Rusty But Trusty

Here’s another entry in the chronicling of interesting cars on the roads of the San Francisco Bay Area of California. And this is only what your faithful correspondent can capture on camera – for example, today there was a Rover P4 on the streets of San Francisco, and an Alfa Berlina on the streets of Berkeley/Oakland. To catch us up, check out this 1964 Dodge 880 sedan. The owner has done some cool modifications that really add to the allure of this car – a slightly lowered body with shiny but worn paint is offset by red reverse steel wheels with faux knockoffs. This picture doesn’t really do it justice – if you live in Oakland, keep an eye open for this example of “the most elegant automobile ever fashioned by Dodge” (says the brochure).

Next up is a 1966 Jaguar 3.8 S-Type. Right hand drive, manual transmission, Webasto ragtop, and California sunset plates, so it’s been here since the early 1980s at least. Isn’t it just gorgeous in dark green with hubcaps? Parked in front of the court on Brannan in San Francisco, it was a pleasant surprise among all the Crown Vic and Caprice patrol cars. With its 220hp inline six, it’s said to hit 60 in a very respectable 10.3 seconds and go on to a top speed of 125mph.

This 1964 Ford Galaxie coupe is another car that gracefully shows its age. The leaning-forward styling makes the car look like it’s ready to jump, particularly when painted red and paired with Torq-Thrust wheels. Parking it on the streets of San Francisco must be a trying experience, but this owner is making it work.

Looks like we have another potential reader here – his collection includes an Opel GT, a Volvo 544, and a Chevrolet G10 Sportvan. The cars look to be in great shape, and the Opel is at least a one-time Melee veteran. While the mini-Vette reference is cliched, the specs make it sound like a fun drive, being comparable to many other sports cars of the period.

Last, but not least, is this mid-1970s Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It’s nice to see one that shows its age, and hasn’t been hopped up (or down) with shiny wheels and fuzzy dice. Driving it might be another story, but these have become so rare on the streets that it is a nice addition to the streetscape.

What have you found on your local streets?

Tags: 544, 880, american, british, chevrolet, coupe, dodge, ford, galaxie, german, gt, jaguar, monte carlo, on the street, opel, s-type, sedan, sports car, swedish, van, volvo

This entry was posted on August 28, 2014 at 4:37 pm and is filed under RustyButTrusty on the Street. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.