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Posted: 11/25/2021 10:42:45 PM EDT
Hopefully not a dupe. Thought this was really cool.
1979 Pontiac Grand Prix factory 4 speed with only 858 original miles walk around start up video |
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Jesus Christ that era of American cars was fucking dogshit awful.
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So Youtube feeds you the same crap rec's they feed me and everyone else eh?
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Ugly as sin. That was probably the worst era for American cars.
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I'd drive the shit out of that. I'd put a turbo on it and have fun.
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My grandmother had a 1974 model Grand Prix. First car I remember seeing the interior coming apart before being two years old.
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Thanks for sharing, OP! I'd wheel that fucker like my last name was Petty!
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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. Attached File |
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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.
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150 HP with the four barrel. 135 HP with the two barrel. Doesn't matter much as the 301 was one of GM's worst V8s ever (the Olds V8 diesel was worse). It was so bad that I don't think there was ever a single performance part made for it. They are barely reliable at stock power levels. Quoted: I'd drive the shit out of that. I'd put a turbo on it and have fun. More than 6 or 7 PSI and the engine would grenade within 1000 miles. |
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Quoted: I'd drive the shit out of that. I'd put a turbo on it and have fun. View Quote Pontiac made a 301 turbo. Huge waste of parts. You would have been better off with any Pontiac engine that began with a 4 instead. Attached File |
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Quoted: I'd drive the shit out of that. I'd put a turbo on it and have fun. View Quote Put a turbo on that sack of shit, you'd be walking down the road the next day picking up connecting rods and crank shards. ETA: Well, that's embarrassing! My post ends up below the photo of a turbo-charged version! Still shit cars in that era. I graduated in 78, there was not a new car made that I lusted after. Not a one I would have been excited to drive. Smog turds each and everyone. Wasn't until the 85 Vette came out that performance started making a little comeback. |
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My first car was a 78. It's fun when you have rear wheel drive and you're 16. Lots of donuts.
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Quoted: Of course. I'd do it right. forged pistons, the works View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: More than 6 or 7 PSI and the engine would grenade within 1000 miles. Of course. I'd do it right. forged pistons, the works They don't exist for that engine. Doesn't matter because conn rods, cranks, etc., etc., etc. don't exist either, and even if they did, it's a thin wall block so performance parts would just blow a hole in the block, warp the crank journals, or blow the heads off. A mildly built NA SBC would make at least twice the power and cost one quarter as much. |
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I'd drive the shit out of that!
The shift knob numbering looks like it was done with a labelmaker.... |
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Had a ‘79 Buick Regal 2dr.
It was a great car, reliable as a hammer, drove very nice, wife liked it for carting a newborn around. We kept it until the 2nd kiddo came around and I traded it for a 78 Sportster straight across. Bought the Mrs a ‘84 Regal 4dr from an estate with 15k miles for $750.00. It was a good car but by 84 US automakers were balls deep into reducing emissions. The ‘84 must have had 1200’ of vacuum lines under the hood. The ‘79 was not terrible looking and with a big block, fat meats in the rear they were very formidable. Look at the Pro Stock cars from that era, Regals, Monte Carlos, Fairmonts, Monzas. Bad ass cars. |
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My dad bought a maroon '78 Grand Prix SJ brand new. He gave it to me when I was 18 or 19. It had T-tops, leather bucket seats and the 301 w/4 bbl. The hp sucked but it was quicker off the line than you would expect because of the rear end gearing.
It was still running and driving great when I sold it with 150k miles. |
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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 Also, they are one of the very few 2-door cars that actual adults can sit in the rear seats comfortably. |
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Quoted: Hopefully not a dupe. Thought this was really cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeXg6MP3rcY View Quote Saw that a few days ago It's nice but it's no 77 masterpiece |
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We had a 79 Regal. Maroon, tan landau top, wire wheel hubcaps, tan leather interior. I thought it was a decent car. Of course, like all cars of the day, a weak, wheezing 3.8 v6, strangled by government regulations.
Closest pic I could find online. Attached File |
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My uncle had a silver one he bought new when i was a little kid.. Seeing the dash/gauges brought back some memories I think his was a 3.8 or something in it
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Ugly as sin. That was probably the worst era for American cars. The 1990s says hold my beer Fox body Mustang disagrees. Foxbodies aren't exactly beautiful looking cars, but they're sure as hell better than a 70's mustang II |
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Quoted: They don't exist for that engine. Doesn't matter because conn rods, cranks, etc., etc., etc. don't exist either, and even if they did, it's a thin wall block so performance parts would just blow a hole in the block, warp the crank journals, or blow the heads off. A mildly built NA SBC would make at least twice the power and cost one quarter as much. View Quote I'd drive it til it blew then get blue point or put a 5.3 from a junkyard for it. Gbodys are dope. They dont exist in AO because road salt. Fuck road salt. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Ugly as sin. That was probably the worst era for American cars. The 1990s says hold my beer I could think of a dozen 90s American cars I would own over pretty much any malaise era domestics. And I have owned a malaise era barge. |
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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. View Quote 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 Attached File Attached File |
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Quoted: Pontiac made a 301 turbo. Huge waste of parts. You would have been better off with any Pontiac engine that began with a 4 instead. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/61196/www_jpg-2181419.JPG View Quote |
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Quoted: Still better looking than any Japanese or Korean car ever made, though. View Quote Attached File |
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Love the 78-80 GP's. My father had a two tone green 79 LJ. Had a green Landau top, multi color green bench seat interior. 301/auto. Great car. Rust got the better of it though. Then a deer ran into the RF fender.
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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.
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