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

andre1969

On the subject of GM's 1980 personal luxury coupes...I know this might be splitting hairs, but to me, the 1980 Monte, with its quad headlights, looks a little bit "forced", whereas with the Cutlass Supreme and Regal I'd call it more "transitional". I guess basically, they all left a bit to be desired, but I thought the Olds/Buick did it better than the Monte. Still, I don't mind the Monte Carlo. I don't know if I'd call it better, or worse, than '78-79, as none of that generation really gets me excited, style-wise.

It's interesting that the Grand Prix was the only one of the intermediates that kept its quad headlight look right from the get-go, in downsizing. But I didn't really care for that look with the narrow grille and the turn signals mounted between the quad lights. It looked better on the '77 Grand Prix, and I didn't mind it too much on the '80-81 Bonneville/Catalina, but it just seemed to bulky on the downsized '78-80 Grand Prix.

Sometimes I wonder, if the 1980 Mirada/Cordoba would have looked good with quad headlights. One of my friends says no, because the front is too narrow. But, as long as they relocated the turn signal down lower, say in the bumper, rather than keeping it in line with the headlights, I guess it might have worked. And GM's re-skinned 1981 personal luxury coupes showed that quads could work on a narrower body style.

andre1969

We had some friends of the family that had a Maverick 4-door and one of those "Astro-boy" (btw, that's the perfect description of it!) 200SXes. My grandparents sold their '72 Impala to them for $600, sometime in 1982. I forget which car it replaced, though. As I recall, the Maverick was pretty beat. The 200SX looked like it was in okay shape. It was just ugly as sin. From what I remember hearing, they replaced the vinyl top on the Impala, which was pretty badly shredded, and sold it for $700, a year later. That was probably a bit of a miracle, as big battlecruisers like that weren't exactly a hot commodity in the '82-83 timeframe.

fintail

Incredibly rare now, a minter would probably fare well with the monied hipsters on BaT:



I remember around 1987, I found out a schoolmate's mom had one of these. Even then, here, where these cars aged probably better than anywhere (no salt to dissolve the body, no sun to dissolve the interior), it was an unusual car, and I was taken aback by it. Can't recall when I last saw one, but it has probably been over 20 years.

Reminds me of the B210 and another young memory. I remember when I was a little kid, I liked those cars, I thought the fastback was racy, and the honeycomb hubcaps were cool. A friend of my dad had one, and I finally got a ride in it. I then learned it was a cheap and cheerful economy car with a unique body, not a sports car.

roadburner

andre1969 said:

I know I've mentioned it before, but I have a bit of a fascination with a lot of those late 70's/early 80's Japanese hardtop coupes. Stuff like the Datsun 200SX, the little hardtop coupe and liftback Toyota Corolla SR-5, the Dodge Challenger/Plymouth Sapporo. And the Mazda 626, which is one that never seemed all that common.

Of course, admiring something from afar, and owning it are two different things. I wonder if I'd like owning something like one of these cars? I know it's a bit out of the normal range for me.

As I've said before, I had a 1979 Plymouth Arrow GT 2.6, which had the same engine as the Challenger/Sapporo. It had four wheel discs, which no US car offered except for the Corvette and the Trans Am WS6. It also had an OHC engine and a five speed manual. Nice car, quick for the time, and very reliable. I only sold it because my girlfriend(now wife) found me a 1973 Bavaria in the fall of 1983.

omarman

1983 was the year after Tron was released and some interesting stuff from Japan followed. I liked all of it.

Well some of it anyway.

Michaell

I remember test driving the 626 hatch with the 120hp turbo engine.

Man, the turbo lag could be measured with an hourglass.

andre1969

Once again showing that my opinion on things tends to soften as I get older, I'm noticing that the 200SX Fintail posted above doesn't look as bad as I remember. At least, from the side like that, I kind of like it, with the exception of the wheels looking under-sized.

I think my problem with these is that from certain angles, the rear part looks fat and a bit top-heavy. I guess there's just too much C-pillar in relation to the rest of the car. But, overall, you have to give it credit for being, umm...interesting.

In some ways, it makes me think of a movie prop designed for some sci-fi movie from the 70's. I vaguely remember a British movie called "Invasion U.F.O.", which I think was actually cobbled together from some old tv series (sort of like how they'd cobble together "Battlestar Galactica" and "Galactica 1980" episodes to make feature-length movies). I used a lot of miniatures, but I also remember some 70's-futuristic looking prop cars. That 200SX would have been right at home in that movie.

Or, perhaps like how a concept car, when the first clay models are sculpted, tends to be way out there, before being toned down for production...the 200SX looks a bit like it's still caught in that "concept car" phase.

I like the hubcaps though...make me think of a 1960 Dodge!

uplanderguy

On the '80 Monte Carlo, two things I don't like now, particularly, are the addition of the marker light on the front fenders, and the horrific fake woodgrain all over the dash.

Found this pic, when it was fairly-new, in the parents' driveway.

Funny to think that, except for width, these bested the previous huge Monte Carlos in passenger dimensions and trunk space.

Too bad the photo is faded; that green always struck me as vivid, with a lot of metallic and on this particular car, I remember thinking it had a really good paint job.

I remember as plain as day, the bottom line on the sticker was $7,070.00.

The Malibu Classic coupe has stood the test of time better, IMHO--which is why I still would like a black with gold pinstripe '78.

Walking around this car in 3-D, it had a look of substance, I thought....70-series tires and wheels filled the wheel openings; the wheels had depth; I liked frameless door glass; interior trimmings of pretty good quality (other than that new-for-'80 woodgrain). I thought the GM's had it all over the Fairmont/Zephyr/Thunderbird/Cougar, although I know the GM's were more expensive.

uplanderguy

fin mentioned the B210 earlier.

Such is our difference in age and probably also where we lived; my uncle bought a B210 "Honey Bee", which I think was a low-price version, and it just struck me as almost beyond-words in the looks department. The stripe and 'Honey Bee' decal, IIRC, surely didn't help.

stickguy

The B210 hatch was Not bad looking, but the 2 door notchback was ugly. Yes, the honey bee was a decal package on a strippo version IIRC.

uplanderguy

Found this other pic of my parents' '80 Monte Carlo. I can only find one pic of my '81, but it has three people standing in front of it. The green house was a rental, with a parade of renters after owner, elderly Mrs. Saylor, died. No doubt the reason for the '70 Chevy and early Vega in the driveway, in 1980 or later!

This green was a one-year-only color, shared among the divisions of course. My Dad, a 32-year USMC veteran counting his years in the 'Reserves, loved the color and called it "Marine Corps Green".

omarman

I snagged that pic of the '83 626 Touring hatchback from an ad posted by the seller in spring 2019 and running with updates thru January this year! It had the non turbo with 5 speed and Maryland plates. Seller began asking at $2K I think and then slid to $1,500 with no bids. Before the last updates ended, seller was pleading for any lowball bids and trade offers. I liked the one "bidder" who offered a chainsaw and some cash.
Here's the link.
Mazda was a different company back then. A pic from a non-bidder in the same thread showing his dad's new Mazda 626 Touring in '83.

Michaell said:

I remember test driving the 626 hatch with the 120hp turbo engine.

Man, the turbo lag could be measured with an hourglass.

Michaell

Speaking of Datsun and "interesting", they also graced us with this....

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/01/curbside-classic-the-ugliest-car-ever-1977-datsun-f-10/

kyfdx

Michaell said:

Speaking of Datsun and "interesting", they also graced us with this....

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/01/curbside-classic-the-ugliest-car-ever-1977-datsun-f-10/

I think that was their first FWD model. Shewwwww...

Followed by the 310, once they became Nissan. A little better.

uplanderguy

That's pretty ugly, but I'd say that first 200SX has it beat with the ugly stick.

And decades later, they regaled us with the Cube.

Michaell

I remember the F10 because Datsun was the official car of the LA Dodgers, and the F10 was the official "bullpen" car for a season or two.

stickguy

Not only was the F10 ugly, it drove lousy.

My sister got a 310 in about 1981. An OK car but no AC. not sure if it was a 4 speed or 5 speed though (was a stick).

I mostly remember lots of gear whine, like it had square cut gears.

fintail

The front and rear are not as flattering as the side, for sure:





Oregon plates, because of course.

Thinking of that modular Pulsar, I spotted one in the wild a while back:



Those 626 had cool wheels. Interesting blue in that period pic, reminds me of a shade a local used car lot would paint old police cars.

andre1969 said:

Once again showing that my opinion on things tends to soften as I get older, I'm noticing that the 200SX Fintail posted above doesn't look as bad as I remember. At least, from the side like that, I kind of like it, with the exception of the wheels looking under-sized.

Or, perhaps like how a concept car, when the first clay models are sculpted, tends to be way out there, before being toned down for production...the 200SX looks a bit like it's still caught in that "concept car" phase.

I like the hubcaps though...make me think of a 1960 Dodge!

uplanderguy

That aftermarket body side molding sure adds beauty too, LOL!

I think the taillights look the most normal of any design feature on the car!

I always thought the '95-99 Riviera should have had wraparound taillights of some size, just to avoid that awful pinched rear end styling. I liked the rest of the car except that.

fintail

I've seen fintails with aftermarket side moldings - not a fan.

On the taillight theme, the USDM B210 fastback had simple rectangular lights, but the JDM variant could be had with a very "astro boy" rear clip:



I think some kind of Japanese Virgil Exner was at work here, that being the wacky 1961 Exner.

uplanderguy

Never saw one of those--that I can remember...thankfully!

"Hey, it looks like a '65 Impala from the back!".

Man, I hate Avantis with the mirror out on the fender, but this baby takes "out on the fender" to new lengths!

I heard Virgil Exner, Jr. speak at the Studebaker National Museum about a decade ago. Interesting stuff.

uplanderguy

Only as an aside, since I mentioned recently about Warren G. Harding's grandson in Oregon wanting to disinter the president for 'final proof' that he is the grandson (which no one disputes from DNA evidence from Harding family members)--The NYT published this article this morning, which includes the revelation that the grandson will utilize a reality TV show crew to document the disinterring if it happens.

I used to root for this guy, but now I think he has a screw loose.

I also believe no judge will allow that to happen.

It's a shame, as the new Harding Library and Museum is set to open, held up due to Covid, and this year is 100 years since Harding's landslide victory, the first year women in the U.S. could vote.

I have met the woman who runs the Harding Presidential Sites, and I'm sure this is giving her a big headache.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/us/warren-harding-exhume.html

roadburner

andre1969 said:

In some ways, it makes me think of a movie prop designed for some sci-fi movie from the 70's. I vaguely remember a British movie called "Invasion U.F.O.", which I think was actually cobbled together from some old tv series (sort of like how they'd cobble together "Battlestar Galactica" and "Galactica 1980" episodes to make feature-length movies). I used a lot of miniatures, but I also remember some 70's-futuristic looking prop cars. That 200SX would have been right at home in that movie.

The 1969 Gerry Anderson live-action show UFO was set in 1980. The magazine Thoroughbred and Classic Cars recently had an article on the restoration of one of the SHADO vehicles built for the show:



Here is a related article from Hemmings about Commander Ed Straker's car.

I've watched several episodes in HD and I spotted a Jensen Interceptor in one episode.

ab348

Wasn't the F10 the car for which one of the auto magazines coined the term "Atomic Cockroach" to describe its styling?

andre1969

For some reason, one scene from that "Invasion UFO" movie that always sticks in my mind is a UFO chasing a Rolls Royce, shooting it off the road, and a model of the Rolls goes down an embankment. You could tell it was a miniature, but I thought it still looked pretty cool. And I figure hey, what's the difference. Back then it was a miniature, nowadays it would be bad CGI. Or, at best, they'd substitute and obvious beater car with no engine when it came time to crash it!

I don't think I've seen that movie since the mid 1980s, and know I've never seen the original tv show. I'm kinda curious to look it up.

andre1969

Uplander, that '80 Monte that your parents had was a nice looking car in that shade of green, and those rally wheels looked nice on it. I agree though, that the Malibu has definitely aged better. I think the problem is that the '78-80 was just a bit over-styled. The '81 was a looker, though.

One thing I do like about the '78-80 though, that bucked the trend of the times, a bit, was that it had fairly large side windows in back, rather than the tiny opera window slits more commonly associated with a personal luxury coupe.

I always thought the '81 LeMans coupe was really sharp looking, with the slightly Trans Am-ish front end. Looking up the stats though, they only made 2578 of the base coupe, and 1819 Grand LeMans coupes. I'd probably have a better chance of finding another '57 DeSoto Firedome hardtop coupe than I would one of those!

ab348

andre1969 said:

I always thought the '81 LeMans coupe was really sharp looking, with the slightly Trans Am-ish front end. Looking up the stats though, they only made 2578 of the base coupe, and 1819 Grand LeMans coupes. I'd probably have a better chance of finding another '57 DeSoto Firedome hardtop coupe than I would one of those!

I always liked those too, but apparently you, me and 2578 others are the only ones who did.

uplanderguy

andre, I think the way they pinstriped the '78 was better than on the '79 and '80....started on the hood sides and followed the top of the body sides. The '79 and '80 striping accented the fender bumps, which made them even more noticeable, LOL.

On my parents' '80--which had no A/C--the car was mistakenly built with the chromed-plastic A/C vent on the right side of the instrument panel. I liked this goof, as I always HATED the big plastic block that was supposed to be in there. My Dad was skeptical when I told him no air was coming out of that vent.

uplanderguy

I could like an '81 Grand LeMans--I assume they could be had with the big quarter window and no vinyl top?

I remember seeing newspaper ads back then...and in fact saw one recently on an 'old car dealer' FB page....where dealers were advertising new Monte Carlos in '81 at less than Citations. I know which I'd have taken...now, and back then!

Too bad, IMHO, by '81 the choices in engines in GM cars were so lame, for the most part. I know that where I lived, the 267 V8 was the only V8 I could've gotten in a Malibu or Monte Carlo--and I did. I'm thinking a 265, or maybe the 301, was what would've been available in LeMans and Grand Prix models that year too.

fintail

On the road in the rain today, saw a 70s 911 Targa, definitely not a restored car, mismatched door, hazards on, rear sagging severely at the right. Also a very clean 62 Falcon Futura coupe in kind of a goldenrod color, making that unmistakable small I6 noise.

andre1969

uplanderguy said:

I could like an '81 Grand LeMans--I assume they could be had with the big quarter window and no vinyl top?

I remember seeing newspaper ads back then...and in fact saw one recently on an 'old car dealer' FB page....where dealers were advertising new Monte Carlos in '81 at less than Citations. I know which I'd have taken...now, and back then!

Too bad, IMHO, by '81 the choices in engines in GM cars were so lame, for the most part. I know that where I lived, the 267 V8 was the only V8 I could've gotten in a Malibu or Monte Carlo--and I did. I'm thinking a 265, or maybe the 301, was what would've been available in LeMans and Grand Prix models that year too.

Yep, the LeMans basically had the same roofline as the Malibu coupe, with the only difference being a slight kick-up at the bottom of the rear window, perhaps a vague nod to the old "coke bottle" styling of the 60's?



By '81, in the midsized Pontiacs they were limiting the 301 to only the LeMans wagon. In the coupes, sedans, and the Grand Prix, that left you with just, at best, the 265. The '81 Pontiac brochure lists the 301 as an option on the LeMans, but doesn't specify it was wagon-only, although I'm almost positive it was. There was also this ominous note: "Pontiac-built V8 engines are available at start of production until approximately January 1, 1981. Check with your Pontiac dealer for current engine availability on all Pontiac models". Years ago, I remember seeing an '81 LeMans sedan at one of the Carlisle PA shows, and the owner said it had a Buick 252 V6. I know the Bonneville and Grand Prix offered the 252 in 1982. Maybe they started in 1981 once they ran out of Pontiac 265s? But, because of the timing, it doesn't show up in any sales brochures, or the EPA website?

In a cruel twist of fate, for '81, Pontiac did manage to get the 301 (and 265) to run clean enough that California stopped banning them. In general, GM had a lot of issues with the electronic engine controls the first few years, but I heard in the case of the Pontiac 301, it actually improved the engine over the '77-80 versions. Kind of a shame to work on improving it, only to dump it. But, GM was actually thinking about dumping the Pontiac brand, in its entirety around that time.

uplanderguy

I seem to remember Grand LeMans coupes in that period with padded Landau top and smaller quarter windows. I'm glad that wasn't required on a Grand LeMans.

roadburner

andre1969 said:

For some reason, one scene from that "Invasion UFO" movie that always sticks in my mind is a UFO chasing a Rolls Royce, shooting it off the road, and a model of the Rolls goes down an embankment. You could tell it was a miniature, but I thought it still looked pretty cool. And I figure hey, what's the difference. Back then it was a miniature, nowadays it would be bad CGI. Or, at best, they'd substitute and obvious beater car with no engine when it came time to crash it!

I don't think I've seen that movie since the mid 1980s, and know I've never seen the original tv show. I'm kinda curious to look it up.

That was a scene from "Identified"- the first episode of UFO.

stickguy

a 64 I think Falcon drove by early. Definitely modded. Nice rumble.

andre1969

uplanderguy said:

I seem to remember Grand LeMans coupes in that period with padded Landau top and smaller quarter windows. I'm glad that wasn't required on a Grand LeMans.

Oh, now I think I know the roofline you're talking about. Here's a '78...


Definitely not an attractive look, in my opinion. I do remember it being somewhat common on '78-80, but wonder if they got rid of it for '81? At least, no '81 coupes that I've seen pictures of online are sporting it.

It's interesting how quickly the coupe market dried up. In '76, which was not a particularly good year for it, the LeMans sold 21,130 base coupes, 15,582 of the slightly more expensive Sport Coupe, and 14,757 Grand LeMans coupes. As a whole, the LeMans sold about 96,000 units. By '81, which was a pretty bad recession year (although it would get worse for car sales in '82-83), the LeMans was down to around 81,000 units. So while coupes accounted for a bit over half of the model's sales in '76, they had almost dried up by 1981. Sedans and wagons, meanwhile, were selling better.

I guess the restyled '81 Grand Prix might have stole some sales from the LeMans coupe? The '80 Grand Prix sold about 114,000 units, while the '81 sold around 146,000. But then, it tapered off after that as the economic climate worsened and then, in later years, as Pontiac seemed to quit paying much attention to it.

ab348

I never understood GM's mindset in those years. They were dropping some models which were still selling in quantities they would kill for today. I suppose the corporate thinking back then was based upon expectations of large-scale production like they were used to in the past, that is quite unlike what we see now.

That Grand LeMans coupe pictured in Andre's post has some non-standard wheel covers, that look almost like they are from a Ford, with trim rings.

This pic of the final-year 1980 Grand Am interior from the brochure is one I've never seen before. It was a very handsome look.

sda

I liked the looks of the 78 Grand Am and would prefer the cloth interior over the vinyl. Handsome interior regardless. Didn’t the 301 have issues with crank or rod bearings early on which gave that engine a bad rap? (good pun, lol)

uplanderguy

I was surprised when they reprised the Grand Am for '78. Didn't it use the same seating as the Grand LeMans--bench, or bucket? I think the instrument overlay was silver instead of woodgrain. It did give a nice choice of midsize Pontiacs. In '73, you had Grand Am, Luxury LeMans, and LeMans Sport Coupe overlapping in some ways too....although, in hindsight, that's nice.

Said it before, but this magazine test car is as close to what I wanted (and want) in a GM downsized intermediate. To me, there's not an ounce of fat in the styling. I still like the simple instrument panel, with gloss black around the instrument cluster and radio/AC panel, with gold pinstripe outline.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/vintage-review-1978-chevrolet-malibu-classic-car-and-driver-goes-crazy-for-f41/

andre1969

It's interesting that the Malibu in that test did pretty well in 0-60, for the era at least, but seemed to slack off a bit on the quarter mile. 0-60 in 10.8 seconds, but then it hit the quarter mile in 18.4@76.2 mph. I remember Consumer Reports testing a '68 or '69 Dart...it sticks in my mind because I had a '69 Dart GT with the 225/Torqueflite. I remember the Dart did 0-60 in 14 seconds, but then the quarter mile came up in around 19.0@72 mph. Would that be an indication that the Malibu was starting to run out of steam a bit after 60, whereas the Dart was still pulling fairly steady?

It's also interesting that the test Malibu was 3521 lb. That seems a bit chunky to me. But, it was pretty well-equipped. My old car book lists the base weight of a Classic coupe V8 at 3167 lb.

As for the Pontiac 301, I've just heard that it's a fragile engine in general. The block was thinner than your typical V8 of the era (or the older 350/400), and other parts were made lighter. I think it used fewer main bearings, or something like that, compared to most V8s as well? At least, I recall some issue with the main bearings.

I know those engine weight charts you can find online aren't exactly the gospel, but I seem to recall the 301 listed at 452 lb, while something like a Chevy smallblock was more like 575. I think the Ford 302 was only 500 lb, while the Mopar 318 was 525, although for some reason the 360 was a bit heavier at 550.

I've had people tell me that the 301 can be a decent engine, as long as you take good care of it, don't get too rough on it, neglect it, etc. Basically, it won't put up with abuse such as running it low on oil, overheating it, constantly stomping the pedal, and so on, like many other engines of the era would. And, when the 265 version came out, I remember reading somewhere that it was more reliable than the 301, partly because "it didn't have enough power to hurt itself!"

I'll see the occasional downsized big Pontiac from that era (usually a Bonneville, as the Catalina was a slow seller by then), either in a show field or for sale, and more often than not they'll have the 301. I always used to be leery of them, but I'm starting to think now, that if the particular examples that I'm finding are still running, 40+ years later, at least they must have been well taken care of! And, if I'm going to buy a car like that, I'm not taking it drag racing, plus my pizza delivery days are long behind me. So, maybe I shouldn't fear the 301 so much...

roadburner

andre1969 said:

It's interesting that the Malibu in that test did pretty well in 0-60, for the era at least, but seemed to slack off a bit on the quarter mile. 0-60 in 10.8 seconds, but then it hit the quarter mile in 18.4@76.2 mph. I remember Consumer Reports testing a '68 or '69 Dart...it sticks in my mind because I had a '69 Dart GT with the 225/Torqueflite. I remember the Dart did 0-60 in 14 seconds, but then the quarter mile came up in around 19.0@72 mph. Would that be an indication that the Malibu was starting to run out of steam a bit after 60, whereas the Dart was still pulling fairly steady?

I remember window shopping at a car dealer around 1982; I told the salesman I wouldn't consider anything that couldn't do 0-60 in under 10 seconds. He replied, “So you’re a real hot-rodder!”

I also remember that road test of the Malibu; if someone had told me back in 1978 that in less than 40 years I’d be driving a car that could run from 0-100 in the same time it took the Malibu to hit 60 AND averaged over 26 mpg in daily driving I would have thought that they were smoking something really potent.

fintail

The first thing that comes to mind when I see "Grand LeMans":

uplanderguy

Sorry, born in '58, what movie is that?

fintail

Smokey and the Bandit II, from 1980 - the cars were brand new (Smokey and the Bandit both seemed to like Pontiacs).

fintail

Thanks to youtube and people of a certain generation holding on to their beloved old movies, here's the scene, also showing Buford's Pontiac:

https://youtu.be/kDNFQ-EFD6U

andre1969

Wow, that countryside just outside of Dallas is beautiful, with the vast expanse of desert and the snow-capped peaks in the distance

I heard that the movie got a pretty good deal on a bunch of those 1980 LeManses, because a batch was accidentally built without air conditioning, for a rental car company. And then, either the rental company refused to take delivery, or they dumped them at a big loss, just to get rid of them, or something like that.

My Granddad took me to see "Smokey and the Bandit II" in the theater. I remember the lines back then were huge, but "Empire Strikes Back" was out at the same time, so that was probably part of the reason. And I can remember, in 9th grade, it was a big deal when CBS showed "Smokey and the Bandit II" for the first time on network tv, around late 1984/early 1985. I recorded it with my VCR and, admittedly, still have the tape, somewhere. Supposedly, that was what popularized the phrase "Scum-bum", which was what they dubbed over "Sum-[non-permissible content removed]" for network tv. Oh, and they also cut out the scene where Junior gets his zipper stuck, and Buford tries to help him with it, in front of a gang of bikers.

Come to think of it, I think it was CBS that got to air "National Lampoon's Vacation" the first time on network tv as well, that same season. I think they used to call it "CBS Sunday Night at the Movies".

andre1969

Here's another clip from "Smokey and the Bandit II". Notice the transformation of Buford's 1980 Bonneville when the Bandit jumps it, and then the Snowman hits it with his truck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5wOhC7nAJQ&feature=emb_rel_end

roadburner

Hal Needham's autobiography Stuntman! goes into a lot of detail about those two films.

ab348

Out for a little while this aft., and spotted an darly'80s El Camino in not bad condition, and a restored/shiny '71 Chevelle SS.

On the other end of the spectrum I saw my first new C8 Corvette in the wild, in red. Made me do a double-take to make sure it wasn't a Ferrari.

stickguy

out driving, got passed by a nice looking Model A. And I think it was a real one, because it looked authentic, not a hot rod. Weird thing to see on the road.

uplanderguy

I haven't seen many C8's out and about at all. I still think it's interesting and appealing, for a domestic builder and at the price point.

I went to a 'rolling car show' in my small, depressed, but still-dear-to-me hometown a month or so ago, and there was a C8 there!