GM Vs Ford from the 40's-70's (muscle car, luxury, vehicle)

[sdlife619]

As someone that has owned both classic Cadillac's and Lincolns. I don't have a bias towards any brand. I love them both. Over the years I have asked everyday old timers that have lived during the 50's-70's which brands do they prefer the most, and which brands were the most reliable and innovative, the majority of them preferred GM products over Fords for various reasons.

Chrysler/Dodge can be added in, but my main comparisons are GM (Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac) and Fords ( Lincoln, Mercury).

I am sure we can all agree that GM was the styling leader from the 50's-60's. Each brand had it's own small distinctive cues that made them unique even though platform sharing did exist in those days. What was different however were the power trains from each brand. The Olds 455 Rocket V8 was completely different from a Cadillac 390 or even a 472. The beloved Chevy 350 was unique and special to the Chevy brand. GM gave consumers many options to choose from. I also sense and notice that GM cars usually were first to innovate while everybody else followed suit.

Also classic GM cars from what I was told are easier to work on, were less complicated than a Ford, plus they lasted longer and were less problematic.

My guess is that GM knowingly had the most resources. Especially in engineering, design, styling, and product development. Shoot, Harley Earl was THE MAIN reason GM cars looked awesome including Bill Mitchell but to a lesser extent. while Ford although a big automaker, wasn't nearly as huge as GM was therefore they didn't have nearly the same amount of manpower, creativity, and finances to compete with GM. Ford somewhat caught on during the 60's with new and improved performance engines and transmissions, new models like the Mustang and improved Galaxie , but GM styling was still very sleek, very sexy, and overall GM cars were generally more powerful compared to a Ford.

So is it true that Fords back in the days were considered junky, outdated, boring cars? I mean any time I go to a classic car show, I can't count how many old Chevies, Olds, Buick's and Caddie's I see. Hardly any Fords, if so, they're all mostly Stangs, 32 Fords, and T-Birds, with nothing else in between which is pretty sad.

Here's a good example of a typical Ford stereotype. Back in the early 60's Ford decided to replace frame F-150's with a Uni-body construction. The twin I beam front suspension was horrible from what history tells me. Well those 2 idea's backfired big time on Fords part since the bodies would deform, doors would get stuck closed, they rattled, and weren't strong enough to handle heavy payloads.

Chevies on the other hand were full framed, used front coils up front, and rear leafs or coils for the rear suspension which is perfect. Why mess with a good thing? And why didn't Ford ever just use GM's design or idea's when everybody knew it was a better design in the first place?

My friends 69 Chevy C10 straight 6 250 pickup has over 230,000 original miles on it, and he just replaced the original ignition switch the other day!! The truck still runs and sounds great, it's bare bones, no power accessories at all, but he's never had suspension trouble, as the original factory bushings, control arms are huge and are over built.


So what is it? Do you guys prefer Old GM, or Old Fords? Why and for what reasons?

[need4speed2012]

Over the past 25 plus years I prefer GM over them all but !!!

In the past I my father bought a new 1977 Dodge Club Cab with the 360ci that went 325,000 miles and the he sold it, still running great.

I bought a new 1978 Dodge Power Wagon 440ci 4x4 loaded for $6800.00 that burned all Fords and GM trucks around and sold it 7-years later for $6500.00, go figure, the kid just flat out wanted it.

For muscle, its always going to be old school Mopar from the middle 60s to the early 70s.

[Challenger76]

I wasn't going to reply since all I ever owned that old was a 65 Mustang. I'd have to go with GM just because the Impala of the old days was pretty much "cool" no matter how it progressed (until the late 70s then it turned to puke as it is today).
The Camaro has always been one of my favorites, though todays Camaro has followed the Impala down puke trail as well.
The old Caddys were great! With the big long fins in the 50's, you cant find a cooler car than a 59 caddy convertible, it is the coolest car of all time and the hearse was manacing!
Some of those old Buick tanks were great looking too.
I just don't think Ford compared to those greats.
Today is a different story GM don't have 1 car I like besides the new Caddy lineup which is pretty sweet for a modern car.
I'm with the poster above as far as muscle Mopar all the way, even today, the Challenger hands down is the only true modern muscle car in my most humble of opinions, not trying to make an argument out of it.

[PDD]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

As someone that has owned both classic Cadillac's and Lincolns. I don't have a bias towards any brand. I love them both. Over the years I have asked everyday old timers that have lived during the 50's-70's which brands do they prefer the most, and which brands were the most reliable and innovative, the majority of them preferred GM products over Fords for various reasons.

Chrysler/Dodge can be added in, but my main comparisons are GM (Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac) and Fords ( Lincoln, Mercury).

I am sure we can all agree that GM was the styling leader from the 50's-60's. Each brand had it's own small distinctive cues that made them unique even though platform sharing did exist in those days. What was different however were the power trains from each brand. The Olds 455 Rocket V8 was completely different from a Cadillac 390 or even a 472. The beloved Chevy 350 was unique and special to the Chevy brand. GM gave consumers many options to choose from. I also sense and notice that GM cars usually were first to innovate while everybody else followed suit.

Also classic GM cars from what I was told are easier to work on, were less complicated than a Ford, plus they lasted longer and were less problematic.

My guess is that GM knowingly had the most resources. Especially in engineering, design, styling, and product development. Shoot, Harley Earl was THE MAIN reason GM cars looked awesome including Bill Mitchell but to a lesser extent. while Ford although a big automaker, wasn't nearly as huge as GM was therefore they didn't have nearly the same amount of manpower, creativity, and finances to compete with GM. Ford somewhat caught on during the 60's with new and improved performance engines and transmissions, new models like the Mustang and improved Galaxie , but GM styling was still very sleek, very sexy, and overall GM cars were generally more powerful compared to a Ford.

So is it true that Fords back in the days were considered junky, outdated, boring cars? I mean any time I go to a classic car show, I can't count how many old Chevies, Olds, Buick's and Caddie's I see. Hardly any Fords, if so, they're all mostly Stangs, 32 Fords, and T-Birds, with nothing else in between which is pretty sad.

Here's a good example of a typical Ford stereotype. Back in the early 60's Ford decided to replace frame F-150's with a Uni-body construction. The twin I beam front suspension was horrible from what history tells me. Well those 2 idea's backfired big time on Fords part since the bodies would deform, doors would get stuck closed, they rattled, and weren't strong enough to handle heavy payloads.

Chevies on the other hand were full framed, used front coils up front, and rear leafs or coils for the rear suspension which is perfect. Why mess with a good thing? And why didn't Ford ever just use GM's design or idea's when everybody knew it was a better design in the first place?

My friends 69 Chevy C10 straight 6 250 pickup has over 230,000 original miles on it, and he just replaced the original ignition switch the other day!! The truck still runs and sounds great, it's bare bones, no power accessories at all, but he's never had suspension trouble, as the original factory bushings, control arms are huge and are over built.


So what is it? Do you guys prefer Old GM, or Old Fords? Why and for what reasons?

During that time period Ford was a privately family owned company not open to ideas from outside the family.
Only when FORD became a public company did it's cars and trucks become much better. Ford has been the dominant Truck brand for years and the Mustang is still the best bang for the buck in the entry level performance field.

It is debatable if the coil spring Chevy trucks were better than Fords solid axle, probably a smoother ride but as a work truck the solid is stronger.

GM no longer makes medium duty trucks.

BTW go some open track events(where the real men go) and you will see plenty of Fords.
I guess you could say GM cars are for those who like to show and Fords are for those who like to go.

[marlinfshr]

Overall, I prefer the styling of the GM cars through a lot of that period as there are the tri-five chevy's, the 59 caddy and a nice assortment of muscle cars that all look good.

Ford had some nice cars as well during that period such as the 57 fairlane and the mustangs but overall I'll give GM the nod as the classic cars I'd like only the mustang and 57 fairlane are the only Fords on my list of possibilities.

As far as trucks though, I'll go with ford. In that period there are 2 forms of the Bronco available and overall I prefer the styling of the Ford trucks.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Here's a good example of a typical Ford stereotype. Back in the early 60's Ford decided to replace frame F-150's with a Uni-body construction. The twin I beam front suspension was horrible from what history tells me. Well those 2 idea's backfired big time on Fords part since the bodies would deform, doors would get stuck closed, they rattled, and weren't strong enough to handle heavy payloads.

The unibody was a great idea ahead of its time. Basically it was a 1960s version of the Avalache or Ridgeline, a vehicle for those who need the cargo space of a truck but not the payload capacity. The problem was that they didn't offer the standard cab and bed design at all on the two-wheel-drive F-series for farmers, contractors, and others who needed to haul heavy loads (they did offer it with the non-matching 1960-style bed after the problems started to come out). Had they considered the payload issues and offered both options the unibody might today be hailed as a stroke of genius rather than an abysmal failure.

As to the twin I-beams, I was never a big fan. However, the Ford F-series with this setup was a top seller the entire time they used it so I'd hardly say it was horrible.

[TrapperL]

GM was the first to have an oil pressurized lube system. That made a huge difference in engine life at hiway speeds as the USA was starting to have a love affair with travel. Ford was the first between the two to have a viable V8. But the old flathead was not near as easy to work on as the later OHV GM V8s. If working on the valves, pulling the covers off of a Y block gives you lots of parts including springs to look at versus a 265 GM engine with single rockers on a stud. The Y block meant having to remove the entire side of rockers where a GM could be done one at a time. Points were the heart of the ignition system. Ford required you use a "feeler gauge" to set the gap and you could check it with a dwell meter. Then readjust it until you got it right. GM had a gate on the side of the dizzy for a hex wrench. You started the engine and adjusted the points to perfection with your dwell meter making for a smoother running engine. Ford used a lot of right and left turn bolts and nuts. You had to know which one was which. GM was pretty much all the same as it is today. Ford was late to the party in getting out cars that folks liked. Ford used the same engines in trucks as their cars. They were high in torque but were slow versus GM offerings. Folks were wanting speed after the war.

In car design, the GM cars were always a little sleeker. The 55 Chevy versus the Ford Crown Vic had the Chevy in high demand. The 57 Chevy was the all time classic with it's huge fins versus the Ford. The 59 and 60 Chevy were all fins which folks thought it made them look faster. The 50's and 60's really defined GM as the car company that made fast cars. The other car makers were just playing catch up. They were inexpensive, easy to work on and because of demand, after market parts were cheap to make them go even faster. Hot rodders loved the GM engines as they were smaller in overall size which made fitting easier into a coupe, were light weight by comparison, made more power for less money. In pickups, the GM was king as the Fords used a far too stiff suspension system and ranchers and construction folks couldn't get anywhere off road with them. Wheel hop was common on a Ford and it was said back then you could get stuck in a Ford truck on wet asphalt. Then there was the difference in build quality. GM trucks would last a long time with the engine being the wearable. Ford trucks had major issues with door hinges, window operators, small parts that literally fell apart. It was said back then that a Ford truck would be cheaper to buy but it'll nickel and dime you into the poorhouse.
Things have certainly changed....

[sdlife619]

So when did Ford catch up to GM in terms of quality and performance? For instance, I could never understand why the Chrysler Imperial and Lincoln Continentals from the 60's used a rear leaf suspension in a luxury car.

This design was so ancient even in those days, plus the ride quality was not as good as the Cadillac's from the same era. Or at least they're not as soft and floaty as a Caddy.

Lincoln wised up in the 70's and went with rear coils and BOF construction which made a huge difference in road isolation.

[NewHavensFinest]

I know it cost a lot more to build a Ford engine than a GM engine. Thats for sure.

[straight shooter]

Chrysler was king when it came to v8 engineering and quality.

Ford was king when it came to the quality of metals used for bodies from the model T to the 60's.

GM was the king when it came to engine modifications/ after market performance parts and bang for the buck.

Chrysler was the engineering company and ahead of the others many times. Aerodynamics, all steel bodies, and superior structural rigidity in 1934. First to introduce a hemi engine in a production car for 1951. Styling way ahead of the others in 1957-1958, surprised all the other makers and had them scrambling. GM catched up in 1959 and Ford in 1960. Chrysler Imperials suspension far superior to Cadillac and Lincoln from 1957-1958/9, even Plymouth had a superior suspension when compared to Ford and Chevrolet. First mass produced car to have a 300 horsepower engine for 1955.