bongobro
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Message Posted: Mar 28, 2013 11:34:57 PM
Once in a great while, a car company revives a previously discontinued model with varying degrees of success.
The best-known example is the 1958-60 Rambler American, which was based on the 1953 rework of the original Nash Rambler of 1950. After George Romney bet the fate of American Motors by dumping the Nash and Hudson marques to concentrate on the Rambler after 1957, he re-launched the old design (with a few tweaks) in mid-'58 and picked up additional sales with very little effort (the tooling was already amortized!).
If you rented a Chevrolet Classic in 2004 or 2005, you would have likely felt a feeling of "Malibu deja vu," and for good reason. Chevy continued the Classic on the 1997-2003 Malibu platform as a fleet-only vehicle for a couple of years...but kept the familiar breaking-wave logo on the grille and deck lid!
And when the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva began appearing in Chevy dealers' used car lots last year, they looked strangely familiar to me. They were--and are. Chevy apparently took the last-generation Saturn Vue (which was discontinued when Saturn was scuttled in 2009) and applied Chevy trim--again as a fleet vehicle--but curiously they kept the turn signal repeater on the front fender!
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Mar 27, 2013 7:26:04 PM
Considering the Lincoln V-12 was essentially the Ford flathead V-8 with four extra cylinders, it should come as no surprise there were glitches x 1.5 with the engine!
(As you can guess, the computer gremlins--and not AMC Gremlins either--were what kept me out of here!)
Now back to rackin' my brains for new answers!
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Mar 24, 2013 1:57:30 AM
The Lincoln twelve used in the forties was a perfect example of the subject in the last two posts.
Lincoln designed the engine with inadequate inner engine venting. This resulted in a horrible amount of sludge causing the engine to last only about thirty thousand miles till it need a total rebuild. Of course, sludge is caused by water in the oil caused by condensation and other factors.
Common in the old days was alcohol based anti-freeze. This would require using a low temperature thermostat at around 160 F. With the cooler engine temps water would not dissipate like it would with a high temp. t-stat.
Heat was also a problem in these, I remember sitting near older mechanics hearing stories of how the entire engine block would distort. Others told of how difficult it was to remove the heads, they told of having to put the car on the road with the bolts removed on the heads and running it up to around a hundred to break the head loose.
One of the reasons the engine would heat up is because of the length of the engine and the water circulation being poor.
Not one of Ford's best efforts for sure!
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mullingspices
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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2013 10:01:06 PM
Hambone, I remember those old cars well. That gook would go all over the place, through the oil breather cap, onto the valve cover, through the breather tube, and even onto the side of the engine and under the car. The breather cap would have to be washed out with solvent or replaced. Usually the breather tube clogged and had to be burned out to clear it, as the gook would go right through the breather filter. If you stuck your finger in the hole after taking out the breather tube and filter, you'd probably find more gook!
Thousand mile oil changes were common, but they did not stop the problem. As the quality of lubrication improved, the goop coming out of engines lessened. However, with the introduction of pollution controls, engines again made a mess of motor oils, sometimes gelling them in the sump, and turbocharging made things much worse. Many improvements had to be made in order to get motor oil to the quality we find today.
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2013 1:41:03 AM
Round about 1950, motor oils were still pretty crude. The soon to come "heavy duty" oils would change things forever with added wear resistance and detergent action.
Sludge would form in engines and clog and literally gum up the works in the engine. By the time the oil was changed, it was black and loaded with engine damaging gook.
Ford addressed this on their 1950 police cars. Installed on the bottom of the pan, was a removable cover that caught most of the contamination, by gravity. Mechanics would remove the cover, usually at one of the oil changes, and clean the gook out of the bottom of the pan. The oil sump would have been cleaned as well. Sludge would get hard and clog the screen in the sump. This could starve the engine of oil and pretty much end the life of the engine.
I worked on a 51 Ford woody and I can tell you the sludge inside the engine was large. I used a can and a paint scraper to scoop and clean the engine in the "valley" under the intake manifold. Man, what a dirty black mess that was! I had a lot of black gook in the can when I got done.
These days, oil continually cleans the inside of the engine and protects better. It's no wonder engines last so long these days. The old Fords would be doing good if they lasted until the clock said 100.000 miles, today an engine will last far beyond that number.
[Edited by: Hambone61 at 3/18/2013 1:43:29 AM EST]
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Feb 25, 2013 1:46:17 AM
Studebaker had power brakes as standard equipment in 1933!
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Jan 30, 2013 7:45:27 PM
Walter P. Chrysler, born in 1875, the one who started Chrysler Corp. was making 10 cents an hour as a janitor on his first job.
His first car was a Locomobile he had to borrow money to pay for. He took it home and immediately tore it completely apart to study it. It was not driven for three months, on his first outing in the car he ran into a neighbor's ditch and garden. That was also the first time he drove a car.
In 1920 he was the General Manager of Buick, he left there because a commitment he had made to a supplier of frames for Buicks, was countermanded and changed, so he quit.
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Jan 18, 2013 11:32:09 PM
If you were looking for a good example of an up-to-date automobile in the year of 1937, you need look no farther than the Graham, or Graham Paige if you will.
Some of the things I will mention featured on this brand were available on others, but what is remarkable is that so many useful innovations were engineered into this make. To realize this, and then remember that today we have no Grahams, is a sad thing. Was it the buying public's fault? Who knows.
I found the following notable inclusions in the Graham.
> Lightweight aluminum steel strut pistons, coated chemically to reduce friction and wear.
> Hydraulic brakes with even pressure distribution on the shoes.
> A strong cross section and boxed frame to add safety, durability, and just good old strength resulting in a tighter body and less stress on every mechanical area of the car.
> A unique radio, made by Philco, that had the speaker above the dash and windshield, the speaker had a tone control on it. The layout of the radio controls was unusual also, with controls on both sides of the center-line of the dash panel.
> Beautiful wood simulations on the dash and window mouldings.
> Safety glass.
> Valves were kept cool from the water surrounding them in the block, this kept valve temperatures down to make the valves last longer.
> Balanced crankshaft with shell type bearings on mains and rods. Easier to replace than poured bearings found on many other engines.
