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The Best Cars From The '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s

118 messages,  Last post on Oct 02, 2011 at 9:47 PM

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What is this discussion about? Classic Cars

Messages Page 10 of 12

#89 of 118 Re: Riviera And Toronado [sandman_6472] by isellhondas

Sep 29, 2011 (2:37 pm)

Replying to: sandman_6472 (Sep 29, 2011 8:58 am)
The best Buicks ever built were the late 40's early 50's with that sweet sounding straight eight.
 
Those would easilly go 100,000 miles and more at a time most cars were needing overhauls long before that.

#90 of 118 Re: Should be broken down further... [lemmer] by bhill2

Sep 29, 2011 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: lemmer (Sep 29, 2011 1:49 pm)
I still think the '76s look cooler than the '77s.
 
It just goes to show how tastes vary. I was in my late 20's when the '77s came out, and I thought at the time that the transition from the rounded, bulbous '76s to the crisp, trim '77s was a quantum improvement in looks. But then, I was driving a Volvo, so boxy was familiar to me.

#91 of 118 The best Cavalier ever built by andres3

Sep 29, 2011 (4:34 pm)

was a Cadillac! What year did that happen?

#92 of 118 Re: Should be broken down further... [omarman] by hpmctorque

Sep 29, 2011 (5:26 pm)

Replying to: omarman (Sep 29, 2011 5:25 am)
Interesting perspective!

#93 of 118 Re: How's this for a slow 'Colonnade'? [uplanderguy] by hpmctorque

Sep 29, 2011 (5:29 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 29, 2011 5:42 am)
Are you sure your sister's six cylinder Chevelle had Turbo-Hydramatic? I thought the only automatic available for the six was Powerglide.

#94 of 118 Re: Should be broken down further... [uplanderguy] by berri

Sep 29, 2011 (5:39 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 29, 2011 2:24 pm)
I agree with Andre that the '72 Impala had a nicer-looking grille and rear bumper-taillight combo, as well as nicer seat trim, than the '71
 
I honestly don't know those cars well enough to distinguish, but I was a young Lt. when I saw that 71 and liked it so that's probably my perspective. I actually liked the Grand Prix and Camaro better then, but was more of a Mopar guy (Challenger, Sebring, etc) in those days - but after actually owning one my attitude soon changed!

#95 of 118 GM 350 V8 by berri

Sep 29, 2011 (6:08 pm)

Replying to: berri (Sep 29, 2011 5:39 pm)
While we're on this topic of 70's cars, I always thought that the GM 350 was one of best volume V8 engines made along with maybe the Mopar 383. I think that Buick, Olds and Chevy all made their own variation of it with slightly different specs. Then in the late 70's or early 80's I believe GM consolidated all 350's to the Chevy version. Does anyone know why they selected the Chevy variant? Best version? Cheapest to produce? Largest production volume facilities?

#96 of 118 Re: The best Cavalier ever built [andres3] by fintail

Sep 29, 2011 (6:19 pm)

Replying to: andres3 (Sep 29, 2011 4:34 pm)
1982-88. Caddy in the 80s was much much worse than Caddy in the 70s.

#97 of 118 Re: How's this for a slow 'Colonnade'? [hpmctorque] by bhill2

Sep 29, 2011 (9:43 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Sep 29, 2011 5:29 pm)
Are you sure your sister's six cylinder Chevelle had Turbo-Hydramatic? I thought the only automatic available for the six was Powerglide.
 
You know I would guessed the same thing, but I found a brochure online (at American Car Brochures) that says that the Turbo-Hydramatic was coupled with the six in the Chevelle (the Deluxe was the only Chevelle wagon that came with a six, incidentally).

#98 of 118 Re: GM 350 V8 [berri] by andre1969

Sep 30, 2011 (3:52 am)

Replying to: berri (Sep 29, 2011 6:08 pm)
Then in the late 70's or early 80's I believe GM consolidated all 350's to the Chevy version. Does anyone know why they selected the Chevy variant? Best version? Cheapest to produce? Largest production volume facilities?
 
Ultimately, I think the Chevy 350 stayed around the longest because of trucks, so they got a greater volume there. And performance cars like the Corvette.
 
Starting in 1977, Pontiac V-8's got banned in California because they couldn't pass the stricter emissions standards. Pontiac 350 and 400 engines were replaced with Olds 350 and 403's there. And the 301 was just flat-out banned in the bigger cars, and replaced with a 305 in the smaller cars.
 
Same thing might have happened to the Buick V-8, which was down to only a 350 size by 1977, but I'm not sure. By 1978, they were definitely substituting Olds engines for Buicks in California and regions that adopted CA's stricter standards.
 
I think the Pontiac 350 and 400 went away entirely for 1979, there were enough 400's left over to use in some Trans Ams. In the Catalina/Bonneville though, they substituted a Buick 350 (Olds in CA).
 
By 1980, the cars the even offered a 350 were thinned out immensely. It was dropped from the Caprice/Impala, with the exception of police cars. Pontiac also dropped its use entirely, except for California full-sized cars, which offered an Olds 350. The Buick LeSabre and Electra still offered a Buick 350 but oddly, according to the EPA at least, the Riviera was now using an Olds 350. And, the Olds 350 was still used in the Delta 88, 98, and Toronado. Some California Cadillacs, like the Eldorado and Seville, used it as well.
 
Then, for 1981, it was all over. Unless you got the Diesel 350, or a Corvette or Camaro, or Impala police car, the 350s were all gone. Biggest V-8 choices were a Chevy 305 or Olds 307.
 
Overall, I think the Chevy 350 was the cheapest to build. It wasn't as clean-running as the Olds 350, but still met emissions requirements better than the Pontiac or Buick engines. I've also heard that it's actually the least durable, with the Olds being the best. But, still good enough. The Olds engine used a lot of nickle in its block, which made for a block that was stronger, yet lighter.

Messages Page 10 of 12

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