The CCs have been out in force this spring and summer here in Rustopia, but unfortunately I’m not finding very many of them parked. Fortunately, my iPhone is usually tethered to my car stereo, so it’s easy for me to snap quick shots of these cars in action when I am stopped at a light. That means I usually photograph the butt end of them. But when you pull up behind a ’67 Dodge Dart, you do what you gotta do. Confidential to JPCavanaugh: I photographed this near your neighborhood, and it turned off onto a side street just after I took this photo. Your mission is to find this car, photograph it extensively, and give it a proper CC writeup.
Speaking of Roaches of the Road…A bodies are still incredibly plentiful, of course, but the six-window examples are really thinning out now. I got just enough of a glimpse of this one’s front clip as it passed me to date it to 1985-88.
The tail lights on this Caprice date it to close to the end of this generation of the B body. It was mildly donked, as so many of these are now.
This ’69 Mustang was out for a joy ride on one of the first really nice days this spring.
As was this ’84-’86 Mustang LX convertible. These two Mustangs are a real study in contrast: fat muscle car vs. trim and proper cruiser.
Speaking of convertibles, I came up behind this VW Cabriolet waiting to turn within spitting distance of my house.
I was leaving a shopping center when I passed this early Cavalier coupe. It was still parked, but unfortunately by the time I came back around and found a place to put my car, the owner was driving away. I really would have liked to photograph this one extensively, as it’s in remarkably good condition.
Here’s another example of basic transportation. Mercury didn’t try very hard to mask that the ’91-’96 Tracer was just a Ford Escort with Mercury styling cues tacked on.
I pulled up alongside this ’85-‘89 Mazda 323 SE in Shelbyville just a few weeks ago. These are rare in Indiana. I probably haven’t seen one in 10 years.
Another basic car I haven’t seen in ages is the NUMMI-built, Toyota Corolla-based Chevy Nova of 1984-88. This one looks pretty solid.
I always liked the Dodge Stealth’s styling a little bit better than that of the Mitsubishi 3000GT. This one pulled into the next subdivision over from mine, so maybe I’ll see it again.
I shared part of my morning drive with this ’90-’93 Accord wagon recently. That dealer sticker pegs it as a local that has done 20 plus years of commuter duty.
I was not a big fan of this-generation Chevy truck’s styling, probably because I always felt like the previous generation Chevy truck was the best-looking truck ever. But these are seldom found anymore, and it was great to see this one still earning its keep. Based on the glimpse of the grille and headlights I got as it passed me, I’d say this truck is from about 1986.
I was a little more excited, however, to see this truck still working for a living. It looks mid-60s to me – could one of you Ford fans date it more precisely?
Finally, I spotted this ’63 Fairlane for sale on a busy road up in Zionsville. It was listed on Craigslist for quite some time before disappearing recently. The Craigslist photos showed a very nice car except for that door damage.
This was one of the few parked CC’s I’ve found this year, and it’s a shame I didn’t have time to stop and do this Fairlane justice. I need to start finding more parked CCs soon, or I’m going to run out of things to write about!
The Cavelier coupe, complete with well-preserved vintage aftermarket ground effects, is an interesting find. Actually, its look has worn quite well. I don’t know how many people recognized the car as stylish upon its release, but they actually were good looking. Never had that thought explicitly.
I remember doing a facepalm when the Cavalier came out. I thought they weren’t exciting enough in looks. But in hindsight, the coupe was pretty good looking. It reminds me of the Volvo 780 Bertone.
Ooooh. The gas station near my parents home in CT has a dark blue convertible for sale. It looks so clean it’s almost tempting me to see how (too) much they want for it. Maybe I’ll go take some shots for a CC?
The cab on that big red Ford looks a lot like Paul’s truck. Only bigger!
It’s definitely pre-’67. The mediums got a new cab along with the pickups that year.
That cab looks a lot like Paul’s truck because it is the same cab it is just the front end sheet metal that was changed to cover the wider track and much larger diameter wheels for the larger capacity trucks. So it is a 61-66 but I can’t narrow it down anymore that. The big trucks never got the Twin I beam so that does no good and I don’t think they made any year to year changes on the grille which of course we can’t see in that picture anyway.
Good to know. I have always wondered if the cabs on the heavier duty trucks were the same size as the light duty pickups.
They were exactly the same. The only real difference was the instrument cluster on the mediums which had round gauges and room for a tach and an air pressure or vacuum gauge. Even the Custom Cab option was available on the mediums.
I’d agree that its a 61-66, probably a F500 or F600. The trailer hitch on it is really really cool, never seen anything like it.
The cabs are all the same, usually just the front sheet metal is changed, very common in the medium sized truck.
The more I read the Curbside Classic posts especially this, I am discovering that there are some folks out on the streets and roads all over the world who are intentionally or unintentionally documenting the diversity of the automobile industry through the decades. What is very interesting in this post that these shots were probably taken somewhere in North Americas and most of these models were usual not so long ago there. But as by these pics the author of the article thought that nowdays if even one of those appear, it’s worth to be photographed like a simple Mercury Tracer, a Toyota-like Chevrolet Nova, an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Chevy Caprice or a Dodge Stealth. Does it mean that these usually simple, traditional and popular car models are becoming so rare that can not meet them daily even in the U.S. or Canada??? On the other hand sometimes I found myself when I am searching for parking place for example that I’m always recognizing -even in the corner of my eyes- north-american carmakes and taking photos and sometimes if the driver is there, starting conversations with them. Even if it is a Chevy Blazer, Geo Metro, Chevy Venture, Chevy Trans Sport (!!!), Firebird, Geo Storm, Pontiac (Daewoo) LeMans, Ford Escort LX, the same Mustang, Taurus, etc. The essence in it is that I am talking about countries like Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, etc. When I was driven an Olds Custom Cruiser Diesel it was also usual that folks sitting in their Suzuki Swifts, Škodas or Audis started to take photos about my former car. I have collected some quantity of pics and maybe someday it’ll be worth to be posted. Anyway I enjoyed this article. Thanks for posting.
That’s exactly why many of us love Curbside Classic: While collectively older cars are pretty well represented on the roads (and curbs) of North America, any one individual model — even a very popular one in its own day — can be pretty rare. The Oldsmobile Cutlass was the best-selling car in America 40 years ago, but I can’t tell you when is the last time I saw one.
Most of us have broad taste in cars. We’d love to see what old cars prowl the roads of your hometown, even if they were never offered for sale here.
Those two Mustang photos are funny beside each other. In my mid-80’s highschool one of the “cool” guys announced that he’d bought a Mustang. We all trooped out to look at it.
Of course the picture in my head was a black 69 Mach 1 and when we got out there it was just like that convertible, except light blue. Same dreadful wire caps and all. Everyone liked it but me, I was horrified.
Judging from the taillamps, the Mazda is an ’88 or ’89. Good thing the buyer sprung for the SE package, assuming it has a standard transmission. The base model hatchback came with a 4-speed that lacked an overdrive gear. The SE came with a 5-speed.
Look at it this way. If they’re moving you know they run. If they’re parked there’s a chance they don’t. Even if they’re on the street.
Was running when parked… 😉
The Mazda 323 SE reminded me of my 323 DX, 5 speed. There was nothing DeLuxe on mine. Crank windows and no AC. It was the newest vehicle I ever bought with about 8000 miles on it. I had it from ’86 to ’95 and it was the poster boy of reliability.
Excellent array of out-of-the-ordinary stuff, JG. I recognize exactly where you shot the Dart, but I will tell you that so far, I have never, ever seen that car out and about. I will keep watching – those pre-1970 models are much harder to find in the wild than their newer counterparts.
The two red trucks are both interesting. We don’t see many big ‘uns like that Ford still punching a clock, and those Chevys were first-rate rusters and seldom look that good around here.
I had seen that Fairlane on CL, and it looked like a very nice car (other than the big dent). I thought the owner had it priced pretty aggressively, considering that he has probably already pocketed a fat insurance check that likely came close to the fair value of the car.
JP, I can tell you why you don’t see pre-’70 Darts out there…there are few parts out there for them! My ’53 Buick is easier to find parts for than my Dart. The Corvair is a thousand times easier. I’d have passed on mine if I had any idea how poor parts availability was…
Now, is parts availability poor because nobody likes those cars, or is it that nobody wants the cars because you can’t find parts???
I followed a BRG 101 Vauxhall Victor recently but it escaped at a traffic light the rear view is on the cohort somewhere but yesterday I found it parked next to a supercharged Holden that gets exported to the UK with Vauxhall badging this pair will be appearing on the cohort soon.
That generation of Chevy pickup is seldom found anymore? Where are you living? Here in the Midwest you literally can’t go a day without seeing half a dozen, in every stage of (dis)repair from pristine to held-together-with-duct-tape-and-bubble-gum.
And as for the Caprice being “mildly donked” …oh, well. I guess if it weren’t for donked Caprices we wouldn’t have any Caprices.
This showed up in my neighborhood just north of Boston last fall. It’s definitely being driven, as I have seen it parked in various places.
I’m in Indianapolis. I dunno, maybe I’m not tuned to that generation of Chevy truck. Maybe I noticed this one because of its generally good condition.
I live down in the southern end of Indiana and still see quite a few of these. Of course most are rust buckets. The nice ones like that in the picture either have new sheet metal or buckets of bondo. I remember a neighbor had a new one in 1974 and it started showing rust bubbles in less than a year. Now, I know they salt the roads here in Hoosierland, but vehicles at that time would go more than 5 years with no show of rust in this area. My dad always said that some cars and trucks came pre rusted from the factory. I believe this is one of them.
Older GM trucks are notorious rusters; I remember reading that something about the way they were designed made them trap moisture so they rusted from the inside out. Where do you live in southern Indiana; I live in Evansville and also still see these trucks around. Here they now “pre-treat” the roads with various salts 2 or 3 days before the snow is forecasted to start. Usually it then warms up enough to just rain and all the salt gets washed off the street.
Daviess county. Most of these seem to be growing weeds in farm lots.
That pre treatment stuff may wash off the roads but it sure sticks to your car and shoes.
The 1973-1987 generation of the GM C/Ks disappeared from Central New York roads en masse by the late 90s to early 2000s. Both the NYSDOT and NYSPRC send their oldest vehicles Upstate to rust to death and wear out so there were a few 73-87s floating around Ithaca around 2010 and 2011.
I can totally see the evolution between the 1972 C/K and the 1973 C/K, they have similar looks.
The Fairlane was parked on what is essentially a one-car used car lot. This guy finds something to replace a car as soon as it sells. This spring there was a ’56-ish Nomad that someone abandoned mid project… most recently there was a late-’80s Chebby pick-up; today there’s some ugly-brown Chevrolet sedan that looks too short-coupled.
There are a couple other neighbors along this stretch practicing the same gambit.