I hear ya'...you know where 0-60 in 13 seconds really bites you? When you are in the right lane on a freeway and the right lane stops (flat tire, accident, backup on exit ramp, etc) but the other lanes are still moving. Trying to get into the middle lane safely is tricky.
One reason i gave up my mercedes 300D was such an experience. I was virtually trapped in the right lane. I felt very uncomfortable trying to make a lane switch and putting some other car on their toes.
I looked into JATO assist but that's quite expensive. :P
I hear ya'...you know where 0-60 in 13 seconds really bites you?
Actually it can bite you on merges, at least on a California freeway during commuting hours. I had to get onto the freeway going to and from work. When I drove my beloved '85 Mercedes, there were times when I couldn't put it where I needed to and had to slow down on the entrance ramp to grab the next space. Dicey merge, angry motorists behind me, bad juju. When I drove my Corvette the extra power allowed me to merge into any convenient hole in traffic. A Vette might be overkill for this purpose, but it did teach me that power can sometimes come in handy.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Try merging onto the North Circular in London in a 1955 MG Magnette, with semaphore indicators...coming back off is even worse ! In fairness I usually avoid major roads in London even for my regular commute, let alone with the MG, but sometimes...
After being home only 12 hours from a business trip to eastern PA, I decided to drive out to the Zone Meet in South Bend and am glad I did. I was running late getting into the Studebaker National Museum for the panel discussion on the Avanti at Bonneville but made it a point to note the model number on the car just so I could tell fintail with authority, just what Benz I saw!
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Heck, I'm so used to a mid 6 second car, I have to remember my Grand Marquis doesn't have near the power of my Lacrosse, and it's not really all that slow (8 seconds to 60).
Yeah, it's amazing how quickly you can get used to the extra power, even just a little of it. After driving my 2012 Ram for a bit, it makes my 2000 Park Ave feel like a slug, and the 0-60 times there are even closer. I've seen something like 7.6 seconds thrown about for the Park Ave, and around 7 for the Ram.
If I can get it started, I'm taking my '79 New Yorker to the mechanic today to have him look over it. It hasn't been driven in a long time (I think the starter's going, but it has other random stalling issues), and I'm sure it's going to feel like a slug in comparison. I'm driving out there today and using the nite drop, because I have to go out on 301(well, Route 3 at that point) and really didn't want to try making that trip during rush hour after work, and risk having the thing stall out on a crowded highway!
Yeah it is all what you are used to. What's funny is in my case the MGM actually feels more powerful off the line (much more torque down low) but runs out of steam on the 2-3 shift where the LaCrosse just keeps pulling stronger at that point.
..in the parking lot of the Studebaker Drivers' Club Zone Meet at St. Joseph Co. Fairgrounds, a '64 Corvette convertible with hardtop on, copper colored and fuel injection. Correct wheelcovers (I believe) with a spinner in the center, and the license plate read "64 FI". I'm not really much of a Sting Ray fan but the fuel injection emblems on the front fenders made the car more interesting to me, as did a color not often seen IMHO.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Just got the old beast fired up a few minutes ago. I was impressed with how easily it started, considering I don't think it's been started yet this year. I put the battery from my 5th Ave in it, pumped the gas pedal a few times, sprayed some starting fluid in it, and after a few tries of nothing but clicks, it fired right up.
Now, for the fun part...driving it to the mechanic. Oh well, at least if I can't get it to re-start, it's in a spot in the driveway where it's easy to push it out of the way...
The New Yorker is a grand looking lady. Highway cruiser with great ride in its day. The styling has a lot of repetition of rectangles in its front bumper and the side lights. The only oddity is the upright rectangle for the orange front marker light.
Thanks. As for the beige ones, that was most likely the 5th Avenue edition. Chrysler made something like 54-55,000 New Yorkers in 1979, and about 15,000 of them had the 5th Avenue package, of which every single one was a two tone. "Designer Crème over Designer Beige", they called it. I think that was a 5th Ave only combination that year, but there was also a beige color called "Cashmere" (I always think of Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island saying "Nobody can pull the wool over my eye. Cashmere maybe, but never wool!") that was similar. I had a '79 Newport in "Cashmere", and I'm sure that color made it to a lot of New Yorkers, as well.
As for that thing over the rear quarter window, it's actually an old roofing shingle! The car has a bad water leak there, so awhile back I set a roofing shingle there, with a brick on it. Well, the shingle still had some tar on it, and it ended up bonding with the roof! :surprise: It was stuck on pretty tight for awhile, but I gave it a little test pull today, as I don't want it flying off when I'm on the highway. It came right off.
I don't know if that water leak can be fixed easily, as they probably don't make those door seals anymore. I only paid $500 for the car, so needless to say, I never made a dignified attempt at fixing it. I'd usually just cover it with something when it was sitting, and take it off when driving.
Anyway, we set sail for the mechanic around 12:30, EST. Hopefully this voyage isn't a "Night to Remember", and that there will be a "Morning After"...
I used a house shingle to repair one of my cars back in "the day" (college years when I was young, adventurous and broke).
this was on my 1975 Corolla. with a prior owner it had somehow gotten whacked right behind the front wheel, at the bottom corner, which happened to be in the LF piece of the driver's footwell. This left a hole there. So IIRC I banged out the damage, but the hole was still there.
my Q&D fix was to lay a spare roof shingle over the gap, and I used some kind of adhesive (maybe body putty?) to hold it in place and seal around the edges. Then laid the carpet back down. Actually worked well. Sealed up the floor, and it gave a nice solid place to put my clutch foot!
got the New Yorker out to the mechanic, and here's the picture to prove it...
It didn't give me too much trouble on the drive out, although at traffic lights, sometimes it felt like it wanted to stall as I slowed down, so I would have to do it two-footed, one on the brake, one on the gas. And taking off, it would stumble a bit. Once I got it out there and put it in park, it was still revving way too fast, so I put it in gear to shut it off. So, hopefully the mechanic can get it all sorted out. Oh, I also had to knock a wasp nest out of it. There was one solitary wasp, starting to build a nest in the little hollow of the B-pillar where the front door latches. I have a feeling the mechanic would not have appreciated that! :surprise:
And, on the subject of obscure vehicles, how about this? Spotted in the K-mart parking lot in Crofton, MD, on the way back home...
beige 68 or so based on the reflectors on the side of the rear lights. Also, an Infiniti I20(?) with a CT 'Early American' classic plate. 69 red Mach 1, driver running up through the gears, He looked serious. I would have had a smile.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
They have a parking lot outside the fenced in area, for people to do an after-hours drop. And, I gave them advance warning that it was coming. They didn't tell me to keep it the hell away from them, so hopefully that's a good sign...
I hope not, because if they give me too high of an estimate, they might be out of luck with this one. I'm thinking that if this car becomes too troublesome, it might be time to de-tag it and just hide it from the county, but keep it as a parts car for my '79 5th Ave.
Hopefully though, whatever it needs isn't *too* major. Because, during that time between when it successfully starts and then stalls out, it's actually a nice, smooth running car. Comfy and cushy, and as Imidazol97 mentioned, a great highway cruiser. And it has a nice, healthy sound to it...about as muscular as 150 hp out of 360 cubes can sound, but understated and quiet, at the same time.
Finally seeing some nice cars out in Wisconsin. Saw a late 60's VW bug, looked freshly restored, black, lightly customized, tastefully done. Also a '73 ish Duster, light blue with black stripes, sounding pretty mean.
2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
Maybe it was originally sold by a Stude dealer. I drove by the old Stude dealer building in my town, in the fintail, today (just a few blocks from me) and wondered if it ever sold MBs too. I know Seattle had a standalone MB dealer by maybe 1958, but here in the suburbs, maybe there was a dual agency.
That car is called a "ponton" coupe, just for reference.
Had the old beast out today, a pic with some sun glare as it was about 85F here - crazy weather for early may. And in a 50 year old car with no AC, fun times.
Didn't see many interesting cars out - MGB, some kind of Ford roadster hot rod (probably a repro body), nothing else comes to memory.
But I did have fun, took the car out and took a friend for a ride in it, someone who isn't really "into" cars, and saw his reaction and perspective. He'd never ridden in an old car, and said he'd never seen a MB like mine in person. He's about 30, first generation Chinese background, not a car guy - but for some reason likes boxy smaller SUVs (drives an original Liberty that he loves) and wants a Land Rover LR4 of all money pits. Anyway, he loved the fintail - he really liked the design, calling the fins "rock and roll". Drove him back home in the new car, which didn't impress him so much, saying the old car was more fun. I guess it can be. The AC makes it more relaxing on a hot day,anyway.
I love that your $500 car that was probably going to be crusher fodder is still going. The car is lucky it found you. Does the paint have clearcoat fade, or would a good cut and polish bring it back to life? I bet it would be striking with a good shine to it.
Oh, they'll pry that mo' fo' from my cold, dead hands before it goes to the crusher!
The paint is non-metaillic, so I'm thinking a good wash and wax should bring it back without too much trouble. With two exceptions...the trunk and the rear door on the passenger side have faded worse than the rest of the car. So, for whatever reason, they've been replaced/repainted at some point in the car's life.
If I hadn't come along, I don't know what fate would have ultimately befallen this car. The previous owner inherited it from his father when he passed away, and he told me that he never did like the car, as he was a Ford man. He mentioned that one of his friends thought about taking the drivetrain out of it and putting it in a hotrod. I don't know how much of a hotrod you're going to get out of 150 hp and a 2.45:1 axle, although I guess If the body is light enough, it might not be too bad.
Wow, that is tall. I guess that is how they met FE standards in the pre-OD transmission days.
If you wanted to throw some money at that car, I'd get a good 4BBL manifold, carb, headers with dual exhaust and maybe a 3.27 or 3.55 gear and it would certainly wake it up.
You don't have emissions tesing on that, do you? Does it have a smog pump like the older full size Fords if so, that's another thing you could probably strip out of there. I wouldn't worry about originality with it.
Took the Magnette out yesterday - mild spring day here - and it was great - ran smoothly, plenty of push - it seems to be running better than when we had cold weather a few weeks ago. Came home after about 18 / 20 miles and when I put it away I disconnected the battery - like I always do - and could hear a sort of hissing sound - I thought at first it was a hose or something but it was the battery. Basically it is overcharging the battery - my car has a dynamo and an old regulator, not an alternator set-up and unfortunately it has a "sealed for life" battery. Basically, having researched a bit on line it has confirmed my suspicions that my dynamo is sending a good charge to the battery, but unlike a modern computer controlled regulator of some sort it keeps on sending so the battery is getting a charge even when fully boosted up. Probably a fault in the regulator but although I have a spare I don't trust that as there were problems with it when fitted previously. I need to find a good auto electrician who will check it out and tell me what output I'm getting on everything and whether that is correct. Can't say I'm fond of sealed for life units as they assume a great deal from the car which they won't get with one that has no computerised management system, or whatever.
....brown 1975-1977 Ford Granada Gia coupe with tan landau roof and thick molding that appeared to be in excellent condition at Stanwood and Verree and a beautiful maroon 1964 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop at Fuller and Tabor in NE Philly.
No smog pump on my '79 New Yorkers. The 360-2bbl is one of many engines of that era that got itself banned in California. They substituted a 318-4bbl, although the 360-4bbl was still offered in 1979. It would get banned for 1980. I've heard that's the main reason the R-body got such a bad rap in CA. Apparently a bunch of big-block police cruisers got retired that year, and replaced with St. Regises that had 318-4bbls. The cops suffered big-block withdrawal and got stuck with a much slower smallblock, and tended to hate them.
To be fair, 1980 was a bad year, and the police probably would have hated whatever the replacement was. The Impala that year, with a 350-4bbl, did so bad that the Michigan State Police disqualified it from their bid process. I forget what test it failed though. It might not have been 0-60, but could have been 0-100. I'll have to dig out my old police car book to find out.
And nope, no emissions testing. Maryland's emissions testing goes back to 1977, but if you get historic plates, it's exempt. There are also some counties in Maryland that don't even require an emissions test, but they're mainly rural, low-population ones.
I wouldn't want to do anything to the car to make it *too* dirty, though. So even if it did have a smog pump, I'd probably leave it on.
Oh, as for axle ratios, they would get worse. For 1981, they started putting 2.26:1 ratios in the V-8 cars! However, to compensate, they changed first and second gear. Normally those gears were 2.45:1 and 1.45:1, but I think they changed them to 2.74:1 and 1.54:1, so I don't think performance changed much. Police cars, which used a 2.94:1 axle, stayed with the old ratios through 1983. If anybody ever has a yearning for a Gran Fury or Diplomat police car, 1984 is supposedly the year to have. First year the quicker gear ratios, and last year of the Carter carburetor. For 1985 they went to a Quadrajet that actually boosted hp from 165 to 175, but it came on at a higher rpm, and the power range was less broad, so acceleration actually got worse.
I wouldn't want to do anything to the car to make it *too* dirty, though. So even if it did have a smog pump, I'd probably leave it on.
Smog pumps on Fords really only circulated warm air to help warm up the cat converters faster, thus reducing emissions on cold startups. I believe modern cars do this as well, just without the need for a belt driven pump.
Speaking of older Mopar. Saw a pristine, white/red Dynasty yesterday. Looked like a base model, and probably a 4cyl because as it slowed down next to me I didn't hear that trademark noise all the late 80s/90s Chrysler 4sp transmissions made (electrical solenoid sound).
I think the Mary Kay Cadillacs have been pretty tasteful lately. Instead of that Pepto-Bismol looking pink, they're a really pale, pearlescent looking pink I still wouldn't drive one, but at least they're not gaudy anymore.
I saw something on the way back to work that seemed a bit odd. It was just a Grand Marquis of around 2005 or older vintage, but it had a sunroof. I can't remember the last time I've seen a GM or CV with a sunroof, although I think they did offer them at one time. At least, I think you could get one on the Marauder, so they probably extended the offering to other models as well, for a brief time at least.
Oh, and I liked the color, too. A muted grayish-green color.
As for LeSabres, there's one of that 2000-2005 vintage here at work, that has an aftermarket padded vinyl roof on it! I think it's a Que Vulgarosa Edition or something like that.
CV's and GM's after 04 were available with a power moonroof. Very rare, and AFAIK Ford sent them out to be converted from the factory. They are not the same units as what a Town Car would get.
I've only seen a handful of them, even on the Panther enthusiast sites.
I almost got hit by a Mary Kay car several weeks ago - I want to say it was a Lacrosse, but I can't remember. The color was very muted and not offensive.
My fintail also has a generator. Battery - a gigantic thing intended for a truck - is still going strong at more than 6 years old now. That's a record for the car, and I think insane for a generator car. I think the battery does allow for some maintenance though. About 14 years ago, the generator failed, and was rebuilt by a small town shop. Your woes make me glad my car has relatively simple old German electronics. My only electric quirk right now is the inconsistently operational turn signals.
I remember when I had the generator rebuilt, the old timer mechanic garage I patronized suggested that I convert it to an alternator, claimed one from a Ford Fairmont would fit with no issues :confuse: - I declined. The car doesn't have many electrical demands, and runs fine with the electronic ignition retrofit.
I saw Seattle was supposed to get into the 80's today. That's kind of early out there. I imagine many in the Emerald City are bitchin' about it being hot today.
I think the official high in the city today was 87 - shattered the old record. Yes, people are complaining. Will be cooler even tomorrow though, and much more by Wednesday. I was going to get the AC up and running again, but no point just for a day.
drop-dead gorgeous medium brown 1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille at Longshore and Rising Sun in NE Philly.
I just loved the GM B- and C-bodies for '77. While interior width was down, I think the cars were easier to live with on a daily basis than their predecessors, and for the most part, I think their styling has really stood the test of time. I was admiring a light to medium blue metallic '78 Sedan deVille in the parking lot of our Studebaker Crossroads Zone Meet in South Bend last Saturday. It had too-wide-whites but other than that was so pretty.
I think the pressure was on GM so much on those cars, they really did their homework.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
I think the pressure was on GM so much on those cars, they really did their homework.
GM had a LOT of pressure on them in those days. I remember reading that once CAFE numbers started getting published, GM's average was the worst of the Big Three, something like 11.8 mpg. Chrysler was actually the best, at around 14.3. Now, that's not to say that model for model, GM cars were bigger guzzlers. However, GM sold a LOT more big cars than small. By that time, most of Chrysler's strength was in the compact market...Dart, Valiant, Duster. Intermediate and full-sized cars were selling poorly, although they did have some degree of success with the Cordoba for a few years.
Once upon a time, Plymouth had the third best selling full-sized cars in the United States. By 1977, I think the Gran Fury was down to about 57,000 units. And a lot of that was on the strength of police sales. In contrast, the Caprice/Impala combined were good for over 600,000 units. And I think both the LTD and Delta 88 were good for close to 300,000.
Incidentally, that 57K in 1977 would never be topped again by a car wearing the Gran Fury badge. When it came back in 1980 on the R-body, they only sold about 18,000. And the 1982-89 M-body might have sold around 30-35K at best, in any given year.
For such a low volume car though, they had a lot of presence. Probably because they all looked the same, plus nearly identical to the 1980+ Diplomat. They were also pretty rugged and durable, so they hung around a long time. And, they were popular as police cars and taxis, so they were always in the public eye.
If there was any failing of GM's downsized 1977 B/C bodies, I'd say it was in some of the engine and transmission options. But, those were shared across various platforms, and not endemic to just the B/C platform. For instance, a Pontiac 301 or Buick 231 was a bit of a turd no matter what car it was in. And a THM200 was failure-prone no matter what. Although, probably more likely to fail in a bigger, heavier car than a lighter one.
And the 1982-89 M-body might have sold around 30-35K at best, in any given year.
Are you including the RWD 5th Avenue in that number? I seem to remember a lot of those on the road. Not as common as a Caprice or Panther but still plentiful.
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One reason i gave up my mercedes 300D was such an experience. I was virtually trapped in the right lane. I felt very uncomfortable trying to make a lane switch and putting some other car on their toes.
I looked into JATO assist but that's quite expensive. :P
Actually it can bite you on merges, at least on a California freeway during commuting hours. I had to get onto the freeway going to and from work. When I drove my beloved '85 Mercedes, there were times when I couldn't put it where I needed to and had to slow down on the entrance ramp to grab the next space. Dicey merge, angry motorists behind me, bad juju. When I drove my Corvette the extra power allowed me to merge into any convenient hole in traffic. A Vette might be overkill for this purpose, but it did teach me that power can sometimes come in handy.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Those can be fun.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_220S-Cabriolet-HardTop-W180- - .JPG
After being home only 12 hours from a business trip to eastern PA, I decided to drive out to the Zone Meet in South Bend and am glad I did. I was running late getting into the Studebaker National Museum for the panel discussion on the Avanti at Bonneville but made it a point to note the model number on the car just so I could tell fintail with authority, just what Benz I saw!
Yeah, it's amazing how quickly you can get used to the extra power, even just a little of it. After driving my 2012 Ram for a bit, it makes my 2000 Park Ave feel like a slug, and the 0-60 times there are even closer. I've seen something like 7.6 seconds thrown about for the Park Ave, and around 7 for the Ram.
If I can get it started, I'm taking my '79 New Yorker to the mechanic today to have him look over it. It hasn't been driven in a long time (I think the starter's going, but it has other random stalling issues), and I'm sure it's going to feel like a slug in comparison. I'm driving out there today and using the nite drop, because I have to go out on 301(well, Route 3 at that point) and really didn't want to try making that trip during rush hour after work, and risk having the thing stall out on a crowded highway!
Hope you get the 79 sorted out!
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Just got the old beast fired up a few minutes ago. I was impressed with how easily it started, considering I don't think it's been started yet this year. I put the battery from my 5th Ave in it, pumped the gas pedal a few times, sprayed some starting fluid in it, and after a few tries of nothing but clicks, it fired right up.
Now, for the fun part...driving it to the mechanic. Oh well, at least if I can't get it to re-start, it's in a spot in the driveway where it's easy to push it out of the way...
When new, I seem to remember a lot of beige ones.
What am I looking at above the left rear door's quarter window?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As for that thing over the rear quarter window, it's actually an old roofing shingle!
I don't know if that water leak can be fixed easily, as they probably don't make those door seals anymore. I only paid $500 for the car, so needless to say, I never made a dignified attempt at fixing it. I'd usually just cover it with something when it was sitting, and take it off when driving.
Anyway, we set sail for the mechanic around 12:30, EST. Hopefully this voyage isn't a "Night to Remember", and that there will be a "Morning After"...
I always thought they were very similar to the late 70s barge Lincolns.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
this was on my 1975 Corolla. with a prior owner it had somehow gotten whacked right behind the front wheel, at the bottom corner, which happened to be in the LF piece of the driver's footwell. This left a hole there. So IIRC I banged out the damage, but the hole was still there.
my Q&D fix was to lay a spare roof shingle over the gap, and I used some kind of adhesive (maybe body putty?) to hold it in place and seal around the edges. Then laid the carpet back down. Actually worked well. Sealed up the floor, and it gave a nice solid place to put my clutch foot!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It didn't give me too much trouble on the drive out, although at traffic lights, sometimes it felt like it wanted to stall as I slowed down, so I would have to do it two-footed, one on the brake, one on the gas. And taking off, it would stumble a bit. Once I got it out there and put it in park, it was still revving way too fast, so I put it in gear to shut it off. So, hopefully the mechanic can get it all sorted out. Oh, I also had to knock a wasp nest out of it. There was one solitary wasp, starting to build a nest in the little hollow of the B-pillar where the front door latches. I have a feeling the mechanic would not have appreciated that! :surprise:
And, on the subject of obscure vehicles, how about this? Spotted in the K-mart parking lot in Crofton, MD, on the way back home...
Also, an Infiniti I20(?) with a CT 'Early American' classic plate.
69 red Mach 1, driver running up through the gears, He looked serious. I would have had a smile.
I hope not, because if they give me too high of an estimate, they might be out of luck with this one. I'm thinking that if this car becomes too troublesome, it might be time to de-tag it and just hide it from the county, but keep it as a parts car for my '79 5th Ave.
Hopefully though, whatever it needs isn't *too* major. Because, during that time between when it successfully starts and then stalls out, it's actually a nice, smooth running car. Comfy and cushy, and as Imidazol97 mentioned, a great highway cruiser. And it has a nice, healthy sound to it...about as muscular as 150 hp out of 360 cubes can sound, but understated and quiet, at the same time.
That car is called a "ponton" coupe, just for reference.
Had the old beast out today, a pic with some sun glare as it was about 85F here - crazy weather for early may. And in a 50 year old car with no AC, fun times.
Didn't see many interesting cars out - MGB, some kind of Ford roadster hot rod (probably a repro body), nothing else comes to memory.
But I did have fun, took the car out and took a friend for a ride in it, someone who isn't really "into" cars, and saw his reaction and perspective. He'd never ridden in an old car, and said he'd never seen a MB like mine in person. He's about 30, first generation Chinese background, not a car guy - but for some reason likes boxy smaller SUVs (drives an original Liberty that he loves) and wants a Land Rover LR4 of all money pits. Anyway, he loved the fintail - he really liked the design, calling the fins "rock and roll". Drove him back home in the new car, which didn't impress him so much, saying the old car was more fun. I guess it can be. The AC makes it more relaxing on a hot day,anyway.
The paint is non-metaillic, so I'm thinking a good wash and wax should bring it back without too much trouble. With two exceptions...the trunk and the rear door on the passenger side have faded worse than the rest of the car. So, for whatever reason, they've been replaced/repainted at some point in the car's life.
If I hadn't come along, I don't know what fate would have ultimately befallen this car. The previous owner inherited it from his father when he passed away, and he told me that he never did like the car, as he was a Ford man. He mentioned that one of his friends thought about taking the drivetrain out of it and putting it in a hotrod. I don't know how much of a hotrod you're going to get out of 150 hp and a 2.45:1 axle, although I guess If the body is light enough, it might not be too bad.
Wow, that is tall. I guess that is how they met FE standards in the pre-OD transmission days.
If you wanted to throw some money at that car, I'd get a good 4BBL manifold, carb, headers with dual exhaust and maybe a 3.27 or 3.55 gear and it would certainly wake it up.
You don't have emissions tesing on that, do you? Does it have a smog pump like the older full size Fords if so, that's another thing you could probably strip out of there. I wouldn't worry about originality with it.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Basically it is overcharging the battery - my car has a dynamo and an old regulator, not an alternator set-up and unfortunately it has a "sealed for life" battery. Basically, having researched a bit on line it has confirmed my suspicions that my dynamo is sending a good charge to the battery, but unlike a modern computer controlled regulator of some sort it keeps on sending so the battery is getting a charge even when fully boosted up.
Probably a fault in the regulator but although I have a spare I don't trust that as there were problems with it when fitted previously. I need to find a good auto electrician who will check it out and tell me what output I'm getting on everything and whether that is correct.
Can't say I'm fond of sealed for life units as they assume a great deal from the car which they won't get with one that has no computerised management system, or whatever.
To be fair, 1980 was a bad year, and the police probably would have hated whatever the replacement was. The Impala that year, with a 350-4bbl, did so bad that the Michigan State Police disqualified it from their bid process. I forget what test it failed though. It might not have been 0-60, but could have been 0-100. I'll have to dig out my old police car book to find out.
And nope, no emissions testing. Maryland's emissions testing goes back to 1977, but if you get historic plates, it's exempt. There are also some counties in Maryland that don't even require an emissions test, but they're mainly rural, low-population ones.
I wouldn't want to do anything to the car to make it *too* dirty, though. So even if it did have a smog pump, I'd probably leave it on.
Oh, as for axle ratios, they would get worse. For 1981, they started putting 2.26:1 ratios in the V-8 cars! However, to compensate, they changed first and second gear. Normally those gears were 2.45:1 and 1.45:1, but I think they changed them to 2.74:1 and 1.54:1, so I don't think performance changed much. Police cars, which used a 2.94:1 axle, stayed with the old ratios through 1983. If anybody ever has a yearning for a Gran Fury or Diplomat police car, 1984 is supposedly the year to have. First year the quicker gear ratios, and last year of the Carter carburetor. For 1985 they went to a Quadrajet that actually boosted hp from 165 to 175, but it came on at a higher rpm, and the power range was less broad, so acceleration actually got worse.
Looked like a survivor.
Smog pumps on Fords really only circulated warm air to help warm up the cat converters faster, thus reducing emissions on cold startups. I believe modern cars do this as well, just without the need for a belt driven pump.
Speaking of older Mopar. Saw a pristine, white/red Dynasty yesterday. Looked like a base model, and probably a 4cyl because as it slowed down next to me I didn't hear that trademark noise all the late 80s/90s Chrysler 4sp transmissions made (electrical solenoid sound).
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
All the horizontal panels had what looked like a vinyl wrap with logos and GUCCI written all over it.
I've seen Mary Kay Cadillacs, but this looked a bit ridiculous, so I'm thinking it was one-off.
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I saw something on the way back to work that seemed a bit odd. It was just a Grand Marquis of around 2005 or older vintage, but it had a sunroof. I can't remember the last time I've seen a GM or CV with a sunroof, although I think they did offer them at one time. At least, I think you could get one on the Marauder, so they probably extended the offering to other models as well, for a brief time at least.
Oh, and I liked the color, too. A muted grayish-green color.
As for LeSabres, there's one of that 2000-2005 vintage here at work, that has an aftermarket padded vinyl roof on it! I think it's a Que Vulgarosa Edition or something like that.
I've only seen a handful of them, even on the Panther enthusiast sites.
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Perhaps it's a donk in transition....
I remember when I had the generator rebuilt, the old timer mechanic garage I patronized suggested that I convert it to an alternator, claimed one from a Ford Fairmont would fit with no issues :confuse: - I declined. The car doesn't have many electrical demands, and runs fine with the electronic ignition retrofit.
I just loved the GM B- and C-bodies for '77. While interior width was down, I think the cars were easier to live with on a daily basis than their predecessors, and for the most part, I think their styling has really stood the test of time. I was admiring a light to medium blue metallic '78 Sedan deVille in the parking lot of our Studebaker Crossroads Zone Meet in South Bend last Saturday. It had too-wide-whites but other than that was so pretty.
I think the pressure was on GM so much on those cars, they really did their homework.
GM had a LOT of pressure on them in those days. I remember reading that once CAFE numbers started getting published, GM's average was the worst of the Big Three, something like 11.8 mpg. Chrysler was actually the best, at around 14.3. Now, that's not to say that model for model, GM cars were bigger guzzlers. However, GM sold a LOT more big cars than small. By that time, most of Chrysler's strength was in the compact market...Dart, Valiant, Duster. Intermediate and full-sized cars were selling poorly, although they did have some degree of success with the Cordoba for a few years.
Once upon a time, Plymouth had the third best selling full-sized cars in the United States. By 1977, I think the Gran Fury was down to about 57,000 units. And a lot of that was on the strength of police sales. In contrast, the Caprice/Impala combined were good for over 600,000 units. And I think both the LTD and Delta 88 were good for close to 300,000.
Incidentally, that 57K in 1977 would never be topped again by a car wearing the Gran Fury badge. When it came back in 1980 on the R-body, they only sold about 18,000. And the 1982-89 M-body might have sold around 30-35K at best, in any given year.
For such a low volume car though, they had a lot of presence. Probably because they all looked the same, plus nearly identical to the 1980+ Diplomat. They were also pretty rugged and durable, so they hung around a long time. And, they were popular as police cars and taxis, so they were always in the public eye.
If there was any failing of GM's downsized 1977 B/C bodies, I'd say it was in some of the engine and transmission options. But, those were shared across various platforms, and not endemic to just the B/C platform. For instance, a Pontiac 301 or Buick 231 was a bit of a turd no matter what car it was in. And a THM200 was failure-prone no matter what. Although, probably more likely to fail in a bigger, heavier car than a lighter one.
Are you including the RWD 5th Avenue in that number? I seem to remember a lot of those on the road. Not as common as a Caprice or Panther but still plentiful.
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