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I think I still owed around $11,000 on the 'Trep, and they offered me $6500 in trade. Now in its defense, it did have about 56,000 miles, which was kind of high for a car that was only a little over two years old at that point, but still. Of course, they were more than willing to roll that over into the new loan!
I think the new monthly payment would have gone to something like $480/mo. That sounds like chump change now, but this was over 20 years ago. And the payment on the Intrepid at the time, was only $347.66/mo.
I did like the car's style, and it was pretty roomy. While it was a midsize, whereas the Intrepid was what I'd call a "marginal" full-sizer, the Altima actually seemed like it had more legroom. It did give up some back seat room and trunk space, and I think the big loss was in shoulder room, but it was still roomy enough. The main thing I didn't like about it was its 2.5 4-cyl engine. It seemed a bit sluggish to me, and rough and noisy, like it was out of tune. Although, from the road tests I saw at the time, it was slightly quicker than my Intrepid. And the 4-cyl roughness might have simply been because I was used to the way a V6 or V8 sounds and feels.
My brother had a 93 Lumina Euro, I still recall the 3.1 noise. White with red trim, as many were, and I think a grey interior. I forget what did it in, maybe hit when parked or something. He replaced it with a Sundance Duster - he was into the 90s retro thing about 20 years early
The first gen Lumina is something I never much cared for when new, but I appreciate the tall greenhouse now.
Another one with recessed gauges is the 92-96 Prelude. I remember seeing this style when new and thought it was really futuristic, and the car was pretty posh in its own way as well. I want to say these also had backlit gauges like the early Lexus LS:
And on the Taurus coupe idea, one came to mind, but not 100% stock:
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
'77 Caprice Classic, 65K miles, factory A/C, built 8/77 per the door jamb sticker which would've made it one of the very last '77's, no dash cracks, saggy headliner though, very good carpeting and gold cloth interior with front-seat center armrest. Nice door panels inside with cloth inserts, carpet, and pull straps and all the little metal inserts therein too. I took a pic of the interior with his permission but am not putting it here as there were personal effects lying on the front seat. He's had it ten years and had 25K miles on it when he bought it.
Most amazing to me: It's a 250 six!
Roads are wet here, and there's been salt on our roads already, but he said the car has been 'oiled' before underneath.
I'd like any number of factory colors better, but to see one here its whole life, that looks in this condition, is something to see 45 years after it was built.
I always say it, but that styling has aged really well IMHO.
At least on the Buick, but I can't recall on the Lexus, the lenses seemed white instead of clear, like on the '02 Altima. Didn't care for that white-looking glass.
...since we were just discussing larger FWD coupes.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
But then, maybe the 6-cyl Impalas tended to be bought by cheapskates who just used up the car and threw it away when they were done with it, wheras the 6-cyl Caprice buyer wanted something nice, but economical, and was more likely to appreciate and take care of it?
Unfortunately, my old car book doesn't break out Impala/Caprice production by engine for 77-79. The closest I could find would be the Chevelle Malibu in 1976. But even in those cars, far more V8s were sold than 6-cyl models. Especially once you got into the Malibu Classic range. So considering these were cheaper cars, if similar weight/size, I'd imagine 6-cyl '77-79 Impalas and Caprices were very rare, to begin with.
On the subject of time going by faster than you think, I was just thinking about that, when I typed up my post on that 2002 Altima that tempted me. That was like Feb/March of 2002. I swear, it doesn't seem that long ago. I remember it like it was yesterday...a bright, sunny, unseasonably warm Saturday. Yet, it was over 20 years ago.
But then, go back 20 years before that, and suddenly it's early 1982. I was in 6th grade. My grandparents had just bought their '82 Malibu Classic estate wagon. And since it was winter, plus Grandmom had never sat in its back seat, little did they know, those back door windows were stationary
It's kinda wild how, even though the technology itself might advance at a faster pace than it did in the old days, the cars themselves just don't seem like they've moved forward, at least in terms of styling and such. A 20 year old car, or even a 40 year old car, just doesn't seem as "old" as one would have, years ago.
Agree totally.
I can remember my Dad reading a newspaper article to me in the early '70's probably, that said manufacturers weren't going to stick to the general two-year styling cycle as it was too expensive.
Really, at GM, the first cars I can think of that really, visually, pushed that envelope were the full-size cars. I can point out many lines that are the same on the '71's as the '76's. Usually wheel openings to me define the styling in profile of a car, and those didn't change at all that I can think of (other than the Grand Ville getting fender skirts in '73).
A year later, a two-tone green '78 Caprice Classic sedan showed up in their driveway. Guess what? It wasn't a six.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I just looked at the '77 Canadian Chevy brochure, and their Bel Air was even full-range...sedan, coupe and wagon! The Pontiac brochure shows a pic of a Laurentian sedan, and also mentions a Laurentian Safari wagon. Did they also offer a Laurentian coupe in '77?
It looks to me like the Laurentian, and Bel Air, basically used the Impala door panels, but just took off that woodgrain strip that ran along the upper edge. And, of course, a cheaper grade of seating material. The dashboard manages to look a bit cheaper, too, than an Impala. And I guess they stripped off some interior chrome here and there.
I suspect the 250 six was smoother, more durable and performed about the same or a bit better than the 231 V6 installed in the other BOPs. Yes, V8 much preferred.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
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
I made a comment to the owner how I bet it was slow, and he replied, "It's not really that bad". I thought that that must be relative, LOL.
My sister and her husband bought a new '75 Buick Century Special with that V6. It was awful. Slow, OK, but noisy and rough-idling as bad as any Vega or Pinto I'd ever been in. You had to wonder what they were thinking putting that engine in a car like a Century.
Of course I know, MPG.
The '72 was the last one I'd have even considered. The standard cloth seats were not that bad, and it actually had three taillights on each side!
The '74 and '75 Bel Airs, which I'd see occasionally out-and-about, had gray plastic around the taillights and license plate that was often warped even when new. Awful. And the '73 and later seat trim was really bad IMHO.
The '76 Impala S had the regular Impala's interior, but had bias-ply tires and didn't have the Impala's standard body side moldings nor side-window reveal moldings.
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I think in most "normal" driving, those underpowered engines are probably just fine, once you get used to them. However, coming from the more higher-power cars we have of today, getting used to them might take awhile. If you have to regularly do a lot of high-speed merging, or high-speed passing, you're not going to like them, though! I know of a couple of poorly angled cloverleaf interchanges, where they slow you to almost a stop, and then you don't have much distance to merge over. Even in a modern vehicle, they're annoying. I imagine in an old vehicle that was not only slow, but couldn't take a sharp corner very well, they'd really be an experience!
Oh, and as far as durability goes, I've never heard anything bad about the Chevy 250, or its earlier versions. It doesn't seem to have quite the fan base that the Mopar slant six does, but some of those guys get almost cult-like On the other hand, the only time I've ever heard anything good about the Buick 231, is if someone is referring to an '85 or later version. Or, if they just happened to get lucky with an earlier one, and think their personal experience should apply to everyone.
Although, one thing I'll say in defense of the 231 in my old Cutlass Supreme, it was definitely a better performer than the 229 in my Malibu. Probably not a huge difference in 0-60, but the 231 seemed more responsive when it kicked down to second gear when needed, and at higher speeds, it didn't seem to get winded as badly as the 229 did. Now the old 225 slant six in my '69 Dart GT was better still. However, it was a lighter car, quicker axle ratio, and wasn't saddled with all that emissions stuff, so that's not a fair comparison.
Those 0 to 60 times are just terrible. Is there any new car or truck that takes 14 seconds to get 60?
I think the slowest thing out there is a Nissan Kicks at just over 10 seconds. I had a base model Hyundai Kona rental and that felt painfully slow and when I looked it up the time was 9.3
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
9.3 would be FAST in 1977.
But, years later, when it got passed down to me, in 2002, I remember thinking damn, this thing is a DOG! But, I timed it with a stopwatch one day and shockingly, it managed 0-60 in about 12 seconds. Which is probably about what it did when it was new. So it's not that the truck had degraded, but my expectations had changed, based on what I'd become accustomed to.
One thing I've noticed, is that often cars with smaller engines actually don't seem that fast off the line, even when they are. With a bigger engine, it seems like there's often that initial lunge that puts you back in the seat, whereas perhaps the smaller engine has to wind up a bit more. So, maybe from like 0-10 or whatever, the bigger engine is winning out, but then the smaller engine catches up fast.
One of my friends has a Nissan Kicks. I rode in it the other day. One thing I noticed that was odd about it, was the armrest was too far forward to be of any use to me, and the part where my elbow would rest was sloped, so I'd slide off. For some odd reason, it made me think of those GM A/G bodies with the fixed rear door windows and recessed armrests. It's been ages since I've been in one, but I've heard mention sometimes, that those recessed armrests were also too far forward to really be of much use.
With technology, one expects MPG and handling and acceleration to improve over the decades. But for me, happily anachronistic, I think the things I've given up, I miss more than the things my cars now have.
First, in my long list, how about no road noise? My Cobalt was virtually silent in that regard, even as late as that was.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
Although I was actually impressed it only needed 10.9 seconds to get from 0-60. It also had a tall axle, a 2.41:1.
Motortrend's '77 Caprice, with a 350-4bbl and 3.08:1 axle, still needed 10.8 seconds. R&T tested a '79 with the same engine/axle, and got 10.6. Almost makes it seem like the 350 wasn't worth it, until I remember that in '77-79, the 305 the Caprice used was a 2-bbl, and choked down to 130 hp by 1979, so the 305-4bbl for '80 was probably a good compromise between the old 305-2 and the 350-4.
Those cars were running 3 speed trannys though. Get caught shifting up at the wrong time and it can really bog the car down.
In real world driving though, they were just fine. That rarely including full bore 0-60 sprints.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I wonder, if the 305 would have also used a more lightweight rear end (differential, axle shafts, etc)? Both cars had 11" discs up front and 9.5" drums in back. Now that I think about it, I believe the Corvair used 9.5" drums, and I remember it being praised for having beefy brakes for such a lightweight car. I wonder if the Caprice was using the same drums as the Corvair?! I know the front brakes do most of the stopping, but still, that seems a bit "under braked" for a car that size.
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There was a post related to the passage of time, and the amount of years between dates. It's funny to me that when my dad bought the 60 Ford, it was a cool old flashy rare fins and chrome machine, but was only 30 years old. Meanwhile, the W201 launched 40 years ago yesterday. These are 40 year old cars:
Another ancient looking antique 40 year old car:
And 40 years ago, a 40 year old car was effectively a prewar design. Time flies.
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
https://neighbors.ring.com/n/OX20MMjuGV
Considering the Altima coupe was a pretty rare car, I'd think they're taking a bit of a chance, using one to go porch-pirating! Seems to me it would be easy for the cops to narrow down through DMV (or MVA as they call it in Maryland) databases. Although, the VIN won't narrow it down by color, but still, how many of those things can still be on the streets?
Oh, on the subject of 0-60 times, I think even a 3.6 Charger is good for about 6.6 seconds these days, and I think the final-gen Impalas with the 3.6 clocked in at 6.1 on occasion. And those times are probably better than the vast majority of all the Chargers and Impalas ever built. I remember Consumer Reports testing something like a '69 Plymouth GTX or Coronet R/T, or maybe it was a Charger, with a 440, automatic, and 3.23:1 axle, and even with all that, 0-60 was 7.0 seconds. And while there were setups faster than that, in the overall scheme of things, very few were ever equipped that way.
I think the original GTO, with a 389-4bbl and a stick, was good for 7.7 in typical tests. And so was the much-maligned '74 GTO, with a 350-2bbl and a stick.
One problem with having it so good these days, is that we just get used to it, so it doesn't seem as good as it really is!
He's a complete idiot.
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
For a car that's 20 years old, maybe more, maybe a little less, no visible rust spots of any kind.
The driver looked crowding 80, and so did his wife. He reminded me of 'Pop' on 'Pop Watch' on Facebook, if any of you have seen that.
1) You got the THM 350 trans. I even heard that at the dealership back then.
2) I was around a lot of those cars back in the day, and soft cams were an issue on 305's (not on ours, luckily). I never once heard that on those years' 350's.
(I have to admit, as does my wife, that he looks like my late Dad, including the hat--Dad died in 1995).
Passed a nice ‘55 Chevy Bel Air 2 door hardtop, white over red (of course), driving down I30, pretty well keeping up with traffic. Nice shape.
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
That car had quarter mile times at about 13 flat at the Pure Stock Musclecar Drags in the past ten or fifteen years--and with an elderly driver!
I remember one of the newsstand performance mags several years back, had a pic of it on a corner of the cover with the wording, "A 13 Second Supercharged What?!".
This reminds me, that on Dec. 9, 59 years ago, it was announced Studebaker was discontinuing U.S. production after 111 years in South Bend.
I found news of another plane crash in Western Maryland, a few weeks later. This one was a B-52 that went down during a snow storm, taking with it, the crew of five, and two thermonuclear bombs!
I don't.
Just daydreaming the other day, looking at the '87 Caprice brochure and thinking about a white coupe, no vinyl top, that light beige cloth front seat, sport wheel covers, F41, cornering lights and possibly that engine. Might've been a nice, fairly-low-priced full-size RWD coupe in an era where those when disappearing.