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Junkyard Gem: 2001 Pontiac Aztek

Ah, the Pontiac Aztek. Everyone laughs at the Aztek ... except, apparently, for Coloradans who like to go camping, bike riding, hiking, and all that outdoorsy stuff that folks do in the Centennial State. You'll see Azteks being driven, unironically and without shame, all over the place in the Denver region, and now plenty of them are showing up in the local wrecking yards. Here's a first-year-of-production example in its final campground. These minivans or crossovers (or however the experts finally decided to categorize them) had built-in air compressors, audio controls in the rear cargo area, and other features meant to enhance tailgating, camping, and other activities deemed central to Generation X's allegedly active lifestyle. You could even get an optional camping kit with a tent that attached to the rear of the Aztek. So, it was a General Motors minivan-like vehicle, cousin of the weird-looking Dustbusters of the 1990s, with lots of useful features for those who did more than just commute to work and drop off kids at school. Unfortunately for GM, the Aztek was staggeringly ugly, and Generation Xers were too damned broke to buy new cars in 2001, anyway. I see plenty of them in Denver-area wrecking yards now, along with their slightly-less-offensive-looking Buick Rendezvous siblings, and so I decided to document one before they're all gone. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Gear up, go for a stroll, or let it slide? Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 2001 Pontiac Aztek View 11 Photos Auto News Pontiac Crossover pontiac aztek

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Pontiac Safari Station Wagon

During the 1960s and 1970s, station wagons based on full-sized Detroit sedans were the default family haulers, and many of those Kingswood Estates and Country Squires and Ambassadors came with unapologetically phony woodgrain-printed exterior paneling and trim. By the late 1980s, however, few were snapping up such wagons, making this '87 Safari that I spotted in a Denver yard an interesting find. Power for this wagon came from a 307-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8 making 140 horsepower. General Motors used this engine in Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Chevrolets, Pontiacs, and Cadillacs, finally discontinuing production for the 1990 model year. Was the "wood" convincing, even when new? Of course not, but it was a cherished American tradition. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1987 Pontiac Safari station wagon in Colorado junkyard View 18 Photos Auto News Pontiac station wagon

Autoblog Classifieds finds: 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

Autoblog's free Readers' Used Car Classifieds section is a great place to list your car for sale, and because these are readers, they often list really interesting cars. Occasionally we find interesting listings, and tell you what's special about them. This 1987 Pontiac Fiero was listed for sale at the time of this writing, but if the listing expires by the time you read this, feel free to browse for other great finds. Thirty years after General Motors stopped building it, the Pontiac Fiero might have finally emerged from the darkness. First, it was a humble commuter car that just happened to be a mid-engined coupe, then it was a re-skinnable basis for Fierorraris or other slightly strange kit cars, and then it made some Worst Cars of All Time lists due to its econobox ingredients, including its Chevy Citation suspension parts. But after a few decades, even the most mediocre car will become interesting as most of the examples built have been run into the ground; why not then the Fiero? The story of the Fiero is paralleled by a number of GM products, as it improved constantly the longer it was built, and by the time of the last model years it was quite decent indeed. And then the plug was pulled. The Fiero might not be a Toyota MR2 or even a Fiat X1/9, but it was made in two body styles, the notchback and the fastback, the latter of which looks especially good now. The Fiero also remains quite affordable, and the plastic body panels do not rust, unlike with the two aforementioned cars. This 1987 car advertised for sale at Autoblog Classifieds does not yet benefit from the 1988 cars' improved suspension, but thanks to its low, low 47,000-mile odometer reading, it looks to be in tip-top shape. The automatic transmission is just the three-speed affair, though, rendering the V6 car here more of a cruiser than a fiery hot canyon carver. Perhaps that has contributed to its good condition, along with the lack of possibly leaky T-tops. Could the Fiero have aged better than your Hall & Oates tapes? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.