Ask the Car People.SM


1960's Pontiacs

278 messages,  Last post on Aug 05, 2012 at 9:10 AM

You are in the Classic Cars Forum.

What is this discussion about? Pontiac

Messages Page 24 of 28

#229 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [lemko] by andre1969

Jan 25, 2012 (12:16 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jan 25, 2012 11:26 am)
I just checked the Wikipedia entry for Chevy Bel Air and they do list the Bel Air as going on through 1981 in Canada, along with the Pontiac Laurentian. They also mention a Mercury Marquis Meteor and a Ford Custom 500 being dropped after '81, as well. So, I guess the Canadian market for lower-line big cars persisted a bit longer than it did in the US.

#230 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [andre1969] by lemko

Jan 25, 2012 (12:27 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 25, 2012 12:16 pm)
Back in the day, Canadian Fords were called Meteors, the Canadian Mercuries were Monarchs, and the Falcon was known as a Meteor Frontenac with little red maple leafs on the hubcaps. I think even the Ford trucks were marketed as Mercuries in Canada. Dodge called its Canadian trucks Fargoes.

#231 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [lemko] by fintail

Jan 25, 2012 (12:29 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jan 25, 2012 12:27 pm)
The odd Canadian Pontiac that I remember seeing when I was younger is this:
 

 

#232 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [fintail] by andre1969

Jan 25, 2012 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 25, 2012 12:29 pm)
I think that Canadian Tempest is nicer looking than the Chevy Corsica! There was really no perceived need for something like that here in the US, as we had the Grand Am, and a Corsica twin badged as a Pontiac would have just been too close.
 
But, it's interesting that they had that much overlap in Canada, and allowed it to go on for so long.

#233 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [andre1969] by fintail

Jan 25, 2012 (2:16 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 25, 2012 12:35 pm)
I think the wheel design matches well with the car. I remember back in the day we had a Corsica rental car in that same color. I guess the Pontiac brand had widely believed cachet in Canada.

#234 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [fintail] by uplanderguy

Jan 25, 2012 (3:45 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 25, 2012 2:16 pm)
My late parents' last new car was an '89 Corsica which reminds me of that Tempest, although the lower color was silver instead of dark gray (dark gray looks nicer I think). 2.8 V6, column-shift automatic. I tried to be excited for Dad, but he traded in an '84 Monte Carlo 305 V8 with Rally Wheels and 41K miles for it. Should have kept the Monte!

#235 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [uplanderguy] by fintail

Jan 25, 2012 (7:16 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 25, 2012 3:45 pm)
When I was younger, some senior citizen friends of the family had a Corsica 5-door....not many of those around anymore. Even then they were odd.

#236 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [fintail] by lemko

Jan 26, 2012 (8:04 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 25, 2012 2:16 pm)
Those Pontiac wheels really do dress up that Corsica. My friend briefly had a Corsica that I thought was so cheaply and carelessly assembled I called it a Coarse-ica.

#237 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [lemko] by fintail

Jan 26, 2012 (9:06 am)

Replying to: lemko (Jan 26, 2012 8:04 am)
I'd guess the 4cyl models could be pretty unrefined. I remember our rental was a moderately equipped 3.1, didn't seem like a bad car for what it was.

#238 of 278 Re: Bucket-seat full-sized cars ca. 1969-70 [fintail] by uplanderguy

Jan 26, 2012 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Jan 26, 2012 9:06 am)
I had a new '90 Corsica 4-cyl. 5-speed for 108K miles and 6 1/2 years. It sat out all the time, in all kind of weather, including snow, and was a good car. My parents had a 3.1 V6 Corsica and while it was faster, you could tell it was heavier over the front wheels...it steered harder and you had your feet in the brakes more to stop it, than our 4-cyl. The V6's then (and we also had a new '89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6), had a distinctive rasp. To this day I could still identify one blindfolded if it drove past me.

Messages Page 24 of 28

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement