Early Spring Spotting '24

What a way to start off the warmer months of the year for New England. While March and April were mostly rainy and cold, we didn't find as much cars as we would've liked, but I think you'll see that the quality of the cars we found makes up for the quantity. Surprisingly, we found cars that don't get the spotlight on ONEC as much as we'd like. Typically, a common car found on ONEC is from the 1980s or early 1990s. I'm not going to spoil it any further. 

Above: (3/24/24) - 1967 Ford F-100 Custom Cab (David)

We're starting Spring off right! Here's a beautifully patinaed 1967 Ford F-100 in an aged Wimbledon White. Back in '67, this truck was probably as shiny as could be, but nearly 60 years and a replaced quarter panel later, this truck has aged like fine wine. 

This '67 F-100 represents the first year of the fifth generation of the Ford F-Series truck family. The new generation brought a refined design to the previous 1966 model year, with a squared off grille, flattened body panels, and boxier cab, all while being built on the same chassis as the generation that preceded it. Over its six year production run, changes to the design were kept very minimal, with most of which being updates to the grille or, for example, in 1968, the addition of side marker lights to comply with US safety regulations. This is also a convenient way to distinguish a 1967 model from a 1968. Production ended in 1972, when the sixth generation kicked off production in 1973. 

Above: Custom Cab Close Ups

There's certainly nothing like a beat up old work truck. Imagine the stories and road trips this truck could tell if it could speak. Looking at it, I'm just wondering where its traveled, and how many miles have rolled by on the odometer. By the looks of it, I'd say quite a bit. 

I'm unsure if the orange, red, and gray pinstriping is a factory option or not. From my research, I couldn't find anything to prove that it was, but I also found a few old diagrams that could've proved otherwise. If you know your old Ford trucks well, definitely let us know! I think we can all deduce that the rims that this truck is riding on are definitely not factory though. However, they don't look bad at all... at least in my opinion.

Above: (3/26/24) - 1986 Chevy C-30 Scottsdale w/ Tipper Bed and Towing Winch (David)

It's another old New England truck! I think history may very much be repeating itself from last year, as if I recall correctly, last Spring around this time of year, we photographed old trucks more frequently than cars. I guess we're doing the same this Spring!

We also have our third Scottsdale spotted this month. We started off with a blue 1981 C-10, then a red 1983 K-10, and now, a 1986 C-30! There's only six days left in March, so maybe there will be more to come. These trucks have all been pretty unique in their own regard. First off, we don't typically see many early '80s C-10s and we hardly ever see any K-10s, and higher numbered trucks, like the C-20 and upwards are also just as uncommon. Although, we did spot a 1984 C-30 in Orange last Winter, so sometimes there are exceptions. This C-30 is more stock than the 1984 from the Winter, and appears to have put in its time on the jobsite. However, like any old reliable truck, it still keeps on truckin' forward, doing its dutiful job of serving its owner, and transporting goods from one destination to the next. 

Above: Scoping in on the Scottsdale

This C-30 Scottsdale has a lot of modifications done to it, although, unlike most modifications you might think of, which include rims, exhausts, and suspensions, these are more utilitarian. With its tipper bed and towing winch, this Squarebody is ready for some heavy duty work!

Above: (3/29/24) - 1957 Nash Metropolitan (David)

Few cars have ever piqued the curiosity of more automotive enthusiasts than the Nash Metropolitan. The Metropolitan, at its introduction in 1953, was simultaneously able to fit in with the American car scene, but was also the odd ball out. It came to existence at a very experimental time period for American cars, among some of the most abstract and revolutionary cars ever produced. 

In 1953, the Chevy Corvette had debuted the same year, the Ford Thunderbird's arrival was on the horizon, and the Kaiser Darrin would debut the following year as well. While these all were very remarkable small cars that were successes (maybe excluding the Darrin), the Nash stood out. The Metropolitan wasn't a sports car, instead, it was the first American subcompact. 

The Metropolitan was one of the last cars produced under the "Nash" name, before the company merged with Hudson to form the American Motors Corporation, or what would become more commonly known as "AMC." Throughout its production from '53 to '61, the Metropolitan remained mostly unchanged, and was available with an inline four and three speed manual transmission. 

Despite this, for those eight short years of production, the Metropolitan was America's Volkswagen Beetle. The design worked because it applied typical American car stylings, such as bright two-tone paint job, color matched rims, bubbly fenders, and just the right amount of chrome, despite straying away from the norm of large, hulking sedans dominating the USDM automotive scene. 

