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What Keeps You Loyal To A Brand?

628 messages,  Last post on Mar 13, 2013 at 9:32 AM

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Messages Page 58 of 63

#568 of 628 Re: Most Loyal... [lemko] by cooterbfd

May 24, 2007 (2:37 pm)

Replying to: lemko (May 22, 2007 2:15 pm)
For me it's Buick:
 
1965 Wildcat conv.
1975 Apollo
1988 Regal
1979 Electra 225 coupe
1999 P/A Ultra
2004 Ranier

#569 of 628 Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... by nvbanker

May 25, 2007 (5:29 pm)

Now THAT was a car, and THAT was a name for a car!!!

#570 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [nvbanker] by andre1969

May 25, 2007 (6:00 pm)

Replying to: nvbanker (May 25, 2007 5:29 pm)
Now THAT was a car, and THAT was a name for a car!!!
 
Yeah, I always liked those too. I think my favorite Electras are the mammoth '75-76 4-door hardtops, but I like the downsized '77-79 models too. Preferably with a 403. I think the '80-84 is a sharp looking car too, but by that time they killed all the good engines. You could get an Olds 350 in 1980 as an option (307 was standard), but from '81-84 you were limited to the 252 V-6, 307 V-8, or the Diesel 350.

#571 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [nvbanker] by bumpy

May 25, 2007 (6:23 pm)

Replying to: nvbanker (May 25, 2007 5:29 pm)
Shouldn't they have quit calling it a "225" after GM sold the Buick chop-block to Kaiser-Frazier?

#572 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [bumpy] by andre1969

May 26, 2007 (4:32 am)

Replying to: bumpy (May 25, 2007 6:23 pm)
Actually they should've quit calling it 225 once it got longer than 225". That's what the 225 denoted originally. I'm not sure when they finally went over 225", though. I think for awhile in the 60's they actually shrunk up just a bit. I think the '71-76 models were about 230", and then the '77-84 models were 221".
 
In 1985, when the little FWD model came out, they initially called them Electra 300 and Electra 380, in relation to engine size (3.0 or 3.8 V-6)

#573 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [andre1969] by cooterbfd

May 26, 2007 (8:00 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (May 26, 2007 4:32 am)
Do you recall if there was an Electra 430? I would swear that a neighbor of mine had an '85 that said 430 on it.

#574 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [cooterbfd] by andre1969

May 26, 2007 (5:53 pm)

Replying to: cooterbfd (May 26, 2007 8:00 am)
Now that you mention it, they did offer a Diesel engine in the '85 Electra. It was a 4.3 V-6. It was a chopped version of the Olds 350 Diesel, not to be confused with Chevy's 4.3/262 gas V-6 that was introduced that year, and a chopped version of the Chevy 350.
 
So I'm guessing the Diesel Electra might've had a "430" badge on it. Also, I goofed on what Buick called their trim levels in 1985. The actual model names were Electra (base) Electra Park Ave (luxury model) and Electra T-type (sporty model). My Consumer Guide is also showing that the 3.8 was standard. However, here's a link to an old Consumer Reports comparison test that had an Electra, and they say the 3.0 was standard, with the 3.8 being a $260 option.
 
The '85 Electra/Ninety-Eight/DeVille had an extra long model year though. I think they were actually introduced in the spring of 1984. So maybe the 3.0 was standard in early models, and then later on in the model year they decided to just make the 3.8 standard?

#575 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [andre1969] by lilengineerboy

May 27, 2007 (5:10 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (May 26, 2007 5:53 pm)
So maybe the 3.0 was standard in early models, and then later on in the model year they decided to just make the 3.8 standard?
 
I didn't know they had a 3.0. I thought the 2.8l V6 got punched to 3.1l. Did the 98/Park Ave platform go FWD in 85 or was it still RWD for another year?

#576 of 628 Re: Ahhhh, the Electra 225..... [lilengineerboy] by andre1969

May 27, 2007 (5:44 am)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (May 27, 2007 5:10 am)
I didn't know they had a 3.0. I thought the 2.8l V6 got punched to 3.1l. Did the 98/Park Ave platform go FWD in 85 or was it still RWD for another year?
 
You can thank GM's divisions still having a lot of their own engines for that confusion. Buick came out with a 3.0 version of their 3.8 V-6, for 1982 I believe. It was used mainly in the Century and Cutlass Ciera. I think the Omega and Skylark X-cars still used Chevy 2.8's. It had a 2-bbl carb, and was rated at 110 hp, interestingly the same as the larger 3.8 2-bbl.
 
For 1985, when the Grand Am/Calais/Somerset Regal were introduced, they got a fuel injected version that put out 125 hp. Also, I just looked in another used car book I have, that covers 1977-86, and it does show the 1985 Electra/98 offering the 3.0 2-bbl V-6.
 
I think the 3.0 was dropped after 1985 in everything except the Grand Am and its siblings. Centurys and Cieras started phasing in the Chevy 2.8, with a Buick 3.8 being optional.
 
The Chevy 2.8 is the one that got enlarged to 3.1, and eventually it started showing up in most of GM's midsized/compact offerings, but I don't think that was until around 1990 or so. Also, Buick tried fielding yet another version of their 3.8. I think it was a 3.3, and offered for a few years in the Century/Ciera, before they all just went to 3.1's.
 
And yeah, 1985 was the year that GM downsized their C-bodies. However, Cadillac kept a RWD version around, calling it simply "Brougham".

#577 of 628 Hyundai, Nissan, Honda by prosource1

May 27, 2007 (7:29 am)

Have owned Hyundai Sonatas (1990, 1992, 1995), Nissan Maxima 1997 and two Honda Pilots 2004 and 2006. Our family does 40,000 on each of our vehicles and all of the above were outstanding. The early Sonatas were not as refined as today's Hyundai's but were very reliable and durable. My 1995 Sonata is still in service with 250,000 on it. The 97 Maxima was flawless and fun to drive. The two Honda Pilots have been without issue. The first one was driven 100,000 miles in 2 years and it never saw but oil, fluid, brake and tire changes. Perfect truck. The 2006 already has 30,000 on it and has been perfect.
I am buying a 2007 Elantra for my daughter. My brother has a 1998 Elantra with 140,000 miles and it has been a perfect car with only one minor repair. No reason to pay $2k more for the smaller Civic if she is going to drive it for 5-7 years and put tons of mileage on it.
Loyalty? I would have to say that I am very loyal to Honda and Hyundai. Nissan doesn't have a car I want so I'll stick with Hyundai and Honda.

Messages Page 58 of 63

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