Automotive swill from the '70s and '80s

[Traction]

The full sized early 70's car were great! They were as big as most SUV's, but rode SO much smoother. Handled as good as an SUV, and got about the same gas mileage. In that respect, there hasn't been that much progress. They could be built much better now though.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Traction
The full sized early 70's car were great! They were as big as most SUV's, but rode SO much smoother. Handled as good as an SUV, and got about the same gas mileage. In that respect, there hasn't been that much progress. They could be built much better now though.


But were the roads smoother 30 years ago? I'd rock being a passenger in one of these things but might feel uneasy with the sloppy steering. OTOH the great visibility and hood ornament might make up for it.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Originally Posted By: supton
What is your definition of clean? Cleaner than what it was, or as clean as today's cars?

I'd be quite impressed if you could take a 30 year old V8 design, super-tune the carb, slap on a cat and meeting today's Tier-whatever. While making 15-20mpg.


There's nothing to it. I'd have to find the article, but one of the hot rod mags used a cat converter based on an industrial design, strategic air injection, and tuning to completely blow away California emissions testing.

This was done with a well-tuned Q-jet, and did pull over 20 on the highway, and something in the high-teens in the city. Car had an aggressive cam, long tubes, and a performance intake manifold.

The air injection system was reportedly far more advanced in execution than anything the OEMs ever cobbled together (multiple injection points strategically placed, and high-flow) and the cat of a higher quality than the OEM would ever purchase. Resistance was almost nonexistent, and had major capacity for converting gases.

The engine operated with no EGR due to camshaft profile (as with the LT4 engine that appeared in the 90s).


Sounds like Crusher Camaro. I will have to dig that up.

But color me dubious about it meeting today's standards. I'll eat crow if I'm wrong, but I have a very tough time believing a Q-Jet, no matter what is downstream, and 60/70's vintage combustion chambers with deep ring lands on the pistons, pass today's Tier whatever gram/mile limits.

Hey, if I can be proven wrong--actually, I'd like to be proven wrong. I wouldn't mind duplicating the result, actually. I've been perfectly fine driving around "gutless" I4's but if I could hit mid 20's on something with 300+ hp I'd be fine with that.


An LS1 F-body with a 6-speed would manage mid-20's on the highway even at extra-legal speeds...gotta love that double overdrive.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
My 70s corvette is cleaner than your brand new Nissan on e85. Think outside the box sometime.


No, it's not. Cat light-off is later, there's no closed loop, etc, etc. Also, my Nissan isn't flex fuel so no E85, not even E15.


I think he means he runs his Corvette on E85.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: gman2304
'This one runs a bit better than the ones the OP posted.



*0-60 in 4 seconds.
*Quarter mile e.t's in the 11's
*1.02 lateral G's on the skidpad
*It will do 150 mph.

And it's still Cadillac powered'.

Just think how fast it would be if it didn't weigh 5,000 lbs!


Actually, curb weight on the '82 Coupe Deville (which I believe is what is shown above) is 3,924 lbs, so lighter than both my Chargers and my previous M5.

Since the car is heavily modified, wouldn't that include removing some weight? Those cars had thick layers of insulation everywhere to make them quiet, removing that stuff might be a good place to start.


Schwartz's car is lightened: he has no HVAC system, the front seat replaced my race buckets, and rare (factory) aluminum bumpers. Also, stock curb weight would be with an Olds diesel.

My CDV, with HVAC and full interior, is ~4300lbs.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
But were the roads smoother 30 years ago? I'd rock being a passenger in one of these things but might feel uneasy with the sloppy steering. OTOH the great visibility and hood ornament might make up for it.

I find it hard to believe that the roads were smoother.

Might be able to swap in a different steering box. Or have it rebuilt and modified. I thought there were shops that would do that. Alot of money to update the front end.

Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to rock one of the last box-body Caprices. Find a wrecked 2WD C1500 and borrow the 4.8 & 4L60 to swap in. Run 3.42's. No OBDII emission checks, no AFM. That'd be pretty decent. But a TBI 350 would be simpler still. Update to Vortec heads but keep the TBI (as opposed to the Vortec spider), few other mods.

 

[Traction]

The old cars were better off-road, than most SUV's today, that have never driven by a dirt road. I am getting ready for a major update on a 55 Chevy 2 dr. Modified frame with C4 Corvette front, and rear suspension, steering, LS3 engine, with a 460E. Should handle pretty good on smooth roads though.

 

[supton]

Some of our paved roads could qualify for dirt. No joke. For a while I referred to a local road as paved single track, it was pretty brutal riding on a road bicycle.

 

[Robenstein]

I think the roads today ARE in worse shape in many states versus 30 years ago. Road repair money seems to just not go as far as it once did, and has been a lower priority it seems. I know in my state as well as some I travel up in the rust belt have some roads that are in horrible states of disrepair. The last time I drove from Iowa to Toronto, the Michigan interstates were ROUGH as can be. Good thing I have my 92 old Riviera at the time. I would have hated to do it in my little hatchback.

 

[CincyDavid]

I like the look of the 79-85 E-Body cars (Eldo, Riv, Toro) but I'd have to have an early one with a decent engine...no HT4100 for me. I briefly owned a bustleback Seville with the 4100 and it was SLOW. I seem to recall that there was some turbocharged Rivieras...that could be interesting.

If I could find a decent late 70s square Seville that could be a cool little car. 350 engine,stout THM350. I have to imagine that Nova or even Camaro suspension parts interchange if you wanted to firm-up the ride.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The Rivs usually had Buick 3800s (yes, some turbo'd)...Toronados had 350 or 307 Olds V8's.

The 75-79 Sevilles were stretched Novas...any 1975-81 F-body suspension parts will bolt in. (In fact, the Seville was the basis of the WS6 Firebird's 4-wheel disc brake system.)

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Who can forget the Cadillac Seville, and the even bigger boondoggle, the Cadillac Cimarron?

 

[DoubleWasp]

If there was one car that should never have been transformed into a Cadillac, it was definitely the Cavalier. That car shouldn't have even been a Chevrolet.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Who can forget the Cadillac Seville, and the even bigger boondoggle, the Cadillac Cimarron?


The Seville was a pretty good car...the Cimarron was dreadful.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
In the new Car and Driver, the new CTS-V runs an 11.6 quarter mile!!!! And the thing handles very well and has fantastic brakes. Keep it up, Cadillac!

Scott


Do they still make a Caddy with the Z06 motor?

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
If there was one car that should never have been transformed into a Cadillac, it was definitely the Cavalier. That car shouldn't have even been a Chevrolet.


When I went to buy my first new car, a coworker told me he loved his brand new Cavalier Z24 and I test drove one. It was kinda fun to drive, but I had the odd feeling that the car was going to tear itself apart when I turned it hard. I ended up buying a "safe" CRX that served me well for 7-8 years...I saw that guy in the parking garage just after I bought the Honda and asked about his Chevy, he bitterly spat out that it was the biggest POS he had ever owned. The dash had split in the TX heat after a couple of months and the dealer told him that was too bad, and I think he was having engine trouble, too. I noticed that it was not too long before those Cav Z24s mostly disappeared from the roads..

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
If there was one car that should never have been transformed into a Cadillac, it was definitely the Cavalier. That car shouldn't have even been a Chevrolet.


When I went to buy my first new car, a coworker told me he loved his brand new Cavalier Z24 and I test drove one. It was kinda fun to drive, but I had the odd feeling that the car was going to tear itself apart when I turned it hard. I ended up buying a "safe" CRX that served me well for 7-8 years...I saw that guy in the parking garage just after I bought the Honda and asked about his Chevy, he bitterly spat out that it was the biggest POS he had ever owned. The dash had split in the TX heat after a couple of months and the dealer told him that was too bad, and I think he was having engine trouble, too. I noticed that it was not too long before those Cav Z24s mostly disappeared from the roads..


Funny you mention that because I too noticed those Z24's seemed to disappear very quickly (same with the Beretta's). Good decision on picking the CRX. I always really liked those. I still see 80s era CRX's on the roads.