Here are all of the old cars I found parked during September. Here are the rules I follow:
- The car is parked on the street or in a lot
- The car is not in a car show
- The car is (or could be) 20 or more model years old
In my recent reader survey, one person commented that I might consider changing the age threshold to 30 years, as so many 20-year-old cars are still on the road. I’ve definitely thought about it! But some cars in that 20-30 year range are interesting and relatively rare, and I’d like to feature them.
Do you have a blog and like old cars? You can play along! Just create a post of your own early each month showing the cars you found last month, and leave a comment on my monthly old-cars post so others can go read it.
1966 Ford Mustang. Spotted in downtown Zionsville. I’ve seen this convertible tooling around town before and was happy to find it parked.
1966-77 Ford Bronco. Also spotted in downtown Zionsville, this Bronco looks to have gotten a loving restoration.
1969-72 Chevrolet K/5 Blazer. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for these because my grandmother drove one, also in orange. It was a terrific car. Spotted at the Whitestown Meijer.
1973-76 Dodge D-series. Dodge was the first, I believe, to offer an extended-cab truck. There were still only two doors on these trucks, but if you folded the seat forward you could reach the back. Spotted at the Walgreen’s in Zionsville.
1984-96 Chevrolet Corvette. I’m not a Corvette guy, but I appreciate them for what they are. This one is so 1980s with all of its straight lines! Spotted in my neighborhood.
1988-94 BMW 3 series. This car has been debadged, so I don’t know which model number it actually is. I spotted it on the street in Whitestown.
1990-94 Chevrolet Lumina. This is only the second Lumina I’ve featured — they’re uncommon now, despite being everywhere just 15 years ago. They must have all worn out at once. Spotted at the Whitestown Meijer.
1990-94 Toyota Tercel. I thought the previous generation Tercel coupe was smartly styled. This was bulbous and weird in comparison. But it was good basic transportation. You might not know that the original Tercel from 1978 was Toyota’s first front-wheel-drive car. The Corolla was a rear-wheel-drive car until 1987! Spotted at the Whitestown Meijer.
1991-92 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. Spotted in Kirklin, Indiana, I’ve been aware of, and have photographed, this car for many years. The first time was in 2015; at that time, this car still wore all of its original Oldsmobile badges. (See it here.) The second time was last year; it was painted in primer. (See it here.) It even made last year’s Carspotting list. Normally I don’t re-share cars I’ve shared before, but I’m making an exception because this one has been restored.
1991-96 Buick Roadmaster. I spotted this one two cars away from the Olds Custom Cruiser in Kirklin. It’s a little rough, but maybe it will get restored just like that Olds. Notice the even older Buick next to it. It was in last year’s Carspotting list, and I wrote about the car at Curbside Classic here.
1992-95 Buick Skylark. I found this excellent-condition Skylark in Carmel at a strip mall. It wears historic plates.
1992-96 Ford F-150. The windowless bed shell is ominous somehow. Spotted behind a Thai restaurant in Brownsburg.
1993-2002 Chevrolet Camaro. What is up with those weird wheels? Spotted in the Chatham Arch neighborhood in Indianapolis.
1995-99 Honda CR-V. This body style was made until 2001, but in 2000 Honda redesigned the front end a little bit. I can tell by looking at the bumper that this is from before the redesign. Spotted in my neighborhood.
1997-98 Ford F-150. This truck lives in my neighborhood, but has up to now always been parked in a driveway. I love seeing a truck doing what trucks were meant to do: haul stuff.
1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee Classic. Some older cars are still common enough that I don’t have much enthusiasm for photographing them. The four-door XJ Jeep Cherokees from after the 1997 facelift, like this one, are among them. This one was parked uber-conveniently to where I was walking near my home, and I had all the time in the world, so I photographed it. I’ve passed by a handful of Cherokees this year without photographing them.
1998-99 Honda Accord. These hardy sedans aren’t exactly plentiful anymore, but they’re also not uncommon. Spotted in downtown Indianapolis.
1998-2000 Ford Ranger. These third-generation Rangers are still plentiful. Spotted in a shopping-center parking lot in Whitestown.
2000-02 Toyota Echo. Such a homely car. Spotted in the Chatham Arch neighborhood of Indianapolis.
2000-04 Ford Focus. I totally forget where I was when I came upon this first-generation Focus.
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