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MY FUTURE OLDER CAR?
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Comments
The usual caveat about taking it with a grain of salt applies here, but I remember a test back in the early 90's, where some Mopar buff magazine got ahold of a '69 Dart with a slant six, and a '69 New Yorker with a 440. Not a hopped-up 440, but just the regular one, that put out 350 hp gross (rather than the hotter 375 hp version, or the 390, which I guess was a 6-pack?).
Anyway, they dumped the NYer's engine and tranny in the Dart. I'm hoping they also found a way to get the NYer's 8 3/4 rear in there too, because I imagine a 440 would shred the Dart's 7 1/4 rear!
Still, even with that relatively low-suds setup, they got 0-60 in about 6 seconds. And more than likely, that was just with a 2.76:1 axle.
Again, take it with a grain of salt. And I wasn't there, so I couldn't tell ya how they measured the acceleration, whether they power-braked or took off normally, or what.
As for using a stopwatch, sometimes that can give you a pretty sad 0-60 time, too! I timed my '69 Dart from 0-60 once. This one had a 225 slant six. Well, I was stopped at a traffic light and had to make a right turn, so that threw it off I'm sure! Plus, there were four people on board. Anyway, I clocked it at 0-60 in 17.9 seconds, under those less-than-optimal conditions. But if you want to hear one even worse...one of my friends back then had a 1980 Accord with an automatic. We timed it from 0-60, with only three people on board, and a straight launch from a traffic light rather than having to turn. Came up in a whopping 26 seconds!
Actually, even the time of year and weather can make a difference. MT or C&D tested a 1986 or so Buick Grand National once, and got 0-60 in 4.9 seconds! However, even they discounted the time, because it was in the wintertime, and temps were a bit extra brutal. They said that most drivers should expect 0-60 in about 6 seconds.
When the Michigan State Police did their annual police car test, which was in August, the 1985 models they tested all did horrible, compared to the 1984's. Now one problem was that the Mopars went to different carburetors that gave more peak hp, but the torque bands were narrower. However, that was also a brutally hot, humid summer, something the MSP noted in their testing.
while we are on the subject of maximizing the performance of vehicles tested by various reviewers, in the old days, guess it would be a cheater engine.
these days, i can see fiddling with the computer, and/or replacing some of the factory fluids with some high performance substitutes.
IMO though, the Crown Vic sort of won by default. When the Panther first came out for 1979, it tended to be rated last. The Chrysler Newport/Dodge St. Regis were the top rated back then, with the Impala coming in next and then the Crown Vic at the bottom of the heap.
The Mopar R-body went away after 1981 and for 1982, the M-body Diplomat/Gran Fury were used. I think they still tended to be the top rated, although by 1985 they were slipping, while the Impala was steadily improving. Ironically, for 1985 the cop Mopars started using GM 4-bbl carbs. Maybe it was sabotage! :surprise:
By 1989, the Caprice (they dropped the Impala name after 1985) finally surpassed the performance levels of the 1979 St. Regis/Newport. Kinda sad, when you think about it, that it took police cars a full decade to get back UP to performance levels achieved by a car that was issued in one of Chrysler's darkest hours! 1989 was also the last year for the Gran Fury/Diplomat, but I think they still ranked it higher than the Crown Vic. So once it went away, the Crown Vic moved up to #2.
I've heard that the 1991-93 "Whale" Caprices were pretty good police cars, even just with the TBI 350, which put out 185 hp. And when the 1994-96 models came out, with the 260 hp LT-1, they simply blew the Crown Vic away. After the Caprice was discontinued, many police departments would rather refurbish a used Caprice, rather than buy a new Crown Vic!
After the Caprice, GM did try putting out police versions of the Lumina and Grand Prix, but they were best suited to patrolling neighborhoods, serving court summonses, doing doughnut runs, etc. Chrysler experimented with a police version of the Dynasty, but never really went anywhere with it. I think it actually performed fairly well, but just wouldn't have been very tough and durable...and a police car has to be both. Probably wouldn't have been any worse than the police Taurus, or the Lumina/Grand Prix, though.
I dunno if there was ever a police version of the first-gen Intrepid, but around 2001, IIRC, Mopar did issue a police version of the 2nd-gen. 3.5 V-6, 250 hp. It was actually a good performer. Tied the Crown Vic in 0-60, but had a higher top speed. The next county over from me uses Crown Vics and Intrepids, and one cop I talked to said that in his opinion, the Intrepid blows the Vic away. Whenever I go over there, I still see Intrepids in circulation, so they must not be doing too bad. They do have one little achilles heel, though. Evidently, work the brakes too hard, and they'll burst into flames! I think the MSP managed to achieve this in their testing, and that scared away a lot of police departments.
There's a local used car lot that has a 2004 Intrepid copcar, ~41,000 miles. Dark grayish-green. I've looked at it, and have to admit I've been tempted. They're asking $7995, but it's been there for months now, so I'm sure they'll take much less.
The last thing I need right now is another car though. And if I do replace my 2000 Intrepid, I'd feel kinda silly replacing it with another one!
Speed doesn't matter,nor does exclusivity.....I just don't want a money pit......
I'd love a Fintail,or the model after that,like a 220 or 220D...I do like a lot of oddballs like a Renault 12 or a Fiat 124 sedan.....I wont mention my admiration of the Renault LeCar......
Hemmings just featured a 1975 Opel 1900...that was nice..
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
A nice fintail can be had for 5K today, I think it is a good deal for a good driving old car. Of course, I carry some bias :P
How about an Alfa Berlina 4D sedan 1750/2000? Way fun to drive, don't cost too much, and you can get parts and service.
Or a BMW 2002?
Or an ordinary Alfa Spider, 1982-93?
I'm trying to think of cars that are FUN to drive as well, so I'm limiting suggestions somewhat.
MGB--GT. You can get any part you need, 2nd day UPS.
Triumph Spitfire -- tinny piece, but easy EASY to work on, and really fun in summertime.
Peugeot 504-- parts are hard to get but they have a certain charm and are tough as nails. Good cars. Avoid the ZF automatic---good trans but if it breaks, you junk the car.
Renault LeCar -- you could buy 1/2 dozen of them for the price of one very tired BMW 2002, and then cannibalize them into one possibly good running car.
Fiat 124 coupe -- hard to find but handsome and fun to drive.
My bias suggests that you generally don't buy anything European that is a) big, b) heavy, and c) has 4 doors. Why? Because you end up putting money into something that isn't worth much and generally isn't fun to drive, IMO. Of course, if the deal of the century comes along, or the car is so quirky that its very weirdness compensates for all the rest, well then....
Still - ain't they pretty? I have no idea what a decent one would cost these days. eBay didn't have any and neither did Craigslist in my city.
How about a late '60s Volvo (122) Amazon? They're reasonably priced, well-built and generally last indefinitely. Shifty will probably tell you to go for the '66-'68 models, as those will usually have the durable B18 engine. Avoid automatics, and look for camshaft wear in the engine.
Maybe a mid-to-late '70s Saab 99? Nimble handler, and quite fun, if you can find one that hasn't blown its transmission or head gasket. If you can get a '78 Turbo, you'd be looking at the first mass-produced turbocharged European car.
A Peugeot 504 is one of my all time favorite cars.....I want to buy local,if possible,and 504s are never seen here.....Even though we were a major port of enty for them.
the first Bugeye is the only roadster that has any real appeal.....i'm forgetting personal favorites like a Caravelle.....
i had a chance to buy a 1971 BMW Bavaria,but the seller(whom i worked with)wanted $8,000....Before I could gently tell him that was about 2.5 times what it was worth,he got rear-ended in it.....But boy,it was a stunning car.....My definition of a really fun to drive car.......
Until something really enticing comes along,I'm just waiting until my current hobby car,my 2001 Catera,gets old enough to be interesting..
Alfa GTV 1750/2000? Sorry the market has run away on them. Figure $15,000--$20,000 for something nice.
Ah! Bring back the old advice that it's better to own seven $100 cars than one $700 car....
I can't see the shift quadrant well enough to see whether it's a 2-speed or 3-speed automatic. Neither one is going to be a barn-burner, but hopefully it's the 3-speed! I'd guess 0-60 would come up in around 17-20 seconds. But for nice, leisurely cruising, it should suffice.
Also, I'm not sure how the later years of the first-gen Falcon were, as they beefed up its looks a bit for 1964-65, but the earlier models were ultra-fragile. They also scare me, because the puncture-prone drop-in gas tank sits about 2 inches from the rear bumper! In a rear-end collision, these things are almost as bad as a Pinto. In fact, considering how long Ford had been making these explosion-prone cars, I'm surprised it took until the late 70's and the Pinto for them to finally get called on it!
These Fords were rustbuckets, so you'd have to check carefully for rust. Mine rusted heavily, to the point when a relative was driving it, the fuel line let go, and the flames came back through the 'firewall'. Just need to check. I echo Andre's comments on the convertibles, not a lot of body strength, so any rust is an even bigger issue. Sellers sometimes try to conceal it with a fresh coat of paint and bondo. This one sure looks good, but you'll want pictures of the floor pan from below, they often rust out under the pedal area (from water dripping through rusted-out ventilation area sheet metal). You'll see carpet!
The Barracuda had the handling package and was real nice to drive enthusiastically. Whille the engine and trans were bullitproof, there were numerous other problems with the car. Some she got covered under warranty. Others came up after warranty. Got rid of the car after 2+ years. That car was the worst car that we have ever owned in our lives and caused us to swear off any Chrysler product for life.
Would not recommend buying any Barracude, if any still exist.
Since the engine and transmission were bullet-proof, the engine emitted a nice growl, and you praised the handling package, what specific issues caused you to have such a strong negative reaction to Chrysler products?
Found oil spots on garage floor beneath differential at about 6 month point. Dealer replaced differential, housing had a crack.
At about 1.3 year age, noticed braking diminishment, longer stops, a little more pedal pressure needed. Examined front brake calipers and found that on one side, don't remember which, that piston was rusted shut in the bore. Had full shop manual and it advised to use a Chrysler part number piston remover to pull out piston. Went to Plymouth dealer and bought part, pulled out piston. Cylinder bore was not badly pitted, so used fine emery to polish bore. At about 1.8 year point, the other side brake caliper piston rusted shut and had to repair. Was familiar with taking off calipers, refacing rotors, putting new pads on front of 68 Firebird. Had 68 Firebird for about 10 years and never encountered rusted caliper pistons. Chrysler engineering very poor in bad design not being able to keep moisture out of cylinder bores.
At about 1.5 year point, and on vacation in Colo, votage regulator failed and had to be replaced.
At about 1.2 year point, and while driving on vacation, noticed strange sensation under right foot and gas pedal came off of lever/mount. Quickly pulled off on shoulder and was able to put it back together. Don't remeber any specifics on parts, perhaps there was a C ring involved, can't remember. This was probably the most outragous, unbelievable thing to happen on that car.
Therre was much more. Maybe wife has better memory.
Stay away from Barracudas.
I don't think it has what I'd call 'good performance', you'll be the slowest car on the road, but it'll be fine for leisurly drives on city streets and back roads. Just stay off the freeway! And I'd sure want to take a careful look at it for rust.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.....You could buy a fairly decent (#3 condition) Falcon Sprint V-8 convertible for that.....and maybe even a 6 cylinder Mustang convertible.
Get real Duffy!