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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)
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Looks like Pennsylvania plate in the one picture, which would make sense.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
But, I was also in my 30s when that happened, and I'm 50 now, so maybe it's time to grow up!
As for survival rate, I'd imagine that the 5th Ave probably had the best survival rate of any of the R-body Mopars. In '79 a lot of Newports and St. Regises were sold as police cars and taxis. For '80, when the Gran Fury came out, it took over police car duties from the Newport. But, I'd imagine a lot of them were still sold as taxis, fleet cars, etc. And because they were a hard sell new, with Chrysler's shaky future, I'd imagine even the New Yorkers and 5th Avenues were sold on the cheap, maybe dumped into rental fleets, and in their older age turned into taxis.
Still, being a more expensive car, I'd imagine the New Yorkers and especially the 5th Ave editions had a better survival rate than the cheaper ones, simply because more of their buyers were older, moneyed people who took care of them. In a similar vein, a '79 Electra, Ninety-Eight, or DeVille probably has a better survival rate than, say, a '79 Impala.
I guess I don't think of them as being *that* rare, but I'm probably biased because I see mine all the time. And friends are usually mentioning whenever they see one, or forwarding me a link when they run across one for sale, etc, so that keeps them more relevant in my mind. But, now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I've seen a '79-81 New Yorker, or any R-body on the road. And when I'd take it to the Mopar show in Carlisle, many years it would be the only R-body there. Sometimes another '79 5th Ave would show up that was really loaded to the gills...sunroof, the 4-bbl 360, dual exhaust, factory road wheels that look similar to what big early 70's Chryslers had, or 80's GM pickups and vans. Mine originally just had wire hubcaps...the wheels that are on it are off of an '80-83 Cordoba/Mirada. Occasionally this St. Regis that used to be a police car would show up, as well.
But, I guess they're not exactly a dime a dozen anymore!
Chrysler's shaky future in '79/'80 likely did deter many buyers. Although I remember at my first job in 1980, the owner's wife bought a new Cordoba, the restyled version with the sharp edges, because according to her she wanted to help support Chrysler and keep it alive. Nice looking car in a metallic light green (maybe 2-tone, I don't recall) with green velour upholstery inside.
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2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
When the '71 big GM cars came out, at the time I thought they were boldly modern. That enormous windshield with those slender A-pillars! And on the deVilles, I loved the brushed metal interior trim. I wonder if it was really metal or plastic. Midway through the '71 model year, deVilles started having fake wood panels inside, so I'd say the dealers and/or potential customers were squawking about the metal trim.
The '72's are similar, but I like the nameplates on the fenders on the '71's.
The caddy (kid) at the end looks like he could be a Cassidy, IMHO.
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I gave the GTI a hard look, but the local dealers were loading them up with garbage like aftermarket sunroofs and such. If a dealer had been willing to sell me one for close to MSRP I might have bought one instead of my 1973 Bavaria.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Still could have plenty of fun, though.
The 7.1" drum in back might seem kind of small. I think the smallest drum brake setup I had was on a 1969 Dart with a slant six, which had 9" drums all around. But, on a small, lightweight, FWD car, I guess the rear brakes don't really need to do much work, other than keep the wheels from locking up.
Actually, now that I think about it, my '88 LeBaron turbo coupe was probably still drum in the rear. I guess they might have been pretty small.
Overall though, that GTI's performance seems very impressive, especially for 1983, and for only having 90 hp. The 26 mpg sounds pretty good too, considering I'm sure C&D flogged the hell out of it.
I'd love to know what the Trans Am's excuse was for being so slow? I couldn't find the exact C&D article, but did find mention elsewhere or Road & Track testing a fuel-injected version with 165 hp and getting 0-60 in 9.2 seconds. It mentioned C&D "bemoaned" their test car's "10.6 second waltz to 60 mph". So maybe that was a reference to the 305/4-speed Trans Am?
Oddly, it also mentioned Consumer Guide testing a carbureted one with an automatic and 0-60 was 10.8 seconds. I'd think the automatic would have much more of an acceleration penalty than that?
Still, I'd think any of them *should* be quicker than that. Heck, my Mom's old '86 Monte Carlo, with a 150 hp 305 and 4-speed automatic, was probably good for 0-60 in about 10 seconds. And it was held back by a loafy axle ratio, probably around a 2.41:1 or something stupid-tall like that.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
15% bump for the GTI would have been substantial, I think.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I thought the best feature of the '71-'76 GM full-size cars were those skinny A-pillars, all chrome too. That '71 Caddy is a nice design with the split headlights up front and the modest fins in back.
I never saw one of these in our small town, but in the brochure, I thought the '71 Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham looked pretty magnificent, with that roofline (later cribbed by the '73 Colonnade sedans), coach lamps on the C-pillars, and that old-timey gap between the front and rear doors. You could get an interior with three horizontal sections to each seating position, and on the seat back, the lowest third only was leather. I thought that was cool.
Our local dealer did sell a '74 Fleetwood Talisman, with those almost-obscene heavy-velour seats for four, to a local bail bondsman.
My best friend worked in high school for a local pharmacist. He'd give my friend his '75 Sedan deVille to run through the car wash, and my friend would pick me up beforehand, LOL.
He said his boss would say, "John, you like driving that Cadillac, don't you? It took me twenty years in business before I bought my first Cadillac". Something that reminded me a bit of the guy in the commercial I posted.
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https://collectibleautomobile.com/
I'm thinking about subscribing again. Doesn't anyone here currently get it? Is it still good?
Below is most of my little collection from long ago.
I took the pic a few years ago, but small town - you eventually seem the same cars.
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Speaking of Broncos--I do think that red-haired gal in the Otezla commercial, who drives an early Bronco at the end of the commercial, is a real doll!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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It was a black 4 door with a gray interior. Under the hood, the engine had Thunderbird valve covers.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.