Posts Tagged ‘Cool cars’
lurking spark
– photo by Mitch Waxman
…Back in session…
So, whilst kicking the dust around in DUKBO a couple of weeks back (preparing for the recent Poison Cauldron tour), your humble narrator found himself on the eastern side of the Kosciuszko Bridge. Needing to clear my head of the myriad horrors witnessed on the west side and under the bridge, and to find a pack of gum on sale somewhere, my scuttling was directed toward Beadel Street with the eventual goal of crossing under the BQE- the technical border of Greenpoint and Bushwick.
The Real Estate Industrial Complex view of this border is somewhat different, of course, and to them- Williamsburg’s eastern border is probably Lake Ronkonkoma.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Moving in my normal fashion, this scene was noticed, but I’m afraid that I startled these fellows somewhat. Can’t blame them, imagine what they saw, a shabby monster covered in Creek dust. They were building these odd bug cars which seemed to be constructed upon the chassis of a golf cart or small security vehicle.
Weird enough to notice, I waved and got some shots of them.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Of course, the second I put my camera away, that actor who plays the “Mayhem” character in the Allstate Insurance ads popped into view, but I was already moving on to other locales. A tour needed to be fleshed out!
more sights
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A short one today, just a shot of a cool van recently spotted in Astoria. Today’s a summer friday at this, your Newtown Pentacle, it would seem.
dizzying fear
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just a short one today.
Several of the neighbors here in Astoria, all of whom were born and raised on the southern end of the European subcontinent, have purchased models and iterations of these so called “Smart Cars”. A lot of good natured ribbing is offered by area wags and devotees of the SUV class of motor vehicles to the owners of these tiny cars, over beers or around the BBQ, focusing in on the diminutive size of the vehicle and what it says about the owner’s various physical attributes or virility. The laughing stops, however, when the Smart Car guy manages to find street parking in quick order, and the mockers are stuck driving around for the better part of an hour looking for an appropriate spot which would be large enough for an elephant to enjoy.
Who’s laughing now?
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Click for details on Mitch Waxman’s
Upcoming walking and boat tours of Newtown Creek, and Staten Island’s Kill Van Kull
June 30th, 2012- Working Harbor Committee Kill Van Kull walk
for June 30th tickets, click here for the Working Harbor Committee ticketing page
July 8th, 2012- Atlas Obscura Walking Tour- The Insalubrious Valley
for July 8th tickets, click here for the Atlas Obscura ticketing page
July 22nd, 2012- Working Harbor Committee Newtown Creek Boat Tour
hilltop pavement
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It is not impossible that your humble narrator was conceived in the back seat of a car like the one pictured above, observed recently on Northern Boulevard here in Astoria- or at least I hope I was. A 1966 Ford Mustang, lovingly cared for, and sporting the sort of style which defined the industrial supremacy of American auto manufacturing in the 20th century.
from Wikipedia
The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.
It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year. At the time of its introduction, the Mustang, sharing its underpinnings with the Falcon, was slotted into a compact car segment.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
From nearly every perspective, whether it be safety or fuel economy or pure comfort- a modern car is preferable in a straight comparison to a vintage ride like this one. However, if you’ve never felt the volcanic rumble of a 1960’s muscle car starting up, or been pressed back into the seat by the acceleration…
from themustangsource.com
Not much changed for Mustang in 1966. The grille design changed a bit–the 1966 models had the running pony inside the corral free-floating on horizontal grille bars. The side trim was slightly revised and a restyled gas cap completed the exterior changes.
On the interior, the instrument panel was redesigned with five round gauges, replacing the panel borrowed from the Ford Falcon for previous model years. Ford broke the 1,000,000 Mustang mark in 1966–18 months after its introduction. To celebrate, Ford released the Sprint 200 Mustang. They were mechanically identical to other six-cylinder Mustangs, but had a chrome air cleaner and a special engine decal which read “Mustang powered Sprint 200.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Few cars are as iconic as the early Mustangs, there’s the GTO and Trans Am of course, but the Mustang just screams rock and roll. Driving this car without “The Doors” playing would just be a crime.
from dmv.ny.gov
Standard series historical plates for passenger or commercial vehicles display either:
- a five-digit number followed by the letters HX (for example, 99999HX), or
- the letters HX followed by a five-digit number (for example, HX22222).
- Standard series historical motorcycle plates display the letters HM followed by three numbers.
Personalized Historical plates for any historical vehicle or historical motorcycle are now available. For an additional fee, registrants can order personalized letter/number combinations of up to eight characters (includes spaces and/or a silhouette of New York State) or 6 characters/spaces (no state silhouette available) for a motorcycle. Personalized Historical plates have the word “HISTORICAL” along the bottom of the plate.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The dashboard exhibits classic form over function, with scores of knobs and sharp edges that would cut you to ribbons in an accident. This isn’t the design of modernity, overly concerned with what could happen, rather this is a can of Budweiser between your legs and a pack of Marlboro Red on the dash kind of design. Braggadocio on wheels, the chariot of a youthful culture manufactured before everything went so terribly askew.
Compare to the modern variant here: ford.com/cars/mustang/
nothing useful
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Observed, recently along the Boulevard of Death, this cool set of wheels.
Obviously, loved and kept in a state of functional restoration, this atavist vehicle caught my eye.
Occasionally, a humble narrator needs to remind himself to comment on little gems like this late model pickup truck, and marvel that such manufactured items can survive the trials of time.
Offered is the belief that this is either a 1949 or 1950 Chevrolet 3600 pickup, but I’m no expert.
Obcordate, a short posting today. Back tomorrow with something more substantial for you to sink your collective teeth into.
The Newtown Pentacle 