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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
Also, even though it just says "LeMans", I think that was actually a Grand LeMans they tested. They mention a base price of $4330. My auto encyclopedia lists $4329 as the base price for a '76 Grand LeMans coupe, whereas a base LeMans coupe was only $3768. The base prices they list for the Elite and Charger S/E are dead-on with my book, and the Cutlass Supreme, like the LeMans, is off by a dollar ($4580) and it's actually a Cutlass Supreme Brougham.
I thought it was a bit odd, at first, that they'd compare a base LeMans to these other cars. Actually, I'm surprised they didn't compare a Grand Prix.
Interesting too, that the LeMans's turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the Cutlass (38.4 vs 41.8). I figured they'd be much closer, if not identical.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
1) 1976 Cutlass Cruiser wagon with a 350-4bbl: 2.73:1 axle standard, 3.08:1 optional
2) 1976 Cutlass Supreme coupe/sedan, 350-4bbl (Oldsmobile didn't offer a 350-2bbl in '76): 2.56:1 axle standard, 3.08:1 optional.
3) 1976 LeMans, 2.41:1 standard with the 350, regardless of whether it was a 2- or 4-bbl.
I got this info from Automobile Catalogue, so it might not be 100% correct, but they're usually pretty good. However, in this case, they don't list any optional ratios for the LeMans, so either Popular Science typed the wrong axle ratio in, or the Automobile Catalogue site is incomplete (I'd vote for the latter).
I just looked up the 1976 Elite, and they show a 2.75:1 axle standard with the 400, and a 3.25:1 optional.
For the Charger SE, 360-4bbl, they show a 2.71:1 standard, with 2.45 or 3.21 optional.
**Edit: I just looked up the Cutlass Salon with the 350-4bbl. Same 2.56 standard, 3.08 optional ratios as the Supreme.
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The next model year of course, but I remember this particular ad, touting rear-seat legroom in a coupe. Once these cars came out, I wasn't interested in the '77 Colonnades anymore.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
On the DeSoto, there's no latch; you just push the seatback forward, but it's not as scary as it sounds. The backrests fold inboard, so you can't push them both at once, as they'll bind up against each other. I've never had an issue with them flopping around. However, one time back in the 90's I had some friends in the car, and one in the back seat was leaning over the front some, and I had to slam on the brakes for whatever reason. Now THAT made the seatback pitch forward, and my friend ended up getting thrown into the front seat.
Ordinarily, in a fast stop, I think the seatbacks would just bind up against each other if it was enough for them to pitch forward, but if you have back seat passengers, that got thrown into the seatback, that changes the dynamics a lot! I also have seatbelts in the car now, although I haven't had anyone in the back seat since it came back from the mechanic.
As usual, I'm leery of figures from the internet, but the below site shows 495,976 units of Cutlass models sold in the '76 model year, and 324,870 Chevelles and 362,171 Monte Carlos sold that year. Amazing to me that Monte Carlo outsold three bodystyles of Chevelle. So combined, there were about 687,000 Colonnade Chevys sold in '76. It's logical for a Cutlass Supreme to be called a Cutlass of course, but I did chuckle when later, the FWD Ciera and Calais were called 'Cutlass'.
https://bestsellingcarsblog.com/1977/01/usa-1976-oldsmobile-cutlass-still-americas-favourite/#:~:text=The Oldsmobile Cutlass keeps the,to #3 and 362,171 sales.
The big Chevy in '77 sold 657,151 units, up 45% from the '76. No big surprise there. Even growing up Chevy, there really wasn't anything to appeal to me in the full-size '76 models.
GM's full-sized cars did cut into sales of the Colonades to a degree, but there were exceptions. For example, the '77 Cutlass lineup gained pretty substantially over '76. I don't feel like adding up all the permutations, but in '76 the most popular individual model was the base Supreme coupe, with around 180,000 sold. That jumped to 242,000 for 1977. The Regal coupe sold about 124K for '76, but moved around 174K in '77. However, I think this might have also been a reflection of just how popular personal luxury coupes were becoming. The Grand Prix and Monte Carlo were also up for '77.
Off the top of my head, I remember that the LeMans, which was falling from favor anyway, sold around 96,000 units in 1976 and 80,000 in 1977. I'm too lazy to add up all the Malibu numbers, but just looking them over quickly, it doesn't look like the Malibu was down by much. Again, I think much of it was simply an improving economy.
I always thought of the Ford LTD-II as a bit of a failure, but even it was up notably compared to the '76 Torino it replaced. Sales were around 232,000 in '77, up about 20% from the Torino's rougnly 193K. Of course, the LTD-II fell off fast after that. I have a feeling that pressure from GM's downsized intermediates, and even Ford's own Fairmont and Zephyr, put pressure on the LTD-II for '78. The only thing the LTD-II was really better at was if you really needed 3-across seating on a regular basis, or needed a large towing capacity. But if you didn't, a Fairmont or Malibu fit the bill just fine, as did a downsized GM big car, or Ford's still huge LTD.
One thing interesting about the downsized LeMans...I remember reading that it was considered a bit of a failure, as Pontiac was hoping for much improved sales. It sold about 120,000 units for '78, which is a 50% increase over 1977. If you just use percentage increase, the LeMans was actually the most improved in sales, when it downsized! The Grand Prix and Monte Carlo were down a bit, although the Malibu was up. I think the Cutlass Supreme was down, only slightly, but those Aerobacks slaughtered the lesser models. Similarly, at Buick, the Regal was up, but the Century dropped.
The LeMans even managed to improve for '79, rising to 136,000 units. Meanwhile the Monte Carlo and Grand Prix were down. The Cutlass Supreme and Regal were up, but the Aeroback models continued to fall. I think the Malibu was down a bit, as well.
Per the original poster, it has: Power Bucket Seat, Rear Defogger, AM/FM Stereo, 8-track, Cruise Control, Custom Sport Steering Wheel, Tilt Wheel, Custom Gauge Cluster, Power Antenna, Power Windows, Remote Deck Lid, A/C
I've requested him to post some more pics. We'll see how that goes.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-reviews/vintage-reviews-motor-trends-1977-new-car-issue-general-motors/#more-210937F
In glancing through, they mention that the Chevelle only dipped about 2% versus '76. Meanwhile, the downsized Caprice/Impala shot up an impressive 56%. I think that's pretty amazing, that the downsizing didn't tank the Chevelle/Malibu sales, but in their defense, they were still a good bit cheaper. And the article itself says that dealers were probably discounting them heavily.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
Years ago, I knew a guy, in a Mopar club I used to be in, who once owned a Vega. I forget the year, but he said that other than needing to get one cylinder sleeved, it was a reliable car. I think he had it to around 90-100,000 miles. At the time I knew him, he had a '65 Imperial 4-door hardtop as a classic car, but his new car was a 1994 Concorde. It was only a few years old at the time, but it was already turning out to be pretty troublesome. He said that his Vega was a better car!
4 years later, the then girlfriend, bought a 1977 Corvette from a guy in Kansas. It had headers on it and came with the stock exhaust manifolds. I flew from east KY and drove it back with the iron manifolds and 16 cases of Coors beer that was not available in the east back then.
Later she wanted to get rid of the headers, so we put her iron manifolds back on and installed my NOS stock 1974 exhaust without catalytic converter. It was still on the car when she sold it some years later.
In 1974 the side exhaust systems were still available from Chevy. I bowled with the parts manager of a little Chevy dealer in Ironton, OH . He gave me the best deal he could at $180.00 for complete set of exhaust and covers. Several people liked the look and I got 4 other sets for friends. Wish I had kept a spare set.
So YOU were the inspiration for Smokey and the Bandit.
I just registered my 1991 Mustang in OH. All I needed was a VIN check.
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In 1971, there was a model called the Catalina Brougham. I guess that sort of replaced the former Ventura?
The Ventura Custom option was on the Catalina. The window sticker will show ‘Catalina’ at the top even though from 1966 on, ‘Catalina’ was nowhere to be seen on the car itself.
The Executive was on the longer wheelbase but had identical, and I mean identical, interior trim as the Ventura option on the Catalina. The brochure would sometimes picture the distinct cloth interior for one and the vinyl for the other, but both were available in both models and this I can guarantee you after fifty years of looking at them: If two were parked right next to each other and both had cloth OR vinyl interior, the interiors, including door panels, are indistinguishable. Google images would verify that as well.
I rather like the Ventura as it’s on the shorter wheelbase.
I like cornering lights on most cars including this one. I wondered about the hood tach myself on this car.
I think buckets on Catalina in the ‘66-69 era automatically pushed you into getting the Ventura Custom option. I have never even seen a pic of a regular Catalina with bucket seats but have seen several Venturas in the ‘66-‘68 run with them. Buckets were not available on Executives, ever.
The Pontiac full-size line gave you a lot of choices. Especially ‘67, with the 2+2, and Grand Prix convertible. Only the Brougham convertible was dropped that year but returned for ‘68.
I’ve seen pics online of a 1970 Ventura hardtop sedan and also a wagon. I believe the odd nature of the Executive wagon coming standard with wood grain when the Bonneville did not was because otherwise a Ventura wagon and an Executive would be identical.
https://barnfinds.com/green-stick-shift-1970-pontiac-catalina-wagon/
https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/pontiac/p69/bilder/6.jpg
'69 Executive bench seat, from the brochure:
https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/pontiac/p69/bilder/5.jpg
The whole difference between Ventura option and Executive model, is that the Executive was on the longer wheelbase. Not including wagons. That's it.
Same with Catalina Brougham (formerly Ventura) and Bonneville (formerly Executive) in '71 and '72. The interiors were absolutely identical. Now, the cloth interiors were one design and the all-vinyl was another, but both were available on Catalina Brougham and Bonneville, same as previous Ventura and Executive.
For '73, they moved them all to the same wheelbase, and probably, nobody even noticed.
It remains very confusing why (at least in '69) the brochure lists it as a separate model but the options books do not and only list the various Catalina models. There was no separate Ventura model number code either. It's as if Pontiac didn't even know WTH to make of it.
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That '69 black hardtop is very, very nice, but it's begging for a console. I don't know why they didn't offer one that year. '69 Impala and Caprice could be had with them, as could Delta 88 Royale and Wildcat Custom. Still, I like that car a lot.
Yeah, the Grand Prix thing occurred to me too. When the ‘69 GP was introduced, for the first time since ‘64 it was only available with a console and floor shift.
What on Earth?
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRmHvdra/
Grabbed a few screen shots for those not on TT
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
https://youtu.be/IqK1lLMC0KI
This tow truck driver did a really good job lining it up, and getting it perfectly inside the garage.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav