Bike Ride 22

David: Happy Valentine's Day from ONEC! If anyone else had their heart broken today,  you aren't alone, because I had the disappointment of a 1970 Plum Crazy Dodge Challenger R/T and a 1980s Chevy Caprice Classic drive off on me. As you could guess, I was pretty let down, especially by the Challenger, but maybe we'll cross paths again. Anyways, don't let that discourage you from this entry, as I found a good amount of other classics to make up for it. I know the past few bike rides revisited some previously seen cars, but this bike ride features all "new" old cars. Enjoy!

Above: 1980 Chevy Corvette C3

We begin in proper ONEC fashion in Cranston, of course with a Corvette. This was found in close proximity to where I found the Porsche 914, which you can read about in Mid Winter Finds '23. This is a very well kept 1980 Corvette, and I have to admit, I may have spent too long of a time lingering around it. As I was checking the car out, the owner came outside and asked me if I wanted anything. Taken off guard, I apologized and told the owner I loved their car and had no intentions of doing anything to it. This actually sparked up a short conversation, and then we went our separate ways. 

I wasn't lying, I really do love this car. It's a gorgeous example, and really I'm glad the owner cares for it. The 1980 Corvette certainly wasn't the greatest Corvette to ever exist. But what we have here is a prime example of beauty vs reality. The 1980 Corvette is like the stereotypical popular meathead in your high school class. Certainly he may have looks, but not the brains. By 1974, the Corvette had been dragged down by emissions so hard, it was a shell of what it was two years prior. It looked the same, with its swoopy curves, and double round tail lights, but it peaked at 270 HP with the 454 big block. With the 350, you were lucky to get 220, and by 1980, power ratings barely pushed 190. 

However, if you take all the negatives surrounding malaise era Corvettes, you're left with a car that's as equally iconic as the first C3 'Vettes from '68. So, the lingering question to ask is, can these Corvettes be redeemable despite the reality they embody? I believe this answer varies depending on who you talk to, because cars are subjective, so there is no definitive answer to this question. If you ask me, I think they can. When I met the owner of this car, they were proud of it and spoke very highly of it. If you dedicate yourself enough to anything that may seem difficult or challenging at first, you'll eventually overcome those challenges and come to enjoy whatever it is that you've dedicated yourself to. Think about a relationship, whether it be intimate or not, and the effort you may have put into that to keep that bond alive. Maybe its not a relationship, but a long term project or goal, or maybe a friend who needs help getting back on their feet. Regardless of what it is that you apply yourself towards, working on something you care about will eliminate the bias that others associate with it. Returning to our scenario with this Corvette, if you care about a car that others may not give a second look towards, you've successfully redeemed it of its past by eliminating the bias others hold towards it. Maybe you can't run from the past, but you sure as heck can make something out of it, but that's another story for later.  

Also here's a helpful hint: If you ever get caught snapping a shot of someone's car, just tell them you love their car, and it seems to do the trick. 

Above: 1990 Cadillac Brougham Premier

After having my heart broken when a Plum Crazy Purple 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T and a blue 1980s Chevy Caprice Classic drove off on me as I was going to photograph them, I happened up on this old Caddy and my mood drastically lightened up. 

This Caddy may look pretty clean from a far, but upon closer examination, I could see it was a daily driver. It had a worn interior, and you can see a bit of rust forming on the wheel arches. But surprisingly enough, it still had its bumper fillers in tact! 

These Cadillacs were the last of the classic style of Cadillacs. 1992 would mark the final year of big, long, and wide Caddys, with spoked rims and chrome fins. 1993 would harken in a new age, with smooth body lines and significantly less chrome. 

The Cadillac Brougham became its own model in 1987, derived from the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, which was produced from 1977 to 1986. The term "Fleetwood" used on Cadillacs was a prefix used to designate the top trim level cars. For example, you might see a Fleetwood Eldorado, which essentially means that car is the top of the line Eldorado. Now, back to the Fleetwood Brougham. 

The Fleetwood Brougham replaced the Sixty Special in 1977. It was slightly downsized but kept the same essential elements, like the wide front grille and chrome fins. The new Fleetwood would prove to be fairly popular, but by 1986, Cadillac had introduced a new front wheel drive mid size vehicle, and named that the Fleetwood, so the name was shortened to Brougham. There were almost zero differences between the new Brougham and the Fleetwood Brougham. Nearing the end of its run in 1990, the Brougham recieved a small facelift, with a new grille and headlight design. By 1992, the final year of production, the writing was on the wall that Cadillac needed to update their design, as the Lincoln Town Car had drastically improved its design.

