N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana IL, 7/1/87
(first posted 4/25/2012) Yes, I haven’t yet run out of vintage photos from the ’80s and ’90s, you lucky CCers! This time, I have tried to find some pictures that are a little less Fargo-esque and winter-desolate. Let’s start off with a nice shot from July, twenty five years ago. That Coupe de Ville looks like it could be the same car I found in Moline a couple of months ago, except that car was an ’88. Were the 1988 Cadillacs available in July? And I have to mention that sharp ’77 Bonneville on the right.
N. Perryville Road, Rockford IL, 4/24/97
Here’s another blue-sky shot. Lots of CCs in this one! Whether you fancy the luxury of a Mark VII or the utility of a Chevy Astro, it’s right here. What do you see?
Sinsinawa Avenue, East Dubuque IL, 1/21/86
I know a certain educator out West who would snap up that fine Diplomat SE in a heartbeat. And it isn’t an ex-police car, how about that? That Datsun B210 might be feeling pretty uncomfortable among all that American iron-this is the heartland, after all. My favorite B-body, the 1977-81 Pontiac, is represented halfway down the line by an ’80 or ’81 coupe. Looks like a two-tone version sans vinyl roof. Rare then, rarer now.
Court Street, Pekin IL, photo circa 1985
Here’s the type of vintage strip mall that you don’t see much anymore. How convenient that a first-generation Seville is parked next to its platform mate. Yes, I know the ’76-’79 Seville was heavily modified when compared to the Nova, but that is what they started with. Those vintage neon beer signs are probably worth some money today.
N. 10th Street, Quincy IL, 3/13/86
And for you Mopar fans, how about what is most likely an ex-undercover police Monaco. Just think, it might have the mighty 440 under the hood. I guess not every Seventies Monaco and Fury were blown up and crashed on Dukes of Hazzard.
N. Galena Avenue, Dixon IL, 1/31/86
Wow, it’s a Schlitz distributor – how cool is that? Well, that black LTD II-based Ranchero might be a little bit cooler. It you’re more into GM (I’m looking at you Carmine) how about that sharp ’84 or ’85 Delta 88 Royale. I still miss Oldsmobile.
N. Main Street, Princeton IL, 2/13/86
Let’s close this week’s edition with this motel, which apparently was just off of Interstate 80. I’m sure Mr. Tactful will appreciate the two-tone 1980-84 Town Car, and Paul will probably notice that cool Ford C-Series tanker. And look at those gas prices! The place reminds me of the Braidwood Inn in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Don’t forget you can click on these photos for a larger version, if you want to positively identify some of these finds. Well, that’s all for now. Stay tuned for Part V next week!
“I guess not every Seventies Monaco and Fury were blown up and crashed on Dukes of Hazzard.”
Some were just crashed anonymously on the way home from some dive bar. Really, that Monaco somehow looks right at home in front of a bar that looks like that.
As does that ratty F10.
My gawd that F-10 is ugly. I knew a guy who got one right about the time I got my 5-speed Civic CVCC. I couldn’t believe anyone would buy such a monstrosity. I agree with Paul, Ugliest Car Ever.
The F10 isn’t bad until you get to those tail lights. It’s like Ford Styling projectile vomited on the rear end.
I will see you the Datsun/Nissan F-10, and raise you a Pontiac Aztek.
I raise you a ’96 Taurus. A white one.
What F10, or do you mean F-100?
No, he meant F10, as in Datsun F10…The lil yellow wagon behind the Dodge Monaco/Plymouth Fury, and in front of the Ford F150.
I’ll take a tank of that $1.16 gas. I like the Oldsmobile at the Schlitz distributor.
Yep, you cant get anymore midwest than that.
I wouldn’t. Gas is cheaper than that now.
Mmmmm, Royale.
Looks like theres a 70 or so LeMans next to the Town Car at the “Braidwood Inn”, Those Ford C-series trucks were made forever with the same 50’s style front end, I think they were made until 1989 or 90.
Was the scene in Urbana IL taken anywhere near the HAL plant?
The Coupe de Small could be an 87 though, the FWD Caddies got the composite flush headlamps in 1987.
that last shot is a treasure trove….from the right: Chevy Van, chevelle, Lincoln towncar, Buick skylark patially hidden behind the gas sign, Fairmont Wagon, Cutlas supreme at the far left edge hidden behind the snow drift.
Peterbilt rig at the farthest right?
Feel like a cold one at the Hi Hat right about now!
Ye gods diesel at those prices would be good considering my last outward trip I burned 230L to go 330 km, 45 tonne will do that to ya, return was better and 12 tonne lighter about 120L but at $1.56L, A whole gallon for $1.23 is almost free
I think I spy a time-traveler in the second photo! There’s a Sebring convertible next to the Astro. (I think there’s a later Econoline and a Tahoe/Yukon, too). What’s amazing to me is that there’s a whole fleet of cars from the 1980s, and yet this picture was taken in 1995 or later.
EDIT: I see now that the photo was labeled as 1997, not the 1980’s. That really boggles my mind: how was the local fleet so old???
$1.16 was considered high in 1980, a year or so after the whole ‘Shah of Iran thing’. Gas doubled from 55 cents to $1.10 and everyone thought the world ended.
