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Jon's Spotting Thread. USA Road Trip.


Jon

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Righto, I'm going to take a moment to cast my mind back to my previous US trip, in 2017. Wondering how best to use the 10 days or so we had spare after allocating too much time to drive Route 66, I decided I'd really like to see Monument Valley, since it's an iconic outlook, which has featured in countless films.

However, here's what it looked like, on the day we visited:

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It's moody, I'll give you that. But after scaring the heck out of my Mrs_Jon, slipping a Hyundai Sonata about the muddy track and narrowly avoiding getting stuck, we conceded defeat and I vowed that I had unfinished business and would need to return....

 

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Here's what it looked like last year!! Incidentally, that's a Chevy Malibu. I didn't like it as much as to drive as the previous Hyundai we'd hired but it had more toys. I chose a Malibu after asking a parking attendant at Hertz (RIP) LAX which car in our range would he most likely choose to drive. There was a solitary Chevy pickup truck seemingly available too but I chickened out; plus, it wasn't a full size one, so what's the point?

 

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Yeah, definitely better conditions that day! I had a flipping ace time driving around the bases of these amazing structures and taking loads of photos, so hopefully I won't delete them all this time...

 

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Anyway, I suppose this is primarily a car spotting thread, so here's some, seen in Colorado the next day. Just up the road from these was a scrap yard with some choice subjects but the proprietor wasn't willing to have me sniff about the place with a camera. He did show me a photo book of some stuff he had but it's not the same, is it?

 

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This was also on the same road, close by. The level of care that's gone into this is a fitting end for this shell, I reckon.

 

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Then we visited Mesa Verde. Whilst very much appreciating the ancient ruins, it costs extra to walk amongst them in an organised tour and it didn't look particularly interesting, I'll be honest. In fact, I'm going to sound like a right philistine but neither of us actually cared much for this place, as primarily the 'attractions' are various empty holes dotted about the place, which people dutifully drive to and stop at, in the vein hope of seeing something interesting. My imagination is not sparked into overdrive by the sight of a 2 foot deep round hole and a (poor) artist's impression of how it was once a hut. But then I used to be bored by Time Team much of the time, too. Sorry.

 

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But this got my juices flowing, though!! A triumph Herald in the USA! Judging by the tyres, it looks like @trigger was the previous owner! I jest, sorry trig!

 

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But look, another one!!

 

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Judging by the homebrew effort, Herald US spec Herald rear lamps aren't too easy to get hold of. There's remnants of a couple of witty* bumper stickers on the boot. Bottom left one says "if you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk". Great stuff. 

 

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There was also a cool old shorty bus keeping them company but that's the best shot I got, soz.

 

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On a convoluted way back to our motel, driving some back roads for fun, I saw these snowy mountains in my rear view mirror, so had to stop and get a shot. Luckily, most cars are still easy to hear coming at 65mph, so it's totally safe to stand in the middle of the road, concentrating on taking photos.

 

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The next day, we drove a few hundred miles and also visited two National Parks, so plenty to be getting on with but gladly, I made time to stop for this Ford CL9000 cabover truck. Cabovers are extinct in the US, at least as tractor units, so it had to be done. Nice colours, too.

 

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Here's a view from Canyonlands National Park, which is quite aptly named.

 

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And here's a view from Arches National Park, which is also aptly named, as it has many natural stone arches that have emerged through erosion. None of these are arches however but they are big and very impressive.

 

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Another gratuitous holiday snap that's not directly car related (this thread will be getting bunked off to the open forum, if I'm not careful) but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that these giant slithers of rock are actually awesome, in that they inspired general awe from me.

 

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The next day, there was an equally awesome sight - a 1980's Iveco Zeta!! I love seeing federalised European trucks like Ford Cargos and smaller payload Volvos but I'd forgotten that Iveco made in to the US. I can't seem to find out how long they were on sale there but presumably sales were due to a merger with some other truck company or other and not the roaring success of stateside Fiat sales.

 

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I'd only spotted the Zeta when finding somewhere to turn round, so I could grab a shot of this nicely undisturbed shop front and signage. Would deffo buy all my modern appliances/RCA gramophones from here.

 

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Then mere moments away on the same road, I hit automotive paydirt.

 

More of this to come!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, as per my previous post, I'd encountered a load of interesting old cars at this place in Delta, Colorado:

 

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Sadly, it was a Saturday so there was proprietor to chat to as it was shut. It was also all open plan though, so off I spotted.

 

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Old Buick of some sort. Check out how inboard the wheels were of these early-ish days covered wing full size autos. A tie over from the accepted track of pre-war cars?

 

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I'm not really up on my accurate dating of 1950's models but the flusher sided styling tells me this is later. As do the wheels, which almost meet the outer panels.

 

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Behind it was this Roger Moore shape AMC Hornet. I've said it before but I love almost every AMC model they made - they seemed so innovative, as US manufacturers go at least, anyway. Lifted 4WD coupe/hatchback in the late 70's, anyone?

 

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Facing the Hornet were these two trucks, one GM and one Ford. Not terribly noteworthy, other than the rather interesting alloy wheel on the Ford. I didn't know alloy wheels for trucks existed this early; would like to know more.

 

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In between the Hornet and pickups though were these!!

 

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What a sight for the eyes! I'm pretty sure someone on here has a rather fetching red one of these - @flat4alfa, perhaps? Thinking about it, there's may be a slightly later model.

 

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Still, it's a whole lot of class for $1250! That's £998 at current rates, if it's still about!

 

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The same amount would bag you this Lincoln Continental, too. I do find it strange how many of these seemed to have survived, as although I imagine they were an aspirational car, often cherished by their owners, they must've become very unfashionable, very quickly, back in the day. I dream of buying a big old Yank in the US and touring about the place in it but there's an underlying fear I'd end up with one of these rather than something much more interesting, due to their general availability.

Why must I daydream so pessimistically?!

 

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Anyway, with that gibberish musing over, here's a Mercury of some sort. Very fetching on steels but their dimensions don't half show off how needlessly massive that front wing is. Also, 1970's federalised bumpers get a bashing (I guess that's what they were made for) over their sheer size but scroll up to those 50's Buicks and these seem quite constrained.

 

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I also can't remember what model of Ford this is and I'm too lazy to Google it. I do quite like the '4dr Lincoln Continental' vibe this gives off. In fact, Ford did a few 4dr versions of more commonly associated 2 door coupes back in the day. What happened? I don't know but what I do know is that the $950 price (£760) has been crossed out, so presumably this could've been picked up for less than that!

 

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Ordinarily, this beautifully stewed Oldsmobile would be a delight to spot out on its own. But it's almost an unwanted distraction from those unloved, borderline extinct 70's and 80's US models right now.

 

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That's better! What a line-up! I'm sure Hirst would be hard pressed in choosing which to take to Polish supermarkets and consume powdered coffee drinks in, were he still with us today. I honestly can't pick between them, either. Loving the fact they're all a battered silver grey, too.

 

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There was also a couple of exhibits parked up on the street that forms a dead end with the forecourt. I wasn't particularly taken by this Dodge but it's documented here for completion's sake.

 

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In stark contrast however, I was very, very interested in the KLF era Galaxie! At least, I think it's the same era and I also think it's a Galaxie. The $500 price is £400. I honestly think that had the place been open and were the owner a half decent salesperson, he'd have had a sale from me.

 

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As sun-ruined interiors go, this isn't so dire. Check out the dash - 4 binnacles!

 

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There's such beauty here, I couldn't even find fault in this warts and all repair, although I'm trying to fathom what actually happened; it reminds me of a contrived bit of purposeful damage by an over zealous member of art department for a film. Either way, it would've stayed entirely as is, had it been on my watch.

 

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It even had a full set of trims! just wish that wheel off the old Dodge hadn't been plonked against the rear end, so I could've got a clean shot of the rear end.

 

You may note that I've been quite taken by many of the Ford products on offer at this place and I honestly can't count the number of times I've whistfully reminisced about that green Galaxie since meeting it. The exact same thing happened with a green 4 door Torino I saw on my last US trip, shown here:

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Granted, this was in much better shape.

 

Anyway, all this leads me to suspect that I am now a 'Ford Guy', so I must away to buy some terrible blue oval themed attire.

 

Next time, much of the same.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi everyone, I'm back!

 

I haven't been anywhere really but I've got some free time right now to undertake a pointless task that' nobody's asked for, so let's get back into it:

 

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MG Midget is even more aptly named in this context. Sadly this one is bereft of its US-issued triple wiper set-up but I do like the steels. Bonnet stripe is guff, though.

 

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Again, lovely steels on this Impala(?). That Chev bow tie grille badge can do one, though. If this does turn out to be a Chevrolet, then it's one that has a very Cadillac-ish side-view. In summary, there's more to like than not, here.

 

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I think this may be a Chevy Monza up front and again, a rather respectable motorcar it looks for the slashed window price - £430 in today's money. That's nothing though - the Mercedes SL behind it is less than £275!! I am rather fond of these less popular hardtop versions with the stretched wheelbases, especially when painted avocado green or some such. And with matching stainless wheel trims, of course. I've also just noticed: has someone gone to the trouble of importing a set of Euro-spec headlamps for this, to replace the twin fronts?

 

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Again, it was there, so I took a photo. There's bits to like but overall, I'm not enamoured. Maybe it would somehow look better if it still had its headlamp bezels? And its rear 'screen, too; without it, the styling is a little too cab forward and looks like an abandoned half-arsed pick-up conversion.

 

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Across the road were these old relics, presumably connected to this place, too. I'll admit though, it was flipping hot, the road was busier than it looked and all in all, I just couldn't be bothered to head over there. Sorry!

 

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Also, much of the stuff is just that little bit too old for any personal frame of reference/interest. I'll admit that the petrol tanker far left of frame did pique interest but I can't spend all day looking at old knackers and stay happily wed.

 

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I'm sure this would be of interest to old @barrett, if he's not currently buffing up the chrome of a Hillman Minx in his Rootes regalia ill fitting fleece, or whatever.

 

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The epitome of salty at almost £1400 - that's 4 Citroen Xantias, FFS! Or half a running Morris Minor, probably.

 

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I'm certainly no dyed-in-the-shag pile hot rod fiend but there's something so minimistically excellent about this overall shape that looks just right, to my eyes. I'm sure that once some wings were put on and that lovely swoopy rear arch line were diluted by them, I'd come to my senses. Can't remember what the front end looked like; I'm assuming not as good as the rear three quarters.

 

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AMC Jon Spotted Thread Commentary Edition (Rambler)

 

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This was also another personal favourite, even if it was a little 'obvious' as a choice. Look how low that window line is!

 

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RAAAAR! Get out my way, small post war European cars! Imagine piloting a Renault Dauphine or such like back in the era of these? Certainly, the powdery beige paint is working for me big time here, as it just looks ready to tackle the post-apocalyptic world we surely face.

Happy thoughts, people! Assuming anyone still reads this dirge.

Bye for now! 

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Thanks Dan! I rather think you'd enjoy a trip there, so hopefully you can make it happen some day!

 

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Down the road from the old car lot was this place, selling interesting looking old things also. Sadly, it was shut, so I couldn't explore. That said, there's not time to stop to look at everything, when you've 2 weeks to whip around the place.

 

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Further down the way, we turned off to a small roadside town for a nice yet over priced coffee. Thought it best to have a quick look about the place and was thankful to nab this resting FJ Land Cruiser for my efforts. Glad to see one in slightly scuffy, daily driver mode, since these are now commanding coin.

 

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Not sure what this is but I'm going to say a Chevrolet, as my stock answer. If you mention something often enough, it stands a change at being right.

 

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This was artfully placed beside said coffee shop, presumably as an item of interest to draw in the crowds. Perhaps not but the marketing plan worked for me, at least, if it were one.

 

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After refreshments, it was time for more driving, interspersed with sightseeing. I took this photo after coming down the other side of Lizard Pass, which climbs to 10222ft.

 

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Then after scampering back to the car and having just put my camera away, I hear and air cooled VW chugging away, so I rushed to get my camera back out and nab a shot - hence the blur. Think it was worth it, though!

 

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Again, a slight blur in this shot - no excuses, as it obviously wasn't hooning. Interesting to note that the plate is a very old Colorado issue, with a date of 1969 stamped on it. Am guessing perhaps this runs a private plate which reuses this number, or maybe it's not quite entirely legal? Either way, I'm glad that there's someone else out there who appreciates a nice old plate as much as I do. And if those tail lamps are correct, this is an early Split! Driving up a 10000ft road! Good on ya, mate.

 

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Have another scene, both for context and as previously mentioned, to ensure that I have at least some photos left from my holidays, should I mistakenly choose to delete them all again....

 

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Here's a jolly scene for @Spottedlaurel to take a gander at.  4x4 model, so GR8 4 high altitude dwelling, shady yet lovable antiques dealers.

 

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Now this was a personal list-ticking photo; grab one of those iconic 'miles of empty highway' photos, which actually aren't that easy to come across. This was one of the highways passing reservation land, which does help, as these areas are often sparsely populated. Which is nice, when like me you wish to take a photo in slap bang in the middle of the road.

 

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Last shot this day was the view outside our motel room - a least it masked the I-40, which was just behind it. I love the simplicity of the tie-downs, which seemed to consist of blocks of wood, ratchet straps and large u-bolts. I'm sure there was something else more substantial that wasn't immediately visible but I didn't want to sniff around too close in the dark. Note the plywood mud flaps on the rear one!

Anyway, this day's travel started with an Iveco Zeta and ended with this rig, so a fitting bookend to a good day's spotting and almost 400 miles of driving and sighseeing.

Laterz!

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Since @STUNO has so many years on me and probably remembers them from when they were new, I'll bow to his spotting knowledge!

 

The next day, we headed further into New Mexico and a mid-morning stop was at a lovely little place called Pie Town. Here's an image to greet passers-by:

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Again, one for @Spottedlaurel. Sorry for all the shout outs!

 

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Some of the shop fronts on the main road could do with a spruce up.

 

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Thought this one came out quite well.

 

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Love the stoved in rear wing on the Chevrolet (am I right this time, STUNO?)

 

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In retrospect, I should've left the receiver dangling in this photo, for a bit of faux rural dystopian drama.

 

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These bonnets really are something else, aren't they?!

 

Then it was time to sample the signature dish of Pie Town; pies, funnily enough. With an establishment carefully chosen from the 3 or 4 pie shops (handily, this one was actually open), we ventured in to a warm welcome from a 'Mom & Pop' couple. She was running the place and he was teaching cribbage to some German tourists. Strangely, there were no prices on the (sweet) pies but not to worry, as how much can a bit of pie cost? Mumsy cordial lady suggested an ice cold drink when we weren't really bothered, plus a dollop of ice cream each, since pie isn't the same without it, apparently.

Just a note to the unwise, here - Americans are mostly lovely people to deal with, especially in commercial situations but the personal service offered is as much a nice gesture as a way to rinse you of more money. Our two pies and unwanted additions came to way north of £20, after tax 'n tip. So be careful out there!

 

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One good thing though was that the cribbage playing man was a member of their volunteer fire brigade, so he sanctioned me to take a look 'round the outside of their station. Here's their old appliance, which looks to be only recently decommissioned. 

 

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And here's the previous one! 

 

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Looking very much like a relics of distant times past, imagine my surprise when I read the sticker on the door, which had a date of 1998!! There was evidence that the sticker had had a previous town's name underneath, with Pie Town being a later addition. So potentially, this was deployed here some time in the 21st Century. I know we've got some old knackers still on the NZ fleet in rural/volunteer roles but I doubt there's anything quite as old, anymore.  The current unit sitting in the shed all polished up was some Ford F series thing and looked pretty much brand new, should anyone be at all interested.

 

Then a short trip down the road, we came across a charity shop/junk store in a town called Datil, so had to take a look, as even abroad, I enjoy buying others' tat.

 

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After bagging an old Pepsi bottle I liked the look of, the owner showed me a post card of the place across the road, from back in the day.

 

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It's safe to say that it's changed a bit over the years! Fortuitously, a tasty looking Bronco II passed by just as I was lining up the camera. I know I've banged on about it before but just look at that tiny slither of roof guttering aft of the the side picture window!

Next time, more old cars (funny, that).

 

 

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It's the thread that keeps on giving! Realistically, there can't be many cooler cars than that Corvair for the money, even with shipping costs. Fill the trunk up with spare fanbelts from Clark's Corvair Parts before it sets sail and job's a goodun. Rover P6 headlamps fit for RHD purposes, should one bother to MoT it on arrival. Ours has been in storage since last year, due to lack of space and 'the situation'. Would be nice to give it at least one run out this summer.

1 hour ago, Jon said:

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Thought this one came out quite well.

I would think that Chev is quite a rare model, being a two-door pillared saloon rather than a coupe or hardtop. A real little old lady car.

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The ‘61 Chevrolet is probably a Biscayne, which was the the base full size model. As Barrett says, pretty rare now as a 2 door sedan - ‘a 2 dr post’ in US speak (post being the B pillar) and a drag racer replica builder would certainly give that a new home.

Probably boasts a straight six under the hood (if there’s anything still under there).

In the 1940s/50s you could get ‘businessman special’ 2 doors which were fleet oriented with no rear seat for more space for your sales rep‘a samples, but I’m not sure if this was carried into the 1960s. 

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21 hours ago, barrett said:

It's the thread that keeps on giving! Realistically, there can't be many cooler cars than that Corvair for the money, even with shipping costs. Fill the trunk up with spare fanbelts from Clark's Corvair Parts before it sets sail and job's a goodun. Rover P6 headlamps fit for RHD purposes, should one bother to MoT it on arrival. Ours has been in storage since last year, due to lack of space and 'the situation'. Would be nice to give it at least one run out this summer.

I would think that Chev is quite a rare model, being a two-door pillared saloon rather than a coupe or hardtop. A real little old lady car.

Funnily enough, I didn't know you actually had a Corvair, just thought it was an intention. But then I thought you may well have had a Corvan? I don't know. Will have to peruse your fleet thread more carefully.

Also, it's funny the things that people pick up on. To me, it was just a characterful old car near a nice big sign but I do like the idea that it's something relatively unusual. Probably not 2 door Mk2 Cav levels of unusual but I'll take the finder's credit!

 

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Further along the same road was a big bank of obsevatory dishes or whatever they're called. Here's a couple just to the right - I was seemingly more interested in the school bus. For it's iconic status on the US landscape, before you ask!

 

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I was going to say that this looked like a nice purposeful F Series Ford but then I noticed the cab shape just in time. DODGEd a bullet, there.

 

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Here's a couple of late 70's/early 80's seminal American coupes basking out in Socorro, New Mexico. There was apparently an alien sighting there back in the 1960's, which is the kind of attraction Mrs_Jon is into, though thankfully on a 'fan of X-Files' scale, rather than 'tin foil hat mind bullets' levels of interest/insistence. Having picked up a rather naff mug from a tat shop to commemorate our stay, it was time to head south on the interstate.

 

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Just before the interstate however, I saw in interesting truck parked at an otherwise empty petrol station. Needing a rest break (picking up the lingo, here), I pulled in on those terms and then got out the camera afterwards.

 

 

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An alternative to the 'built, not bought' stickers you see on lowered E36 BMWs with rimz.

 

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Turns out it was owned by the young chap behind the counter, who was so not busy, he came out to chat about it. Turns out he'd only had it a year or two and had been given it for finishing school (I think) by his Grandad, who'd owned it since the early 1970's. 

 

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I can't remember if this was the original engine or not but it sounded like he was getting some eye wateringly hoffic mileage, like 4mpg or something. To the point that it appeared like the vast proportion of his wages were going into the fuel tank to get him to work.

 

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I don't know if it's the wheels with the bow tie centre caps intact but it seemed like a real survivor. A few dents here and there but nothing contrived, just wear and tear with age. He did mention not being sure whether to repaint it or not and I tried to convince him that it'd only be original once and to use the saved cash to make it cheaper to run. Despite being an affable sort, I've no idea if I was able to convince him of this but he did seem genuinely pleased to see someone take an interest in his rig, so I hope his day was cheered up just as much as mine by the meeting.

 

Sorry for the short report lads but I've other pressing engagements. Got a few more to come, though.

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Nice shots. Some states will allow you to reuse an vintage plate if they can't find it in use in their records, so if you can find a set that weren't turned in that match the age of the car, you can sometimes get to use them. Applies to "antique" vehicles only.

 

Phil

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10 hours ago, PhilA said:

Nice shots. Some states will allow you to reuse an vintage plate if they can't find it in use in their records, so if you can find a set that weren't turned in that match the age of the car, you can sometimes get to use them. Applies to "antique" vehicles only.

 

Phil

Ooh, that's an interesting nugget of number plate information - thanks Phil! Is Louisiana one of them? If so, do you think you'd consider getting a set? May be nice to have some anyway regardless, as most junk/antiques shops seem to have old plates in their inventory.

 

Today's update comes from Carrizozo, NM. Seemed like a nice little town but was a little bit out on its own and as such, appears to have cornered the market as local dumping ground for old cars. Good for me!

 

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Down the main road into town, there were a few scrap yards on both sides, one of which was an absolute gem but looked to be deserted. Called in to the next one, mentioned I was from NZ (a much better calling card than saying I'm British - no-one questions the similarity in accents) and laid it on a bit, to see if they knew the owners. Turns out it wasn't a place I should be looking to explore if I didn't want trouble but the owner let me look around the lot at the front of his yard. Didn't go in the yard itself as people seemed busy at work. Fair enough. 

Anyway, that's a nice looking Mercedes and obviously in daily use. Looks so right with the federal round indicators up front and big, squishy tyres. Could give or take the white paint but I assume it's a practical hue for local conditions. Not so sure about the red interior but you'd look the part as you roasted away.

 

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I'm rather torn by the styling of these Rancheros, as I feel like the Torino front end is just a little sporting for the business back end. Only a bit, though. Plus, they seem to attract terrible paint and wheel choices, as demonstrated. Perhaps my eyes have been biased, as I'd much prefer an XA/XB/XC Falcon ute on steels and dog dishes.

 

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Across the road was another couple of Mercs, which made me wonder if that was owned by the guy I'd spoken to, as well. Turns out it was a no and the vibe of the place told me it wasn't worth trying to visit.

 

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I'm a fan of most eras of Chevy Novas - I even thought that bringing an early wagon back to NZ would be a good idea. Then I saw one locally last week, stock standard and looking stunning, so I don't need to do that, now. For a lower priced model, this coupe is quite the looker.

 

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And I suppose this would've been the 21st Century equivalent of a 'sporty' Nova? I knew that these Mk5 Astra coupes were sold as Saturns were a thing but this was the only one I saw. As a brand, I'm very much behind the models that GM marketed as Saturns, as there was some really cool/gawky styling going on. I liken Saturn to GM's AMC and think it's sad the brand has been dropped.

 

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Well, there had to be one early Mustang somewhere in the mix, didn't there? These are like MGBs in NZ, they're that ubiquitous but I struggle to remember seeing a single working Mustang over about 3 years old plying the US roads. And is that another potentially rare 2 door model, parked next to it?

 

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Check this out though! Seems like front grilles for Mk1 Sciroccos aren't an easy thing to come by, so the front punt may have been the reason it's parked up. 

 

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Can't say I care too much for the red paint job, as they look much better in metallic colours, or jazzier tones. That said, my brother bought one back in the mid 90's for something ludicrous like £50 running and MOT'd, due mostly to the fact it had been halfheartedly flattened back for a repaint. Which he duly did, with next to no prep work, with bright yellow spray paint from cans and a black tide line that went in line with the crease half way up the doors. It looked as awful as it sounds but that was such a great car. There's even a picture of it towing a 1970's caravan he'd dug out of a garden, somewhere. Happy Days!

 

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This was part of the perimeter wall opposite, which proper looked the part. Sadly, a bit of 21st century had crept in, as one of the trucks was wearing a modern alloy, so I chose to cut that one out, for the sake of all our sanities.

 

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Arguably, this line-up was even better, as well as being more fit for purpose. I wonder when any of these wall bits were last one the road?

 

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Decided to take a quick trip through the houses to see what there was but it's at times like this that the nerves kick in when snapping old crud, as you're hardly inconspicuous cruising about the place in a brand new car on Californian plates. Still, I manned up just enough when I spotted this, which has perhaps a Buick vibe to me? It does look like a GM FWD platform to me for some reason but I'm likely wrong on both counts and am too lazy to Google.

 

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I can detect that this is a Dodge van though, even without the badge up front. There's a sort of Barkas reminiscence in the side windows to me (sort of) but I've always found those oversized headlamp bezels a little challenging on the eye. And look! Another Bronco II! Wonder if these will see some market interest on the back of the relaunch of the Bronco? Probably not, I'd say.

 

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And I reckon this is a Ford Granada, or whatever the 2 door version was called, if they gave it a different name. Not the best crescendo to end a day's spotting with but what can you do? You've got to play with the cards you're dealt with, in this game.

 

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Finally, our gaff for the night. Was a cheap room and it's fair to say, we got what we paid for but I like the more gritty end of the accommodation scale, although I do have my limits.

 

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A word to the wise, though; if you're planning a trip to the US and want to pay with a card on arrival to a night's stay, consider getting a card that actually has your name on it. Several places refused to let us pay on out pre-paid currency cards for this very reason, as apparently they're rife for scammers scabbing back the money a few days later.

 

See you next time, for more old cars and unsolicited holiday advice!

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On 5/22/2020 at 6:02 PM, Jon said:

Welcome! A Citi Golf in NZ is a fine spot to make and I've seen a couple myself, so resident South Africans must like to bring a little bit of home along with them when they move here. That background has a sort of Auckland vibe, I'm guessing.

 

Now arguably, this post has hit 'peak Autoshite' with that quoted photo above already as sadly I've only got some boring old competition cars to document this time: but gosh darn it, I've bared witness to some stuff which I enjoyed and I've gone to the trouble of uploading photos and thought about dribbling on about them, so I may as well bosh them up for all and sundry to ambivalently scroll past. Hold onto your hats!

 

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Here's a Corolla replica  Japanese touring cart of some sort which an enthusiastic young chap had built. Sadly, it didn't perform that well but top marks for trying! It did look as it had been very carefully recreated, judging by the paint job and decals which look period correct.

 

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This is an established racer from the olden days but I'm not sure quite how olden those days were. I'd guess 1970's at the purple colour but I'm thinking earlier, for obvious reasons. This car actually features on the early pages of this spotting thread (if the photobucket links still exist), when I saw it racing in the south island in 2014.  So I suppose you could call it quite.... POPULAR!!!!!!

 

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Hopefully there's no need to apologise for a second image of this Escort. I think the slightly smaller size of NZ plates accentuate the stark tidiness of the rear ends of RWD Escorts.

 

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It was getting towards the end of the two day meet and slower cars were getting eliminated, so things started getting a little jumpy. Imagine the effect without all that downforce*.

 

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This Pontiac Firebird was as loud as it was rapid, in a wayward manner. 

 

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Thankfully, the driver was great at keeping it on the track and setting good times, so I got to see and hear it ripping up the hill several times. Great stuff.

 

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Even Hillman Hunters were getting air!

 

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I'll admit that much of the styling favours robustness over good looks but it was V8 powered and seemed to do well. Is the formerly "lightbulbfun of his day" single marque enthusiast @PaykanHunter still lurking about the place? If so, shout out and I really hope I get to see your documentary some day!

 

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By and large, 911s don't really do it for me, although I quite like the narrow 70's/80's ones with narrow bodies and no rear spoilers. Seeing and hearing this being fanged about the place with gay abandon was indeed a top notch experience, so now this is my favourite 911 and quite possibly, my favourite car of the weekend. What's happening to me?!

 

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To redress the balance somewhat, it appears that this is a rather mundane '77 911 made to go faster and not a 911 RS, as the plate says. Prior to this, it had the plate A911S and prior to that, a nice simple black plate, JP911. But it's a '77 car and JP would've been issued early 1980 by my reckoning, so I wonder what the original plate was? Anyway, I'm basically reiterating my displeasure at modern white plates that aren't accurate, whilst also sounding much like lightbulbfun in the process. If you're reading Dez, I do jest, as it's great that someone so young is passionate about something niche from another era.

 

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To redress the audible tuts, this thing absolutely flew, made the top 3 fastest and also reminded me of a rallycross car, with its covered headlamps. 

 

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I think that's just about 3 wheels off the ground. Claim to fame: I've been to the AJ's Emporium, which sponsors the OSR of this. Verdict: A good shop which is quite literally, an emporium.

 

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Here's the owner of the track beating the above car in his Pikes Peak Celica* which he raced to victory. But that day, someone else drove faster.

