Over the years, I’ve done several CC walks through my neighborhood. I sometimes worry a bit that with the passage of time, the number of CCs may drop. But it’s holding up pretty well, as this one block of Monroe Street shows rather graphically. Let’s walk down it.
These two on the left make a nice pairing. Old Toyota pickups are everywhere here, and no block is likely without one. But the Caprice is hardly common, as the early pre-1980 versions have become quite rare. Will finding any B-Body of this vintage be a big deal someday?
This house on the right is always good for an eclectic collection.
A Vanagon, early 70s Dodge D100, a T-Bird Turbo Coupe, a Chevy van, and a Malibu wagon. An equal-opportunity brand lover.
It’s not on the same block, but beyond the Vanagon there’s a fine old F100, and a yellow VW Beetle too.
Heading south again, we see some more classic Eugene-mobiles, in the form of the ever-popular Toyota van, a Mercedes W123 300 Turbo Diesel wagon, and a VW Eurovan.
And not just one, but two white Eurovans live here. Weren’t most of them white? OK, the Golf is the one interloper on this all-CC block.
And the driveway across the street has two more all-time Eugene-mobiles; a gen1 Subaru Outback, and a venerable Volvo 242 two door sedan, in that preferred baby blue.
Just one street on one block, but a pretty CC rich one. In case you missed my previous neighborhood walks, the links are below. It’s never too late to retrace my footsteps.
February 2011 Snow Holiday Walk and Talk
I’ll take the T-Bird and the Dodge truck. I’ve been wanting a truck anyway… 🙂
And if it’s the same setup as my father’s ’73 was (Slant-Six with 4-speed OD), you can maybe get 22 mpg on the highway! Or pull a 6,000 lb. trailer uphill on the interstate at 45 mph in 3rd! But not both at once.
That Malibu wagon is calling my name
This is quite a diverse collection of vehicles. Almost looks like a sort of “keeping up with the Jones’es”, except with older vehicles. I can see finding a Caprice like this one being a big deal even now to someone born in the ’70s or even later. I tried to attach a picture of my driveway, but it didn’t work. I consider my collection to be eclectic.
Whether this question has been asked before and answered, I would like a clear explanation, “what is it about this part of the country that seems to have such a mass quantity of old and unique cars still being used as daily drivers and a lack of new cars?”. Is it the weather, or way of living, personalities, or what? (I have nothing against this, frankly I wish I lived where you can see a VW Fox, Merkur, and Sterling 827 on the block!)
A combination of factors. Many people live in Eugene specifically to not live the auto-centric lifestyle so common in big cities. Incomes are not very high, and folks would often rather drive an older car, which of course don’t rust here.
Many folks in the close-in neighborhoods don’t use cars to commute; the bike, bus or walk, so the cars are primarily used for other purposes.
For some, it’s also a political thing, about not wasting resources and such.
It’s cool to drive an older car.
They just can’t afford it; we don’t have many corporate-type jobs.
It’s specifically common in certain neighborhoods; I could show you other blocks in other parts of town that are quite different.
There is a car culture, but it tends to manifest itself more in folks keeping and maintaining older cars, and not ones that are very high profile. People move to Eugene for the lifestyle, which is laid back. Being all Type-A and having lots of new cars in the driveway is not the socially-acceptable norm here.
I like to think that everyone would drive old cars if they didn’t live somewhere where they rust out. I know I certainly would. 😛
You are lucky to live in such a place. Portland is much the same way. A few months ago, while visiting relatives up there, we took a trip up to Seaside, and there were hundreds of old vehicles of every description. Here in Phoenix you don’t see that. The whole lifestyle is different. Everything new and high tech. Cars are used for everything. Most old cars you see have been restored. There are salvage yards here with a lot of old rust free cars that it wouldn’t take too much to get back into running condition, but they want way to much for them. Most of them go to out of state buyers.
Way down south, seven miles from the Mexico border, is a town called Bisbee. It’s an old mining town where people still live the quiet life. There are very few late model cars there. I’d say that pre ’70 vehicles outnumber newer ones.
OH MY GOSH
That old D100 is beautiful!
so is the F-100!
Agreed–that “Combination Tu-Tone” on the Ford is really nice.
This block has every single variety of stereotypical Pacific Northwest hipstermobiles all in one place! I love it, especially the VW and Toyota cab-over vans. I would likely get along well with these guys, being a PNW car hipster myself with my Vanagon. I bet you at least one of those Eurovans has a kaput transmission pending a transplant to the other one. My house will look like this someday.
I like that T bird coupe. There not very common where I live but those euro vans are very common. But those 80’s caprices are around a bit as well. I have been a bit of a fan of those old d100s thats something rare though cause most of them are rusted out or gonna be crushed so yeah a bit sad but I like mostly late 1990’s to 2000’s dodge’s but anyways those volvo’s are pretty nice as well. Also Volvo’s are a big thing where I live so yeah. The toyota trucks well there pretty much like dinosaurs where I live gone cause most of them were crashed or rotted out in a forest but I wouldn’t mind one in good condition.
*VERY* Nice ! .
I’m envious Paul .
I’m pretty sure that Caprice is a big whoop now ~ I don’t see many in Los Angeles anymore…
-Nate
If its not from Oregon, it doesn’t have moss on it!, that’s how you can tell.
So different from here in Australia. One hardly sees anything older than about 10 years in daily use anymore. Over a decade of cheap Korean cars effectively replaced the need for people to drive old ones and even the newer-used car market struggles these days. Now one can even buy a genuine made in Germany VW Golf for under $20k ( that’s cheap by our standards). People go for these less expensive new cars to get the warranty, latest safety standards and all the technology. Even “out west” in the country areas, old utes and cars are a much smaller presence than ever before, largely replaced by Toyota 4wd utilities and such like. Old cars are really for collectors now.
Most of the earlier white Eurovans are campers . The last Weekenders sold in the U.S. with the VR6 engines, came in different colors. I’ve seen some nice dark color red , blue , and green ones. I wonder if they worked out the transmission bugs on them . In Europe they sell a VW camper called the California. Too bad we can’t get them here any more .
Even though GM built many B-bodies even Portland does not have that many and I might see 1-3 a day, but that is not a guarantee. I suspect it is because the West Coast was the first area to start buying large quantities of imported vehicles. Sixray is probably right that one of those Eurovans is a parts vehicle since the one on the street lacks plates and appears to have an ecosystem growing on it.
I do like that D-100. The first generation of this body was really well done, arguably Dodge’s best pickup design to date. There’s a lot to be said for the ’39 – ’47 trucks and the Power Wagon, but neither were modern trucks, and while I have fond memories of the Sweptlines we used at the golf course my family ran, they don’t come together like these.
Nitpicking: A two-door 240 series is a 242. But you know that.
Knowing it and writing it are two different things, as I find all too often to be the case 🙂
Indeed; sometimes I look at something I’ve written and think, “I wrote that?
Really nice to see that Eugene still boasts a special mix automotive cheapskates, environmentally conscious folk, and gearheads. I spent early 1986 there and, having grown up in the northeastern USA, never knew what pre-1970s Japanese vehicles (cars or pickups) looked like until I walked around Eugene. There was also more than one unique motorhome, including one carpentry gem that made it into a book (Handmade Homes?). Never saw so many recumbent bicycles anywhere else, either. Thanks for all cc’s from that awesome place.
I just love older, unrestored cars and trucks that are still on the road. Once you have spent a fortune restoring something, it kinda becomes a piece of artwork that has to be taken really good care of. Not that I don’t think certain rare and special cars shouldn’t be restored, but everyday cars aren’t worth it. But it’s good to keep them going for as long as possible. In AZ a body/frame should last at least 100 years in daily service.
I dunno JRD ;
I’m in the middle of rebuilding (it’s not “restored” because Restored means AS-NEW and I’m making small changes) my 1969 Chevy C/10 pickup truck , frame up and it’s my daily driver shop truck and will be again once finished , much to the dismay of my Painter Paco who makes his living building show cars ~ he’s repeatedly asked me why the hell do I plan to drive and use it ~ why the hell would I have a 42 year old step side 6 cylinder pickup truck if I didn’t want to drive the wheels off it ?! .
Daily Drivers make the best restorations , you get to enjoy all the hard work like the original Manufacturer intended .
-Nate
Will Trade: Office tower in Toronto’s financial district, one desk, and a climate that eats old cars for Eugene. 2 foot snow banks fee!