When I was in highschool, I worked part time in the evenings at a veterinary clinic. The receptionist there had a '69 Camaro hardtop. It was just a basic model though, with a 307. It was green, but kind of a bright, crayon green as I recall. Maybe they called it "spring green"? I just remember thinking what an awesome car it was. I know it probably wasn't much with just a 307, but at the time I was driving my Mom's old 1980 Malibu with a 229 V-6, so compared to that it was awesome!
2. A "nice Custom Crusier" - this is the extent of the description. Judging by google, this could be a boat, a motorcycle, a bicycle, an RV or most importantly an Olds station wagon.
I rode in a high school friend's '67 or '68 327 Camaro with the 4 speed a year or two before I bought my Z, and was sold on the car at that time.
When I graduated HS and started work/school, I was able to buy a car. Me and my dad went out shopping and, of course, went to one of the local Chevy dealers. My dad was against anything with power, but he equated power with cubic inches. So when I told that what I really wanted was a Z-28 and that it only had a '302 engine, he said "sure". My dad even drove it a bit (trying to find out just how much power it had). Him being a conservative driver (his car was '62 Impala with the straight 6), I don't think he ever got the rpms on the Z above 2000. Well, as you probably know, that engine had, for the time, some rather radical cam timing along with solid lifters so that the sweet spot for the engine was between 4000 and 6000 rpms - well above where my dad was trying things out. So, he thought the engine was rather tame, though a bit rough in the low rpms - which it was.
In the end, he thought I was just getting a small Chevy with a small V-8 in it!
I used to see a lot of fintail Mercedes when I was in elementary school back in the 1970s. They all seemed to be susceptible to rust around the tops of the headlight bezels.
yes they would rot out there and in the hind quarters in the spare tire well.
The fintails were really good cars, probably the last really good car Mercedes ever made -- before they became notorious for electrical demons, crushing repair bills and mind-boggling complexity.
Another one of my 'best ever' Mercedes is a 1970-71 220 gas, 4-door sedan, 4 cylinder, stickshift. The best W107 V8SL was the 560SL, by a long shot, and the best ever 4-door sedan after the fintails was i think the 300E.
Everyone fawns over the 300D and SD but really they left a lot to be desired in the driving experience, and they were noisy, slow and smelly---let's just SAY IT!!
Yeah, the headlight bezels, rear quarters, and floors can weak. My car has a little decay in the areas at rear known to go bad, but nothing serious, and nothing in the front. The undersides of the doors can go too, so several years ago I put some POR-15 on the door bottoms, and I probably should get around to doing the entire trunk. It looks very much like the factory black paint once it dries.
I once had a leak in the exhaust pipe, and with the approval of my old MB specialist, I simply got some fiberglass cloth, layered it on, and adhered it all together with POR-15. It looked good and has held up perfectly...amazing stuff.
W124 and W126 were probably the height of MB...still not terribly complicated, and not as rust-prone as a fintail or other earlier car (but a W126 can get rusty in the right situation). So many of them are still on the road, and I am certain most of them aren't maintained properly...but they keep on going.
I might agree on a W124, but not on a W 126. They are overloaded with emissions technology which is clunky at best, and they are gas hogs, and they have no value today. At least a clean 300E you can still get a decent buck for it, and it's a very modern car.
The later V8 (420/560) 126 cars aren't bad, and the late 6cyl 126 cars have the exact same engine as the 300E. I wouldn't rush to an early US model V8 car either, I will admit. We didn't get the good gas engined ones until later. But, we did get the 300SD, and nobody else did.
Well obviously the EU Constitution allows citizens to post prices as silly as ours are sometime. Yeah right 35,000 Euros for a fintail. You could make a new one out of iron ore for that much money.
I searched for MB sedans 1960-65, over 10000 Euro, and found over 40 fintails. I can see why quite a few of them were shipped home.
Regarding the Evo being street legal, I am sure it wouldn't be for some arcane reason...some of those things were really basic. It pioneered the roof-high spoiler theme, but is a lot cooler than a 15 year old Civic with the same feature.
I found this interesting car while checking through the latest motor show videos.This is now in the concept state and whenever it is available it will make a great impact because you will enjoy driving this not only because is hybrid but also because of it's advanced features that makes the driving more easy and fun.I liked the deign very much they have to something on the front portion to make it more attractive.This blog features with the videos of the concept car and you can check how Honda CR-Z looks like and a number of other concept cars.
I'm sorry ......for posting it in the wrong place.But it doesn't means that the blog is related with porn in any manner.anyway I am going to end that blog.thanx
"This vehicle is AS-IS. Our technitions [sic] have inspected this vehicle and found the following conditions that WILL NOT be repaired:
Engine: front and rear main seals are leaking Tires: wearing on the inside Steering: power steering pump is leaking"
[..] is it worth $6?
No.
They paid good money on trade when they took it in, THEN they inspected it, and now the UC manager wants to minimize the damage. Sometimes it's not about making sense, it's just about not feeling like a dolt. I think that's understandable.
"There is a $489.50 doc fee that will be applied to the winning bid. " THAT is ridiculous.
$6900 for a miled-up 1997 BMW 528i? Dreamers! Try $4,995 and be *very* grateful to get anything close, is my two cents. Quite honestly, in this market, it would be hard to give this type of car away. I would offer around $3,500 and that's what I really think it is worth, fair market, March 2009. These are risky cars and seems to me that the seller has to share the risk. Maybe if it were carefully inspected for all the usual 120K mile scary parts on a 90s BMW, like defective radiators, power steering hoses, control arm bushings and water pumps---maybe that would encourage a somewhat higher offer. but $6900? That would be a foolish bid IMO on an uninspected miled-up Bimmer of this vintage.
Really? The market has fallen that much? I figured in a bad economy, high mileage luxury cars are pretty unpopular but I thought this seemed close to fair. It is nearby, so I was thinking of taking a look and offering him $6K if it is really nice.
I set aside my Sunday afternoon for the second week in a row and the guy canceled the second week in a row. The first time he said he was no longer interested in the car. Today he said his mom's house got broken into. Lucky me, he is coming back next Sunday for sure.
Well it hasn't "fallen". A 1997 BMW hasn't been worth $6900 for well over a year or two. That's a stiff price for any miled-up '97 BMW. It might not have sold at that price even in the end of 2007.
The Lumina enduro car. What exactly is finished in it? The only thing I can see it enduring is the elements while it sits without any windows.
The Chevy Caprice wagon is exactly the same, down to the dashboard, as what my parents had and what I learned to drive in. We never had any problems with it other than a water pump and two transmissions.
It might just be bad picture quality or low resolution, but that '88 Monte SS looks like it got hit in the rear left quarter panel, banged back out the best they could, and then just spray-painted over. It may be fine, and could just be a trick the light/shadows and pixelation are playing on my eyes. The price does seem awfully cheap.
I like that Caprice wagon, and it seems a steal for that price as long as it checks out. I HATE that speedometer, though! It sort of reminds me of my '82 Cutlass, where the range you're going to use the most is all compressed together. Considering that the entire needle on that Caprice is exposed, I wonder why they didn't just make the speedometer semi-circular?
Older cars could get away with those strip speedometers, because where the needle was attached was usually buried fairly deep below where the numbers are, so you'd only see a portion of the needle as it swept across. You'd still get some compression at the center, but it wasn't nearly as bad.
FWIW, there was an option on the Caprice, that gave you a round speedometer, mounted in a square cutout. It was part of a package that gave you a few extra gauges. One of them was a temp gauge, and the other was either amps or a vacuum gauge, I believe.
I never was much of a Mustang fan, but I like that '68. I think it's the color that catches my eye. While a V-8 would be cool, I guess the 6-cyl would be okay for loafing around town, Sunday cruises, car shows and such. I'd probably be leery about merging onto interstates with it. But heck, I've seen people with Model A's do it, so I guess if they can do it, this car could! And at least this car could get up to highway speeds, whereas I think a Model A would only poke along at maybe 40-45 mph?
We had an '85 (?) Caprice wagon, dark grey. Bought it used. Looked a lot like the one in the picture. I think the only major repair was that the tranny needed a rebuild around the 80,000 mile mark. Loved the rear facing back seat :shades: . Looking back on it, probably dangerous as all get out. I wanted my wife to get one of those new fangled minivans that had just come out. But, she had to have the big mom-mobile wagon.
I wonder if those B-body wagons were just too much car for the transmission to handle? It was really common for that THM200R4 tranny to fail in the earlier days, like 1981-83, but in general GM did a pretty good job getting the kinks worked out. At least, quicker than Ford or Chrysler did with their first 4-speed overdrive attempts.
There's a guy here at work who used to have a 1987 Buick Estate wagon, and he had the transmission fail on him once. I forget at what mileage that was, though. The car ultimately made it to around 150,000 miles, and in the end I think it got sludged up. This guy really never took very good care of his cars, so the reason its engine sludged was probably more a result of neglect than any fault of the 307.
I've had two cars with that transmission...a 1985 LeSabre Limited sedan with a 307, and an '86 Monte Carlo with a 305. Both were bought new by family members, and ultimately handed down to me. The LeSabre got to around 157,000 miles, and the Monte got t-boned at 192,000. Neither of them ever had any transmission trouble. Well, looking back, the LeSabre did need some minor switch or something replaced, when the lockup on the torque converter started acting up. It wouldn't always unlock when it was supposed to, and when slowing down, such as coming to a traffic light or stop sign, it would try to stall the car.
Either of those cars would be much lighter than a B-body station wagon, though. I wonder if they put a different axle ratio in the wagons to account for that extra bulk? My LeSabre just had a 2.73 rear and the Monte was a 2.56, I think. I wonder if an axle that tall would stress out the tranny in something as heavy as the wagons, though?
'68 Stang ... "all original" ... "90% restored" ... HUH??
BTW, andre, you may be surprised by the 6. It remained unchanged for a VERY long time. The same engine was in my '78 Mercury Zephyr (almost same size, shape, and weight as the Stang, too) with 3-spd auto, and I had no problems getting around town, long trips on the highway, and even performing some stupid stunts in that car. It was quite torquey.
Speedo only went up to 85 at about the 5 o'clock position, but with enough road, I was able to bury that needle to where it came to a stop at 6 o'clock and I had to slow down a bit before it moved off that position.
'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
Oh yeah, I am pretty sure the speedometer font on that wagon is the same as on a Celebrity (and a host of other cars no doubt). For some reason it really annoys me.
I've been watching this 1977 Grand LeMans auction for a few days now, and it's starting to get tempting. At first, the auction had an opening bid of $2695, but now it has a Buy it Now of $2550!
This LeMans has an Olds 350-4bbl, compared to the Pontiac unit. I wonder if that means it was originally intended to be a California or high-altitude car? I wonder how the Olds 350 would compare to the Pontiac 350 in my '76?
Realistically, I just need to stop looking at this thing, and get it out of my mind! :shades:
Long drive home from western Nebraska. Just hope that the windows don't fog up, since it has no AC (also a handy thing to have in Maryland in the summer!). So budget another wad of cash to fix that.
I actually like the 78+ "downsized" models a lot better. A friend of mine in HS had one (well, his Mom did). A Grand Prix, not a LM. This was in 79/80, so it was an early vintage. Dark Blue, "sporty" wheels. I think it was the small V8 (301? 305?) Buckets, floor shift, etc.
I got to drive it once. Way quicker than my parents '75ish 1.6l Omni. And a much more managebel size than the '77, and it also seemed way more modern.
Long drive home from western Nebraska. Just hope that the windows don't fog up, since it has no AC (also a handy thing to have in Maryland in the summer!). So budget another wad of cash to fix that.
Oh I'm actually used to no a/c, so that's not a deal breaker for me! In fact, when the a/c in the Intrepid died about a month ago, I was almost tempted to just let it stay dead!
I went to Cincinatti to get my '76 LeMans, about 500 miles each way. Left home around 8-8:30 in the morning on a Sunday, and I think we got back home around 2 AM or so Monday morning.
But, Western Nebraska is a few miles further than that!
I think the downsized '78+ models are a much better package to live with on a day-to-day basis. I had an '80 Malibu coupe, '82 Cutlass Supreme coupe, and '86 Monte Carlo. You could fit adults in those back seats. Even at 6'3", I had no trouble in the back seats of those cars. But I'd get stuck in the back seat of my '76! The trunks on the downsized models were also bigger. They were deeper, but another thing that helped was the way the spare tire stowed, upright and to the side of the trunk, in a well.
My '76 actually feels pretty nimble to me, but that's partly because the suspension and tires have been beefed up a bit from stock. And also probably partly that I've gotten so used to driving ill-handling vehicles, that I almost forgot what a good one feels like! It's definitely quicker than my Malibu or Cutlass, but those cars only had V-6es, so with a 350-4bbl it better be! My Monte Carlo had a 305-4bbl and 4-speed automatic, so it was probably quicker overall. And a lot more economical. I got around 14-15 mpg in local driving with that Monte, and could get maybe 21-22 on the highway. The '76 is more like 10 mpg around town, 16-18 on the highway.
My '76 feels more comfortable than the downsized cars I had, too. However, that might be because it's a Grand LeMans, while the others were basic models. I dunno if they padded the seats better on the upper trim levels, perhaps? It also has a power seat, while the others just had a manual fore/aft, so that helps me get the '76 into some very comfy, almost obscene, seating positions!
But overall yeah, I think the downsized '78+ cars were much better in many respects (as long as we don't mention the tendency of the 301 and the earlier 231 engines to self destruct, or the undersized transmissions, or the stationary rear windows on the sedans and wagons!), but the big '73-77 models just appeal to me more.
I know I need to stop entertaining this idea, but I just googled it and Minitare, Nebraska is only 1599 miles away from me! :shades:
That '66 Monterrey is okay, I guess. They look nice from the side, but I never cared for the front-end. Just too flat-faced, I guess, in its attempt to appear Lincolnesque.
All I can think of when I see that Montego is YUCK! But then at the same time, I think the '71 Riv is cool, so yeah, my tastes are probably a bit hard to rationalize! :P
That '60 Buick convertible is kinda cool. That '85 LeBaron isn't my thing, but I guess it's not bad for what it is. It looks like it might be a turbo though, and with 100,000 miles on it, I'd say it's about time for the head gasket to blow and the turbo to crap out. I had an '88 LeBaron turbo, and it was around 110-115,000 miles when that stuff crapped out on it. Thankfully, it was my ex-wife's by that time!
For some strange reason, a 1986 Dodge 600 convertible with a 2.5 4-cyl sort of appeals to me. I think it's probably because they're pretty rare compared to the LeBaron, 1986 was the last year, and the only year that they had that slightly more aerodnymic front-end. And with a 2.5 non-turbo, you probbably wouldn't have to worry about the head gasket blowing, but it should still have a bit more pep than the 2.2. But, I'm not about to trade my '67 Catalina in for one!
Isn't it kind of insulting to use the name "Cutlass Supreme" in the same sentence as "Edsel" and "Pacer"? Yeah, they're all similar in the respect that they're out of production. But Pacers and Edsels were pretty much losers from the get-go. The Cutlass at least had plenty of glory years under its belt.
Congrats, lokki, for 2 of the most bizarre ads seen here. First, that Pontiac with the interview requirements - and he'll trade it for 3 professional paint jobs, not like a Maacco - so what's that, $3,000+?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (not to mention the 'no rust' comment).
The other was the dealer who convinced me buying his PT Cruiser would be a great investment in a future classic :sick: :lemon:
The 126 guy has drank the NADA Kool-Aid. That source greatly overvalues old MB sedans. A good market price for his tank is about half his asking price. I am sure he sunk a lot of money into it.
The 60 Buick seems like a fair deal.
51 Pontiac guy is another nutjob...."not rusted out" but 90% of the car likely has some scale.
'51 Pontiac....first off Kevin it's a chief-TAIN....secondly, your car is worth $650, considerably less than the 3 "professional" paint jobs you are trading for. So you want $18000 in paint work for a $650 car? Uh-huh....? Okayyyyyyyyy, good luck there fellah.
420SEL -- typical. He wants $8000, and the rebuilt engine cost more than that. So really he's taking a beating. Why are we not surprised?
71 Buick Boat Tail --- is that engine compartment what we are calling "mint" in 2009? Coulda fooled me.
97 Prowler---- THE SCENE -- The Chrysler Boardroom. Someone is pitching a new model:
"Yeah, we'll design a modern hotrod, like a Lakes Roadster....the boomers will FLIP over this car....and just to be sure, we'll make it available only as a 6 cylinder automatic.....what? WHAT? It worked for the '53-54 Corvette didn't it? Am I right or am I right?"
85 Chrysler --- I guess Le Baron has left his castle---still, price seems fair enough at $3500 if it's nice. Price of a beater Miata. Just hope the shrapnel from exploding parts doesn't take your foot off.
62 Beetle -- that color can't be right, can it?
'67 Jaguar Mark II -- the last Jaguar sedan worth a nickel. Could be a good deal! Too bad it's a dreaded Borg-Warner automatic, but that can be FIXED (replaced I mean).
where did you get the info about only 8 factory built Kelmark GTs? i read somewhere that they did 20. and how do you know there are only 2 left? i own one that is number 005 on the vin. it has a stock v8 and is in pretty good shape. i am doing a ground up restore on it anyways to bring it back to its glory days. i am swapping the 307 with a 383 for some serious horsepower. thanks for any info.
Comments
2. A "nice Custom Crusier" - this is the extent of the description. Judging by google, this could be a boat, a motorcycle, a bicycle, an RV or most importantly an Olds station wagon.
When I graduated HS and started work/school, I was able to buy a car. Me and my dad went out shopping and, of course, went to one of the local Chevy dealers. My dad was against anything with power, but he equated power with cubic inches. So when I told that what I really wanted was a Z-28 and that it only had a '302 engine, he said "sure". My dad even drove it a bit (trying to find out just how much power it had). Him being a conservative driver (his car was '62 Impala with the straight 6), I don't think he ever got the rpms on the Z above 2000. Well, as you probably know, that engine had, for the time, some rather radical cam timing along with solid lifters so that the sweet spot for the engine was between 4000 and 6000 rpms - well above where my dad was trying things out. So, he thought the engine was rather tame, though a bit rough in the low rpms - which it was.
In the end, he thought I was just getting a small Chevy with a small V-8 in it!
The fintails were really good cars, probably the last really good car Mercedes ever made -- before they became notorious for electrical demons, crushing repair bills and mind-boggling complexity.
Another one of my 'best ever' Mercedes is a 1970-71 220 gas, 4-door sedan, 4 cylinder, stickshift. The best W107 V8SL was the 560SL, by a long shot, and the best ever 4-door sedan after the fintails was i think the 300E.
Everyone fawns over the 300D and SD but really they left a lot to be desired in the driving experience, and they were noisy, slow and smelly---let's just SAY IT!!
I once had a leak in the exhaust pipe, and with the approval of my old MB specialist, I simply got some fiberglass cloth, layered it on, and adhered it all together with POR-15. It looked good and has held up perfectly...amazing stuff.