 

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Alister McRea! A lovely shot here, with the bonus edition of a man awkwardly bending down bang centre of frame.

 

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This was his final, winning climb of the day, making it to the top in a smidgen under 48 seconds. Since it's a 1.6 km track and I'm an utter wizz at in-head decimal to mineral translations, I make that an average speed of 75mph! I'm a sucker for a turbo flat 4 Subaru rally car with a McRae behind the wheel, as avidly following the Rothmans Legacys and State Express 555 Imprezas on the telly in the 90's and nabbing as much memorabilia from the Subaru stands at the motor show each year was about the closest I have ever come to supporting a team in any form of sports. So it's nice that I was able to see a McRae driving live, on the other side of the world. 

 

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Final AS green tick approved spot of the day was this tasty Datsun wagon. I like the scribed lines round the wheel arches and that quite extreme kink in the rear door window line. Both are endearing in this sense but such fripperies irritate me greatly in modern car design, which goes to show that I'm needlessly dissenting of new cars, even though they are all crap.

 

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Not sure what's going on with the rear lights in the tailgate, though. The blanking off makes it look like a pared down Japanese van spec model, or maybe that's just how they were. Any Datsun enthusiasts who actually read my tripe care to add their ideas?

 

Anyway, I'm going to leave one last morsel of things to come, to prove that I've not gone all highbrow and only cover racing events now.

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I also went abroad on me 'ols. Tune in next time to find out the mystery* location.

Ciao!

Thank you for thinking about me! That White NZ Hunter is a beast! If all goes well my documentary should get released outside of Iran within the next few months. I shall keep everyone posted here. cheers

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16 minutes ago, PaykanHunter said:

Thank you for thinking about me! That White NZ Hunter is a beast! If all goes well my documentary should get released outside of Iran within the next few months. I shall keep everyone posted here. cheers

Long time no hear! Glad that you that you still visit here on occasion and I do still look forward to seeing your Paykan documentary, so please keep us posted.

 

Funnily enough, I also thought of you again the other day, when I came across this photo, taken in LA in 1977:

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Which features (presumably) a Sunbeam Arrow!

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The photo is from a vast collection of one man's photo documenting of roadside buildings and attractions from all across the USA, which the Library of Commerce now own and have published.

Here's the links to the whole collection:

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=mrg

 

And to the photo above, which is available in file sizes from less than 200kb to over 100mb!!

 https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017706307/

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/6/2020 at 2:44 PM, Jon said:

Long time no hear! Glad that you that you still visit here on occasion and I do still look forward to seeing your Paykan documentary, so please keep us posted.

 

Funnily enough, I also thought of you again the other day, when I came across this photo, taken in LA in 1977:

50195125422_322f88c612_b.jpg

Which features (presumably) a Sunbeam Arrow!

50195167962_c9a52bb986_o.jpg

 

The photo is from a vast collection of one man's photo documenting of roadside buildings and attractions from all across the USA, which the Library of Commerce now own and have published.

Here's the links to the whole collection:

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=mrg

 

And to the photo above, which is available in file sizes from less than 200kb to over 100mb!!

 https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017706307/

That is for sure a Sunbeam Arrow! Thanks for sharing the photo. 

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On 7/30/2020 at 3:36 PM, Jon said:

Ooh, that's an interesting nugget of number plate information - thanks Phil! Is Louisiana one of them? If so, do you think you'd consider getting a set? May be nice to have some anyway regardless, as most junk/antiques shops seem to have old plates in their inventory.

I'm not sure- I had seen this when you posted it but forgot to reply, as it was just about the point where I registered the car. 

I'm not sure if you can do that here- either way my car doesn't qualify for Louisiana's "antique" registration due to some fun little details so it's rather a moot point. Yes, it would be fun to have one of the old black/yellow or black/white plates on it but for now, a shiny new valid one works just fine.

Good pictures, keep them coming if there's more, I've not been out that far West and it's interesting to see. It's also interesting to see just how cheap some of those cars are compared to here.

 

Phil

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  • 6 months later...
On 8/16/2020 at 10:49 PM, PhilA said:

I'm not sure- I had seen this when you posted it but forgot to reply, as it was just about the point where I registered the car. 

I'm not sure if you can do that here- either way my car doesn't qualify for Louisiana's "antique" registration due to some fun little details so it's rather a moot point. Yes, it would be fun to have one of the old black/yellow or black/white plates on it but for now, a shiny new valid one works just fine.

Good pictures, keep them coming if there's more, I've not been out that far West and it's interesting to see. It's also interesting to see just how cheap some of those cars are compared to here.

 

Phil

Sorry to hear you couldn't get a period 'plate Phil but I'm sure it would've been cherry on the cake status - after all, you still have the cake, if you get my drift.

And yes, I do have some more photos! It's only taken a mere 7 months to muster up but here are the final days of my last international holiday:

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Starting off slightly left-field here, as this is a very small part of White Sands National Park. A nice place to visit, if you like silica white sand, though be warned that it is fiercely hot, as well.

 

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What I like about US commercial fleets is that if something is still serviceable, it stays in use, regardless of age. Presumably, White Sands isn't too harsh a climate, hence what must be a 30 year old Ford Ranger (in fortuitous service) still plying a trade in rude health.

 

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A few miles down the interstate, I encountered this sorry scene: the crushing reality of owning a stupidly lifted truck.

 

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Later that day, we made it to Tucson, AZ and visited another National Park: Saguaro. This was very much a bucket list destination for Mrs_Jon, who flipping loves cacti. You should've seen her little face, it was very endearing.

 

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In fairness though, it is a quite spectacular place to visit, not just for the majestic old saguaros (they don't grow limbs until at least 80 years mature) but also some bonus petroglyphs.

 

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The joys of not planning trips too accurately is that you can delve into the local attractions section of hotel guest books (or Google if you don't live in the 20th Century) and pluck out unforeseen local attractions to visit. This is how we came to end up at the PIMA Air & Space Museum the next morning. This place is connected to the famous 'bone yard' which we weren't able to visit, as that does take a fair bit of organising.

 

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Now, I'm not a 'plane spotter but I know a Dovebird Huddersfield when I see one.

 

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I actually know what this one is! A Guppy! I'd always wanted to see one of these after being gifted a David Bellamy 'plane spotter's book in the late 80's and being intrigued by its shape. Sadly, my book wasn't with me, to tick it from the list.

 

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Indoors, there was this interesting thing, which I took a photo of for my Dad, due to its arena of service.

 

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He used to be involved with a museum that commemorated the Battle of Kohima and I've a feeling that they would've served there, too.

 

And incidentally, I spotted one 3 years prior, mere minutes from my house!

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Which backs up my theory that NZ has at least one of pretty much every model of automobile ever made. 

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Apologies for the above post which was holiday-heavy and shite-light but I need to try and ease down the number of images per post, or it just gets a bit too heavy.

 

Anyway, we both enjoyed a few hours at the museum, despite it being something ludicrous like 40 degrees. If you get to visit, pay the extra $10 or so for the guided tour, as the driver who took our tour was a retired pilot tutor and made a potentially dry subject very interesting. You also get shuttled round in a covered buggy, which is an absolute godsend.

In the (thankfully covered) car park, we were greeted by a Ford Aerostar:

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If I'm not mistaken, the grille and front bumper makes this a last of the line version, i.e. sold around the time that Europe was receiving the first Ford Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra. Worlds apart, eh?

 

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I'm not sure why I like the uncompromised 'styling' of Aerostars but I do. Early ones are purer though but then I would say that.

 

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I like the hips on these square body Chevys but admit that in white with an aftermarket rear wheel, this is not a very interesting example. Still, I clicked the shutter and then uploaded it, so here it is.

 

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Same goes for this, just a few metres round the corner. I think at this juncture of our trip, the spots were tailing off and I was just happy to grab something. We've all been there, right?

 

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I'm sure I've mentioned this before but one of the things I wanted to do was go to a diner and sit in a booth overlooking a truck stop or some such. This came very close to that, in that it was eerily rural and at the time of pulling up, had a big rig humming away outside. It then promptly buggered off before I got a photo but at least it didn't obscure our view of the vast nothingness in the distance. There was a young boy sat at the counter alone, watching Daffy Duck cartoons and chortling away heartily, which was a very endearing scene to be witnessing in the 21st Century.

 

Oh yes, sorry, I forgot: cars.

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Pretty sure this is a Colt wagon but I'm sure @Spottedlaurel will be able to set me straight.

 

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Same yard netted this - a Plymouth, maybe?

 

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There were also some others for company. Always happy to see one of those gawky Escorts. I'd be even happier to actually see one on the road, though.

 

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Some more old US iron. The sheer number of surviving 50's and 60's cars and trucks really is something, especially in comparison to their 70's and 80's successors. I don't know what that tells you but it makes you think, doesn't it? I don't know, I think I'm tired.

 

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Lastly, hours before we flew home, we nipped to Joshua Tree National Park, to look at their funny little trees.

 

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Exiting the park, we followed this, so I was glad to find a parking spot and nab a shot, before it drew away from the lights.

 

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And then much to Mrs_Jon's displeasure, I wasted further time getting my final spot of the trip, which blended in well with the surrounding areas of this bit of California. Then it was time to rush to the airport in Friday afternoon LA traffic, which meant that I missed out on a whole plethora of juicy spots. Ah well!

So,  not quite the fitting final shite send off to our trip but very enjoyable for a couple of weeks motoring about the place. Here's hoping that we can do it all again some time soon...

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Back by populer* demand! It's as if I've had a temporary halt of work outside of my control and am killing time, or something! Not to worry though, our temporary restrictions have been lifted, so I (along with others) will be back into ignoring this thread entirely, from the next couple of days onwards.

But in the meantime, let's have a little round up of late 2019 and 2020's goings-on, from my telephone's perspective:

 

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Here I'm seen out and about in the Cav, dropping by to visit my mate, who I'd bought it from. Turns out he wasn't in, so I didn't get any photos of the rammle in his driveway but I did nab a shot of the long time expired ADO16, casually resting on a residential street for many a year, with nary an issue it seems. Quite remarkable and fair play to him!

 

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Spotted this Accord in the works car park of wherever my work was that day. Nicely matured paint work and bonus louvre, though note how raised and gawky they become, when a rear wash wipe gets involved. I wonder what those tiny yellow squares are in the light clusters, inwards of the reversing lamps?

 

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Perhaps slightly naughty here, as this is a car used in the job I was on, so I've possibly revealed something I shouldn't've and likely broken some contract on a technicality. In fairness though, the series it was used in was released a few months back and my contract expired ages ago, so I don't see the problem. Can anyone identify what it was used in? I haven't seen the series but it featured prominently in at least one episode.

Am I also right in thinking one of these was Frank Sinatra's last car?! This one was very tidy and was Mitsubishi powered, from memory.

 

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Spotted these Land Rovers basking in a lovely little setting, again whilst at work. I need to get to know the owner better, as I'm sure he'd be an excellent source of bits for my SIIA, whenever I actually get round to putting it on the road.

 

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There were more of Solihull's finest sitting about the place, so it'd be rude not to acknowledge their existence. I reckon my cousin would like the grille of that SIII for his SIII lighweight, as his has a chunk missing.

 

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Supposedly, the grilles of these SIIAs are quite sought after (and pricey!) - according to @mat_the_cat, I think? Luckily mine is present and nice and straight. One thing though - why did the later SIIAs like this not get a new model designation? I always thought the 'A' bit changed at the time the headlamps moved to the wings, though I'm sure that SIIA started with later SIIs with central lamps. It's all very confusing - unless I've made all this guff up.

 

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And another one, though I think this is a SIII, judging by that grille outline in the paint. Note the rounded front to the bonnet, which was either a SIII thing, or a sign of a more 'luxury' spec of SII(A), unlike the flat one on the SIIA above and on mine. I'd never noticed that until my cousin highlighted the differences. He does rather like Land Rovers, it's fair to be said.

 

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Now this is also a bit naughty, again taken on set, though any identifying stuff was left out of frame; I enjoy snapping pics of old tut but not if it's going to risk my job. Rather a late black plate here and all the better for it, on this '86 110. This one was originally red (and cream, I imagine) and was NOT pleasant to ride in, when being shuttled about the place, along relatively gentle, if steep, farm tracks.

 

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Here's another farm/beach transport vehicle, which is pretty cool to have about the place. The other people in this game of shuttling film crews off-road use 90's Dodge Rams or Jeep J20s (the latter of which have featured here in the past), so it's one of the perks of the job, at least for me, anyway. Let's not leave this photo without noting the buff physique of the truck driver. Is John Candy still alive?!

 

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I suppose mention needs to be made here of the ram system on this tow truck, which is something I knew of but had never seen in use before. Any use to you, @Barry Cade?

 

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Spotted this Subaru 360 in a shop on the main street of a popular rural town I'd visited before but I'd somehow missed prior. Looking at the setting and the general 'vibe' that its setting and brethren emit, I'd say it's been there a while. These traffic 'cops' which were separate to the general police became a thing of the past in the late 80's/early 90's I think, so this is likely when it was altered. Since they were different times back then, then who knows? Perhaps this was actually a funny joke? No idea.

Note the ominous teds and dressed up mannequin - this one's prepped and ready to hit the show scene.

 

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I was only mentioning J20s earlier and here's one! Well the guts of one. And it's a J10. But still! What are the chances? Actually, there's not really a coincidence; said drivers who use Dodge Rams also provide film cars and I'm sure this was one. I'll give them and the set decorators their dues, this one looked well established but was trailered home at the end of the day. Again, this was used in a scene but at night and featuring more of the deck than the cab, thus is providing little clues  as to what it was used in.

 

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This wasn't a prop, rather just the detritus of whoever lived at the place we were shooting at. It's a shame to see it rotting away now these seem so uncommon but I'm not sure that they're actually all that desirable. I'd love to see it up and running (highly unlikely) but don't hanker after one. Give it 5-10 when my mid-life crisis kicks in and I'll see how I feel then.

 

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This was also dumped on a neighbouring property but in stark contrast, I'd very much like to own this Falcon. Well, so long as it wasn't too rusty (it will be). Note the limiting capabilities of a phone camera, capturing something far away in low light. 

 

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And whilst we're on the subject of piss poor photography, I present you with this! Caught on the motorway whilst I was definitely a passenger but sadly, my phone focused on the dash, not the pre-facelift Renault 19. It's a real shame, as it was a cracker and likely the first early 19 I've seen over here. And probably the first 19 I've seen in the last 5 years, tbh.

 

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As recompense for the last two stinkers, I'll leave you with a nice clear photo of a flipping MINI ERA TURBO!!! I've known of these since I were a young lad but have never seen one in person, so it was quite an exciting spot to see in a small town. It's a 1992 model, so I'd say must be quite a late one. Like many an obscure enthusiast's car, this is a Japanese import, which landed in 2014. I'm sure that back in the day I'd have been quite scathing of the body kit and bonnet hump etc. but now I think it looks ace, as does the ERA grille and those quite magnificent alloys. I doubt I'd want one (especially at the price) but am very glad it's buzzing about over here, in such fine fettle. Like I say, NZ seems to have one example of every car ever built!

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Jon said:

Supposedly, the grilles of these SIIAs are quite sought after (and pricey!) - according to @mat_the_cat, I think?

Er, yes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/670822052?iid=401753038294

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Land-Rover-Series-2a-Maltese-Cross-Grille-/184469926703

I didn't pay that much, as it depends how well they've been advertised. But I'm planning on security screws to hold it on!

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What?! Those listings you showed were for £299.99 and £225 respectively (mentioned for noting in the future) which is frankly ludicrous. That said, it'll be something I'll look out for, over here!

Are Series Land Rovers the next Mk1 Escorts? Not like they aren't pricey already, though. Glad I bought my SWB with overdrive (and aforementioned grille) for a bag, when I could!

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On 6/3/2020 at 12:57 PM, Jon said:

Then we visited Mesa Verde. Whilst very much appreciating the ancient ruins, it costs extra to walk amongst them in an organised tour and it didn't look particularly interesting, I'll be honest. In fact, I'm going to sound like a right philistine but neither of us actually cared much for this place, as primarily the 'attractions' are various empty holes dotted about the place, which people dutifully drive to and stop at, in the vein hope of seeing something interesting. My imagination is not sparked into overdrive by the sight of a 2 foot deep round hole and a (poor) artist's impression of how it was once a hut. But then I used to be bored by Time Team much of the time, too. Sorry.

It's funny, US National Parks are almost all pretty much nailed on memory-tattooing places to visit. Mesa Verde on the other hand was just dull. I know the septics are a bit short on history so they do try to make the best of the hand they were dealt but I found it difficult to get excited about the slightly breathless descriptions of people who were scratching an existence when somewhat more advanced things were happening in Africa, Asia and Europe. Daft, I know but it was still rather hard to get worked up about it all.

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22 hours ago, Jon said:

What?! Those listings you showed were for £299.99 and £225 respectively (mentioned for noting in the future) which is frankly ludicrous.

I know, crazy! I paid just into 3 figures for mine, but I sold the original plastic Series 3 grille for £41 (brand new ones £36???!) and a Series 1 aluminium badge for £46, so man maths means it only cost £20 :-)

Prices seem to be rocketing, and I really thought I'd missed the boat on fulfilling a childhood dream. Think I got in just in time!

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