Our twice-weekly urban hike from our house to the top of Skinner Butte, which marks the geographic center of Eugene, affords some nice views. But not just  from its peak, because along the way when we have to pass the Sports Car Shop. Owner Bob Macherione’s crew does superb restorations along with sales and service of exotics. But I make a point to keep my camera in the pocket as Stephanie and I ogle his current offerings, because that’s just straying too far from the CC ethos. But when I poked my head into the passenger compartment of this recently completed Allard K2, I just had to share this with you via an Outtake. First, feast on that delicious exterior; then, prepare yourself for the worlds most contorted shift stick: (Read More…)

Hank, who I’m pretty sure won a previous CC Clue, had some doubts about which year Olds we had on tap. His first guess was a ‘51, and even though he changed his mind, we’ll honor his first shot at it. A lot of you also though it was a ‘52; I started to have doubts and had to consult Google to make sure I wasn’t off base. Well, we won’t have that as an issue today, because our mystery vehicle was built for at least two or more years, so an ID without a specific date is going to fly. Happy fuel filler door memories!

A big omedetou to potatobreath for snagging that illegal alien, the Nissan Pao. Are you with the INS? I know the Pao was frustrating for some of you, but I would like to make a request in order to keep CC Clue fun for everyone. If you are certain that you’ve unmasked our car, please don’t make an overly big point of it or tell others to stop guessing. We’ve found that other readers like to keep guessing long after the correct guess has happened. Let’s not spoil it for them. And your success will not go unrecognized. Thanks; and happy sleuthing!

This Marquis Brougham certainly seems the polar opposite of yesterday’s Nissan Pao. It weighs three times as much, is a domestic, certainly not an illegal alien, not exactly artistic or tasteful, definitely not retro, and didn’t require a lottery to buy it (more likely rebates). It’s available 7.5 Liter engine is 7.6 times as big as the Poa’s, even if it only makes 202 hp. Yet, a number of similarities occur to me:  They’re both in the same parking lot. Their owners are obviously making an artistic statement. They both have a horsepower to weight ratio of 31 lbs/hp. Both engines are carbureted. Nissan and Mercury joint-ventured on the Quest/Villager mini-van. Both of them are not displayed at MoMA. Somebody help me out here… (Read More…)

It’s hard finding the sweet spot with the CC Clue. I made it harder on Monday, and sure enough, not one right guess. All right, I’m going to make this one super easy! Big picture, lots of details and resolution. No need for Google Images. Way too easy. Quick; what is it?

Still too easy! rpol35 unveiled the ‘68 Chevy on the first guess. Must try harder to make it harder. And why is this color so popular in Eugene? Did Maaco get a deal on a tanker truck’s worth? Did I make it hard enough yet?

Update: Someone said it was plenty hard indeed. OK; Hint: we’re looking at the right (passenger side) rear quarter.

I was torn about whether to use this Firebird for a Curbside Classic, until I saw a terrific “Screaming Chicken” T/A the other day. Only problem: I didn’t get any shots. But it made me determined to hold out for the real thing. I hear that Trans Ams are in demand now, fetching up to $30k. In the meantime, feast your eye on this delight. Oh, there’s more than one thing wrong with this picture. More detail after the jump: (Read More…)

Last but not least, it’s time to play CC Clue. Nothing like blogging to make the time fly by. Daniel J. Stern identified the Volvo 122 on the second guess of that round. Can he do it again? Do I need to make them harder?

Kudos to Steve-O, who was able to distinguish between fake vomit, grandma’s fridge, and naugahyde to identify the Dodge Aspen. And his was the first guess, of many. Regrettably, today’s clue is small, but don’t let that discourage you.

Comments to last Tuesday’s Curbside Classic pointed out the lasting stylistic influence of the BMW 6 Series on such cars as the Acura Legend coupe. That reminded me of this out-of-focus shot I took of a 1990 Infiniti M30 last winter. I try to stick to cars 25 years and older anyway, but this is a car that has really fallen off the radar, as well as my camera’s auto-focus function. The M30 was a left-steering version of the Nissan Leopard, which in turn shared its platform and basic configuration with the legendary Nissan Skyline R31. Performance was quite another story: the M30 had a 162 hp version of the Nissan 3 liter V6, and came only with an automatic. Given its weight of 3330 lbs, performance was modest. But with the availability and interchangeability of Skyline and Nissan 300Z turbo components, the M30 is the easiest way to end up with that unique JDM-Skyline look on these shores.