The non-muscle American car thread (READ THE OP)

  • Thread starter The87Dodge
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In your opinion, which country makes the best looking cars?


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    194
Have a post-fusey Chrysler in the form of a '74 Newport more-door hardtop.

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The headlight bezels are particularly stylish when they needn't be, and I love it.

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That final generation of Cabarello/El Camino is my favorite. Perfectly sized and they looked great.
I certainly prefer the facelifted G-bodies (and to that point have always been disappointed that the Malibu coupe was discontinued before the facelift), but the Diablo itself is somewhat titillating. I don't think it's going to make anyone, no matter how religious they are, do a spit take, but it just may raise some eyebrows.

I prefer the A-body pickups on the whole, though. And when we're talking about the GMC variants, a Sprint SP with the LS5 has undeniable appeal.

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It's also something on which I'd absolutely have to have a loud--just shy of obnoxious--exhaust, as much as they tend to annoy me.


(Also I recognize your new avatar. As a Zappa fan, I approve.)
(For anyone unaware, it's a ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch.)
 
I was on quite the Chrysler F/M/J-body kick not too long ago.
My Grandfather, Mother and one of my Uncles, were the Chrysler people in the Family. Was funny that my Mom had an '81 Lebaron coupe around the same time as my Uncle bought his then new '86 Fifth Avenue(upgraded from a '70s Plymouth wagon). Later, when my Mom bought her '05 300C, I remarked that it remided me of a modern Fifth Avenue in overall looks. :lol:

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I'm wondering if this black and gold paint scheme was in any way influenced by the black and gold "Golden Anniversary" 1955 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 in the 1975 movie "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings." In the movie it's Burt Reynolds' prize possession. Only 50 were supposed to have been made in honor of Oldsmobile's 50th Anniversary. Of course no such car ever existed. 1955 isn't even the 50th anniversary of Olds, 1947 is. The movie was successful, however. It's entirely possible Olds made this in gold and black so people would think it's a special edition like the Olds in the movie.
 
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I'm wondering if this black and gold paint scheme was in any way influenced by the black and gold "Golden Anniversary" 1955 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 in the 1975 movie "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings." In the movie it's Burt Reynolds' prize possession. Only 50 were supposed to have been made in honor of Oldsmobile's 50th Anniversary. Of course no such car ever existed. 1955 isn't even the 50th anniversary of Olds, 1947 is. The movie was successful, however. It's entirely possible Olds made this in gold and black so people would think it's a special edition like the Olds in the movie.
It could have been, but I think it may be more likely to be coincidence. The black and gold predates Hurst's involvement with Oldsmobile. The Hemi Under Glass Barracuda wore the combination, and the GeeTO Tiger before it in Tiger Gold paint with a black vinyl top, which was itself a popular combination. The first production Hurst/Olds had no gold at all, rather it was a '68 442 offered in silver with black striping package. The '79 Hurst/Olds, of which the car I posted above is an example, was also offered in white and gold.
 
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It could have been, but I think it may be more likely to be coincidence. The black and gold predates Hurst's involvement with Oldsmobile. The Hemi Under Glass Barracuda wore the combination, and the GeeTO Tiger before it in Tiger Gold paint with a black vinyl top, which was itself a popular combination. The first production Hurst/Olds had no gold at all, rather it was a '68 442 offered in silver with black striping package. The '79 Hurst/Olds, of which the car I posted above is an example, was also offered in white and gold.
I have no doubt you're right. I just hate to let a good coincidence go to waste.
 
When it comes to paint colors, the '83 and '84 are probably the most "Hurst" of the Hurst Oldsmobiles.

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I mean...those are the logo colors. How that combination wasn't used originally is beyond me.

Like most of the Hurst/Olds models, they got Oldsmobile Super Stock "styled" steel wheels, however they were Super Stock IIs as available on all Oldsmobile cars rather than special Hurst color coded examples or even body color coded Super Stock IIIs that were also available for other Oldsmobiles.

It's a shame they were gone after '81, because I'd really love to have seen the lighter RPO N78 cast aluminum wheel on these cars in addition to the '79s.

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The '73-4s also got the Hurst Lightning Rods shifter, a wild means of manipulating the very average 200-4R automatic.

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I have always liked the soft curves of the first generation of the Studebaker Lark (1959-1961). They came with a choice of 170 cu in (2.8 L) I6 or 259 cu in (4.2 L) V8. The wheelbase was a very friendly 108.5 in for the convertible, 2- and 4-door sedans, and 113 in for the station wagons (which was also available as a 2- or 4-door.)


1961 Studebaker Lark VIII Convertible


1961 Studebaker Lark VI 4-door sedan


1959 Studebaker Lark 2-door sedan


1960 Studebaker Lark VI 4-door wagon


1961 STudebaker Lark 2-door wagon
 
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Not your average '63 Impala, for an additional $1240 (nearly half the cost of the base car), The General offered 50 of these cars with the RPO Z11 package that featured few comfort frills but several aluminum panels to replace their steel counterparts for a weight savings of approximately 300 pounds, but it also included something special under the hood.

Where a top spec 409 in 1963 produced 425hp by virtue of 11:1 compression and dual Rochester 4GC 4-barrel carburetors, the Z11 motor got a longer stroke crankshaft (3.65 inches instead of the 409's 3.5) for a displacement of 427 cubic inches (four years before the Gen III IV big block that would boast this capacity), a bump in compression to 13.5:1, a special two-piece intake manifold that supported a pair of Carter AFB 4-barrels and a special air cleaner housing that pulled fresh air from the base of the car's windshield. The package was [under]rated at 430hp, but some accounts place actual power at nearly 100 over that. All Z11s came equipped with a close ratio Borg Warner 4-speed manual.
 
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Four thick slices of American Malaise: 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V Designer Editions


Bill Blass


Cartier


Givenchy


Pucci
My old NYNEX foreman had a Mark IV. Bought brand new. Not a scratch. Burgundy/Burgundy/Burgundy.

Would bring it to work only when we did Saturday shifts. I can still picture it leaning slightly to the side. :lol:
 
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