The car also exceeded expectations, mostly because most people didn't know what to make of it. Some smaller car designs had been attempted, like with the Crosley Hotshot and Kaiser Henry J, but those ultimately failed. At first, the Metropolitan seemed like a joke, but when journalists and test drivers reviewed the car and test drove it, they realized that it was a pleasant drive and able to keep up with its contemporaries at cruising speeds and handling. 

By 1961, the Metropolitan's design has become outdated, largely because it remained aesthetically unchanged from its introduction in 1954. The Rambler had also become one AMC's best selling cars, and had successfully filled their market slot for a compact economy car. While the Metropolitan's design was more novel and fun compared to the Rambler's minimalistic design, the Rambler was the obvious choice for consumers because it was the far more practical choice. But, without the Metropolitan's success, I would argue the success of the Rambler and the Falcon wouldn't have been as prominent. American car buyers needed the Metropolitan in order to accept small car designs as normal, and since the Metropolitan's design was executed in such an accessible way, small cars finally had a place. 

Above: Nash Pioneers the Subcompact

Before the AMC Rambler and Ford Falcon revolutionized compact economy cars in America, there was the Metropolitan. However, the Metropolitan went a step further than the two aforementioned vehicles because it was literally designed with nothing to fall back on, except those failures. The final product was a vehicle that not only allowed for mass acceptance of domestic subcompacts, but arguably allowed for their success in the years to come, such as the recessions of 1959 and 1973, where Americans would have turn to smaller alternatives, compared to their fancied land yachts. 

Above: (4/5/24) - 1990 Ford Bronco (Sam)

I was minding my own business and on my way to the engineering building when I spotted this street-parked beauty.  Williams street is always good for finds.  I've seen everything from a 300zx to a Tesla Roadster to a 1951 Plymouth Belvedere, all on this street.  This particular "OJ" Bronco, as they're affectionately known, was in decent shape with a bit of rust in the usual places.  I actually saw it a couple more times around campus, including on the day its namesake died.  In fact, since OJ passed, we've seen a number of these Bronco's.  Maybe it's a sign he's trying to return from the grave.  

Above: (4/8/24) - 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 (David)

You can't talk about the American Muscle Car era without talking about the Chevelle, specifically the second generation from 1968 to 1972. Among the most powerful cars to come out of that time period was the 1970 Chevelle SS, specifically the SS 454 with the LS6 engine package. This isn't that exact car, but it's pretty damn close. The 396 engine was third largest of the big block offerings from Chevy. There was the 454, of course, but also the 427. Of the three big blocks, the 396 was probably the most common as well, as Chevy made 60, 499 SS 396 models, specifically in 1968. 

As the years progressed, the Chevelle became even more powerful. 1968 and 1969 SS models were only available with the 396 as the largest engine offering. However, in 1969, a man by the name of Don Yenko, a retired race car driver turned Chevy dealer, began customizing and tuning Chevelles, Camaros, Novas, and Corvairs in 1969, specifically models equipped with the SS 396 packages (Excluding the Corvair). The cars received special factory racing stripes with "Yenko" written somewhere in the design. Cars with the 396 engines were capable of producing 425 horsepower, making them the most powerful Chevy models at the time. He was essentially the Carroll Shelby for GM, although he only sold his modified cars from 1969 to about 1972. These models are incredibly rare to come across, as only a few were ever built.

1970 dethroned the 396 big block as the most powerful engine, with the introduction of the 427 and 454 big blocks. The most legendary, and arguably most powerful, was the Chevelle SS 454 with the LS6 engine package, capable of producing 450 horsepower. That was more power than any muscle car at the time. In comparison, for the same year, the Chrysler HEMI motors produced 425 horsepower. The LS6 continued to be offered into the 1971 and 1972 model years, but no cars were produced from the factory with the option. The slightly less powerful 360 HP LS5 454 package appeared to be more popular. 

In 1973, the Chevelle shook its sporty look, and became a detuned luxury car, similar to the Dodge Charger around the same time. The SS package was still available, but only with the 350 and 454 engines. The 454 was now a former image of what it once was, producing only 245 horsepower. The Chevelle remained in production until 1977, when the redesigned Malibu and Monte Carlos were to become Chevy's flagship midsize sports cars in 1978.

The Chevelle managed to remove itself from its Malaise years of 1973 to '77, becoming remembered for its golden days of 1968 to 1972. When thinking about the muscle car era, its hard not to think of the Chevelle. Along with the Dodge Charger, the Chevelle was one of the best looking and powerful cars of that time in automotive history. It may have existed in this form for only a few short years, but its light burned brighter than a green light illuminating a barren back road late at night, of nights spent out street racing for the thrill and power of the big block Chevy engine. 

