Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

qbrozen

my tastes are definitely a bit different than most here. Whereas I don't like alot of the big american 70s boats posted here, I kind of like that '73 fury. Its clean, yet big pimpin' all at the same time. So, yeah, I would want it ... just not for anywhere near 6500. If it was as good as it looks, I might go for half that.

However, 175 hp?? That may make me think twice or 3 times.

andre1969

However, 175 hp?? That may make me think twice or 3 times.

Yeah, 175 hp doesn't seem like much hp to move a big boat like that around. Off the top of my head, the only comparable performance times I can think of for similar cars was when CR tested a 1972 Impala 350-2bbl with 165 hp and a 1972 Catalina with a 400-2bbl with 170-175 hp. 0-60 in 12 seconds for the Impala, 12.5 for the Catalina. So I guess the Fury would be similar, depending on gearing.

That Fury is kinda clean and even a bit sporty compared to something like a 1973 Impala/Caprice or 1973 LTD, both of which were trying to go for a more upscale, formal, pretentious look, which Plymouth itself would adopt for 1974.

Mr_Shiftright

I think the Fury is actually worth about $3,000 to $3,500 tops.

You could improve performance merely by popping off the heads, milling them to boost compression, and adding an aftermarket 4 barrel carb. This should give you another 25 HP or so and snappier performance.

But you have to be realistic. The thing is as big as a house and really needs a Max Wedge to go anywhere.

andre1969

You could improve performance merely by popping off the heads, milling them to boost compression, and adding an aftermarket 4 barrel carb. This should give you another 25 HP or so and snappier performance.

Would just adding a 4-bbl carb do anything for performance by itself, or would you also have to change the camshaft as well?

I'd be kinda curious to know what axle ratio the car has, too. At some point in the 70's, Chrysler went from using mainly 2.76:1 rear ends to 2.45:1 rears. There were always other optional rears, but once the 2.45:1 became the mainstay, it seemed like it was all over.

Just to show how bad things got, I found the results of an old test that C&D or MT did in 1976, when they compared some Big Three dreadnaughts...

1976 Ford LTD 460ci 0-60: 11.3, 1/4 mile: 18.2
1976 Plymouth Gran Fury 400ci 12.2 18.2
1976 Chevrolet Caprice Classic 400ci 12.8 17.6

Kind of interesting that the LTD, with the biggest engine, was the quickest in 0-60 but started to choke in the quarter mile. To the point that the Gran Fury matched it and the Caprice, which was slowest from 0-60, hit the quarter mile faster.

Is this an indication that the Gran Fury and especially the Caprice were better revvers than the LTD? Or maybe the LTD was just geared too tall?

fintail

This old thing is back...same weird description

oregonboy

You have to love the tag line
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/car/244945413.html

This needs a work, but has charisma
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/car/244950662.html

This is pretty sweet if you can live with an automatic
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/car/244946033.html

An unmolested, 5-spd Prelude of the Flash Gordon series
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/car/244931339.html

james

qbrozen

Last chance before he goes on the Bay

well, if his reserve is anywhere near his asking price ... good luck! that will be nothing but a waste of ebay fees.

andre1969

last of the full-sized Chryslers. This one sounds like the body is solid, but a lot of piddling stuff wrong with it, like 3 of the 4 power windows not working. From the description it sounds like the driver's side might be dead and the two passenger side ones might have just had the little plastic gear wheel disintegrate. My '79 did that.

I like the fact that, for 1981, it looks like Chrysler finally put a pull-handle on the armrest that looks like it might actually stay on! My '79 just has a strap that'll either snap or pull loose if you yank on it hard enough. Also kinda interesting that for the last year, they'd change the trunk design from gas struts to the more traditional torsion bar/gooseneck hinges. Seems to me that's an awful lot of trouble to go through, changing something like that for a car that was about to get discontinued.

I can only imagine what a 130-hp 318-2bbl mated to a tall 2.26:1 rear end must be like to drive. My '79 has a 150 hp 360-2bbl with a 2.45:1 rear and, I'm sure, a lot more torque, so it's actually tolerable.

I'd be tempted to try snapping this one up, if nothing else to keep it from ending up in a demolition derby (these suckers were solid cars) or junkyard. But I guess I need to realize that I can't save every old worthless car out there!

Hey, here's something I just thought of. Since this thing looks so much like my 1979, what kind of potential trouble could I get into if I bought it but never tagged/registered it? And then, if I ever felt like driving it, just swapped the tags off my '79 and took its registration card? If I ever got pulled over by the cops, I doubt they'd ever check the VIN # in the windshield. Guess I could get in trouble if I ever got into a wreck, though!

xwesx

Hahahha... the M. Falcon's (P/U version) description was great. :P

michaellno

Hey, here's something I just thought of. Since this thing looks so much like my 1979, what kind of potential trouble could I get into if I bought it but never tagged/registered it? And then, if I ever felt like driving it, just swapped the tags off my '79 and took its registration card? If I ever got pulled over by the cops, I doubt they'd ever check the VIN # in the windshield. Guess I could get in trouble if I ever got into a wreck, though!

I know I've mentioned this story before, but I knew a guy when I lived in CA who did just that.

In his case, it was a pair of '75 or '76 Mustang II's. One was white with red stripes on the hood, while the other was white with blue stripes. On the registration card, it just showed the color as white. Both had V8's in them, but one was, shall we say, 'breathed' on a bit more than the other.

When he had to do the annual smog / registration dance, he took the 'docile' car and got all the tests done. Once the paperwork had been issued, he simply put the tags and information onto the "other" car and drove that for the year, while the other car sat in the garage (or back yard, I can't remember which).

lilengineerboy

That Prelude was a base model, non-vtec (I think it might be a F22 even). It has hub caps for cryin out loud. I can't think of anything special about it.

The Miller Cycle Mazda is neat, if you can live with an auto.

That Celica GT could be the next big drifter. Get a Corolla S/Pontiac Vibe GT motor and drop it in there, or an S2000 motor or a SR20 perhaps...
The problem with the Celica GT is if I am going to by a 70s Japanese sport coupe, I would get a 240Z, and so would anyone else I know.

gsemike

I've always wondered, what is a "miller cycle" engine?

qbrozen

ask and ye shall receive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_cycle

by the way, I hear that one should avoid the Millenia S. Besides, that one is WAY overpriced. There's one on my local craigslist that's half the price and appears cleaner.

gsemike

I always liked the Millenia and some of them seem like a heck of a deal but I heard the same thing about the S. It's got some oddball supercharged engine that 75% of mechanics will have no idea what they're looking at.

I think that the base models offer 175 horse or so with a more typical OHC V6. I see plenty of the base model cars running around with 150k on them so if you found one with 100k, it would probably be a good bet as a used car.

qbrozen

yup. same 2.5 V6 in the 626. Its a nice little engine (although much thirstier than you'd expect). Like you, I think they are a great value on the used market.

andre1969

while the 1968 Newport may be the off-roader of choice in New Jersey, it looks like down in Alabama they like to use 1976 Pontiac Astres! :surprise:

Mr_Shiftright

I love it when he says:

"Acid has ate the tray up"

fintail

Weirdo grey market W126, this is a bottom of the line car. It actually didn't even have FI. Not common

andre1969

This is tasteful. NOT!!

But in a twisted sort of way, I really like this beast.

qbrozen

i didn't know the folks in south bend indiana rolled like 'dat.

jlflemmons

when Oldsmobile went out of business...

Then I saw what that idiot did to that Delta 88.

I looked at all the pictures. It was painful, but I looked.

andre1969

I looked at all the pictures. It was painful, but I looked.

Yeah, I think the only semblance of mercy I can make out from those pictures is that it looks like they left the interior unmolested. I imagine that Delta 88 was a pretty looking car when it was new. I'm picturing a light metallic green with maybe a hint of silver, or perhaps a dark forest green metallic. My grandparents' '72 Impala was a forest green with a white vinyl top and green interior. I thought it was attractive.

I like that 2-door hardtop roofline, too. Something you don't see too much of anymore. I remember the Impala offered it, but most Impalas were the Custom model, which had a much thicker C-pillar, larger roll-down quarter windows, and concave rear window.

At a quick glance, this picture makes me do a double-take. It looks a bit like my Grandmother's back yard! Similar styled house in back, evergreen trees, woods to the left side, etc. I don't think my grandma ever had anything that tasteless in her back yard though. Well, I did have my '69 Bonneville hidden back there at one time!

jlflemmons

An old girlfriend was given a brand new, '76 Delta 88 2dr with the 455ci and TH400 tranny. She drove it like a little old lady, but the times I got to drive it on the highway I was amazed at how quickly that monster could accelerate. Gas hog extrodinaire!

fintail

Kind of an Andre-mobile

Or maybe this, if lemko doesn't take it

lemko

Shoot, I used to have a yellow 1979 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency with the 403 V-8 no less. It was destroyed in a collision with a box truck. Sad.

andre1969

I kinda like that '75 Cutlass. The swivel seats are neat, but I've sat in them a few times, and don't find them to be very comfortable. It's like they force my lower back out or something. I'm probably in the minority here in preferring the '76-77 style with the quad rectangular headlights, but with Oldsmobiles I think the '73-75 models are nice looking too.

That '77 98 is nice, too. Not my favorite color in the world, but I think that car wears it pretty well.

It's amazing how localized Craigslist can be. Here's a 1978 Mark V for sale in my small town! No pictures, but it's practically around the corner from me. I think if I ever got a Mark V, I'd want one in either light blue or jade, but hey, this one might not be bad if it's in nice shape. The Mark V is one of those cars that has kind of fallen out of favor with me, though. I used to love them, but maybe after riding in and driving my buddy's '78, the reality of it just disillusioned me?

andre1969

but I love the color scheme of this 1968 Marquis! My buddy with the two Mark V's sent the link to me...guess he's still on the hunt.

Mr_Shiftright

Generous bidding, but then it probably is the best one in the world. You, too can store a late 70s domestic car for 28 years and make big bucks!

fintail

Yeah, I bet this is nice and reliable

andre1969

Oops, just noticed a typo...I meant to type "1978" and not "1968!"

I'm always fascinated by these low-mileage old cars, and would love to know the story behind them. I don't think someone would actually put something like this away in the hopes of it becoming a high-dollar collectible, but then you never know. While downsizing was the trend of the day, there was still a fairly large contingent of people back then who went against the grain, wanted their big cars to still be mastodon size, and held onto them as a symbol of a bygone era, I guess.

Or more likely, I wonder if it was just bought by some retirees who just didn't drive much, pampered it, and then when they passed on the next of kin decided to sell it off?

Oh, and I don't believe the claim that it can get 20 mpg on the highway. Unless you tie it behind a Prius or something!

toomanyfumes

I still remember back in the mid 70's when they were downsizing all the big cars... My uncle saying, "If I could afford it i'd buy that '76 Thunderbird the last of the big ones. Someday it'll be worth a fortune! There's also guys like my father-in-law. Bought a 1980 Olds Regency before he retired. Since he did'nt need to drive it to work, He drove the MIL's car and it sat in the garage

Mr_Shiftright

The 924 looks whimpy because it doesn't have the 944 fender bulges. I think that one has the Audi engine (oh swell).

Not having the heater work is a scary off-handed statement.

explorerx4

it would be great for the notre dame footall games, it's the right colors!

british_rover

If this is all it needs it is a good deal

I always liked these although I liked the older body style better.

Super cheap jeep but I don't know if I buy the just needs a starter business

Neat Caddy for the money.

akangl

If this is all it needs it is a good deal

I always liked these although I liked the older body style better.

Super cheap jeep but I don't know if I buy the just needs a starter business

Neat Caddy for the money.

I'd be suspicious of the Talon, seems too good to be true. I sold the Sebring that had a whole lot more dents and a couple issues for more than that.

I wouldn't be too afraid of the Jeep, they are cheap to fix and fun to drive.

On the Caddy *shudder* looks too much like Christine, lol.

qbrozen

i like the caddy ... but there's alot of real estate where rust can hide on that car. Plus, my garage isn't nearly deep enough to hold her.

lemko

The worst place for rust on early to mid '60s Cadillacs is the bumper ends. They're like big scoops that collect mud and muck. The rest of the car is pretty solid, but I've seen a lot with rotted out bumper ends.

andre1969

One of the best Chevrolets ever built. I think thats why they quit building them. They just kept on running to long.

Mmmkay.

andre1969

and where can I get some? :confuse:

I wonder what makes the guy think that there were only six 1976 Pontiac Venturas made? They weren't very popular, but still, I'd imagine that Pontiac rolled off about 60-70,000 of them that year.

And let's not even talk about the opening bid! :surprise:

lemko

Good God, if the Chevette was one of the best Chevrolets. I'd certainly hate to see the worst. Shoot, if I were to list the best Chevrolets among them would be:

1932 Chevrolet Confederate Series
1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
1948 Chevrolet Fleetline
1955-57 Chevrolet Bel-Air
1958 Chevrolet Impala
1961-64 Chevrolet Impala SS
1962-72 Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova
1965-70 Chevrolet Caprice
1967-70 Chevrolet Camaro
1968-72 Chevrolet Malibu
1977-90 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
1994-96 Chevrolet Impala SS
Most Corvettes.

If I were to list the worst Chevrolets:

Chevrolet Vega
Chevrolet Chevette
Chevrolet Corsica
Chevrolet Spectrum
Chevrolet Celebrity
1975-80 Chevrolet Monza

british_rover

hahahaahahahaahahahahahhahah

xwesx

Ick! I saw one of those on the way into work this morning (driving, not sitting) and it made me cringe.

xwesx

I would list the 1967-72 pickups as well, but then I do like pickups.

lemko

I was just thinking of cars, but the 1967-72 trucks are a good choice for best Chevrolets as well as the 1947-early '55 trucks.

Where would you rank the Chevy LUV?

oregonboy

Where would you rank the Chevy LUV?

in with the Isuzus - james

Mr_Shiftright

go to the bottom of the pit and start digging :P

hpmctorque

Reference Lemko's message 7673, if I recall correctly, MT named the '82 Celebrity its Car of The Year, proving, once again, that you want to stay away from MT's picks.

hpmctorque

Ref. msg. #7672, Andre, once you convert the Canadian $ to U.S. currency, that Ventura becomes a screaming bargain at ~$35,000 U.S. Heck, for about the mere price of a lowly new Lexus ES, Acura TL or Chrysler 300C, you could be the proud owner of that red '76 Ventura.

fintail

"357 motor"

Granny car driver

fintail

Gotta be at least one extra zero in this