Honourary Old Parked Car: 1995 Nissan Rasheen

Ahh, cherry blossoms adorn the trees, and JDM vehicles adorn the streets. Another Japanese only curiosity that I could not resist.

Those oddly shaped headlights and bulging grill, the fake brushed aluminum bumpers, door handles & mirrors. The long low flat hood. The obligatory single reverse light. This looks a lot like a product of Pike Factory, but apparently it is not.

Also, the unusual rear hatch can be seen in the second last shot. It is really two doors. The top one is hinged not above the window but a couple feet into the roof, giving it an inverted "L" profile.

1971 Plymouth Barracuda Drag Racer

Owner says all his modifications are reversible. Apparently he can get 600+ horsepower out of that engine. This is no pretend performance car. Has been garaged for a while, but owner will soon be out racing it again.

Love the deep staggered grille openings, fine narrow fins within, shaker hood, meaty rectangular exhaust tips. Chrysler made pony cars like this one in their own excellent style. The shapes in the profile are a delight -- the long front fender, long door leading to the dramatic arch over the rear wheels, thick rear pillar smoothly rising from it, the distinctly pony car deck behind.

The blue is no exaggeration created by me or the camera. Not really visible is the emergency engine cut off handle just left of the rear licence plate.

1975 Honda Civic

How often do you see a restored Honda? This one has the (I think) rare trunk option instead of the hatchback. A brother of mine had an excellent red hatchback of the same year.

Love the stubby front and rear overhangs allowing the absolute maximum use of available space, while still trying to communicate sportiness with the sloping hood and rear window, bulging fenders. Front turn indicators stand free of the grille. Chromed exterior hinges on the trunk. German utility with a Japanese sensibility.

1986 Plymouth Reliant Wagon

Note the Chrysler pentagon but Plymouth labelling (held on by metal fasteners), with all other badges completely missing, the wipers wrapped in newspaper.

Also the banal hubcaps, egg crate grille, the vast glass area / narrow pillars. I took a shot of the "Buckle Up For Safety" sticker in the window, but exactly this shot appears on "The Street Peep".