Ask the Car People.SM


GM News, New Models and Market Share - READ ONLY

32000 messages,  Last post on Feb 14, 2013 at 7:24 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views-Archives Forum.

What is this discussion about? Automotive News

Messages Page 2377 of 3201

#23759 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [uplanderguy] by lemko

Apr 13, 2012 (12:29 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 13, 2012 6:22 am)
The 1977-era GM B and C-body full-size cars are just about perfect for me! I still think about the awesome Charcoal Grey Firemist 1979 Buick Park Avenue with the 403 V-8 I had back in the day. Good God, that was a pretty and reliable car!

#23760 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [lemko] by uplanderguy

Apr 13, 2012 (12:48 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Apr 13, 2012 12:29 pm)
Lemko, I still daydream about having a white vinyl top over Firethorn Metallic '77 Caprice Classic Coupe, 350, F41 suspension, plastic scooped-out spoke wheel covers, pinstripe whitewall Goodyear Eagles, Custom Interior option in red...perfect in every way for me. I think those B-bodies were the darling of the motoring press then, and even in '83 C&D had the Caprice on their "Ten Best Cars in the World" list, in its seventh year of that iteration. Of course, that was before it was uncool to like domestic iron.
 
I never owned such a Caprice, but there was that very car in town when I was college-age, except it was a sedan. The guy who owned the business supply store in town owned it.

#23761 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [uplanderguy] by lemko

Apr 13, 2012 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 13, 2012 12:48 pm)
My first new car was a black 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan. It had a grey cloth interior, wire wheelcovers and wide white stripe tires.

#23762 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [uplanderguy] by andre1969

Apr 13, 2012 (12:57 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 13, 2012 12:48 pm)
I think my perfect B-body would be a '77 Catalina coupe with a 403, preferably in that dark forest green they offered around that time. Or maybe a light blue. 400 V-8, Pontiac Rally wheels, the F-41 suspension you mentioned. Sorta like this, although I'd prefer it without the vinyl roof. And with something other than the 301!

#23763 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [andre1969] by dieselone

Apr 13, 2012 (1:04 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 13, 2012 12:57 pm)
Yeah, a 301 would be a complete dog. Buddy of mine had an '80 T/A with a 301 and it was slower than my '86 Escort (manual) to almost 50 when he could barely pass me.
 
I remember my dad's '92 Crown Vic would just blow it away. Pretty sad considering that was a 9 second 0-60 car.

#23764 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [uplanderguy] by uplanderguy

Apr 13, 2012 (1:27 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 13, 2012 12:48 pm)
Here's the '77 Caprice wheelcovers I always liked, although you gotta have the pinstripe whitewall, not these later wide-whites--also, this car has an aftermarket Landau top although it is not a Landau-model Caprice. Also, with the body side moldings, I'm not a fan of the upper-body pinstriping which was optional:
 
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1977_Chevrolet/1977%20Chevrol- - et.html

#23765 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [andre1969] by berri

Apr 13, 2012 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 13, 2012 12:57 pm)
I'll go with Bonneville or LeSabre, but the 350 will do. Actually, today's V6 engines, and maybe even a few of the better four bangers would probably do a good job in one.

#23766 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [andre1969] by uplanderguy

Apr 13, 2012 (1:30 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 13, 2012 12:57 pm)
andre, that is a nice '77 Catalina, and I agree the dark green that year across GM was very nice. In that era Pontiac, I'd probably pick a '79 Bonneville coupe with the buckets and console, although outside I'd prefer no skirts and rocker trim that didn't really go almost halfway up the side...BUT...I like that Bonneville interior! I'd avoid the 301 and get whatever larger V8 I could.
 
Pontiac offered buckets and console in the Bonneville up through '81, but I've only ever seen '79's with it, and probably only one or two of those. It reminds me of the Grand Prix models of the sixties, and I consider it a nicer car than what a '79-81 Grand Prix actually was.

#23767 of 32000 '77 Impala coupe by uplanderguy

Apr 13, 2012 (1:49 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 13, 2012 1:30 pm)
My folks had a new red '77 Impala coupe quite like this one, but with the body side moldings. The Impala had pretty decent seat and door panel trim inside, but the dash was quite plasticky--the Caprice panel was far-better trimmed IMHO, and the Catalina dash was also far better:
 
http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B28107-2.jpg
 
I like the rear window of those coupes, but I remember joking that if you were inside the car and looking at somebody who walked behind the car, the person looked like a Picasso painting right around the wire bends!

#23768 of 32000 Re: Buick Verano [berri] by busiris

Apr 13, 2012 (1:54 pm)

Replying to: berri (Apr 13, 2012 11:59 am)
In some materials, I agree quality has diminished, especially things like framing lumber and wood trim. Most old-growth trees were harvested long ago, and much of those products now come from faster growing sources. There's no question the quality of real wood trim is lower today.
 
A lot of degradation, I think, is due to a change in application/installation methodology rather than a change in the actual materials themselves. Example: ceramic tile is the same, but I can't remember when I have seen it installed over a Masonry/expanded metal lath substrate... Tiles are nowadays just glued directly to, if you're fortunate, water resistant Sheetrock and then grouted. Different expansion and contraction characteristics guarantee cracked grout joints in that application.
 
Carpet, which used to be all wool, is now synthetic, and much easier to keep clean and last much longer. Countertop materials are far better than the old laminated plastics, too.
 
Plumbing has generally moved to Plastics from galvanized iron and copper, but that's pretty much a wash, since each has it's advantages and disadvantages. PVC drainpipe is probably better that the old cast-iron, oakum and lead-joint drainpipe, and certainly easier to repair.
 
Appliances certainly offer more options and functionality, but along with that comes the increased opportunity to malfunction. I remember my mom getting her first washing machine... It had no spin cycle, but a set of motor-driven rollers you manually shoved the wet clothes into to wring out the water. That machine would probably still be useable today if I had kept it throughout the years, but who would want to use it today?
 
Boy, thinking about that old washer brought back memories...

Messages Page 2377 of 3201

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement