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Classic Cars Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"
19331 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 12:58 PM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Replying to: fintail (Jan 12, 2009 3:26 pm) 
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"Also at some point, I think they went to either an aluminum exhaust manifold, or just a really cheaply cast metal one. It tended to crack, right in the middle. That may have been later than 1976, though." My parents' '68 Dart Slant 6 had a cracked manifold. They took it to several independent shops, because it ran so badly due to the manifold, but no one realized the manifold was cracked. Finally, in frustration, they traded it, and only after they had sold it did they find out what the real problem was. So, the cracked manifold problem occurred some time in the '60s, unless theirs was an isolated case. From what we learned later, though, I suspect that this problem occurred earlier than the mid-'70s. This is another example of a domestic manufacturer causing a lot of avoidable aggravation and expense to save a small amount per car. Apparently, the auto makers didn't realize how such decisions would damage their reputations. It's a variation on the proverbial story of the straw that broke the camel's back, repeated over and over again in the '60s, '70s and '80s, until - SURPRISE! - many people abandoned American cars for Japanese ones. The European cars had their own quality issues, but compensated, to some extent, by being more satisfying to drive.
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 12, 2009 3:51 pm) |
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Replying to: fintail (Jan 12, 2009 3:26 pm)
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Replying to: xwesx (Jan 12, 2009 5:31 pm) |
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Replying to: xwesx (Jan 12, 2009 5:31 pm) Regarding tickets per mile...these older models are pretty stealthy, sleepers...if you debadge it the average person won't know it from an ordinary 6cyl car...so I bet the cops don't give it a lot of attention.
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 12, 2009 3:51 pm) When these cars were new, I didn't really pay much attention to them. I was a big fan of GM's large and midsize cars. But I have to say those particular Mopars get my respect now. |
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| I agree with you. the Slant 6 engine and Torqueflyte transmission were extremely solid. I just gave an example of a component that caused grief. If the cracked manifold had been identified and replaced earlier, the car would have provided years of additional service. | |
I remember some review of the Dart/Valiant, years ago, where they joked it was one of the worst cars ever made. Their reason was that the cars tended to leak water through the fresh air intake, but otherwise the cars were so durable that they'd subject their owners to the water torture long after most ordinary cars had long since been junked!  I think one reason Chrysler got their compacts pretty much right, from the get-go, is that in 1960, all of their cars went unitized, with the exception of Imperial. So they probably cross-utilized what they were learning from the bigger cars and applying it to the smaller ones. While GM and Ford were trying to get their compacts built as cheaply as possible, and they tended to be inferior to the bigger cars, in many ways the compact Valiant and Lancer (replaced by the Dart for 1963) were basically scaled down versions of the big cars. One reason the slant six might have ended up being so durable is that it was designed to be used in both small cars and big cars, plus trucks. In contrast, the little Falcon 6 and Corvair 6 were designed for small, lightweight cars, although the Falcon 6 did end up in cars as big as the late 60's Fairlane. GM followed in Chrysler's footsteps when they came out with the 194.5 CID 6-cyl for 1962. It started off as a Chevy II engine, was offered in the Chevelle when it first came out, and was durable enough to spawn 230 and 250 CID versions that moved full-sized cars and trucks.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 13, 2009 5:29 am) The bottom ends were very strong (I can't recall ever seeing one throw a rod) but 9 out of 10 of them were very sludged up when you took them apart. People were always amazed when the engines were rebuilt, as they were not used to a Slant Six that actually still retained all its horsepower. Most people were driving cripples without knowing it. Similar, ironically, to the Benz 300 diesel motors. The Corvair, on the other hand, was a very sophisticated and technically advanced engine, with all the ensuing problems that can bring with it. The Falcon 6 managed to be both crude AND ineffective. Congratulations. RE: SAn Francisco Automotive Attractions --- actually SF is not a car town. They can't stage successful auctions here and there are no auto museums in the city proper. Best car viewing would be Fantasy Junction in Emeryville (near Berkeley) and of course the Blackhawk Museum in Danville. If you are into American cars, a dealership in Dublin is Kassabian Motors--they have a great showroom of stuff. Fantasy Junction is more very high end foreign exotics and vintage race cars.
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