DOTS: Old Timers Edition UPDATE

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 05/19/2020 at 13:34 • Filed to: Dots

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I took Turk on a walk yesterday and had some surprisingly good DOTS.

I’ve seen this 1950s commercial truck on the road before hauling junk. I think it is actually used as a means of livelihood, though I don’t see any plates in this picture. If I recall it was GM, probably a Chevy. The truck is actually a contemporary of the GMC I featured yesterday.

Thanks to Fintail, I now know this is an International Loadstar of recent Snowrunner fame. With how many hours I’ve sunk in that game and in that vehicle, I’m surprised I didn’t recognize it.

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Then I peeked in the window of the Fire Museum in Fire House #1. When’s the last time you saw a Ford Falcon that clean? And a two door no less. Neat stuff. I always find it funny that fire station street signs still have a picture of an antique roofless design.

I like the green color. It’s not too crazy on the restomod spectrum.

Speaking of crazy, what is this? And why does it say “Yaarah” on it?

Something for the space crab, who probably isn’t on Oppo at this time. Hi Zoidberg.

Focus coupes are surprisingly rare.

Infinitis of this era have all but disappeared from the road. This example was a nice green color and had nary a scratch on it.

Thanks to Fintail, I can appreciate the rarity of this facelifted first generation Infiniti Q45. Sadly the facelift removed the overly ornate badge for a slightly ornate badge, but it was still quite interesting to see.

I do like me a Saab 900. I would probably go for a hardtop but I still like it.

While we are discussing fun two door red Swedish automobiles, I would be remiss to forget this nice Volvo C30.

Good old Turkey had fun yesterday.

And what the heck, let me throw in some cool history.

This is Old Zion Baptist Church, built in 1888 and founded by former slaves. New Zion Baptist is in the background.

Here’s a difficult question: Which of the featured cars would you take? I think I would like the Volvo C30 best followed closely by the Saab.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 13:48

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I believe the first truck is an International. Maybe 60s-early 70s vintage.

Those early Q45s are seriously rare on the road, even here. I think they eventually developed Achilles heel issues due to neglect, and many were ran into the ground. I suspect that one is a facelift (94-96) model. Probably even more rare than the Saab.

KnowsAboutCars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 14:35

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That three-wheeler is Harley-Davidson trike (or did other bike manufacturers also jump in to the utility bike train?) I’d imagine it’s rare to see one that’s modified but not turned into a chopper. Is it Yaarah or Yaarab?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > KnowsAboutCars 05/19/2020 at 14:39

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Zooming in my uncompressed image it says Yaarab. Yeah it is like a Harlequin Golf but a HD trike. I have no idea what kind of person you would see riding that.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 05/19/2020 at 14:51

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I think you may be right. It’s hard to tell but that cab shape looks like the IH Loadstar, of recent Snowrunner fame. The wheel arch also seems to match up, though that crease in the door is hard to see because of the paint.

I actually saw an entirely different Loadstar recently. They are quite striking trucks. I also saw something that looked a whole lot like this

But it said “White” on the front. As far as I could tell, that truck was never sold under “White” but was sold as a Western Star. Fun rabbit hole.

And that Infiniti? Those have got to be seriously rare in that condition. I can’t recall the last time I even saw one at all, and this one looked like something straight out of a 90s magazine ad with that beautiful light tint and matching tan interior.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 15:17

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That Saab or that awesome Toyota pickup are my pics!

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 15:21

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The Internationals have a unique A-pillar/windshield shape used for a long time, always catches my eye. They also went largely unchanged for years, and I think that general shape was in production for over 20 years. I think they were pretty durabl e machines. Semis are an entirely different rabbit hole I haven ’t really ventured into, but it seems some people are restoring those a little more these days, too. I have a cousin who’s husband has an vintage cabover semi, I think it might be a Peterbilt.

Even here, where old cars survive, I might see one or two early Q45 a year anymore.  Most uncommon are the early grille-less design, also the most “pure” design, with its futuristic look and cloisonne emblem.    A car maybe doomed to second place via weird marketing back in the day.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/19/2020 at 15:29

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You never see 900 anymore. Or even Saabs, though a Saabified Trailblazer just passed me.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 05/19/2020 at 16:36

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Vintage commercial vehicles take up a whole lot more time and parts are a whole lot harder to find and more expensive to run. They make even less sense than a classic car. Firetrucks might be even harder to keep on the road, though my neighbor has a COE Ford firetruck. The American cabovers have always intrigued me, since they are just nothing like European cabovers.

I can't remember the last time I saw a grilleless Q45. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 16:46

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I’m not sure if those Saab SUVs were ever sold here in Canada? I can’t remember ever seeing one....we did get the ‘Saabarus’ though!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/19/2020 at 16:52

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We got the Saabified trailblazer and the rare smaller one that came after it plus the slightly more wagony "SUV" before GM purged the brand. The Saabs were the best looking versions of just about every platform they used.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 18:59

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I still feel bad Saab at the end was a bit of a shadow of it’s former self....they had some awesome cars.

Classic Saabs are awesome!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/19/2020 at 20:30

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They got GM’d and still managed to feel uniq ue from the sundry Buicks, Saturns, and the others. I live classic Saabs too. I'd probably own a 900 if any but I do love some of the older ones, especially the two strokes.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 20:48

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I love me the 900s and the classic Saabs the most too!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 05/19/2020 at 21:32

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Yes, I can certainly see you in a 96. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/19/2020 at 22:09

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I could too! Or a Sonnet....those are awesome!