A Couple of Classics

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 10, 2012

I'm not a classic car fan in the "fan" sense, but it was very cool to come out of a shop on 10th Street between Marine Drive and the river and see these brightly-colored throwbacks. One of the things that irks me about modern cars (besides their exorbitant prices) is that so many of them look alike to me. Where is originality of design? Where is nonconformity?

I think I recognize the aqua one as a Ford, but maybe someone will identify the yellow one for me. There must be a show of some sort nearby, because I saw three or four more classic cars coming off the bridge from Washington. I think those dumb-looking rims have to be modern. What's the deal here? As for the shapes and colors, what a nice way to brighten the day.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Seaside Classic Car Show

Seaside, Oregon ~ September 8, 2007

Quite a number of people roll into Seaside for classic car shows. Some bring their cars, some bring cameras, and some just bring themselves.

That seems to be Lewis and Clark in the background trying to figure out what the Radio Flyer is all about. I can't say I know the answer, either.

One of the favorite places to watch the cars strut their stuff is this traffic circle on Seaside's boardwalk. That's Tillamook Head in the background. A lofty rainforest trail skirts the ocean along the bluff.

And almost any day is a good excuse to fly kites in Seaside. The town has something of a carnival air, and people like to come here for a day or weekend of seaside fun.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

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.