Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 2009 Pontiac G8 V6 / Holden Commodore SV6

About the only way this Pontiac G8 could be a more perfect Holden Commodore SV6 is if it were converted to right-hand drive. All exterior and interior touches appear to be there, even the Holden logo on the steering wheel. The SV6 is the high-output 3.6 liter V6 version in its home market, probably comparable to the V6 G8 that was sold here. It certainly made me look twice.

Shitbox Saturday: Show & Shine X-Car Engine Blow Edition

This 1983-84 Pontiac Phoenix, seen at the 2013 Bethel Boosters Show & Shine in Eugene, Oregon as an engine blow contest car, is a spectacularly bad car, albeit a rare one, since any Phoenix is rare in the first place, but a late notchback SE with a 4-speed, V6 and spoiler is scarce as hell. Sadly, this car's engine blew up on the afternoon of May 11, 2013 and will end up crushed by B&R Auto Wrecking of Eugene.

(an engine blow contest is an Oregon show & shine phenomenon started in the 70s, a junkyard employee from the yard that provided the car or a show marshal floors the accelerator on a car with petrol or diesel but no oil and coolant, after taking numbers for how long it'll take for the engine to blow up, person who guesses the correct time it takes for the engine to blow wins $50)

Dealership Photo Shoot: 1985 Pontiac Fiero

It looks like a Ferrari Testarossa, but it's not. This is a surprisingly good replica based on a Pontiac Fiero. It was good enough that it fooled me for over four years. California smog records, however, reveal its true history. Fieros are still very popular for building replicas of exotic sports cars, even though it's usually too small to create a truly convincing replica with accurate proportions. This one was better than most.

Photographed at the former Kassabian Motors in Dublin, CA.

Dealership Photo Shoot: 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Photographed at the former Kassabian Motors in Dublin, CA.

Please Save Me: 1940 Pontiac Hearse Basketcase Project

This rare prewar professional car project (in as-purchased condition in pics, now disassembled and stored inside), needs a lot of tender loving care, but with the rarity of prewar, non-Cadillac/Packard funeral coaches and the availability of stock '40 Pontiac trim, wheels, bumpers, engine and transmission as cast-offs from rodders or through junkyards, it is definitely worth restoring. Its elegant lines and curves are even more compelling. The coach has no engine, transmission, front bumper and possibly other missing bits, but it would be a great project.

Find it here in Veneta, Oregon with "make offer" as price, and here are some great professional car forums for the prospective buyer-restorer of this beautiful machine.

Dealership Shoot: 1965 Pontiac "GTO" Convertible

I understand that due to missing fender badges and the low price, this may not be a real GTO but rather a Tempest or Le Mans that was restored as a GTO replica.

Photos taken at Beach Auto Sales, Santa Cruz, CA.

Parking Lot Sighting: 2009 Pontiac G8 GT

This is one of those cars that I photographed because it's a personal dream vehicle of mine. The Pontiac G8 is rare enough by itself, having been produced only for the 2008-09 model years, but my dream G8 is a GT trim in Pacific Slate Metallic (aka Karma Metallic on the Holden Commodore). Pacific Slate was only available in 2009 and accounts for a mere 1748 cars - of which 690 were V6 models, 1063 were GTs and just 45 were GXPs. This one is a GT Sport with the 19-inch wheels.

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1973 Pontiac LeMans 350