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Quoted: That was probably the worst era for American cars. View Quote Yep, if you're considering performance and build quality. Some of the styling was still kind of cool. Attached File |
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Somewhere my red 1977 Grand Prix is being well looked after, I hope.
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Quoted: Jesus Christ that era of American cars was fucking dogshit awful. View Quote There were 2 distinct eras in cars back then.70-74 cars still had some power and style.Then the Arab oil embargo hit and from roughly ‘75 on most everything was underpowered and ugly.I agree there’s nothing special about the car in the OP other than it’s old. |
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Quoted: Yep, if you're considering performance and build quality. Some of the styling was still kind of cool. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/13258/1978_Cougar_jpg-2181579.JPG View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: That was probably the worst era for American cars. Yep, if you're considering performance and build quality. Some of the styling was still kind of cool. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/13258/1978_Cougar_jpg-2181579.JPG I always thought of them as blank slates for performance modification. From a mechanical standpoint, the cars themselves were very workable. They had full frames and plenty of room under the hood. Dual A arm front suspension, and a 4 link style rear with coils. Large transmission tunnels. They would literally accept just about any engine and rwd drivetrain. The Grand Prix in question was also relatively lightweight. The only problem was the engines of that time. They were so light duty that most people understood that there was no point in even trying to modify them. Pull those boat anchors out and you could put absolutely anything you wanted in there. Button it all back up, and you had yourself a completely different vehicle, and a real sleeper if you didn't go too crazy with the exhaust. Personally, I always struggled with that last part. |
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Quoted: The first of the G body Grand Prix. They only made those for 3 years, 78-80. It would have been so much better with a 400 under the hood, but those ended with the larger 77 models. But an earlier engine swap and a rear gear change made those cars a whole lot of fun. Eta: They're not bad looking cars at all. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61196/20180808_054711_jpg-2181408.JPG View Quote |
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Quoted: There were 2 distinct eras in cars back then.70-74 cars still had some power and style.Then the Arab oil embargo hit and from roughly ‘75 on most everything was underpowered and ugly.I agree there’s nothing special about the car in the OP other than it’s old. View Quote The manual transmission is what makes it special. Along with that I'm sure is also has a limited slip differential. The car was ordered that way from the factory. Which makes it a rarity. |
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Quoted: Lol ok https://garagedreams.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/c30f78e297290bfce7e9d0ccd24eabe3.jpg https://richmonds.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Honda-nsx-red-2-1140x700.jpg https://www.elementwheels.com/media/gallery/kansei-knp-bronze.jpg View Quote How'd they look in 1979? Most were ugly due to their huge US spec bumpers on their undersized bodies. And unless you were forking over money for high end cars like the 911, most mass produced cars were not that good looking. |
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Quoted: Quoted: The first of the G body Grand Prix. They only made those for 3 years, 78-80. It would have been so much better with a 400 under the hood, but those ended with the larger 77 models. But an earlier engine swap and a rear gear change made those cars a whole lot of fun. Eta: They're not bad looking cars at all. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61196/20180808_054711_jpg-2181408.JPG No idea, I snagged it from the internet for a previous discussion a while back. |
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Quoted: Nice! I had a 77 Monte Carlo. Bought it from my grandfather with 43,000 miles on it and cruising on the highway was where cars from this era absolutely shined! Like an idiot I sold it to buy an 87 Accord Not my pics, powder blue with the white vinyl top. Never should have sold it- she was a beast and a blast to drive https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/120557/5D803778-CE30-43CA-BAFA-450CAF602651_jpe-2181551.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/120557/710492A6-E232-4157-9706-7E5924D95D2B_jpe-2181552.JPG View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I had a 77 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham, pretty close to the same car except for body style. Had the 350 and about a million feet of crushed velour inside. Handle? Hell no but it would cruise very nice and smooth down the highway. Only real downside it it had a horrible vapor lock issue if you shut if off hot and then tried to start it in less then 20 minutes or so. It always did start but you had to crank awhile. Never had any issues other then that with it. Got decent MPG for a big car. Nice! I had a 77 Monte Carlo. Bought it from my grandfather with 43,000 miles on it and cruising on the highway was where cars from this era absolutely shined! Like an idiot I sold it to buy an 87 Accord Not my pics, powder blue with the white vinyl top. Never should have sold it- she was a beast and a blast to drive https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/120557/5D803778-CE30-43CA-BAFA-450CAF602651_jpe-2181551.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/120557/710492A6-E232-4157-9706-7E5924D95D2B_jpe-2181552.JPG Had a similar 1976 with the ole 350 in it. Owned it long enough to sell it for a slowmaro. |
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858 miles is bad, really bad. Worse thing you can do to car is not drive it. Gasoline turns to yellow powder for starters, shit rusts, rubber rots
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Quoted: Yep, if you're considering performance and build quality. Some of the styling was still kind of cool. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/13258/1978_Cougar_jpg-2181579.JPG View Quote My 79 Cad Coupe De Ville laughs at that statement in bold. Those cars easily lasted 400,000 miles (although you would need around 3 transmissions to do it, but those were dirt cheap) I loved that 79 and could do amazing things with it, not to mention the kinds of things you could do inside that barge with girls. It was no match for the unibodies once those got good though. |
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Quoted: Show me a better looking Jap car from 1979....most Jap cars then rusted out in 3 years if they didn't blow a head gasket first at that time. View Quote 280Zx. The 240/60/80 Z were better looking but they were still decent looking and looked better then detroit steel of the late 70's. |
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brings back memories. I think I have some old physical pics of mine, 79 GP SJ with bucket seat, T-tops, ralley wheels, 301 (it was aweful). Oh and 8-track!
Mine had the handling package which included the limited diff. A 308 or 273 diff did not help either. 301 just was not in the cards for mods. Deck height was shorter so no aftermarket intakes, and the stock was a single plane. Still I loved that car but rust killed the frame right behind the rear wheels. |
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Quoted: 1979 Japanese styling wasn't that great. A lot of it was because of US laws. Especially the bumpers. https://wieck-nissanao-production.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/998af1b3d149afce3eee9c083eacade24c37712d/preview-928x522.jpg https://img.hmn.com/fit-in/900x506/filters:upscale()/stories/2021/05/18085511/FOTD_Yota.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: 280Zx. The 240/60/80 Z were better looking but they were still decent looking and looked better then detroit steel of the late 70's. 1979 Japanese styling wasn't that great. A lot of it was because of US laws. Especially the bumpers. https://wieck-nissanao-production.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/998af1b3d149afce3eee9c083eacade24c37712d/preview-928x522.jpg https://img.hmn.com/fit-in/900x506/filters:upscale()/stories/2021/05/18085511/FOTD_Yota.jpg Neither of those are 1979 280zx's. |
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Quoted: Mom and dad had a 1971 Like thishttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/307202/B32237DC-FB34-4DBB-95E0-752A5582F534_jpe-2181737.JPG View Quote I had a '69 J-type with a few upgrades in 1990-92. Cream with a black top, car was a monster, best muscle car chassis there was in '69, got a little squirrely over 150mph. |
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Quoted: The first of the G body Grand Prix. They only made those for 3 years, 78-80. It would have been so much better with a 400 under the hood, but those ended with the larger 77 models. But an earlier engine swap and a rear gear change made those cars a whole lot of fun. Eta: They're not bad looking cars at all. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61196/20180808_054711_jpg-2181408.JPG View Quote I had a 77 SJ with the 400 for my first car. Lots of fun. |
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And I could post a 1979 AMC Pacer. However, I am far to kind to subject ARFcoms collective eyes and brains with that turd of a car. |
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Disappointed not to see an "Ernie Miller" badge on the back based on the OP's location Had a family member that worked there from about '78 to '88.
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I would prefer the 463 horsepower model over the 301 cubic inch engine that was the only way to get a factory 4 speed...I would rather have an automatic with more horsepower... With that said, it is a beautiful car.
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Quoted: The first of the G body Grand Prix. They only made those for 3 years, 78-80. It would have been so much better with a 400 under the hood, but those ended with the larger 77 models. But an earlier engine swap and a rear gear change made those cars a whole lot of fun. Eta: They're not bad looking cars at all. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61196/20180808_054711_jpg-2181408.JPG View Quote Agree ! I always liked the 78 /80 GP's . |
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Quoted: That can be corrected since a traditional big cube Pontiac engine slips between those frame rails no problem and you can use the motor mounts from the 301 . ?? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: What 140 HP maybe? That can be corrected since a traditional big cube Pontiac engine slips between those frame rails no problem and you can use the motor mounts from the 301 . ?? Many forget the ultimate G-body had a V-6 and came in black only. |
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Quoted: That can be corrected since a traditional big cube Pontiac engine slips between those frame rails no problem and you can use the motor mounts from the 301 . ?? View Quote 455 will bolt right in. May even have a Borg Warner T-10 transmission, that would handle the 455 as well. (my Iraqi Taxi had a 3 on the floor Saggy Box) How much are the asking for that car anyways ? |
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Quoted: Show me a better looking Jap car from 1979....most Jap cars then rusted out in 3 years if they didn't blow a head gasket first at that time. View Quote My first car in 1986 was a 1976 Toyota Corolla station wagon my parents bought new in 1976 from a dealer in Houston. Not a good looking car but never had any issues nor did it have any rust on it when we sold it in 1988 - TX & CA climates might have played a role. |
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Quoted: hell, My kids civic looks better than that boat. 1979 Jap cars that were better,....and looked better https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/gkm/1/421/57213/790x1024/1979-datsun-280zx https://journal.classiccars.com/media/2020/12/mazda-rx7-silver-pick-4.jpg View Quote Better at looking like something that some commie enviro-dipshit liberal arts professor would drive? |
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Quoted: Better at looking like something that some commie enviro-dipshit liberal arts professor would drive? View Quote 1979 Grand Prix on 24s DUB |
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69 Grand Prix is the best Grand Prix Attached File
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My buddy [Italian] had one. He broke a big ass bottle of Drakkar Noir on the front carpet. Holy shit was it excruciating riding in that car.
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1960 Pontiac Ventura Bubbletop |
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Quoted: hell, My kids civic looks better than that boat. 1979 Jap cars that were better,....and looked better https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/gkm/1/421/57213/790x1024/1979-datsun-280zx https://journal.classiccars.com/media/2020/12/mazda-rx7-silver-pick-4.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Still better looking than any Japanese or Korean car ever made, though. hell, My kids civic looks better than that boat. 1979 Jap cars that were better,....and looked better https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/gkm/1/421/57213/790x1024/1979-datsun-280zx https://journal.classiccars.com/media/2020/12/mazda-rx7-silver-pick-4.jpg Thatsrealretardedsir.jpg |
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My 1977 Grand Prix, with a 301, was the best starting car at my NDSU dormitory parking lot. Upside, I could start my car without regard to the temperature. Downside, I ended up jump starting a lot of other guy’s cars.
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