The Sorry State of Affairs in Automobilia in the 1970s, 80s and 90s

[GCrites]

A friend of mine's late father who was a car enthusiast and former mechanic LOVED Chevettes. He even put a 4.3 Vortec in one with an M20 4-speed box. He complained that the door striker/B-pillar metal would tear out over time which basically rendered the vehicle junk. Nobody was making a solution for the problem back then and I don't think anyone's doing it now either.

[Max Rockatansky]

A friend of mine's late father who was a car enthusiast and former mechanic LOVED Chevettes. He even put a 4.3 Vortec in one with an M20 4-speed box. He complained that the door striker/B-pillar metal would tear out over time which basically rendered the vehicle junk. Nobody was making a solution for the problem back then and I don't think anyone's doing it now either.

Now this is how you do a restomod:

[GCrites]

I'd rather have the 4.3 honestly 

[SteveG1988]

[jwolfer]

A friend of mine's late father who was a car enthusiast and former mechanic LOVED Chevettes. He even put a 4.3 Vortec in one with an M20 4-speed box. He complained that the door striker/B-pillar metal would tear out over time which basically rendered the vehicle junk. Nobody was making a solution for the problem back then and I don't think anyone's doing it now either.

My roommate in college around 1991 has a diesel chevette...

[Max Rockatansky]

Mattlock on wheels, the Perry Mason mobile.....

[Henry]

Even though it had been around since 1982, here's the KITT/Bandit car that we all remember and love!

[PHLBOS]

Later on, President Obama signed on a CAFE mandate for cars & light trucks to average 54.5 mpg by 2025.  Needless to say, the only way to achieve such would be greater emphasis on hybrids & electrics.

And Diesels?

Initially, yes; but given what recently went down w/VW's TDI, I don't think we're going to be seeing that many diesel-powered cars being marketed in the US for a while if ever. 

To some degree, we won't down this road before w/GM' (mainly Oldmobile's) diesel offerings from '78-'85.  Such offered great mileage (31 MPG highway in a 4000 lb. full-size V8 sedan or wagon); but the associated problems turned out to be a major liability for GM at the time and poisoned the well for diesel cars for nearly a generation.

Can anyone say Deja Vu?

[Max Rockatansky]

Later on, President Obama signed on a CAFE mandate for cars & light trucks to average 54.5 mpg by 2025.  Needless to say, the only way to achieve such would be greater emphasis on hybrids & electrics.

And Diesels?

Initially, yes; but given what recently went down w/VW's TDI, I don't think we're going to be seeing that many diesel-powered cars being marketed in the US for a while if ever. 

To some degree, we won't down this road before w/GM' (mainly Oldmobile's) diesel offerings from '78-'85.  Such offered great mileage (31 MPG highway in a 4000 lb. full-size V8 sedan or wagon); but the associated problems turned out to be a major liability for GM at the time and poisoned the well for diesel cars for nearly a generation.

Can anyone say Deja Vu?

I don't know about that, a lot of people are saying that whole VW scandal has the same taint as those horrid GM diesel offerings.  It's not like they are cranking out puffy black clouds of soot....out of sight and out of mind.  At least that's how the story has gone; it was being presented as doomsday for VW and while it's going to cost them a crap ton of money that certainly didn't turn out to be the case.  The people who cheated those emissions got busted which just means the technology will have to improve and given how much of a footprint diesel has in Europe it likely will.  Now will that translate into mainstream American sales?....probably not outside of the heavy duty truck buyer but it will be something just like all the other alternate powertrains. 

Speaking of oldies found this on the Regular Cars channel:

I remember that it was either 1995 or 1996 but my Mom finally got rid of the old trusty Astro and stepped up for pearly light blue Blazer two-door.  I recall that being a proud moment to break the grasp of mini-vandom one and for all.  She was not a happy camper when my Dad made her get an Monte Carlo a couple years later and then a Impala.  Her last two vehicles were an Equinox and an SRX before she passed away....always talked about how she loved the ride height of that old trusty Blazer.  Now that might be what the doctor ordered as far as a makeshift off-roader that I'm clamoring for these days.

[Takumi]

Today's RCR was about a new GM product.
https://youtu.be/wZt2ZqB2J-M

[PHLBOS]

Today's RCR was about a new GM product.
https://youtu.be/wZt2ZqB2J-M

Aka Cadillac's Corvette.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm surprised he didn't touch on the 700 extra pounds the XLR had over the C5 Corvette and the 4.4L Supercharged Northstar.  The 4.4L XLR is going to be a collector's piece one day but the standard version is just a weighted down and neutered Corvette.

[Max Rockatansky]

I know it's a 2003 but it's still a 90s platform...they can call it an SRT 4 all they want it's still a Neon:

[Max Rockatansky]

One of the pinnacles for the Fast and the Furious crowd:

[Henry]

How about the Regal from hell? That's basically what the Grand National and GNX were back in the 80s:

FWIW, its turbocharged 3.8L V6 was a worthy alternative to the other three G-body performance-based variants that were available at the time (Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix 2+2, Hurst Olds/442), and all the others had V8s. Additionally, it's very hard to believe that a GN actually outran a Corvette in the quarter-mile! (in 1984, IIRC)

[Max Rockatansky]

How about the Regal from hell? That's basically what the Grand National and GNX were back in the 80s:

FWIW, its turbocharged 3.8L V6 was a worthy alternative to the other three G-body performance-based variants that were available at the time (Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix 2+2, Hurst Olds/442), and all the others had V8s. Additionally, it's very hard to believe that a GN actually outran a Corvette in the quarter-mile! (in 1984, IIRC)

Really all the G-bodies needed the Corvette 5.7L TPI engine as an option....but that's how GM was back then.  Today you wouldn't see crap like that with the LT engines nor the previous generation LS engines.  The Camaro has the LT1 just like the Corvette does and oddly the SS still has the LS3...probably because it's on the Zeta platform and not Alpha.  That Monte Carlo comes to mind most out of all with that dog Mouse Motor 305....that was the WORST iteration of the small block Chevy ever built.  And GM was flat out lying about how much power the 3.8L Turbo really made...they couldn't let anyone think that something was out powering the Corvette when it was probably pulling 300hp minimum at the crank.

[slorydn1]

How about the Regal from hell? That's basically what the Grand National and GNX were back in the 80s:

FWIW, its turbocharged 3.8L V6 was a worthy alternative to the other three G-body performance-based variants that were available at the time (Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix 2+2, Hurst Olds/442), and all the others had V8s. Additionally, it's very hard to believe that a GN actually outran a Corvette in the quarter-mile! (in 1984, IIRC)

Really all the G-bodies needed the Corvette 5.7L TPI engine as an option....but that's how GM was back then.  Today you wouldn't see crap like that with the LT engines nor the previous generation LS engines.  The Camaro has the LT1 just like the Corvette does and oddly the SS still has the LS3...probably because it's on the Zeta platform and not Alpha.  That Monte Carlo comes to mind most out of all with that dog Mouse Motor 305....that was the WORST iteration of the small block Chevy ever built.  And GM was flat out lying about how much power the 3.8L Turbo really made...they couldn't let anyone think that something was out powering the Corvette when it was probably pulling 300hp minimum at the crank.

Yes, this!  My friend had an 89 Mustang LX 5.0 and was continuously getting his doors blown off by a chick in a GN. It took alotta work and $$ just to get his car to the point where he could just hang with a stock Grand National.

Add to that the GNX-that was ridiculous for its time, and it wouldn't take a whole lot of money on top if the stock package to get one to hang with my 2014 Mustang GT in the quarter. That turbo 3.8 was one hell of an engine!

[Avalanchez71]

Later on, President Obama signed on a CAFE mandate for cars & light trucks to average 54.5 mpg by 2025.  Needless to say, the only way to achieve such would be greater emphasis on hybrids & electrics.

And Diesels?

Initially, yes; but given what recently went down w/VW's TDI, I don't think we're going to be seeing that many diesel-powered cars being marketed in the US for a while if ever. 

To some degree, we won't down this road before w/GM' (mainly Oldmobile's) diesel offerings from '78-'85.  Such offered great mileage (31 MPG highway in a 4000 lb. full-size V8 sedan or wagon); but the associated problems turned out to be a major liability for GM at the time and poisoned the well for diesel cars for nearly a generation.

Can anyone say Deja Vu?

I don't know about that, a lot of people are saying that whole VW scandal has the same taint as those horrid GM diesel offerings.  It's not like they are cranking out puffy black clouds of soot....out of sight and out of mind.  At least that's how the story has gone; it was being presented as doomsday for VW and while it's going to cost them a crap ton of money that certainly didn't turn out to be the case.  The people who cheated those emissions got busted which just means the technology will have to improve and given how much of a footprint diesel has in Europe it likely will.  Now will that translate into mainstream American sales?....probably not outside of the heavy duty truck buyer but it will be something just like all the other alternate powertrains. 

Speaking of oldies found this on the Regular Cars channel:

I remember that it was either 1995 or 1996 but my Mom finally got rid of the old trusty Astro and stepped up for pearly light blue Blazer two-door.  I recall that being a proud moment to break the grasp of mini-vandom one and for all.  She was not a happy camper when my Dad made her get an Monte Carlo a couple years later and then a Impala.  Her last two vehicles were an Equinox and an SRX before she passed away....always talked about how she loved the ride height of that old trusty Blazer.  Now that might be what the doctor ordered as far as a makeshift off-roader that I'm clamoring for these days.

I had a ZR2 Pewter Metallic two door for a few weeks.  I was in the car business and ran the new vehicle inventory department.  I was in charge of the ordering and the demos.

[Takumi]

Dream car. I will never, ever be able to own one unless the bubble bursts, though.
https://youtu.be/V6FDPS-78WU

I finally met, and rode in, my attainable dream car yesterday. 1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R.

[SteveG1988]

Pooing is cool

[Max Rockatansky]

Pooing is cool

Why would that bathroom have two doors? 

[SteveG1988]

Pooing is cool

Why would that bathroom have two doors? 

Just incase you blow the doors off.

[Max Rockatansky]

Fake or not this is digging about deep into the 70s as you can get:

I would love to see a 74 GTO, Pontiac Cam-Am or a Laguna S3 on this show.

[SteveG1988]

[Takumi]

I drove one of these in college. 302, 2WD, column shifter auto, extended cab, blue/blue/blue. I could bury the needle at about 90. Also, he gets locking diffs wrong, as many commenters have pointed out.
https://youtu.be/YAWBXji6itc