Cadillac tried their best to keep their old design to stick around, but by 1992, it was more out dated than a road map in the age of the GPS. Today these old Caddys still cruise the streets, a reminder of what Cadillac once was before they transitioned to a more sporty SUV oriented brand. While most of these Caddys appear to be a bit worn compared to how they looked back in their day, it is cool to see that someone is still out there preserving them as best they can. Call it affordable luxury or call it classy style, but an old school Cadillac is a defining piece of an era gone past. 

Above: 1978 Ford F-250 4x4: The Franken-Ford

At first glance, this might just look like a beat up Ford F-250, but look closer. Look very closely at the cab and the bed. If you still haven't figured it out yet, I'll give you the solution. The cab of this truck is a 1978 F-Series cab, but the bed is from a '90s F-Series. I guess this goes to show that it doesn't matter what generation of Ford truck bed you have, as long as it fits on the chassis.

When I first saw this truck, I thought seeing a late '70s F-Series was cool alone, but when I went to photograph the side and rear of the truck, that bed made me do a double take. At first it looked normal from the side, but those tail lights gave it away for me. I knew all too well that those tail lights were from the '90s. The body styling also doesn't match up. As you can see, the cab has a much more defined indentation along the upper part of the cab, while the bed has a more minor indentation. I will say though, to the untrained eye, this looks believable. 

I think this adds a bit of character to this truck. I'm unsure if the owner is intending on keeping the truck this way, but to me, it makes it unique. 

Above: 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo SS

I believe this Monte belonged to the same owner, but it was parked on the other side of his house. It's another fourth generation Monte SS, similar to the one seen in Mid Winter Finds '23, but this one has been slightly modified. It has some classic American Racing Outlaw rims on it, which look pretty good on this Monte. It gives it a period modified '90s aesthetic. 

Above: Mercedes Benz 450 SL (R107): The Official Car of the Bronx Visits RI

If you've read my Cars of New York entries, you know how frequent I saw these R107 SL-Class Mercedes. I guess they've followed me back to RI, as here we have yet another R107 SL! I'm not complaining, I really like how these cars look, and I'm glad someone's still caring for it. You probably saw this parked behind the Monte. I'm unsure if it belongs to the same owner, but if it does, I find it very peculiar for this to be in his car collection. He has three classic Chevys and an old Mercedes. I'm not one to judge his collection, but I wonder what the story behind this car is. Maybe I'll find out one day. 

Above: Mercedes Benz 190 E (W201)

Another classic Benz, the W201 E-Class. The W201 chassis was produced from 1982 to 1993, and was the company's first compact car. Design of the new compact vehicle starting as far back as 1975, and the car was said to be completely over engineered. Mercedes would spend over $600 million on the engineering of the W201 chassis. However, their hard work would pay off, as the new E-Class would prove to be a success during its production run of 11 years. Mercedes would sell over 1 million units. 

Because this car never recieved a facelift during its lifetime, dating these cars correctly can be tough when you don't have a lot of information on hand. Based on the headlights, I hypothesize this car to be a late production model, however I could be wrong. 

Above: Another C4 in Cranston! 1989 Chevy Corvette C4

You can't out run your past, but you can always reinvent yourself. To continue the Corvette narrative from earlier, I want to offer a different perspective. I joke about the C4 Corvette a lot, and it's become known as the Official Car of Cranston on ONEC, but I do appreciate these Corvettes. 

The C4 was the breath of fresh air the Corvette needed. By 1982, the C3 design was far outdated, and Chevy was in need of a design that would push the Corvette back into the spotlight. 1983 saw a gap in production between the C3 and the C4, as emission regulations wouldn't allow the Corvette to be released that year. GM had to push the release to a year later and by 1984, the C4 was in full production. The new Corvette would retain the classic Corvette elements but offer a modernized take. It wasn't sharp like the C2 and it wasn't curvy like the C3. The C4 was plain and refined. The body panels were flush and smooth, and the car was wider and low. Despite this, the Corvette proved to be a success upon release, selling around 51,000 units. In 1990, the ZR-1 was introduced for the first time, and would remain an option until 1995. In 1991, the C4 would see a slight redesign of the exterior, but nothing major. 1996 would be the final year for the C4, with over 300,000 units being sold during its 12 year production run. 

Today, the C4 has become a classic. It's considered by many to be the first modern Corvette, as it would set the standard for the next generations of Corvettes to come, like the C5 and the C6. It is the cheapest Corvette available to buy used, but that does not mean it's not a cool, affordable classic. I may rag on them, but I do love a nice C4.

Anyways, to conclude what I started this entry with, I believe the C4 reinvented what the Corvette was. To restate what I said earlier, the last C3 'Vettes were incredibly outdated and underpowered, and the writing was on the wall that something had to be done. The C4 brought that sense of newness needed to revive the Corvette name. If that red C3 from the beginning was about redeeming one's past, then this white C4 is about reinventing one's self for the better. Perhaps I'm over analyzing these cars, but when I saw both these cars in one day, it made me think of that.