1976 Ford Elite - Ford Tries to Build a Monte Carlo

The Ford Motor Company's Ford division was quite late to the personal luxury car party in the 1970's spurred by General Motors' 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo when they rolled out these tarted up Torino's they called "Elite" for 1974. Actually, for 1974 these were called the "Gran Torino Elite"; Ford dropped the Gran Torino pre-fix for 1975 and 1976. My Facebook Marketplace find here hails from 1976. 

Ford apparently saw no need to come sooner with a personal luxury car given they had their Thunderbird in their stable, but the Thunderbird, even the loosely Torino-based 1972-1976 models, were full sized cars, not mid-size like the Grand Prix and Monte Carlo, were (opinion) far less handsome than GM's wonder-twins, were far more expensive and subsequently got trounced at the box office. 

Calling these tarted up Torino's isn't fair, though. They're more like rebadged Mercury Cougar XR-7's. A different grill here, some futzing with the goofy opera windows, adjust the vinyl top and there you go. A Ford Elite. 

These cars remind me of when I asked my mother for a pair of Levi's that all the cool kids were wearing but she bought me Sears Toughskins instead. How I didn't get stuffed in a locker more than I did is anyone's guess. Might as well have been a Ford Elite. 

Taste and armpits, these cars no doubt have their fans, GM fan boy here, I ain't one of them. I would give credit where credit is due if I thought these deserving - for example, I thought Chrysler's 1975-1977 Cordoba quite handsome although it's styling obliviously was obviously a derivative of the 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I had a '75 Cordoba, and while I loved it, I thought the '76 Chevrolet Monte Carlo a friend had rode and handled better. Far better looking too but us beggars can't be choosers. I was lucky to have new clothing. 

Asking price on this one is a ridiculous $7,950, high retail is $2,900. Reupholstered front seat is an eye-sore - why folks don't spring for the appropriate upholstery vexes me. Maybe it wasn't available, that happens. If that was the case, change the back seat when you're doing the fronts. To us classic car wonks, that stuff matters. And who the heck else is going to be interested in this thing? 

That's Ford's venerable 351-cubic inch "Windsor" V-8, "Windsor" denoting it was built at their engine plant across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. Low-compression, tiny two-barrel carburetor, 154 horsepower - the muscle car era was dead and buried by 1976. Good news is these are easily "souped-up"; how fast do you want to spend? If you're curious, that's not a Folger's Coffee can, it's a reservoir for engine vacuum. 

Might be my "GM myopia", but I have to wonder why someone would buy this car - perhaps at three-grand, maybe $3,500 considering its condition but eight-grand? Seriously? I see no value proposition here but, again, there's an arse for every seat. Ford tried to build a Monte Carlo or Grand Prix and, my blog, my opinion, failed miserably. Chevrolet sold more than three Monte Carlo's for every one "Elite" Ford sold. 

Ford dropped the Elite moniker replacing it in their lineup for 1977 with a restyled car they glued "Thunderbird" to; in retrospect, what they should have done as far back as 1972. Wouldn't you know it? The Thunderbird moniker still had some of the old magic in it as 1977-1979 Thundrtbirds became the best selling T-Bird's of all time. 

Didn't hurt that they did away with most if not all of the quirks of these cars with the 1977 reboot. They were priced lower too - America, then as now, loves a bargain. 

At ac amfm power steering power brakes 351v8,orginal paint NEW TIRES NEW VINYL TOP JUST SERVICED RUNS AND DRIVES GREAT , GREAT CLASSIC CRUZER.

1976 Pontiac Astre - A Great Adventure

You wouldn't be alone thinking this was a Chevrolet Vega but it's the Pontiac version of the Vega known as the "Astre". This one hails from model-year 1976. Pontiac sold these down here from 1975-1977, GM of Canada from 1973-1977. 

There's little to distinguish an Astre from a Vega. Front and rear facias are different, the interior is debatably "better". Underneath this it's all Vega. 

It's all Vega right down to its alloy, 2.3-liter, overhead cam, 4-cylinder engine. Although by '76 Chevrolet had worked out most of the kinks of the horrible little paint shaker, Pontiac tossed it for 1977 for their own cast-iron, 2.5-liter, overhead valve 4-cylinder that was literally half of Pontiac's also new for 1977, 301-cubic inch V-8. Chevrolet started using the Pontiac built four in 1978. 