When you live paycheck to paycheck and gas prices double, you have reason to be alarmed.
This was about the time (because of gas prices) I quit daily driving my ’70 C10 and started driving old VW’s for back and forth to work. Also, a base 307 3 on three no power steering drum brake no AC truck was a pain in bumper to bumper stop and go hot smoggy LA freeway driving every work day.
I put 90k miles on the truck in the 30 years I owned it (’76 to ’06), but the first 50k were in the first 4 years. It had 156k miles on it when I sold it.
I personally find the automotive contrasts present between early and mid/late 1990s very interesting. It can be seen in the 4/24/97 shot: look at the contrast between the Sebring and the cars around it. Even though the Sebring might only be a few years newer than them, the “cab-forward” styling is quite the change from the hard-edged 1980s leftover styling of the Astro, Calais, and Tempo. Whatever you think of Chrysler, you have to admit that its 1990s styling was revolutionary.
I noticed that drop-top Sebring as well. What is that building anyway, a union hall? Veterans’ lodge? Its parking lot sure is a time warp.
We need a CC on the Sebring convertibles. Chrysler took a large share of what was left of the convertible market with those. On our ’96 honeymoon in Maui, practically the whole rental fleet was Sebring convertibles. Wonderful car for Hawaii. We drove the Hana Highway and it was magical. But I quickly saw why I wouldn’t buy one myself. Just on the Toys-R-Us switchgear alone, not to mention the funny noises, vague steering, etc.
Looks to me like a movie theater. There’s a few still around here that look a lot like that and date back to around when the picture was taken.
I agree about the parking lot looking like a time warp, reminds me what things looked like when I was in high school. But even by 1997 standards, there’s a fair number of older cars in that photo!
I really love the Delta 88s with the bi-color taillights, second in my heart to only a 98 of the same era as Oldsmobiles go.
Speaking of Diplomats my soon to be sister in law is married into a German family (strange pattern here… all the Chavez girls marrying white guys…) and her husbands uncle works for the local Albuquerque airforce base. The uncle’s daily driver? Ex government service Diplomat. Might be the last one off the line. I need to snap some pics of that car.
I hear ya on the Oldsmobiles Dan!
A couple of weeks ago I found and shot pics of a BEAUTIFUL 1984 Ninety Eight Regency Brougham that was for sale, 30k miles, and other than a so-so repaired front fender, was all original, including the tires!
If we hadn’t already had a CC on these cars, I would have used this for one!
Richard, we welcome different perspectives on previous CCs. If you want to put together a post, go for it!
Very cool series of photos there!
That first shot contains a car my best friend once had in the late 90’s, the Bronco II, though his was the Eddie Bauer edition and was an ’85, in that same red/tan color too.
That second photo, I recognize several cars there.
The red Old’s (late 80’s, early 90’s), I see the Chevy Astro van, the Sebring (though I initially thought it might be a 94 or so Mustang drop top), a similar vintage blue Cavalier, the Mark, an 88 vintage Olds (white, next to the Conti Mark) the second gen Tempo, an Arostar van, A beige Chevy, I think van, a first gen Dodge or Plymouth Minivan, another large van, a white one, possibly a later (93 or later) Ford van and finally, the 88-97 Subrban.
In the third shot, I see the 210, the 2 tone, 2 door Fairmont, or was it the Merc Zypher?, an old mid to late 70’s Ford F150 way down the street and what looks like perhaps a 78 Malibu or some such in the near foreground, along with a couple of 80’s era imports, one looks kind like a Toyota, the other an early to mid 80’s Honda Accord.
That shot of the Nova look like it was either a former GSA civil service fleet or something of that sort, or it lost a piece of door strip on the driver’s door. Also note the home décor store with its generic gothic sign.
I love the bar scene with the Monaco, it’s places like this that interest me from a time capsule POV, yes, that Datsun F-10 looks a bit ratty and note the F100 behind it too. BTW, not sure if Budweiser still uses that sign anymore as it looks rather vintage to my eyes now, though perhaps not so much then.
Love this series!
The Malibu is a ’79; only year for the block red/white/red tails.
The picture of the hotel for Princeton IL actually looks like it is the hotel off of I-80 at exit 45 which is outside of Sheffield, IL and exits off onto route 40.
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Love these older street scenes, at least the cars don’t look like plastic, round jellybean appliances.
If this is the 80’s version, why is the 2nd pic from 1997?
Unless, you meant 1987…Which it looks more like it could be from.
in the first pic is the little white truck an Isuzu? we never got them in Canada but its the only thing I can think of.
Basically. The wheel covers identify it as an ’81 Chevy LUV. Dad had one back then. Almost ended up with it for a first car.
One forgets how many 70s(and 60s) cars still roamed the roads in the land of Pac Man, Sony Walkman, and Madonna!
The pictures looks depressing in certain photo’s. Some of the 80’s scenes look like they could be the early 70’s as well.
That Coupe DeVille is identical to the one my parents owned.
The near-total lack of foreign cars is astonishing. I count five, total, in the whole lot of photos. The scene from ’97 only features one, which is crazy. (White 3rd-gen Prelude).
Very cool old scenes though.
Chris M. re foreign cars.
Higher concentrations of foreign cars are likely at the coasts as opposed to interior America.