W124 and W126 were probably the height of MB...still not terribly complicated, and not as rust-prone as a fintail or other earlier car (but a W126 can get rusty in the right situation). So many of them are still on the road, and I am certain most of them aren't maintained properly...but they keep on going.
Oh yeah, it's been relisted - $100 price increase and more info...I'd expect to turn on the radio and have a Falco song be heard.
Pricey fintail
Nice highline car
And another...completely different market there
Pretty two-tone
Would make a good bad guy's car
Beautiful SEC
And something completely different
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Regarding the Evo being street legal, I am sure it wouldn't be for some arcane reason...some of those things were really basic. It pioneered the roof-high spoiler theme, but is a lot cooler than a 15 year old Civic with the same feature.
probably pick up one pretty cheap these days.
I found this interesting car while checking through the latest motor show videos.This is now in the concept state and whenever it is available it will make a great impact because you will enjoy driving this not only because is hybrid but also because of it's advanced features that makes the driving more easy and fun.I liked the deign very much they have to something on the front portion to make it more attractive.This blog
features with the videos of the concept car and you can check how Honda CR-Z looks like and a number of other concept cars.
Anyway, thanks for the post but this is not the appropriate topic. This is the Classics Forum.
You might find some interesting discussions of concept cars here:
Carspace Automotive News Forum
Decent looking 528i. He did have it listed at $7,900.
"This vehicle is AS-IS. Our technitions [sic] have inspected this vehicle and found the following conditions that WILL NOT be repaired:
Engine: front and rear main seals are leaking
Tires: wearing on the inside
Steering: power steering pump is leaking"
[..] is it worth $6?
No.
They paid good money on trade when they took it in, THEN they inspected it, and now the UC manager wants to minimize the damage. Sometimes it's not about making sense, it's just about not feeling like a dolt.
I think that's understandable.
"There is a $489.50 doc fee that will be applied to the winning bid. "
THAT is ridiculous.
-Mathias
This is probably OK I'm used to seeing at least the asking price be higher than this for these
good pics
This looks like it's worth it
These wagons don't have any buzz yet but this looks good for the money
Probably a pretty nice example The price looks decent
What the heck does he mean about the mileage?
The Chevy Caprice wagon is exactly the same, down to the dashboard, as what my parents had and what I learned to drive in. We never had any problems with it other than a water pump and two transmissions.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The 67 Impala in those links has been seen before. I am skeptical of the rocker panels/lower body of that car.
I like that Caprice wagon, and it seems a steal for that price as long as it checks out. I HATE that speedometer, though! It sort of reminds me of my '82 Cutlass, where the range you're going to use the most is all compressed together. Considering that the entire needle on that Caprice is exposed, I wonder why they didn't just make the speedometer semi-circular?
Older cars could get away with those strip speedometers, because where the needle was attached was usually buried fairly deep below where the numbers are, so you'd only see a portion of the needle as it swept across. You'd still get some compression at the center, but it wasn't nearly as bad.
FWIW, there was an option on the Caprice, that gave you a round speedometer, mounted in a square cutout. It was part of a package that gave you a few extra gauges. One of them was a temp gauge, and the other was either amps or a vacuum gauge, I believe.
I never was much of a Mustang fan, but I like that '68. I think it's the color that catches my eye. While a V-8 would be cool, I guess the 6-cyl would be okay for loafing around town, Sunday cruises, car shows and such. I'd probably be leery about merging onto interstates with it. But heck, I've seen people with Model A's do it, so I guess if they can do it, this car could! And at least this car could get up to highway speeds, whereas I think a Model A would only poke along at maybe 40-45 mph?
There's a guy here at work who used to have a 1987 Buick Estate wagon, and he had the transmission fail on him once. I forget at what mileage that was, though. The car ultimately made it to around 150,000 miles, and in the end I think it got sludged up. This guy really never took very good care of his cars, so the reason its engine sludged was probably more a result of neglect than any fault of the 307.
I've had two cars with that transmission...a 1985 LeSabre Limited sedan with a 307, and an '86 Monte Carlo with a 305. Both were bought new by family members, and ultimately handed down to me. The LeSabre got to around 157,000 miles, and the Monte got t-boned at 192,000. Neither of them ever had any transmission trouble. Well, looking back, the LeSabre did need some minor switch or something replaced, when the lockup on the torque converter started acting up. It wouldn't always unlock when it was supposed to, and when slowing down, such as coming to a traffic light or stop sign, it would try to stall the car.
Either of those cars would be much lighter than a B-body station wagon, though. I wonder if they put a different axle ratio in the wagons to account for that extra bulk? My LeSabre just had a 2.73 rear and the Monte was a 2.56, I think. I wonder if an axle that tall would stress out the tranny in something as heavy as the wagons, though?
BTW, andre, you may be surprised by the 6. It remained unchanged for a VERY long time. The same engine was in my '78 Mercury Zephyr (almost same size, shape, and weight as the Stang, too) with 3-spd auto, and I had no problems getting around town, long trips on the highway, and even performing some stupid stunts in that car. It was quite torquey.
Speedo only went up to 85 at about the 5 o'clock position, but with enough road, I was able to bury that needle to where it came to a stop at 6 o'clock and I had to slow down a bit before it moved off that position.
'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
This LeMans has an Olds 350-4bbl, compared to the Pontiac unit. I wonder if that means it was originally intended to be a California or high-altitude car? I wonder how the Olds 350 would compare to the Pontiac 350 in my '76?
Realistically, I just need to stop looking at this thing, and get it out of my mind! :shades:
I actually like the 78+ "downsized" models a lot better. A friend of mine in HS had one (well, his Mom did). A Grand Prix, not a LM. This was in 79/80, so it was an early vintage. Dark Blue, "sporty" wheels. I think it was the small V8 (301? 305?) Buckets, floor shift, etc.
I got to drive it once. Way quicker than my parents '75ish 1.6l Omni. And a much more managebel size than the '77, and it also seemed way more modern.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Oh I'm actually used to no a/c, so that's not a deal breaker for me! In fact, when the a/c in the Intrepid died about a month ago, I was almost tempted to just let it stay dead!
I went to Cincinatti to get my '76 LeMans, about 500 miles each way. Left home around 8-8:30 in the morning on a Sunday, and I think we got back home around 2 AM or so Monday morning.
But, Western Nebraska is a few miles further than that!
I think the downsized '78+ models are a much better package to live with on a day-to-day basis. I had an '80 Malibu coupe, '82 Cutlass Supreme coupe, and '86 Monte Carlo. You could fit adults in those back seats. Even at 6'3", I had no trouble in the back seats of those cars. But I'd get stuck in the back seat of my '76! The trunks on the downsized models were also bigger. They were deeper, but another thing that helped was the way the spare tire stowed, upright and to the side of the trunk, in a well.
My '76 actually feels pretty nimble to me, but that's partly because the suspension and tires have been beefed up a bit from stock. And also probably partly that I've gotten so used to driving ill-handling vehicles, that I almost forgot what a good one feels like! It's definitely quicker than my Malibu or Cutlass, but those cars only had V-6es, so with a 350-4bbl it better be! My Monte Carlo had a 305-4bbl and 4-speed automatic, so it was probably quicker overall. And a lot more economical. I got around 14-15 mpg in local driving with that Monte, and could get maybe 21-22 on the highway. The '76 is more like 10 mpg around town, 16-18 on the highway.
My '76 feels more comfortable than the downsized cars I had, too. However, that might be because it's a Grand LeMans, while the others were basic models. I dunno if they padded the seats better on the upper trim levels, perhaps? It also has a power seat, while the others just had a manual fore/aft, so that helps me get the '76 into some very comfy, almost obscene, seating positions!
But overall yeah, I think the downsized '78+ cars were much better in many respects (as long as we don't mention the tendency of the 301 and the earlier 231 engines to self destruct, or the undersized transmissions, or the stationary rear windows on the sedans and wagons!), but the big '73-77 models just appeal to me more.
I know I need to stop entertaining this idea, but I just googled it and Minitare, Nebraska is only 1599 miles away from me! :shades:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1085119164.html
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1090952780.html
No? Ok, then.... how about this Buick?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1104384219.html
Well, then how about a Malaise Mopar convertible?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/1104170027.html
A leap of 25 years into the future for Fintail?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/1104151418.html
Quick! Why is this car in the Dallas Craigslist???
(If you can't figure it out, I'll serve you up a big hint on a plate)
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1103890590.html
Another case where "rare" just means nobody liked them when they were new?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ctd/1103548893.html
Another "So Ugly It's Cool Car"
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1101461760.html
The interested party must have car restoration qualifications and have references (completed projects) for review
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/cto/1098758961.html
Do you HAVE TO admire him for trying?
(This showed up on a search for 'Edsel')
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1103547682.html
Fair price for someone really brave?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1105063125.html
All I can think of when I see that Montego is YUCK! But then at the same time, I think the '71 Riv is cool, so yeah, my tastes are probably a bit hard to rationalize! :P
That '60 Buick convertible is kinda cool. That '85 LeBaron isn't my thing, but I guess it's not bad for what it is. It looks like it might be a turbo though, and with 100,000 miles on it, I'd say it's about time for the head gasket to blow and the turbo to crap out. I had an '88 LeBaron turbo, and it was around 110-115,000 miles when that stuff crapped out on it. Thankfully, it was my ex-wife's by that time!
For some strange reason, a 1986 Dodge 600 convertible with a 2.5 4-cyl sort of appeals to me. I think it's probably because they're pretty rare compared to the LeBaron, 1986 was the last year, and the only year that they had that slightly more aerodnymic front-end. And with a 2.5 non-turbo, you probbably wouldn't have to worry about the head gasket blowing, but it should still have a bit more pep than the 2.2. But, I'm not about to trade my '67 Catalina in for one!
Isn't it kind of insulting to use the name "Cutlass Supreme" in the same sentence as "Edsel" and "Pacer"? Yeah, they're all similar in the respect that they're out of production. But Pacers and Edsels were pretty much losers from the get-go. The Cutlass at least had plenty of glory years under its belt.
The other was the dealer who convinced me buying his PT Cruiser would be a great investment in a future classic :sick: :lemon:
The 60 Buick seems like a fair deal.
51 Pontiac guy is another nutjob...."not rusted out" but 90% of the car likely has some scale.
420SEL -- typical. He wants $8000, and the rebuilt engine cost more than that. So really he's taking a beating. Why are we not surprised?
71 Buick Boat Tail --- is that engine compartment what we are calling "mint" in 2009? Coulda fooled me.
97 Prowler---- THE SCENE -- The Chrysler Boardroom. Someone is pitching a new model:
"Yeah, we'll design a modern hotrod, like a Lakes Roadster....the boomers will FLIP over this car....and just to be sure, we'll make it available only as a 6 cylinder automatic.....what? WHAT? It worked for the '53-54 Corvette didn't it? Am I right or am I right?"
85 Chrysler --- I guess Le Baron has left his castle---still, price seems fair enough at $3500 if it's nice. Price of a beater Miata. Just hope the shrapnel from exploding parts doesn't take your foot off.
62 Beetle -- that color can't be right, can it?
'67 Jaguar Mark II -- the last Jaguar sedan worth a nickel. Could be a good deal! Too bad it's a dreaded Borg-Warner automatic, but that can be FIXED (replaced I mean).
It's a ragtop, it leaks? It doesn't have AC?
-Mathias
It's a ragtop, it leaks? It doesn't have AC?
-Mathias
lokki wrote:
"Quick! Why is this car in the Dallas Craigslist???
(If you can't figure it out, I'll serve you up a big hint on a plate) "
I don't get it. What's the story about that VW?
-Mathias