Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I have a book on cars of the 1970s and there's no mention of the R-Body Plymouth Gran Fury. Did it come out in 1980? When did they stop making the R-Body Gran Fury and switch to the M-Body? What are the differences in the R-Body Gran Fury and Newport as they look very similar?
By this time, big cars pretty much all came standard with an automatic, power steering, power brakes, and an AM radio. I'm not sure what they would've stripped off of a Newport or St. Regis to come up with the Gran Fury.
Was the problem more than the oil pump wearing the case/cover and pressure dropping?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Well, I'd always heard that the engine had a lot of oil passages that were too small, and too many right angles. It was very easy for them to get clogged up. The engine was also very lightweight for its time, only 375 pounds. In comparison, I think the Chevy 229/262 V-6 block was about 425, the Chevy inline 6 was 450, and the Mopar slant six was 475. Back in those days, the technology wasn't necessarily there to successfully manufacture a lightweight engine. The Pontiac 265/301 V-8 also had this problem.
I think the turbo version of the 3.8 was beefier, and for 1985, both the regular 3.8 and the 3.0 V-6es were beefed up as well. Supposedly it was an all-new, stronger block and most of the problems with the oil passages were eliminated. The 4.1 version, offered from 1980-84, was the most troublesome of all because of its big bore, which didn't leave enough meat left on the block.
I guess there was still that issue with the nylon mesh timing gear, but I think most cars had those by then.
If that '84 Regal really only has ~20K miles on it, it might actually last a long time if you're obsessive about oil changes. My '82 Cutlass Supreme crapped out at around 72K miles, although it was still running when I sold it at 73K. So at the rate that Regal is seeing the miles get put on, it might not hit its expiration date for another 40-50 years! :P
Better than average example
Beat those high gas prices the freakazoid way
MG resto-rod
Fancy Pontiac
Cool in Canada
Excellent history
Amusing
A joy to drive, I'm sure
Lots of bidding
R-body might see an unfortunate end
Survivor
I like that Packard though. If I had the money, and the place, for it, what a cool thing to have.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'57 MG-A 5.0 liter Magnette, what an odd idea. I think I like it though, tastefully done.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I'd almost be tempted, except that first it's 1800 miles away. And second, I don't know that much about transmissions, so I'd have to take it somewhere to get it worked on. And I'm sure once they got into it, they'd find that there are more issues than just reverse, and we'd be looking at a complete rebuild. So suddenly, a $305 car that I went 1800 miles for has another $850 or so sunk into it.
I was actually thinking about that car today though, and how little I really need to use reverse. In the parking lot at work I always pull through, so I never have to back out of a spot. And if I parked far enough away, I could do the same at just about any mall around here. And even at home, my driveway has enough slope that I could just pull up towards the house, and then let it roll backward, and it would be ready to pull out the next time I left.
Still, that would be a hassle after awhile. And it would only be a matter of time before I forgot that I had no reverse, and got myself into a situation where I needed it!
Odd thing - saw it twice, 5 hrs apart. Same trip saw a '57 Chevy 2dr sedan, BRIGHT yellow
While we were there, eating the free food, and waiting for a test drive.. Another original Mini pulls up.... And, it's the "wagon" model!.. I don't think they called it a Clubman.. Something similar.. .I didn't see the rear of it, to see if it had a model designation..
Both cars were very stock... weird to see one in Ohio...
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Most of those original Mini estates (wagons) were known as "Travelers".
The Clubman name was used in the 70's.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Is it my imagination, or did they put that electric thing together back-to-front ? It looks like the front is on the wrong end somehow...
As for the Magnette - well, I suppose it would be a bit nippier than the standard version, which has a twin-carb 1489cc engine - and it is quite tastefully done, but even so, I'm not bidding for it just yet - it looks better than mine does, though at least I'm going to do something with my old wreck shortly, as it needs to be moved, so we can sell my mother's house (it's in her garage). I think a few local spiders and probably some mice might be looking for new homes in the spring...
That long hideous thing - I think the woman down our street must have learned to drive in it - she needs about the same space to park a Vauxhall Vectra...
And unlike Andre, I don't think I could last ten minutes without reverse - I have to parallel park in the street at work and here at home ( and no garage), while even our local supermarket hardly has any spaces to drive through - you never get two spaces opposite each other here...
The old Ford Pop was quite fun, but even though Ford made it until early 1959, they knew it was primitive a decade earlier - it was the cheapest car sold in Britain ( excluding bubble-cars etc ) but it was really slow and agricultural, even when new..
Liked the Packard though - and with that history it would even be possible to restore it's original 1930 number, if it came back here - the authorities are generally quite cooperative about stuff like that.. With the £/$ rate it is quite cheap really, at the moment, and it is RHD, too.
Also, an immaculate gold Ford Granada sedan with a beige top, and a late 80s RX7 convertible with some kind of ridiculous aftermarket exhaust that made it about as loud as 100 sportbikes put together.
It's been a remarkable 6 months for many of these guys. I even heard a few complaints that business is too good, and they have no time for fun anymore.
I'm sure shipping companies and truckers are happy as well. Cars are going to Europe, Australian, NZ and Japan mostly. Even rusted or shabby hulks of British and German cars are being crammed into containers on top of one another and sent off.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
james
Fortunately, I consoled myself with an '84 Carrera Targa, a couple of months later..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
So here is a link to more pictures of old Japanese cars than anyone could possibly stand; some of them are pretty cool.
Japanese Classic Car Show
That was a car we lusted for in the mid-late '70s....
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Peugeot 204 Break - early 70's - looked like a well-preserved car, and it was running well, too.
And a minute or so later, we were passed by a Bedford Chevette van - basically the panel-van version of the Vauxhall Chevette estate car - mid 70's. I had forgotten they even made those, it's been so long since I last saw one.
Predictably sad shape... in white..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
'56 Chevy Belair 2-door hardtop. Love those cars. This was a rather odd bronze/cream combo, not my favorite. Looked very stock which is unusual. Most ended up as Kragen parts displays.
Originality and history...in an odd form
Lots of money, lots of class
The last try
Wow
Has to be the best original remaining
Fins
This must have done something evil in its previous life to earn this fate
You won't lose it in a parking lot
Can't be many left like this
Oddity
And on my drive home today I got stuck in a small 70s time warp. Within about a 30 second span I saw an early Chevette (dogpoop brown), a MB 450SLC, and an very clean ca. 72 Ford LTD 2-door.
What do you say Shifty?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Now to be fair, the '57 and '58 look almost alike, and with quad headlights, it would be easy to mistake this one for a '58. The '58 Chryslers had, for lack of a better word, darker features up front. Blackout trim around the headlights, and sort of a bumper-grille combination that was more reminiscent of a DeSoto. Oddly, the '58 Chrysler became a bit less glittery up front, while the DeSoto became MORE glittery!
I guess it's also possible that this wagon was wrecked at one time, and a '57 grille was fitted on? There's a junkyard about an hour from me that has a '58 DeSoto Firedome in it. I remember when I first saw it, I had to do a double-take. It was wedged in between a few other cars, so it wasn't so easy to just walk around from the back to the front. Anyway, I came up on it from the back, identifying it as a '58. But then by the time I got around to the front, I saw it looked like a '57, and it left me 'fused for a couple minutes.
Sometimes I've wondered if occasionally, a manufacturer might just build a new model using some leftover trim pieces from the previous year, just to use up the stock? For instance, I remember years ago seeing an '81 Malibu sedan with an '80 grille and taillights. But then, considering how important the annual model year changeovers were back then (a bit less so by 1980-81), a new car sporting last year's "face" would have been the kiss of death.
EDIT: the advertisement has a note that the owner found the car has had a 57 clip replacing the front end. He bought it as a 58 and it has a 58 title.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Regarding the front end of the car, could it be a period update? As quad lights were seen as modern, and it wasn't a tough job to retrofit them, maybe the original owner was unhappy about the big change in looks and just had the car updated?
Actually it depended on what state the car was originally sold in. Quad headlight setups were not yet legal in all states in 1957, although I believe that most states had legalized them. For 1958, quad lights were legal nationwide.
Most of the '57 Imperials, Chryslers, and DeSoto Firedome/Fireflite/Adventurer models I've seen at car shows have quad headlights, so I'm using that as a basis for my theory that most states had legalized that setup. DeSoto Firesweeps in '57 all had single headlights, and Dodges and Plymouths mounted the turn signal/parking light inboard of the headlight, giving the illusion of a quad headlight setup.
My '57 Firedome has quad headlights, and came from Pennsylvania originally.
There were some cars in 1957 that had the appearance of standard quad headlights, mainly the Lincoln and Nash. They had stacked headlights, and the upper light was actually a standard-sized single headlight, and the lower was a smaller secondary light, which I guess served as auxiliarly lighting somewhat like a fog light or HID driving light today.
I see the Dodge Colt turbo has been bid all the way up to $202. Better get in on the ground floor before these cars skyrocket in value :P
Also, the 392 Chrysler Hemi, which is what this one would have if its correct, would be a pretty desireable engine to have. No 426 Hemi, but the "Whale" as it's known, still has its following. Some of 'em were pretty powerful, too. In the 300C 375 hp was standard, with a 390 hp optional. For 1958 I think it was 380 standard, 390 optional. The regular Hemi in the New Yorker was milder though. 325 hp for 1957, 345 for '58. They can be built up for some considerable power though, and the block is a lot more durable than the 426, which is really just a wedgehead with a Hemi head fitted on.
Another thing that was kinda interesting, was that at a traffic light, the Malibu was on my left in a turn lane, and a new-ish 300C was on my right. Now, a 300C is kind of a retro car, so this may not be the best example, but it showed just how little car styling has evolved in nearly 30 years. Or, since we've had cars in the interrim like the Taurus and the Audi 5000, maybe a better analogy would be, what goes around, comes around!
They had to offset the air cleaner on the Hemi because of the low hoodline of the Forward Look Mopars. Maybe the Wedge had more clearance though?
What would be a decent price for that DeSoto? I like it. I think the color scheme, all black, with just that slim greenish-blue contrast, is pretty cool. And heck, even at that buy it now price, I could put that on my HELOC and it would only cost about $120 per month (for the rest of my life) Somehow though, when the carmakers told us to go out and buy a car and "Keep America Rolling", I don't think that's quite what they meant. :P
In near perfect shape.... Man, were the wheels set way in from the wheel well arches... It hung over a good 6" on each side..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator