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I grew up in an era when a Japanese made car would far outlast an American made car. After watching my parents with a disaster of an American made car, I have never seriously considered one; but I hear people wax nostalgic about GMs and Fords. Not clear why. Were the Detroit cars better in the 1960's and 1970's? Or was it there was not another choice?
First of all, we cannot broad brush "Detroit cars." Some were lemons, and some were fantastic.
That said, how long these big old V8s would last had everything to do with how they were maintained, and how they were driven - just like most engines. Thing is, though, when one of them did break down, you had something you could rebuild. Cast iron block, cast iron heads, huge crankshaft that could have the journals ground. All steel, nothing plastic and nothing aluminum.
A lot of those engines are still running so you tell me. The thing is, you can probably get one of those engines to last forever. You might do an overhaul but on those engines it isn't difficult and you don't have to find special this or that.
Japanese engines are basically throw out jobs once they develop any significant problem. Although they are very reliable, if you get one that needs more than a tune-up, throw it away and dump in a new engine. The other thing is, a Japanese engine is what you get is what you are stuck with. Yeah for big bucks you can do something to it but it costs a small fortune. With the older American engines, you could spend a weekend or so on it and transform it into something of dreams.
There is more to life than being limited to hanging a big end exhaust on an engine that sounds like bees in a can and runs around at rpms that make you wonder why pistons aren't punching through the hood. When you idle away with a big 455 and slight pedal pressure sends you back in the seat, spooling up some Honda engine to 8 grand or more somehow doesn't make the blood flow any faster.
Its really funny to watch the high rpm japanese engined cars with trash can sized exhaust spinning like a food processor making a racket and you look over and the car is going 17 mph.
I don't know. To me, a great, technically well executed car is a WRX or an Evo. Even an Si or Mazdaspeed has appeal. They corner well, accelerate quickly, and in the Subi and Mitsu have all wheel drive. The old Detroit muscle cars seem to just do one thing well go fast in a straight line.
I don't know. To me, a great, technically well executed car is a WRX or an Evo. Even an Si or Mazdaspeed has appeal. They corner well, accelerate quickly, and in the Subi and Mitsu have all wheel drive. The old Detroit muscle cars seem to just do one thing well go fast in a straight line.
understand however that the cars we are talking about were built for a different time, when drag racing was king. also dont forget that those old muscle cars can be built to handle with a few modifications that one can do in their driveway over a weekend.
I don't know. To me, a great, technically well executed car is a WRX or an Evo. Even an Si or Mazdaspeed has appeal. They corner well, accelerate quickly, and in the Subi and Mitsu have all wheel drive. The old Detroit muscle cars seem to just do one thing well go fast in a straight line.
I once owned a '71 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with the radio w/8 track. It was still working. The sound quality was okay, but not great.
As for the apples and oranges comparison, I prefer cars with attractive styling and big V-8 engines with loads of torque. Which means 1960s/early-'70s American muscle cars. First choice: 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T with 440-Magnum engine, 3-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission and 3.55 axle ratio. Color: B5 blue with a blue interior.
I've got one these in a 71 225. Seems like I heard that the oil pressure was a problem in them and there is a fix were some machine shops did some re-routing. With mine the oil light comes on even after I know its okay. I take it out for about 150 mile drive once a year and it does pretty good.
I am going to try to refurbish a 455- Rocket engine. It is in a 69 gmc motorhome. Owner said it
was losing power when he quit driving it in 1980. Where do I start first, and will the gasoline
be shellac? What additives should I put in the oil and gasoline? Keep it simple, I am 80 years old.
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