Jon's Spotting Thread. USA Road Trip.

[danthecapriman]

Loads to like there too Jon, that Tradesman is gorgeous. I'm feeling the horn for yank van!

[Jon]

It's a bit of alright, isn't it?! I honestly think a camper based on a small panel van would be a great way to see the national parks and other areas we'd like to explore further if we went back and I think that Tradesman would fit the bill perfectly - practicality, with a bit of snazz.

 

 

It wasn't the only browny bronze thing undercover yet overexposed, as these two will attest:

 

 

Phwoaaar! Matching paprika trim, too! Wouldn't have even given this a second glance if it had been silver or white (actually, it's very white, thanks to my photo skills).

 

 

 

More subdued interior but it's a late Toronado, after people seemed to stop caring about them, so I suppose it'd beat the Caddy in some sort of straw poll that has no relevance. I think I'd opt for the former though, on hues alone. Foreground green thing looks interesting in hindsight but I didn't take a photo of it. Probably had terrible wheels, etc.

 

 

 

Now this is my kind of Mustang - miser spec on dog dish trims. Think it was a 6cyl motor with 3 speed auto, for ultimate crowd-avoidance. 'My kind of Mustang' is becoming a bit of a recurring theme with me. Scary.

 

 

 

Here's the rear, to further promote my unnerving interest in the American MGB. Actually, those trims remind me of the metal wheel caps that came on the Matchbox 1:64 Mustang I used to play with round at my Grans. It was a white 60's model and had a small nub to steer the front wheels with. It wasn't a standard Matchbox wheel and I must have been picking up on these inane details from about toddler age, which probably explains a lot.

 

 

 

Something about the colour brown and something about Duel. These are the two things that spring to mine when I see this, so string your own sentence together based on these things, if you like.

 

 

 

Outside briefly now. I'm sure plenty of these anodyne early 80's cars met their demise under a jumped up truck back in the day. Plenty seemed to on the VHS 'Blood, Sweat and Gears', which I relentlessly watched back in the day. Would always fast forward past the Sgt Slaughter bit though, as he was a tit. Seems they tried to bring WWF style drama to monster truck events at some point and it was as grim as it sounds.....

 

 

 

Some of the dregs that are seemingly less desirable than a rusty 1980's Camaro on flat tyres. Quite common to see a dedicated old truck as snowplough parked up in many yards.

 

 

 

The fact that these were officially called the VW Thing in the US and that the advertising at the time seemed to accentuate a Volkswagen's ugliness and highlight their differences from 'conventional' cars, shows just how much the company has moved on in the last 40-50 years. Except for their emissions!!!!!!!!!! Scathing topicality right there.

 

 

 

Sigh. When did I become middle aged? I still hate that spoiler though, so perhaps all is not lost yet.

 

 

 

Woah! Period spec but I'm just not sure which period in particular. Delightfully terrible, nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

On the theme of Matchbox cars, I once emulated this silver/black paint scheme with a black Matchbox one of these, when I discovered what nail polish would do when daubed on to toy cars. Paint scheme and wheels just shout 1980's to me. Could imagine this featuring back of shot somewhere, after Micheal Knight has rescued some dazzling young lady with big hair from a group of bungling middle aged hoodlums, on a purely altruistic venture and definitely not because he'd like to have sex with her. 

 

 

 

I quite like the mirror imaging idea that's going on between the painted and the chromed part of this Pontiac's front end but flip me, you could harldy describe it as pretty. Imposingly uggers is more accurate but it's somehow still quite cool. Great colour, too.

 

 

 

Hi, could I book an appointment, please? What's my problem? Yes, well, I seem to be a prolific photographer of Ford Mustangs and I don't seem to be able to shake off the ability to share them with others. Well, no, they aren't the wank modern ones, just the literal antithesis of such. The more tragic the body style, the better in fact, though I haven't got to the mid-70's period yet. Hello?

 

Comical*** witticisms aside, just look at this! A saloon body style representing the tipping point of Mustang bloatedness, with hubcaps and painted steels, sporting* the now textbook straight 6/3spd auto combo. ACTUAL YUM. Good luck finding a buyer for $10k though.

 

 

 

Again, great that this is appreciated enough to be sitting here and who wouldn't want a Mercury version of a Pinto wagon, with wood cladding? But $7k?? Have a word!

 

 

 

Excellent! My Commodore is a very similar shade both inside and out and has chrome bumpers with black rubbing strips and a mostly ornamental roof rack like this one, so it's no wonder I was smitten. Check out that sidewall! Surely that's got to be close to 100 section or summat daft. Would like to own.

 

 

 

Paradise corner. It's saying something when an AMC personal coop is actually one of the less interesting things in frame, doesn't it?

 

 

 

Sadly, I couldn't get a better shot of that cool blue number behind the AMC but I wasn't going to leave without taking a digital souvenir of this achingly brilliant 4dr Torino. I think all things considered, this would have been my pick of the day and it was certainly the one I'll admit to daydreaming about most, as we whisked along effortlessly in our 18 month old hire car. I think it was $10k, so undeniably not cheap but it's easily within Mk1 Granada territory, which does make you think, eh?

 

 

 

Looking great for being so original, in direct opposites to that gash Mercury peeking into shot. Yin and Yang in old car form right there.

 

 

 

Final shot from here, so out with a bang. Super sleuth STUNO has since worked out what this place was called: Classic Country Cars, in Staunton, Illinois. Sad to say that a few weeks before I visited, they lost about 150 cars in a shed fire. There were a few lined up at the entrance still but I must say that they'd cleared the place up very well otherwise. Anyway, well worth the dollar, I reckon.

[Essex V6]

Superb photos Jon!

 

Highlights for me were the garage full of unloved non- Sceptic stuff like the X1/9, 120Y and Tercel.

 

Also loved the AMC Javelin and Dodge Tradesman.

[barrett]

Is the little wedge thing an Urbacar?

 

Great updates. I think I agree with you on the Torino being pick of the bunch, that period of American car design produced some genuinely great results. Amazing to think what things looked like only 10 years previously when looking at such subtle delights as that and the AMCs etc.

 

Close second is the Corvan, for obvious reasons. I'd love one of those to run around in

[danthecapriman]

I really wouldn't know where to put it (so to speak!) over in the states in a lot like that! I'd have them all if I could.

 

I'd lick that Mercury Bobcat wagon though! That type of US compact and many of the later early 80's small yanks, I've been thinking about a lot recently. Here in the U.K. They'd make a hell of a lot of sense as a daily, if you wanted something cool and different from the usual European stuff.

[Jon]

Thanks for all the comments chaps, much appreciated. It certainly helps roll the pages along too, so it's not too pic heavy for those of us reading on our phones. I actually tried checking this thread out on a phone a few days ago and the photos looked pretty garish, tbh. Hope they look OK to others? That said, the phone I tried is a cheap(ish) Chinese no-name jobbie and the photos it takes are super mega over processed and low quality, so perhaps that screen is not the best to be viewing anything much on at all, really.

 

 

Righto, back into it. This represents stuff I saw and photographed the day we travelled between Missouri and somewhere in Oklahoma, passing briefly through Kentucky. Here's where our day had started:

 

 

 

A great motel, with a truly retro feeling, in that everything about it was out of date and thus I was in my element. Here's some features of our room, for those of you with an Expedia review bent:

 

 

 

 

CRT TV! Shame it wasn't the one that would've come with the stand in the first place. Natty little stool seat, would rest on again.

 

 

 

Wicker's World segment over, I spotted these in Kentucky, just on the border with Missouri. Modern surroundings and trailer type rim on the foreground van dull the scene a little, sadly.

 

 

 

Ditto. I chose this angle to spare you from the truly horrific rims that Orange atrocity was wearing.

 

 

 

I know that time has to move on but I found the lack of Greyhound buses a bit of a let down. When I did finally see one in operation, I was doubly disappointed to see that they're just generic modern coaches painted dark grey and not the streamlined silver custom built things like days of yore. This is most likely not a former Greyhound bus but it was close enough. I toyed with venturing closer to snap it but I was pretty sure it was currently occupied. Still, great shading on those mountain peeks.

 

 

 

Damn right, live bait. It hooked me in with its faded paint and suspiciously bent looking frame. Glad to have netted this one.

 

 

 

Natty little combo here, just up the road. 

 

 

 

Trundling into Oklahoma, I saw this out the corner of my eye, so a quick u-turn was deftly administered, accompanied with rolling eyes from long suffering Mrs_Jon. As an enthusiastic owner of a Clio 172, I tried to engage her with "...it's a Renault....in America!" but her stone heart was not for turning.

 

 

 

 

If this were some clickbait type of thread, I'd now say something like:

 

 

"He noticed an old car parked up at the side of the road but what he saw next will truly astound you....."

 

 

 

 

More Renaults!!! 9 and 11 based Alliances, in all body types. Bonus Yugo (one of the lesser uttered sentences right there).

 

 

 

Look, there's even a Phil A spec GTA, albeit a rag top. There's even one of those slightly differently styled Mk1 Nissan Prairies, or whatever they were called in the US.

 

 

 

And some more! Out of the way, generic American roadside pickup fodder, I want to see more unloved French cars!

 

 

 

 

That first lot again, just because.

 

 

 

Two more 9s in foreground and a better shot of that Prairie.

 

 

 

Moody 9, with a slip of a Ford Escort for added excitement.

 

 

 

And finally, another early Escort, with weed obfuscation but included purely because of the sun baked paint and the excellent steels. Great yard, would stare at like a weirdo again. Naturally, I have made Phil A aware of this place, even though its hundreds of miles away from his house.

 

 

 

 

Onwards we must and now let's look at an 'official' sight, in that it's something cobbled together on purpose. Nice enough but how on earth am I always able to muck up the horizon? My left leg much be an inch longer or summat.

 

 

 

 

Right across the road was this little place, which was even tinier inside. Proudly boasting that it sold the ONLY route 66 cookies in the entire planet, I bought Mrs_Jon one and she deemed it edible. Phew. Lovely lady who ran the place, though - she insisted that I sign her visitors book, when I dropped a foreign accent on her.

 

 

 

Mere yards from the shop, this helium muscle was being anchored down by a couple of breeze blocks. Holiday detail: I was eating an ice cream from the shop at the time I took this photo. Must admit I was hoping for some genuine ice cream and not a whippy type one like you get at McDonalds or fibreglass bodied diesel Bedfords. Oh well.

 

 

 

I did nab a few old sign photos, as you will have seen at the start of this post. Fairlane foreground on original trims ensured that this was not one to be missed. 

 

 

 

Walking back to the car, my shite senses picked up something moving nearby that wasn't grey, white, silver or black, so it had to be an old thing. True! Pure off the cuff spotting here, so slightly zoomed in and thus just on the cusp of being in focus. Hopefully it's one that Krujoe can appreciate, with his KB tendencies. 

 

 

 

Last one of the day and what a billy bargain! Just like UK Ford prices have gone mental, so have Aussie ones too, to the tune that it'd probably be much cheaper to have this full size Yank brilliance landed in NZ than it would be to buy a very ratty XB Falcon coupe - thank the Mad Max lickers for that one, I guess.

 

Tune in again for more of the same (except for the Renaults).

[PhilA]

Nice. My wife asked you to ask them if they wanted another one to go with the rest of the broken down Renaults.

 

She doesn't feel the love for my GTA.

 

Phil

[Clanger]

How far west are you going Jon?  If you're sticking with Route 66 and don't have all of your accommodation already booked and don't mind a small (ish) detour you should check out the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Arizona.  http://theshadydell.com/

 

Stay in an old bus, airstream, or 1947 Chris Craft motor yacht like we did... http://theshadydell.com/trailers-rates/1947-chris-craft-yacht/?_gallery=gg-7-45#

[Jon]

Hey Clanger, cheers for the heads-up, though I'm actually writing all this guff back home in NZ, as we finished our trip a couple of weeks ago. I know it feels a bit like a rolling report but that's mostly because I'm a bit slow. Does look an interesting spot, so one to consider if we return, as Arizona was a great place to visit, so would be on the re-visit destination list.

 

 

Next day, after staying at a hotel with an incredibly terrible/magnificent portrait of someone unknown behind the reception desk, we visited a local landmark (giant fibreglass whale) and then stopped briefly in Tulsa, for some deco building and old car observing. Here's some more cars:

 

 

 

Achingly cool patina, wheels, ride height and stance (possibly due to not quite all the mechanicals under the hood?). That faded USA1 number plate is the cherry on the cake. I'll have it.

 

 

 

Same again. Steels look good too, for that NASCAR look, even though it's probable that these didn't see the track. My knowledge of participating makes and models attending races in 1960's America is a little rusty, I have to admit.

 

 

 

Least interesting of the three IMO, but that's a bit unfair when the calibre was so high. Did like the background action in this one and the fact that it highlighted the factory window tint. Bonus Crown Vic in traffic, if you like that sort of thing (I do but they're still quite common).

 

 

 

 

Flipping Henry, look at this! Naturally, not stopping was out of the question, despite being less than 2 minutes drive away from our last unscheduled spotting stop. I only drove up the road to turn around, so best make this quick.

 

 

 

Now that's a proper calling card for any business and the world is a slightly less interesting place for their demise. Let's nonchalantly wave an arm (like the French do) at the suggestion that it's actually a bit of a tiddler in terms of carrying capacity. The Chevy on the right was immaculately turned out but sadly had very standard sign writing, so that's your lot of that one, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

Tasty Dodge wagon and unknown old truck were right beside where I parked up. 

 

 

 

The other side. Plate tags expired in October 1989, so actually looking pretty decent for something that's spent more time off the road sitting around, than it spent on it. Also, the depressing realisation that October 1989 was 28 YEARS AGO! Further plate information: these vintage items carried the catchy phrase, 'Oklahoma is OK', an incredibly positive/dad joke message which has seemingly been dropped from the state plates at some stage. Would have been a strong contender for the age old, 'Idaho. World Famous Potatoes' which has proudly adorned Idaho plates for many a decade.

 

 

 

Thought I'd take a quick walk round the block and glad that I did, as check out this beaut! Grille is very reminiscent of a 1950's/60's FIAT truck to me. I hope this is up for some sympathetic fettling at some point.

 

 

 

Round the back of the building was a bit of all-White!!! It's a White model truck, see. Interesting* note: cabover tractor units are pretty much extinct on US roads now. Saw a few rigid units and of course plenty of box bodies but can only remember one or two tractor units on the freeway. Apparently, you can't even buy a cabover new in the US anymore, though Canada and Aus still make US models, so they still exist elsewhere in the world.

 

 

 

Wide shot, since there's a couple of interesting rounded edge trailers there, too. Not sure if that lane was private property or not but I was feeling rebelliously footloose, so let's do some URBEX!

 

 

 

Check out my very civil walking-up-a-lane urbexing. Shame to see a bit of graffiti but as this stuff goes, it's pretty tame. Nice scene regardless, I think.

 

 

 

 

B-roll artwank, just because. I'm barely off with the horizon though. Nice work, Jon.

 

 

 

Now we're talking! Two things, though; imagine how dated these must've looked, towing those rounded edge trailers. And also, look at the tiny cab drivers had to contend with back in the day! I know that pick-up based trucks are still very much a thing in the US but not in full size tractor units like this. Loads of modern day U-Haul trucks with great big snouts, though and a very acceptable way to travel, I'd imagine, now that pick-ups are so giant.

 

 

 

A running theme of our holiday was to eat some self prepared lunch, for economic reasons, as much as it gave us the chance to get some fruit and veg in us; seemingly, such ingredients are rare and exotic food groups in your average restaurant or diner. Anyway, netted this truck on a walk round a small town post-lunch, where we proceeded to briskly hop from one patch of shade to the next - 36 degrees is a little high for our liking, it seems. Don't think I'd have included this Chevy for any other reason, admittedly. Doesn't do a lot for me. All because of the wheels? Possibly. Colour and bad tattoo scripture don't help its case.

 

 

 

Now, despite utter modernity, this Chevy was right up my alley - and almost up someone elses!!!!!!!!! I applaud Chevrolet in launching a a retro styled car which actually runs on well designed steel wheels, as much as I applaud someone for actually ordering them. It helped that someone took the time to reverse park it into a diagonal spot, so it seemed rude not to take a shot. No Regerts.

 

 

 

Final spot of the day was this Caddy, presumably left as advertising for the body shop/old car modifying place it was sitting at. I delved no further, because  scary men with reversed head wear in the background. Presumably, they wouldn't have wanted to engage in inane drivel about old cars but it didn't stop a very straight laced middle aged couple pull up in a hired Corolla and proceed to do just that.

 

 

 

Continuing with my 'Wish You Were Here' spot (which I'll most likely drop soon), here was our hostelry for the night. The Indian patrons directed us to an excellent vegetarian Indian restaurant food seller at a truck stop, where we ate possibly our best (and cheapest) meal. Much merriment was derided from well flavoured vegetables and pulses.

 

 

 

Have a bonus shot of our garishly excellent bathroom, with black and pink tiles just like my parent's 3 bed semi had back in 1985, before they did the inevitable and ripped them all out and replaced with white ones. Ugh.

[John F]

Jon, on 24 Oct 2017 - 12:48 AM, said:

 

 

I know that time has to move on but I found the lack of Greyhound buses a bit of a let down. When I did finally see one in operation, I was doubly disappointed to see that they're just generic modern coaches painted dark grey and not the streamlined silver custom built things like days of yore. This is most likely not a former Greyhound bus but it was close enough.

 

I agree, it looks old enough (1960s?) but doesn't have the stepped roofline & doesn't look as 'high-tech'...

 

I travelled on one of these when I was in septicland in the 1970s, it had very itchy seats.

 

[Jon]

Hey John-F, are you a new visitor to this thread?! Must admit that I was expecting a slightly negative post when I saw your name pop up (since I know you're hardly the USA's number 1 fan), so it's great to see that you've at least visited the US, in order to form your own opinions. Would loved to have visited when you did, though I suppose I'd liked to have experienced the 1970's full stop, since I'm an early eighties child. A leading factor in wanting to visit was that I had many preconceptions of the country, amassed purely through film, TV and the written word. I'll admit that I was proven wrong in some and correct in others but it's great to experience places first hand.

 

I did happen upon a more 'luxury' ex-coach on the interstate, with the ribbed alloy body and re-purposed as a motor home. Have to say that the lack of speed and the amount of smoke/engine noise it generated, made me think that the generic models in use today are probably a lot nicer to travel in, sadly.

 

 

After vacating the motel with the brightly coloured ablutions, we took a quick trip around the town before re-joining the interstate. Glad we did, as I netted a couple of corkers.

 

 

 

Love the big round indicators in the bumper of this El-Camino - just like a later Mk1 Transit's. But then I like pretty much all El-Camino's and I think the world is a slightly crapper place without styled utes, now Commodore production ended last week.

 

 

 

 

Oh my, look at those trims! One of the rare occasions where I think whitewalls work on something post-1960. Couldn't get a better shot of the one in the background, so didn't even bother trying.

 

 

 

Scenic old truck which had obviously been put out to pasture at the front of the farm for the delectation of others. Thankfully, we were on the old single lane 66, which ran directly alongside the interstate that superseded it, meaning we could go our own pace and stop regularly for snaps of old stuff. Amazing to think that for so long, the 66 was such a tiny road and therefore dangerous when it came to overtaking, etc. No wonder so many Americans think it a bit strange that people come from all over the world to drive it, when essentially it wasn't that great in the first place.

 

 

 

What the 66 did have in many instances though, was some great buildings and this one has been lovingly restored. Evidently this wrecker is a bit 'work in progress' but seems to get the old blowover (and overspray) once in a while.

 

 

 

Here's what the place looked like, with a couple of Harleys thrown in to spoil the photo slightly. As little as 15 years ago it was a mess but has been restored very carefully and the diner part inside was really restrained but with beautiful detailing - a bit like an old British train station waiting room. 

 

 

 

 

Found this little yard only a couple of hundred metres up the street, so had a gander.

 

 

 

That slight blur in front of the Oldsmobile is the railing I was shooting through. I suppose I was technically trespassing by stepping onto the forecourt but there was no-one around to be mithered by my presence.

 

 

 

There's a small core of Studebaker fans in NZ that ensures that spotting one of these here is not entirely unheard of and I'm not exactly enamoured with their shape either but nevertheless, there was something about this one that garnered a whole TWO photos from me. 

 

 

See? I think it must have been the nice light.

 

 

 

This Econoline was parked up right beside a brand new shop but on someone else's land, just to help give the place some class. Early round light front end and dog dishes were the deciding factors in snapping this particular example, as later ones are still pretty common.

 

 

 

Old school bus with the front ripped off and a gooseneck drawbar added in its place. Way classier than the tragic efforts often seen in Britain at car shows, like that Orion effort Hirst spotted years ago. I presume this one weighed a metric shitload, hence its pasture.

 

 

 

Rat look? Part of an acceptably good mural in a small town. Actually, I think it might be an armadillo. 

 

 

 

Derelict garage scene was actually a lot more interesting than the attraction we'd stopped off to visit, which was the site of the first Phillips 66 petrol station. Wow.

 

 

 

Here it is, in case you were wondering. Love the inspection ramp and the site itself is quite twee but it's a just a little dummy for me. That shop door and window are straight from a panto backdrop, for instance. Nice to see the tanker not vandalised, though. I did have an ulterior motive for stopping though, as straight across the road....

 

 

 

...were these! Brilliant. There was an old lady milling about close by, so I had to bide my time netting these. In fact, I think I outed myself as a wrong'un in the end, after I couldn't wait any longer. Shame to see a Turbo SAAB in such a state though, admittedly but well worth the crushing embarrassment.

 

 

 

Extra bonus shot for spottedlaurel. Love the timeworn crazy paving decals. Until very recently, there was a V6, LHD 90's rendition of these twin wheel Hiluxes living down our street. Am guessing this one is rather underpowered in comparison, even if it's way, way cooler.

 

 

 

Being in the area and wishing to partake in all that was visually tacky, we visited Caddilac Ranch, as you can see. That was after we eventually found it, which for us at least, was a bit of a mission. Here you can see some middle aged men partaking in the age old tradition of spraying crap graffiti on a line of buried cars.

 

 

 

We arrived just in time for the hottest part of the day and presumably, also the windiest. I don't quite know what I was imagining when visiting the place, but this sorry old state was not it. Stood around for ages trying to line up a shot without the old lady and dog in it but she didn't get the hint.

 

 

 

Grim. 

 

 

 

Mindless, non-artful daubings and people creeping into shot were impossible to avoid. Stomped in spray can litter just added to the depressive atmosphere.

 

 

 

Imposter free background here but you can see that it's hardly in an iddylic rural spot or anything. In fact, this isn't the original burial spot, as they were exhumed 20 years ago and transferred here, since the land they were on had crept up in value. Genuinely not sure if it was worth the effort, in retrospect.

 

 

 

I did however  try to get in the spirit of things and daub a little myself.

 

 

 

I thought this shot summed up my feelings pretty well.

 

 

Conclusions? Yes, I'll freely admit that others seemed to be enjoying themselves and I'm very privileged to have visited such an iconic landmark which I'm sure is on many a car enthusiast's wish list but in reality, the place is a dump and the cars are utterly ruined by those who are so enthusiastic about them. I don't want to be a killjoy and spoil anyone else's fun but if you were to ask my advice, I'd say just drive on by, if you're ever in the area.

[Sigmund Fraud]

It's good to see that this thread continues to be absolutely brilliant ! Many thanks for sharing !

[Jon]

Cheers Sigmund! Best have some more then, shall we?

 

 

This is actually a continuation of the same day as the previous post, as it seems it was a relatively good chod catching day.

 

 

This was the next spot in line after the Cadillac Disappoint - much more our style to be in quiet little towns again.

 

 

Let's creep in for the full glory of an early Wagoneer. Such great lines (I particularly like the chromed bits that converge at the D pillar), though admittedly, the very early fronts were a bit uggers, with diffently sized double headlamps and very simple grilles.

 

 

 

Saw this at an abandoned garage at the halfway point of Route 66, pleasingly untouched by sticky thief hands. I wonder what it towed back in the day? As always, great wheels.

 

 

 

These were sat across the road but apparently snakes like to lurk in long grass, so I decided that this was as far as I'd venture. Also wasn't sure whether I'd be trespassing or not but you probably get the general idea from this pic.

 

 

 

 

Back across the road again to this little number (there's only so many ways I can describe a car I don't know, as you can see - though I do know it's from the Ford stable), resting outside a disused cafe. There was certainly an abandonment theme going on in this small town.

 

 

 

Then we ventured to a properly abandoned town, which has a mere single resident; a retired lady who grew up there and never left, when the interstate by-passed it. I remember seeing her interviewed on a Route 66 series Billy Connolly made and thinking it'd be great to see the place and have a bit of an explore but in actual fact, her dogs were barking because we were there and suddenly I felt quite embarrassed to be disturbing her home. Oh well, here's what her old Pontiac looks like.

 

 

 

And here's the family run cafe next door, with tasty Ranchero for company. A couple of other cars turned up whilst I was there but frankly, there's little else to see and the road ends abruptly a couple of hundred metres further along. So, once again, think of this as a public service and drive on by if you're ever in the area - you've seen it now.

 

 

 

Another small town, with another languishing scene, though there was some actual stuff going on too at this one but that's not what we want to see, is it? Can't remember what Dodge this is, which is a bit embarrassing, as I was only reading a period test of one of these the other week, in an early 60's WHEELS magazine. Very striking styling would be a nice way to say that they're a bit plug up front.

 

 

 

 

Just across the road, another '66' themed business which obviously played on the success of the heritage but ultimately didn't survive. It's still an ongoing trend and one which feels a bit confusing, in the modern internet age of free promotion and marketing.

 

 

 

Driving along another old stretch of road, I came across this great little yard of festered goods, so had a chat with the owner (busy hand painting a sign, with great skill) and took some snaps. People seem happy for you to partake in such activities, so long as you don't open doors and bonnets, etc. You certainly won't have been the first to ask to do so - I wasn't the first that day!

 

 

 

Bit of a Studebaker heavy day this one, and these were reminiscent of the hoard I found in Canada a couple of years before, albeit without the bonus Austin 1100 content (it's back a few pages, if you're interested).

 

 

 

A car-styled, 2WD Jeep based thing does seem a bit silly but also seems like a practical way of selling more Jeeps in a postwar environment. Now the car market is awash with stuff like this, so arguably as significant a model in vehicular history as its military siblings?

 

 

 

Don't think I knew a Studebaker truck was a thing, let alone a 4wd one. Such a looker though! That said, I've since seen a picture of an imported one on NZ plates, which only strengthens my theory that New Zealand has at least one of every car ever made.

 

 

 

Have another one, equally as magnificent. Love how painting trim white instead of chroming it was a real sign that you'd bought a utility vehicle - and a mingebag model, at that. Looks so right though, doesn't it?

 

 

 

Great background advert there, thought it made the scene, tbh. I imagine the Panhandle Sugarbeet Assn ran a similar campaign.

 

 

 

 

Thought this Edsel shot came out quite nicely - if you can disregard its next door neighbour, and the silver passing SUV poking out near its roof. It's fair to say that they would have looked very ordinary without the signature snout. Apart from the supposed womens parts association, maybe a vertical grille was seen as just a bit old fashioned?

 

 

 

Great time of day to be nabbing some spots, as the sun was just right. Bonus sign rammel in background.

 

 

 

See what I mean about the light? This was verging on arty and also timeless, but then there's a few bits of modern scrap in the background, just to spoil the illusion. Love the paint job and dusty windows, though.

 

 

 

 

Wow, a Crosley! Wasn't aware they halted production in 1952, which actually makes this thing look pretty decently styled. If you dismiss the slab sides and trolley wheels. On second thoughts, it'd look very much at home on one of those down at heel children's merry-go-round rides that used to set up in town centres back when I were a lad. The kind of ones that thought that because an old pedal car had been mounted on something that spun, all of a sudden kids would want to ride it.

 

 

 

Saw this blinder of a Rachero in Tucucari, NM. The town is famous for its retro signs on motels, which light up at night and look a little ropey in the day time. Anyway, this was parked outside a parts shop and the owner seemed to be helping a guy across the road fix his Winnebago.

 

 

 

Brilliantly untouched Dodge van was a great draw to the motel it was parked up at - to me, at least. That said, we didn't stay there, as we had a cheap voucher for a place up the road, which we chose instead. 

 

 

 

Here's the car park bounty in 'our' place. Quite a good effort also, I reckon.

 

 

 

Sunlit scene of aforementioned Winnie being haplessly fettled by its owner. He was still at it in the dark, after we walked past later that night and it hadn't moved the following morning.

[cort1977]

Great thread Jon,

 

Sorry we didn't manage to meet up in Houston but looks like you had a good trip without any expert* local advice.

 

Totally agree about the Cadillac Ranch, believe it or not there were a lot more cans thrown on the ground when I was there last year, spectacularly depressing.

[bramz7]

Jesus, some top drawer photography at work here.

 

You have done my lust to go spotting in the USA no favours Jon. 

[Jon]

Great thread Jon,

 

Sorry we didn't manage to meet up in Houston but looks like you had a good trip without any expert* local advice.

 

Totally agree about the Cadillac Ranch, believe it or not there were a lot more cans thrown on the ground when I was there last year, spectacularly depressing.

 

No problems, it takes two to not be able to meet up and I think our eagerness to get on the road and start travelling didn't help, either. Mrs_Jon really welcomed some advice, so cheers for that. I prefer a holiday where's there's not too much scheduling, which is a bit at odds to her ideas sometimes, so offering some sage advice really helped! Good to know that's it wasn't just me that found Cadillac Ranch a bit crap, too!

 

 

 

Jesus, some top drawer photography at work here.

 

You have done my lust to go spotting in the USA no favours Jon. 

 

Kind words! I'd say defo take the trip over, if you can. I didn't explore many cities and really skimmed the ones we did visit but shite is out in abundance in the more rural parts, where a lot of stuff just gets parked up on land when it expires, so hire a car if you can.

 

 

Check out this first spot of the day, after a quick drive round Tucumcari!

 

 

Slotted in a double spot but really, a Suburban is always going to be second fiddle to a 1972 Plymouth Fury Coupe.

 

 

Shameless second shot to rectify the issue. Looking back now, this would've been a prime candidate for a Rab style side shot, especially with an interesting background. But that would have involved actually getting out the driving seat of the car, which is probably why I didn't do that.

 

 

 

Note to other body shops: this is how you create a sign to demonstrate your paint skills and eye for detail, instead of just boshing up a vinyl sign. 

 

 

 

Potentially contrived paint stripped bodywork or not, this Apache was not to be missed, especially as it was under an old sign. There's plenty of closed down businesses in Tucumcari but still a lot of great stuff to see. Further note: we ate at a couple of Mexican restaurants, as they're the most common eateries around, especially in small towns. But they didn't seem to actually sell spicy food, bizarrely.

 

 

 

Nipped down to Roswell, NM, for the benefit of Mrs_Jon and her mild interest in aliens (X-Files is her favourite series, which explains a bit). Nice Jeep was let down by passive aggressive stickers (Confederate flag image with "Because you said I can't, "Hybrid. Burns gas and oil" and Trump waffle one), alerting other motorists to the fact that the owner was white and angry. Nob.

 

 

 

Bit bright this one, but it was a hideously sunny day (37 celsius) and I could barely see what I was taking a photo of. Cars in more isolated towns were definitely more likely to be shonky, as this ably demonstrates.

 

 

 

Look closely and you may see a relatively uninspiring, tiny Ford Tempo (?). What has become of me?!

 

 

 

Then we drove north to Santa Fe that afternoon and I found a interesting spot I wanted to revisit in the daylight, when I wasn't busy getting lost. J series Jeep was a nice little extra parked around the side but it was wearing one of these net things instead of it's tailgate. I assume it's easier to reverse with them in place and it possibly could help with wind resistance, for fuel economy but what actually is the point in these?

 

 

 

But THIS was the real money shot - brown, NA spec SIIA 88"!!!!!!!!! Serious envy, right there. Old pressed steel Texas plates (the new ones are sadly plastic and very boring looking) in New Mexico make me think this hasn't driven in a while.

 

 

 

Presumably another NA spec one and that winch and bumper is an excellent accessory but 109s don't do it for me as much as the shorties. If it were on its own, I'm sure I'd have been far more enthusiastic but that 88 really spoilt me.

 

 

 

But THIS was the draw card that I'd seen the night before, which made the return trip in daylight nonnegotiable - a flippin' IFA in the USA!!!!!! German registered, so presumably some romantically inspired intrepid overlander that didn't quite fit the bill.

 

 

 

More small town chod now, somewhere along the I-40. See what I mean about all the old abandoned stuff?

 

 

 

Brown Tire Company. Great name. I was going to make a jibe about them leaving great skid marks but on second thoughts, that's a bit crass, so good job I relented.

 

 

 

Ignore the the 124 Spider if you will, as there's an ex-UK Riley, sitting rotting in a largely forgotten small US town! What are the chances? Looks to have been imported a while back but the plate appeared to be PXR 155/156/158, if someone wanted to check it out. Glad we stopped!

 

 

 

Wouldn't have given this a second glance, if it weren't for the quad tone paintwork. Someone had excellent paint taste, back in the day.

 

 

 

Have a huge sign and a teeny car. Just up the road, I failed to nab my second OMNI, which I'm still bitter about to this day.

 

 

 

Stayed the night in Gallup, NM which made Tucumcari look rather upmarket in comparison. Nice enough place for an over night stop and great food in a diner which had been family run for 70 years and was adorned with many excellent furnishings. I just liked this sign, hope that's OK.

 

 

 

One of the many independent hostelries, which I admit that we shunned in this case for the anodyne reassurance of a modicum of quality that only a chain hotel can offer.

 

 

 

Looked great at night, though!

[cort1977]

Further note: we ate at a couple of Mexican restaurants, as they're the most common eateries around, especially in small towns. But they didn't seem to actually sell spicy food, bizarrely.

 

Mexican in the states is hardly ever properly hot, you can put some chile on but even then it's usually pretty mild unless bought from a truck with a menu only in Spanish.

 

Nice Jeep was let down by passive aggressive stickers (Confederate flag image with "Because you said I can't, "Hybrid. Burns gas and oil" and Trump waffle one), alerting other motorists to the fact that the owner was white and angry. Nob.

 

Also, note the hat...

 

 

 

 

 

Then we drove north to Santa Fe that afternoon and I found a interesting spot I wanted to revisit in the daylight, when I wasn't busy getting lost. J series Jeep was a nice little extra parked around the side but it was wearing one of these net things instead of it's tailgate. I assume it's easier to reverse with them in place and it possibly could help with wind resistance, for fuel economy but what actually is the point in these?

 

Cheaper than a new tailgate when some bastard has stolen it.   Despite this having been a problem for 50 years the tailgates on brand new trucks can still be removed in seconds, there are people in Houston who can strip a new truck of its wheels and tailgate in about 2 minutes flat with no noise in the middle of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

But THIS was the real money shot - brown, NA spec SIIA 88"!!!!!!!!! Serious envy, right there. Old pressed steel Texas plates (the new ones are sadly plastic and very boring looking) in New Mexico make me think this hasn't driven in a while.

 

Plates are still metal, just look plastic and are indeed very boring.   Bring back better state mottos I say. 'Oklahoma's OK' is a cracker.

 

 

Keep them coming Jon, looking forward to Arizona and California...

[nacho man]

Brilliant photos!!

 

Looks a ace trip.

[Jon]

It was an ace trip Dan, I'll admit. Not as cheap as I'd hoped (living in motels for a month and buying food out everyday + tax + tips  certainly mounts up) but work has been good this year, so can't grumble.

 

 

Keep them coming Jon, looking forward to Arizona and California...

 

I'll admit this: don't hold your breath for California, I didn't do it much justice. But we did visit one or two other states in between..... And on the note of the Jeep driver's hat, I purposely made no note of it, as I may have bought one myself and it may actually suit me quite well!

 

 

 

Here's another sign I saw in Gallup the night we stayed there and I purposely left in out, since we saw something just up the road then next morning that quite possibly was sold there.......

 

 

 

 

A 105E Anglia!!!! Note how I've italicised my excessive number of explanation marks both for extra dramatic effect and also as a stylistic nod to the infamous rear window. I reckon spotting 3 specimens of UK tin not expected to be seen in the US, within a 24hr period, is quite fortunate!

 

 

 

As you can see, it's parked way up high on a platform, as an advert for the wreckers below it, which seemed to be stuffed full of interesting items. Sadly, there was very long grass and the place was very much shut up, so no other photo opportunities. I knew that English Fords were sold in the US but I'm guessing that the numbers weren't great. Incidentally, I watched Vanishing Point on the plane home and a 105E is seen parked up at the weird cult/commune that Kowalski visits for fuel. Perhaps it's the same one...?

 

 

 

Far away photography was my sort of stab at taking a relatively generic tourist photo, so as to have something to show people when we get home. Corvair and worker-spec F-150 demonstrate the size of the cavern we looked at from afar but didn't visit, mainly based on the hideously large dream catcher. Well, that and the rather cynical marketing exercises of selling worthless tat that take place at many natural wonders outside of national parks.

 

 

 

This above however, is in a national park and is a bona fide attraction! Seen at Petrified Forest, it's an ode to Route 66 or something. Nice little attraction, even if I reckon that seeing petroglyphs and trees that turned to stone is an interesting enough subject on its own.

 

 

 

*Inserts of tourist photos for context*

 

 

Tree rock. This would've been about 10m long.

 

 

 

Ancient scribblings.

 

 

 

Anyway, long story short, the Petrified Forest was amazing and we stayed there for hours. Just as we exited though, there was a group of shops selling off petrified wood, as naturally it's illegal to nab any from inside the park. Each shop has a group of cars left in the car park, to make the place seem lively and attract passers by. That sets off my shyster spidey senses quite frankly, so I wasn't lured in. I did however do a drive-by into one of the car parks to grab a snap of this VW Dasher, one of the more incongruous parking space fillers. At least pump the tyres up and stick some plates on it!

 

 

 

Then up the road, there was a small town packed with more interesting things to see. The light was also great again, so out came the camera. 

 

 

 

Check out this place, where you can sleep in a concrete wigwam! In this case, I don't think the old cars are a cynical marketing exercise to make things look lively, as they're clearly staged just to make the place look great. Shame that some plonked their moderns right next to the exhibits, though!

 

 

 

One of those equally awful/interesting VW camper box things with a quite inspired paint job. Quite certainly one of those cars that I'm glad exists but I'd never want to own.

 

 

 

Not quite sure of the difference between a wigwam and a teepee, though I imagine the former is a slightly more derisory term. That said, the motel calls them wigwams and they are constructed out of concrete after all, so wigwam it is. Oh yeah, nice old cars.

 

 

 

I say the light was great but the sun was really low, which cast massive shadows and therefore made getting satisfactory shots of obsolete old cars a little difficult, amongst all the pointy buildings.

 

 

 

See what I mean? Note crappy modern n back of shot, also. Down with that sort of thing.

 

 

 

Can't think what this is (I'm going to guess a GM product, though) but I think it's all the better for being a single tone. Two tone 1950's cars are equally great to see but it's nice to see something a bit more ordinary now and again.

 

 

 

Here's an excellent case in point for whitewalls on >1960 cars looking naff. Rear tyre: As seen in period. Front tyre: I like fins and own a jiving Elvis plaster cast ornament, which lives atop my neon CD jukebox.

