White brick in Red Hook

WHITE BRICK IN RED HOOK

I was making my way past Sunny's Bar out in Red Hook when this slab of cream cheese presented itself:

This is a 1972-1974 Ford E-200 Super Van in Wimbledon White. This thing rules! the hood is so tiny because most of the engine is accessed from the inside. You can basically check the oil and top off the radiator only from the front.

Take a look at this plain-Jane face. This is the stripped down model with zero chrome or frills whatsoever. The entire grill would be chrome on the higher end vans as well as the bumpers. If you had a small business and needed basic transportation this was the ride for you.

Scrapes and scuffs are the hallmarks of a working vehicle. Having no window on the sliding side door means this is truly the base model.

I love these lunchbox rides. You know this thing doesn't live in a city because it would be tagged to high heaven. Parking it in front of a Red Hook bar for more than 20 minutes invites writers.
Super Van is written on that lower-right emblem. I believe it denotes a slightly more comfortable interior because there's nothing about the outside that says Super.

I've owned a few ford vans over the years from the 1988-1989 model years and from the rear they look the same as this one. In many ways the Ford trucks and vans were extensions of the Model T; basic and ready to work with great economy. 

This is basically a portable storage unit.

I love the plainness of this slab side. I wouldn't be able to leave well enough alone with so much canvas space but with the white bumpers and mirrors it looks pretty neat.

Econoline is just what it sounds like. The 200 designation denotes its hauling ability. There is a 100 (1/2 ton) and 300 (1 ton) as well as this 3/4 ton version.

This hardy beast has the 3 on the tree manual transmission mated to what is probably a straight 6 cylinder engine. There were 2 different sixes; a 240 and the 300. In addition a 302 V8 was available but when the van is this basic I figure it's a 6.

Just about the only styling on this entire rig is that eyebrow line that goes down the length of the side and under the taillights. 

Alright that's what I'm talking about! This box contains 2 bikes hidden within. You can conquer the country with this setup. *I dig how the construction of these is so basic that you can see where the windows would be in the sliding door had it been so equipped. 

Well that's where I'll leave this sweet beast. When I walked by a few hours after taking these pics I saw the couple that owns this ride sitting on folding chairs behind the open rear doors. They were barbecuing on a tiny camp sized charcoal grill looking like they might as well just head out across the country that moment. The Jersey plate seemed almost too close for people packing motorcycles and a grill but who am I to deny those who know how to live?
Hats off you flat faced brick! See you in the Hook.

This is the tuned car.

This is the tuned car.

My friends have been outpacing me drastically with the automotive finds and today is no different! Robin of Omaha recently stumbled upon a brace of beautiful Buicks:

This is a 1966 Buick Riviera in what seems to be an aftermarket two-tone graphite over black with a fearsome red stripe dividing the colors. The reason we know this is a '66 as opposed to the almost-identical '67 is the fact that those angled square lenses on the sides do not have a horizontal bar going down the middle of them. Even though they're large those are just the turn signals on the sides. This ride has 4 headlights hidden concealed in the grill. When they're open they look a bit crowded in there to me.

This ride is largely the same as the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado of the same year. However unlike the others the Riviera is a traditional rear wheel drive car. This is the final year for the venerable Buick Nailhead motor, this one a 425 V8.

Obviously the lines on this ride are fantastic and dramatic! The rear roofline swooping down to frame the trunk makes this beast seem like it's moving while standing still.
*Notice the lack of little vent windows! This is the first year since the '30s that a Buick didn't have them.

This is an evil ride with the black bumpers (something I usually frown upon). The vents beneath the back window are where the air exits the cabin as a part of the fresh air system.

Right next to the '66 is this 1967 Riviera with its tell tale horizontal turn signal bars. This is a mild custom like its brethren so the chrome hood trim has been shaved. 

I couldn't find any proof of two-tone Rivieras from the factory but this is a pretty common restoration choice. The mirrors on this ride are later replacements (the other ride has the correct driver-only chrome unit). 

I dig this roofline without the vinyl roof too. The wheels on both rides work really well. Both of these have the optional bucket seat interior essentially making them 4 seaters.

Somebody added a little pin striping to this ride.

1967 saw a new engine for Buick; the 430 V8 good for 360 horsepower and a whopping 475lbs of torque! Even at a weight of over 2 tons it was enough to move this beast around with alacrity. 

Buick (and indeed all of GM) was riding high through the '60s and they were understandably proud of the Riviera. It was touted as the "Tuned car" in their literature. In fact the entire opening paragraph is so assured that I'm going to close it out with this quote:
"We regret to destroy (again) the old theory that great road machines always come from Europe. But this one comes from exotic, far away Flint, Michigan - home of Buick, home of the Tuned car."

2 scenes 1 car

2 SCENES 1 CAR
I'm lucky to have amassed a group of friends who send me pictures of old/cool/weird cars when they encounter them. However this was a first for me; I was hurrying to catch a 1am ride home and only managed to snap a couple pics of this car before the bus was in front of me (they're rare after midnight so I couldn't wait for the next one). By happenstance Robin from Omaha took several pics of the same car weeks later to contribute! For that reason this ride is parked in front of a bank and then magically in front of some deli flowers. Behold!

This is a 1987-1988 Nissan Sentra XE Sport Coupe in Silver Frost Poly. At first glance this looks to be an anonymous import from the '80s/'90s like any of the millions on the street. However this happens to be a 2 year only vehicle. The grill treatment here is unique to the Sport Coupe as the regular Sentra had a very boring facade consisting of 2 rectangular headlights in a plain black grill. This is a little more sleek with the angled 2 opening grill flanked by running lights.

In the grand scheme of things this is a Nissan Sunny. The Sunny was built over many generations from 1966-2006 and sold all over the world.
"Power" (in air quotes) comes from a 1.6 liter inline 4 cylinder. Efficiency and sporty handling were trademarks while acceleration was not.

This quirky profile sets the Sport Coupe apart from the standard Sentra. Every body panel on this ride is unique to the Sport Coupe. Under the rumpled skin of our feature car lies front and rear sway bars, a tachometer, and remote mirrors.

The XE designates a mid-tier trim level. The base level was E for Economy, followed by the XE with GXE at the top. These cars are more about straightforward reliability than luxury though.

I think silver spray paint abounds on this ride but it's a forgiving enough shade to allow it. The shamefully cheap plastic hubcaps scream AUTOZONE.
There was a seriously innovative Nissan in this same era called the Pulsar. The claim to fame for the Pulsar was a removable and interchangeable rear roof section. Closely following the angle of the fixed rear quarter window on this ride would be where you had either a hatchback or the Sportbak which was like a mini station wagon. There aren't too many still out on the streets in 2017!

Well that's that for this little cruiser. Since these are front wheel drive cars they haven't achieved the sort of cult status that the RWD Japanese classics have. Now that they're at around 30 years old people will start noticing the cooler body styles like this and the Pulsar. In the meantime if you want a seriously reliable classic to drive around that anyone with a socket kit and a manual can work on a late '80s Nissan would be a fine choice.