so. Its popularity and dominance of the streets of New York City and the taxi cab industry as a whole helped secure its place in history as the greatest Taxi of all time. It also appeared in popular TV shows, like Taxi and Friends. It appeared in various films as well, most notably Martin Scorsese's 1976 critically acclaimed Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster. The Marathon A-11 was produced for 22 years from 1960 to 1982, but its service as a taxi outlasted its production life. The last Checker cab would retired from the New York City taxi service in 1999. 

Above: 1974 Chevy Camaro Z-28 

More classic GM muscle! However, it's a car I'm not too keen on, the later model second generation Chevy Camaro. In Bike Ride 20, I explained my disliking for these cars in detail, so if you would like to learn why I don't like later second generation Camaros, I would suggest reading that entry before this one. 

By the mid 1970s, Chevy found themselves amidst an oil crisis along with safety and emissions mandates from the US government. This meant that some of the less safe and efficient sportier vehicles had to be updated to comply with these standards. For the Camaro, this meant a redesign of the front fascia. For 1974, the Camaro recieved a new sloped front grille design and a very out of place low speed impact front bumper. This redesign (in my opinion) began the Camaro's downward spiral to rock bottom in 1979 with (once again, in my opinion) the worst facelift in automobile history. Fortunately, the Camaro redeemed itself in 1982 with introduction of the fresh looking third generation "IROC" Camaros. 

If you're a Camaro fan, I apologize for my disliking of the later second generation models. I feel really bad expressing my disliking, because the second gen Camaros from 1970 to '73 are some of the best looking muscle cars, and arguably one of Chevy's best designs of the late '60s and early '70s. I feel that the 1974 and 1979 redesigns were a representation of Chevy giving up on the Camaro and their other popular models from the previous decade. The Corvette remained the same, but along with the Camaro, the Chevelle, Impala, and Nova all became former shells of what they once were. I know GM had regulations to comply with, but in a way, when I look back at these mid to late '70s cars, it almost seems like flame kindling the ambition to create gorgeous, sleek car designs burnt out. Perhaps it could've been a reflection of the '70s culture. Historically speaking, The country entered the '70s following the assassinations of prominent public figures from the decade prior, and political tension with Russia. In 1974, Richard Nixon resigned from presidency following the Watergate scandal, and Uncle Sam was at the end of a losing battle over in Vietnam, largely unfavored by the public. With all this in mind, I can't imagine the '70s were all that glamorous as people like to chalk it up to be.  I suppose this could be a reason as to why American cars were designed in the ways they were during the '70s. 

Above: 1979 Chevy Corvette C3

The car next to the Camaro was a '79 Corvette, in much better shape. I believe I may have seen this Corvette, or a car similar to it, around town before. This Corvette is not as much a show car, as its paint is less than perfect, but it looks good. The aged paint, with the GM Rallye rims and Hoosier printed tires give for a very classic look. 1979 was the final year for the old  '70s C3 Corvette design, before 1980 brought some new updates, including a new front and rear fascia. 

Above: 1989 Mercedes Benz 300 E (W201)

Thus begins the Mercedes Benz Blitz of Bike Ride 23! We start the Benz Blitz off with a modern classic, compared to the cars to come later. It's really funny to think about these cars as classics now, as like the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and other early '90s sedans, I remember these cars being very common when I was young. The W201, like most classic Mercedes from this era, was a very reliable and well built car, which is why they've stood the test of time. However, like most old cars, they've begun to disappear, as New England's harsh roads and winters gave these cars the true life test of potholes and road salt. Some cars rusted away or broke down, and some survived. This Mercedes still presses on, doing what it does best. 

Above: 1985 Mercedes Benz 560 SL (C107)

I arrived at a Mercedes Benz and German car specialist repair shop, where I was greeted by the lovely sight of many classic Benz cars, as well as a few others. Up first is this '85 560 SL. Honestly, the most spotted car this winter will have to go to these old C/R107 chassis cars. Between here and New York, I must've found enough to count on more than one hand this season. No complaints though, I've always liked these cars, and this is a really nice example of one. 

Above: 1969 Mercedes Benz 280 SL Coupe (W113)

Next up, we have the Mercedes Benz W113 SL-Class. This was the predecessor to the C107 SL-Class, produced from 1963 to 1971. The W113 sports cars had big shoes to fill, as they succeeded the 190 SL roadster and, more importantly, the 300 SL gullwing, which was known for being the sports car of the century and the fastest sports car of its time, not to mention being one of the most beautiful car designs of all time. The W113 was a modest car compared to its ancestor. These cars weren't as aerodynamic, and didn't have gullwing doors. Instead, the modest sports car was lightened by the use of fiberglass body panels and integrated safety features, most notably, a crumple zone. While not as powerful and fast as the car that came before it, the W113 made decent power, and equipped with an 2.3L inline six engine, the car could reach speeds up to 120 MPH producing 168 HP. 

Above: 1966 Mercedes Benz 250 S (W108)

To conclude the Benz Blitz, we have a classic Mercedes. This may look like a shell of what it once was, but even in its dilapidated state, this car still looked as elegant as it did when it rolled off the assembly line. There's truly something about a classic Mercedes that encompasses elegant car design like no other. These aren't as flashy or aggressive looking like Mercedes cars are today. They're simple cars that existed during an era of flashy chrome and hard edges. Think of the Cadillac DeVilles of the late 1960s. The W108 was a smooth car with soft edges, and didn't offer a sophisticated design. Instead, the Mercedes relied on its simple design, stainless steel grille, and the Mercedes star rim covers to make its presence known on the streets. There was truly nothing that looked like this car, so when you saw one, it was instantly recognizable. That legacy continues today, as these cars have become fairly sought after as collectibles.

Above: Mercury Capri XR-2 5MT

I was very happy to see this car. The Mercury Capri XR-2 is a forgotten car from the 1990s that could've been just as iconic as the Miata. Speaking of the Miata, Ford and Mercury marketed this car as a competitor to the Miata, but unlike the Miata, the Capri was front wheel drive. Unfortunately, this led to the car losing favor to the Miata, and eventually the car was canceled in 1994. 

The Capri has an interesting back story, which I'll keep pretty brief. Despite being sold in the United States, these cars were actually produced in Ford's Australian assembly plant, making the Capri technically an export vehicle, however, it was sold primarily in the United States. The Capri also shared an inline four engine with Mazda, ironically enough, but it was not the same engine used in the Miata. It was the only Mercury vehicle that had the distinction of being produced with no Ford or Lincoln relative. 

Today, you hardly ever see these old Capris on the road. It's sad because I think they look really unique and were only available with a five speed manual and convertible body style, very similar to the Miata. However, unlike a Miata, the Capri won't cost you your entire life savings to buy a decent used one. Like the Ford Probe, these never caught on, and remain an underdog of quirky '90s sports cars that you can find for decent prices on the used market. 

Above: Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Two Door Conversion

To conclude, we have a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham from the 1980s. Identifying the year on this car is a little tough because there is no grille or much other distinctive identification marks. This car was very noticeably beat up, and either has no engine or its rear suspension gave out. Also noteworthy about this car was its lack of rear door handle, which I found to be somewhat comedic. Sam and I joked about his '65 Impala trying to be a two door Impala when it first arrived at his house, as the doors were stuck shut. This joke arose because four door cars were bought to be converted into two door clones, instead of paying full price for a real one. This Caddy seems to have taken our Impala joke a bit too literally, as it's clearly a sedan with no access to the rear of the car. I'm not sure what prompted this modification or what it's purpose is, unless the owner couldn't find a two door '80s Caddy and decided shaving the door handles off a sedan was the next best option.