Bike Ride 34

David: Rhode Island was once again gifted beautiful weather on a nice afternoon, so after classes, I raced home to hop on my bike and hit the road. Instead of my usual Cranston/Providence loop, I traveled eastward towards, well, East Providence! Most of the cars found in this entry were photographed there, with the exception of the first two, which were found in Cranston. 

Much like Cranston, East Providence is a very urbanized suburban town, with many classic storefronts, tight neighborhoods, and old railroad ruins. It's accessed from Providence via the George Washington bridge on Interstate 195, which serves as the connection between the two towns. A walking and cycling path is also located parallel to the highway, so don't worry, I didn't merge with highway traffic to cross the bridge. That being said, a decent amount of EP is located close to the water, with a lot of great sites that overlook the city from across the Port of Providence. Anyways, back to Bike Ride 34.

Bike Ride 34 is a spectacular showing of American classics, which is a bit unusual, considering most bike rides (and most of my work) include European or Japanese cars from the '80s and '90s. This isn't because I don't like American classics, I just don't usually find a lot of them. Usually, most classic American cars are kept in storage and only brought out for car shows or extremely nice weather. Although, this Spring has definitely proven that wrong, and in a good way! Bike Ride 34 further proves that wrong too.

Above: 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria LX

Surprise! I had stopped at my local grocery store (and place of employment) for a drink to hydrate myself for the ride ahead of me, and was getting ready to leave when I saw a boxy vehicle parked at the other end of the lot. I hadn’t seen this when I had biked into the store, so it must’ve been a new arrival. Sure enough, I was pleasantly surprised by one of the last examples of the LTD Crown Victorias. 

I don't see these as much as I ought to. Although the Panther Platform vehicles are desired among my generation of car enthusiasts, it's really the models from 1992 to 2012 that catch the attention of them. Afterall, these are what people my age remember as the police car. In the background lingers these, which are my favorite of the Panther Platform Crown Vics. This is mostly because of its older body styling, reminiscent of cars of the 1980s, which of course would get my attention over something more contemporary looking. Now, I'm not casting shame onto the later model Crown Vics, I'm just stating my preferences. But at the end of the day, who doesn't love a full size Ford? 

Above: The Long Reigning Crown of Ford's Lineup

The Ford Crown Victoria name has become a legendary name in Ford's full size model line. Originally, the name was introduced in 1955 to represent the top trim level of the Fairlane series of cars as the Fairlane Crown Victoria. The name was retired at the end of the 1956 model year, and took an over 20 year hiatus, returning in 1980 to be used again to represent the top trim level of the LTD. 

In 1983, when the entire Panther Platform lineup was redesigned, the LTD Crown Victoria became its own model. Instead of being solely a trim level designation, the Crown Victoria was now its own model as the LTD Crown Victoria. When the Panther Platform cars were redesigned again for 1992, the LTD name was dropped, and Ford's full size sedans were now known as the Crown Victoria, or culturally as the "Crown Vic." The name would be used all the way until 2012, when the Panther Platform vehicles were retired from production and the death of the Mercury Marquee in 2011. 

Today, the Panther Platform Crown Vics are hailed among young car enthusiasts because of their affordability on the used market and inclusion of the 5.0 V8 as a standard engine. Specifically, the P-71 and P-72 retired police interceptors are the examples that catch the attention of younger enthusiasts. What once was a vehicle used to chase down speeding cars has now become a blank canvas for enthusiasts to modify and hot rod. 

The original 1955 and 1956 Fairlane Crown Victorias are beautiful sights to see on the road. While they may be overshadowed by their Panther Platform descendants, these original Crown Victorias are a reminder of where the name originated, and how it will always be remembered as the best of the best that Ford had to offer. 

Above: 1992 BMW 318i Convertible (E30)

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a BMW E30. I think this beautiful spring day serves as the perfect excuse to see one, not to mention a convertible. Afterall, the E30 is one of my favorite designs of the ‘80s. I think it’s pretty difficult to dislike these little sports cars. Unlike most E30s we find, this is a 318i, which has the BMW 1.8 liter M40 engine. Usually, we find the more common 323i and 325i models, but today we have something different, which is a perfect segue into today’s E30 discussion - Trim levels and engine designations!

BMW trim levels are denoted by the second and third digits in the model number. In this case, this BMW 318i is part of the 3 series model range and has the 1.8L engine. A 325i will have the 2.5L engine. I think you understand the pattern. This concept was applied to the higher level models too, like the 5, 6 and 7 series, and is still used today. It makes for a very convenient way to identify the trim level and model series. 