> Superchargers were used on the top model and mid model, the economy model had only regular induction. The difference the S-charger made was an increase from 85 to 116 horsepower on the engine used in the 116 and the 95 series. The top model had a little more displacement and put out 120 hp. This was pretty powerful for 1937.
> The supercharger was a simple device that drove off two belts off the front of the engine. A shaft connected to the pulleys rotated into an up-converting gear box and up to the charger..... it worked!
> Further, the head was made of aluminum allowing the combustion chambers to run cooler, this allowed a higher compression ratio for more power, the aluminum also helped the valves to stay a little cooler.
> Inside the engine, the pistons had four rings, common for the day, but what was a little different was that all four were above the wrist pin. Graham bragged about instant lubrication for the pistons allowing the engine to start easier in cold weather and prevent wear at the same time. How they did it was to put a groove near the bottom of the piston which would align with a hole drilled from the oil galley for the valve tappets through the cylinder wall. When the piston would come down and the hole would align with the groove in the piston, there was instant lubrication on the pistons. Clever this was, they used the tappet as a valve to switch the oil to the piston on and off at just the right time, this way the little holes would not run all the time and deplete the oil pressure too much. Very clever!
> Economy was part of these cars.... there was a long course economy competition of 352 miles with thirty cars entered, Graham came out on top, with 26.66 mpg. Pretty impressive!
> Interiors on all series were done in good taste with attractive accent stitching in the seats and ample padding for comfort.
> Exterior styling was up to date also, and the bodies were all steel.... no suicide doors, they were all hinged at the front. The grille was raked back at a modern angle and added an aerodynamic look to the front of the car. Graham made the car lower for a lower center of gravity and added a sway bar up front for good handling.
> Offered at extra cost was a rear-view mirror with a built in "jump clock". The clock could be read from the surface of the glass, the "jump" part meant that when it would go from one hour to the next, the number would "jump" into place instead of showing part of the digit for much of it's travel. Neat!
If you ever are back in 1937 and are looking for a new car.... stop at the local Graham dealer and take a look.
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Jan 12, 2013 10:27:00 PM
Just learned something new, actually old.
I have gone all these years thinking Chrysler and it's divisions were the first to install alternators instead of the generators used for many years. In a way, I was correct because Chrysler installed them in all production cars starting in 1961 and was phasing them in in 1960.
Seems while doing a little reading and looking at product advertising brochures, I found something that exploded my belief.
In 1955, Ford offered a powerful alternator package for it's police cars. The alternators put out 50, 60, and 95 amps of juice. This was remarkable for 1955 because Chrysler, who claims to be the "pioneer" alternator installer, used as low as a 30 amp unit in their new compacts in 60. In 61, even their optional alternator put out only five amps more for a 40 amp total. Air conditioned cars got the bigger one as standard with the A.C. package. For Ford to offer an alternator at all was a surprising bit of trivia.
[Edited by: Hambone61 at 1/12/2013 10:27:34 PM EST]
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Nov 23, 2012 1:08:06 AM
Advertising has a special place in the category of auto trivia. Advertising of course, would include spreads in magazines, newspapers, and other printed publications. Then there was radio, something new in the early days, but perfect to sell cars. Finally we had television and electronic media including the now popular internet.
What I have in mind today are dealer hand-out brochures and the artists that did the illustrations of the vehicles being offered to the public. It was the responsibility of the artists to make every model look desirable, even the business coupes and wagons. Sometimes this was a really hard job, as some of the old models were, shall we say, "cosmetically challenged"!
During the late thirties, cars needed to look much different in sales lit than they actually looked on the street. The more "swoopy" and low, longer, and sleeker they looked in the sales lit., the better.
You have heard the term "poetic license", I'm sure. Well, the 39 Plymouth artists took this to an automotive extreme!! I will post links to show you what I mean. These illustrations, all done by artists, were some of the best examples of distorting things to look other than they actually were..... plant a seed, a "swoopy seed" in the mind, and see if it will grow enough to prompt the consumer to lay down the cash and drive out the door in a new Plymouth.
First, I would have the reader follow this link and take a look at the following:
* The 'long' hood.
* The 'short' side glass and windshield, by short I mean from top to bottom, this car looks like a hot-rodder chopped the top.
* Notice the windshield wiper on the driver's side, so 'small' it almost disappears!
* Notice the front and rear fenders in relation to the tires and wheels. The tires are almost hidden under the small openings, want to change a tire on this car?
* Take a look at the wide windshield, and how it looks like the glass comes out in a V shape, pointing to the front. Looks like the bow of a ship. Another 'feature' of the windshield was, in the illustrator's eye, the glass has a curvature to it.
* Take notice of how the center of the wheel/hubcap is higher than the line at the bottom of the running board and fenders, the car looks like it has been loaded with concrete or the springs removed...... all to make the "low look"! Surely, this will sell cars!
39 Plymouth Deluxe Two-Door Sedan
With all of that in mind, we will "come back to earth to find the real truth of how the car looked..... the illustrators really goofed here. They goofed because this illustration shows how things really were on the real car! Take a look at this cut-away view..... look again at the list I posted after you look at this.....
39 Plymouth true to life proportions
Did you compare the height of the glass, the "V" angle of the windshield, the position of the rear wheel and where the center of the cap is? This is funny as this illustration also looks like an artist conception.
Now let's look at another vehicle from the Plymouth line, same year....
39 Plymouth With Ladies
Even this illustration, which looks like a photo, has been "doctored" with the wipers almost vanishing, at least the width of the car looks correct along with the windshield..... and it's flat glass! Also brushed almost away is the seam between the front of the hood and the nose with the ornament on it.
In conclusion:
One could ask, why did'nt car companies use the illustrators to help design the car, they sure knew how to make them look good on paper. I wonder how many Plymouths they might have sold if they actually looked as low, long, and swoopy as pictured in the sales lit?
Here's how it really looked....
39 Plymouth Survivor
Wow! Take a look at those wipers!
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Nov 15, 2012 7:32:16 PM
The 51 Studebaker was the first Stude with a V-8 engine option. Remarkable was that Studebaker offered so many options for their cars regardless of model. I will give you a list of the items in their accessory catalog so you can see what I mean. Some of these you would not expect to have been available in 1951...... Here's the list.
]] Three radio options, one with eight tubes and six station buttons, a six tube radio with four buttons, and one with manual tuning only.
]] Two power antennas, one operated with vacuum from the engine.
]] Climatizer heater with defrosters and under-seat heat for rear seat passengers, thermostatically controlled. Defrosters used a separate fan system.
]] Stratoline fender ornaments.
]] Stratoline exhaust deflector.
]] Stratoline Wheel shields. (Fender skirts)
]] Strat-o-vu outside rearview mirror. (Mounted on the door skin)
]] Stainless Wheel Trim Rings.
]] Chromium (Full) Wheel Covers.
]] No-Mar Gasoline Door Guard.
]] Deluxe License Plate Frame.
]] Lumite Plastic or Deluxtex Seat Covers.
]] Stratoline Windshield Visor.
]] Stainless Vent Shades.
]] Venetian Shades. (Shown in the accy. brochure installed on the Starlight Coupe with the wrap-around rear windows.
]] Select-O-Seat Springs. (Would allow the owner to install additional springs in the seat for a firmer cushion)
]] No-Blo Wind Deflector. (Installed in the rear window opening of the doors to reduce wind turbulence.)
]] Robe Cord Equipment. (Cord at top of front seat back for hanging clothing or..... (Standard on Land Cruisers)
]] Deluxtyle Bumper Guards, front & rear, wrap around.
]] Plast-I-Sheen Fabric Top Cover (For convertibles to protect the top.)
]] Spark Plug Weather Proofing Kit.
]] Front Splashguards (mudflaps)
]] Door Scuff Pads.
]] Locking Gas Cap.
]] Aux. Rubber Floor mats.
]] Rubber Rug Floor Mats.
]] Accelerator Cover and Wear Pad.
]] Directional Signal Equipment.
]] Back up Lights, Automatic.
]] Internally Controlled Spotlight
]] Weather Beam Lights. (Fog lights)
]] Parking Brake Warning Light.
]] Underhood Light.
]] Glove Compartment Light.
]] Luggage Compartment Light. (Trunk light)
]] Magnalight Service Light. ( A corded flashlight that plugged into the lighter socket, had a magnet on it so it would stick to the fender while you were changing a tire etc.)
]] Automatic Electric Clocks. One for the Commander series, one for the Champion series.
]] Automatic Cigarette Lighter.
]] Drawmatic Cigarette Lighter. (Put your cig. in and press a ring, when it snaps you pull out your lighted smoke.
]] Glare-Proof Mirror. (Rearview mirror with a day and night setting)
]] Kleenex Dispenser.
]] Hydraulic Jack. (Easier to operate than the standard jack)
]] Rear Door Safety Locks. (Rear doors were "suicide" style)
]] Lighted Vanity Mirror. (Also one without illumination)
]] Universal Outside Mirror. (Clamp on)
]] Fram Oil Filter.
]] Electric Windshield Wipers.
]] Hill-Holder.
]] Ash Receivers. (Ash trays, extra ones)
]] Fine Quality Luggage.
]] Undercoating.
]] A whole bunch of additional options and accessories, including polishes, waxes, cleaners, anti-freeze, a head-bolt heater, a battery charger and tire chains. Sun visor, second horn, arm rests (F&R) hood ornament, courtesy lights for Custom Champion models.I would surmise that if a buyer loaded up his Studebaker with all these accessories and options, he would need the one thing missing from the list...... Overload Shocks!
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Nov 12, 2012 1:15:29 AM
So.... It's 1958 and Buick asks the consumer.... "Do you want chrome???" Then they answer; "We got chrome!!!!"
Take a look.
58 Buick "Chrome to Dazzle the Senses"
I heard that these cars had more chrome than any other car, some 72 or so pounds of bits to adorn these over dressed models.
[Edited by: Hambone61 at 11/12/2012 1:17:39 AM EST]
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mullingspices
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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2012 2:30:30 PM
The most recent question in the sister thread Car Trivia Game, Answer one, Ask One, the 1974 Dodge Challenger came up. A friend of mine had one of these cars, a real beauty in metallic green. We were in the parking lot of Fred Meyer one day when someone backed up without looking and hit us just behind the driver's door. There was a pretty good sized dent, so after a little while we got the local Chrysler dealer to do the body work and paint, and they did a beautiful job. About two weeks after the repair, the dent was back! After asking my friend, I found out he got hit again in the same spot...
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Titanic1985
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Message Posted: Oct 18, 2012 10:05:39 AM
Hello Bluebird333 & bongobro. I agree with you Bluebird333 that bongobro knows a great deal. My Uncle died in 1980 and left his home and car in Scottsdale, AZ to his Sister who died at 95 years of age. Her Son now owns both. The car is a 1968 Ford Galaxy with a 390 engine. My two cousins, both in their 70s go to AZ in January to April each year to get away from the Pittsburgh winters. That Ford has a nickname of "The Miracle Car" as it always starts each January. They did say the price of gasoline this year has made them wonder if they need to use their own Ford Fusion, but the drive is too long. With mid-grade gas, it gets 8 MPG!
After college and before enlisting, I worked in a garage and my Uncle drove from Arizona with that very car. I was nineteen years old and am now 62 and it is still running and in the family all these years! I remember working on it. Great memories :-) .
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Bluebird333
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Message Posted: Oct 18, 2012 5:02:56 AM
bongobro, you really know a lot about the classic Ford cars. Out of those engines the only one I had first hand experience with is the 390. That was one powerful engine it sure made the 351 Windsor I use to have look weak.
[Edited by: Bluebird333 at 10/18/2012 5:04:53 AM EST]
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 9:45:24 PM
Welcome aboard, Bluebird333! The 430 was the largest of the FE-series (Ford-Edsel) series engines introduced in 1958 (a big-block engine that appeared originally as 332 ('58-'60 Ford), 352 ('58-'66 Ford, '59 Edsel, '61-'62 Mercury), 361 (Edsel '58 E-400 engine), 383 ('59-'60 Mercury), 390 (Ford beginning in '61), 406 ('62-'63 Ford Galaxie), 410 ('58 Edsel E-475), and the 430. The 430 was first used in the Lincoln and Continental Mark III in 1958, and was offered as an option on the 1959 and 1960 Ford Thunderbird.
The "boat anchor" nickname came from the fact the 430 was large, heavy, and--especially in the Thunderbird--notably unreliable.
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Bluebird333
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Message Posted: Oct 17, 2012 5:25:06 AM
430 boat anchor, I didn't even know they made a 430 I guess they must have been crap being this is the first time I have heard of it.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Oct 16, 2012 10:53:48 PM
The late '60s were years of confusion at Ford, at least when it came to 400+ CID engines: You had the 427 (top-oiler and side-oiler) used for racing Galaxies and Fairlanes; the 428 used in the Galaxie 500 7-Litre models for 1966 and was optional equipment on full-size Galaxies; the "429 ThunderJet" offered on the '68-'69 models; and finally, the 430 "boat anchor" used up through the 1965 model-year Lincoln Continentals.
Confused now (LOL!)?
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Bluebird333
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Message Posted: Oct 16, 2012 2:01:38 AM
Tattoo666TX, I got the same response when I start talking about the 427. People always say yeah chevys 427 was great and I reply no I was talking about fords 427 engine the same one they used to compete against chryslers 426 hemi.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Oct 14, 2012 11:34:04 PM
A few posts back we talked about the introduction of the 1958 Edsel. Tomorrow, October 15th, marks the 53rd anniversary of the introduction of the 1960 Edsel--a car that didn't even make it to the end of the following month.
The "new! nifty! thrifty!" 1960 Edsel looked like the equally new 1960 Ford with a 1959 Pontiac grille grafted to the front. The designer was originally able to put a tall "beak" in the center of the grille (ironically, similar to the "beak" that appeared on 1968-69 full-size Pontiacs!) and vertical tail lights and backup lights on the trunk. A rejiggering of spring mountings gave the Edsel a 120-inch wheelbase compared to the 119-inch wheelbase of the Ford.
At the last minute, officials wanted the beak taken off the grille in an effort to make it look like the hottest '59 in the medium-price field...the Pontiac! So the new Edsel looked less like an Edsel and even more like a Ford with an identity crisis.
The Ranger and Villager series were retained, but the deluxe interior in four-door sedans, two-and-four-door hardtops and convertibles were to have been the Corsair series. Thomas E. Bonsall, author of the Edsel book DISASTER IN DEARBORN, claimed there was talk of reviving the Citation series, but that never happened.
The 1960 Edsel offered one body style that no other Ford-based car ever did. The Ranger 4-door hardtop did not use the "box top" roofline of the Ford Galaxie, which was also used on the Canadian Meteor Montcalm. Instead, the four-door sedan roofline of the Fairlane and Fairlane 500 post sedans was adapted to the four-door hardtop, making the '60 Edsel version truly unique.
Mechanically, the Edsel was the '60 Ford through and through, with the same engine and transmission options.
Sales, well...2,846 Edsels rolled off the Louisville, Kentucky assembly line through November 19, the day Ford announced that, due to continued steel shortages because of that year's steel strike and poor sales, "production of the Edsel will be halted and the Edsel discontinued as a product of Ford Motor Company."
The breakdown: 1,188 Ranger 4-door sedans...777 Ranger 2-door sedans...295 Ranger 2-door hardtops...76 Ranger convertibles...216 Villager 4-door six-passenger station wagons...59 Villager 4-door nine-passenger station wagons...and the unusual Ranger 4-door hardtop accounted for the remainder.
One of the last Edsel print ads, in the SATURDAY EVENING POST, contained the following: "In the days and weeks to come, you're going to be seeing more and more Edsels on the road...so don't miss seeing it at your dealer now."
Do you suppose the copywriter knew something we didn't? The ad appeared the week before Ford pulled the plug....
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Sep 27, 2012 8:06:54 PM
The 1913 Packard "38" Series had some interesting mechanical features to facilitate proper running and longevity.
Packard surmised the lower engine would need more lubrication during heavy use. How they dealt with this was very unusual, even for 1913.
What Packard did was to connect linkage to the hand throttle on the steering column or the foot throttle near the floor, to the oiling system. The way it worked was to pump more oil at greater throttle positions, and less oiling at easy throttle settings. This system did not operate on engine speed, it did it by throttle setting.
Another unusual thing was that the engine had a governor on it to regulate the speed of the engine. The way they went about it reminded me of how a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine regulates engine speed. The Briggs uses air from the cooling blower built into the flywheel to blow on a plate which is connected to linkage on the carb. throttle shaft. Packard used the same principle only they incorporated the thing into the water pump, so they used the flow of water, which would change with RPM, to govern engine speed. I guess they figured they might as well make all the use out of the colling liquid as possible cuz it held a whopping six and a half gallons!
Looking at a chart plotting the horsepower of this engine through the RPM range, I can understand why they needed to keep it turning pretty slow. The horsepower on the engine was rated at under 2,000 RPM. Of course this was pre-crankshaft balance days, so the engine probably would have rattled itself to pieces if the R's got too high.
One more unusual thing was the cold starting of this engine. There was a button on the dash which would release acetylene into the intake manifold. This was to be used only when it was really cold. Under regular conditions you would put gasoline in the primer cups located over the pistons. The primers had little cups that would hold about 1/2 teaspoon of gas, you would turn the petcock on the primer to allow the gasoline to drain into the cylinders.
Checking the crankcase oil level was done with petcock, the thing had a long lever handle on it. If you left this open, it would spray oil all over the place, Packard solved this making the lever long enough that if you left it in the open position, you couldn't get the hood to close. Clever!
Like the Pontiacs of much later, these had the transmission in the back. The differential and transmission must have been very heavy!!
And last of many more I'll mention, is the gasoline gauge, it was some kind of magnetic device mounted on the top of the twenty gallon fuel tank. You would have to stop and get out of the car, go to the rear and read it from there. The tank was mounted at the very rear of the chassis..... watch out for tail-gaters!!
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Sep 20, 2012 4:39:05 PM
In hambone61's sister thread "Car Trivia Game--Answer One, Ask One," a question came up about the 1970 1/2 Ford Falcon and its relationship to the Fairlane/Torino and Comet/Montego lines. Actually, the relationship goes back more than four years.
When the Fairlane, Comet and Falcon lines were "reinvented" for the 1966 model year, the Falcon (and inexpensive Comet 202 series) were actually based on a shorter version of the platform used by Fairlane and Comet Capri, Caliente and Cyclone models. In fact, the Falcon, Fairlane and Comet station wagons shared the same wheelbase, as did the Falcon Ranchero (smart observers noted the difference between the Falcon and Ranchero tail light assemblies and those of the Fairlane and Comet).
For 1967, this made it easy for Ford to take off the dowdy-looking Falcon front clip and replace it with the Fairlane front end, instrument cluster and chrome stripes along the lower portion of the fenders, doors, and bed. One of my uncles owned a '67 Rangoon Red Fairlane 500 Ranchero and it looked much nicer than the '66 Falcon Ranchero ever did.
Falcons still sold in decreasing numbers by 1969, but two factors contributed to its demise as a compact car in the middle of the 1970 model run: The introduction of the Maverick, and the costs of installing an anti-theft steering column for future Falcons. Given the Maverick's roaring success (it actually shattered the Mustang's sales record for its first full calendar year), and the fact it was indeed a lighter, simpler machine than the Falcon--and hundreds of dollars cheaper even fully-loaded--it was cheaper to end production of the 1970 Falcon.
By February, 1970, the 1970 1/2 Falcon was on the market, and it was as simple as decontenting the 1970 Fairlane 500. I must admit I am puzzled that the Ford literature describes the new Falcon 2-door as having "SportsRoof Styling," but putting a pillar into the existing SportsRoof hardtop body had to be cheaper than trying to change a steering lock on the previous Falcon (the 1970 Fairlane/Torino models, although claimed to be "shaped by the wind," were totally reskinned versions of the 1968-69 models).
The '70 1/2 Falcon lasted only that one-half year, but gave Falcon lovers options never before available on their cars, including power windows (!) and the option of a 429-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8 (talk about your Falcon "flying.")
If I am correct, the Falcon is to be grounded for good in Australia at the end of the 2012 model run in favor of another "world platform," much like the Focus and the new C-Max.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Sep 6, 2012 9:30:00 PM
Due to technical difficulties beyond my control, I was unable to post this on Tuesday, so bear with me.
Speaking of mistakes, Tuesday, September 4th marked the 55th anniversary of what some called the biggest mistake Ford Motor Company ever made--the introduction of the Edsel.
Time has proven that Ford's mistake was not introducing the car just as the medium-priced field stumbled and ultimately fell in the 1957-58 recession. Rather Ford's mistake was giving up on the Edsel so quickly. Robert MacNamara, who headed Ford's car and truck divisions at this time (before he became Chairman and CEO of Ford in 1960) wanted the Edsel to fail and fail badly. He allegedly told the head of Foote, Cone and Belding, the Edsel's advertising agency, "I have plans to phase out the Edsel" on the night before the car was formally introduced.
They probably set Edsel's sights a little too high. They were hoping to get 150,000 to 200,000 sales for 1958--sales projections based on 1955, which was then the best sales year in automotive history--but as it turned out, they sold 63,110 Edsels that first year. By comparison, Mercury sold a shade over 65,000 units in 1939, its first model year. In both cases, that was five percent of the medium-priced market, and Mercury survived for just over 70 years.
It could be argued that Edsel had a better place between Mercury and Lincoln than between Ford and Mercury, but Ford was pushing its Fairlane 500 (which McNamara alleged "was a better car than Edsel and (sold) for less," according to one account). Also, Mercury reintroduced its bare-bones Medalist series for 1958, which left Edsel tightly squeezed between the two... In fact, Thomas E. Bonsell, author of DISASTER IN DEARBORN: The Inside Story of the Edsel, which I think is THE definitive book on the marque, says Ford and Edsel should have been dualed the same way Lincoln and Mercury were dualed just after World War II. Ford dealers were proving they could sell relatively expensive Thunderbirds, and Edsel could have been spun off into a separate dealer network a few years of success later.
The saddest irony of all is that the 1960 Mercury Comet was intended to be the 1961 Edsel B--a compact car designed to replace the full-size Edsel after 1960--and its first year sales as a Mercury were better than all three years of Edsel production combined.
True Comet fans may remember the '60-'61 Comet sedans had '60 Edsel tail lights, canted at a 45-degree angle, and the name "C O M E T" was spread across the area below the gasoline cap much like the name "E D S E L" appeared on the sides and rears of most Edsels through their three production runs....
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JimBlake56
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Message Posted: Sep 4, 2012 5:42:51 PM
OK this is actually about cars - and mistakes that get published.
My daughter's 2007 Honda Civic maintenance schedule lists the interval for changing the timing belt. But the engine has a chain (not a belt) that doesn't get replaced (certainly not on that schedule).
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Aug 26, 2012 9:22:17 PM
A comical bit of trivia is that sometimes there are errors in the sales brochures presented to prospective buyers.
Here is an example of what I mean. The brochure is for the 58 Ford Ranchero line, the engines are illustrated in this page (link) and you will see the 292 V-8 and the Six are switched with one another so that the illustration and text don't match.
58 Ford Ranchero error brochure
There are many other examples, such as crooked stitching on seats, hidden images and mistakes aplenty.
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JimBlake56
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Message Posted: Aug 21, 2012 5:01:48 PM
Hambone61, yeah sorry, sometimes I get going on other directions that might be interesting to me.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Aug 19, 2012 11:29:06 AM
tattoo666TX, the Chevy 302 was designed specifically to qualify the Camaro for Trans-AM racing. If I recall correctly, wasn't a 327 crankshaft put into a 283 block (or was it the other way around) to get the displacement within the racing standards? Whichever, Chevy claimed 290 horsepower for the '69 Z-28, but car magazines claimed they were WAY conservative...some reports of the day said it was closer to 375 or 400....
Of course, there were other cars that had different engines with the same number of cubes:
1957-66 Nash/Hudson/AMC 327 V-8 (the one that powered the Rambler Rebel) and the Chevy 1962-69 327 V-8;
the 1958-59 Edsel 361 Super Express V-8 and the 1959-66 Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth 361 V-8;
and the 1958-60 Mercury Marauder 383 V-8 and the 1959-72 Chrysler 383 V-8.
Not to mention the 1955-56 Packard 352 V-8 and the 1958-68 Ford 352 V-8!
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Aug 19, 2012 2:48:40 AM
JimBlake56:
My post was limited to cars of the U.S.A. and one motorcycle, I'm sure there are other examples to be found outside the automotive scene.
Do you know of any other pre-1955 American production car that used this type of overhead cam drive?
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tattoo666TX
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Message Posted: Aug 18, 2012 8:19:56 PM
Here is one that I have won a lot of money on. There have been many times I have been asked what I think the best motor made was. I always say a toss up between the 283 and the 302. The people that bring it up always go with the 302 saying "Ford" made a better motor then chevy. I tell them I was talking about the Chevy 302, not the Ford. They tell me Chevy never made a 302. I tell them call the local parts store and get the price for a gasket set for a Chevy 302. Then they get a funny look when they get the price. Yes, Chevy made a 302 . It was available in the Z-28 for (I believe 3 years) 67-69.
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JimBlake56
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Message Posted: Aug 18, 2012 7:40:28 PM
Overhead camshafts driven by shafts & bevel gears started before then. The Liberty engine (WW-1 aircraft) had them and I don't know if it was a "new" idea at the time. Also Diamler and BMW were using that too. Later aircraft engines such as the Rolls-Royce "R" engine in the 1930s - used in Schneider-trophy racing aircraft for example. As well as a newer engine many of you may have heard of - the Merlin.
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Aug 18, 2012 12:16:13 AM
Overhead cams are almost standard fare in many cars these days. The cams can be single, S.O.H.C, or double D.O.H.C..
Interesting are two cars that preceded the overhead cam on the Pontiacs and Jeeps.... and soon to follow, many other cars as in today.
To turn the cam, the choices are..... Chain, Belt, but the most unusual was on the Duesenberg and Crosley engines dating up until 1952.
Crosley and Duesenberg both used a vertical shaft with bevel gears to drive the cam. The reason I mentioned this is that this same design came back for a rerun not long ago...... On a motorcycle!
Beans we're talking cars, and mixing a little motorcycle stuff in to make it interesting, let us consider the Kawasaki W800, it had the same vertical shaft with bevel gear design to run the cam..... take a look at this beautiful example and pay close attention to the shaft under cover on the side of the engine, centered on the cylinder.
Kawasaki W800
Now.... would you like to venture a guess at who would like one of these??
If you have a spare, please send it right over..... thanks!
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Titanic1985
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Message Posted: Aug 12, 2012 12:03:40 PM
Hello Hambone61. I was never aware that Indian made a car. You said, "I remember old timers talking about the Indian motorcycles of old." My late Father who was born in 1908 frequently talked about two men in his Pittsburgh neighborhood who would race their motorcyles. One was a Harley Davidson and the other was an India (model unknown). He was impressed with both motorcyles. Thank you for your links and the memories. :-) .
[Edited by: Titanic1985 at 8/12/2012 12:05:21 PM EST]
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Hambone61
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Message Posted: Aug 10, 2012 2:45:07 PM
I ran across something interesting today as I was doing a little automotive research.
I found that the Indian Motorcycle Company made cars in 1928 and 29. At the time, their manufacturing facility was in Springfield, Mass.
I found a survivor, here is a link to show what a cute little car it was.
Lost Indian Auto - 1928 Indian
I remember old timers talking about the Indian motorcycles of old, how they loved them, their problems, and experiences they had owning and driving them. One such that came up all the time, was how the rear cylinder of the four cylinder (in-line) air cooled engines would glow red when driven hard. Many of these had problems related to heat anyway, but if you pushed them really hard, legend says, the rear cyl. would get red hot.
Here is a link to show one of the four cylinder motorcycles Indian made.
1930 Indian Four
[Edited by: Hambone61 at 8/10/2012 2:45:50 PM EST]
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 30, 2012 2:56:35 PM
"When America needs a better idea, Ford puts it on wheels," so sang the radio commercials in 1979...and it was on this date in 1863 that Henry Ford Sr. was born. The first of his "better ideas," the Quadricycle, appeared in 1896...
And on Henry Ford's 65th birthday, in 1928, Walter P. Chrysler bought the previously-independent Dodge Brothers for $170. By the next morning, the former Dodge Brothers plants were relabeled as "Dodge Division of Chrysler Corporation."
This was a bit tricky since Chrysler had formed the Plymouth and De Soto brands earlier the same year. Plymouth, of course, was the lowest-priced of all Chrysler brands, and DeSoto was a medium-priced brand designed to cover Chrysler's assets in case they couldn't buy Dodge...so within four years, Chrysler had gone from one make to four!
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 26, 2012 9:10:48 PM
JimBlake, you are absolutely right about the new (1976-87) Acadian. It was a clone of the Chevrolet Chevette, complete with the Pontiac arrowhead where the Chevrolet bowtie would be.
But Canadians couldn't be faulted for seeing double in their Pontiac-Buick-GMC showrooms after 1981. For reasons known only to GM Canada, the T-1000 (1000 after 1982) was sold in Canada right next to the Acadian; the specifications were identical to the 1000, of course, except the diesel engine was available in the Acadian but not the 1000! In fact, all Chevettes, T-1000s and 1000s were built in the U. S., as were the 1968-71 Acadians. I once had a 1969 Acadian catalog which showed the SD coupe on the cover, wearing modified 1964 Chevy wheelcovers, as did the 1968 Chevy II Nova.
Incidentally, the 1969 Beaumont--and maybe the 1968, too--had a straight character line along the lower door and rocker panel where the Chevelle had a coke-bottle curve.
The Chevette was based on the GM "world" T-Car platform, which was indeed designed as an Opel Kadett in Germany; it was sold in the U. S. and Canada, and there was also a Vauxhall Chevette sold in England. And, yes, the Buick Opel Isuzu sold in the U. S. from 1977 to 1980 was also an adapted version of the T-Car, although their versions had trunks rather than being hatchbacks.
I remember a radio commercial from circa 1977: "Which of these would you prefer: Study good posture...hurt your foot...or buy an Opel Isuzu?" In retrospect, I think most people would prefer studying good posture (LOL)!
And two final notes about the Canadian Wide-Track people having their way with cars: You may remember that Pontiac discontinued the B-body Bonneville and Catalina after the 1981 model year due to poor sales. In the U. S., the Bonneville nameplate was applied to the Grand LeMans 4-door sedan and Safari wagon, and foisted on Pontiac buyers as the "Bonneville Model G." (Oh, to befuddle things even further, these were the previous A-bodies, renamed G-bodies to accommodate the 1982 Pontiac 6000.)
Not in Canada! The Canadian Pontiac officials said "NON!" to that idea and slapped a Pontiac front clip on the Chevrolet Caprice, and voila! An all-new, all-Canadian Parisienne; the G-bodies remained Grand LeManses for another year or two. It was truly ironic when, by mid-1983, American Pontiac dealers were begging for a B-body car since Buick and Oldsmobile, and to a lesser extent, Chevy, were eating Pontiac dealers for lunch...and the Canadian Parisienne was launched in the summer of '83 to modest success--not to mention a confession that appeared in the '83 and '84 catalogs that "Pontiac Parisienne models are equivalent to cars sold by Chevrolet dealers under the nameplate Caprice.") That changed when GM resurrected the 1981 Bonneville body for Parisienne sedans in 1985.
And last but not least the Pontiac Tempest disappeared from showrooms after 1970 (replaced by T-37, Le Mans, etc.)...but in 1988, a rebadged Chevrolet Corsica was sold in Canada as a Tempest through 1991. (I don't think there was ever a Beretta version of the Canadian Tempest.)
(You'd never guess I'm a Pontiac fanatic, would you?)
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JimBlake56
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Message Posted: Jul 25, 2012 12:26:04 PM
Speaking of the Chevette...
When I was in college living at home, we had an Opel Kadett. Later when I saw a friend's Chevette, it looked like there was some shared structure (suspension, etc) with the Opel.
Later I heard the Chevette's ancestry came from Opel, through Isuzu & Daewoo. I wonder how much of that is true?
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DasAuto92
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Message Posted: Jul 24, 2012 10:43:10 PM
I was watching this car show, and it featured a British car called the Bond Bug.Only 2,200 were made, as this was a 3 wheel vehicle, single wheel up front and 2 in the rear.It was powered by a 700cc engine, and a 5 speed stick.Seating was for 2 and anyone over 6' forget it (lol).To enter the vehicle the roof was lifted forward,which was hinged on the front facia.It also consisted of a single wiper arm.Not sure of the top speed, but watching this little "bug" it held its own.
I beleive it celebrated its 40th birthday this year, from when it was introduced.And these cars are in demand, selling at prices of 5,000 lb sterling which is about $7,000.00 us.or higher.
Another cult vehicle like the Russian Lada Niva,was in Canada.
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BartandLisa
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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 5:44:05 PM
A relative bought a new '73 Astre and it lasted about as long as the loan payments. Should have been called Disaster.
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HotRod10
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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 4:31:06 PM
You are correct JimBlake. I have a Chevette and a Chilton's manual for it and the T-1000.
It hasn't run for a long time, but I am hoping to make a sleeper out of it. I'm thinking of using either an Olds 3800 or a Northstar 4.0 as the powerplant and cutting out the rear wheel wells and shortening the axle to accomodate mags. The biggest obstacle seems to be the custom ECU chip, but those seem to be getting easier to get, so maybe by the time I get the mechanical stuff done, that won't be a problem.
[Edited by: HotRod10 at 7/19/2012 4:30:58 PM EST]
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JimBlake56
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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:00:33 PM
I remember the Pontiac Chevette here in USA. I think it was called the "T-1000".
And my wife had a Pontiac Astre - she got it before I knew her.
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BartandLisa
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Message Posted: Jul 18, 2012 5:38:59 PM
On a "modern" Pontiac note, a twin of the Chevette was sold in Canada as a Pontiac Acadian, no doubt to replace the Pontiac Astre twin of the Vega and keep the dealerships busy.
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Titanic1985
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Message Posted: Jul 18, 2012 3:59:07 PM
Hello bongobro. Thanks for your response. I only wish my Brother were alive to read them. You said, "Ironically, the beaks that developed on the 1965 through 1969 models could do a bit of damage in a rear-end collision!" I was walking home from high school one day and saw one of those "beaked" Pontiacs hit the rear end of a Ford Mustang -- total destruction to the Ford.
I worked in a garage after college, before enlisting and remember a guy, 55 years old, who always came flying into our station with his Pontiac. I don't remember the model year, but it was the 389 with Tri-Power (3 two barrel carbs). I remember him tearing up our alarm driveway hoses when he came in. I never saw him drive that car sanely :-).
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 18, 2012 2:31:33 PM
While American-built Pontiacs were the third-most popular car for many years in the 1960s, their Canadian counterparts actually outsold Chevrolet for several years in the same time frame. When combined by the Acadian and Beaumont variations, the total number of Pontiacs to Chevrolets came close to 1.5 Pontiacs per 1 Chevrolet...something the American Pontiac never came close to reaching.
The Canadian Acadian was based on the Chevy II 100 and 300 models (Invader and Canso), while the Beaumont--at first the Chevy II Nova--split into the Chevelle-size body beginning with the 1964 models.
While never formally branded Pontiacs, the Acadian and Beaumont were sold in Canadian Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers as though they were part of the Pontiac line, and incorporated many Pontiac styling themes--and the post-'64 Beaumont even used the Tempest/GTO instrument panel.
With the passage of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Act on 1965, the restrictions on American-imported cars were eased. The Acadian was built in the U.S. from 1968 on; the full-size Pontiacs were reduced to Laurentian and Parisienne Brougham (nee Catalina Brougham) from 1971 to 1976; the Beaumont was dropped after 1970, to be replaced by the LeMans, and the Acadian was replaced in mid-year 1971 with the Ventura II (billed, curiously enough, as "the pocket-size Pontiac for people who want more" in Canadian literature).
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BartandLisa
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Message Posted: Jul 16, 2012 6:18:14 PM
Speaking of hefty Pontiacs - I recall a '75 Grand Ville convertible that was quite a beast. It was so long that I had to trim and slant the tailpipe to back down the gentle slope into my garage. Beautiful car with a 400 and all power options, but also the last year for that generation.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 16, 2012 5:37:07 PM
Hi, Titanic1965!
I remember Pontiacs of that era particularly, since my father worked for a Pontiac dealer for more than 30 years. The "Pointy Axe" nickname was appropriate for the 1960 model, with the "Fresh Point of View" front end, which looked something like the bow of a power boat. Even more remarkable was that the 1960 model was an example of GM's "planned obsolescence'--the 1959 split-grille was supposed to be a one-shot. Pontiac designers were so surprised by the success of the '59s, they were caught off-guard...it wasn't until the '61s that the split grille returned on both the Pontiacs and the Tempests.
Ironically, the beaks that developed on the 1965 through 1969 models could do a bit of damage in a rear-end collision! Next time you get a chance, compare a front-end photo of a '68 Catalina, Executive or Bonneville--to the front end of the 1959 Edsel--they look almost identical, given nine years of advancements!
By the early 1970s, a Grand Ville or full-size station wagon tipped the scales at 5,000 pounds PLUS--easily!
The Indian motif could be found in the high-beam indicators of full-size Pontiacs as late as at least 1968; it was a clever way to keep the old-time Pontiac logo in use as long as possible, even though the arrowhead logo debuted with the 1959 models. The illuminated Indian hood ornament appeared as far back as the 1946 models, and was optional as late as 1956. While the Indian disappeared for 1957, you could order lighted front fender spears instead.
My dad bought a new Star Chief 4-door sedan in July 1963; by the time it was finally scrapped in 1978, each of his five children, of whom I am the youngest, had driven the car at one time or another. The '63 is probably the best full-size Pontiac of the bunch between 1959 and 1970, as far as I am concerned...
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HotRod10
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Message Posted: Jul 16, 2012 9:54:25 AM
Tattoo's post reminds me of a more recent one where Cadillac actually trimmed the peak horsepower of the Northstar 4.0 (the 8 cyl. version of the Quad 4 Olds engine) to 275 to avoid pushing the DTS (Deville) out of the luxury full-size sedan class in to the sports sedan class. The production version boasted 300hp and 320 ft-lbs, which is huge from a non-supercharged 4.0L powerplant, that's only 244 cubic inches! About the same time, Jeep was touting their 4.0L with 193hp.
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Titanic1985
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Message Posted: Jul 16, 2012 8:34:35 AM
Hello bongobro. I remember the phrase "Wide-Track Pontiac" commercials well. My late brother owned many Bonneville Convertibles, the first being a 1960. What a Tank! It had a double frame under it and regularly broke the older style bumper jacks. We took that 1960 down to a scrap yard and weighed it -- 5,000 pounds!!! His nicest one ever was a 1964 Bonnevile with a metallic blue bottom and a white convertible top. Oh yes, who could forget the verticle lights and the faithful 389 cubic inch engine. I remember he left that 1960 on the narrow streets of Pittsburgh, PA for me to take care of while he was in stationed overseas in Korea. I was just 16 years old, had just gotten my driver's license and had to maneuver that beast without hitting someone. Thanks for the memories :-).
By the way, he had his own name for a Pontiac. He called them "Pointy Axe" due to the strange pointed front bumpers. If you hit anyone with that bumper, it would cause serious damage to the other vehicle. Do you remember the high beam indicator was a red "Chief Pontiac" on the dash? The 1950s models had a lighted hood emblem of "Chief Pontiac". Cool!
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tattoo666TX
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Texas
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Message Posted: Jul 16, 2012 1:44:41 AM
1972 Chevelle (LS6 model)
Only year a Chevelle was rated higher horsepower then a Vette.
It did not really have more then the LS6 Vette, but it was that the Vette was listed with less then what it had due to insurance companies.
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 7:54:12 PM
Now to pick up where we left off (I had a brief work interlude!)...
1958 was halfway through the five-year warning period...and the '58 Pontiac production total of 217,303 was the lowest since 1946! But Knudsen noticed the bodies for the all-new 1959 models, which were to be mounted on the 1958 chassis...and he cryptically commented that the proposed '59s looked like "football players in ballet slippers." So by widening the distance between the front wheels and the back wheels--and pulling them closer to the wheel openings--voila! The '59 Pontiacs looked more aggressive...and perhaps the single best-known car catchphrase..."Wide-Track Wheels"...was born. The all-new '59s and the completely reworked "Fresh Point of View" 1960s helped brighten Pontiac's sales future to a record of nine consecutive years as America's third-most popular make of car (1962-69)...
not bad for a make that would have otherwise been dropped in 1961...three years before the revised 1964 Tempest would have been the basis for a little something called the GTO!
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bongobro
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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 1:11:06 PM
Those of us who are still drying our tears over the end of the Pontiac line of cars should be grateful to S. E. "Bunkie" Knudsen. In 1956--yes, 1956!--GM brass issued Pontiac executives a warning: Turn the division around in five years or goodbye Pontiac!
The problem was the same thing that led to Oldsmobile's demise in 2004 and the near-dumping of Buick in the 1980s: The cars were every bit as good as any contemporary GM product, but their image wasn't very contemporary. Pontiacs in the 1940s and early 1950s were most likely driven by your grandfather (or worse yet, your grandmother!); their side-valve inline sixes and eights were indeed "built to last 100,000 miles," but they came in bodies that looked just as old as their drivers. Those "silver streaks" on the hood and trunk (which, of all things, were the styling brain child of "Bunkie" Knudsen's father in 1935!) looked like Grandpa's suspenders as well!
The younger Knudsen, along with incoming engineers John Z. Delorean (late of Packard) and Eliot M. "Pete" Estes (from Oldsmobile), went to work. The "silver streaks" were ripped off the 1957 models (although some pre-production models, used in the '57 brochure, were built with them); the 1955-vintage Strato-Streak V-8 was increased in displacement each year (from 287 CID in '55 to 317 in '56, '347 in '57, 370 in '58, and 389 in '59)...and the Tri-Power triple carb package and fuel-injected Bonneville both debuted in 1957...but they were only just beginning to "build excitement," as it were...to be continued...
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