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I knew a family that had a stripper 1966 Chevy II Station Wagon that they bought at year end close out.
It may have been a bare bones wagon but it just happened to have a 300 HP 327 with a three speed stick.
Talk about a sleeper!
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I am a bit surprised the original owner didn't step up and go with a 327 having bought all of those other options.
I had that same car only it was dark blue with a 409 4 speed/400 HP.
I didn't have it long before some guy walked up to me in a parking lot and offer me about a thousand more than I had paid. Done deal!
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
I am sure back in the 70s, a mint 409 car was worth like 2 grand.
I think Pontiac might have omitted some of their taller axle ratios as options on a/c equipped cars. At first that might seem odd, considering a full-sized Pontiac came standard with a big 389 or 400 V-8. But, Pontiac also offered some really tall axle ratios in those days, so the added strain of the a/c would have hurt their power at highway speeds?
My '67 Catalina has a 2.56:1 axle, and air conditioning, and a 2.56:1 is what I remember them usually having in the old CR low-end full-sized car tests where they'd pit a Catalina up against an Impala, Fury, and Galaxie. But there was also a 2.41:1 and even a 2.29:1 axle that were offered.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Chevrolet/1973_Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet-Chevelle-Brochure/1973-Chevrolet-Chevelle-14-15
Here's the '65 Chevy full-size brochure page with A/C--one of my very favorite cars, period--mentions no restriction on the six-cylinder. I was surprised to read further and see that a padded dash and two-speed wipers were still optional equipment. My '63 Lark had both standard.
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1965_Chevrolet/1965_Chevrolet_Full_Size_Brochure/1965 Chevrolet Full Size-18-19.html
'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
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/4841609208.html
283/powerglide but looks nice for the $$$
"If you've seen one too many episodes of "Car Chasers", "Gas Monkey Garage" or similar and think that you're watching reality TV and you're going to the next player, you're probably wasting your time. He probably has a few funny stories"
As for other odd drivetrain combinations, for '76 you could get a 5-speed stick in a LeMans. But, only with the Olds 260 V-8. I wonder if it was a similar thing, where it was only offered in coupes?
As for inside hood releases, did they used to be an option, once upon a time? Years ago, I saw a 1960 Dodge Dart sedan for sale, fairly strippo model with a slant six, and was surprised to see that it had an inside release! Yet, I've had newer and more prestigious old cars that still had an external release. I guess it's also possible that it was an aftermarket add on?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Of course on those rare occasions when the emblem said "409" we were really impressed.
The 195 HP 283 even when coupled to a Powerglide weren't a slouch by any means.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It's funny about '66 Caprices--"Caprice Coupe" is something I've searched on eBay fairly regularly, and it has always seemed to me that more '66's come up than any other single year, generally, probably followed by '69's.
Andre, I'm surprised your '76 LeMans has an outside hood release. The only Chevys I can think of that had one in '76 are the Monza and Nova. My '63 Lark had an inside release. Looking online at the Old Car Manual brochures section, I can't find a full-line '73 LeMans or '74 LeMans brochure, but the '74 Grand Am shows that it has an inside hood release.
The seventy-ish lady owner told me they bought it several years back with only 26K miles, and that she and her husband had had a '78 for fourteen years that they enjoyed. Sadly, today is a slushy, salty day out here. I wouldn't have driven it today.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
That bondo looks it was paid down with a cement trowel but I'm more impressed about how they beefed up the rusted floorboards!
Anyone?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/4824160647.html
'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
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My grandparents bought new, the very first Vega our dealer got in. It was a stripped two-door sedan with one-barrel and 3-speed--dark green with pumpkin-colored vinyl interior and floor covering. Only options were AM radio and white-stripe tires--stickered at $2,257 at the bottom, I remember that. I never understood why they didn't put a glovebox in the '71's--there was plenty of room for one and the '72's got one.
Yes, I liked my Vega GT. I thought it drove well and had a better ride compared to the Datsuns and Toyotas of the time. I traded my 62 Galaxie at the local Chrysler-Plymouth dealer. Got $150 for the Ford and paid $450 for the Vega. Had my first car payment of $27 month! This was in late 1977. It was a hatchback, sunflower yellow, black stripe, black standard interior,tinted glass, am radio. It did have the optional two position driver seatback, a poor substitute to a reclining one. Yes it burned oil and had some rust, thou very little. It always started and never left me stranded. I traded it my freshman year in college for a 76 Sunbird coupe which I drove for almost 7 years. It had the Buick V-6 105 hp (laughable today)' 5 speed trans, poly cast wheels, ac, ps, pb, tinted glass, luxury interior. Yet no center console or gauges other than speedo and fuel. It was light metallic blue with white interior. Dark blue dash, medium blue carpet, white seats, door panels, headliner. I really liked that car.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
As for the Monza and its siblings, I've heard the Buick 231 V-6 was actually a pretty good choice. These cars were fairly heavy, so the 4-cyl was a bit over-matched. But the V-8's they offered in various years were simply too heavy, and would cause all sorts handling and front-end issues.
I remember getting a Matchbox slotless racecar set in Christmas of 1979. It came with two cars...a blue Monza and a white car...Porsche, I think. Sad, isn't it, that I'd remember the Chevy, but not the other car. Anyway, I thought that Monza was a cool looking car. When Mom went new car shopping in February of 1980, I was sort of rooting for the Monza. Of course, a stock Monza isn't going to be *quite* the same thing as a racecar Monza! Anyway, she ended up coming home with a Malibu coupe. At least, she bought it in blue, the color I was rooting for. And in retrospect, that Malibu was a decent car for the time. I don't know if the Monza would have held up as well, long term.
Those cars started at $300 more than a Camaro, base price!
At the time, I thought they were magnificent-looking. Not quite as much so today
A Vega-sized car with a V8 was cool to me...and they sounded neat.
That said, both wore out the Firestone radials quickly up front, and I could hear the brakes coming down our street half-a-block away. That's no joke.
The '76 supposedly addressed these areas, but I didn't like the new instrument panel nearly as well, nor the extra, square 'corners' they put on the rear bumpers.
Both of my friends' cars stickered at $4,800-odd....about the same as a new Impala (not 'S') 4-door with whitewalls, wheelcovers, AT, PS, PB, radio.
The red one is still owned by my friend, although he's really not my friend anymore.
The orange one was owned by a family who viewed cars as disposable and by '80 or so, it looked like crap.
Both cars tended to lose their nice-looking wheelcovers easily. The red one is now mounted on factory Monza aluminum wheels.
Of course, mine didn't have those 15" Rally wheels...just 14" steel wheels with hubcaps. No stand up hood ornament, either.
Oh, on the subject of Monte Carlos and headroom (that might have been the other thread), the downsized '78+ intermediates definitely have more headroom than the '73-77. I don't ever remember headroom being an issue in my '80 Malibu, '82 Cutlass Supreme, or '86 Monte Carlo. However, with my '76 LeMans, headroom is definitely tighter. In the normal driving position I'm okay, although can tell the ceiling is close, through my peripheral vision. If I lean forward, my hair will sometimes brush the ceiling.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.