Above: 1987 Chevy C-10 Custom Deluxe

After photographing the Crown Vic and the BMW, I began my venture over to East Providence (EP). I didn’t find anything noteworthy during the trip over, but I was more focused on getting over to EP efficiently, as the route is a bit less conventional than you’d expect. To get over to EP, you need to cross the George Washington bridge if you’re traveling by bike from the southern area of Providence. There’s a bike path for safe passage over the water, but it parallels Interstate 195 for about a quarter mile, which can make for an exciting experience. Sometimes you don’t know how fast 70 MPH feels until you stand right next to a bunch of machines traveling at those speeds. 

When I had made it over, I began riding around the main streets of EP, and began cutting down some side streets to look for classics. I was looking for a maroon Volvo 240 Estate I had seen over in the area about a year ago, which was one of my motivations for my EP adventure, along with a new location to find classic cars. Long story short, I didn’t find the Volvo, but I found something just as old - a Chevy C-10 Custom Deluxe!

I was hesitant to photograph this truck at first. The main reason being that it was parked on the lawn of its owner’s house, and I didn’t feel like intruding or looking suspicious. The second reason had to do with the telephone pole partially blocking off some of the rear quarter panel. Regardless, I photographed the truck from the street just in case I’d want to include it later. After the conclusion of the bike ride, I decided to include it in post production. 

This Custom Deluxe is a pretty nice example of an ‘80s Squarebody. It’s not the cleanest I’ve ever seen, but it’s also not the worst. As you may have read in the Bike Ride 33 entry, these hold a special place in my heart, so I can always appreciate one. This also won’t be the last Squarebody in this bike ride entry.

Above: 1993 Ford Mustang GT: The Orange Fox

I love orange cars! I do like the Foxbody, but this one is special because it’s orange. Orange is one of my favorite colors, and when I get the opportunity to photograph an orange classic, I take it. I know this color is not factory, but given that a lot of this Mustang appears to be aftermarket, I think it suits the car well. With the blacked out rims and tinted windows, the orange paint pops like a can of Crush orange soda on a sunny day. 

Above: 1988 Chevy Caprice Classic Estate

If only Sam were here, I know he'd appreciate this Caprice more than I do. Here is a very periodically modified '88 Chevy Caprice Classic Estate, that I found parked right off of a main street. I find it rather convenient that I found one of these in addition to the '90 Crown Vic from earlier. Both of these cars have the distinction of being the final full size offering from both Ford and GM in a traditional body-on-frame design. These late model Caprices are often compared to the Crown Victoria because they both fulfilled duties as fleet and Police vehicles. But, there's more to the Caprice, a much deeper history than that of the Crown Vic. Let us do as we do in proper ONEC fashion, and explore it.

The Caprice name first appeared on full size Chevy B-Bodies in 1965, as the Impala Caprice. Like the 1958 Bel Air Impala, the name started off as a trim level, but the following year, it was given its own standalone model placement. It was positioned as the highest trim option for full size Chevys, and would remain in that position for the rest of its production run. The Caprice also followed all major changes to the GM B-Body, and along with the Impala, would be the only model that would be used until the end of production in 1996. So, for 30 straight years, the Caprice was Chevy's top model offering.

Following a brief hiatus of the Impala in 1985, the Caprice became Chevy's only full size offering until 1994, when the Impala returned as the Impala SS, a fitting tribute to the Super Sport models of 1961 through 1969. During this time, from 1986 to 1996, the base model Caprices were mostly sold as fleet vehicles. Police optioned cars were designated under the 9C1 code, similar the P-72 and P-71 Ford Panther Platform codes. A long going debate in the car community has been determining which classic police car is best. By its final years, the Caprice became Chevy's last traditional body-on-frame model offered when production concluded in 1996. It shared that distinction with the Buick Roadmaster. 

This Caprice is an example of a third generation model. The third generation was produced from 1977 until 1990, and sold over 2 million units during that time. While this one features some after market (and very '90s) American Racing rims and stripes, the rest of the car appears stock, and a nice example of a Caprice estate, which isn't something you see everyday. We've spotted a couple of these over the years, most recently in 2023. I think this is my favorite, considering I'm partial to classic station wagons. 

Above: A B-Body Descendant of Sam's Impala

We talked a bit about the Panther Platform history in the Crown Vic entry, now its time to talk about the GM B Platform, or as its commonly known as, the B-Body. Unlike the Panther Platform, the B-Body existed for 70 years. Yes, 70 years. Introduced in 1926, the original B-Body vehicles were Buicks and Oldsmobiles, but the platform was quickly adopted to several other marques in the following decades. By the end of the 1950s, the B platform's use was now spread across all GM passenger divisions except Cadillac. 1958, in particular, would be the formative year of the B platform, as the following vehicles would essentially be used on the platform from then, until conclusion of production in 1996. 

Following the 1958 model year, the B-Body saw several major redesigns in 1959 and 1961. However, it wouldn't be until the 1965 model year, where the B-Body reached its peak form. From 1965 until 1970, the B platform was GM's best selling platform, producing 12, 960, 000 units across the Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, and Oldsmobile divisions. This allowed it to become the fourth best selling automotive platform in history. 

Following the B-Body's reign from 1965 and 1970, there were several redesigns. One immediately followed for the 1971 through 1976 model years, but the most noteworthy would come in 1977, when the platform was significantly downsized compared to the past few generations. It still retained its large appearance, but incorporated refined design cues much representative of American cars of the time period, and what would follow into the 1980s. This 1977 generation of the B-Body had the distinction of the longest spanning production run of all the generations, being produced from 1977 to 1990. Despite this long production run, the '65 to '70 generation still held the best selling record. 

The final form of the B-Body would come in 1991 until 1996, and would probably have the most radical redesign, with a more modern, bubbly design, inspired by the forward thinking designs that were sprouting during the early '90s. The most popular, similar to the P-71 Crown Victoria police cars, was the 9C1 Caprice police interceptor. These began production in 1986, and would gain notorious use in the final generation. That will get its own entry once we find one!

Today, the B-Body is regarded as one of the best selling automotive platforms ever, along with one of the most important American automotive platforms. The B-Body's legacy is also being preserved here on ONEC, as Sam restores a 1965 Impala from the golden years of the platform. Like the Ford Panther Platform, the fleet vehicles are sought out by young enthusiasts and built into sleepers and hot rods. Being one of the most attractive and popular platforms in America, examples of B-Body vehicles are plentiful across all major GM divisions. Because they are plentiful, prices are low, excluding original Super Sport cars of course. So, if you're looking to get into classic American cars, consider a GM B-Body car. 

Above: 1997 Volvo 850 Estate: A Political Volvo

Here’s a run of the mill Volvo 850 estate and another vehicle that was potentially not going to be included in the final draft of this entry. I decided to keep it because of the bumper sticker on the back liftgate. Like photographing old dealer badging on the back of cars, I find that old bumper stickers give a reference to the times that a given car may have lived through. For example, this 1997 850 was probably bought new in time for the election of 1996. 

It appears that the owner supported third party candidate Ross Perot, who was running in the Reform political party. Of course, we know now that democrat candidate Bill Clinton won the election for his second and rather controversial term. Old New England Cars is not a political analysis blog, so we will refrain from remarks regarding politics and other related topics!

 Anyways, regardless of your political standing, seeing old period correct bumper stickers make for some extra personalization to a car. Maybe you do or don't support Ross Perot, but maybe seeing his campaign sticker will remind you of the late 1990s. Or maybe, like me, you had no idea who Ross Perot was, and you just thought it was a cool artifact from the election of '96!

Above: 1973 Chevy Corvette Stingray (C3)

It's hard not to love a restored C3 Corvette, especially on a beautiful day like today. Finished in Targa Blue and riding on a set of Rallye rims, this Corvette is one of the cleanest examples I've seen to date, excluding car shows. While the C2 Corvettes will always have my heart as my personal favorite generation, I can always appreciate a well kept C3 'Vette. 

This 1973 model is the last to sport chrome bumpers. Following the 1972 model year, the Corvette lost its front chrome bumper in favor of a more seamless look with a color matching front nose cone. It retained the original rear styling, with the chrome bumpers seen on C3 'Vettes from '68 to '72. That makes 1973 one of the most distinct and easily identifiable of its generation. In 1974, it would lose the rear chrome bumper and gain a similar molded piece to the front end, giving the entire car a more seamless appearance. These updates would be used until 1979, when the C3 was updated again for 1980. 

Above: 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst/Olds 15th Anniversary Edition

This is probably one of the best muscle cars of the 1980s and of our finds this year. Ever since starting ONEC, I’ve been wanting to find a Hurst/Olds on the side of the road, and now, my waiting has finally paid off. From its triple “Lightning Rod” shifter, to its striking black paint with red accents, this makes for one of Oldsmobile’s greatest cars ever made. Let’s find out more.

The 1983 Hurst/Olds comes from a lineage of legendary muscle cars, starting back in 1968. Oldsmobile entered into a partnership with Hurst Performance, an aftermarket performance manufacturer known for their shifters. The original models were painted in silver, with black stripes tracing the windowline. The 1968 models were powered by the 455 cubic inch V8, capable of 390 HP. Only 515 models were produced, making them the rarest of the original Hurst/Olds models. 

1969 brought mostly cosmetic changes to the table, the biggest of which being the paint scheme change from silver and black to white with gold stripes. Cars also received blackened out grilles, a rear spoiler, and gold rims to match the stripes. These are arguably the most sought after examples, considering the unique color scheme and similar powerplant of the 1968 models. Following 1969, the Hurst/Olds name was temporarily dropped, but would reemerge in 1972. 

The 1972 Hurst/Olds appeared for the final model year of the third generation Cutlass. It was best known for being the Indy 500 Official Pace Car. It included the classic white and gold colors like the 1969 model, but had the distinction of having a special Indy 500 Pace Car option, which is pretty rare to come across. Following ‘72, the Cutlass and other A-Body models were redesigned for the 1973 model year, and the Hurst/Olds name would be kept, despite severe drops in engine power ratings from… you guessed it! The infamous 1973 Oil Crisis. The Hurts/Olds would disappear again in 1975. 

In 1979, for the redesign of the A-Body, the name once again returned, including the white and gold paint. However, this time, it was the first Hurst/Olds to be produced without the 455 C.I. engine, instead using the 350 small block V8. Following the 1980 model year, it disappeared again, reemerging in its final form for the 1983 and 1984 model years. 

The 1983 and 1984 Hurst/Olds are arguably just as iconic as the 1969 model. Although it shed its white and gold paint, its new options of silver or black with red stripes and lettering provided for one of the best muscle cars of the 1980s. A 15th Anniversary edition was offered in 1983, for the 15th anniversary of the original 1968 models, and was available in only black. The 1983 and ‘84 models exclusively had the triple Lightning Rod shifters, which are probably their most noteworthy feature. 

1984 was the final year for the Hurst/Olds, and unlike past years with multiple revivals of the name, there would be none. The Hurst/Olds had run its course in GM’s line up, and could now go into retirement, to be brought out at car shows and remembered as one of Oldsmobile’s greatest cars. 

Above: Oldsmobile's Last Classic

Many could argue that the G-Body Hurst/Olds models from 1983 and 1984 were Oldsmobile’s last true classic produced. The term classic in this entry is being used specifically to denote a collector’s or enthusiast’s car. I don’t disagree with these claims, as while I am a fan of Oldsmobile’s regular offerings from this time, the company never produced another sporty muscle car like the Hurst/Olds until their death in 2004. Despite that, I wouldn’t say that this is inherently a terrible thing. 

Following the end of production of the G-Body Cutlasses in 1987, the Cutlass name lived on in W-Platform Cutlass Supremes and A-Body Cutlass Cieras, until roughly 1996. Then, the Cutlass would live its final days on the GM N-Platform. I feel that to include the Hurst/Olds or 4-4-2 name on the W or N-Platforms would be a dishonor to those classic names that were used on some of Oldsmobile’s most iconic models. While it is sad we never got to see another unique car from Oldsmobile that could potentially reach modern classic status, I think GM and Oldsmobile did the right thing by retiring the Hurst/Olds name in 1984. 

Above: 1981 Chevy C-30 Custom Deluxe "Dually"

Here’s the second Squarebody in this entry. It's a rather uncommon model, a C-30 Custom Deluxe with dual rear wheels. The C-30 was available as the heavy duty option for the C-Series line of trucks. We’ve seen a few of these over the past few months too, but not in regular pickup truck form like this example. To recap, on New Year’s Eve 2022, we saw a custom orange example. Last month featured a red dump truck, and now, we have a fairly stock pickup in white. 

Unlike the other models too, this is an early model from 1981, which makes this all the more of a find. Most squarebodys we find, like from above, are from the mid to late ‘80s, as this was when GM produced the most, and a lot of the body panels and grilles remained unchanged. However, 1981 and earlier models saw minor changes, specifically exclusive to the front grille design, which makes identifying early Squarebody trucks fairly easy.

Above: 1992 Volvo 240

For our final car, we arrive at the third European classic photographed during the entire ride, and of course, it’s the Volvo 240. Fitting isn’t it? A bike ride full of classics hardly ever seen on ONEC, and we conclude with one of the most notorious! I don’t mind, as I love a good classic Volvo, but for those of you that were here for the American classics, I’m sorry but I can’t help myself!

This is a pretty nice example of a late model 240, minus the saggy interior trim seen in the front passenger window. Aside from that, and the usual paint fade and foggy headlights, this isn’t a bad car at all! It’s also a local car, originating from a Volvo dealer in Newport, RI! I love finding classics that have originated in-state. It makes for a pretty nice piece of history.

Barry Automotive Group was a dealer in Newport, RI that operated for over 70 years, according to their website. Barry’s was known for selling Nissans and Volvos, and had an additional location in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. After 70 years of sales and service, the dealer closed its doors in 2022. There was no reason stated as to why the business closed down.