Bike Ride 21

1/29/23

David: Back in Rhode Island after my time in New York, I decided to go for a small bike ride to see if there were any new happenings around town. While still the winter time, the weather wasn't too harsh, and it was a Sunday afternoon and I had nothing to do, so why not go for a bike ride. Not much new was around town, but a decent haul of '80s Americana was found for your enjoyment.

Above and Left: 1985 Chevy Monte Carlo SS

There's an old factory off of Park Ave. that has a lot filled with some abandoned trucks. I noticed this Monte parked in the lot, and went to investigate.

What we have here is a nice example of an '85 Monte Carlo. The fourth generation Montes were given this exclusive body style to all SS cars starting in 1983. It's easily become one of the most recognizable designs from the 1980s, and one of the most iconic since it was the return of the SS trim level for the Monte since 1971. The SS trim level was dropped in 1972. I like Montes in general, but the fourth generation is a bit more special to me since I remember them a lot growing up. They were the muscle car to have in 2000s, along with the IROC Camaro and SN-95 Mustangs. Seeing this was cool to find in the wild, as these Montes are becoming collectible.

Above and Left: Audi 5000 Quattro Avant Estate

I don't believe I've ever photographed an Audi yet. I really don't see a lot of classic Audis around, which will explain the lack of their presence on this blog. We'll come to find a reason why that might be in this entry. Here is a "hidden" Audi 5000 estate I found when I was lurking around the abandoned factory. It was stashed away in the weeds next to a paintball course, but appeared to be unharmed from the gunfire.

Because this car was buried in the weeds, it was a bit difficult to get some clear photos of it. I included a higher up angle of the side of the car (see below) so that you can sort of see it better. It's really too bad it was sitting here, because it was in really decent shape. I'm glad I photographed it now in the winter because the weeds and brush around it will bloom in the summer, and then the car will be even more obscured. I'm just glad to finally have an Audi on the blog. I hope to find more in the future for all our Audi fans reading.

Above: Angles on the Audi and a History of these Plagued Cars

The Audi 5000 was based on the Audi 100 series, a sedan manufactured from 1968 to 1997, almost three decades. The 5000 was introduced was introduced during the second generation of production in 1978. This car is an early third generation model, placing it between the years '82 to '87. Now, here's why I don't see a lot of these cars around. Audi 5000s from '83 to '87 were recalled due to unintended accelerations, which resulted in the deaths of six drivers and over 700 accidents. The problem was linked to a faulty idle-stabilization sensor, taking control of the electronic throttle body. This essentially meant that, when applying the brakes, the car would automatically increase its idle speed, resulting in the accelerations. Audi, at first, tried beat around the bush by claiming that the drivers were confusing pedals or were below average in height, but eventually after many law suits, the vehicles were recalled, and modifications to the brake and accelerator systems were made. This means that this car is a survivor of these recalls, and might be why it's not on the road. I don't really know the reason. Maybe I'll find a similar car, but given this car's reputation and history, I don't know if that'll be the case any time soon, but you never know.

Above: BMW 325 (E30) Banger Car

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this car. What we have here is a hilariously horrible abomination of a BMW 3-Series. It appears to be that of a banger car, stripped down to the bare minimum of what it once was. As you'll see below, the interior was completely stripped, and the glass and most of the body panels were missing. Written all over the side of the car were various hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Some other hip hop groups made an appearance on the car as well, like House of Pain, Run DMC, and Cypress Hill. Perhaps there's more to this car than it appears to be. Maybe it's someone's project and they really like '90s hip hop.

Above: Destructive Details on the BMW

As you can see in closer detail, this car is pretty gutted. The interior shows it's five speed car, and the dash only has essential gauges like tachometer and an engine cluster. There were no seats except for a driver's seat, and all the door panels were removed. I think this car's original color was black, and I only assume that because one half of the BMW logo was spray painted white.

Above and Left: 1985 Ford F-250 XL Diesel King Cab

What a clean Ford pickup this is! This is one handsome example of a survivor seventh generation F-Series pickup. I love the beige color and that custom tailgate on the back. Honestly, I'm just shocked I found an old F-Series this clean. As I'm writing this entry, I'm trying to think of what to write about this truck, but I really think it speaks for itself in that its been so remarkably well kept. I'll include a short history as usual.

The seventh generation F-Series was produced from '80 to '86, and was the only Ford product not affected by downsizing after the 1979 Oil Crisis. The F-Series was improved with better fuel economy and rust protection by the addition of lining under the body panels. In '84 the F-100 nameplate was retired and the F-150 became the smallest truck available. The Diesel models, like this one, came equipped with the International Harvester IDI engine, a 6.9L V8 which made around 160 HP. Until next time, Ford pickup!

Above and Left: 1967 Pontiac LeMans Revisited Again!

As always, we have to take a swing by Andy's East Coast Speed to see if he has any new classics in his lot. While he didn't have new this time, I figured I'd take the opportunity to photograph the '67 LeMans in better detail. I photographed it around the same time last winter, but I never took any pictures of the front of the car. Doing this classic muscle car justice, I decided to make another attempt at photographing it.

Reference Bike Ride 3 and Winter Break Finds for the previous entries on this '67 LeMans.

Above: Pontiac in Perspective

Like many of the other cars at Andy's, this one has been there for a while now. I believe it first appeared when it was documented in Bike Ride 3, where it was receiving some maintenance or restoration. By winter 2022, it was completed and parked in a similar spot to where it resides at the time of writing this entry. I'm unsure if its a personal car of Andy's, or simply one that a customer never came to pickup. Either way, it's one sweet ride, and I hope it gets driven from time to time.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse