Thoughts about the car market and hobby, past and present. I hope I have succeeded in making this blog easy to understand for all who read it, and hopefully even interesting.
In my household, we recently acquired another vehicle due to an increase in drivers. The vehicle selected was a 2004 Hyundai Elantra. I quickly started noticing these cars when I see them, whereas before, I kept forgetting they existed. Such is the case with cars that the press often overlooks and buyers pass over. What I've noticed is that relatively few of these cars are on the roads around here. Now, with over 100,000 sold in the US during 2004 alone, it's not really a rare car.But regionally, they are not in large supply.Which got me thinking, "when is a car considered rare"?
A second occurance boosted this curiosity. I spotted a a late-90s Mercury Cougar.Once quite common, these cars have reached the age where they are being junked in large numbers, but aren't yet considered rare.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to consider such cars. Our Elantra is not a limited-production car, but in rural areas and the midwest, they are not exactly common like Impalas and Fusions are.Some Asian cars are often seen in the coastal states but not places like Wisconsin. Is a car still rare if its rarity is only regional?
Likewise, when do older cars become rare? Sometimes it's hard to tell when the model is still produced. A 1984 Honda Accord and 2004 version are the same model, but different in many ways. Newer Accords are a dime a dozen in cities and suburbs, but in many areas, previous generations range from rare to non-existant. Nobody thinks of the final Buick Skylarks or Toyota Tercels as rare, but they are dying off and surely in some areas, they may exist in scant numbers.
For the record, classic cars do not apply to this question. They are in their own class. Of course 1970s Firebids are less common than Pontiacs from 2004, and chances are there arent 4 or 5 driving around the same town at any given time, but they would not be are by classic car standards.For sure, they have survived in greater numbers than Pontiac Venturas from the same decade.My thoughts apply mostly to cars no more than 15 years old.Cars either old enough to be taken off the road en masse but still new enough where many are still in service, or cars built in fairly good numbers but that often only found regional success.
There is a 3rd part, too. Obscure cars that never sold well but are still pretty recent. A good example is the Suzuki Forenza. Few bought them, but they are still new enough where attrition hasn't forced them all into retirement yet. Can owners consider them "rare", or just "obscure"?
As for our Hyundai, we didn't buy it as an investment. Its for basic commuting. Not seeing many around here sort of makes it more enjoyable to own, since we have don't have the same car every other person does.It's just an observation that I wonder about.Maybe the term "rare" changes definition from person to person. Maybe it's much harder to guage than many of us realize.Regardless, its a question worth pondering if we own cars that could potentially fit into that category.
After a 16-hour shift Saturday and spending all of Friday morning getting a dangerous wheel alignment flaw corrected just before work, I needed to get some cruising time in. So I headed out from about 12:45-1:50 PM Sunday to see some weekend Woodwarding before another slow work day. This time, there was no rain and the scene was very satisfying. I again parked at the same coffee shop I was situated at a few days ago, and tried photographing passing cars on an older camera phone.I ran into some problems with the transfer of the pictures so I will upload them later when I try again.
Motorcycles were pretty prominent this time, particularly among younger cruisers. While the cruising movement was intended to showcase old cars, there are a few newer cars that deserve attention as well and I believe they belong on the strip as well. Cruising is not restricted to old guys. We need younger folks to join in as well and they favor newer cars. My belief is that they-younger folks and recent cars- should be welcomed.This has long been an issue of debate. Many people think that only classics-cars more than 25 years old-should be out cruising.But, cruising is fun for everyone and unites people, so if newer cars are what's needed to bring out the younger crowd, I'm fine with that.
European cars are quite popular with the younger groups. Audi's and BMWs were common.I even observed a woman gunning the engine of a newer Maserati. A number of Porsche's made appearances, too.
Most of the classics were popular or high-production models. Camaro's, Mustangs and Chevelle's tend to dominate. During the cruise day itself and the last few days leading up to it, theres no telling what will be driving around. On Sunday, though, there were few surprises but enough variety to make me head off to the workplace feeling satisfied.
Well, actually, there was 1 surprise. A small moped was dwarfed by its very heavy-set rider, who could barely fit on it. He was blasting smooth jazz from the radio very loudly. I was 2 lanes away and could hear the music perfectly. I didn't realize that mopeds had such powerful radios. Then, the light turned green and the moped outran all the other vehcles, showing thats its deceptive power was not limited to the radio.The big inline 6 Jeep motor in the TCWC Gremlin could not keep up.
If I'm lucky, I'll have the photo's uploaded later tonight. Either way, it was a nice hour watching the cars and I definitely made the right decision by going.
Ten days to go until the big event, and things didn't seem to be as busy as they were at this time in years past.
First, I made a stop at the one gas station that cruisers can still hang out at.The place is usually crawling with classics.Only about 5 were there, possibly due to rain.Most of the people at the lot are regulars and can be seen there every day over the summer.Cars were not coming in quickly enough so I left after about 2 or 3 photo ops.
I then sat at the ice cream store for a few minutes. There were lots of late-model imports, perfect for a chapter of "carwatching", but the focus is on classics and few people paid attention to the new BMW convertibles speeding recklessly by.
Finally, I parked in the lot of a bank that was closed for the evening. It was brought to my attention that the local police kicked out the younger group that used to frequent the lot and banned them from using it again.I purchased a coffee from the nearby Caribou to show that I'm a paying customer. Two bouts of rain kept cruisers to a minimum and most that I did see were too far away and moving too fast to get decent cellphone pics.
Tonight I was only able to upload 4 pictures, but the opportunities were a bit limited anyway.
One of the few cars to show up at the time I checked out the normally full gas station.This Lincoln sat next to an orange Bricklin,followed by a dark blue street rod. Less exciting than usual in this lot.
As I was leaving the gas station, a 1955 Pontiac pulled in and gave me a badly-needed opportunity for a photography subject.
The Camaro was one of the few notable cars I was able to successfully photograph between rainshowers.
I'm not good at camera photos and this one turned out poorly centered. Either way, pickups are among the hottest collectibles so its important to get some pictures of those.
Had the weather cooperated, a larger batch of cars probably would have hit the road today.It will likely be a few days before I make it back out with the TCWC Gremlin, which gives everyone else more time to get ready.
August 17 is something of a holiday around here. It's the Woodward Dream Cruise.Many people love it, many people hate it, and if you don't know what it is, look it up.
Now, I'm not a legitimate member of the automotive media and I'm not sure this is a legitimate blog, but either way, you cannot have a Detroit-based auto blog without some WDC coverage.To prove that I'm not part of the legitimate media, I cruise around in the car most ridiculed by them: an AMC Gremlin.I guess that will serve as the official TCWC cruiser.
Between double-shifts, overtime and catching up on sleep, I'll be hitting the strip over the next week and a half with my archaic camera.I cannot directly upload to my computer so I'll have to send the pics to someone, have them emailed to me or sent via facebook, than resubmit them here.Please be patient.
Usually, the cars are out pretty early in the month. Chances are, fee cruisers will be out tonight due to rain. But if things clear up, i might try to get a few minutes in before sundown. We are the city that built most of these cruising cars and we take pride in it.You don't have to do much asking around to find an owner of a classic car. They will be out in droves, especially after Monday.
When to expect pictures and a journal? Beats me. Just check back and see if I've been able to update this page at all.
ONLY 49,000 MILES,4cyl engine,new tires,new brakes,AC blows ice cold,power locks,great on gas,runs and drives excellent call 586-709-0486-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ok, it took a minute to decide whether I'd use this as my blog entry or not. This car is pretty old even by the standards of the price range it's in.Its a 20 year old car and chances are, the Michigan salt has probably done some damage to the body.A few years from now it will qualify for "Historic Vehicle" plates.However, it's a very low-mileage car with a sturdy, boxy design.Chrysler has made some embarrassing junk since the 90s, but these seemed to be a brighter spot. The Spirits, Acclaims, Lebarons and Dynastys were ugly, dull, boring and cheap. But they seemed to be more dependable than most Chryslers. Many were bought by seniors, so, coupled with their stodgy looks, they were thought of as "old peoples cars". If the body doesn't rust apart, I'd bet this car can go another 100,000 miles.It's a classic example of "function over form". Uninspired, ugly, dull styling (inside and out), boring to drive, but at least it does what it needs to do. If what you need is cheap transportation that keeps you dry, you likely won't complain. Perfect for teen drivers,too.Simple can be good. I would consider this a fairly low risk purchase as far as $2600 cars go.
People of a certain age are often stuck in a time warp. they remember when a $1000 car was easy to find and would last for 2 years. Such bargains are scarce, if you can find them at all. $3000-4000 is the new $1000.Anything less is likely very used up, or needs work just to get it on the road. That is not completely bad. Cars are better now than they were in those days. A $1000 car 20 years ago was a 1970s or 80s model that was expected to last up to 75,000 miles. Interiors were cheap and self-destructed early in their lives.Electrical failures were common. Squeaks, rattles and shoddy workmanship were the norm. Todays cars are engineered better and use better materials. Even the cheapest cars will run 150,000-200,000 miles without surprising anyone. With improved technology and materials comes a cost.On entry-level wages, buying a first car may be harder to afford, but the car will likely be much better and safer than it was 20 years ago.
Now that I remember my password and can log back on, I will be looking at cars in the $3000-4000 prce range and we'll take a look at what the cheap cars of today are like. It can vary from 1 place to the next. In areas with lower costs of living, cars can likely be found cheaper. Also, in areas where cars last longer, they can be found at lower prices, often due to the overflow on the market, where supply may outnumber demand.
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1998 Chevrolet Lumina -Low Miles 60K- Chevy Lumina - $3250 (Warren)
Year - 1998
Make - Chevrolet
Model - Lumina
Color - White
Miles - 60,026 Actual
Engine - 3.1 L V6
Runs & drives very well, taken care of / garage kept always. Many options
Call for more info, thank you.
Price - 3,250.00 plus tax,title & plate fee's
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The bad news is, this is a pretty old car-older than a lot of buyers would consider. And it's a Michigan car, so the likelihood of rust damage underneath is high. But honestly, it's one of the better-sounding cars i've seen for this price. I'm used to seeing Malibu's with 150,000 miles. This kind of mileage is a bit of a surprise, and these cars tend to run a long time so another 100,000 miles is very possible. Boring? You bet. Old? Yes. But if the body is decent, this one COULD be a great buy. Of course, one needs to check the carfax first and make sure its got a clean title. Judging by the way the ad is written, it looks like this is at a car lot, so there's less risk of getting a car with a junk title, but still, be careful. Most dealers will sell a car like this for around $5000, and thats with much higher mileage. If this checks out ok, it could be the bargain of the year. These Luminas can take a lot of use.Watch for subframe rust under the doors, an affliction most have sufered in this region. as far as the engines are concerned, these cars are still trudging along even after the bodies have rotted. Dare I say it but I'd put these up against a similar-year Toyota Camry in terms of durability.
A few weeks ago, TCWC visited the large, prosperous suburb of Southfield and I compiled a log of luxury and enthusiast cars I observed. This week, we will do the same, but in a much different suburb.
Madison Heights is a working class community that is only about half the size of Southfield. Home to just under 30,000 people, Madison Heights is largely residential and consists mostly of small businesses.There are some industrial areas but they contain smaller factories, not large-scale plants.There are a number of small, independent businesses and specialty shops. Particularly notable is the large number of Asian stores. Many Chinese and Vietnamese-owned restaurants, grocers and hair salons can be found here.There are entire shopping plazas consisting entirely of Asian stores.These business owners often drive cars like Carmys and Accords, not Benzes and Bmws.Those cars are more likely to be driven by doctors,who tend to operate out of smaller, more modest buildings. There are Arabic-owned businesses as well, particularly gas stations, party stores and cell phone stores.These owners also often drive the real nice brands.The largest stores are places like Meijer and Costco.
The median income is reportedly 42,000.Whites make up 89% of the population, with Asians making up about 5%. blacks make up almost 2% of the population.There are also at least 2 Mosques in the city, indicating a growing Islamic population.
There are quite a few motorcycles to be seen, and a lot of classic car collectors.
I sat at a favorite coffee shop for about an hour in the late afternoon overlooking a main thoroughfare, driven by people often living and working outside of the city.People watched me suspiciously as I sat at a window and made notes on a piece of paper. Understandably, few people take notes on the cars they see.But, I didn't let them bother me. This is a hobby and I'm sharing it here with anyone who might be interested.
You will see a few differences between the Southfield results and those in Madison Heights. The smaller time frame probably contributed to this.Anyhow, on to the numbers.
Once Again, Cadillac takes the lead, with 25 Cadillacs observed. Mercedes-Benz came in second, with 16.Bmw was 3rd, and Chryslers flashy 300 was 4th, with 13 and 12 counts respectively.Lincoln came in at number 5, with only 5 sightings. Lincolns were pretty much absent until about the last 15-20 minutes, when they just started suddenly showing up.In Southfield, they were pretty much consistent.
strangely, only 1 Audi was documented. In nearby cities like troy and Birmingham, this brand is quite respected and popular. This is the second city in which Audis are not very abundant.
I spotted 1 Porsche, an 80's 911 with the top down (it was hot outside) and 2 Jaguars.Also seen were 2 Corvettes and only 2 Acuras.There were 7 sightings for both Volvo and Lexus, 3 for Land Rover/Range Rover, and 3 Infinity.
The classics were kind of interesting. Since it was a nice day, several people brought their classics out.There was a later-model Firebird with tinted windows and custom wheels, a white late-80s Dodge Daytona,one of those Cobra replicas, a limited-edition "final edition" Thunderbird, a black 1960s Thunderbird convrrtible, and a clean, original-looking red 1973 Monte Carlo.
There isn't much to conclude from this except that Cadillacs and Mercedes-Benzes are the luxury car favorites in Oakland County.
One of the few cars to show up at the time I checked out the normally full gas station.This Lincoln sat next to an orange Bricklin,followed by a dark blue street rod. Less exciting than usual in this lot.
As I was leaving the gas station, a 1955 Pontiac pulled in and gave me a badly-needed opportunity for a photography subject.
The Camaro was one of the few notable cars I was able to successfully photograph between rainshowers.
I'm not good at camera photos and this one turned out poorly centered. Either way, pickups are among the hottest collectibles so its important to get some pictures of those.
