Car Wars 1977 - High School Film Project

Originally Posted By: 757guy
addyguy,

Funny you should ask because I was wondering when someone was going to ask me that. The Green Ford Maverick was my car- and I was using Amsoil Sythetic (after I read that article in Popular Mechanics I just had to have it in my car. A lot of money in those days too!)

The Black Chevy always had Valvoline 10W-40 in it. My dad swore by Texaco products and that is all that he ever used 'til the day he died.

I do not know exactly what the Chrysler 300 had in it, but I do remember going with my buddy to buy a case of Valvoline 10W-40 when it was on sale, and assume that is what he used in that car.

We still kid my friend about the stereo unit he bought to put in that car. It was a Kraco combination 8-track, cassette, and AM-FM stereo unit. If you were listening to a cassette and wanted to fast forward, it was almost faster to just let it play what you didn't want to hear rather than try to FF to another song. We kid each other all the time about that stereo, and he oftened mentioned if he could find one, he would give it to me as a Christmas Present. Of course, that would start an annual re-gifting campaign to each other that I'm sure would escalate to more elaborate wrapping, only to make it more difficult to get to each time it is re-gifted.

Might be getting too old to start any kind of annual pranking, but it is fun to think about the possibilities!!

Thanks for the comments!


Wow - you're quite a 'pioneer' on this site - one of the few who used syn oil back in the 1970's! Another awesomeness!

addyguy,

I was 17 years old when I bought my first synthetic oil from a local guy that had one of the first Amsoil dealerships in the area. I can remember my dad saying "How much is that oil?" and just shaking his head. I showed him the article from Popular Mechanics and he said there was no better oil than Texaco's Halvoline 10W-40.

Growing up in Minnesota we had many sub-zero nights, and having a car outside all of the time, that sythetic motor oil really made a difference when it came to start up in the morning when it was -25. That was 34 years ago and I am still using synthetic oil today.

757 Guy

In the late 1970's, among conventionals, I think I'd agree with your dad - Havoline was one of the best.

BTW, love the mags on the Maverick - so 70's! how long did you have that car for - it seems in good shape in this vid.

addyguy,

I purchased that car in 1976 for $900.00 - I don't remember what the mileage was but it was a stripped down model with black and white checkered vinyl seats.

The original owner had an Air conditioner from Montgomery Wards installed that hung from below where the glove compartment area was. Because of the air conditioner placement, there was very little room left for feet below that area. Condensation drains were handled by drilling right through the floorboard and installing 2 hoses to drain the water to the pavement below. For what is was, it worked really well!

I purchased those mags from the Montgomery Wards catalog too. Another Montgomery Wards item were rear Air Shocks allowing me to jack up the car slightly. You get better gas mileage that way because you are always going down hill!! I think I had that car for a total of 6 years and ended up selling it to a classmate from high school when I graduated from college. I did replace brakes, valve cover gaskets, heater hoses, and thermostat but never had any major work done on the car.

If you look at the video you will see a CB antenna on that car too. That was all the rage then. I can remember going out to the car and picking up the CB to see who was out driving around town. It was very effective when you lived in a town of about 1500 as Rosemount, MN was in those days.

A lot of great memories for sure!

757 Guy

wowzers, that brings back a lot of memories! thanks for posting this.

Very cool. I used to play a game called Car Wars and I thought it was about that when I saw the title.

440magnum,

You asked what happend to those cars: The black Chevy was mostly driven by my mom until 1981 when my folks bought a New Buick Regal (also black) with a maroon "Velour" interior. Belive it or not, the folks still have the Buick Regal (with 85,000 miles) stored in a heated 40 X 80 machine shed. Why they are keeping that thing around I'll never know. Good memories for me though..I took my wife on out on our first date in that car!

The Green Maverick was sold after I graduated from college in 1982. I sold it to a former high school classmate of mine for around $800 if I recall correctly. I then bought a 1975 Camaro that had around 60,000 miles. Forget what I paid for that one, but in 1985 I ended up trading that for a 1983 Honda Accord Hatchback with 28,000 miles on it.

The Chrysler 300 belonged to the guy driving it in the movie and he ended up selling it a couple of years later and buying an F-150 pickup for his hobby farm in Wisconsin.

Thinking back those were great cars, and you forget how simple they were to work on in those days. No computers, fuel injection, traction control, timing belts on interference engines, or faulty sunroofs. My main concerns in those days was whether or not the 8 track player was going to eat another tape of mine and wanting to replace by bias ply tires with a set of those new radial tires!

Great memories...glad to be here in the future with direct injection, GPS, heated seats, and All Wheel Drive.

757 Guy
Freezing in Minnesota... 52" of snow so far this year and we're only halfway done!