California Streetscape – Part 2

Pontiac Firebird

Continuing on from California Streetscape Part 1, we’ll see more of California’s street side diversity.

Jeep Wagoneer

First up is this very intact looking Jeep Wagoneer. While the donor vehicle is very much a product of the 1960s and decorated with throwback fake wood, the Wagoneer was definitely one of must-have vehicles of the 1980s. Rust and high fuel costs mean that few remain as daily drivers like this one, which the owner has even seen fit to adorn with a custom license plate.

Jeep Wagoneer rear

Parked in the background sits one of the Wagoneer’s modern high-status counterparts.

Mercury Capri

Canada never got these Australian Mercury Capris, which I figure is no great loss. I never quite understood why one would buy one of these over the dynamically superior Mazda Miata.

Volkswagen Beetle Baja

Filling our air-cooled Volkswagen allotment this segment is this Baja style buggy. The “wide five” bolt pattern wheels indicate this Baja was built on a pre-1968 Beetle pan.

Volkswagen Beetle Baja rear

Exposed engine, oversized rear wheels and whip style antenna complete the Baja look.

Datsun Z

This Datsun 280Z has seen better days, with its mismatched hood along with a missing bumper overrider and hood vent. The body still looks very solid thanks to the mild California climate.

Datsun Z rear

Hopefully the lack of license plates means its someone’s project rather than an abandoned car.

GMC

This classic 1959 GMC 100 pickup truck, with sun damaged paint, has patina to spare.

GMC rear

According to his bumper sticker, the owner would like to keep his clunker and I’d expect they could keep on driving this truck for several more decades.

Porsche 944

This reasonably early Porsche 944 looked rather appealing even without a very flashy color.

Porsche 944 rear

When these cars were new, I never cared for the reflective panel between the lights that spelled out “Porsche.”  My opinion has mellowed over the years and now it is a charming period quirk.

Toyota Previa

I like the Toyota Previa for its handsome styling and novel engineering, but they have always been a rare sight in western Canada. Southern California seems to have been blessed with a large number of survivors based on my very non-scientific survey. This was the roughest of all the examples I saw, but it has a certain character to it.

Toyota truck

Toyota pickup trucks are another vehicle that seem relatively plentiful. It is strange to see them with a fully intact box.

 

Chevrolet Nova rear

This Chevrolet Nova two door looks to be in solid shape despite sunburnt paint.

Chevrolet Nova

The 350 call-out shows us it is a V8 powered car.  Note the missing headlight up front.

Chevrolet Corvair a

Appropriately parked only a few spaces down from the Nova is this lovely yellow Corvair.

Pontiac Firebird rear

We will end with the rear view of the Pontiac Firebird in our leading photo; the blue LeMans behind it likely belongs to the same owner.  Looks as though California remains one of the best places to own a classic.