Fun facts, the 2.5-liter Pontiac four displaced 151-cubic inches - the Pontiac 301 displaced 301.6 cubic-inches making it, technically, a "302". Some GM suit (justifying their haughty paycheck perhaps) determined that folks would confuse the Pontiac 302 with the Ford 302, thus, the Pontiac 301 was "born". 

If you're familiar with Pontiac engine history, seemed Pontiac liked to slice their V-8's in half and make four-bangers out of them. They did the same thing back in the early '60's when their "Trophy" four-cylinder engine was half of their 389-cubic inch V-8. 

Although GM had been badge-engineering for decades prior, the practice began to really rear its ugly cloned head in the '70's. "Badge engineering" an oxymoronic term for a manufacturer taking a model and doing little more than changing its name and selling it as something else. Pontiac stickered these for some $500 more than a Vega.

Shameful, but Ford and Chrysler "badge-engineered" as well. At its best, and that's possible, buyers would be hard-pressed to see the similarities in badge-engineered models. There's no hiding what this Pontiac really is. 

The Pontiac Astre and Chevrolet Vega were GM's second foray into sub-compact cars. Their first was the Chevrolet Corvair in 1960 followed by the "senior" subcompact (they were a scooch larger) Pontiac Tempest, Oldsmobile F-85 and Buick Special in 1961. The Pontiac, Buick and Olds went to the dumpster (the nameplates lived on) after 1963 but a rebooted (for 1965) and very handsome Corvair soldiered on through 1969. 

For 1971, GM tried a subcompact again with the Vega. Without question a handsome design, it's gone down in history as one of the worst automobiles of all time. From failed engines to bodies that rusted out and did so quickly, the list of Vega and later Astre maladies went on and on. 

At the time, GM could ill-afford, although they hardly knew it at the time, to have such a calamity on their hands what with superbly built, affordably priced sub-compact Asian imports washing ashore en masse in the early '70's. 

Pontiac replaced these with the first generation "Sunbird" in 1978 that was their badge-engineered version of the Chevrolet Monza, itself a stretched version of the Vega. Curiously, Chevrolet and Pontiac continued to sell the two-door wagon of the Astre and Vega in 1978 and 1979 that they called, respectively, the "Monza Wagon" and "Sunbird Sport Safari". 

Our Facebook Marketplace find here is for sale in Jackson, New Jersey, a town famous for being the home of the amusement park, Six Flags Great Adventure. It's for sale as part of an estate purge and they're asking $2,500. Yes, twenty-five-hundred-dollars. It's not running and the driver's side floor, at least, has rotted through. Talk about a, ahem, "Great Adventure". 

 

1974 Chevrolet Nova SS - A 1974 Nova SS??

Today's Facebook Marketplace gem is this 1974 Chevrolet Nova SS. I know, right? A Nova SS from model-year 1974. Bet you didn't know these were built or if you did, you may have forgotten they were. 

Chevrolet didn't make many and 1974, after all, was the tip of the spear of the Malaise Era that would run through, depending on who you talk to you and their definition of it, at least 1982. Some say it lasted into the '90's; its starting point varies on who you talk to as well. I say it's the advent of lower compression engines in 1971, others say safety bumpers in 1973. Tomato, to-mah-toe. 

Surcharges on anything insurance companies construed as a performance car had already knocked performance cars loose on their hinges; emissions regulations did their thing too, but the gas crunch knocked the door clean off them. 

After 1974, Chevrolet pulled the plug on these muscular "little" cars stuffed with Chevrolet's "L48", 185-horsepower, 350-cubic inch, V-8 engines. Yes, the same L48 used in Camaro's and the haughty Corvette although, supposedly, detuned a whopping 5-horsepower. This way, GM could still market that the Corvette was still the most powerful Chevrolet available that year. 

With a factory, 3:42 posi-rear and a four-speed, pull up next to a Corvette or Camaro with an L48 and my money's on you and your Nova. Not by much, but enough to make the Corvette owner wonder why they spent almost a third more to go all but just as fast. These were no stinkers in the corners either with their fatter than stock sway bars and firmer springs. Base model Nova's were adroit handlers, imagine how this thing rides. 

You could also order a Nova SS with an automatic in 1974, but the "350" in those cars would be the 145-horsepower, L65. Not quite the thumper the L48 was, especially with the 3:42 gears but it was better than the 250-inline six without that much of a penalty in fuel economy. Automatic, L65 Nova SS' for '74 had at best 3:08 posi-gears although, have to imagine, most had 2:73's (posi). 

All in, for less than five-grand in the waning days of the Nixon administration, those looking for a performance bargain laughed all the way to the bank. Or had some extra sheckles to fork over to their insurance company. In fairness, Corvette and Nova buyers were as far apart as John Dean was from H.R. Haldeman was when it was all said and done but still, these were no slouches. 

Chevrolet sold a Nova SS for 1975 and 1976 but it was all but a trim package. 1975 also brought a substantial reboot to all of the GM "compact" X-bodies that made them better conveyances, but also massaged away any of their "small-muscle car" mojo. Particularly on the coupes. 

This one's for sale back in my old neck of the woods (Long Island, New York) and has an asking price of, you sitting down? $35,000. That's more than ten-grand of, ahem, green north of what high retail for what these are going for these days. Can't blame them for asking. 

You may see other Nova's of this vintage at car shows this year but you're not going to see many 1974 Nova SS'. 

 

1980 Triumph TR7 - I'm the Odd Duck Out

When I was kid growing up on Long Island in the '70's, a neighbor had not only had a TR7, but a TR6. Born an old soul, I usually liked "older" cars more than whatever was then current, but I thought the TR7 made the TR6 look like old timey, pre-war cars I generally don't care for; us old souls have out limits. I really, really liked that TR7 and I still do. This one is a 1980, it's a rare convertible and is for sale on Marketplace for "just" $6,000. Somebody, hide my checkbook! 

I realize that liking TR7's more than TR6' makes me an odd duck in the eyes of Triumph cognoscenti - many a Triumph sports car fan want nothing to do with these cars; I don't see what they don't see or why they despise them. I guess since there's nothing in common between a "7" and a "6" and I seeing the "7" before the "6", I'm able to see them exclusive of each other. I do, for the record, see plenty to love in almost all TR's going back to the first one in 1961, but given a choice between a "7" and an earlier TR, I'm going with one of these. Let's agree to disagree on TR2's and 3's. 

New for mid-model-year 1975, the TR7 was Triumph's, or, more specifically, British-Leyland's, first "modern sports car" although some of its engineering was decidedly "retro-grade". It was "unit-body" with front-disc brakes, had rack-and-pinion steering and front MacPherson struts, but it had a carbureted four-cylinder engine that was less powerful than the (primitively) fuel-injected six in the TR6 and had a live rear axle versus the TR6' independent rear suspension. That said, we all know that a good live axle set up will trump an IRS. 

Despite that, the TR7 was a bastion of civility if not solidity compared to the body-on-frame TR6. Contemporary road-tests lauded it's handling and interior ergonomics (layout\design). Originally built with only a fixed roof, British Leyland was hesitant at first to build a convertible seeing the U.S. government was purportedly banning convertibles, but for 1979, they sawed the roof off creating a roadster. Even amongst TR7 fans I'm the odd duck out as I like the fixed roof models more than these things. The lack of a roof, through my goggles, accentuates the rear-end on these cars and not in a good way. 

These cars had more than their fair share of challenges and issues inherent with many a British manufactured automobile in those days. Shoddy build quality, questionable engineering and, like I intimated, its overall design was off-putting to many. Sales were initially strong but then tapered off as word spread that they were unreliable little stinkers. A Rover V-8 (1979-1981 TR8) did little for sales and British Leyland ceased production after 1981; they snuffed out the Triumph brand after 1984. 

Still, it's not every day you find one for sale on Facebook Marketplace. And one with a tantalizingly reasonable asking price. I'm not crazy about the color of this one - apparently, it's a vinyl wrap and not paint. Not sure why anyone would go through the trouble of doing that but it's no doubt less expensive in the long run than painting a car. It has a new gas tank and new top, engine appears to have some issues as it "needs gaskets" and a water pump. Yeah, let me run down to Autozone and pick one up. Poster of the ad claims some 200 hours have gone into restoration "at this point". You have, as the saying goes, been warned. 

1968 Chevrolet Nomad - Don't Let the Door Hit You (On Your Way Out)

Years ago, The Big Three had a curious habit of introducing a new model to great fanfare and then within a decade, sometimes less, push it down market or introduce something "on top" of it. Some refer to that practice as "debasement". The Chevrolet Bel Air and Impala, Ford Fairlane, Thunderbird and Galaxie, Plymouth Belvedere and Pontiac Bonneville (technically), are examples of once top-of-the-line models that were either pushed down or passed over. Another is the Chevrolet Nomad. Our well-worn subject here is a 1968. 

Introduced to said great fanfare as part of General Motors Motorama in 1954, the first Chevrolet Nomad was a wagon variant of, if you can believe it after seeing our green monster, the Corvette. If you love what they refer to as "shooting brakes" like I do, no doubt you're ass over teapot over these luscious beauties. Talk about the personification of 1950's, "James Dean Cool". The original show cars were destroyed, anything around today like the one above are replicas. 

Shooting brakes, incidentally, are station wagons with the sporting elan of sports cars. The term stems from the 1890's when "shooting parties" would use horse drawn, open wagons to carry themselves, their guns, ammunition and, presumably, have enough room to carry home the, umm, stuff they shot. The "brake" or "break" part stems, supposedly, from carriages meant to "break" in horses. How and why the two terms got stuck together is anyone's guess.  

Problem was, being Corvette based, they would have been prohibitively expensive to build. Therefore, the first production Nomad's were built on GM's new-for-1955 A-body chassis and as such, enabled Pontiac to build one as well. For more on the Pontiac, please google, "Pontiac Bonneville Sport". Although prosaic in comparison to the Motorama car, they were still two-door "sport wagons" and, objectively, handsome as hell although not quite as much as the Corvette based ones. Chevrolet also offered 210 and 150 based two-door "Handyman" wagons. 

It was, save for the Corvette, Chevrolet's most expensive model. Find one of these today, even basket cases, and you're going to pay through the grill for it. Above is a 1957 complete with a "fuelie" 283-cubic inch V-8. 

When Chevrolet upsized to GM's B-body for 1958, the Nomad remained as a wagon and although it was no longer a "shooting brake", it was Chevrolet's top-of-the-line wagon lineup that included four other models (more like trim levels). Much like experiencing the chill of ageism for the first time, the debasement of the Nomad began in 1959 when it became the step-down model to the new "Kingswood". It remained as such for 1961 before the nameplate was sunset. Above is a 1958 Nomad with 1971-1972 Chevrolet Impala wheel covers and period incorrect wheels and tires. 

Chevrolet resurrected the Nomad moniker for 1968 affixing it to their new-for-'68, entry-level, "A-body" intermediate station wagon. So, in just fourteen-years, the Chevrolet Nomad went from glamorous, Motorama Queen to a bottom feeding, bone-stripped rental car. Don't let the door hit you on your way out, old man. 

A five-door only, Nomad's like our subject here came standard with Chevrolet's dutiful although pokey, 230-cubic inch, inline six and three-on-the-tree. Chevrolet produced these disposable, mid-sized Nomad appliances through 1972. 

Chevrolet marketed a Vega Nomad in 1976 that was an appearance package for their Vega "Kammback" wagon. From 1977 through 1981, "Nomad" denoted a trim level of Chevrolet's full-size van. 

Fun Nomad facts, when Chevrolet was working on their X-body Citation, they whipped up a handsome mini-van version they dubbed, "Nomad". Chevrolet suits thought it would impact station wagon sales and scuttled it. How right they were. 

This '68 popped up on Marketplace recently with a $6,000 asking price. Seems like a lot of money for something that's needs so much, including an exterminator and delousing. I guess $5,000-$6,000 is the new $1,000-$2,000 I'd think this would be worth. The heck do I know? Seriously, this could need ten grand in just body work before you get to the fun stuff like the steering suspension and power train. 

Frankly, given Chevrolet's reuse of their hallowed "Blazer" and "Trailblazer" monikers lately, that they haven't repurposed "Nomad" is a bit of head scratcher. To me at least. Maybe they're working on a Corvette based "shooting brake" although, given that the Corvette is now mid-engined, that seems highly unlikely. We can dream, though.