Vacation photos typically involve scenery or family members, but this year I added one more subject – interesting vehicles that I came across. And this was a giant road trip. More precisely, our trip took us from Virginia out to destinations in Utah, Nevada and Idaho, for a journey totaling about 6,000 miles. Of course, I was only able to capture a small portion of the photo-worthy cars that I came across (they always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times), though I still wound up with pictures of several vehicles that I haven’t seen in many years. So, hop in for a ride and let’s look at some sights.
Our trip largely followed the above route. Along with the changing scenery, we were treated to a changing automotive landscape, as the types of vehicles one sees in the midwestern and western parts of North America differ significantly from those on the east coast. For example, a pre-1980 pickup is considered rare here in Virginia, but one encounters several per day in Idaho.
Incidentally, for this trip, we used our 2018 Kia Sedona, which I wrote up in detail here. In the four years we’ve owned it, our Sedona has logged 50,000 miles and driven through 31 US states. I’m happy to report our ownership experience has been overwhelmingly positive so far – only one non-routine maintenance issue has cropped up, which involved the power sliding doors not consistently latching. Kia replaced the door motors under warranty (good warranty, but aggravatingly poor customer service at the dealership… the dealer service experience has been my only grumble so far).
Over the course of this summer vacation, the Sedona once again performed excellently – on highways, back roads and unpaved roads, we had no complaints regarding comfort or durability. Considering that our family of four drove as much as 1,000 miles per day, that’s mighty high praise.
Well, now for our two weeks of car sightings:
photographed on I-79 near Fairmont, West Virginia
We’ll start with this 1992 Geo Metro convertible. When I first saw this Metro from a distance, I wasn’t quite sure what it was – due to the color combination. I don’t recall seeing a yellow Metro with a white top before. When I think of yellow Geos, I think of Trackers or possibly Storms, but back in the early 1990s, vibrant color offerings came and went quickly, so it’s easy to overlook some cars’ color availability. The other unusual feature of this Metro are the tires: It must be mighty tough to find wide white wall tires in the Metro’s 165/65R-13 size!
photographed on I-70 near Columbus, Ohio
Vanagons aren’t exactly rare, but this well-outfitted example deserves special attention. And it’s not like this gentleman is just taking his 1986 Westfalia to a nearby lake or something – he’s already 750 mi. from his home state of Massachusetts.
photographed in Marshall, Illinois
Here’s something I’ve never seen before: A demolition derby car filling up at a gas station. My guess is that the car is based out of a nearby wrecking yard or other such facility, and in small towns, things like whether a vehicle is “technically” street legal can be overlooked. The driver here is climbing in to what appears to have been a Thunderbird (the doors are welded shut). Beforehand, he filled the fuel tank, located where the rear seat ordinarily would be, and accessed by stretching the pump nozzle through the rear window opening. Seems like filling a gas can and bringing that to your derby car might be a bit easier, but then again I’m sure it’s amusing to drive one of these on the street, even for a short distance. I’ve never paid much attention to demolition derbies, so I was surprised to notice a new-looking passenger seat in this car. Being a passenger in an actual derby event must take some getting used to.
photographed in Tipton, Missouri
Seeing a 1st generation Volkswagen Jetta has become increasingly rare, so this one warranted a photo, even if it’s in grass growing up to bumper-height. Back home in Virginia, these early Jettas have all but disappeared, and it’s usually the 2nd generation cars that are left to graze outside of folks’ garages.
photographed in Goodland, Kansas
Now here’s an interesting twofer – a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 painted in a not-so-exciting shade of Light Camel Beige… and driving in the background is what appears to be a 1951 Mercury Sport Coupe. It’s amusing when the 44-year-old car is sitting immobile, while the 71-year-old car cruises on by.
photographed in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
This 1988 Subaru 4wd GL wagon might not be an unusual sight for people who live west of the Rocky Mountains, but I haven’t seen a roadworthy Subaru of this vintage for several years.
photographed in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
I had first noticed this 1979-80 Trans Am in traffic, but wasn’t able to get out my camera quickly enough to take a picture. Fortunately, as I merged onto I-70, I again saw the Trans Am driving along a parallel street – my wife was able to take this in-motion shot when we caught up to it, with a couple of somber-looking F-150s looking on from the Ford dealership in the background. The only thing missing from this Trans Am was T-tops…
photographed in Price, Utah
…but my thirst for T-tops was quenched the next day when I spotted this 1979 Corvette in Utah. When I think of brown cars from this era, I tend to imagine station wagons, small Toyotas, etc… but not really Corvettes. I’m still unsure whether I like this color – regardless, with its T-tops off, this car looks like it’s just beckoning for a long Interstate road trip.
photographed in Price, Utah
For a 180° change from the Corvette, we can feast our eyes (or not) on a 1992 Mitsubishi Expo LRV. Somehow, Mitsubishi missed all of the emerging niches with this car – it wasn’t ruggedly endearing like Subaru’s Outback, or appealing to large segments of consumers like Toyota’s RAV4, or a cult classic like Honda’s Civic wagon. It was just… forgotten. Maybe Mitsubishi thought that having a single rear door on the passenger side would start a new trend?
photographed near Price, Utah
One characteristic of western states is that there’s many more interesting-looking recreational vehicles than back East. I saw several old Toyota-based campers on this trip, but this one (surrounded by even older iron) was most memorable. These Enterprise campers don’t seem to have been terribly common, but the few ads that I found for them indicate that they were fully equipped with a range, oven, toilet and shower, and slept 6. All powered by a 2.2-liter engine!
For a completely different universe of pickup-based RVs… there’s this. I’d never heard of EarthRoamer before, but apparently this is an ultra status vehicle that costs upwards of $750,000. Not my thing; but now I know what they are, should I happen to come across one again.
photographed in Spring Creek, Nevada
OK, let’s go back to thinking small. This 1980 Fiat 2000 Spider looks downright diminutive parked next to a pair of modern CUVs.
photographed near Hollister, Idaho
I always enjoy seeing former US Forest Service vehicles – easily identifiable by their distinctive shade of green paint. I saw several on this trip, but here’s a vehicle I’ve never before seen in Forest Service Green – an Aerostar. Unusual enough that I figured it was worth a slightly blurry long-distance shot.
photographed in Albion, Idaho
One could spend hours writing about older pickups seen in just one day in the rural west, but I’ll just include my favorite from this trip, which is this hardworking Jeep J-10.
Now for a vehicle from a much earlier age, this covered wagon (parked behind a National Park Service facility) is evidently a mostly-original survivor from the California Trail days. I was particularly pleased to see this relic, as I’d recently finished reading a book on the California Trail emigration, which occurred during the 1840s and 1850s.
Portions of the original trail are still visible in places – I found this one alongside an unpaved Idaho road about four miles north of the Utah border, among scenery that hasn’t changed much in 170 years. The white post is a historical marker erected by the state, and the trail itself is the slight depression next to it. It’s remarkable to think of countless emigrants from the East trudging along here with exhausted livestock and decrepit wagons after several months of enduring hardships and deprivations. The California and Oregon Trails represent an extraordinary story of both human perseverance and conquering a transportation milestone.
photographed on I-80 in Utah and Wyoming
Modern travelers have it much easier. A surprising number of rental trucks can be seen hauling classics – it’s unclear whether people are moving, and taking their cars along, or whether folks rent U-Hauls just for the cheap tow vehicle and trailer. Anyhow, they make for some easy Interstate car-spotting – as this Datsun 280-ZX and Chevy Malibu attest.
photographed in Gothenburg, Nebraska
I saw quite a few Suzuki Samurais on this trip, largely in rural areas and often on farms (I also saw a Suzuki Jimny on an Idaho farm, but was unable to photograph it). This example is representative of the Samurais I saw – often modified, used hard, and still running.
photographed along I-80 in Wyoming
Which vehicle on this car carrier is different from the rest? Well, on long road trips, little things can count as entertainment, like the sight of a car carrier with eight new Teslas and a Honda Element. Incidentally, the tractor is a Western Star, the least common among the major big rig brands.
photographed in Rock Springs, Wyoming and Percival, Iowa
When I saw the Oldsmobile Achieva on the left, in Wyoming, I thought “Wow, I haven’t seen one in years.” Then the next day, 800 mi. down the road in Iowa, I spotted its twin. I’m undoubtedly one of the few to admit this, but I actually liked the Achieva’s conservative styling when new, and would have looked at one if I’d been in the new car market at the time. Perhaps its best that that didn’t happen.
That wraps up my car sightings from this trip. Our trip odometer at the journey’s end measured a total of 6,067.9 miles driven, and the elapsed time indicator showed 112 hours of driving time. While carspotting wasn’t the main attraction, it sure provided a nice diversion. I just wish I was able to photograph that Subaru BRAT I saw in Idaho!
Sorry to see the Delta 88 waisting away. My sister had a blue Royale with the crushed velour. A very nice car, indeed. If I had room, it could make itself at home in my driveway.
GM hit the ball out of the park with the downsizing of the B & C bodies. Did a good job with the A-body as well. Something went wrong after that. But that’s well documented in the Deadly Sins series.
The ’79 E body made it a three-fer. GM seemed unstoppable in those days – it’s really after that that they really lost the plot.
Yep, agree on the E bodies.
Favorite is the Toronado. A buddy of mine had one of these; however, it was a diesel. It didn’t last long.
I too, had a used blue/blue 1978 Royal as my second car. There were many like mine locally, probably a quick-order mass inventory package to fill the shelves. Happy to see one again.
Great photos and commentary.
I’m trying to wrap my mind around how that Honda Element got into the middle of a bunch of new Teslas. Elements are getting kind of rare and auction prices for them are rising (especially if 5 speed manual), so maybe this is a special buy from out West hitchhiking a ride East.
The Teslas are not very colorful, but I guess that’s what people want these days. All the other CCs you found are more colorful with the exception of the EarthRoamer (which seems a bit creepy to my eyes).
It may be an Element sold on a vintage car sale site, and the shipper had room for it with the new Teslas heading somewhere?
I bet that’s the case. I looked up the transport company’s website, and they seem to do both individual (door-to-door) transportation, and fleet work, with Tesla listed as one of their clients.
Thanks!
I agree that the EarthRoamer is creepy-looking (Jeff used that term too in his comment below), and I think the dark matte color of this example contributes quite a bit to that. It was parked at a trail head, and initially I didn’t pay much attention to it, but a fellow hiker pointed it out to me and asked if I’d ever seen one before. He told me how uncommon they were, so I took a picture and looked up the details later. They’re luxurious on the inside for sure, but I really fail to see the justification on the price – I guess a big part of the appeal is exclusivity.
There’s some photos showing the interior on their website and it’s RV version is also available for the F-650/F-750.
https://earthroamer.com
Geez, haven’t seen an Achieva in the flesh in a decade or more. I loved the look of my 92 SC. Had the durability of a paper napkin though.
Wow, what a trip! I’m not even going to try to do the math on what that must have cost in gas. We recently drove from TX to AZ and back. Expensive, but it was still cheaper than flying for three people.
That Thunderbird photo has to be the most American thing I’ve seen in a long time, from the sport, to the car, to the driver. It’s a safe assumption that it’s a demo derby car, but it’s possible he is just the world’s worst driver, and 87 is the number of accidents he’s been in (posted like little Japanese flags on a U.S. WWII fighter plane).
That Delta 88 sure looks roadworthy, apart from the tire. Is it parked because it has a flat tire, or does it have a flat tire because it’s been parked so long? Oldsmobile sure made some really good cars back in their heyday.
That doesn’t include the Achieva, a low water mark well past their heydey. It’s a sign of the car’s status that it took 25 years after the car’s end for you to feel safe expressing a secret longing for one. Kudos for finding two identical ones. Your own personal CC effect. In N-bodies, the Grand Am is clearly the winner of the bunch. My own personal shameful desire was for the 92-98 Skylark. The styling was so awkward and ill-conceived, the execution so botched, the scorn so universal. It made me want one. It’s the same reason I have a current desire to go out with Amber Heard.
T-Bird could be a dirt track car, and they usually don’t ‘repair’ major damage.
“That Thunderbird photo has to be the most American thing I’ve seen in a long time”
So true!
And congratulations between drawing the nearly-impossible association between GM N-bodies and Amber Heard. If there’s a CC Award for Odd Connections, you’ve nailed it!
Hey, the Olds Achieva SCX was an SCCA Solo national champion in its day!
And the Achieva was pretty big in one of the IMSA series as well. That was all during one of GM’s “Olds is our performance brand” phases that saw the Aurora V8 used in Indy cars.
Wonderful post! The second best thing to a long road trip is to read about (and see pictures of) someone else’s road trip. Thanks!
The Metro you caught in WV seems about right to me. I’ve noticed that I’ve found the oddest – yet still mass-market — cars well preserved in parts of the country like Appalachia. I’d guess that that Metro convertible (and I’ve seen a few like it…in that color…over the years) was someone’s pride and joy and probably last car when new and it has been handed down carefully to family for the past 30 years. Or maybe it’s still registered to Grandma, and just doesn’t get out on the road often. My other guess is that it’s possible that those are 20+ year old tires. God bless ’em.
The demo derby car picture is priceless. I really wish you’d captured a picture after that big ol’ boy got inside the car. Seeing him get back out again would have been a good picture too.
And the EarthRoamer? One of the creepiest vehicles in existence, IMO. I’ve never seen one in-person, but within the past year watched one get up to about $700K on BaT, where it failed to make reserve. I cannot even imagine why someone would pay that kind of money for that kind of thing. Sure, a couple hundred thousand (over-priced, but within the realm of reality I suppose)…but north of $700K? I absolutely do not get it.
Now all I want to do is to hit the road myself…
Believe it or not, the EarthRoamer pictured (the LTi) is not even the most expensive model. They make another, bigger one, the HD, that checks in at a whopping $1.9m. I guess if you have that kind of discretionary cash, it’s okay, but, man, for mere mortals, I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of outlay for what is essentially a Ford 550-based RV.
I mean, the highest pricetag for one of the biggest names for a luxury, Class-B RV, the Airstream Atlas, is ‘only’ $290k (smaller models start at $200k). Sure, it may not be 4WD or have all of the tech-heavy stuff of the EarthRoamer but, still…
Well, I suppose that an Airstream…even a very nice Airstream…doesn’t have quite the same doomsday prepper/zombie apocalypse vibe that the EarthRoamer has.
That said, if I were trying to outrun the end of the world, I’d think I’d like to be in something that gets better than 10 – 11 mpg.
Appalachian towns do seem to have an abundance of Metros, as well as other vehicles not commonly seen elsewhere, such as Ford Tempos. I’d love to know how old those tires are.
I did get one other picture of the derby car – where the driver is finishing fueling it up. I apologize for the window glare, but this gives an indication of what was involved in filling it up.
I have a secret desire for a three door Expo LRV, it’s just so right, and the rest of society just so wrong since it didn’t spawn a huge and lasting trend. Still looks good to me.
I wonder which one of the pictured cars actually had the oldest tires, perhaps the whitewalls on the Toyota camper? Still plenty of tread, been wearing hard since their last replacement at Montgomery Ward in circa 1984! I can’t imagine anyone at any time recent springing for whitewalls for it.
As others have mentioned, Bubba getting into the race car is the defining picture though. It’s good to see he’s indulging his passion, but that picture just says way more than a pithy little 1000 words, more like 10,000.
And lastly, EarthRoamer is based maybe 30 miles from where I sit, I pass them once or twice a week on I-25, and there is usually an array of new ones parked at the side of their factory. That matte black one is a little too 1/6 for my tastes (usually the color palette skews a little more “earthy”), but yeah, as far as even remotely treading lightly goes, I don’t see it either. They do seem to have found a niche though among some apparently quite well-heeled clientele and EarthRoamer is a pretty good name even though I’m guessing parts and service for an F-350 is a little harder to find in Mongolia than Idaho.
Ha; the LRV speaks to me too: tall, boxy, short and roomy.
OK, my new word (adjective) for today from Jim Klein: 1/6.
To be clear, the LRV had one rear door, sliding, on the passenger side and no rear door on the driver side. The longer wheelbase variants had 4 conventional doors. We test drove one in late 1993 before buying our Corolla wagon. The three door setup seemed too awkward with two kids, one a new-born. And if I remember correctly, the only 5 speed on the lot was a very ‘90’s metallic teal which did not add to the appeal. The driving experience was literally forgettable … I remember nothing about it, unlike the Suzuki Sidekick and Subaru Legacy which I also test drove then. On the other hand, we did bother to try it, which could not be said about the Escort and Saturn wagons we looked at.
