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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

29829 messages,  Last post on Jun 18, 2013 at 4:44 PM

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What is this discussion about? Classic Cars

Messages Page 2747 of 2983

#27460 of 29829 Re: Valiant [ab348] by uplanderguy

Jan 06, 2013 (4:14 pm)

Replying to: ab348 (Jan 06, 2013 12:27 pm)
Geez, I am sincerely sorry for slamming two of your family's cars back then!!
 
Hey, I'd have said I loved Maverick LDO's if it would have got me in the car with the red-headed cheerleader back then!

#27461 of 29829 Re: Valiant [uplanderguy] by andre1969

Jan 06, 2013 (4:23 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 06, 2013 4:14 pm)
The only experience I really have with a Maverick was about 12 years ago, if not more. I had driven my '89 Gran Fury to work, I remember that much, because a Maverick was parked next to it when I got off work and went out to the parking lot. I had seen it before, but this time, its owner was there. We struck up a conversation, and I asked if I could sit in it, to see how it felt.
 
I don't remember too much, but do remember that it didn't totally suck. Not nearly as roomy and comfy as a Dart/Valiant or my Gran Fury (which dated back to the '76 Aspen/Volare so, in a roundabout way, was still a peer), but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
 
My biggest beef with many Ford products of that era, and the 80's, is that the driveshaft/transmission hump seems overly large, and severely compromises the center position, both front and rear.

#27462 of 29829 . by fintail

Jan 06, 2013 (6:03 pm)

Saw a ~68-70 or so Eldo today, has to be the same one I saw a few weeks ago, not many of those on the road.

#27463 of 29829 Re: Valiant [andre1969] by berri

Jan 06, 2013 (7:51 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 06, 2013 4:23 pm)
What I remember most about Mavericks (and their sister Comet) was no glove box - just a very chintzy car. I think they had decent reliability for their time though.

#27464 of 29829 Re: Valiant [berri] by andre1969

Jan 06, 2013 (8:08 pm)

Replying to: berri (Jan 06, 2013 7:51 pm)
Didn't early Hornets come without a glovebox door as well? Or was that the Gremlin?
 
And yeah, IIRC, Consumer Reports tended to rate the Maverick pretty high for reliability. In fact, I think it often placed higher than the Dart/Valiant.

#27465 of 29829 Re: Valiant [andre1969] by ab348

Jan 07, 2013 (4:33 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 06, 2013 8:08 pm)
Ours was very cold-blooded. Did not like to start or even crank when it got cold in the winter. It also had chronic front-end problems.
 
At some point Ford got rid of the under-dash shelf and added a glove box - our '74 had one. I think it was the early Gremlins that had no glove box door or even a back seat.

#27466 of 29829 Re: Valiant [ab348] by uplanderguy

Jan 07, 2013 (5:38 am)

Replying to: ab348 (Jan 07, 2013 4:33 am)
I seem to remember that Gremlins always had a glovebox door and early-on, you could get one with no back seat, but what I think you're thinking of is the Chevette Scooter. It definitely had no glovebox door and no back seat!
 
Gremlins and Hornets, at least early-on, had an open shelf under the dash also.

#27467 of 29829 Re: Valiant [uplanderguy] by andre1969

Jan 07, 2013 (7:15 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 07, 2013 5:38 am)
Gremlins and Hornets, at least early-on, had an open shelf under the dash also.
 
That might be why I'm getting confused. I remember the open shelf on the AMC cars, so that might be why I was thinking some of them lacked a glovebox.

#27468 of 29829 Re: Valiant [andre1969] by ab348

Jan 07, 2013 (8:42 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 07, 2013 7:15 am)
Yes, our Hornet had both a glove box door and an underdash shelf. I found it odd that the glovebox door seemed to be heavy diecast metal, while the shelf was the nastiest hard plastic material ever invented. I don't recall us using it much.
 
I remember when AMC updated the Hornet in '78 to become the Concord, the entire dash was redesigned and became much more conventional-looking for the times.

#27469 of 29829 Re: Valiant [ab348] by stickguy

Jan 07, 2013 (8:56 am)

Replying to: ab348 (Jan 07, 2013 8:42 am)
I must be getting old. Back in my student days (HS into college) I had a Duster, Hornet and a Gremlin (yes, I was a glutton for punishment). I just remember very few details. stuff like having a glovebox door? Not one of them! Though I am pretty sure it had a normal one with a turn knob with a key slot in it.
 
back seat, they all had that!
 
and I have no recollection of odd air vents or footwell vent boxes in the Duster. It did have a sunroof though.

Messages Page 2747 of 2983

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