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My pick of the lot - the Monaco. Very rare anymore, those lights and brocade interior earn points. Durable powertrain, appears to be very solid, low entry price for a nice hobby car.
72 Toyota FJ -- he might get c lose to that actually if it's super sharp in and out.
72 Buick Suncoupe -- not bad for the money!
72 Jag XJ6 -- pile of unworkable metal. Scrap it or buy an '86 model.
72 Duster--how does a dash rust? :confuse:
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
But then, the Monaco was a bit premium, priced around $100 under a Pontiac Bonneville, and maybe $300 or so above a Polara, Fury III, Impala, or Catalina. And in that price range, I guess buyers still tended to go for the 4-door hardtop, seeing it as a bit of a luxury item.
I always liked the hidden headlights on those early 70's Monacos. They reminded me of what Mercury was doing with the Marquis, but on the Dodge seemed a bit more sporty, whereas the Marquis was going for the junior Lincoln look.
Once I tried to really start it, no joy.
I hooked up my Duracell jump box, but it was discharged too.
Pushed the car out of the garage and jumped it from Old Blue.
It's warm, so engine idled smooth right off the bat.
Fuel pump is noisy, but I sure love that instant toque I could feel driving it a couple of miles around the block.
If the jump box recharges, I'll drive it to work tomorrow.
It goes through a battery every 7 years. Bought the last one in 2005.
It would be interesting to hear what others think. Lower purchase price and, say, 13-14 mpg in mixed driving with the 360, or higher purchase price and 11-12 mpg for the 440?
We had a '71 Monaco with the 318 that seemed fine so I imagine the 360 would work well.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
A Chevy Impala 350 put out 165 hp that year, but I believe that was with a 4-bbl. Once they started sticking 2-bbl carbs on, they got choked down to around 145-150 hp I think. Which, incidentally, is about what a 318-2bbl was good for through most of the 70's.
I would guess 0-60 in that Monaco 360 would be around 11-12 seconds. A 440 would probably put that down into the 9-10 second range I'd guess. Maybe 8-8.5 if it was a high-performance 440 and had the right gearing?
I'm basing these guesses on some Consumer Reports tests I remember of competing models of the era. I recall them testing a '72 Impala 350 and getting 0-60 in 12 seconds. They also tested an Impala or Caprice with the 454, and got 0-60 in around 8.7. I also recall a test, somewhere, of a similar-vintage Buick Centurion with a 455, and it returned a similar time, around 8.5 seconds or so. Also, my '79 New Yorkers, which probably weigh about as much as that Monaco, but are stuck with Lean Burn, more restrictive emissions, a tall 2.45:1 axle, and choked down to 150 hp from a 360-2bbl, can still do 0-60 in around 11-12 seconds
A 440, especially a high-output one, would be way cool in a car like this. But, I'd be perfectly happy with the 360. In this day and age, it's not like I'm going to take the thing to the drag strip, or pull up next to a modern Camaro or Mustang (or any V-6 family car) and start gunning my motor to challenge them.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
With only 96 miles, how could he know?
The '78 LeSabre and Delta 88 are showing up on the EPA's database at 14 city/20 highway, with the 403 4bbl. They were full-sized cars, yet a touch lighter than the '77 Cutlass Supreme.
So, in gentle highway driving, in the right conditions, you might hit 20 mpg on occasion. But not on a consistent basis.
FWIW, my '76 LeMans, similar to that '77 Cutlass, but sporting a Pontiac 350-4bbl, THM350, and that same sucky 2.41:1 axle, almost got 18 mpg. Once, coming back from Carlisle. It got 16-17 on a few occasions, but the last time I took it on a trip, it got more like 15.8. Around town, I'm lucky to get 10.
But, the Olds engines were more efficient than the Pontiac engines, and cleaner running (one reason Pontiac V-8's went away), so it's possible a 403 would get better economy than my Pontiac 350 in a similar car. But I don't think it's going to be a huge difference.
BTW, I think that 2.41:1 axle is actually the standard ratio, not an option. In 1976, GM started putting the 2.41:1 as the standard ratio in most of their V-8 cars, in a vain attempt to get better economy. In '75, a 2.56:1 was the norm. However, I doubt they were putting that 2.41:1 in the small V-8's, like an Olds 260. At least, I hope not! Maybe they started reverting back to a different ratio by '77 though?
My preference for the 360 also considered that the same Monaco with the 440 would cost more, and that would be especially true for the hi po 440. The latter is the only one that might stand a chance against, say, a recent model Accord or Altima V6, even on a straight road. I imagine the most powerful '72 Monaco 440 probably couldn't keep up with a new Challenger, Mustang or Camaro V6. Well, maybe it could, un. challenge the Challenger (ooh, I know that was really bad, but the devil made me write it).
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
"First Floor--Mens' Dept...Basement Level--MG Parts..."
here's another English whacko. Why buy them if you aren't going to drive them to just put them in a dusty old barn?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/8566881.stm
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
For that MG, that's not even a restoration, more like a re-creation using a pile of old parts. The British will restore stuff that would be scrapped or parted out elsewhere. Lots of "labour of love" ideals there.
Still, not exactly hard on the eyes for the era, and I like the clear rear panel:
I'd do a nut and bolt restoration on the fintail before I'd buy anything like that though - at least the German car would run when it is finished :shades:
Not many CRXs around that haven't been either thrashed or modified to death. Heck, not a lot of nice survivors of the other models too. Hondas attracted a certain element not known for taste or upkeep.
I had been driving it to keep miles off my 1 year old Explorer.
Now that the kid who usually drives it is back from school, I' m driving the '11.
The other day, I took the '02 to the airport, a longer drive than I had been making.
It hit a wall at 70 mph, which is faster than I usually drive.
It got me thinking the that the fuel mileage was down from what I thought it should be.
I was thinking that it should have been getting around 16.5, but it was averaging 15.5.
In the past, I noticed that the front tire pressure could make a relatively big difference.
After checking the fronts, I dropped them a pound.
My other kid took it to their work the other day (130 miles round trip) and the mpg readout was @18.6.
This is good news, since it is about to go on it's longest journey.
It's headed to Bonnaroo it Tennessee in a couple of days.
It's going to be a 2000+ mile trip.
Old Exploders, for the flack they take, do seem to be able to accumulate miles.
My E55 is 10 years old, not too many quirks yet - the odd rattle due to local second world quality roads/thin tires, steering wheel makes a faint squeak on cold days before the interior warms up, auto dipping side mirror gets jerky in cold or hot weather. The old car on the other hand, it's a 4 wheeled quirk.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
"Simca"
LOL...nice version of "ran when parked"
These look like Simca 1000s, probably from the late 60s. Parts cars for unobtanium bits, or scrap, so worth a couple hundred apiece then, maybe a little more to those three people who have roadworthy examples. Very low demand.
My Econoline is rare these days, too. :P
The Simca looks tiny. I thought it might be fun to make a project out of it, but I have too many projects already... I just wish more of my projects were cars.
Keeping finger's crossed.
Seller in Heath wants $15k for this GTA shell S code. Restoration would blow up the math but if the documentation checks out at least it's a 390 GTA to start with.
I think the C code shell is worthless.
Basically, CT to southern TN including a dip into GA.
Just under 125k when it left, right at 127k 8 days later when it got back.
At one point, I got a call the the ABS warning light came on.
To my kid's credit they looked it up in the manual and it meant service it soon.
Told them, we'll fix it when you get back.
Didn't find out that it went out an hour or so later for another 6 days when they got back.
Overall, with 3 people plus camping gear, it averaged 18.9 mpg. EPA highway is 19.
Today's '91 Mustang story.
Got up @ 3:45 am to take one of my kids the airport for a 5:50 am flight.
As we got into Hartford, the engine fluttered a few times, then everything got quiet.
I look at the tach, 0 rpm's. Err Err.
Luckily, I was going fast enough that we had some momentum to make the next exit.
I put the car in neutral, cranked it, nothing, pumped the gas pedal and cranked it, nothing, put the gas pedal to the floor and cranked it, nothing.
Told my kid, 'call mom to pick you up'.
Coasted off the highway down the ramp across the intersection and found a public parking garage.
As I was coasting in, there were 13 'reserved' outside spots on the left, right was down hill into the garage.
No way I was going right.
12 of the 13 spots had names on them so I sort of made it into spot 13.
It was my best shot to not get towed. Maybe they would think a new big wig got hired.
Once I rolled to a stop, i put the car in park, and it started right up.
Rest of the trip was fine, although we were on edge waiting for something to go wrong.
I guess the car barfed out whatever the problem was.
The mustang just crossed over 36K today.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Since it stalled, no check engine light. :surprise:
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/cto/3091802234.html
This can't possibly be safe
so the front end of an Olds acheiva, the back end of a grand am, and an old IH cab stuck on top? And I think they skipped welding, and went right to bondo and duct tape to hold it all together.
I imagine one good bump and it would separate into the component parts!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I bet