Here is its Eagle Summit badge-mate in what I think is the color you speak of. That color may well (IMHO) be one of the best 90s colors of all time and I think if I had one of these, that would be the color to get…
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/junkyard/junkyard-classic-1993-eagle-summit-dl-wagon-soaring-no-more/
I actually commented on your junkyard LRV post and recounted my test drive then, saying it was the same color as the one you saw. But four years later my visual memory sees a greener shade. Oh well …
I looked at the LRV back in the day, but ended up with the 4-door Suzuki Sidekick JLX instead.
I really liked the Mitsu LRV and considered buying a used one in the early ’00s. They didn’t hold their value well, as not many people seemed to know about them, so they were a good buy used. They had a proto-crossover vibe, but the wheels and tires looked too small (the added ground clearance and extra cladding on some AWD models helped somewhat). It also resembles a minivan, with the emphasis on “mini”. No third row here; even the early Chrysler short-wheelbase minivans were bigger than these. But they were too small to be perceived as vans, mini or otherwise, despite the single sliding door configuration. They were too tall to be a station wagon. They indeed fell through all the cracks and failed to find a big audience. They were also sold as a Colt Vista through Dodge and Plymouth dealerships, which added to their identity crisis, particularly since they were quite unlike the previous (and better-remembered) four-hinged-door configuration with that nameplate, ’90s version wasn’t sold through U.S. Mitsubishi dealers. Canadians got these as an Eagle Summit AWD too, maybe the best-looking version. Anyway, they were immensely practical, and there was nothing else like it then or now. The closest may be the second-generation Toyota RAV4 with the side-opening rear door that incorporated the bumper as well as the spare tire, with a removable/foldaway 2nd row seat, an extra-low load floor, and the aforementioned sideways-opening tailgate that opened right down to floor level.
The Delta 88 gets the usual B-body props, but this car illustrates my issue with the ’77-79 B bodies. Cover up the taillights and this could just as easily be a Chevy Impala or a Pontiac Catalina, or maybe a Buick LeSabre. The previous ’71-76 models each had their own door sheetmetal which made them look distinctively different – Pontiac’s curvy hips, Buick’s downward-sloping sweepspear, Oldsmobile’s distinctive wheel cutouts and beltline rise behind the rear door. The ’77s had to share one of two sets of doors, one for Chevy and Pontiac (and all wagons) and another for Olds and Buick, although they all looked so similar I wonder why they even bothered with separate doors for the Olds and Buick. GM was already sharing body panels on their Monza and Nova clones, but the intermediates and full-sizers up to then were treated to bespoke bodywork. Not so for the ’77 B/C bodies or ’78 A bodies, which by the 1980s made all GM cars look almost alike. In the late ’70s many GM larger cars still have division-specific engines beneath the similar bodywork, but that was about to change too.
Did you get to Lamoille Canyon in Nevada?
Yes – and that was my favorite part of our trip. I’d never heard of Lamoille Canyon prior to reading about your EXBRO trip last year, and I’m glad that you put it on our radar screen.
I easily could have spent a week there. As it was, we only had three days, but still got to see some beautiful areas, both hiking and on horseback. Incidentally, I really wanted to visit Lamoille Lake, however we got about half-way up the trail before we turned back to due deep snow. I’d read about snow lingering on that trail late into the season, but I’d assumed that by late June I wouldn’t have to worry about it. More hard-core hikers did press on beyond where we turned around, so it wasn’t impossible, but for a family with two teenagers, turning around was the better option. Instead of visiting to the lake, we just selected a secluded area and had a picnic up there instead. Still a great day, and I’ve never had a snowball fight in June, either.
For folks not aware of Lamoille Canyon, I’m including the picture below – definitely worth visiting… it’s one of the most remarkable areas I’ve ever been to.
Good to hear. Yes, it was a very late spring, and we kept having rain and snow in the higher elevations. There was still a fair amount of snow when we were up there last year about the same time, but not on the trail to the lake.
What’s with that guy in the #87 Monte Carlo? (if it is a MC) Does he want to get pulled over by the police?
That is one very rusty 51 Mercury.
Very well presented as always Eric, and a great collection of finds. Impressive, this was only a small sampling. The Delta 88 makes for a nice prop beside the car wash, it appears parked beside.
I am seeing more UHaul cube vans than usual, here in Ontario. There have been news stories of people who had earlier rental car bookings cancelled, or simply couldn’t book one, who decided to rent UHauls for their vacation plans. Not very elegant, but lots of space for mattresses.
When I was kid in the late 70s, there was a CBS Saturday morning kids program called ‘ARC II’. It was a science fiction-themed show based in the future, and the ‘The ARC II’ was a mobile science lab. The exploratory vehicle housed within the The ARC was called ‘The Roamer’. Base upon the Brubaker Box. Friendlier looking than this ‘EarthRoamer’. Which looks more like a SWAT vehicle.
Oh, thanks for that memory! I recall this show dimly and watched quite a few episodes. It was a cut above typical Saturday morning live action kids programming of the day (I’m looking at you, Danger Island). Even if it DID star a talking chimpanzee (and several humans as well).
I thought that the Brubaker/Ford vehicle was cool. https://small-sci-fi-screen-craft.fandom.com/wiki/ARK_II_(Vehicle) And I especially liked the episode featuring the lovely Helen Hunt. 🙂
I thought both the ARC II and the Roamer were clever and believable designs for a Saturday morning kid’s show. Though the ARC II did seem to be ‘lifted’ too much. Apparently, it was placed on an RV frame.
I had no idea who he was at the time, as he was still a Hollywood unknown, but the adult in the series was played by Terry Lester. Who later became a household name from his time on The Young and the Restless.
H’mmm. I kind of like that version of the future, wherein vehicles still use 7-inch round headlamps.
Nice, knowing that scientists looking to do good, are in charge. 🙂
Thanks for a terrific tour with cars and history.
I believe the Earthroamer is what we will use after aliens invade planet earth. Maybe they already have and this fellow knows more than the rest of us. Is the driver’s name Russell Casse by chance?
That looks like a wonderful trip! Thanks for showing us your CC captures. The shot with the Oldsmobile and 51 Mercury is my favorite – something for everyone.
Sorry that central Indiana didn’t yield any treasure for you. I could have pointed you to a two tone gold/cream Granada.
Also, I am jealous – the trip odometer on my Sedona only gets to three digits before it rolls over to zero again. I guess Koreans don’t take long trips? Or perhaps they do and many of them complained to Kia. Otherwise, I am glad to hear that your van is plugging along.
No Indiana CCs in this bunch, but last time I drove through Indiana in April, I saw this diesel Isuzu Trooper at an I-70 rest stop.
And regarding four-digit trip odometers, I bet more people use them to track mileage between oil changes than for 1,000+ mi. trips!
If in North Carolina, keep an eye out for a brown ’86 Trooper 2 door, slight lift, black painted bumpers, spare and grille. Gas engine. Possibly aftermarket Pacer wheels.
Miss that little guy. Hope it’s still on the road. Had 0 rust last I saw it 10 or so years ago. May be being driven by an eclectic educator.
Did I miss any comments regarding the light blue Model A(?) mostly hidden behind the colorful “Toyota-based camper”?
The house with that Toyota camper had quite a collection of vehicles. I only got a good picture of the camper, but there was the Model A, and then to its far side you can see the front end of what looks like an early 1950s Ford pickup as well.
So much good stuff here, it’s almost like I saw you during your trip. Or ridden in your Kia. Oh, wait, I did and I have. 🙂
I know exactly where the Jetta is parked. The owners of that house have a real affinity for VWs as I have seen up to four or five parked there at once. The Jetta, however, is the constant it seems.
The Thunderbird makes so much sense for a demo derby car but I hate to see one of those beauties end like that. However, it has likely offed many other lesser cars over the course of its demise.
Of some of the unique fleet colors I have seen, Forest Service Green is simply the best of the bunch. Don’t ask why, it just is.
I had a feeling you may have driven by that Jetta a few times.
I usually feel more than a twinge of sadness when I see older cars in poor condition, but that T-bird was a bit too far gone for even that emotion. I’ve got to wonder how many demolition derbies it’s experienced in order for it to be in that kind of condition?
Love me some early Jettas. So rare to find one unmodified.
Ran across this ’98, so beautiful I had to save some pics.
What a wonderful journey and photo collection! Maximum variety of vehicles, thanks for this.
Thanks Johannes! There were more than a few vehicles that got away too
I’ll take the Aerostar right now. I miss mine so much, and I like the green.
I liked the Achieva a lot, until I bought a 1995 V-6. Then I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. (Actually had a similar experience with a 5speed AWD Honda Element, though it took longer to earn my mistrust.)
I just found pics of my old Achieva the other day, so here’s one.
Ha — that’s what I was thinking of when I wrote that I liked the styling, but “perhaps its best” that I didn’t buy one. I haven’t heard many positive long-term ownership experiences. But I still think they were good-looking cars for their day.
Same here, Eric, and I can’t say for certain that I’d turn down a coupe with a Quad 4 and 3 pedals. Asking for trouble as it is!
I must say, I thought I was doing great when I bought that ’95. Only 100k miles, no rust, wasn’t trashed (as you may can tell from the pics). Intake manifold gasket on the 3.1L, TCC solenoid on the transmission (and general sluggishness), and every door filled with water in heavy rains. My 1995 Taurus has 250k+ and has been “well used” by comparison, yet has largely remained trouble free and has never leaked water.
I forgot to say, great pics and thanks for sharing them!
Nice story and great pics. Looks like you had a good trip!
The brown Corvette looks like it has a modern winter tire on the back right. Obviously that seems like an odd choice, especially with a New Mexico plate. Maybe the price was right?
Incidentally, I am more of a fan of mid to late 1970’s ‘Vettes than I should admit. But I agree that brown might not be my first choice If I were to go shopping for one.
Good catch! Blowing the picture up, I see that it’s a Firestone Winterforce tire – definitely an odd match the car, the season and the location.
New Mexico can get a lot of snow. In fact, like California and perhaps all the western states, you can probably have snowball fights in June or even on Labor Day.
I’ve driven in snow in northern New Mexico. Got caught unexpectedly with summer tires on this 1992 Ford Tempo LX V-6. The car did pretty well. The 4×4 Dodge ram that came flying past me and ended up facing me in the ditch a couple bends later, not so much. 🤔
Holy Schnikes! Up to a thousand miles a day with two teenagers must be a record of some kind. I can’t imagine driving that with my brother and sister. After the first day we would have pulled each other’s hair out.
I love that demo derby Thunderbirdy. Small town eclectics is why I find them fun to visit. You just never know what you’re going to find.
Fortunately, our kids love being in the car – it would be torture otherwise! We started them on long car rides when they were babies (now that wasn’t fun), but by now they’re great travelers.
The minivan is roomy and comfortable too. so that certainly helps. I actually enjoy taking a break from driving and instead sit in the back while my wife drives, recline the seat and relax.
I had an Achieva. It was the worst car I ever had and was happy when it died.
Eric, can I just say I really appreciated the map. For those of us who don’t know the US, and can only place a few states, it’s so helpful to see where you went.
Some cool spots there. It’s amazing what you can find in smaller towns, and so cool that you have sympathetic passengers who don’t mind Dad stopping for another old car photo. My favourite would be the LRV; we have what’s probably its modern-day descendent, the ASX. Second-favourite would be the Metro convertible; the whitewalls add to the appeal.
I have to say how absolutely UNinspiring that row of dealership F150s are, behind that delightful Trans Am. All in Extra-Dark-Slate Metallic, by the looks of things – or is it Slightly-Pale-Black? Ugh! I’m not knocking pickups in general, as they sure come in handy, but compared to what Ford offered, say, sixty years ago….. Can anyone really find these inspiring? Do they look even the slightest bit tempting? Why are modern vehicles so boringly-coloured and awkward to look at?
When we’re all being zipped around in Apple transportation pods autonomously, we’ll look back at 2020s ICE Human-piloted vehicles and say “man, remember when you could walk into a Ford dealer and get a 5.0L V-8 in a pickup! Just to drive wherever you want without a pre-programmed destination, haul whatever you want without permission! Those were the days.”
Glad you enjoyed the pictures!
It’s funny about the sympathetic passengers who don’t mind me taking random pictures of old cars. I’m glad I have a family willing to cooperate in such endeavors, though when I saw the LRV and got my camera out, my wife said “What?? You’re taking a picture of that??” Sympathetic, yes… though not always completely understanding of these cars’ appeal.
If not for the different state tags on each end, I’d think those two Achieva photos are of the same car.
Even if the front & rear tags were the same, photos in both Iowa & Wyoming would require one to believe an Achieva still exists capable of making that journey.
As Mr. Spock might have said, “I have never calculated the odds of such an event, but they would be astronomical.”