Curbside Finds: Summer Time Highs in the Seventies

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– Posted on June 24, 2025

Plymouth Duster on the prowl.

 

In the mid-1980s, an LA record company called AIP released a series of compilation albums centered on regional mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelia. Naturally, the series was called “Highs in the Mid-Sixties” (and the innuendo still makes me smile some 40 years later). I had Volume 7 “The Northwest,” which featured a couple of great garage rockers: “Just Like Me” by The Wilde Knights; and “Take a Look At Me,” by Mr. Lucky and the Gamblers. What does any of this have to do with cars, you ask? Well, not much, except that a lot of old garage rock lyrics extolled the virtues of fast cars, back seats, and teenage rebellion. So, with summer weather soon upon us, maybe the best we can hope for is “highs in the seventies.”

 

Business in front, party in back.

 

First up we have this gawky fellow in green, only a block or two from my house. To the best of my knowledge this is a 1975 Plymouth Duster, with the rubber-baby buggy bumpers capable of withstanding a 5-mph crash. This example is sporting plain old steelies fore, and some period Crager mags aft. Remnants of white vinyl are gamely clinging to the roof, probably one car-wash away from dissolving into micro-plastic. My wife spotted this one and put me on the scent.

 

Little Honda (RIP Brian Wilson)

 

In terms of crowd appeal, this little Honda Z600 was the winner by a large margin. This example was probably from 1970-72 and attracted many onlookers from the nearby farmer’s market. Maybe it was the racing stripe, maybe it was the olive green finish, maybe it was the dubious “GT” nomenclature.

 

Rocky Mountain High

 

Strangely enough, the interwebs are unclear on the Honda GT naming convention. But no matter, this old-school kei car was the belle of the ball. It had Colorado plates in Washington, so I can only imagine it buzzing along the interstates in between.

 

Matty 616

 

Moving now from the top-heavy “H” to the blue oval, let’s admire this 6th-Gen F Series Ford pickup. This is a nice example of those transition years from 1978-1979, in this case an F350 Ranger XLT.

 

Ford F350 Ranger XLT

 

It looks great with a modest lift kit and newer wheels. My wife and I saw this out by Semiahmoo State Park near the Blaine border with Canada. Was hoping to see it drive past us and our little dog, but it was not to be.

 

1980 Ford F150 Explorer

 

Which brings us to the highest of the high seventies, a 1980 Ford F150 Explorer. This great looking truck was being driven by a delightful young employee of a gardening store near Mt. Vernon, Wash. She let me take her picture at the wheel and was clearly proud of her cool pickup. If you ever find yourself halfway between Mt. Vernon and LaConner, Wash. stop by Christianson’s and check out their farm store.

 

King & Daul Tire Co. did business here in the ’70s.

 

Finally, I lucked into some bonus shots of a “renovation reveal.” It seems an upscale furniture store is moving into a new location, which was once a tire store along the main drag. Recently, when they tore off the old facia, this is what we saw. I was instantly transported back in time.

 

Looking northeast, with the Herald Building reflecting in the window.

 

In the seventies and probably before, King & Daul Tire Co. anchored the corner of N. State St. and E. Chestnut, kitty corner from the iconic Herald Building in Bellingham. Some locals might also remember a later incarnation as The Color Pot, a paint store.

 

It was a very Goodyear.

 

If you look closely, you can also see the company name on the brick broadside. King & Daul were the local dealers for Goodyear tires. In the 1976 phone book, their yellow pages ad said “Invite Us To Your Next BLOWOUT.”

Thanks for enduring these “highs in the seventies.” Maybe next time I can shoot enough cars from the ’60s to do that decade, too.