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Funny you mention the downsized 98. My grandma had one of those, I think it was a 1986, it was that 80s bronze color and had a very plush interior. The dashboard on it was more flat than a Ciera, but the gauges were in a seperate piece that stuck up, yes. She loved that car - she liked the low trunkline which made it easier for her to see behind when backing out of her garage. Sadly, in 1996 when it had about 50K on it, it got t-boned by a 1987 MB 300E that ran a stop sign. The Olds was totalled, the impact was at the front passenger wheel, and the suspension was mangled. The Mercedes drove home with a bent grille and broken headlight.
Maybe my experience with a '85 98 Brougham, the first year of the FWD generation that ran through the '90 model year, will help you make a decision. I bought mine in '88 with 31,500 miles on the odometer, and it was pristine. The original transmission had been replaced at 24,xxx, under warranty. I replaced the second transmission at 89,000, and changed the motor mounts at the same time. Cost for both was $1,450. It provided good service, with some nickel and diming, but it was reasonable for cars of that period. At 152,000 the third transmission went, which is when I had the car towed to the crusher. The car had other needs by that time, but I had decided to drive it until the engine or transmission went, which is what I did. All in all the car gave good service, was luxurious, looked good (in our eyes), was space efficient, delivered good fuel economy on regular gas, and performed and handled well, which is why we kept it. Well, my wife would have traded it in sooner, but my "it still runs and looks fine" mentality prevailed.
Regarding the transmission, I service my cars regularly and never abuse them, so, as andre indicated, for the first couple of years the 4-speed overdrive transmission on these cars were weak. By '88 that problem had been resolved.
The new Accord seems like a really nice car, from the reviews, but you'll be able to get a better deal on one once the initial demand is satisfied. That's always the case with mass market cars, no matter how popular and desirable they are.
BENJAMIN ASKS: "And we've got the money at this point to buy an 08 Accord, or maybe a Prius (what did they say on that show, Shifty, that made fun of them and their owners?).
Oh, that was Southpark. The car was called the "Pious" and the owners went around giving SUV owners fake tickets for "crimes against the environment". Unfortunately, they were all so smug they created a SMUG cloud over their own city. Also, (this is gross), each time they spoke about their Prius, they bent down to smell their own farts (sorry, just reporting here...these are not the views of management)
South Park cracks me up sometimes. As crudely as it's drawn, you can still make out the vehicles. I remember one episode where they showed some rednecks driving in a truck that looked an awful lot like my '85 Chevy! :shades: And every time they show an old person driving, they're in a car that's a dead ringer for a '97 Century/Regal! :P
I did once see a BUSH/CHENEY sticker on a Prius in Orlando tho...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HOT-1971-0LDS_W0QQitemZ180157438542QQihZ008QQcate- - - goryZ6407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Well, on my 88 Olds 98, I guess I do have a little bit of sentimental attachment to it, but at this point not a huge amount. My parents had a 66 VW Bug and a 69 VW Bus when I was a kid. These were the cars I learned to drive on, and I have some affection for them to this day. But man, were those cars crude. Handing? nope, Acceleration? Nope. Safety? Nope. AC? Nope. These things did not even have power steering or power brakes. It gave you a kind of raw feeling for the machine and the road, which in a way is bracing. You stomped on the brakes standing up in that Bus for dear life.
We used to drive up for vacations in the small No. Calif. town of Petrolia, where great Grand Dad had built a cabin. There we had a relative who was an old fashioned rancher, with thousands of acres. He drove Oldsmobile 98s, because (sorry lemko, if you're out there) he didn't like the kind of people who he thought drove Cadillacs. And the Olds 98 had almost all the luxury of a Cadillac. When he drove me around in his c.71 Olds 98 (rather like that one up there), I couldn't believe how big it was, how quiet, how fancy, and power windows were certainly a novelty to me. So, looking back, I guess I got a little bit of a bug for those cars back then. But the size of a 71 is just obscene. According to the wikipedia article on Olds 98s the 71 was 232 inches long—over 19 feet.
When these downsized full-sized cars came out, in 1984, I thought they were pretty nice cars. Almost all the interior room of the big monsters, but a full yard shorter. And about 6 inches narrower. These cars, however, were arguably a big part of the downfall of GM. I remember a cover story on Business Week or Fortune from about 1986 that lined up a Caddy, a Buick, and an Olds, and from certain angles you couldn't tell them apart. I think Ford or someone even made fun of that in some ad, with a valet driver unable to tell which was which.
But, after they got the bugs out of the transmission, I think these were some of the best cars made in the late 80s. The numbers still on the road say a lot about that. They were rustproofed beyond anything offered by any other manufacturer, foreign or domestic, at that time. And they have amazing room inside for their exterior size. And the fabrics on the seats are soft and sumptuous, and still in great shape even though it hasn't been garaged for a long, long time. Remembering those VWs I used to drive, which didn't even have carpets, I still can't believe the luxury of the 98 with its deep, soft carpets.
The person who really loves this car is our 11-year old son. It's going to be hard for him to say goodbye to it. We got it when he 2, and it's been his favorite car for a while. But I think he realizes that it has to go at some point. Tears may be shed, but I think he'll get over it. He is interested in the new Accord, esp. the voice activated navi, which is a good sign.
What gets me a little is when I look under the hood and see all the new parts in there. Of course some of them aren't that new anymore. We had to get a new AC unit right after we got it, and so now it's 9.5 years old...
I think the main thing those downsized cars gave up was shoulder room. I've been in the '71-76, 77-84, and 85-90 generation, and it seems like if you're just hauling around four decent-sized people, one's just as good as the other. Now the '77-84 actually gave up very little shoulder room, but things like the frame rails, tranny/driveshaft hump, dashboard, and rear wheel wells intruded a bit more into the passenger cabin. I think they also made the bottom cushion in the back seat a bit shorter, and more rounded off on the sides, to make entry/exit a bit easier, but that also would have cut down on comfort.
one trick they did with downsizing was to move the engine closer to the passenger compartment to get rid of some of that length up front. However, in doing that, the passenger compartment overlaps the transmission more, so that results in a bigger hump.
When the 1985 models came out early in the 1984 model year (they were originally due AS 1984 models, but GM was still trying to get the kinks out of the transverse FWD 4-speed automatic), they gave up maybe 3 inches of shoulder room, dropping them from around 61.5 to 58.5 inches. They were still a bit wider inside than something like a Celebrity (~56") or the G-body Bonneville/Cutlass Sedan (~57.5"), but didn't appear much bigger. In fact, the G-body sedans were actually a bit longer.
I think the biggest thing the 1985 C-bodies gave up was trunk volume. It was down from around 21 cubic feet to 15-16...definitely in the midsized category.
As for that mammoth '71 Olds 98, I like it. I imagine it would be too big to pilot around on a regular basis. At 232 inches, that's 11" longer than my '79 New Yorker and about 20 inches longer than my truck! A buddy of mine has a pair of 1978 Mark V's, and I think they're around 230". I drove one of 'em once, and it just seemed too big, even for my tastes!
Kinda neat seeing a basic model, too. Crank windows and a fairly entry-level looking cloth fabric. My '82 Cutlass Supreme had a pattern that looked similar to that.
I like the '65 as well...although I never cared for that "pillared hardtop" look. Give me a REAL hardtop anyday, even with the extra shakes and rattles. :P
Well, my LeMans needed a new battery back in June. I had to replace it the morning I left for the GM Nationals in Carlisle. Oh well, better for it to die in my garage than on the trip somewhere! I haven't driven it much since then, although I drove it to work on Friday, and on the way home went a roundabout way to get more driving time in. Haven't had any other issues lately, although the radio has a short or loose wire in it. Sometimes it won't come on right away when I start the car up.
As far as New Yorker #2, it still seems to have some kind of choke or vapor lock problem. Or maybe just flooding. Always starts up just fine in the morning, when it's cool. But last Tuesday it left me stranded at work when it wouldn't start that night. I haven't driven it anywhere since then, other than a trip around the block or something...a trip that will end back in my yard, in case it refuses to start again! On Saturday I started it up a few times during the day and drove it around, trying to keep it parked in the shade when I came home. it was fine every time.
Yesterday I started it up in the morning and moved it from the driveway to under a tree in the yard. Then, around 5:30 or so, I tried it again. By this time, the sun had probably been beating down on it for a couple hours. I gently pressed the gas pedal to about half-throttle and held it, and she fired right up!
I'm starting to wonder if it just floods really easy in hot weather? It's given me problems at work three or four times now, but every single time was when it was out in the lot with the sun beating down on it. Other times, when I'd park under this big oak tree that shaded it really well, it would fire right up with just 1 1/2 slow pumps of the pedal. Maybe when it's too hot though, even 1 1/2 pumps is enough to flood it? It's a lot more irritable and touchy than my other '79 New Yorker. Funny how two identical cars could be as different as night and day. :mad:
I tell ya though...I'd be really screwed if I got myself a job that had a long commute, and required that I have dependable transporation! :P
The driver's side rear door power window also recently stopped working. It was fine when I bought the car, but then started getting sketchy, where sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. Seemed to have plenty of power to it when it DID work, so I wonder if it's just a loose wire? Again, strangely, that same window motor was dead on my other New Yorker when I first bought it! I fixed it by swapping the motor out of my '89 Gran Fury, once that thing quit running and I was using it for parts.
Strangely, that same window on the Gran Fury had even failed at one point! I wonder if there's just something "magical" about the left rear door window that makes them more prone to failure? :confuse: I'm sure it's just coincidence. Seems to me that the driver's window would be the most prone to failure, since it usually gets used the most often. But I guess if a window doesn't get used enough, maybe the motor could freeze up or something? So maybe statistically, that particular window tends to be the one used the least?
man, that would be something to see. Wonder if it would fit?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
man, that would be something to see. Wonder if it would fit?
Actually, yes it would! This 1979-81 Mopar full-size (R-body) is basically just a heavily restyled version of the 1971-78 midsize. You could get the Hemi in 1971 and big-blocks on up through 1978 in the midsized cars. For 1979 though, the hairiest thing they offered was a 195 hp 360-4bbl. The Michigan State Police got it from 0-60 in about 10.1 seconds, but I imagine that C&D or MT could probably get it to around 9.5.
There was a guy in one of my Mopar clubs who, years ago, mentioned helping a friend put a 400 into a 1980 Gran Fury, which is just a cheaper version of the same car.
If the choke/carb/etc on my blue New Yorker ever got too annoying, I've thought about trying to put an older pre-leanburn electronic ignition setup on it. You used to be able to get a kit from Mopar Performance that came with the distributor, ECU box, and most of the necessary wiring, but then you still had to get the proper carb and then either drill a hole in your existing intake manifold for the vacuum advance, or swap on a proper intake manifold.
Another possibility, I guess, would be one of those Mopar Crate 360's, which would be an easier bolt-up. A big-block would be fun, though!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968-NINETY-EIGHT-98-CONVERTIBLE-455-ROCKET-ENGIN- E_W0QQitemZ160156336081QQihZ006QQcategoryZ6407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewI- tem
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-Oldsmobile-98-4Dr-Hardtop-Breezeway_W0QQitem- - Z180157584537QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Yeah, that convertible was expensive, considering I don't think 98s have much in the way of a following.
And that convertible, while very nice, is overpriced. Not only were the 98 conv. not that popular, those are not the good colors, either.
Interesting note of trivia: If you look at that 455 just below where the upper radiator hose exits the thermostat housing, you will see a sharply curved heater hose running down to the top of the water pump. This hose and thermostat housing should have been replaced by the dealer back in '69. That little curved piece of hose was famous for blowing out in the bend and taking the water pump shaft seal with it. The revised part had a curved steel tube with a straight section of hose.
In a twisted sort of way, I would!
The owner might have just put on whatever was readily available at the time. I have raised white letters on my '79 New Yorker 5th Ave, but only because those wheels and tires came off my '89 Gran Fury copcar. They were a bit more appropriate there! When those tires get worn down though, which will be soon, It's going back to whitewalls. Or at worst, blackwalls.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Hmmm I think someone here likes these
SOLD!
Is that car anywhere near you?
Yeah, Lincoln did run a couple of ads like that back around 1985 or 1986. However, Cadillac did come up with a response to it. The commercial had these stuffy old men standing out in front of their country club. One of them asks the valet for his Cadillac and the other asks another valet for his Town Car. Then the Town Car guy turns and says "Cadillac, huh? Too bad Cadillac doesn't make a BIG car anymore."
Then they did a break to the announcer talking about the uncompromised luxury of the Brougham while showing it off in all its opulence. Then they cut back to the guys at the country club. Valet pulls the Caddy up front and the Lincoln guy just stutters..."Well...it's...pretty big."
Cadillac owner looks back and just before getting into his car says, smugly... "Bigger than yours!"
Sad thing is, that commercial came out most likely when I was in 10th grade, yet I remember it so well. But ask me about something I learned in school, and I'll come up blank!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
So that could be an open rear end and the seller just forgot to divide by 2, or he's just going by what someone told him.
Wouldn't a 5.96 be sort of overkill for most cars anyway? Unless they had some incredibly tall overdrive gears in the transmission, I guess. I remember reading that the 1956 Chrysler 300B could be ordered with a 6.13:1 axle. I'd imagine that would've been blindingly fast up to about 60 mph, but wouldn't it top out around 75 or so?
Also, I don't think a stock 400 out of a 1974 Firebird is much of a hotrod engine, anyway. By that time, wasn't Pontiac relying mainly on 455's for their performance?
The Pontiac 400 was more of a "medium" block. The 350/400/455 were all the same basic block, although they did raise the deck on some of the larger displacements. I'm pretty sure the 265/301 are the same size block too, although they're hollowed out for light weight (and early self-destruction).
Years ago, I had an '82 Cutlass Supreme that pretty much blew its engine up, a Buick 231. I also had a '69 Bonneville with a 400-4bbl. Good, strong running drivetrain, although it tended to eat starters and solenoids. Body was pretty shot, though. I fantasized about putting that Pontiac engine in the Olds, but never got around to it, came to my senses, and just got rid of them both!
Good luck, I was hoping you emailed already. It deserves to be among its kin lol
However, they were available with Hydramatics from 61-62 and the engine looks a lot like a Chevy 250... we'll see!
I would also have a rust concern - old cars here do generally rust less than in many areas, but after 45 years, anything can get a little crusty.
Do you have the 1-75 series Matchbox of this car?
Matchbox model? Yeah, got the color variations, and the Spot-On, and the Vanguards versions
Send me a message if the car is still available and you buy it. I could look it over or send pics etc.
The most valuable early Matchbox car I am told is the Red F-Type Victor.
I think I may buy this car... I'll shoot you a message after I call the seller tomorrow. Do you know a British car shop in the area who could give it some basic servicing? If I do buy it I am grabbing a plane ticket, tools and a box of spare parts and driving it back to Jersey. There's nothing that can stop a PA that I don't have lying around.....
I saw one a few years older than that at a lot by me. It was similar to the one that Matt Dillon drove in the Outsiders but was a hard top. The interior was so nicely done. In the day, it must have been a real stand out.
I've always been a bit iffy about that '67-71 style of T-bird. I don't like the fact that they eliminated the convertible, but in a twisted sort of way I like the sedan version they added. I do kinda like that particular style with the hidden headlights, but when they went to the exposed headlights and the Pontiac-ish beak (a result of Pontiac's Bunkie Knudsen jumping ship to Ford), I just didn't go for it.
I think what turns me on the most about that particular T-bird posted above is the color. I've always been a sucker for those soothing teals, pastel greenish-blues, etc. And the fact that it's a true hardtop, and not one of those awful landau models with the huge blind spot.