When David put the word out last Friday that we were going to have another Autopian Meetup here in Chapel Hill, NC, I was careful not to get my hopes up too far. After all, a lot of organizations would have loved to see our little gathering fail, like the National Council of Churches, the American Dental Association, and, of course, our longtime enemies over at the Potato Research Advisory Committe (PARC). I’m happy to say that despite the considerable efforts on the parts of these organizations to quash our gathering and the relatively short notice, we still managed to get a fantastic turnout of some incredible cars and even more incredible people. Suck on that, Potato Research Advisory Committee.
We once again held our meetup in a thankfully unused-on-Sundays gravel lot across from Chapel Hill BLT-making legends Merritt’s, and who thankfully seemed pretty unconcerned with what was going on over there. The initial impetus for doing the event was because David was in town, and together he and I were feverishly and filthily working to get the hapless 375,000-mile, $800 NYC Taxi in some sort of drivable shape.


It was going, um, okay, and you’ll hear more about the taxi’s misadventures here very soon. For the moment I’ll just say that we got the thing pretty drivable the night before, only to almost have a wheel fall off and discover the alternator was about as capable of charging the battery as your average avocado would be. Still, we managed to limp it to the lot and only almost lost a wheel one more time, which is just, if my math serves, one more than zero times.
Anyway, when we arrived, before the meetup was even supposed to officially start, we were confronted with a pretty fantastic sight:
Look at that! That’s a TVR Chimaera! (crap! It’s a Cerbera! Thanks, Autopians) Holy crap. How often do you see those? And, in a fantastic orange so vivid you could actually get vitamin C just by looking at it, it fit very well, citrusly, with our yellow cab which is, I’d like to remind everyone, a pile of the steaming variety.
And the amazing cars just kept showing up! Here’s a little tour of many of them, and I realize what I’m writing here is not nearly as much as these cars deserve, I’d like to remind you I’m exhausted and we still have a crapload to do on this taxi.
For those of you in the “living human” community reading this, I suspect you’re all aware that one day death awaits, and when that day comes, wouldn’t you be thrilled to be ferried about in this stunning Volvo 960-based hearse? This thing was incredible, and the vast areas of glass are a stark reminder of how different European hearses are to American ones, which tend to hide the coffin behind black vinyl and landau bars.
Also, that’s my friend Andy’s Chevy C1500 truck back there; Andy is generously letting us wrench on the taxi in his shop.
That wasn’t the only funerary vehicle; my fellow Pao-owner pal Attila brought his JDM Nissan Atlas (body by Autech) Funetorium van, too.
There were Kei vans an trucks in attendence as well, including a Mitsubishi Minicab Wide 55, complete with dump-bed, and a lovely Subaru Sambar Dias Classic, with its charming retro face and some really incredible engine access:
Are there other cars where you access the engine by flipping down the bumper? I’m not sure I can think of any.
Chris from the Triangle Rad group brought this amazing Dodge Ram 50 (a secret Mitsubishi) complete with some 80s-tastic custom graphics. It’s criminal you can’t buy a modern truck with this size and proportions today. Or those kinds of graphics.
This DeLorean was pretty remarkable as well, having not just a special version of the PRV V6 engine with hotter cams, but also a speedometer that went beyond the federally-mandated 80 mph:
This would have made getting to 88 mph a lot easier for those who use these for time travel purposes.
There was a 300ZX with a matching red plastic CRT television on the hood, playing something that I regret the bright sunlight conspired to keep me from seeing.
A snaggle-toothed Miata showed up, along with a Honda Motocompacto that we’re told fits right in the trunk, evoking the original Honda Motocompo/City combo. Incredibly, the owner even drove that suitcase-sized scooter on the gravel.
In another citrusy combination, we have an absolutely mint first-gen Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo next to the Chimaera. Note the rare factory color-coded wheels, too.
My friend Kelli showed up in her lovely little Figaro, which has a nice fresh 75 hp engine, though it’s still in its break-in period, which I know is driving her nuts. She just wants to get over 3000 RPM!
Look at this incredibly preserved Ford LTD coupé! I think this one is a ’75 which puts it near the peak of American automotive baroqueism, with details like reverse lamp filigree and triple-cats:
…and, of course, opera windows:
This 1970 Porsche 911E was an absolute stunner, too:
So clean and white and perfect; just a beautiful reminder of why 911s still captivate so many after all this time.
This strikingly well-preserved first-gen Chrysler Minivan is an unlikely drag strip champ, thanks to factory turbocharging and some strategic owner-modifications.
This thing is genuinely quick, and, unlike most quick cars on the dragstrip, has cable-operated remote manual third-row vent windows.
Look at this third-gen Saturn SL; when was the last time you saw one of these in this great shape, or, really, even one at all?
This is the first Dodge Charger Daytona I’ve seen in the wild! It looks pretty great, especially that novel front end. And the gleefully ridiculous fake exhaust noise and vibration system works pretty well, I’m happy to say. It’s so absurd it’s fun.
Remember the Honda CR-Z? This guy does. These were under-appreciated cars.
Growing up, my family had one of those Sears X-Cargo top carriers, and seeing that speeding snail logo triggered all sorts of old visual memories.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these tiny and charming Toyota Vitz – how is the plural done here? Vitzes? Vitzen? – here in America, but I have to admit, they’re quite charming little city cars. The instrument cluster is especially bonkers, and I don’t think that can be captured in a photograph, though I tried:
Tried and failed, I’m afraid, What’s notable here is that the digital readouts in that pod look like they’re floating in space, like inside that ovoid pod is a portal into deep space, where the numerals for your current speed float, orbiting some unseen star, forever. I’m going to look into how the hell these things work.
Of course, that’s just the cars. It was so wonderful to actually meet fellow Autopians, see them out in reality, and feel their enthusiasm and joy about cars and car culture, and the sublime joys of standing out in a gravel parking lot, eating pizza out of the back of a Jeep, and somehow being interesting in a terribly mistreated old taxi and so many other far more worthy cars.
North Carolina may not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of rich and diverse car culture, but, dammit, boy is it here, alive and thriving.
It was a blast, and I can’t wait to do it again.
“Growing up, my family had one of those Sears X-Cargo top carriers, and seeing that speeding snail logo triggered all sorts of old visual memories.”
Growing up, my family had our possessions contained in many old, sun faded plastic milk crates comically overloading the top of the family Pinto Country Squire with rope and bungee cords. Our family vacations looked more like a modernish “Grapes of Wrath” or “The Beverly Hilbillies” without Elly May.
What a nice and very Autopian turnout 🙂
A Figaro should be driven with the top down unless it rains or snows! Due to the turbo and generally high revs, it produces insane amounts of excess heat, you can just pour in to the cabin on cold days.
It gets ridiculous bad MPG for a small Japanese 1 liter car, but with the stupid three speed you never want to go on long trips in it anyway. And for just puttering around and having fun, MPG doesn’t really matter.
I love my own Pale Aqua (same color as this one) Figaro, I’ve had for nearly seven years now.
I didn’t expect the X-Cargo to be my favorite entry, but an X-Cargo on a wagon brings back all kinds of memories.
I still have the family heirloom. It’s pretty rarely used these days, but every once in a while I feel the need to pile huge amounts of luggage into/onto a small family car…
We also had an X-Cargo, often strapped to the top of the ol’ Dodge Stratus.
I moved cross country with a X-Cargo ratchetted to the roof of my car 15 years ago. Ahh the memories.
Oooo, that Sambar is excellent. I’ve only seen a Sambar in the flesh one time, but I got very excited and my family could not figure out why. There is just something about the “Classic” 5th gen Sambar that makes me love them, even though the styling is certainly not for everyone.
What a collection! I love them all, so great job, team. That Beetle looks great with the color matched wheels. I love that Z even though the TV is confusing as heck. And I haven’t seen a 3rd gen SL that nice since I sold mine two years ago. Same color, too… nah, couldn’t be.
Brutal. No corvette love. DX
*Potato Research Advisory Council (PRAC NOT PARC)
I get this is a car website, but we can’t allow that kind of misinformation.
Forget it. He’s rolling.
I was trying to count but gave up – were most of the cars that turned up right hand drive?
Several were, yeah
Whoh, whoh, whoh, here.
All of those cars are neat and quirky. The Volvo hearse is morbidly funny, in fact.
BUT, who the heck owns that Burnt Orange Blackwing? I want to know anything and everything about the owner’s feelings on it.
Please expound 🙂
The owner is a friend, he wanted that exact car for quite some time and only recently managed to get it. This was my first time seeing it. Usually he is rocking a ’93 Escort GT with an intercooled Mazdaspeed turbo setup.
Well, that’s a start, lol. What are your feelings on it after seeing it in person?
It’s actually quite handsome. I parked my Beetle next to it for absolute maximum color impact 🙂
The yellow Beetle? I left you a card. Your car gives off great mid-late-90s vibes, especially with the old Apple logo stocker.
Thanks! I’ll have to look for the card; I didn’t see it.
It just had our club social links, you can find that info at TriangleRAD.com
I’m planning on visiting some RAD events in the near future! Looking forward to it.
Well, I usually write off newer cars as appliances and I’ve never been much of a GM guy. But a big orange V8 Caddy with a manual is just about enough to overcome both those biases. It’s also rather stunning to look at.
It’s so good. It had some lovely black carbon fiber to set things off, and the strong sunlight made it glisten and tint in a gorgeous way.
I bet. It’s such a slick color. Like, wow. That’s kinda why I want to hear the owner’s opinion on owning it.
I’d never copy another person’s vision anyway, but I have what I want on pre-order. You guys can feel free to weigh in, lol:
BRG (brit green) “sparkle” paint. Deep tan interior. Bronze colored 7-spoke spinners for the wheels.
It’s a strange order. Hell, even the dealer was like, “Umm, that’s gonna take a second.”, but that’s the idea. I want to embrace the early whatever of Escalade rap with some spinners at 150mph. lol
BRG + tan interior is so luxuriously Jaaaaaaag, no matter the car. It’s gonna be gorgeous!
That “Typhoon” green is pretty great looking. If it is like this one but with darker interior, I’d be in. I’d be in on this one with the lighter interior if I had $90k lying around.
https://www.delawarecadillac.com/new-Wilmington-2025-Cadillac-CT4+V-V+Series+Blackwing-1G6D65RP4S0460037
That is nice! I want the darker color, like the Vette’s though. A deep green with that sparkle glaze.
It’s me! I’m still over the moon, it far exceeds my expectations. Coming from a 2013 ATS 6mt (which I now need to sell) it’s a world of difference but still familiar.
The fuel economy is the worst thing about the CT4 Blackwing but I’m not phased. If I’m nice to it I can get 23mpg in mixed driving or 25mpg at 75mph.
Did you say the ATS has 160k on it? … hmmm
Close! 141k miles. If that interests you, I’ll be glad to show it.
How is the tranny? Would you have stuck to your guns on the manual, knowing what you know now?
Absolutely, my preference is for a manual transmission
I have so many other questions, lol. I won’t pepper you with them.
I guess that if I had to ask one more, it’d be:
What is it like on a road trip. I mean things like the stereo (yeah, I know the specs) maybe integrating with Waze. Those types of things.. I’m about 6 years out of date on the day-to-day,
Either way, amazing orange color. Proud of you, my man! lol
I will answer the questions, don’t fear. Even if we have to get in a Discord call (hoping there is an Autopian Discord).
The longest trip I’ve had in it so far has been the two hours getting home from purchase and it was a champ. It has the Recaros and I found them comfortable, Android Auto and google maps did well, and the speakers do their job with gusto. I have no hesitation on taking it on my yearly 700 mile east coast journey. This is my daily driver after all.
The only color I would have loved more would be the cyber yellow, but I’m not complaining.
Huh. Thanks for that!
I can’t do the yellow. I dunno. Something about yellow. I, personally, think you made a waaaay better choice. Maybe it has to do with the whole “yellow lighters are unlucky” thing when I was growing up, lol 🙂
Either way, I’m glad it’s your daily. This is exactly the type of car that should be a daily.
(and yes, I’d like to talk further about it)
Sure, you can find me on the TriangleRad discord under the same username. Ping me and we’ll talk. https://discord.gg/9RZDYDfx
Without knowing any more than you said here, the Vitz’s instrument panel was probably a pair of parabolic mirrors. https://berkeleyphysicsdemos.net/node/724
It was used in an otherwise forgettable arcade game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Traveler_(video_game)
It’s surprisingly hard to find video of this. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/k5K0CBp1DuQ
Cant wait for nicer weather here in Michigan to do the same! My Miata and Beetle are ready to wake up.
Definitely was a fun event. Got some great pictures that I’ll send you guys. Makes me want to get that next Saab even more.
It was a lot of fun! Glad the taxi was there so that my salty WRX was the second dirtiest car on the lot
Short sleeved shirts. I’m so jealous. I can’t wait for spring.
NC is in our late-winter-early-spring phase which is characterized by 35-degree temperature swings between morning and afternoon. It snowed last week, this week we need jackets on the morning but by early afternoon it’s short sleeve weather. Another nighttime hard freeze is predicted for next week.
It was indeed a great event and a nice representation of the eclectic Triangle car scene. I’m very glad our group could contribute to the gathering!
I was in Durham/Chapel Hill this past week Wed-Fri for college tours with my kid, that all got cancelled by the schools… and the roads were, um, not good. Snow, sleet, SALT and sand. You all have meaty clackers for taking your prizes out in that!
The great thing about winter in NC is that, even on those occasions when it does snow, we just have to sit back and wait a few days and it will go away.
By the time of this event roads were clear and dry, the sun was out and temps were approaching 60.
If I was closer and didn’t have to move a foot frozen now get the z28 out, I would be there.
Great pics and cars all around, but I’m quite struck at how large the Daytona is/how low the Delorean is. Hardly a genius insight, but it really comes across when you see them next to each other.
I met the Daytona owner that morning at one of the local C&C events and we convinced him to join us in Chapel Hill in the afternoon.
I was struck by two things: 1) It does indeed look better in person than in photos and 2) It is truly immense.
I love how my bike is just out of frame in about half the pictures, haha. What a great time!
That Blackwing was so orange and so good. One day I’ll have my own.
I wish I could’ve come: you are one of the ones I wanted to meet to put a face on the posts.
We did at least meet last year, even if the memory is fuzzy 🙂
Downhearted I didn’t have at least 1 car ready to jump in and join the crowd this year. That’s what I get for procrastinating on ordering tires, damnitall
Glad there was a good turnout! I almost went. I fixed the exhaust on the Prius Friday afternoon, and found a hotel a couple hours from the meetup with free cancellation up to *2 hours past check-in* and booked it.
When I woke up Saturday morning though, I decided it wasn’t worth $150 and 23 hours to go a few-hour-long meetup, especially when it meant having to call off work Monday, since I wouldn’t have gotten home until early morning.
Kind of unfortunate timing though, because my reason for not wanting to call off Monday went away on Sunday, so I had one less reason to go.
Hopefully there will be another in a year or so.
After your horrible epic bad time last year, I really hope to meet you there next time and swap Subaru stories.
This would have kept me around longer and given me more joy that 95% of the organized car shows I go to, with their tired selections of Chevelles and GTOs and Mustangs. Nothing against those cars, but when I go to a show, I want to see things I haven’t seen or rarely see, and they don’t have to be fast or sleek.
I talked to DT about that. It was so much more interesting and varied with all us crazies showing up in/on our rides. After so many Corvette and Porsche corrals, I just get Sultan of Brunei’d out, even though each one would be special on its own.
Oi, Jason. You like Saturns? You want a project car…?
I live in Siler City. My mother has a 98 Saturn SW2 literally rotting in her front yard. You’ll have to offer her WAY more than it’s worth because she’s a fool — she knows she needs the money, but she won’t want to sell because emotions. (She and I don’t get along any more, because of… well, let’s just say things get a LOT worse than that, very very quickly… to the point that we are no longer speaking to one another.)
Blue Book scrap value is $250, I looked it up. You’d have to offer her probably $1k to move it, but at least try for $500, you might get lucky. Sorry I can’t help with negotiations — but I can tell you how to get in touch with her.
Let me know if you’re interested.
Jason, you could do WAY worse. And, I know a bit about these and am more than willing to come down ready to do the basics on it. Proper metal coolant temp sensor, pull the top of the trans & check solenoids (pretty cheap if any are marginal) input & output shaft nuts on the transmission (still have the ground-down socket), etc
It miiight need injectors, I’m not sure. Towards the end of being driven it got a wee bit wimpy on hills. Also the back hatch has a forever leak, the blinker relay is in a cabinet somewhere (that was me, please don’t ask), the key fob needs to be re-paired (you pair the car to the fob, no joke)… oh, and it was last driven regularly in 2014. Underneath the pine pollen and God only knows what else at this point, it’s navy blue.
TOSSABL, if Jason doesn’t want it and you do, get in touch.
Had I the room, I would: they’re quite decent budget commuters.
But I lack parking—and don’t even keep the 2 cars I’ve got up well enough to have been able to attend the gathering this time
Well durn. It absolutely eats me up inside that that car is just sitting there rotting away. It was such a good little car for us… she could pack it like a TARDIS — however much you thought you could fit in that space, double it. At least double it.
Trust me: I know. But, I turned down my former gf’s 2k SW2 a few years back even though I maintained it for years just because a) I have a work van, so personal cars are now manual b) I already use one more than the normally allotted 2 spaces where I live.
And, the only candidate I can think of who needs it would expect me to be her personal mechanic. At my age, not gonna happen.
I respect those cars way more than I expected to when that gf bought an SL1. My suggestion is to go on Saturnfans: I bet someone snaps it up. Great community there.
It is pretty Autopian coded to ignore a bright orange Blackwing in favor of talking about a miniature scooter.
Thar’s a TVR Cerbera not a Chimaera. Visually they are very similar the Cerbera looking like a stretched hardtop Chimaera, but the Cerbera uses TVR’s own AJP engines rather than the Rover (nee Buick) V8.