 

 

 

Seen in back of shot but worthy of another, as there's so much to like. Namely: colour coded, magnificently styled steel wheels and that complex rear bumper/tail light styling. Top job.

 

 

 

That funny shaped window behind the front door is very Thames minibus, isn't it? I suppose it's not unusual that Ford US borrowed ideas from another of its manufacturing outposts, but I'd never linked these Econolines with looking a bit similar to the Thames van. Strange.

 

 

 

With the above posted photo, it appears that I officially am a Ford Mustang foamer. That said, the hatch is a much more appealing shape than the equivalent model saloon. I can't believe I'm even discussing this, though. Why didn't Capri sales soar in the US, when this was its competition?!

 

 

 

Across the road though was this great Ford Maverick. Love the styling of these and if someone offered me one of these or an AMC Hornet instead, I'd genuinely be torn. I only saw this when driving away, so had to turn round. Parked up on a side street so I could go round the block and turn back the way I came. I'm glad I did this, as I spotted another gem.....

 

 

 

A Mk1 Triumph 2000!!! I know the shot is a crap one but come on! Another obscure British car in the US. Had we been staying anywhere nearby, I'd have visited when the place was open but I was very content to see this at all, as I could quite easily have just done a u-turn in the side street and miss it completely.

 

Book-ended UK car spots - a great day's spotting.

[Clanger]

Nice!

 

Shame this live* update brought to you live* from the road isn't live - I think you would have fitted in well at the Shady Dell and, Bisbee is quite an interesting little town full.  I will still look forward to what little you may post about California.  Hopefully you ended at the pier in Santa Monica.

[Jon]

You'll never see live updates from me I'm afraid, as I simply don't have the technology to do so! Sending images via my DSLR to a forum just isn't that practical - or fun. So it'll always be a retrospective thread.

 

Shady Dell does look pretty ace, so it'll be put on the list for any potential return visit. Again, I didn't do Califonia much justice, though we took a slight* detour off Route 66, which saw us nip into Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, so there's some more stuff from other states to see.

[Jon]

Here's one of the first photos I took at the Grand Canyon, as you do:

 

 

Not everyday you encounter a Swiss registered ex-fire service Type 2 puttering round the US, I imagine.

 

 

 

Here's what the rest of the place looked like. Would recommend.

 

 

 

Tasty GMC van was natural camera bait in that position but the ajar door makes me suspect this may actually be abandoned? Certainly no-one close by to it, anyway.

 

 

 

It's fair to say that I'd seen quite a bit of chod on my travels so far (many, many times more that went uncaptured) and after stopping to snap this 280ZX, I genuinely questioned whether it was worth it. I somehow persevered with the button press and future me is glad that I did. What was I thinking?!

 

 

 

Purposeful looking International Scout. I'm assuming it does or did undertake snow ploughing duties.

 

 

 

It's a very commercial heavy post today, eh? Again, I questioned getting a shot of this one too, since decrepit old trucks sitting just off the road are two a penny. It's 50/50 whether this was in use or not, I reckon.

 

 

 

 

The reason I like early Broncos so much is that, rather like SWB S1 Land Rovers, they're noticeably tinier than their later model siblings. Not sure what went on in the 1980's, as I think they sold large and small models as Broncos, totally separate to each other. Flat orange paint was a big draw to this one, even if orange and red shades seem to do funny things to my camera.

 

 

 

Here's Monument Valley. Depressingly precipitous that day, you can see the track in foreground, with dots of cars traversing it. We got as far as the open patch of road bottom right of frame, where Mrs_Jon insisted we turn our Hyundai Sonata round and go back. Plenty of potholes and cars getting stuck but we we made it up OK. Plenty of sightseeing unfinished business here, so that's definitely on the list, if we go back.

 

 

 

The Arizona/Utah scenery is pretty breathtaking I'll admit, even in the rain.

 

 

 

So is Colorado's, even if it is totally different. I took this photo from our parked car, thinking I legitimately looked like I was capturing the amazing scenery but an old guy passing by was on to me I think, as the backdrop is nice but nothing that interesting. Unlike a rusty 242, of course.

 

 

 

THIS is more photo-worthy but I think you'll agree, it would've been much improved with a 40 year old Volvo passing through. Great roads though and at this point, we hadn't dipped below 5000ft for days. Apparently, we drove to 10000ft that day but it didn't feel like it. 50 UK MPGs (I changed the gallons to normal spec in the trip computer) from a large modern petrol in all conditions is pretty amazing, in my book. 

 

 

 

I think this might have been the 10000ft bit. Having travelled too fast along our expected/planned route, this far north was a time-killing diversion, so we hadn't really packed clothing for these conditions....

 

 

 

 

Great little stash of Jeeps sitting outside someone's shed. If these are the outside things, what lays in store behind the doors?! I'm going to dock a point though for the JEEP PARKING ONLY sign, sorry.

 

 

 

Travelling out of a small Colorado mountain town, I glance to a small valley on my left and am greeted with a whole plethora of achingly great scrap, so of course, I have to investigate. I'll leave this excellent Pontiac as a taster for things to come. Might have to reduce the number of pics per post slightly, as the pages are getting a little image heavy.

[danthecapriman]

Brilliant stuff again Jon, keep em comin!

[Clanger]

we took a slight* detour off Route 66, which saw us nip into Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon...

 

Slight as defined by the OED... "Small in degree, inconsiderable"

 

Slight as defined by Jon - a detour consisting of several thousand miles!

 

Top work Jon.  That alone will earn you a pint should you pass through the Golden State again.

 

As for the Grand Canyon - it's so hard to get a picture to do it justice... it's just so, what's the word?   Grand.  It has to be seen in person.

 

Keep it coming.

[Junkman]

I agree, it looks old enough (1960s?) but doesn't have the stepped roofline & doesn't look as 'high-tech'...

 

I travelled on one of these when I was in septicland in the 1970s, it had very itchy seats.

 

 

 

Make no mistake, the Scenicruisers were made from 1954-56!

They were monocoque, which GM licenced from Setra.

A few of them were in service until the late Seventies.

 

That bus with the mountains on it could well be from the late 40s to early 50s.

[59Impala]

Absolutely wondrous thread and superb photos. It is amazing just how many old vehicles that are eminently restorable are just sitting around going to waste. I would want to rescue that poor Anglia and put it back n the road, they sold pretty well in the US and there are a fair few survivors. I haven't been to the US since 2003 but I used to spot all sorts of unloved stuff just sitting around. Found an early Victor F-type estate sitting in a petrol station in a rough part of Chicago, Mk1 Consul at a swapmeet, chap driving a very tidy Anglia 100E in the traffic in Minneapolis etc etc. Strangest one was a huge car park that was very empty apart from a RHD F-reg Vitesse. 

[Schaefft]

Black Lincoln Mark VIII in the background!!

 

[Jon]

Thanks for all the comments, great to see a few new readers here too! Funny what stuff can generate more comments than others - that bus photo was almost a 'throwaway' image in my eyes but it's obviously generated a bit of chat and some interesting facts too, so top stuff, keep it coming. Cheers Schaefft for being our resident 90's spotter, too. In hindsight, that is a pretty great design but I've still yet to become so enamoured with 1990's cars as a spotter - perhaps because most cars I've owned have been from the 90's? Not sure.

 

 

Absolutely wondrous thread and superb photos. It is amazing just how many old vehicles that are eminently restorable are just sitting around going to waste. I would want to rescue that poor Anglia and put it back n the road, they sold pretty well in the US and there are a fair few survivors. I haven't been to the US since 2003 but I used to spot all sorts of unloved stuff just sitting around. Found an early Victor F-type estate sitting in a petrol station in a rough part of Chicago, Mk1 Consul at a swapmeet, chap driving a very tidy Anglia 100E in the traffic in Minneapolis etc etc. Strangest one was a huge car park that was very empty apart from a RHD F-reg Vitesse. 

 

Was that an F-Reg Rover Vitesse??! Or a Triumph Vitesse? Either way, pretty amazing and I too am sorry you didn't have a camera handy for the F-Type estate in Chicago. It's often about the context, isn't it? Cheers for the 105E info, I don't actually think this particular one is a former background film star, though it is a surprise to hear that they sold pretty well in the US. I suppose that if they were priced similarly to the VW, they may well have had a chance but I'm pretty sure that only a select few Ford dealerships sold English Fords?

 

 

So, teaser shot last post allayed to the fact that I'd encountered a worthy amount of stuff to see. First up, a quick search about the place to track somebody down and let them know I was here. Knocked on the door of a nearby house and an elderly lady there said her son dealt with the garage on site but he wasn't in. In the meantime, I was welcome to look around as much as I liked! Usual caveat of not opening doors etc. but that's a given.

 

 

Couldn't resist this as a first shot, since it's almost filmicly staged. It was one of those situations where interesting stuff was just so prevalent, I had to don some imaginary blinkers and form an orderly route, so as not to miss out on anything. Can't be witnessing old scrap in a scattergun approach, can we? This is serious stuff.

 

 

 

Great line-up of lesser known Jeeps. I'll crack open my oft-mentioned fact that Mitsubishi continued to sell licensed versions of the foreground wagon into the 1990's!

 

 

Exactly how many ways can you market a Jeep? Not sure what model these are but they presumably share lineage with that guff 2wd Jeepster thing Jeep launched in the 1950's. Pretty sure I had an orange Matchbox one of these with a tan roof, as a kid.

 

 

 

Exactly how many ways can you market an AMC?! Hero car status for me here, so much fusion of different ideas coming together to form something which I bet was actually pretty popular back in the day, especially in the colder states. Incidentally, don't Colorado plates look good?

 

 

 

Worker's corner. Nice touch of hard hat left on dash, for that 'ran when parked' look.

 

 

 

So many prime examples of patinated vehicles sitting about the place. I'm so glad this look is now 'in'.

 

 

 

 

Couldn't walk past this without nabbing a shot to pay homage to the mighty GM J-car wagon. Extended gap between bumper and bluff nose suggest a Pontiac version, maybe? Either way, RIP forgotten estate.

 

 

 

Only just noticed that these J-series trucks have a slightly raised roof compared to the Wagoneers. I think this is my favourite front end of the many that they carried. Genuinely torn between deciding whether those hub caps are either excellent, or too decadent for a truck, as I always see J-series as more workaday to their rivals.

 

 

 

Stubby nose Econolines really do it for me. Surely, the 1970's represented the greatest physical span in bonnet lengths in vehicle manufacture? Name me another era that could surpass it and we can drunkenly debate this hot topic at a social gathering, thus impressing all other revellers.

 

 

 

Couldn't pass by without documenting this pert rear end. There's just something so American about this whole rear 'styling', almost as if the each adornment was added in stages, rather than cohesively. Definitely practicality of manufacture and parts sharing with other models, over aesthetics and usability but I still like the end result and want one. Great colour, too. 

 

 

 

Another Corvan, for Barrett. And anyone else who appreciates America's take on a Type 2 VW.

 

 

 

Not sure why but I think this was my favourite shot of the day. Another contender ripe for rescue that looked like it could drive out of there without much effort. But there's always a reason why stuff gets laid up, I suppose.

 

 

 

In stark contrast, this represents my least preferred front end treatment for Js/Wagoneers. It was at this juncture that the guy who ran the place turned up, munching on a cheese sausage and some crackers. Thankfully, he was incredibly inviting and was very happy to show me round the rest of the place!

 

 

 

I asked about this, since it didn't look right and he told me it was an El Camino with a Pontiac front end clipped on. Kudos to me for noticing such stuff, I'm sure he must've been impressed.

 

 

 

I had this pointed out to me, so took a photo. Not incredibly interesting to my eyes but it can't all be incredible excellence, can it?

 

 

 

I'm seeing a general hint of Ford D-series in the door areas of these but interesting to note the difference in height between the two in the headlight height department. Well, I say interesting but....

 

 

 

Final one for now, it's Pa Larkin's Stateside brother. Perfick. Next time, more cars, fewer commercials.

[danthecapriman]

Brilliant stuff again Jon.

 

I love the Jeep Gladiator/Cherokee trucks, I'd love a 60's J200 version with the original (ugly) front styling myself.

 

This type;

 

1964 Jeep J-Series/Gladiator Truck, press photo by R36 Coach, on Flickr

 

Proper ugly brute of a thing but I love them. Just like the one Val and Earl used on the film 'Tremors'!

[59Impala]

It was a Triumph Vitesse, this was back in 1979 on my first trip to the US. We were travelling in a group thus in a Dodge minibus so I couldn't get a snap of it. The F-type Victor estate was in 1983, I had been taken to a cruise night in Chicago by a guy who did great paint jobs. He did a lot of the lowriders thus was okay and we got to cruise Chicago in an Olds Cutlass lowrider with a Hispanic guy and his girlfriend. Thus we entered areas that were a bit dodgy for white folks but we were okay. We passed the derelict gas station where the Victor sat rather forlornly. 

 

I recall the Anglia in Vanishing Point, it was parked at the desert gig where Delaney & Bonnie were playing. There is an Anglia in the beginning of the film Deliverance as well, a white and red one. English Fords sold well in the States during the 50's and 60's. The Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac Mk1 & 2, Anglia/Prefect from upright to 105E plus vans, Thames 400E, Cortina Mk1/2, Consul Capri were all sold, usually in Lincoln-Mercury dealerships or a dedicated English Ford or import car place. English Fords weren't sold after 1970. They were quite popular and there is a small following for them.