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Spots on the road in the fintail for a short drive - 69 Caprice coupe, 55-56 Ford pickup sitting low on wide whites, 356 in racing guise (no bumpers).
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
That unknown belt-driven unit on the passenger side looks like an air pump to me. I'm not sure why it wouldn't use rubber hoses. That radiator is so darned cute!
As for hopping up a car like this, I imagine a 4.6 V8 would fit? I know those engines are fairly large, physically, but hey, they got them under the hoods of Fox-based Mustangs, towards the end, so I imagine one could fit here, too. Might be a bit of overkill though on something like this. Maybe just a hopped-up 302 would do the trick?
Or, some modern, high-powered 4- or 6-cyl, even? I don't like when they use small, high-powered engines in large, heavy vehicles where I just get the impression (whether it's right or wrong) that the engine's just going to have to strain too much, but in something lightweight like this, it might be just fine.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
An SEFI HO 5.0 with dual exhaust from a late Fox body or Lincoln LSC would be pretty nice. Computers are more or less standalone so pretty easy to do.
I don’t think a modular is going in there without a hood scoop and major modifications to the cowl area.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Well it can be done… with manual (or Hydroboost brakes). Here it is on a 79 Fairmont. Procedure would be the same on most Fox bodies. New K-member sourced from an SN95 and lots of fabrication
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Yes quad headlights. There is even an early Stang forum called “Four Eyed Pride”
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Here is a pretty famous one from an 80s movie. I’m sure many will know it.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think the second pic is from a deleted scene (that I recall would air on Canadian TV in the 90s).
The domestics all got to the "...if the imports do it, it must be better" or "our customers won't mind", one or the other or a combination of both. Our '77 Impala was the first we owned to have the dimmer switch on the turn signal stalk. Both my Dad and I at the time complained that we often turned the turn signals on when we meant to use the dimmer function, not to mention it required your use of a hand.
Ah, newer is always better, sigh.
I drove my share of Ford rentals with the horn stalk. As virtually all of the mags said at the time, "Not a better idea".
Unrelated, but I was looking at the '78 Monte Carlo brochure the other day when there was discussion of what engine was standard on the cars. The brochure shows that one could get the 231 (Buick) standard V6 with an optional 4-speed. All I can ask is, "Why?!".
I gotta believe the take rate on those was even less than the 3-speed manual.
fin, "Aspire"--that always made me think, "I aspire to move up to an Escort next time".
That and floor switches liked to rust.
Moot point now though with auto high beams!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
In my Vega and Sunbird, both manuals, the dimmer button was far left and mounted high on the driver's floor. A bit of a reach with the left foot but not too bad. Never bothered me. Dimmer switch located on the turnsignal stock much better and easier to use.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
As for the '78 Monte Carlo, I believe GM was trying to keep costs down, as much as possible, to fight inflation. The '77 started at $4968, but at that price had a 305/automatic standard The '78 started at $4785 for the V6, $4935 for the 305, although it had a manual standard. So, considering all the R&D costs to come up with the new model, I'd say they did a pretty good job.
For comparison, the Monte Carlo's main competitor, the T-bird, started at $5,063 in '77, but rose to $5411 in '78. I think GM was able to get away with raising prices on the '77 B/C bodies, because they at least still had some presence about them. And they gave up very little capability compared to the '76 models, unless you really needed to tow a heavy trailer. Or really needed to carry 6 full-sized adults around on a regular basis. And, most people don't need to do either.
But with personal luxury coupes, buyers care less about practicality, and want some presence, flash, prestige. So I'm convinced GM had to cut prices a bit, and sell the Monte Carlo and its siblings on value, to a degree. The typical personal luxury coupe of the buyer probably looked at the '78 Monte Carlo as "less than" its predecessor, so there had to be some kind of value wrapped up in there, as well.
The EPA lists a 200 V6 as being standard in the Monte Carlo, but I wonder if it was added later in the model year, after the brochures were printed? Interestingly, even my Consumer Guide auto encyclopedia, which is often wrong, shows the 200 standard in the Malibu, and the 231 standard in the Monte. Anyway, here's the EPA ratings...
200/manual: 21/29
200/auto: 19/25
231/manual: 16/28
231/auto: 19/27
305/manual: 16/22
305/auto: 17/25
I'm guessing those manual shifts had to a loss leader, to get people in the door. It certainly wasn't because of CAFE concerns, since the manual shift got worse than the automatic in everything but the 200. The 200 actually seems pretty pointless to me as well, since it got worse mileage than the 231. Part of that was gearing, though. IIRC, when the 200 got phased out in favor of the 229, the 229 really wasn't much quicker, because it used a taller axle that offset some of the hp gain. But it did get better economy.
Did the Chevy 200/229 have timing chain or other concerning issues like the Buick 231? My memory may be foggy but I think our 73 GrandAm had the dimmer switch on the turn signal stalk along with the cruise button. I remember it being floppy backward and forwards, probably something a miss.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
Oh, and early this morning, I gotta say the sunrise was majestic...almost, well, regal
As for the dimmer switch on the stalk, I could be wrong, about the '76 Grand Prix/Grand LeMans being the first...wouldn't be my first time I forget where I read that, now. And, yeah, the turn signal/dimmer switch in my '76 Grand LeMans is pretty floppy as well.
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I always remember being really impressed with the EPA rating of the '78 Malibu and Monte with 305--17/25. I'd never seen of a V8 get rated that kind of highway MPG. Our '77 Impala was 16/21 with the 305. Well, I'm sure about the 21, and think the city was 16. When my Dad bought our red '77, in the showroom was a very similarly equipped Firethorn coupe, but with 350. It was $200 more than the one Dad ended up buying. It was EPA-rated 15/20 (I'm nearly certain). I lobbied for that car but Dad didn't want "a four-barrel". I later learned it would have had the 350 trans too, although in 57K miles we never had an issue with the 200 and my friend bought it from the dealer in '80 and he didn't have trans issues either; he did drive it until the frame rusted way in back. The 200 did shift differently than what we were used to before though.
3-speeds in '78-era Malibus and Montes--I guess 4-speeds too--for some inexplicable reason, I like the look of the shifter and knob on those cars, against the funky instrument panel. Maybe because the instruments were in a slightly concave shape. I just like it. I remember seeing two green metallic new '78 Malibu wagons at my hometown dealer, both with six and three-speed on the floor.
Funny the EPA didn't appear to differentiate MPG between a 231 3-speed manual and a 4-speed manual--just "manual".
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Of course, I'm not necessarily in love with pushbutton start, either. When I bought my Cruze, I wanted one without. Early on with the Equinox pushbutton start, a couple times I had walked away and returned with the car running. Perhaps a curse of smooth and quiet idle. So accustomed to grabbing those very-visible keys. I have read within the past several years, some oldsters (older than me) who've left their pushbutton-start vehicles running in the garage--with disastrous results.
Either way, I have to have a fob on me.
My 79 Continental had the dimmer switch on the floor. That car did have Auto high beams too so you didn’t use the switch all that much.
It also had a foot switch to change the radio station.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
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My 70 DeVille convertible had the same set up. The floor buttons were spaced far enough apart that I didn't blind someone when I meant to change the radio station.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
In my Vega and Sunbird, both manuals, the dimmer button was far left and mounted high on the driver's floor.
Two of my high school friends got new '75 Monza 2+2 V8's. I was very jealous. I drove the one and I do remember how high up that dimmer switch was on the left.
"Aspire"s to be a grown up car is what I used to say. Suzuki Esteem also lent it to jokes (and the classics like Celebrity etc).
I saw a bullet nose Stude on the road today, from a distance - it either had a propeller or some kind of blinking light on the bullet. Also saw a really clean Taurinental and the same Celebrity I see now and then.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
As for pushbutton starts, I thought they were designed to automatically shut off if you took the fob too far away from the car? If you had an attached garage, and got out and went in the house with the fob in your pocket, is it possible you'd still be close enough that the car wouldn't turn off?
**Edit: just googled it. Looks like you only need the fob to turn the car on? But after that, if you want to turn it off, you still have to press the button again? I'm surprised they don't build some kind of auto-off feature into it that turns it off after, say, 15 minutes in park, if the fob is not close to the car. But, maybe that could cause other issues.