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This doesn't include trucks. Did Ford, Chrysler, and GM make a well built car during this time period? What cars I remember from the time squeaked, rattled, rolled (when making a turn quickly), prone to quick rusting, slow (even the sports cars), and thirsty. Vehicle speed and efficiency improved in the 80s but still slow and thirsty by today's standards.
all LOOKED well built (even Chrysler Corp around 1975 had improved the workmanship of the big Mopars) but i've seen the downsized mid sized GM cars like the Century referred to here as "junk"
I liked the downsized full sized GM cars that came out in 1977 and after, but the downsized 78 GM mid sizers looked too bland. Ditto for Fords and Mercs. The 1979 Mopars like the Dodge St Regis were also bland
1975 was when the catalytic converters were introduced and gave a bit better gas mileage on the big boats. of course downsizing improved gas mileage
1975 was when the catalytic converters were introduced and gave a bit better gas mileage on the big boats. of course downsizing improved gas mileage
Incorrect on the converters. Their purpose was to burn up any vaporized fuel that the engine itself didn't burn. As inefficient and imprecise as the engines were, there was a lot of unburned fuel. Basically, the air along streets was full of vaporized gasoline, which is bad to breathe.
Burning the unburned fuel reduces pollution, but the exhaust back-pressure produced by the cat actually reduced power and fuel efficiency for a long time after they were first required.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The best cars were up to 1969, then in 1970-1972 they were well built but started to go downhill as far as performance due to the start of smog regulations and lack of technology to be efficient, clean, and drivable.
About 1974 the government imposed new safety standards, and again the technology was not there, so they all went to big, ugly and heavy bumpers that made the performance even worse. In 1974 the gas crisis spawned a new move toward smaller cars like the Pinto, Vega and Chevette which were thrown together quickly to meet demand and were absolute crap. I don't think the technology caught up with the regulations to develop decent cars again until about 1989 and even then the emerging computer technology on cars was very problematic until about 1995.
This doesn't include trucks. Did Ford, Chrysler, and GM make a well built car during this time period? What cars I remember from the time squeaked, rattled, rolled (when making a turn quickly), prone to quick rusting, slow (even the sports cars), and thirsty. Vehicle speed and efficiency improved in the 80s but still slow and thirsty by today's standards.
IMO, NO! they did not build good reliable vehicles of any type. This quality dumbing down is what gave the Japanese their foot hold in the American market.
Had a '73 Chevelle 454, 4 spd: ran like a bear, with few probs. Sold it in '78. Bought a '78 TransAm 400 4 spd. That ran like a top, as in nothing ever broke. Sold that in '85. Had a myriad of 'company cars', every couple/three years, all Ford, GM or Chrysler during that time, and into the late '80s, & '90s. Drove the crap out of them, bouncing around metro NY, and they all ran well, too.
Not pumping any brand, but I've had very good luck with cars, almost regardless of brand over the years. Fwiw, my wife's 2003 CR-V was a POS, but that was probably an anomaly.
All anecdotal, and fwiw...
GL, mD
My first car was purchased in 1986 and it was a 1978 Camaro with the 250 CID inline 6 engine. All four windows leaked in water when it rained, rain water also leaked into the trunk, cheap vinyl seats cracked (painful to wear shorts when driving). When I took it in for a tune-up to my uncle's repair shop, we discovered I'd been driving on five cylinders only. The cost for repair or replacement of the engine was more than the rust bucket was worth.
My mom and dad's 1978 Chrysler Cordoba with the 400 something CID engine ran well enough to tow a good size camper. But it was too thirsty for daily driving. It also gave you motion sickness when hitting bumps on non-interstate roads. Open highways, never felt the bumps.
This doesn't include trucks. Did Ford, Chrysler, and GM make a well built car during this time period? What cars I remember from the time squeaked, rattled, rolled (when making a turn quickly), prone to quick rusting, slow (even the sports cars), and thirsty. Vehicle speed and efficiency improved in the 80s but still slow and thirsty by today's standards.
The 1975-'76 Cadillacs were still good.
Well-built and reliable engine and drivetrain. The Lincolns, too.
The fullsize cars built during those years are real good and solid. Many of them have basically a truck drive train so they last a long time.
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