Well, I was in Florida on holiday for a couple of weeks and was in tat spotting heaven. We were out on the coast way away from Orlando which is about 97% rental cars. Out away from Disney you get to see real America and real American tat. And believe me the roads are full of it. Not to mention driveways, yards, gardens...
Put it this way, on one day alone I saw no less than 4 1968-1972 model Cutlass!
The first night I was there I was raced off the lighgts by a 1940s Ford pickup with a hot V8 in it. Thats the welcome you need to a town.
The good climate and lack of a real MOT test in the state means that older cars can carry on until completely wrecked. And some of the cars driving round out there look like they did three circuits at a banger track.
A number of these cars were restored or hot rodded cars which were obviously enthusiast owned, but a lot were being driven by teenage girtls, OAPs, fat moms with 4 kids in the back, the usual. Just still in daily use.
As well as the obvious selection of yank cars, far to much to mention from the 1940s upwards there were a lot of VW Beetles and Type 2s and a couple of Type 3s. There were also loads, and I mean loads, of those early 80s square Civics although they have a different headlight arangement for the US market.
One real nice spot was a 1967 Toyota Corona sedan in yellow with baby moons and white walls, bright yellow. Looked mint. Sadly I couldnb't get a photo as it was in traffic on the Route 19.
Theres a lot of what we'd call "barry" too. I din't photo any of that as you can see that on www.ricecop.com or similar if you like. I did notice you can even buy "Lexus" rear lights for late model Mustangs... yuk. Saw a few of them Barry'd up. And I guarantee that they were mechanically stock V6 models as well regardless of the number of B&M, HKS, Blitz, Type-R, NOS stickers on them.
Special mention must go to a ghetto ride Suzuki Swift I saw in Ybor City, it was all stock, with sticker graphics on it and the front had reverse offset 7x13 gold plate wires (with the gold plate coming off) and the back had stock steels, one with a hubcap and one without. There was a big Hispanic guy in it so I didn't take a photo...
I did see a few "Louisiana Tractors" - maybe 3 or 4 - usually later model Mercury or CROWN Victoria with 24" SUV chrome rims on, although someone had defiles a nice 1969 Cutlass that way too. Also plenty of wild flip & pearl painted Escalades and the like. Saw a rat look one done on a late 70s Riviera which looked mad.
Some honourable mentions of tat, I saw a great 1970 Buick Electra "deuce and a quarter" coupe just up by our Villa, tatty as hell, but still in daily use. I also saw a 1969 Convertible version in little better shape a few times.
Saw a few pro street cars out and about, and also a few proper hot rods (1940 Oldsmobile, 1939 Ford rag top, 1946 ford coupe) out and about, a 1946 Dodge project car for sale at a yard, the 40s Ford pickup on the first night and loads of older pickups.
Talking of older pickups there were plenty of those old Datsun and Toyota pickups from the late 60s / early 70s. The ones that look like Datsun Violet or Bluebird from the front. A lot of these were beat to hell and back, saw one with not a straight panel on it, but no actual rust. Saw a few modified ones, more in the rat look than as "minitrucks" style.
Being as we were down south, we saw plenty of pickups, plenty of 4x4 high jackers, some real genuine monster trucks too. Local radio had at least two different monster truck shows being advertised inclusing one with an appearance by "the 40 foot high car crushing mayhem of ROBOSAURUS!" which made me think of the Simpsons.
A fair number of cars on 4x4 chassis conversions as well
I saw a '65 Oldmobile just like mine and a '68 Plymouth Fury just like mine too. Both pretty tatty.
I took few photos...
This is what little old ladies drive. I saw a little old lday get out of it. I love late 1970s / early 80s Caprice and Impala, and saw this in Walmart carpark the first morning. By the end of the day I'd seen 10 more just the same so I took no more pics of these.
I owned one of these for a while and I loved it. Chrysler Fifth Avenue, mid 80s. Bargey! These were insanely popular with tons and tons of them still on the roads there. The only more populous car was the Mercury Grand Marquis.
Late 70s Cadillac Seville, sadly the reverse ofset wire wheels and whitewalls not visible in this picture.
The most popular car in the area is a Mercury Gand Marquis like this. Again pic'd on the first day. Note the combo of alloy and steel wheels with no hubcaps on this one.
Slammed japanese pickup of some sort in grey primer, common style of truck out there. I imagine this floats at least one person's boat on here. This one was not badly beat up!
Buick Electra & Pontiac Sunbird.
Typical down at heel Lincoln from the mid 80s. I was amazed how much these sell for. There were plenty on car lots for like $2995.
Lovely 1968 Chrysler Newport
One of the odder 4x4 conversion cars I saw.
Sign says "Free Gallon of Tea with a large Chicken Tray" - NICE
The thing that amazes me is how many car dealers there are and how big they are. On the radio one advertizes 5000 cars in stock, one advertised a 70,000 square foot show room and another has a 32 acre lot! The sheer number of cars is unbelieveable.
Also the waranties are imense compared to ours on new cars. 10 years 100,000 miles on some! And the deals you can get now... One place was offering 60 months 0% finance! Another was offering $10,000 cash back on a financed new car. Plenty of signs saying "we finance ANYONE". Mind you US base rates are something like 1.25% now.
Amazingly those cube cars are realy popular out there too, the Toyota Scion and the funny little Honda thing that looks like it were very popular.
This was out rental, a new Dodge Charger.
Put it this way, on one day alone I saw no less than 4 1968-1972 model Cutlass!
The first night I was there I was raced off the lighgts by a 1940s Ford pickup with a hot V8 in it. Thats the welcome you need to a town.
The good climate and lack of a real MOT test in the state means that older cars can carry on until completely wrecked. And some of the cars driving round out there look like they did three circuits at a banger track.
A number of these cars were restored or hot rodded cars which were obviously enthusiast owned, but a lot were being driven by teenage girtls, OAPs, fat moms with 4 kids in the back, the usual. Just still in daily use.
As well as the obvious selection of yank cars, far to much to mention from the 1940s upwards there were a lot of VW Beetles and Type 2s and a couple of Type 3s. There were also loads, and I mean loads, of those early 80s square Civics although they have a different headlight arangement for the US market.
One real nice spot was a 1967 Toyota Corona sedan in yellow with baby moons and white walls, bright yellow. Looked mint. Sadly I couldnb't get a photo as it was in traffic on the Route 19.
Theres a lot of what we'd call "barry" too. I din't photo any of that as you can see that on www.ricecop.com or similar if you like. I did notice you can even buy "Lexus" rear lights for late model Mustangs... yuk. Saw a few of them Barry'd up. And I guarantee that they were mechanically stock V6 models as well regardless of the number of B&M, HKS, Blitz, Type-R, NOS stickers on them.
Special mention must go to a ghetto ride Suzuki Swift I saw in Ybor City, it was all stock, with sticker graphics on it and the front had reverse offset 7x13 gold plate wires (with the gold plate coming off) and the back had stock steels, one with a hubcap and one without. There was a big Hispanic guy in it so I didn't take a photo...
I did see a few "Louisiana Tractors" - maybe 3 or 4 - usually later model Mercury or CROWN Victoria with 24" SUV chrome rims on, although someone had defiles a nice 1969 Cutlass that way too. Also plenty of wild flip & pearl painted Escalades and the like. Saw a rat look one done on a late 70s Riviera which looked mad.
Some honourable mentions of tat, I saw a great 1970 Buick Electra "deuce and a quarter" coupe just up by our Villa, tatty as hell, but still in daily use. I also saw a 1969 Convertible version in little better shape a few times.
Saw a few pro street cars out and about, and also a few proper hot rods (1940 Oldsmobile, 1939 Ford rag top, 1946 ford coupe) out and about, a 1946 Dodge project car for sale at a yard, the 40s Ford pickup on the first night and loads of older pickups.
Talking of older pickups there were plenty of those old Datsun and Toyota pickups from the late 60s / early 70s. The ones that look like Datsun Violet or Bluebird from the front. A lot of these were beat to hell and back, saw one with not a straight panel on it, but no actual rust. Saw a few modified ones, more in the rat look than as "minitrucks" style.
Being as we were down south, we saw plenty of pickups, plenty of 4x4 high jackers, some real genuine monster trucks too. Local radio had at least two different monster truck shows being advertised inclusing one with an appearance by "the 40 foot high car crushing mayhem of ROBOSAURUS!" which made me think of the Simpsons.
A fair number of cars on 4x4 chassis conversions as well
I saw a '65 Oldmobile just like mine and a '68 Plymouth Fury just like mine too. Both pretty tatty.
I took few photos...
This is what little old ladies drive. I saw a little old lday get out of it. I love late 1970s / early 80s Caprice and Impala, and saw this in Walmart carpark the first morning. By the end of the day I'd seen 10 more just the same so I took no more pics of these.
I owned one of these for a while and I loved it. Chrysler Fifth Avenue, mid 80s. Bargey! These were insanely popular with tons and tons of them still on the roads there. The only more populous car was the Mercury Grand Marquis.
Late 70s Cadillac Seville, sadly the reverse ofset wire wheels and whitewalls not visible in this picture.
The most popular car in the area is a Mercury Gand Marquis like this. Again pic'd on the first day. Note the combo of alloy and steel wheels with no hubcaps on this one.
Slammed japanese pickup of some sort in grey primer, common style of truck out there. I imagine this floats at least one person's boat on here. This one was not badly beat up!
Buick Electra & Pontiac Sunbird.
Typical down at heel Lincoln from the mid 80s. I was amazed how much these sell for. There were plenty on car lots for like $2995.
Lovely 1968 Chrysler Newport
One of the odder 4x4 conversion cars I saw.
Sign says "Free Gallon of Tea with a large Chicken Tray" - NICE
The thing that amazes me is how many car dealers there are and how big they are. On the radio one advertizes 5000 cars in stock, one advertised a 70,000 square foot show room and another has a 32 acre lot! The sheer number of cars is unbelieveable.
Also the waranties are imense compared to ours on new cars. 10 years 100,000 miles on some! And the deals you can get now... One place was offering 60 months 0% finance! Another was offering $10,000 cash back on a financed new car. Plenty of signs saying "we finance ANYONE". Mind you US base rates are something like 1.25% now.
Amazingly those cube cars are realy popular out there too, the Toyota Scion and the funny little Honda thing that looks like it were very popular.
This was out rental, a new Dodge Charger.
Edit: too late its done!
;D
