On a recent jog through the neighborhood, I encountered some new curbside sights that I thought were worth sharing.
I’ve seen a Geo Metro (Suzuki Swift) converted into a pickup a few times around town, but this Gen2 Prius was new to me. I wonder if the back doors still open.
The woodwork wasn’t quite cabinet quality, but nevertheless nicely done. By the way, the paint color on this hybrid truck is the same as on our own 2008 Prius (now our son’s), called Driftwood.
I tried to get a lot in this picture. T3 Vanagon Westfalia’s are no rarity in our town, and in fact the last time I was on this block, there was a second one in the same color, and both with the same non-USA grill and headlight setup. But I didn’t have a chance to get a photo then. This time, only the one Vanagon was there, but joined by a BMW 320i, a 1964 (?) Falcon wagon, a T1 VW bus … and barely visible beyond the older VW is another common CC, a Ford Crown Victoria.
This “box body” GMC truck is a regular sighting and daily driver. It’s always parked on this narrow and busy street with the driver-side mirror folded in. As a regular bicyclist along this block, I appreciate the owner’s care in giving cyclists just a bit more room. It’s rare to see one unmodified like this, except for the period-correct bumper guards and the front receiver hitch.
Finally, just around the corner from my house was this red-on-red Buick.
Like the Falcon wagon, I’ll call it a ’64, but I suppose it could be a year newer. In fact, until I saw the prominent badging on the front fender, I would have assumed it was a Skylark. I’d also assume it has the V6 under the hood based on the modest trim level; it definitely had an automatic.
A really diverse collection! The green Chevy pickup appears to be suffering from the effects of a failed clearcoat from a relatively modern repaint. And that red Buick Special is a mystery – most convertible buyers tended towards higher trim models. The red paint is fairly expected, but not the low-end trim level.
I like the Prute, by Toyota. (Well, you couldn’t use Prucklet, could you?) It looks quite good.
Made from a write-off, judging by the considerable damage on the RH rear side that’s been roughly pulled out and wood-painted over. Better woodwork would lift things, but given my skills in that field, I really can’t comment.
The Toyota Praverick. Available today, just bring your own slightly damaged base car, a Sawzall, and four 2x4s. I can easily see this being an actual thing, i.e. a small hybrid Toyota pickup, especially with Ford not wanting to or not being able to supply the full market demand for their base truck. Build it on the Corolla Cross platform which has a hybrid already in other markets.
That Prius even seems to have a set of commercial plates on it. My recollection is that you could get them as a normal person but their reg price is higher and it had to be a wagon, van, or truck, I don’t know that a stock Prius would have qualified (I could be wrong). The huge advantage (in SF at least) is that it allows you to legally park in yellow zones for the alotted time.
Anybody can apply for commercial plates from what I remember; it simply adds a larger fee to your yearly registration. Newspaper couriers and drivers for Uber/GrubHub/DoorDash and similar delivery services occasionally get these plates when their workload justifies the privilege of loading-zone wait time. I once bought a 1997 Accord coupe that came with them but I exchanged them for standard plates because I had no use for commercials, at least at the time.
The GMC truck is a 1980 model with the one-year-only (and extra cost, bundled with the top trim level and a freestanding option on others, RPO V22) square-headlight grille. The body color horizontal strip is part of that option on GMCs only.
Nice finds! The Special convertible did not come with the bucket seats it now has.
Like that Buick!
Hmmm. And I didn’t think is was possible to make the turd Prius any worse than the original design. I was very wrong!
Today I had (yes, had and not by choice) to ride in a 2011 Prius for a 50 mile Lyft ride. What a total joy it was to get out of that thing. They are a miserable excuse for a car.
I’ve driven/experienced an example of 3 Prius generations for about a week each, a 2001, 2007 and 2010 which cover the first three generations. There was nothing that materially made it feel “less” of a car than a contemporary Toyota and for a car that’s slotted between the Corolla and Camry there was nothing that felt undersized. Not my preference of car but for you to say “miserable excuse for a car” is just ignorant EV-hater mentality; best to be thought a fool and remain silent…
Some people can’t or won’t perceive the difference between I don’t like [whatever] and [whatever] is poopy.
Sorry Dino, I have an extensive amount of experience in the auto industry and have owned many different brands/models of vehicles. I’ve leased all electric, PHEV and hybrid, so I’m not a “EV-hater”. I just happen to know a nice car vs. a car that is not a nice car. The Prius is not a nice car. If it wasn’t for it’s better MPG’s, it would never have survived.
Regarding the Prius,
I suppose calling it a prick-up is out of the question.