Bright, Classic Green Machine

I couldn't help noticing this striking classic car as I passed the U.S. Customs Office on the River Walk the other day. Who knew it would be a perfect solution for Think Green Thursday and Thursday Challenge (Topic: Machines). I didn't know what it was, but Anonymous came up with "My Little Deuce Coupe." I looked it up and it matches - that's a 1932 Model B Ford. Hotrodded. I like the fact that the inside of the engine compartment (the firewall?) is painted with a black and white checkerboard pattern. Seems odd, but looks nice. Is there a precedent for this? And what about the black machine in the background. Is that a classic, too? We don't often see such cars on the streets of Astoria, and when we do, they're usually here for a rally down the coast in Seaside, or the most recent one I noticed was a few weeks ago at Fort Stevens, near the ocean. Cars show up from all over the Pacific Northwest, and our few roads are sometimes pretty jammed. One day we accidentally got into the midst of a tour of these classic vehicles in Seaside (just down the coast). We were on foot, on the boardwalk (pavement) along the beach, and it was fun to stand at the turn-around point and take pictures from all angles. There were some amazing cars there, treats for the eye and fun to see, even for someone like me who doesn't care much about what they are. I can enjoy the visuals and appreciate the love and care people have put into their pet projects. Everyone was having a great time.

Astoria has had a U.S. Customs House since 1849. The old one is preserved further east, and I'll post a photo one of these days. The current U.S. Customs and Border Protection office is here on the River Walk near the east end of the downtown area at 14th Street. I don't usually think of Astoria needing a border protection office, but actually Astoria is a port of entry to the U.S. The coupe is parked in a space reserved for business at the Customs Office.