Cars Of The Seventies Can't Get No Respect
By Jim Sutherland on March 10, 2014
(http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/450x338xmagnum2.jpg.pagespeed.ic.GH3c-9qFzW.jpg)
One of the constants in the world of old iron is the amount of scorn heaped on vehicles from the Me Decade, aka the Seventies. I still retain a boatload of scorn for the music from the back nine of that decade (disco sucked then, now and forever for me), but I liked the 70s vehicles, and that makes me somewhat of an outcast in car circles.
The early part of the 70s was a no-brainer for most guys because muscle cars still had plenty of horses corralled under the hood. The usual big block suspects were still street monsters during that time frame, so names like SS 454, Hemi 'Cuda and Ford Cobra Jet had plenty of menace left in their game during the early 70s. Even Buick got in the muscle game with their 1970 GS Stage 1 model and its free-breathing 455 cubic inches of hell fire under the hood.
Few people could argue about the early 70s when it came to horsepower under the hood or music on the radio, but things changed dramatically in 1973 when the oil taps were turned off in the Middle East and North America saw a big spike in gas prices at the pump.
Cheap oil was no longer a way of life and the situation got even more complicated in the US when fuel supply shortages became a big problem. In fact it was a big enough problem for people to be shot when they attempted to cut in front of angry drivers at the massive gas station lineups during the oil supply crisis.
The knee jerk reaction was to castrate the big V-8 engines and take away their testosterone. Big blocks were de-stroked and the minimal horsepower left was strangled in a complicated exhaust emission system that ensured horrible performance and little else.
The other issue in 1973 was the 5 mph bumpers legislated onto North American vehicles. The bumpers were not pretty and made the cars look like a buck-toothed kid with old school braces on his teeth. Eventually the bumpers were aligned with the lines of the car as the decade moved on, but the bumpers on most 1973 models looked like they were added on by bad automotive legislation instead of good automotive direction. Indeed they were, for all intents and purposes.
But the overall style of the 70s cars from Detroit defined the decade's automotive look and I believe there were a lot of home runs in the style department during the 70s. In fact, when I look at cars from an era that brought us short decks and long front ends like the 70s car style, I still like the look.
Sure the cars were underachievers in the horsepower department- and who can forget their first whiff of catalytic convertor exhaust effluents in '73 -but the cars looked cool to me then and now. The advent of T-top roofs was an even hipper part of the automotive culture of the 70s.
The wild decal packages on cars like the Pontiac Trans Am gave them massive curb appeal then and now in my opinion, along with hood scoops on some of the sportier cars built in the 70s. The factory horsepower ratings were low, but the cars still looked like they meant business.
Some of the cars did mean business after they underwent an emission system removal and a few engine changes by the right mechanical surgeon. The process to regain the lost muscle under the hood was rarely advertised by practitioners, but the best of them were gods to car guys in the 70s looking for more power.
I will always be a staunch defender of the unloved cars from the 70s. These rides may be the favorite whipping boy for other car guys but, unlike disco music, I have always been on the 70s cars' side- then, now and forever.
Link: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/03/cars-of-the-seventies-cant-get-no-respect/ (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/03/cars-of-the-seventies-cant-get-no-respect/)
:wub:
(http://bloviatingzeppelin.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1974-Dodge-Monaco-Cop-Car.jpg)
In automotive terms, the '70s didn't really start until ~'73. The vast majority of cars made in '70-'72 where still very much cars of the '60s and are generally thought of as belonging to that much cooler, and much better, generation/vintage of auto.
I'm a big fan of a lot of '70s cars (even though Wimmer's level of Fetishism confuses me), but by no means will I defend most of them as "good" cars. It wasn't only the aforementioned gas shortages and safety regulations that conspired against them, but also a stagnating economy and rising steel prices. The cost cutting measures on almost any car designed in the '70s is readily apparent to nearly anybody who looked beneath the sutface of them. That the automakers attempted to cover up these problems with the liberal application of chrome gewgaws and ridiculous striping schemes doesn't help much either.
That being said, the styling of many of them is holding up better every year. As new cars continue to outstrip the performance of even the legendary Big Hot Mommas from the '60s, the lackluster performance of them seems less and less important by way of comparison. We reached the point long ago where classic cars were more deisrable for their history and cachet than their abilities.
I'm also seeing more and more of them show up at the summer cruise-ins and especially on the auction listings.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 16, 2014, 03:04:42 PM
I'm a big fan of a lot of '70s cars (even though Wimmer's level of Fetishism confuses me), but by no means will I defend most of them as "good" cars. It wasn't only the aforementioned gas shortages and safety regulations that conspired against them, but also a stagnating economy and rising steel prices. The cost cutting measures on almost any car designed in the '70s is readily apparent to nearly anybody who looked beneath the sutface of them. That the automakers attempted to cover up these problems with the liberal application of chrome gewgaws and ridiculous striping schemes doesn't help much either.
That being said, the styling of many of them is holding up better every year. As new cars continue to outstrip the performance of even the legendary Big Hot Mommas from the '60s, the lackluster performance of them seems less and less important by way of comparison. We reached the point long ago where classic cars were more deisrable for their history and cachet than their abilities.
I'm also seeing more and more of them show up at the summer cruise-ins and especially on the auction listings.
The big three pretty much stopped innovating in the early 60's. No new technology was developed, no new ideas were tried. The only thing they did was hog out the bores for more power. When they could no longer do that, they had nothing. Cars got worse and worse every year.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on March 16, 2014, 03:34:07 PM
The big three pretty much stopped innovating in the early 60's. No new technology was developed, no new ideas were tried. The only thing they did was hog out the bores for more power. When they could no longer do that, they had nothing. Cars got worse and worse every year.
Late '60s. Okay, maybe mid '60s.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on March 16, 2014, 03:34:07 PM
The big three pretty much stopped innovating in the early 60's. No new technology was developed, no new ideas were tried. The only thing they did was hog out the bores for more power. When they could no longer do that, they had nothing. Cars got worse and worse every year.
I'm not so sure about that. GM, at the very least, had a lot of innovative ideas through the late 60s and into the 70s. Unfortunately, a number of them were ahead of their time and didn't work very well, or weren't well received by the public at the time, and were abandoned until years later. Cylinder deactivation (displacement on demand), airbags, and turbocharging come to mind.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on March 16, 2014, 03:34:07 PM
The big three pretty much stopped innovating in the early 60's. No new technology was developed, no new ideas were tried. The only thing they did was hog out the bores for more power. When they could no longer do that, they had nothing. Cars got worse and worse every year.
You could say that nothing much happened after the mid fifties regarding technology, other than a handful of innovations developed for various racing series. However, the cars/engines did keep getting better throughout the '60s into the very early '70s. Some of the best motors/cars only became available in the late '60s...Z28 302, Boss 302, Boss 429, ZL1.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on March 16, 2014, 03:34:07 PM
The big three pretty much stopped innovating in the early 60's. No new technology was developed, no new ideas were tried. The only thing they did was hog out the bores for more power. When they could no longer do that, they had nothing. Cars got worse and worse every year.
Lots of stuff happened mid-'60s to early-'70s. Most notable IMO is the transition to unit body construction and electronic ignition, both started by Mopar. Manufacturing processes also got better and cheaper such that tech in the '50s that was considered exotic - disc brakes, 4-bbl carbs, 300+ hp - was easily had in grocery getter sedans by the late '60s.
Meh, I think there is little in the way or redemption in the true cars of the '70s. Most of the cool cars such as the Trans Am, Coronet, Fury, Duster/Dart Sport/Demon, etc., were actually holdovers from ~1970.
The only hope for '70s cars were imports.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 16, 2014, 03:04:42 PM
I'm a big fan of a lot of '70s cars (even though Wimmer's level of Fetishism confuses me), but by no means will I defend most of them as "good" cars. It wasn't only the aforementioned gas shortages and safety regulations that conspired against them, but also a stagnating economy and rising steel prices. The cost cutting measures on almost any car designed in the '70s is readily apparent to nearly anybody who looked beneath the sutface of them. That the automakers attempted to cover up these problems with the liberal application of chrome gewgaws and ridiculous striping schemes doesn't help much either.
That being said, the styling of many of them is holding up better every year. As new cars continue to outstrip the performance of even the legendary Big Hot Mommas from the '60s, the lackluster performance of them seems less and less important by way of comparison. We reached the point long ago where classic cars were more deisrable for their history and cachet than their abilities.
I'm also seeing more and more of them show up at the summer cruise-ins and especially on the auction listings.
Well said. :ohyeah:
I know that these cars weren't "quality cars", but their designs are what I find so awesome, elegant, stylish and beautiful. I "grew up" with these things on the movie screens as a kid. It made a lasting impression on me.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on March 17, 2014, 06:34:09 AM
Well said. :ohyeah:
I know that these cars weren't "quality cars", but their designs are what I find so awesome, elegant, stylish and beautiful. I "grew up" with these things on the movie screens as a kid. It made a lasting impression on me.
http://www.mjcclassiccars.com (http://www.mjcclassiccars.com)
This guy seems to bear it out that at least some of the cars from this era are rising in price. Go to the inventory page and start to scroll down.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 17, 2014, 06:41:47 AM
http://www.mjcclassiccars.com (http://www.mjcclassiccars.com)
This guy seems to bear it out that at least some of the cars from this era are rising in price. Go to the inventory page and start to scroll down.
Oh my, somebody call a doctor... I'm having a heart attack here! :wub:
'77 Chrysler Newport... PERFECTION. Absolute perfection. :wub:
(http://s1.postimg.org/71lybfepr/Untitled_1_copy.jpg)
Oh wow. :wub:
(http://s28.postimg.org/s3jb9nsrh/image.jpg)
Gorgeous. :wub:
(http://s28.postimg.org/o5w1k95y5/image.jpg)
Sweet Jesus! :wub: :wub: :wub:
(http://s28.postimg.org/rgkek4vvh/image.jpg)
(http://s28.postimg.org/kl06111el/1_copy.jpg)
Sold to Germany!? I need to track this guy down and steal this car! So gorgeous! THIS is car design, people! THIS IS CAR DESIGN!!! :rockon: :wub:
(http://s28.postimg.org/pnhhvtaot/image.jpg)
Is it weird that I am sexually aroused by these cars? Is that so wrong? :wub: :praise:
(http://s10.postimg.org/rzm593zzt/image.jpg)
(http://s10.postimg.org/p6xj2tp15/image.jpg)
:wub: :wub: :wub:
(http://s10.postimg.org/nt5w7iprt/image.jpg)
I'm getting the feeling I've done a very bad thing. Like leaving an alcoholic alone in the house with the liquor cabinet unlocked.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 17, 2014, 12:34:05 PM
I'm getting the feeling I've done a very bad thing. Like leaving an alcoholic alone in the house with the liquor cabinet unlocked.
:facepalm: And you were telling him that you approved of his choice to drink himself to death.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 17, 2014, 06:41:47 AM
http://www.mjcclassiccars.com (http://www.mjcclassiccars.com)
This guy seems to bear it out that at least some of the cars from this era are rising in price. Go to the inventory page and start to scroll down.
Nice site.
I suppose taste in cars goes hand in hand with taste in music. Having said that, of the cars shown, there's nothing in the '70s and '80s that is anywhere near as appealing to me, as the cars of the '50s and '60s.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 17, 2014, 12:34:05 PM
I'm getting the feeling I've done a very bad thing. Like leaving an alcoholic alone in the house with the liquor cabinet unlocked.
You've done a very good thing. :praise:
I'll be watching the Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth section like a hawk. Maybe one day a '74 Monaco or '76 Volare will show up. :mrcool:
Junk.
Quote from: FoMoJo on March 17, 2014, 02:02:30 PM
Nice site.
I suppose taste in cars goes hand in hand with taste in music. Having said that, of the cars shown, there's nothing in the '70s and '80s that is anywhere near as appealing to me, as the cars of the '50s and '60s.
:fogey:
:lol:
Quote from: Rupert on March 17, 2014, 08:04:18 PM
:fogey:
:lol:
(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkzionCmvPRJ4UhAgWOs4BIo7P8qOOwDLs7-KQG8CMsl0C7Wti-g)
:praise:
That was a great movie.
Quote from: Raza on March 17, 2014, 07:37:27 PM
I want that '77 Chrysler Newport with that smooth-shifting 3-speed automatic!
Hey, I saw it first!!!! :lol:
Quote from: Rupert on March 16, 2014, 07:03:08 PM
The only hope for '70s cars were imports.
I think a more objective look back would reveal that 'import' cars from the '70s were all sorts of terrible too. The difference was that 'domestic' cars of the '70s were objectively and subjectively worse than their predecessors, whereas the 'import' cars of the '70s were better than their predecessors.
E.g. a 1969 Chevy Impala was better than a 1974 Impala, but a 1975 Honda Civic was far and away better than the little piles of shit Honda sold in the late '60s.
Some do get respect. They'r just not the land barges you love.
(http://wallhud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/BMW-2002-Turbo-Wallpaper-HD.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/BMW_30CSL_1.jpg)
Quote from: cawimmer430 on March 17, 2014, 07:16:41 AM
Oh wow. :wub:
(http://s28.postimg.org/s3jb9nsrh/image.jpg)
This one I'll agree with you on. In fact 1966 was a vintage year for GM designs.
Quote from: 93JC on March 18, 2014, 02:21:18 PM
I think a more objective look back would reveal that 'import' cars from the '70s were all sorts of terrible too. The difference was that 'domestic' cars of the '70s were objectively and subjectively worse than their predecessors, whereas the 'import' cars of the '70s were better than their predecessors.
E.g. a 1969 Chevy Impala was better than a 1974 Impala, but a 1975 Honda Civic was far and away better than the little piles of shit Honda sold in the late '60s.
I wasn't referring to build quality and reliability. Most of the Euro makes and some of the Japanese makes made awesome in the '70s, because they drove well and looked awesome. Bimmers, Z cars, all the Porsches, Jags (terribly unreliable, but good cars otherwise), etc. There was nothing that good coming out of America then.
I think the '76 Camaro was a much better deal than the '76 280Z.
You could have V8 power for thousands less than the Z and it probably had better build quality too.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on March 18, 2014, 11:08:19 PM
I think the '76 Camaro was a much better deal than the '76 280Z.
You could have V8 power for thousands less than the Z and it probably had better build quality too.
Sadly, the 280Z had every bit as much power as the most powerful Camaro in 76.
Quote from: MexicoCityM3 on March 18, 2014, 06:57:34 PM
Some do get respect. They'r just not the land barges you love.
(http://wallhud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/BMW-2002-Turbo-Wallpaper-HD.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/BMW_30CSL_1.jpg)
:golfclap:
Quote from: CLKid on March 18, 2014, 08:44:43 PM
This one I'll agree with you on. In fact 1966 was a vintage year for GM designs.
The original Oldsmobile Toronado is definitely a classic and an amazing car. I've also always liked the Toronado's of the early 1970s.
Hey Wimmer how about some interior photos of those beauties?
I'm so glad this is only contained to this thread...
Quote from: MX793 on March 19, 2014, 07:00:08 AM
Sadly, the 280Z had every bit as much power as the most powerful Camaro in 76.
Nah, the Z had a lot less torque and only about 135 net hp.
The RS would beat it to 60 mph and be neck and neck in the quarter mile.
Quote from: MX793 on March 19, 2014, 07:00:08 AM
Sadly, the 280Z had every bit as much power as the most powerful Camaro in 76.
Yeah, the camaro wasn't as strong as the TAs of the time.
I am sure the 400 and 455 versions of these were more than a match for the 280Z
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/1976_Pontiac_Firebird_Trans_Am.jpg)
Quote from: SVT32V on March 19, 2014, 03:05:21 PM
Yeah, the camaro wasn't as strong as the TAs of the time.
I am sure the 400 and 455 versions of these were more than a match for the 280Z
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/1976_Pontiac_Firebird_Trans_Am.jpg)
In a straight line race to the nearest gas pump maybe. :lol:
Quote from: Rupert on March 18, 2014, 09:44:50 PM
I wasn't referring to build quality and reliability. Most of the Euro makes and some of the Japanese makes made awesome in the '70s, because they drove well and looked awesome. Bimmers, Z cars, all the Porsches, Jags (terribly unreliable, but good cars otherwise), etc. There was nothing that good coming out of America then.
"Drove well".
Yep, them's the words I typed.
Quote from: 68_427 on March 19, 2014, 10:59:55 AM
Hey Wimmer how about some interior photos of those beauties?
Drool. So kitsch, so pimp. :wub:
(http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chrysler/77chry/bilder/2.jpg)
They made a wagon out of this thing!? WANT... no, NEED!!! :rockon:
(http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chrysler/77chry/bilder/9.jpg)
(http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f163/36038d1252335671-1976-buick-electra-limited-park-avenue-august-21-_2009-011.jpg)
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on March 23, 2014, 06:33:32 PM
(http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f163/36038d1252335671-1976-buick-electra-limited-park-avenue-august-21-_2009-011.jpg)
I do miss overstuffed velour seats. Like driving in a La-Z-Boy.
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on March 23, 2014, 06:33:32 PM
(http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f163/36038d1252335671-1976-buick-electra-limited-park-avenue-august-21-_2009-011.jpg)
It looks like it smells like moth balls.
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on March 23, 2014, 06:33:32 PM
(http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f163/36038d1252335671-1976-buick-electra-limited-park-avenue-august-21-_2009-011.jpg)
You should have put up a "NSFW" / "18+" warning! I just jizzed in my pants! Lovely interior. :wub:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on March 24, 2014, 12:01:19 PM
You should have put up a "NSFW" / "18+" warning! I just jizzed in my pants! Lovely interior. :wub:
Added to my list of regrets in life.
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on March 25, 2014, 08:03:49 PM
Added to my list of regrets in life.
Was that your car?
Quote from: cawimmer430 on March 26, 2014, 08:33:53 AM
Was that your car?
No, posting the picture was my regret. I should have known better
Wow even the center console is velour. Good grief.
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on March 28, 2014, 05:52:49 PM
No, posting the picture was my regret. I should have known better
You made a stranger happy that day. You should do this more often. :lol:
Quote from: Secret Chimp on March 29, 2014, 12:50:05 AM
Wow even the center console is velour. Good grief.
It's not very common to see a console in these cars. Most had a bench seat in front.
Quote from: Rupert on March 16, 2014, 07:03:08 PM
The only hope for '70s cars were imports.
Imports were pretty bad then too.
Quote from: SVT32V on March 19, 2014, 03:05:21 PM
Yeah, the camaro wasn't as strong as the TAs of the time.
I am sure the 400 and 455 versions of these were more than a match for the 280Z
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/1976_Pontiac_Firebird_Trans_Am.jpg)
:wub: I loved those cars up to '78. I had a '73 Firebird.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on March 24, 2014, 12:01:19 PM
You should have put up a "NSFW" / "18+" warning! I just jizzed in my pants! Lovely interior. :wub:
:lol: I knew that would happen when you saw that picture!
Quote from: dazzleman on March 31, 2014, 08:01:29 AM
Imports were pretty bad then too.
