So, until today, Lee Iacocca was alive

[NowThis 931]

back in the 80s , you did not want to see this in the rear view 

Edited July 3, 2019 by NowThis

[Gil Bang 26,021]

5 hours ago, tbone_ said:

The mid 80s GTs were legit cars, for the time anyway

Had an '85 and yes, it was legit. 

[Gil Bang 26,021]

3 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

CSB:  I had an '86 Mazda B2000 pick up truck in charcoal grey that I sold to one of my workers back in '96.  He drove it to Durango, Mexico, hit it with a few can of light blue spray paint and it is still going strong to this day, unlike Lee Iacocca.

wasn't that truck a rebadged Ford Ranger?  

[Gil Bang 26,021]

53 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

It's incredible how many different products Chrysler was able to squeeze out of the K-car platform. Budget family sedan? Reliant K. Slap some chrome and leather on it and you have the "luxury" New Yorker.  A sports car? Dodge Daytona. Even the fucking minivan.  And who could forget the Chrysler TC by Maserati...

 

 

My grandfather was a Chrysler man for decades.  He ordered a New Yorker of that generation (he ordered all his vehicles).  Within 6 months he traded it in on a Merc Marquis, which is a fancier Crown Vic. 

He later grumbled all the time about what a POS that New Yorker was.  "When you turn on the air conditioner, it's like throwing an anchor out the window".

[El Diablo 4,232]

I was in boot camp up until January of '81 and then shipped off to Navy "A" school. Guy I met there had been in a different company but was in boot at the same time. On a hunch he hitchhiked his way from CA to FLA and used his travel pay, around $400 iirc, and bought Chrysler stock. He figured there was no way the government was going to let them fail. 

[Nueces River Rat 5,539]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

wasn't that truck a rebadged Ford Ranger?  

I could be wrong, but I think the Mazda rebadged Ford Rangers came along in the late 80's or early 90's when Ford had a partnership with Mazda.  I recall Mazda also rebadged a couple of Ford vehicles like the Escape in the 90's into the 2000's.   I think GM had similar thing with Toyota as well with GEO brand vehicles but it was Toyota making the vehicle for GM to rebrand.   My wife and I before we got married after she got her first "real" job after undergrad looked at the GEO that was rebadged Toyota Corolla.  We ended up getting a Mazda Protege which was the last stick shift car I ever drove.   Got great gas mileage and ran forever as we sold it to a cousin of hers about six years later and he drove it for another six or so years as commuting car.

 

[Gil Bang 26,021]

13 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

I could be wrong, but I think the Mazda rebadged Ford Rangers came along in the late 80's or early 90's when Ford had a partnership with Mazda.  I recall Mazda also rebadged a couple of Ford vehicles like the Escape in the 90's into the 2000's.   I think GM had similar thing with Toyota as well with GEO brand vehicles but it was Toyota making the vehicle for GM to rebrand.   My wife and I before we got married after she got her first "real" job after undergrad looked at the GEO that was rebadged Toyota Corolla.  We ended up getting a Mazda Protege which was the last stick shift car I ever drove.   Got great gas mileage and ran forever as we sold it to a cousin of hers about six years later and he drove it for another six or so years as commuting car.

 

Started in '93

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-08-fi-477-story.html

[Pato del Muerto 52,600]

2 hours ago, NowThis said:

back in the 80s , you did not want to see this in the rear view 

Southlake had some 5.0s in their lineup to generate revenue along 114 back in the early to mid 90s. 

Grapevine just put a crown Vic on the overpass with radar and some motorcycles at the end of the on ramp to play fetch. 

[Loco 3,754]

2 hours ago, NowThis said:

back in the 80s , you did not want to see this in the rear view 

Florida did hopped up mustangs for FHP.  One problem, the lowered stance and the bigger exhaust meant when they pulled folks over on the turnpike in the winter (aka dry season) the officer sometimes turned back to their cars to see them in the midst of a grass fire...  whomp whomp.   /csb 

[Loco 3,754]

And looks like it still happens ... lulz

 

[NowThis 931]

^ damn FL drivers need to slow down when driving past a pulled over cop car/vehicle.  It's very dangerous this disregard for safety etiquette. 

FL HP needs to transition to SUVs

[TwiceHorn 31,536]

10 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

The Japanese cars got better in the late 70's into the early 80's as far as looks.  Their pickups were little workhorses and I bet you can probably go to some areas as close as Mexico and still see some of those operating in the remote villages.  

You are correct about the CAFE standards and the lack of innovation around them as  being one of many reason the US auto industry started the multi decade decline during that era.    GM was full of mindless bean counters who also pushed the thinking that America's love affair with the new Japanese cars was only temporary, hence they brought to the market some of the ugliest POS ever such as the Pontiac Aztec.     I think many of those idiots still had that mindset until 2008 when they finally had to file bankruptcy.  I still wonder at times if GM has finally figured it out because having owned one GM vehicle since 2008, it had several mechanical issues that had to be addressed before the standard bumper to bumper warranty expired.  Needless to say we washed our hands of that 2015 Yukon real quick.      Can't say the same for the two F-150's or Honda we've owned during since 2008.  Likewise for the Toyota we traded in for that above noted Yukon in 2015 as I wished we would have gone ahead and kept it for a few years more and then downsized to the Honda my wife drives now.  

 

I should add Ford and Chrysler had their share of the same mindless bean counters.     At least Ford got a clue much earlier than the other two and was a tad more proactive  and avoided the bankruptcy mess GM had to go through.   Barely.  

In addition to being run by bean counters, before CAFE and emission controls, American cars were moving toward large-displacement V-8s, while Japanese were mostly confined to small displacement I4s, with the odd exception.  They were far better positioned, mostly by accident (and poor foresight in Detroit), to make more satisfactory cars than Detroit under the fuel economy and emissions constraints.

[TwiceHorn 31,536]

There was also this:

[Bullneck 19,206]

1 hour ago, Loco said:

And looks like it still happens ... lulz

 

Was hoping to see Paine's Prairie.  

[Bullneck 19,206]

22 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

I passed on a fully restored 66 Mustang for $4500 to buy an 87 Bronco II for my first car in ‘89. Yep. I was a dumb ass.

Also, I’m shocked he was only 97.

Nice to meet you, Al Cowlings.

[Nueces River Rat 5,539]

24 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

There was also this:

My first speeding ticket was given to me by a DPS Trooper in one of those.    Very stealth like .   

[tbone_ 14,162]

Had an '85 and yes, it was legit. 

Had an 82 trans am. Couple buddies had 85 gts that would walk my dog every time.

[Deej 76,923]

Those late 70's/early 80's Japanese cars may have been ok, but one ran into the back of my 76 Ford F-150 Supercab at a stoplight on Guadalupe going 20 mph. Engine block fell out of the bottom in two pieces and they had to cut him out of his car.

[Loco 3,754]

1 hour ago, NowThis said:

^ damn FL drivers need to slow down when driving past a pulled over cop car/vehicle.  It's very dangerous this disregard for safety etiquette. 

FL HP needs to transition to SUVs

It's Florida... think of the intersection of aggressive, stupid, and late 

Edited July 4, 2019 by Loco
Fuckin ipad

[Nueces River Rat 5,539]

57 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

In addition to being run by bean counters, before CAFE and emission controls, American cars were moving toward large-displacement V-8s, while Japanese were mostly confined to small displacement I4s, with the odd exception.  They were far better positioned, mostly by accident (and poor foresight in Detroit), to make more satisfactory cars than Detroit under the fuel economy and emissions constraints.

All true.   My first car was an 83 or 84 Chevy Cavalier I got in 1987.  It was a POS to say the least, but it got me from point A to point B with a bad motor mount and all.  I thought I was a bad ass when I replaced the factory FM/AM radio with a Sony Stereo system  package I bought at Sams Club for like $150.

[Jkwellborn 6,744]

^ damn FL drivers need to slow down when driving past a pulled over cop car/vehicle.  It's very dangerous this disregard for safety etiquette. 
FL HP needs to transition to SUVs

this is the truth. We drove to Disney last year. Holy shit at the dumbasses on the highway. 90+ and people still passed me.

There was also this:

Had a buddy with one when we were in high school. Heck I’d like to have one just to drive back and forth to work.

[RPM 26,354]

18 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

There was also this:

I ran up behind a CHP Camaro in 1978 on my way to Seattle. First one I'd ever seen. No lights on top but a big pair in the back window.

 

[LongestHorn 759]

On 7/4/2019 at 9:22 PM, tbone_ said:

Had an 82 trans am. Couple buddies had 85 gts that would walk my dog every time.

82 Trans Am 305ci 4brl V8 made 145 horsepower.  A celica was going to walk your dog.

[tbone_ 14,162]

You are correct. But, HS broads did not care about that. There were many things that happened related to that car that likely would not have happened had it been a Celica. I’m pretty sure the Cragar Supertricks helped too.