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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 18,979
    The Fox-based 1980-82 Thunderbird qualifies in my book as one of the worst-styled American cars ever. They shrunk the previous generation but kept all the same styling cues and it looked terrible. I can never get past the fat-hipped look of the rear quarters and the narrow rear track under it. But that is only one of many sins with that design. Just awful overall, so the '83 aero look was badly needed.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    I was going to say, I wish large windows were still "modern" in terms of being contemporary.

    Regarding malaisey Birds, I will somewhat ashamedly admit that I don't mind the 77-79 style, it has a certain angular downsized late disco era panache.
  • magnettemagnette Member Posts: 4,147
    edited October 2013
    Went out a couple of times in the Magnette at the weekend - it still looks terrible with rusty bits, the awful colour etc, but is booked in for bodywork in February so it should start to look a bit more presentable by about April. I have been buying a few repair sections for the rusty rear wheel arches, and the offside front wing which is pretty bad at the bottom, although quite good on top except a half inch round the headlight which is like a lace curtain. Funnily enough the other side is good. The rear wings need some work too - the bottom four inches from the rear of the wheel arch round to the point where the main lower rear panel fits is all filler on both sides - although its been like that for about forty years now so it is really cosmetic rather than essential as my view is I want it all done properly once and for all and then it should see me out.
    Another problem is storage - we are lucky as we own a garage round the corner from our house but it is in a block of about a dozen, and a few nights ago someone broke in to a few neighbours garages. They didn't touch ours luckily but I am going to improve the security by fitting a proper bar lock gadget that stops the door being forced open - it involves cementing an anchorage into the concrete though so I've got my local builder coming to do that tomorrow morning and until then our Alfa is parked across the garage to secure it (and the one next to it where a 1952 Fiat 500c resides as that guy is away for a few days). He's lucky as no-one touched his garage either but he told me he has engine troubles so no doubt he will be off the road for a while anyway. It's always a problem with a garage remote from the house - I don't think people will break in to get the car - its just as likely they are looking for tools or all the crap people put in storage - one of the garages was used for storing furniture as someone who owns it is mid-divorce and she told me she lost some non-car stuff apparently.

    Anyway when out and about this weekend I saw a couple of old cars - an Austin Allegro - in the original period ochre brown colour which is not very pretty, but still it looked in better shape than most cars from 1975.

    Also saw a sixties VW camper, a Morris Minor which looked really ratty and a Ford Capri III which is quite tidy but has some damage on the rear.

    Some time last week I saw a Humber Sceptre - the early version with the oval back lights - I've seen the car before but only when driving along so I've never had a close look at it.

    Will see less old cars now for the next few months as winter approaches - once we salt the roads it becomes a problem but in London that isn't frequent so it is really just that the weather isn't always the best to enjoy a car with lousy heating and ventilation.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    edited October 2013
    I think the '83 Thunderbird still seems fairly contemporary by today's standards. At the time, I remember thinking it seemed smaller in the back seat than GM's squarish 'personal luxury coupes', but even though I could still enjoy an '83 or later GM RWD midsize coupe, the T-Bird has stood the test of time better.

    One thing I never understood about Ford...and I'm including T-Birds up through '71 or so, then '80 and later, was...they seemed to offer a lot of cars with buckets and console, but often paired a console with a column shift.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I found this gem of a Volvo on Ebay not too long ago:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390683486216

    I know you like 122s, more so than P1800s so I thought I'd send this one along. I recently got to drive a '68 122 and found that it was more fun to toss around than the '70 144 I drove last year.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    They probably kept the column shift to save money. One shift lineage, column etc. typical cost cutting for the times.

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  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    wow, that is nice. and if I had one, just about exactly what I would do to it (upgrade wise). Except for a set of minilites. I think they look real good on a 122.

    313K on it? Pretty nice for that miles. And while I know this might be the best example in the country, bids over 36K already? yowza.

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    Oh, GM's Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, et al of that era were definitely bigger inside, in almost every dimension, than the '83-88 T-bird and Cougar. Larger trunks, as well. I also remember my buddy's '86 T-bird having a much nicer interior than any Monte Carlo of the time, although to be fair, it was one of those designer editions like an Elan or Fila, so it was probably a lot more expensive.

    I'm not sure how the '80-82 T-bird stacked up for interior room, though. I can't remember ever being in one, or a similar-vintage Cougar XR-7. The EPA lists them at only 93 cubic feet of passenger volume and an 18 cubic foot trunk, in comparison to 92/15 for the '83, so apparently the earlier Fox-based ones were still pretty small inside. In comparison, something like a Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, etc, was around 97/16, and the 1980-83 Dodge Mirada/Chrysler Cordoba were rated at 100/17.

    I wish the EPA showed the interior volumes on earlier cars, but their online records only go back to 1978. Didn't the EPA start testing cars in 1975 though?
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    I always though the 83+ Tbird/Cougar seemed more upscale than they were. They were available with just about every option the Mark VII could have. The only thing is I don't think they got the HO V8 until the body style change in 89 but i could be mistaken.

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    I seem to recall that when the '89 T-bird came out, you couldn't get a V-8 at all, just a 140 hp 3.8 V-6 as the base engine, or a supercharged V-6 with something like 230? I think the 302 did come back after a couple years, and then a couple years after that was replaced by the 4.6?
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    That's my memory as well, andre. The '89 Thunderbird was on a much longer wheelbase than the previous year, with a roomier backseat, but I remember hearing they came in overbudget in both weight and cost. I never liked them nearly as well as I liked the '87-88. My friend and coworker who has owned nothing but Fords and has the '13 Escape now, had a charcoaly-blue '87 Turbo Coupe with navy blue cloth interior. I thought it was striking.

    Back to the '86 Monte Carlo--I'm all for 'piano black' trim on the dash, like the '81 Malibu Classic had, but what they used on the '86 was a flatter black that didn't look nearly as nice I don't think. I hated how in '85 the glovebox knob and lock went from chrome-finish to black, also. I will say I did like the '87 and '88 CL interior--it was a loose-pillow look in velour (of course).
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    edited October 2013
    The Toronado that parks in the same garage with my fintail and a few other old cars has a new partner:

    image

    Decent driver condition, has spinner style hubcaps with 80s style raised letter tires:

    image

    Speaking of Toros, today I saw the white XS that I see a few times a year in my area.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    I give up. how can you open the monster doors on either one of those beasts to get in without caving in the side of the other?

    Well, the Pancho is just a big car. That era toro was a monstrosity of a tank. I had no problem driving a 26'box Frieghtliner ryder truck in traffic, and it would terrify me trying to maneuver that Olds. Just way too much hood I guess.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    edited October 2013
    I was thinking about that. I'd wager the same person owns both cars. I guess move the Toro out, back the Bonneville in, exit passenger door, back Toro in, exit passenger door, and hope nobody is parked on the other side (if that also isn't his car). Very large cars, parked close together.

    My fintail is parked in a spot like the Pontiac, apparently with a stuck parking brake.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    edited October 2013
    That Bonneville is a '64. You'll have to check next time, if it might have buckets and console, neat and desirable in a Bonneville I think.

    Stickguy mentioned the hood on the Toronado--the Bonnevilles of the early '60's actually seemed to have short-hood/long-deck styling, which seems a tad weird to me now. I love the interiors though, and think the '65-68 Bonnevilles are gorgeous in and out. Not a fan of the big Bonneville 'flying saucer' emblem which is on the front fenders of the car in the pic...glad they dropped that for '66.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Would be a nice companion for my Brougham if I ever get it back.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I know. My Dad had a 1981 T-Bird. He was so proud of it, though. Thought that he had "arrived."
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    Well, to be fair to the '80 Thunderbird, I was pretty horrified when I first saw a new '78 Monte Carlo. It tried to keep a lot of the same styling cues but not very successfully IMHO. I mind it a lot less now but then and now, I'd prefer a well-equiped Malibu Classic to a Monte. Olds did that downsize in the specialty coupe segment best in '78 IMHO.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    I agree, that the Cutlass Supreme coupe came off the best, when those personal luxury coupes downsized for 1978, although I don't mind the Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, or Regal. The only thing I don't like about the Grand Prix is the headlight treatment, with the turn signal in between the headlights. I never did like that. It wasn't too bad on the bigger '77, but on the narrower '78, it just didn't work, IMO. It made the grille too narrow. And I did think the Cutlass, Regal, and Monte Carlo seemed to lose a bit of status in going from quad headlights to singles.

    I guess the biggest losers in that '78 downsizing were the "aeroback" Century and Cutlass Salon sedans and coupes. Those things were very poor sellers. Thankfully GM saw fit to revise the rooflines of the sedans for 1980, which revived sales. Century Cutlass Salon coupe sales were so non-existent though, that they simply let those die off after 1980.

    My favorite downsized personal luxury coupe from that dark era is the 1980 Cordoba/Mirada. I thought those had very nice lines overall, and I actually prefer them, slightly, to the 1979 Cordoba/Magnum. Chrysler's cars were the least-downsized, though. The 1979's were on a 115" wb and around 215" long, while the 1980-83 were on a 112.7" wb and around 209-210" long.

    In comparison, I think the T-bird went from around 114" wb and 215" length to around 108.4" wb and 202" long. I believe the Monte Carlo/Grand Prix went from a 116" wb and around 215" long, to 108.1" and around 200-202. The Cutlass Supreme and Regal had been on a slightly shorter 112" wb and I think were around 208" long, and the downsizing put them to the same size as the Monte/Grand Prix.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the Volvo 122 was the best car ever made in the world. But I rather doubt I'd pay $36K for one. I'd be more inclined to rebuild one the way I wanted to be used as an everyday car, with fuel injection, vintage AC, better seats and probably a Tremec 5 speed. I really don't want to deal with delicate 60s era British overdrives anymore. They are a devil to repair on an otherwise simple, rugged, easy to fix car.

    I often wondered if a BMW 6 cylinder motor would fit in one of those.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I don't know if you've ever watched "King of the Hill," but Peggy Hill's car appears to be an early 1980s Buick Century sedan:

    image
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    I always thought that, too, Lemko. If you look at it in the opening credits, the way the rear slopes off really makes me think of a midsized Buick. I had always though maybe an '80-81 Century. But, judging from that pic you posted with the quad headlights, it would be an '82-84 Regal.

    I think there actually was an episode or two where they referred to the car as a Buick.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    Funny, I have noticed that too. Definitely one of the "formal" middle GM sedans from that era.

    My friend with the 83 and 85 Monte Carlos would say his 83 was a car that Peggy Hill would drive.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    "it would terrify me trying to maneuver that Olds. Just way too much hood I guess. "

    Heck Stick, you just gotta go back to the day. A couple of martini's and a cigar - no problem!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    Well, the Pancho is just a big car. That era toro was a monstrosity of a tank. I had no problem driving a 26'box Frieghtliner ryder truck in traffic, and it would terrify me trying to maneuver that Olds.

    Believe it or not, that '64 Bonneville and early 70's Toronado are very close in size. The Bonneville is on a 123" wheelbase, and 220" long. The Toro is on a 122" wb, and around 220-221" long.

    The Toronado is mostly hood though, so that might make it a bit more intimidating than the Bonneville to drive. But it would probably handle better, thanks to a more modern suspension, quicker steering, smaller steering wheel, disc brakes, larger radial tires, etc.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    I've long thought that the car Peggy Hill drove was a Buick Century 4-door--it's almost a dead ringer for a real car! I don't remember two or four headlights, though.

    I know Hank drove a Ranger. I remember one time they showed him crossing into Arkansas, where the sign said "Home of President Bill Clinton". They then showed Hank hitting the power door lock button on the inner door panel of the Ranger! LOL
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    Yep, in early episodes Hank had a 1993 style Ranger, which was sometimes an anachronism, as it would be talked about like he had it since the 80s. Around the year 2000, there was an episode where the old truck died, and was replaced with an F250 style model.

    I think I watched too much TV ;)
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 18,979
    On the '78/'79, I liked the Regal styling best, because the front end was a bit more distinctive than the Cutlass. Didn't mind the GP, hated the Monte those years.

    In '80 when GM grafted quad headlights on those front ends that previously had duals I didn't think any of them came off very well, but again preferred the Regal.

    For '81 and up I liked the Cutlass best, with the Regal a close second.

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    In '80 when GM grafted quad headlights on those front ends that previously had duals I didn't think any of them came off very well, but again preferred the Regal.

    I had forgotten that the Regal went to quads for '80 as well as the Cutlass and Monte. Had to google some pics to refresh my memory. And yeah, I agree, it's about the most tasteful of the bunch. Actually, I think it's a slight improvement over 1978-79. As for the Cutlass, I don't mind either way. I think the Monte is a step down, but I think part of the problem is that eggcrate grille they went to the same year.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    Yeah, I remember that episode. I think Bobby wandered off and got lost in the wilderness, in the rain, and Hank went and rescued him in the F250, taking it places that the old Ranger couldn't go because of the higher clearance, 4wd, etc.

    Did Peggy ever get a new car, or did she keep that Buick til the end?

    I also remember Hank's father, or was it Peggy's, who drove an '86-90 style Eldorado?
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    That was Hank's father, 'Cotton', who drove the shrunken late '80's Eldo.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,204
    Here's a 1980 with a piece of sheet metal to prevent whiplash.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    I thought the Monte improved some with quad headlights, and the standard interior dressed up a bit (more woodgrain on the panel, for good or bad, and carpeted lower door panels finally standard) on the '80. But I preferred the '81 styling so much. Had some cues, particularly in the rear, from the '74 Monte I think.

    I could still like an '87 or '88 LS, with the checkerboard aluminum wheels, two-tone light and dark maroon, with dark maroon CL interior.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 234,736
    edited October 2013
    Spotted a 1st generation LeBaron coupe, today.. Paint was pretty faded, but hardly any rust.... and doing about 70 down the freeway... This was the late '70s version... RWD...

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    That Olds is a '76 or '77.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    Andre, was your '86 Monte Carlo an LS, or the '85-and-previous style? I seem to remember the LS didn't come out at the beginning of the model year, so they still sold the style with four headlights and the older-style taillights too IIRC.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    Mine was just the base coupe...I forget if they called that a "Sport Coupe" or not? I seem to remember Chevy tended to throw that term around alot. So it was the older style, rather than the slightly aero-ized style that the LS was sporting.

    It was a two-tone gray over silver, with a burgundy cloth (mouse-fur?) interior. I seem to remember the trim on the dash was black plastic. It had the 150 hp 305-4bbl and a nice stereo with a 5-band equalizer, but wasn't all that ritzy, otherwise. Crank windows, manual locks and seat, hubcaps. Still, it was a pretty nice car. I think Mom paid around $14,000 for it. She also got it toward the end of the model year in 1986. Part of her reason for getting it was that I had my learner's permit, license would be coming soon, and she was going to give me her 1980 Malibu coupe.

    Initially, Mom wanted a Pontiac Grand Am or something similar, and my stepdad was pushing for something small-ish and FWD. But Granddad talked her into the Monte Carlo, saying that it would be more reliable, and it would be easier for him to work on. I'm glad Mom listened to her Dad! Otherwise, 12 years later, I might have been getting a beat-up 4-cyl Grand Am handed down to me, presuming it was still running. And it would have been that car I got t-boned in, rather than the bigger, heavier Monte.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    edited October 2013
    Funny to be two-tone paint and graphic equalizer, and have just the wheelcovers. I think they were rather 'pie plate' by then, too. The model you had was called the 'Sport Coupe'.

    I remember when I bought my '81 Monte Carlo, I looked at the Grand Prix brochure and was surprised that 'poverty caps' were standard on the Grand Prix. The Monte gave you full wheelcovers and an electric clock standard. I'm thinking the clock was optional on the Grand Prix too. But, the dash was way better on the Grand Prix I think.

    I remember looking at my first '78 Grand Prix stuck out back of the Pontiac-Olds dealer in Clarion, PA, where I went to college. I was pretty shocked at it too. They really took the '78's farther than they took the full-sizes in '77 I think.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    Speaking of Montes, a good old friend of mine has an 83,and an 85. The 85 is a lower mile SS, and the 83 he bought when he was 18 (mid 90s) and has held onto. It's light grey with a darker grey interior, a "CL" (he says it stands for CeLebrity ;) )with a 305 and whatever troublesome small transmission from that era that eventually failed. It came new with wire caps, when he was a teen, he put small wheels with low profile tires on it which gave it kind of a lowrider look. Now it wears wheels off a ~81 Z28. The SS is still in decent shape, but the 83 is showing its age - a sentimental object his wife hasn't yet made him part with.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    In '85 when I lived in Atlanta and was single, I put a deposit on a burgundy new Monte Carlo SS. This was after having new '81 and '82 Montes. At that time, the SS was a hot ticket.

    I had reconsidered taking that car back up to greater Cleveland for good at the end of that summer, since my '81 was stolen there and never recovered, and my '82 was broken into but not stolen.

    I went back and said I wanted my deposit back. In the meantime, they had sold the actual car I put a deposit on and had gotten the same car from a dealer in Alabama. I told them it wasn't like I was sticking them with a Citation; they'd sell it shortly. I also said that wasn't the car I put the deposit on. I got the deposit back and three months later ordered a Celebrity Eurosport (about $4K cheaper) at a dealer across town--Timmers Chevrolet in Norcross, GA.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    Now that I think back on it, my great-aunt had two Monte Carlos. The first was an '83 or '84 with a V-6 that they didn't have long, and then an '85 with a V-8 that she had for a pretty long time, until it was in an accident and totaled.

    The V-6 Monte replaced a '74 Impala coupe (can't remember if it was the hardtop or stationary-window) with a 400, so I imagine it was a bit of a culture shock. I don't remember the V-6 very well, but its V-8 replacement was white with a dark blue velour interior, and really nice.

    I forget what she got after the second Monte was wrecked, but the last two cars she had were a burgundy 2001 Intrepid, that she didn't keep for long because it messed up her beehive hairdo, and then an '00-05 style Impala. She gave up driving a few years ago, and her daughter still has the Impala.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    My friend's is black on dark red. He bought it around 1999-2000, with about 50K miles on it. I think he paid something like $5700 for it, which seemed like a good deal (I looked at it with him, and gave him my approval, as if it mattered). It now has maybe 70K on it, but doesn't get driven much, as he has a very busy wife and enslavement to family matters now. The 83 hasn't been driven in ages, and I think is living in his dad's barn. The SS got repainted, in 01-02, a dumb teenage girl ran a stop sign and hit him, messing up the passenger side pretty well. I think he got like $4500 for a paint job and bodywork.

    I drove it once, on a summer evening with the t-tops off. It has an aftermarket exhaust, and sounds pretty good, but the handling was really vague to me even compared to a MB sedan. I drove the 83 once, it was really odd for me, numb steering and brakes. I haven't driven a big old American car for a long time.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 18,979
    I remember looking at my first '78 Grand Prix stuck out back of the Pontiac-Olds dealer in Clarion, PA, where I went to college. I was pretty shocked at it too. They really took the '78's farther than they took the full-sizes in '77 I think.

    That reminds me of our family's experience. Dad was driving his '75 Hornet Sportabout and wanted a new wagon in the fall of '77 for some reason. I don't think he was ever in love with the AMC, and he had long been a GM man. Mid-70s he went astray for a few years, first buying our '74 Maverick LDO, then the Hornet.

    I remember we went car shopping just before introduction day in the fall of '77. We drove a Dodge Aspen SE wagon, which was nice enough but I remember it feeling nose-heavy, and they were not thrilled with it for some reason. Then we went to the Ford dealer to look at the new Fairmont wagon, but they had none available yet. We found a '77 LTD II wagon there and that drove nice enough, but was a bit big, and I remember the driver's floor under the brake pedal area oilcanned when I pushed on it.

    He then went to the Pontiac dealer, who didn't have their '78 inventory yet. But the sales manager showed him the brochures for the downsized '78s, and i had read the long-lead stories in the car magazines that were very positive. He bought, sight unseen, a '78 Grand Lemans wagon in white with a red vinyl interior. When it arrived it looked really nice, but I think it must have been a pilot car or something, since it had all kinds of things that didn't fit right or work right, and had terrible build quality. But it drove nicely and until the rear tailgate/hatch started to rattle like crazy, was smooth and quiet. I thought the wagons looked the best of those downsized intermediates, and the Pontiac had that unique dash and nice styling.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    Good friends of mine (the ones I talk about with a Benz now) had a one or two-year-old '84 Monte Carlo, loaded to the hilt but with a V6. A V8 totally transformed those cars IMHO, but probably a year after I had driven my '85 Celebrity Eurosport, Eagle tires and stiff suspension, I was driving their Monte to help the wife find an apartment while the husband was at work. I went to turn right in the Monte and felt like I was almost going to roll it over!

    When new, the Monte SS was stiffer, but in hindsight I don't like the cheesy graphics on those cars now--inside or out. Look online in 'oldcarbrochures.com' at a '70 or '71 Monte Carlo SS, and all it had was subtle "SS454" emblems at the bottom of the front fenders and a black panel between the taillights. Now that was classy IMHO.

    I will say that when the '83 Monte Carlo SS came out, it was somewhat novel to have a H.O. V8 in a GM family car (so to speak). I think that's one reason they seemed so popular for awhile.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,027
    I can just picture that Grand LeMans wagon--a nice car. I thought those cars seemed like a smaller big car, while the Fairmont seemed like a bigger small car to me. The GM's no-roll-down rear windows were indefensible, though, and at the time, Dad and I hated the mini spares.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,072
    I'd imagine a V8 is more or less needed in something like a Monte - it is a car that needs to cruise in a relaxed manner.

    I remember when I was in school, there was a maybe 87 or so aero model with the checkerboard style wheels, that my friend really liked. There was also another similar late car in town with those wheels, and t-tops. Don't see any of those around anymore.

    Cheesy graphics are really a 70s-80s thing that come back for some cars.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    My only real experience with a Fox-based car was the 1985 LTD my grandparents had. I spent a lot of time practicing parallel parking in it as a teen, driving in general, and one year when my grandparents took me to Florida, they let me do most of the driving.

    It was actually a nice car in many respects. Handling seemed decent, nice interior, adequate room, performance not bad considering it was a 120 hp 3.8 V-6 and, IIRC, just a 3-speed automatic. But, I still preferred my 1980 Malibu coupe, which just had more of a bigger-car feel.

    That LTD was upgraded considerably from what a Fairmont would have been, so I imagine the Fairmont's compact roots must have really shown through!

    I think your "small big car" versus "big small car" is a good analogy.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    I'd imagine a V8 is more or less needed in something like a Monte - it is a car that needs to cruise in a relaxed manner.

    My 1982 Cutlass Supreme, the same essential car as a Monte, just had a 231 V-6 so yeah, I can vouch, these cars really need a V-8. And a ~5 liter V-8, not those 260/265/267's they were pushing for a few years.

    My Mom's '86 with the 150 hp 305 and 4-speed automatic was a fairly well-balanced car. 0-60 seemed to come up in about 10 seconds. And fuel economy was usually around 15 local, maybe 22 or so on the highway. About what the Cutlass had been. Or my old 1980 Malibu, which had the Chevy 229 V-6...a bit more hp than the 231, but less torque.

    I always thought it was interesting though that my grandmother's '85 LeSabre, a considerably larger, heavier car, got about the same economy with its 307 and 4-speed automatic. Around 15 local (got it down to around 14 once when I delivered pizzas with it), and lower 20's on the highway. It got better highway economy when it was newer, but it was getting old by the time it was handed down to me.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 18,979
    I can just picture that Grand LeMans wagon--a nice car.

    You don't have to picture it... here is the pic from the brochure that sold him:

    image

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