Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Ghosts of Michigan



Lots of Flint reminders in San Francisco today, starting with a Cadillac Fleetwood with the world's worst paint job, synthetic fur on the hood, and an after-market gun turret. (Sometimes it's really hard not to love California.)







I realize these shots might offend readers who spend their spare time restoring G.M. classics and actually like cars that look good. (Yes, I'm talking about Gerry Godin at All Things Buick.) So here's something that will calm you down that I found just two blocks from the Caddy — an almost mint Chevy pickup.




Not sure if either of these was actually manufactured in Flint but G.M. cars of any kind are scarce in San Francisco, so they'll have to do.



4 comments:

  1. Your so right Gordie. I was scrolling down thinking 'What was this guy thinking'. Then I seen the reference to me. Well played my friend. By the way have you seen the news about all the fires in Flint last night? I was thinking about Bill Gainey and the old mansion we toured last year. I was just chatting with him a couple days ago. He's having a few brake problems with his 56 Buick.

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  2. Though the surrounding buildings look to be in better shape, that beat up old Cadillac reflects a cultural decline at least equal to Flint's.

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  3. Nice looking truck, but kind of a boring color.

    I'd go for something in a metalflake orangish-gold.

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  4. That Caddy's been around. It's a '72 Fleetwood 75 limo that has been about three different colors and shown up at Burning Man a number of times under the name "Night Juice". At one time it was all the pink color that you see on the roof. Apparently at Burning Man they mount that observation box on the roof for people to sit in.

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Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.