Danville Street Sighting - 1974 Datsun 610 Coupe

As long as we're looking at a string of 1970s cars, how about the '74 Datsun that was parked behind the '74 Ford Pinto Squire from my last feature? I haven't posted too many older Japanese vehicles and this one has been frustratingly elusive. I had seen it here and there around town for over a decade and this was only the second time I had the chance to get photos.

Danville Street Sighting - 1974 Ford Pinto Squire Wagon

I seem to have a 1970s theme going on with my last couple of posts, so why not carry it on with another earth-toned disco era beastie? This one's the fifth Ford Pinto to appear on California Streets, but it's the first Squire station wagon that wasn't found in a junkyard.

Livermore Street Sighting - 1979 Ford Ranchero GT

I don't know what it was about the 1970s, but someone decided maroon and gold looked good together on cars. I don't mean to offend any Arizona State or House Gryffindor fans, but when I was a kid, I did not like the combination. In 1980 my dad bought a 1966 Mustang convertible that had been repainted maroon and gold. I suppose it's a classic color combination for clothing and such, but on that car I hated it. This '79 Ranchero came from the factory like that. Except on this vehicle, it's not plebeian maroon. It's Cordovan.

Danville Street Sighting - 1977 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Many of you are no doubt stuck at home during the now infamous COVID-19 lockdown. I've been out of the loop on blogging for the past months and not producing much content, even though I continue to photograph cars and have a fair number of them archived. So, for your viewing pleasure, let's look at a 1977 Chevy Corvette Stingray. I enjoyed photographing this one during the sunny summer months last year.

Danville Street Sighting - 1965 Ford Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback

Ever have those moments when you forget an anniversary or birthday until the last minute? Yeah, me too. Today is April 17. Happy birthday to the Ford Mustang.

Danville Street Sighting - 2009 Pontiac G8 GT

Today is my birthday, and it's my party and I'll cry if I want to. It still bums me out that the Pontiac brand is gone, even ten years later. Especially after a couple of bright spots amid the general decline of GM's Excitement division. The Pontiac G8 was a rebadge of the Australian Holden Commodore, engineered for left hand drive and other compliance with American road laws. It lasted only two years here in the states based on the VE Commodore, then enjoyed an almost equally brief resurgence with a Chevrolet badge as the Chevy SS based on the redesigned VF. Today the Holden factory in south Australia is itself shut down, no longer building the iconic rear-wheel-drive coupes, sedans and ute pickups that carried such monikers as Monaro, Commodore, Maloo, Statesman and Caprice. For decades the Commodore platform was a strong seller in Australia, but rising fuel costs, environmental concerns and the spreading worldwide plague of the SUV ate into Holden car sales. General Motors imported some cars into the US, apparently as an excuse to keep the Australian factory open. Frustratingly, the Pontiac G8 and Chevrolet SS were barely advertised and always remained niche products for enthusiasts in the know.

Campbell Street Sighting - 1993 Toyota Supra

It could be argued that the fourth-generation Toyota Supra is one of the most iconic sports coupes of the 1990s. It enjoys notoriety as one of the stars of the original Fast & Furious film and has long been associated with road course racing, amateur street racing and drift culture alike.

Rental Car Review - 2019 Ford Fusion Titanium EcoBoost AWD

I have long been a fan of the Ford Fusion. When an all-new model bowed for 2013 as part of the "One Ford" plan uniting the U.S. Fusion with the global Mondeo, I liked the new car a lot. My favorite spec was an SE EcoBoost in pearl white. Fast forward to 2019 and I got to live with a white Fusion EcoBoost for a week.

Rental Car Review - 2019 Nissan Sentra SV

Ever plan a trip on a whim and you just need a car, quick, and cheap? Earlier this year one of my friends announced he would be in California for a couple of days on business. He is an over-the-road trucker based in Canada, so a load going to Southern California is an unusual and rare occurrence. I booked an intermediate car from Budget over Columbus Day weekend and hoped for the best. The airport rental counter initially assigned me a Toyota Corolla LE with 40,000 miles and a lot of road rash. When I started the engine the low tire light came on, giving me the perfect opportunity to ask for a different vehicle. The nice lady at the counter gave us a freshly washed 2019 Nissan Sentra SV with a mere 5,000 miles.

Rental Car Review - 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD

It's been years since I did one of these. That's mainly because I rarely rent vehicles. This year I rented a few different cars for road trips, because my cars are all old and don't run as well as they used to. Everything I've rented has been perfectly adequate for the task. I always used to deride base models as "rental cars", but rental companies have really stepped up their game. Today let's look at this 2019 Chevrolet Equinox.