Some of them, but certainly not all. I would take any German or Japanese car from '73 or later than any American or British car from the same year, and that goes for both performance and reliability.
Quote from: Rupert on March 31, 2014, 07:26:28 PM
Some of them, but certainly not all. I would take any German or Japanese car from '73 or later than any American or British car from the same year, and that goes for both performance and reliability.
I agree, but you're putting the European and Japanese cars against a very low standard. American cars from that era were pitiably bad in terms of performance and reliability.
Japanese cars from that time were econoboxes, tiny little wheelers with engines not much bigger than go-kart engines, that somehow didn't get particularly good fuel economy. European cars were finicky and unreliable and their performance was not that great.
Still, they were both better than American cars of that era. That's a damning indictment of the American cars.
I had 2 '70s vehicles. One was a '73 Ford Courier...rebadged Mazda B1800. Great little engine but, after 3 years, the body had all but disintegrated. The other was a '78 Ford Bronco. It was pretty nice but drank far too much gas. It also had what they called "part time/full time" all wheel drive. It was just a differential in the transfer case that could be locked by a switch on the dash.
The good cars of the 70s were sporty cars. America had the Corvette, F-body and the Mustang II. The Corvette's chassis was revolutionary for 1963, but fat and outdated by the mid 70s. The Mustang II was a sales success but handled poorly and had odd proportions. I think the only endearing American car of the malaise era is the Firebird Trans Am.
Agreed. The only car that makes me REALLY want one is the Firebird. I prefer the 60's versions of Stangs and Vettes.
No love left for the gorgeous sedans and wagons of that era? A "Boat Tail" Buick Riviera perhaps? :praise:
With me it's different. I'm more into the sedans, wagons and luxury coupes of the '70s than the sports cars.
Quote from: dazzleman on April 01, 2014, 03:56:00 AM
I agree, but you're putting the European and Japanese cars against a very low standard. American cars from that era were pitiably bad in terms of performance and reliability.
Japanese cars from that time were econoboxes, tiny little wheelers with engines not much bigger than go-kart engines, that somehow didn't get particularly good fuel economy. European cars were finicky and unreliable and their performance was not that great.
Still, they were both better than American cars of that era. That's a damning indictment of the American cars.
There were a lot of bad cars that only stand up because they're next to piles of shit, yes. But whereas 'Murrica had the Firebird and full-size trucks, other countries imported Z-cars, RX-7, mini-trucks, any Bimmer, any Saab, any Volvo, Celica, Land Rovers, little British cars, Alfa, Fiat, etc. Many of those weren't reliable, but they are still desirable today (well, maybe not
all the Volvos...), which is much more than you can say for almost any post-'73 American car.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on April 01, 2014, 12:10:21 PM
The good cars of the 70s were sporty cars. America had the Corvette, F-body and the Mustang II. The Corvette's chassis was revolutionary for 1963, but fat and outdated by the mid 70s. The Mustang II was a sales success but handled poorly and had odd proportions. I think the only endearing American car of the malaise era is the Firebird Trans Am.
And even then the T/A was a design from 1970, the peak of the muscle/pony car era.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 01, 2014, 03:23:19 PM
No love left for the gorgeous sedans and wagons of that era? A "Boat Tail" Buick Riviera perhaps? :praise:
With me it's different. I'm more into the sedans, wagons and luxury coupes of the '70s than the sports cars.
The boattail Riv was great.
(http://www.imcdb.org/i531091.jpg)
But that's about it.
I just love '70s car design. Car design was great from the 30s to the late '70s, then it all went downhill. :praise:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 04, 2014, 08:04:32 AM
I just love '70s car design. Car design was great from the 30s to the late '70s, then it all went downhill. :praise:
Still going downhill, imo. :(
Quote from: FoMoJo on April 04, 2014, 08:09:28 AM
Still going downhill, imo. :(
Yes, yes...nothing but hell in a hand basket talk from the near death crowd. :lol:
I like the Ford Maverick.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on April 04, 2014, 11:05:36 AM
Yes, yes...nothing but hell in a hand basket talk from the near death crowd. :lol:
Nothing but wrinkles, scallops and creases, no art. How about some eye popping, innovative, creative styling from the "boomerang" crowd that doesn't look like something designed by 'auto' CAD. I'd really like to see something unique and amazing from the auto industry before I kick the bucket. :huh:
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on April 04, 2014, 11:07:03 AM
I like the Ford Maverick.
+1
Though that one came out in 1970, so it was really the tail end of the 60s generation of cars.
Quote from: FoMoJo on April 04, 2014, 12:34:48 PM
Nothing but wrinkles, scallops and creases, no art. How about some eye popping, innovative, creative styling from the "boomerang" crowd that doesn't look like something designed by 'auto' CAD. I'd really like to see something unique and amazing from the auto industry before I kick the bucket. :huh:
Safety regulations have left designers of mainstream cars with their hands tied.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on April 04, 2014, 11:07:03 AM
I like the Ford Maverick.
My parents had one when they first came to the US.
Quote from: MX793 on April 04, 2014, 02:30:27 PM
Safety regulations have left designers of mainstream cars with their hands tied.
There's always been a tug-of-war between designers and engineers yet, they've managed some brilliant designs over the years. Could it be that all the good designs have been done? I don't think so.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on April 04, 2014, 11:07:03 AM
I like the Ford Maverick.
It's Mercury twin, the Gen. V Comet, was nice too. Especially the early GTs with a 302.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 04, 2014, 08:04:32 AM
I just love '70s car design. Car design was great from the 30s to the late '70s, then it all went downhill. :praise:
A lot of it is unit body design - makes redesign much more complicated.
Quote from: FoMoJo on April 04, 2014, 12:34:48 PM
Nothing but wrinkles, scallops and creases,
Oh, I thought you were describing yourself!
:lol:
Quote from: Rupert on April 04, 2014, 06:58:17 PM
Oh, I thought you were describing yourself!
:lol:
That too :(.
I would say that the 79 300SD I had was probably 10 to 15 years ahead of any Cadillac or Lincoln of the time.
Quote from: Mustangfan2003 on April 04, 2014, 11:39:54 PM
I would say that the 79 300SD I had was probably 10 to 15 years ahead of any Cadillac or Lincoln of the time.
As far as diesels go, sure. In fact GM never has made a diesel car that was as good as that.
But in a lot of other respects, well: there's a big difference in what those cars were trying to be compared to the Mercedes.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on April 04, 2014, 11:43:45 PM
As far as diesels go, sure. In fact GM never has made a diesel car that was as good as that.
But in a lot of other respects, well: there's a big difference in what those cars were trying to be compared to the Mercedes.
Wasn't really talking about the engine though. That car had 4 wheel disc while everyone was still using drums on the rear and it had IRS and I think the only American car at the time that offered that was the Corvette. Then you look at the interiors and the American car makers were still using that old sofa looking style up into the late 80s/early 90s.
Quote from: Mustangfan2003 on April 04, 2014, 11:56:40 PM
Wasn't really talking about the engine though. That car had 4 wheel disc while everyone was still using drums on the rear and it had IRS and I think the only American car at the time that offered that was the Corvette. Then you look at the interiors and the American car makers were still using that old sofa looking style up into the late 80s/early 90s.
Well, the style was a choice: its not like the big 3 weren't capable of making hard pleather seats with little vent holes in them. The Toro/Eldo had rear discs too, as an option.
From the Craigslist/eBay/Autotrader thread.......
(http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/23717355-770-0@2X.jpg?rev=1)
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/citroen/sm/1636618.html (http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/citroen/sm/1636618.html)
Thiis '70s car gets massive respect! :wub:
Terrible times. Strangely, a lot of the same conditions/constraints have come back to put a damper on car design today. Emissions/fuel economy are pushing cars sold in Europe to turbocharging; safety has increased weight and shoulder lines; less than ideal economic conditions have prompted a lot of weird mergers and platform recycling
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 06, 2014, 10:02:49 AM
Terrible times. Strangely, a lot of the same conditions/constraints have come back to put a damper on car design today. Emissions/fuel economy are pushing cars sold in Europe to turbocharging; safety has increased weight and shoulder lines; less than ideal economic conditions have prompted a lot of weird mergers and platform recycling
Taking the long view, I think that whenever there is a forced (and often necessary) change, the initial models are subpar, and eventually the manufacturers get it right. In the 70s, there was a twin push for lower pollution and greater fuel economy, and the auto manufacturers found this hard to cope with at first. But eventually, they started producing better products.
Similar things are happening today. We got complacent with cheap oil in the 90s and went back to our gas guzzling ways (though we didn't relax pollution limitations), thinking it was absolutely necessary to drive our whole living rooms around with this. This was something I never got caught up in; I've always liked driving the smallest car that was practical for me, because my priority is maneuverability, agility and speed. The big SUVs were just the successor to the 70s land yachts. History always repeats itself.
I do get a kick out of Wimmer's jizzing over the 70s land yachts, but he never had to depend on one for his day to day transportation. I did, and I would never go back. If I were to go for a classic car, it would be something from the 50s or 60s. My grandpop (dad's father) had cool cars -- He had a '56 Ford Fairlane and a '65 Ford Galaxie. Either one of them would be a great classic car, IMO.
Quote from: Madman on April 05, 2014, 07:18:01 AM
From the Craigslist/eBay/Autotrader thread.......
(http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/23717355-770-0@2X.jpg?rev=1)
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/citroen/sm/1636618.html (http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/citroen/sm/1636618.html)
Thiis '70s car gets massive respect! :wub:
I would seriously kill for this car. :wub: :wub: :wub:
Quote from: dazzleman on April 06, 2014, 10:15:56 AM
I do get a kick out of Wimmer's jizzing over the 70s land yachts, but he never had to depend on one for his day to day transportation. I did, and I would never go back. If I were to go for a classic car, it would be something from the 50s or 60s. My grandpop (dad's father) had cool cars -- He had a '56 Ford Fairlane and a '65 Ford Galaxie. Either one of them would be a great classic car, IMO.
I would simply display my 1972 Oldsmobile Delta 88 or 1974 Dodge Monaco or 1972 Chrysler New Yorker in my XXXL-sized living room. :praise:
I wouldn't drive them every day here - no place to park them and I ain't gonna fill them up with precious fuel every two hours! :lol:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 06, 2014, 11:26:49 AM
I would seriously kill for this car. :wub: :wub: :wub:
Really? I think it's fucking butt ugly. :devil:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 06, 2014, 11:28:40 AM
I would simply display my 1972 Oldsmobile Delta 88 or 1974 Dodge Monaco or 1972 Chrysler New Yorker in my XXXL-sized living room. :praise:
I wouldn't drive them every day here - no place to park them and I ain't gonna fill them up with precious fuel every two hours! :lol:
My great aunt had a '72 Chevy Impala. You would have jizzed in your pants at the sight of it. My brother loved it too. He also loved my Montego. It seems the two of you have similar taste in cars. After she died, my mom inherited the car and gave it to my brother, but he ran it into the ground pretty quickly. It was poorly made, like most 70s cars, and was in pretty bad shape despite having very few miles and having been very well cared for.
Quote from: dazzleman on April 06, 2014, 11:35:13 AM
Really? I think it's fucking butt ugly. :devil:
Don't make me come over and bitch slap you in the face! :evildude:
Quote from: dazzleman on April 06, 2014, 11:35:13 AM
Really? I think it's fucking butt ugly. :devil:
Heretic! Burn him!!! BURN HIM NOW!!!!!!!! :rage: