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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)
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That thing still looks relevant today (I guess if you took the whitewalls off). Looks better than that Granada a few pics up I think.
Consider the optional 351 CID 2V-8 engine ($200.00) as your Granada power plant. The Granada Sports Coupe comes with manual transmission. Purists will approve. But you may prefer Selectshift (required with the 351 CID 2V-8 engine - $245.00). Granada is one of the few American cars to offer 4-wheel disc brakes. You can add them on your Sports Coupe for a sticker price of $210.00.
Just out of high school a friend of mine gave me a ride in his dad's Granada ('77/'78?) 2-door coupe with a 302 V8 and 4-speed overdrive. He pointed out how easily the Granada would cruise at 80-mph on the highway with little effort - but he never took the car over 80. When I asked why, he explained that he tried going faster just one time and it wasn't worth it. Even on a straight, smooth highway the Granada didn't build driver confidence. It was an interesting time when Detroit offered so many engine choices and other options, but the sum of parts never really added up to a driver-friendly "sports coupe." It was either "pony car" or you had to shop furrin'.
So this morning I spotted a TR-3 headed toward Westerville with the top down and looking very well kept but not wedding-cake-perfect. Black with red interior but I'd like those colors reversed. Still nice to see early, simple, light weight sports cars on the road.
I remember when I was in 4th grade (mid 80s), my teacher had the Buick Skylark version of that platform, in a 2 door.
Recent oddities - Lotus Elan (90s model that to me looks Japanese), early 70s "fat Elvis" Mustang convertible, MB 560SEC, yet another Saab 9000
Is that Westerville, Ohio?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That generation of Nova sedan was often said to have a BMW sedan theme in its styling. I think the rear door window shape caused that.
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The Concours replaced the LN for '76, but to me lost a bit of the uniqueness of the trim of the LN--in fact, it was 'pimped up' a bit--wide wheel opening moldings, hood ornament, etc. They no doubt dropped the Concours for '78 because its interior was significantly more plush than even the optional interior in that year's new downsized Malibu Classic.
Those cars were pretty bad.
I remember our '74 Maverick as a terrible car to drive. It had 4-wheel drum brakes, no power assist. While the pedal effort wasn't bad, the car always dove to the left on even moderate braking and no amount of attention would fix that. It may well have been a front-end problem, since the car was awful on the highway at speeds above 55mph, feeling loose and unstable. It was like that from new and no amount of attention made it any better. It had Ford's infamous "no-feel" power steering and that didn't help. Ours was equipped from the factory with the infamous Firestone 500 radials, which actually didn't seem like bad tires at all compared to bias-plies. At least they made it feel a bit more responsive handling-wise, but maybe they contributed to the squirrelly feel on the highway, who knows.
Most cars of the '60s aren't much different. Just today I had my '68 Cutlass out for a ride and while the 4-wheel power drums on it are OK for normal driving, the steering and chassis feel on the highway isn't a whole lot different than the Maverick, though not quite as bad. It is vague at speed and handles poorly, like most '60s domestic cars.
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And even the '75 Nova wasn't all-new, but rather a heavy restyle of the '74-74, which itself was a facelift of the '68-72.
I had a '69 Dart GT with a slant six and a '68 Dart 270 with a V-8, and I thought they were decent-handling cars. I had 70-series radial tires on them, though, which I'm sure made a huge difference compared to the old bias-ply tires they would have come with, new. However, I haven't driven a Dart since 2001, so after acclimating to newer, better-handling cars, if I had to re-experience one, I might feel different about it!
I remember when I first had my '67 Catalina convertible, I had no problem with the way it handled. However, that was back in 1994, and I drove it more often, so I was accustomed to it. Nowadays, when I take it out for a spin, it just feels like such a dinosaur! I don't think it's the car that's changed, so much as I have changed!
I owned a '69 Bonneville for a few years, from 1992-1996, so for a couple years I had it concurrently with the Catalina. Even though they were the same basic car, the Bonneville somehow seemed light-years ahead of the Catalina in most respects. It was faster. Originally, I thought both cars had 400-4bbls, but later I found out that the Bonneville was supposed to have a 428 standard, although in those days Pontiac often made a nice engine officially "standard" and then offered something smaller or de-tuned as a "credit" option. If my bonneville had the 428, I guess that would explain the difference in acceleration!
As for brakes, the Bonneville had disc brakes up front, while the Catailna has drum all around...11-inch, I think. They actually seem to slow the car down pretty quickly, but in a panic stop can be grabby, so it's best if everybody is wearing their seatbelts!
The Bonneville had 225/75/R15 radial tires, while the Catalina, at the time, just had 215/75/R14 radials (now has 225/70/R15 mounted on 15x7 Rally 2 wheels). I guess the tires probably made some difference in the handling of the two cars, but even with the bigger wheels/tires I have on the Catalina, it didn't seem to make that huge of a difference.
Even though the '69-70 B-bodies were a restyle of the '67-68, and not a truly all-new car, GM did change some of the suspension components. At least, I remember having to get some suspension parts for the Catalina, and they were unique only to '67-68 and only to Pontiac. So, I guess GM did something to them to make them handle better. The '69 also had a smaller-diameter, more modern feeling steering wheel, so maybe that made some difference as well?
A more comfortable steering wheel (and position) always makes a difference to me. And for '69 Pontiac was offering variable ratio power steering on those big guys. The Bonneville also got a 1 inch wider track in front and a 125 inch wheelbase in '69 too. Along with the bigger tire/wheel combo and better brakes the '69 Bonneville probably was a better highway cruiser than the '67 Catalina.
I recall reading an ad or brochure for Pontiac that the 428 was standard on the '69 Bonneville and optional on the Catalina that year. Maybe I just never paid attention, but do you see 428-powered Catalinas at the car shows? I've had a couple friends who used to drive Catalina sedans from that era and they were 400/2bbl engines.
I like them both, in their own way, although one area that always bugged me about the Chevelle/Malibu of that era was the rear-end. I thought the '73 looked great, with the two round taillights on either side, but in later years they often had an unfinished, poorly trimmed, ill-fitting look.
I think the Nova definitely looked more modern though, with its crisp, angular styling, which would be the trend as the 70's wore on. The Chevelle looked a bit excessive in comparison, with the curves, sculpting, etc.
I do think the Chevelle looked better than its competition though. The Dodge Coronet and Plymouth "small" Fury were fairly cleanly styled, but just had sort of a generic, appliance-like look to them. I liked the Ford Torino from that era, but find it to be a bit more excessive in some of the style and sculpting than the Chevelle.
Looked as good as new... and fairly modern for a 20-yr-old car...
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an Austin-Healey 3000...
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I think most Catalinas were just the 400/2bbl. In fact, that's what mine originally had, but the engine was rebuilt before I bought it, and had a 4-bbl put on. It's actually somewhat rare that I see a '67+ Catalina at a car show. Even though the Catalina was more popular when new, it seems like the Bonneville has had a much better survival rate, I guess since people looking for classic cars tend to seek out the higher/more luxurious trim levels.
Sometimes I wish I still had that car. It was just a 4-door hardtop, kind of a vulgar goldish-green color, and a little beat-up, but I liked it. When it ran, at least. It ate starters on a regular basis. If I'd had the money at the time, I would have just taken it to the mechanic and get it sorted out, but my marriage was going south really fast, and I was quickly running out of money, so I cut it loose in an attempt to trim expenses.
Does your insurance agent have paperwork from when you owned it? Can she do a search of past VINs you've insured?
Does your state have a VIN check ability online or at the BMV office? If so, do they have the ability to do a reverse search and find the VINs for all you've owned in the past 10 years?
Did you have any service work done at dealer who would have electronic records or another mechanic who might have paper records.
Did you have body work done and the shop might have a record, paper or electronic?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I also never had any work done on that car by a mechanic. Every time it ate a starter, I put a new one on myself. The only paperwork I would have, if any, would be the one time I had it towed, and that wouldn't show a VIN. Never any bodyshop work either, although I did put on a new front bumper/fascia and hood hinges, myself.
I just went through my records, and about the furthest back I could find was stuff from the late 1990's. Although I did find a bill of sale from when I bought my '79 Newport from the junkyard, for $275 (for some reason, I had forgotten, and thought it was $250) on New Year's Eve, 1996.
I know I have a bunch of stuff, somewhere, from when I had my Dart...I know I wouldn't throw that away; I'm too much of a packrat.
I dunno if Maryland would have any kind online thing to check your vehicle history or not, but I doubt it. And going to the DMV office? I'd rather have another root canal!
Oho has an email the registrar address. I'd ask them if there's a reverse trace on titles. I know they have a way for replacing a lost title.
Home for BMV has online services including VINs which brings up all old titles on the vehicle in Ohio. Home lets one check their driving record for last 2 years, unofficially.
Might be worth a visit or call to previous insurance agent just to ask what records they have, paper or digital. I'm sure they have to keep the records.
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To summarize...
400-2bbl, 290 hp, 10.5: 1 compression ratio: standard on the Catalina, Ventura, and Executive, with stick or automatic.
428-4bbl, 360 hp, 10.5 compression ratio: standard on Bonneville with automatic or stick, optional on Catalina/Ventura/Executive.
400-2bbl, 265 hp, 8.8:1 compression ratio: optional on Catalina/Ventura/Executive/Bonneville, with automatic only.
428-4bbl, 390 hp, 10.75:1 compression ratio: optional on all full-size models except station wagon. Dual exhaust standard.
I do know my Bonneville had a 4-bbl carb, so presuming it still had its original engine, I'd presume it was the 428. Mine also had dual exhaust, but I don't know if it was factory or not. Damn, I hope mine didn't have the HO version of the 428! If it did, I don't think I'd want to know, because then I'd really be kicking myself for getting rid of it!
The one that really caught my eye was that yellow/black Mercury pickup..
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I was pretty transfixed by the 540K and the alloy gullwing. First time for me seeing a 2000GT I think, maybe same for Voisin too.
Looked a lot like this, right down to the color:
http://www.markeeautosales.com/ebay/67ltd/
Handsome looking car, but I think I like the larger quarter windows of the lesser Galaxie series better.
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I like the big '67 Fords, but not as much as the cleaner, more chiseled '65-66 models. But then I don't like the '68 Ford at all. I like the hidden headlights of the LTD, but otherwise, it just seems dull.
With Chevy, I really don't like the '67 as much as the '66, and I like it less than the '65. The '67 just seemed too fat and curvy, and was starting to give up its sporty looks for an attempt at luxury. But I do like the dash of the '67. I actually prefer the '68 Chevy to the '67 too, but don't like the dash as much...it just seems cheaper.
I think the '67 Plymouth still looks good...much bulkier than the trim '65-66, but the slab-sidedness of it makes it look tougher, and not so ponderous. Has kind of a tough, all-business, don't mess-with-me sort of look to it.
When I was a kid, my grandparents had some neighbors who had a black '64 Impala 4-door and two goldish-green '67 Ford Galaxies. They were all pretty junky, even though this was just the mid/late 70's. I think the 64 Chevy ended up outliving the two Fords. They moved around 1984, to a bigger house down the street, and I remember seeing the '64 in their yard for a few years after they got rid of the Fords.
Interestingly, when those people moved out, the next neighbors had junky cars as well...a beat-up late 70's Corolla, a rough-looking Ford Fiesta in that orange color that every other one seemed to come in, and an early 80's Toyota 4runner, the kind that was sort of just a pickup with a shell grafted on in back. They're still there, and today have a '98-02 style Accord and a fairly new Subaru Outback wagon.
Amazing motorcycle history there too - 4-cylinder Pierce! Can't be many of those left around. Wonder if the spring fork was originally chromed? It was definitely an upscale bike back then.
Which boat is yours Fintail?
The other Pierce bike there had a belt drive, seems like inefficient power delivery. The little 4cyl on that larger bike was interesting. Some of the other bikes were interesting too, once had an old trophy with it.
My boat is the blue one parked by the immaculate W126 at the start of the pics :shades: The wooden boats have class that the moderns can't touch, like a nice 2000 sq ft 1920-30s brick tudor compared to a 6000 sq ft faux Tuscan mcmansion. Each year the show has a category for boats and bikes, makes it interesting. Parking garage there is always fun too, people drive their unusual cars to the show...must have been 20 Ferraris, all kinds of old sportcars and Detroit iron, everything.
The 540k owner (i presume) was pretty gracious about showing the features of the car.
The sticker for the 928 doesn't have a destination charge.
Those wooden boats make the ones in the background look like a bunch of mothballed Liberty ships.
The guy who owns the 540K is an old factory trained MB mechanic who later owned a European used car dealership...somehow this was enough to amass the funds to build quite a collection. He showed the top operation, and I was able to get a little snap of the gas cap, which was pretty cool looking, very detailed and intricate...he also opened the hood when enough people asked. Probably more than many collectors of such machines would do.
The 928 sticker actually has a trucking fee near the top of the sticker, at the beginning of the charges. 33K then, probably 100K equivalent now.
If anyone likes boats, look at the pic of the old panel van with the rear doors open - it was holding a little hydroplane.
Those tricky Germans. They put the destination charge at the top of the sticker, not the bottom.
Actually makes sense since it's not really optional charge.
Reminded me of the Midas commercial - "Your muffler! Fix it!"
Too bad the owner wasn't keeping it repaired.
That's because all of the smaller engine cars were 528e models... (at least, after 1983 or so).
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In '92 or so I came close to buying a used 528i ('79 or so), but it was a heap...
Putt putt
Period colors in Lemkoland
This looks sooo much better
Paris, Texas, I presume
Feeling crazy?
Ah, the early 80s
Seems a little steep
Minivan with a chainsaw engine
Proof of bloat
"Rare, classic"
Retina - scarring
Big brick
I saw the exterior and I just knew the interior would be that color and texture
Not many of these survived
Low miles, low options
Beater for Andre
Veterans still command the bucks
Top makes all the difference
The 70s
I know they had a high MSRP and emissions choked down the horsepower from what it was originally intended, but it beat the Trans Am to the black-and-gold color scheme. I rode in the one our dealer got when it was new and I remember it seeming very fast for a four-cylinder. Nice interior too--although it's stock Vega 'Custom interior' except for the gold around the instruments.
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I kinda like that '80 Bonneville, but it's a shame the seller doesn't mention which engine it has. That looks like a Pontiac V-8 to me, so it would be either a 265 or 301. I wouldn't want either one, unless it was really nice and low-mlieage. I think they started phasing in Olds 307's that year, but I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure by 1981 though, most big Pontiacs were using the 307. At least every one I see at a car show has the 307. And oddly, while I will see an '81 Bonneville from time to time at a car show, I can't remember the last time I've seen an '80. I like that striped interior. I think they called it "Valencia"?
I think those two DeVilles really showcase my theory that when it came to the late 70's and color choices..."It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times!" LOVE the blue one, but I don't think you could give me the goldish-green one for free! Shame too, because it looks like it's actually a very nice car.
That '78 Grand Prix is a bit odd, too, not having a radio. Looks like its very well-equipped otherwise, with power windows and the upgraded interior.
I was thinking the same thing looking at them last night. GM through the late 60s into the 70s had some great blue colors. I would love some of those to show back up today.
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For a mid-70s American car, it's quite interesting and worthy of being collected.
Uhhhh...260HP??? :surprise:
How about 110 hp. :sick: (for the seller)
"Initially drawn with a compression ratio of 12:1, a fat fuel curve, and a need for Sunoco 260, the engine design suffered from repeated compromises as emissions standards tightened, the fuel crisis hit and continued, and leaded high octane fuel trickled down the trail of the dinosaurs. The designers ratcheted down the CR first to 11.25:1, then to 10.5:1, then even further to a weak 9.5:1, and finally all the way down to a nominal (and optimistic) 8.5:1, abandoning along the way porting and polishing of the cylinder head and several other hot rod tricks. "
"Horsepower plummeted from the 185 HP level quoted in 1971, to less than 130 HP reported internally on May 1, 1973, back up to 135 SAE net HP on July 23, 1973 (though 140 HP was reported in the August, 1973 issue of Car and Driver, an apparently wishful number), before the bottom fell out by the time of production in 1975 when the rating plunged to 110 HP in street trim."
I doubt there was much difference between 185 and 135, the next year..
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Amazing that GM would make a radio optional on a '78 GP. You'd think it would be easier to make an AM radio standard rather than engineer and produce a radio delete plate for a handful of cars.
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