on the way down to my Mom's for Christmas dinner in southern Maryland, off to the side in one of the little towns down there, I saw a 1964 Dodge 880 convertible, light turquoise with a white top. I was doing about 60 and only saw it for a brief moment, but it looked nice. I can't remember if it was at a service station or a little car lot, but I'm kinda curious to go back and look.
My mom's whale T-Bird had a white interior...I don't remember it all as I was just a little kid when she had it, but I do know it had white seating and door panels, and a dark dash.
I'm in podunk now, and have seen a few old cars, but nothing exciting. A 66 Olds driving in town, maybe a 67 LeMans, a decent looking 78-81 Pontiac coupe at a used car lot, several mint looking late 80s fullsize cars driven by octogenarians or older, etc.
Actually now that I think about it, I forgot one...my dad's 68 Fairlane that he had in the 90s was a white on white car. I remember that one as I drove it a couple times...white seats, door panels, white headliner, grey carpet, dark grey dash pad. Pretty close to all white.
"This way you don't have to deal with the Ford flathead engine and all its problems."
Re your message #18085, Shifty, did the Ford flathead V8 have other problems, besides proneness to overheating and vapor lock? Not that these aren't serious problems, but these are the only ones I've heard about.
Yeah, overheating, difficult and expensive to rebuild, and really not very powerful for all the trouble you go through. It was a huge hit in the 1930s, but by the 1950s, it was *really* old news. The small block Chevy drove the final stake through its heart, even though the engine had already been discontinued a few years earlier.
There will always be flathead enthusiasts, and god bless 'em, since authenticity in certain types of rods is admirable, but for an everyday "classic" driver, a flathead V-8 would not be my personal first choice.
They may not have been very powerful, but the sound they made - ah, what a sound when equipped with glass packs and an Iscangerian (sp?) cam! - could sure fool ya.
That sound is part of "authentic" for rods, especially *real* vintage rods that are being restored. Some of those old rigs, especially if built by famous builders back when, can be extremely valuable. You certainly wouldn't want to ruin a vintage, documented rod, by putting the wrong engine in it.
That's hilarious. It has a poorly installed K-Mart vinyl steering wheel cover; the kind with the vinyl lace that winds around and around the wheel. Tres-chic !!! :P
Yeah, that steering wheel looks terrible. If the old one was worn or decayed, I am sure it wouldn't cost too much to fix it properly, especially on something of that price
I guess this car once featured driver's and passenger side toilets per the toilet paper rollers on each door! :P Good God, for which movie did Barris create this car? Superfly?
Four door..... Driving through a parking lot, today..
An almost perfect restoration, from where I was sitting... but, not a very attractive car...
Had to look it up on google... Other than seeing F O R D on the rear end, I woudn't have known.. Of course, the fact that it was ugly, put it in that '60 cusp of years, and made it easier to find...
Since it’s almost another new year, I thought it was a good time to talk about postwar Detroit styling. I always felt it reached its peak from 55-65. I’ll post some of my opinions. What are your thoughts?
1955 – The Big 3 all had nice new models. Exner cleaned up the Chryslers and Ford looked good and introduced the Thunderbird. GM probably was best. While the new Chevy and its 265 get the attention, I thought Buick and Olds had the styling homeruns. Caddy was getting a bit long in the tooth. The merged Hudson and Nash “Hash’s” looked alright for the era, but consumers were leery about its future and there were plenty of other choices (sounds a bit like today maybe?). The Packard update came out nice, but too late. 1956 – Exner introduced fins, but I thought the 55’s were cleaner. I liked the new dash and front end parking lights on the Ford and Lincoln finally started looking like a luxury car. GM’s seemed a bit heavier looking and Chevy styling seemed to step backwards. Rambler began its long run as a successful intermediate 1957 was a great year. Chrysler product styling was a homerun, but not build quality. Ford and Mercury looked good, even the 4dr sedan and wagons. GM looked a bit old and tired, but still decent. The retro inspired Caddy and its suicide doors didn’t work real well, but the Eldorado was interesting. Studebaker’s redesign on a shoestring looked it unfortunately. 1958 seemed like a year of too much change for the sake of change. The smaller taillights on Chrysler and Plymouth were detrimental. Ford and Merc seemed a bit overwrought while the new Lincolns were a large box on wheels. Edsel came out. Besides looks and the economy, it was hurt by the same price and market segment confusion as Mercury. Harley Earl at GM appeared obsolete. Excess chrome doesn’t clean up a pig as Buick and Olds looked old compared to the competition despite the bright work. Impala was nice, but the other Chevy’s were a touch dowdy. The quad lights further hurt Caddy styling. Pontiac probably looked the best. 1959 was a rather wild year. The truncated fins on Chrysler and DeSoto didn’t work well. Plymouth looked decent, but Dodge looked like the clay model stayed in the oven too long. The new Imperial grill looked like it was developed by an orthodontist and metal worker on a drinking binge. The rear end on Ford was a bit over the top, but the formal roofline Galaxie was nice and I liked the Squarebird. Mercury went a bit overboard. GM certainly got attention! I liked them, but buyers tend to be conservative.
1960 was generally an ugly year. While the Chrysler and DeSoto looked decent, the Plymouth had too many styling cues and came out heavy looking and over styled. Dodge began a period of confusing models, looks and market segment. The European inspired Valiant came out nice, but now the Imperial grill looked like a household appliance. Something went wrong with the Joe Oros original concept and the Ford came out poorly. The vertically finned rear end looked like a premature born 59 Chevy while the overall profile looked like a blob. The design looked even uglier on the short run Edsel. The Falcon was clean looking. At GM, the conservative front and rear ends appended to the 59 bodies appeared a bit awkward. Olds probably pulled it off best. The Corvair was new technically, but a bit different looking. Even the squared off front end on Rambler was a step backwards. 1961 was a mixed year. The Plymouth was an abomination and Exner seemed to use an ugly stick on most everything else. Why did they bother with several months of the ugly snouted DeSoto? Ford products were clean, but mostly boring. Ford introduced the new controversial Bulletbird. I grew to accept it over time. The new Continental was a winner. GM had a great looking year as Bill Mitchell took over styling. I liked the new BOP compacts as well. 1962 – Mostly minor facelifts. They helped Chrysler some, but it stumbled on the downsized Fury and Polara. They were a mix of good and bad styling cues. I wonder if they would have been more successful if introduced as intermediates like the Fairlane along side the original planned full sized Virgil Exner cars. GM lightened up their looks a touch. Olds came off best. The conservative Chevy II supplemented Corvair. Studebaker introduced the nicely styled Hawk GT and the Lark updates came off decent. Not sure why Rambler bothered with the one year facelift?
1963 – Chrysler did a decent job on their emergency redesigned cars given the short lead time crisis. I always had mixed feelings on the new full sized Chrysler that year, but liked the new more formal Imperial. Ford and Mercury had nice design updates and the midyear XL fastback was a winner. GM went a bit more formal on its models and came out nice. I always liked their coupe rooflines that year. The new Riviera was sharp. The Stingray is still my favorite Corvette. Studebaker introduced the refreshingly designed Avanti. The new Ramblers looked more modern and clean. 1964 – Chrysler looks improved some more. I liked the C pillar and rear window design on the big Ford, particularly the 4 door hardtop. Didn’t care for the new Mercury front end, but liked the Marauder coupe greenhouse. Not sure about the larger, more squared off Lincoln. The new more formal T-Bird became a luxury personal sports car which I liked. The midyear Mustang still looks great today. Mostly minor GM tweaks, but I thought the Chevy looked better in 63. The heavy Pontiac front end worked better on Grand Prix than the other models. Caddy fans were mixed on the all new look. I liked it. GM successfully upsized their BOP compacts to intermediates and added Malibu. I thought Rambler uglied up their clean 63 look. The new American looked nice though. 1965 was another great year for auto styling. Elwood Engel and the new Chrysler products successfully carried off the more squared, formal look he was previously working on at Ford. I thought Ford and Merc looked even better. GM went the other direction with flowing lines and Coke bottle styling that may have been best of them all. The new Corvair was very nice, but it was too late. Rambler cleaned back up. The new Dodge Coronet marked the start of Dodge’s resurgence as an intermediate model powerhouse. The one bad thing though was the beginning of cheapo looking dashboards like those on the Chevy and Ford.
I recall those cars as having particularly bad tin worm problems, especially the fenders and rocker panels. Must have been a west coast or Arizona car since I don't think it would pay to restore one (or maybe it had sentimental value to someone with money?).
1956 – . GM’s seemed a bit heavier looking and Chevy styling seemed to step backwards.
I couldn't disagree more, 1956 was IMO the best year for GM styling, particularly Chevrolet. They did look a bit "heavier" but they were so beautifully detailed that a '56 210 looked classier than a '55 Bel Air. I'm well aware that it's the '57s that the collectors fork over the big $$ for but I'd take a '56 Chevy over an equivalent '57. The same applies to the rest of the GM lines.
1959 was a rather wild year.
You can say that again, it took some years for all of the Big Three to get over the excesses of '58 and '59. In most cases I think the '59s looked a little better than the awful '58s but not by much. Nevertheless '59 was an important year for it was then that full-sized Detroiters reached the basic proportions and shapes they carry to this day.
I'd take a '56 Chevy any day of the year over a '57...I thought I was the only one!
I do wish the '56 had the ventilation above the headlights like the '57 does, since I remember them rusting out over the headlights.
I must admit to thinking that the '55 is the best styling of all three years though.
I think the '57's instrument panel was a step backwards from the neat, Corvette-like '55 and '56 panel.
Now, I think the '65 Chevy is the most beautiful Chevy of the '60's. I imagine it was hard to sell a leftover '64 Impala once the '65's were out. I cannot think of a model of car that changed so drastically in looks from one year to the next.
Bill
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
The '56 Chevy is my favorite, of those three years. I just didn't care for the under-sized grille of the '55, plus something about the shape of the front end, around the headlights, makes me think of an old lady with bags under her eyes. I like the more full-width, if Ford-ish grille of the '56, plus the bolder, more forward-thrusting look. The '57 Chevy's not bad, but I think I just don't like it because, relatively speaking, they're just too common. Plus, compared to the '56, it just seems less bold, and more prettied-up, like it's trying to be a poor man's Cadillac (something Chevy REALLY went for in '58)
All the 1961-65 Chevrolet Impalas are beautiful, but I believe the 1961 two-door hardtop was the nicest of all!
My Grandpop had a black 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne 4-door sedan and my Dad had a cream-colored 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door sedan which had a little lip over the rear window.
The fairest positive statement I could make about 1955-65 styling was that it had "vitality"---sometimes beautiful, sometimes hideous, but always full of ideas, even crazy ideas. Before 1955, there was a period generally considered quite conservative, and after 1965 Detroit settled into a more "spotty" performance, often focusing more on the engine than the car, (and what engines they were!) or injecting '65-inspired designs with more and more fat cells, year by year, until we ended up with the square dull blobs of the 1970s.
But really, giving the benefit of all doubts, I'd extend Detroit's "Second Golden Age" from 1955 to 1971 or so. After that, my interest in Detroit styling, and not co-incidentally the price guide values for post '71 cars, seem to fall off a cliff.
My theory is that the styling demise in Detroit was first caused by a) loss of talent and general loss of enthusiasm; and b) using computers too much to design cars. There are only so many ways you can stretch an egg.
Without a vinyl roof, but it did have AC, PS, & PB. It replaced a '63 Pontiac Bonneville Vista. I remember removing the Buick's skirts to clean the tires when washing it. That was his last car.
Shifty, we don't always agree on things (who does?) but I agree totally with your comments about the 1955-65 styling have "vitality".
And Lemko, I love '61 Impala Sport Coupes. I was always a fan of GM's fastback cars with large quarter windows....I'd take an Impala Sport Coupe over a Caprice coupe, a Wildcat over an Electra, a Bonneville over a Grand Prix, and a Delta 88 Custom over a Ninety-Eight, in the mid-to-late '60's anytime...plush interiors, but sporty and non-formal exteriors. The '61 Impala has a sporty, glassy roofline as you know.
I like the Corvette-inspired steering wheel the '61 Impala used, too.
One small thing I can't stand about '61 Chevrolets with pushbutton radios, is how the buttons spell out "Chevy". It's cheesy! It doesn't say "Chevy" on the car anywhere else; it's a CHEVROLET Impala, not a Chevy II for gosh sake! If I looked for one to buy, I'd want it with manual tuning radio just to avoid the cheesy pushbuttons!
Bill
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
I think the '57's instrument panel was a step backwards
I agree, it was rather chintzy compared to the competition. I think the real reasons the 57 endured were several; Harley Earl used a lighter brush on it than the other GM models, the car was rather lightweight and had the new "283", and its overall mechanical and build quality probably was a bit better than at Ford and Chrysler that year. So it ended up an enduring used car model, and later a relatively cheap one that youth could easily pump up.
Now, I think the '65 Chevy is the most beautiful Chevy of the '60's
Totally agree, but I felt they messed it up a bit in 66. The only real weak point IMO was the dashboard. My favorite 65 was probably Pontiac though, both full size and intermediate.
I'd extend Detroit's "Second Golden Age" from 1955 to 1971
That's a fair statement. It includes vehicles like the 69 Grand Prix and other sharp GM revised intermediates styling, the 70+ Camaro, the 71 Sebring and Charger and the 70 Challenger and Barracuda. Some might extend it to 73 to include the new GM intermediate Colonade coupes, but unfortunately I think that was about the only decent revison that year.
There once was a customized 1957 Chevrolet that imitated the Cadillac Eldorado called the El Morocco. It even had Cadillac-like fins.
They actually had several of those at the 57 Heaven Museum in Branson which was unfortunately recently auctioned off. I was very sad to see that museum close, but a lot of them are folding, probably because of the economy and upkeep and insurance costs.
1973 ---there are a few (very few) cars of this era that collectors will (might) notice---the Nova SS coupe comes to mind, the El Camino SS 454 and the Caprice convertible, but this more about the engine power, not the styling IMO.
What's a 73 Grand Am? You mean a Grand Prix or a Grandville or ???
If you mean a GP, I guess it would depend entirely on condition, but even in top shape I couldn't see more than $7500 for one. Certainly not worth restoring.
My uncle had one of these, briefly, in the '80s (kind of attractive metallic gray with red vinyl interior), it had lots of goodies (tilt, all the power stuff and a 455, IIRC). My 'little cousin' (she's 32 now) had a '73 GTO, which was very similar to the Grand Am, except hers was a 'stripper', it even had a factory 4-speed. Kinda wish she still had that car.
It's basically what the GTO morphed into. The concept was "Grand Prix luxury with Trans Am performance". Standard engine was a 400 with 170 hp, but I think the optional 400 had 200 hp, or you could get a 455 with 250 hp. It was offered as a coupe or sedan. I think they sold about 37K coupes and maybe 9K sedans that year.
The GTO was still around, but that year was an option package for the LeMans sport coupe. Oddly, while it was a rung below the Grand Am, it came standard with a 230 hp 400.
As for the Grand Prix, I've heard rumors that the SuperDuty 455 went into a handful of them. That was the 310 hp Trans Am engine, although I think it got cut to 290 hp for the GP. I'd imagine one of them might be worth something, wouldn't it? That engine was supposed to go in the Grand Am, but after building 1 or 2 prototypes, they didn't go any further with it.
Okay, that's a LeMans with a haircut and a shave. Well maybe a real beauty with the biggest engine and low miles and a loving owner and an interesting history and...and....maybe $10,000??
I will say this for it---for 1973, it's probably the most valuable fixed roof Pontiac that isn't a Firebird. A GTO would be about the same value.
I doubt many have survived because restoration costs would eliminate all but the few originals still around.
The big money cars for '73 are the Formula and Trans Am 'birds with the 455 SD. You can get serious money for those.
Everything else for '73 is just a nice old used car.
I love my Corolla but I'm not a car person so this will be a really stupid question. I just ordered a new passenger side outside mirror for my car. On the order I noticed it said CE model. I don't know if it is a CE...it's just a plain old 2003 Corolla. On the back of the car where it says Corolla, it doesn't have CE. Will this mirror be okay????
I think the CE might not have been a body color mirror, where other Corollas had a body color mirror housing. But I could be wrong. Either way it should fit just the same.
You should check with who sold you the mirror to make sure you paid for the right part. The red mirror was probably more expensive than a black one, so if you paid for a red one, you should have received it.
Comments
I'm in podunk now, and have seen a few old cars, but nothing exciting. A 66 Olds driving in town, maybe a 67 LeMans, a decent looking 78-81 Pontiac coupe at a used car lot, several mint looking late 80s fullsize cars driven by octogenarians or older, etc.
Re your message #18085, Shifty, did the Ford flathead V8 have other problems, besides proneness to overheating and vapor lock? Not that these aren't serious problems, but these are the only ones I've heard about.
There will always be flathead enthusiasts, and god bless 'em, since authenticity in certain types of rods is admirable, but for an everyday "classic" driver, a flathead V-8 would not be my personal first choice.
Isky's still in business
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-LINCOLN-BUGAZZI-STUNNING-GEORGE-BARRIS-CREAT- ION_W0QQitemZ380190710979QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item588521dcc3
Yeah, that steering wheel looks terrible. If the old one was worn or decayed, I am sure it wouldn't cost too much to fix it properly, especially on something of that price
I suppose being seen in one of these it beats getting stabbed to death.
Also it would be inconvenient to get your car re-upholstered by a stone mason.
An almost perfect restoration, from where I was sitting... but, not a very attractive car...
Had to look it up on google... Other than seeing F O R D on the rear end, I woudn't have known.. Of course, the fact that it was ugly, put it in that '60 cusp of years, and made it easier to find...
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1956 – Exner introduced fins, but I thought the 55’s were cleaner. I liked the new dash and front end parking lights on the Ford and Lincoln finally started looking like a luxury car. GM’s seemed a bit heavier looking and Chevy styling seemed to step backwards. Rambler began its long run as a successful intermediate
1957 was a great year. Chrysler product styling was a homerun, but not build quality. Ford and Mercury looked good, even the 4dr sedan and wagons. GM looked a bit old and tired, but still decent. The retro inspired Caddy and its suicide doors didn’t work real well, but the Eldorado was interesting. Studebaker’s redesign on a shoestring looked it unfortunately.
1958 seemed like a year of too much change for the sake of change. The smaller taillights on Chrysler and Plymouth were detrimental. Ford and Merc seemed a bit overwrought while the new Lincolns were a large box on wheels. Edsel came out. Besides looks and the economy, it was hurt by the same price and market segment confusion as Mercury. Harley Earl at GM appeared obsolete. Excess chrome doesn’t clean up a pig as Buick and Olds looked old compared to the competition despite the bright work. Impala was nice, but the other Chevy’s were a touch dowdy. The quad lights further hurt Caddy styling. Pontiac probably looked the best.
1959 was a rather wild year. The truncated fins on Chrysler and DeSoto didn’t work well. Plymouth looked decent, but Dodge looked like the clay model stayed in the oven too long. The new Imperial grill looked like it was developed by an orthodontist and metal worker on a drinking binge. The rear end on Ford was a bit over the top, but the formal roofline Galaxie was nice and I liked the Squarebird. Mercury went a bit overboard. GM certainly got attention! I liked them, but buyers tend to be conservative.
1961 was a mixed year. The Plymouth was an abomination and Exner seemed to use an ugly stick on most everything else. Why did they bother with several months of the ugly snouted DeSoto? Ford products were clean, but mostly boring. Ford introduced the new controversial Bulletbird. I grew to accept it over time. The new Continental was a winner. GM had a great looking year as Bill Mitchell took over styling. I liked the new BOP compacts as well.
1962 – Mostly minor facelifts. They helped Chrysler some, but it stumbled on the downsized Fury and Polara. They were a mix of good and bad styling cues. I wonder if they would have been more successful if introduced as intermediates like the Fairlane along side the original planned full sized Virgil Exner cars. GM lightened up their looks a touch. Olds came off best. The conservative Chevy II supplemented Corvair. Studebaker introduced the nicely styled Hawk GT and the Lark updates came off decent. Not sure why Rambler bothered with the one year facelift?
1964 – Chrysler looks improved some more. I liked the C pillar and rear window design on the big Ford, particularly the 4 door hardtop. Didn’t care for the new Mercury front end, but liked the Marauder coupe greenhouse. Not sure about the larger, more squared off Lincoln. The new more formal T-Bird became a luxury personal sports car which I liked. The midyear Mustang still looks great today. Mostly minor GM tweaks, but I thought the Chevy looked better in 63. The heavy Pontiac front end worked better on Grand Prix than the other models. Caddy fans were mixed on the all new look. I liked it. GM successfully upsized their BOP compacts to intermediates and added Malibu. I thought Rambler uglied up their clean 63 look. The new American looked nice though.
1965 was another great year for auto styling. Elwood Engel and the new Chrysler products successfully carried off the more squared, formal look he was previously working on at Ford. I thought Ford and Merc looked even better. GM went the other direction with flowing lines and Coke bottle styling that may have been best of them all. The new Corvair was very nice, but it was too late. Rambler cleaned back up. The new Dodge Coronet marked the start of Dodge’s resurgence as an intermediate model powerhouse. The one bad thing though was the beginning of cheapo looking dashboards like those on the Chevy and Ford.
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I couldn't disagree more, 1956 was IMO the best year for GM styling, particularly Chevrolet. They did look a bit "heavier" but they were so beautifully detailed that a '56 210 looked classier than a '55 Bel Air. I'm well aware that it's the '57s that the collectors fork over the big $$ for but I'd take a '56 Chevy over an equivalent '57. The same applies to the rest of the GM lines.
1959 was a rather wild year.
You can say that again, it took some years for all of the Big Three to get over the excesses of '58 and '59. In most cases I think the '59s looked a little better than the awful '58s but not by much. Nevertheless '59 was an important year for it was then that full-sized Detroiters reached the basic proportions and shapes they carry to this day.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I do wish the '56 had the ventilation above the headlights like the '57 does, since I remember them rusting out over the headlights.
I must admit to thinking that the '55 is the best styling of all three years though.
I think the '57's instrument panel was a step backwards from the neat, Corvette-like '55 and '56 panel.
Now, I think the '65 Chevy is the most beautiful Chevy of the '60's. I imagine it was hard to sell a leftover '64 Impala once the '65's were out. I cannot think of a model of car that changed so drastically in looks from one year to the next.
Bill
My Grandpop had a black 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne 4-door sedan and my Dad had a cream-colored 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door sedan which had a little lip over the rear window.
But really, giving the benefit of all doubts, I'd extend Detroit's "Second Golden Age" from 1955 to 1971 or so. After that, my interest in Detroit styling, and not co-incidentally the price guide values for post '71 cars, seem to fall off a cliff.
My theory is that the styling demise in Detroit was first caused by a) loss of talent and general loss of enthusiasm; and b) using computers too much to design cars. There are only so many ways you can stretch an egg.
And Lemko, I love '61 Impala Sport Coupes. I was always a fan of GM's fastback cars with large quarter windows....I'd take an Impala Sport Coupe over a Caprice coupe, a Wildcat over an Electra, a Bonneville over a Grand Prix, and a Delta 88 Custom over a Ninety-Eight, in the mid-to-late '60's anytime...plush interiors, but sporty and non-formal exteriors. The '61 Impala has a sporty, glassy roofline as you know.
I like the Corvette-inspired steering wheel the '61 Impala used, too.
One small thing I can't stand about '61 Chevrolets with pushbutton radios, is how the buttons spell out "Chevy". It's cheesy! It doesn't say "Chevy" on the car anywhere else; it's a CHEVROLET Impala, not a Chevy II for gosh sake! If I looked for one to buy, I'd want it with manual tuning radio just to avoid the cheesy pushbuttons!
Bill
I agree, it was rather chintzy compared to the competition. I think the real reasons the 57 endured were several; Harley Earl used a lighter brush on it than the other GM models, the car was rather lightweight and had the new "283", and its overall mechanical and build quality probably was a bit better than at Ford and Chrysler that year. So it ended up an enduring used car model, and later a relatively cheap one that youth could easily pump up.
Now, I think the '65 Chevy is the most beautiful Chevy of the '60's
Totally agree, but I felt they messed it up a bit in 66. The only real weak point IMO was the dashboard. My favorite 65 was probably Pontiac though, both full size and intermediate.
That's a fair statement. It includes vehicles like the 69 Grand Prix and other sharp GM revised intermediates styling, the 70+ Camaro, the 71 Sebring and Charger and the 70 Challenger and Barracuda. Some might extend it to 73 to include the new GM intermediate Colonade coupes, but unfortunately I think that was about the only decent revison that year.
They actually had several of those at the 57 Heaven Museum in Branson which was unfortunately recently auctioned off. I was very sad to see that museum close, but a lot of them are folding, probably because of the economy and upkeep and insurance costs.
(H.D. front/rear shocks $1.10!)
http://www.348-409.com/1961factpage.html
WVK
1973 ---there are a few (very few) cars of this era that collectors will (might) notice---the Nova SS coupe comes to mind, the El Camino SS 454 and the Caprice convertible, but this more about the engine power, not the styling IMO.
If you mean a GP, I guess it would depend entirely on condition, but even in top shape I couldn't see more than $7500 for one. Certainly not worth restoring.
http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/1973_Chevy_Chevelle.html
My uncle had one of these, briefly, in the '80s (kind of attractive metallic gray with red vinyl interior), it had lots of goodies (tilt, all the power stuff and a 455, IIRC). My 'little cousin' (she's 32 now) had a '73 GTO, which was very similar to the Grand Am, except hers was a 'stripper', it even had a factory 4-speed. Kinda wish she still had that car.
It's basically what the GTO morphed into. The concept was "Grand Prix luxury with Trans Am performance". Standard engine was a 400 with 170 hp, but I think the optional 400 had 200 hp, or you could get a 455 with 250 hp. It was offered as a coupe or sedan. I think they sold about 37K coupes and maybe 9K sedans that year.
The GTO was still around, but that year was an option package for the LeMans sport coupe. Oddly, while it was a rung below the Grand Am, it came standard with a 230 hp 400.
As for the Grand Prix, I've heard rumors that the SuperDuty 455 went into a handful of them. That was the 310 hp Trans Am engine, although I think it got cut to 290 hp for the GP. I'd imagine one of them might be worth something, wouldn't it? That engine was supposed to go in the Grand Am, but after building 1 or 2 prototypes, they didn't go any further with it.
I will say this for it---for 1973, it's probably the most valuable fixed roof Pontiac that isn't a Firebird. A GTO would be about the same value.
I doubt many have survived because restoration costs would eliminate all but the few originals still around.
The big money cars for '73 are the Formula and Trans Am 'birds with the 455 SD. You can get serious money for those.
Everything else for '73 is just a nice old used car.
Thank you for your reply!!