Above: The Most Iconic Muscle Car

The Mustang is a pony car, the Corvette is a sports car at heart, but the Chevelle is a bulging hunk of Detroit iron rumbling down the road. Where the Mustang is sleek and the Corvette is beautiful, the Chevelle is handsome, with its dark cherry red paint, "coke body" curves and forward pointing grille. Just with a glance, the car emits a feeling of raw power from its 396 big block engine. Even its name "Chevelle" commands a sense of power. Of course, the Chevelle would reach its peak form in 1970, but from 1968 to 1972, it was one of the most powerful muscle cars of its time. If ordered with the 454 big block LS6 engine, the car was able to produce 450 horsepower. Of course, this is a 396 car, which in 1968, produced 325 horsepower. 

Above: (4/8/24) - 1994 Buick Century (David)

It's kind of hard to follow up a Chevelle, so we have probably the completely opposite of a Chevelle... a Buick Century from 1994! Where the Chevelle was fast, powerful, and elegant, the Century is slow, underpowered, and boxy. However, let that not fool you into thinking this car isn't as worthy of being on a classic car blog just because it falls short in the eyes of its GM elder. I would argue the Buick Century is just as deserving of being on here because of its brief tenure in the form of the redesigned GM A-Platform, produced from 1982 to '96. 

As I argued in the 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera entry from last month, the General Motors A-Platform helped reshape GM's image in the 1980s, from a company producing outdated, inefficient cars, to a company that was forward thinking which produced cars that were equipped with modern features and design elements. It was a break from the Malaise era designs being carried over from the late '70s, and gave American buyers a refresh with designs that looked contemporary and not antiquated. 

The Buick Century was among these cars. Although it may not have been as fast, powerful, and sleek as a Chevelle, it helped reshape one of America's largest automobile companies. The Century and its A-Body contemporaries were like the star players on a sports team during its reformative era after a few years of bad losses. Sure, they weren't known for being the star athletes from those glory days, but they helped save the team's image from being lost to past headlines and dated banners hung from school gymnasiums. From a historical perspective, that makes the Century just as crucial as one of the most powerful cars of the Muscle Car era. 

Above: (4/8/24) - 1979 Porsche 911 SC (David)

What a roller coaster of finds today! First, an iconic muscle car, then a survivor '90s sedan, now a beautiful Porsche! I can't argue with that line up of cars. 

For our final car found today, we arrive at a beautiful late '70s Porsche 911 SC in Copper Brown. There's truly nothing like a 911 coupe, as it is arguably one of the most timeless car designs of all time, but this is nothing new to us at ONEC. We've talked about this before in previous 911 entries. However, the 911 speaks more to me as a sports car than a Ferrari 308 or Lamborghini Countach from the same era. From an early age, I've always liked these cars. 

When I was younger, flipping through classic car books and other literature, the Porsche 911 always found its way into those books. Call it constant exposure, but the 911 stuck with me throughout my formative years and interests of cars. During these years, my biggest automotive interests were classic American muscle cars, like the Chevelle from earlier, but for some reason, the 911 remained a car that stood out to me, even when I hadn't developed an interest in classic European cars like I would much later. 

I was never a super car kid, when most of my friends were. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bugattis never really impressed me. Where speed was the factor for them, design was the factor for me that made me appreciate cars. In my eyes, the 911 was the perfect sports car. It wasn't flashy like an F-430, it wasn't aggressive like an Aventador. To me, I saw the 911 as a handsome man arriving at a black tie dinner party at night and greeting the hosts in a mannerly way. In simpler terms, it was a sophisticated, classy car that, politely, seemed more worldly than its other sports car contemporaries. 

Perhaps you could argue my perspective on the Porsche 911 was influenced by its prominence in car books and also how it appeared in my environment. Yes, these cars were driven by upper class people or were usually seen driving in a nice part of town or at a luxurious building. However, when I was kid, I wasn't thinking in depth about the socio-economic influences the 911 had on my young mind. At heart, I think the 911's design spoke to me because it relied on simple design cues from the 1960s to create an appearance that invoked a feeling of timelessness and importance. What does a Porsche 911 mean to you?

To read more on ONEC about the 911 SC and its impact on car culture, reference these entries:

• 5/6/23: 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa - The History of the early 911 and 911 SC

• 12/8/23: 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa - How the 911 remains iconic in the present day

Above: She was a Little Obscured...

One thing I can argue with though, is the fact that this Porsche was partially blocked by some bushes and a fire hydrant. I guess its the price to pay for finding such a car on the day of the solar eclipse. Get it? The car is being eclipsed by the bushes, like the sun is eclipsed by the moon? My humor is kind of silly sometimes, but if you can't laugh at yourself, then everyone laughs at you, or something like that on the side of a mug. Maybe I'll see this Porsche again and I'll have a better chance at some better photos. I sure wouldn't mind that.