For this round of V.I.S.I.T., I just wanted to share with you a roundup of the interesting machines I’ve seen this summer as I’m out and about in the Queen City. Some of them are cool, some are weird, but they’re all interesting. Check it out.
This summer has been full of changes and settling in, as my wife and I got moved in to our house, we both started new jobs, and we finally have everything unpacked. Along with a move to the city, we had to get our cars licensed and registered with the state. Fun fact for new residents: to get registered with the state, you have to talk to the county first. I agree, it’s strange. They also do a vehicle inspection, which I promptly failed, owing to a worn out ball joint. Apparently the same truck that carried me halfway across the country with a car in tow is no longer safe enough to drive to the office. Again, strange.

Missouri plates look odd on my old Washington truck.

Speaking of trucks, I spotted this old C10 recently, and it reminded me of my old ’78 Sierra Grande. Unlike most old trucks, this one wasn’t completely rusted out, but there’s definitely some cancer on the back wheel arches.

I spotted this big bird while sitting in traffic. I would have followed it, but I wasn’t too sure about those safety chains, which were not at all taut. Also, I wasn’t going to Sesame Street. I’m here all night.

I need a minute explain this picture. Although it looks like we’re on the wrong side of the road, this is actually part of a diverging diamond interchange, one of two here in Springfield. Essentially, the lanes cross each other twice on either side of the highway, allowing entering and exiting traffic do so without stopping or crossing traffic (mostly). I explain to people that they are basically two 4-way intersections with bypasses. Clearly, the feeble-minded driver of the Escape thought that stopping for the red light after the line was the way to go. In order to justify that, she would have had to drive past the red light to the left and through a crosswalk. Some of the locals are having a hard time dealing with this change. Don’t get me started on roundabouts, either.

What’s that parked in the Target parking lot? Just a fully equipped hearse. No big deal.

Here’s a nice little twofer. I’m partial to the old iron, myself, but I like the new Corvette.

I’ve noticed that the variety of cars around here is not the same as it is in Seattle. That’s not to say that there aren’t any cool cars here – there definitely are – but you won’t find a Westy parked next to a Modena next to a Grumann panel van like you will in the Jet City. No, what you find here is a mix of bro trucks, German cars (there’s a Porsche dealership just a few miles from our house), mullet machines, muscle cars, and a small import scene. In the wave upon wave of midsize SUV’s, crossovers, minivans (I’m not hating), and lifted trucks, these unique machines are a sight for sore eyes, an oasis of interest in a sea of blasé.
Do any of these machines pique your interest? Let us know in the comments.
[Photos Copyright 2015 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein]