What's your favorite car?

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They (Tahoe) were real

workhorses for sure. I still see several around with engines that sound like machine guns from very high mileage. Rust has gotten the better of most by now, if they haven't been restored, painted, or customized.
The white one in your pohto was likely built in Janesville Wi. Now they all come out of Arlington Texas, along with Escalades, Yukons, and Suburbans.
 
My roomie just bought an 03 suburban. Nice truck. Got a few issues to sort out. But $2k for a 188k mile vehicle that's to be expected. Comfy leather. Well optioned out. Air ride (which is blown out of course). Power everything.

Good second vehicle to get him around in winter over his new camaro. Plus moving all our server equipment and such all the time. Much more efficient over the camaro
 
watch the trans on any gm truck

We have all gm vans at work, two 97 and a 06. all of them wasted their transmissions at 150k on the dot so make sure yours is good or redone recently.
they also have issues with the brake lights not working when the headlights are on due to lousy plastic sockets and wiring that gets corroded after years, and my power windows stopped working too.
The engine still seems fine at 203k though. It's a 5.0 in my 97.
 
The old cast iron V8's

outlast any newer engines. Light socket corrosion can be cleaned with ketchup, believe it or not! Then put conductive grease on the bulb base.
Those Van door hinges are also problematic.
As for transmissions, find an old Turbo Hydramatic 350 or 400, and rebuild it. I bet at least one aftermarket company makes an adaptable bell housing to the newer aluminum block engines.
Maybe the machine gun sounds I hear are leaky manifolds or exhaust system issues.
 
Im partial to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I've owned every generation except the current model.

Love me a Tahoe also. My favorite was the 2001-2006 model generation.
 
Grand Cherokee's

are great! So many older ones still on the roads, with many parts still available too.
The newer ones with Pentastar V6 engines are also nice. President Obama toured the plant back in 2011. Very comfortable on trips with good fuel economy. The ZF/Chrysler 9 speed automatic is smooth.
Just don't leave the vehicle running and exit it. They have been recalled for the park problem, but the young Russian actor from Star Trek was killed by his when it rolled down his driveway and crushed him up against his brick mail box.
Put it in park, make sure it is in park, and set the parking brake.
Darn it it's not a perfect world.
 
Bikerray

I wholeheartedly agree with you on the 56 Buick....I absolutely LOVE my 54, don't get me wrong, but on my bucket list is a 1956 Buick Roadmaster, completely decked out! May never happen, but a guy can dream nonetheless!
 
Buick's str 8 with OHV in the 40's was no slouch. Stay away from the push button tranny and stay with three on the tree.  Wonderful car and what touring was all about. Cartoon smile on the grill, very endearing! Like this one:


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This one is my absolute favorite of all time! If you have the courage and see this one, it'll haunt your dreams forevermore, indeed, it's the most perfect, loving car you'll ever cast your eyes upon! Like I said, if you watch this one, you'll fall in love at first sight, because that's just how special she is!!!

 
Being a Buick person, I think the early term Riviera refers to the 2 door hardtop version of the models, starting 49 I think???
 
Yes it does David.

At first, it was the top trim level for Roadmasters. In 1958/59, it was also for the Limited. I don't know if the Caballero had a Riviera trim option in '56/57.
Olds called their equivalent Holiday Fiesta. Those were hardtop wagons and 4 doors.
 
I stop @'48 for the Roadmaster 4dr, Sedanette and convertible. I researched this all out when I was younger....don't remember the reasoning...just to stay away from the push button tranny and '48 was the last year that interested me...maybe the body changed appreciably after that and they lost the cartoon grill? The convertibles now bring the big money....but they do in most collectable cars these days. Usually at about twice the price of the hardtop model, pretty much across the board.


 


I'd have a tough time deciding between the Sedanette and the 4dr....I'd have to see the interiors of both to see the room difference. If you're gonna own a car like that, you might as well get the most interior room offered. She's a boat no matter what, might as well get the biggest boat...lol. I'm sure the convertible is a lot heavier due to all the stiffening they use to do to make the chassis rigid without the hardtop, A pillars etc. 


 


Kevin
 
According to an old car collector book I had, it was a feature in the 40's available on the Roadmasters. I think it even had a pic of it on the steering wheel. I'm certainly no authority, but I remember the caveat about it being mentioned.


 


Come to think of it(book is in storage) maybe I'm confusing some model yrs....maybe it was just the auto(Dynaflow) versus three on the 'tree'. They said to stay clear of the auto....you're probably correct, David.


 


Kevin
 
David...

I was thinking the same thing...that sounds more like an Edsel....of course, Chrylser also toyed with the pushbutton automatics at least in the 50's to 60's (had a 62 Imperial with a pushbutton TorqueFlite)! While I never had any issues personally, I heard they were bad for jamming and giving you all sorts of headaches! I don't recall any of the Buicks having a push button automatic, however don't hold me to that....the Dynaflow (or DynaSLOW as we call them in the Buick club I belong to) is a rather unique transmission, where they build up pressure. I have the Dynaflow in my 54 Buick and it works well, but as far as take off and getting up to speed, my 52 Buick with the three on the tree will leave my 54 sitting in the dust!
 
Right first thing comes to mind is the Chrysler pb drive, I had a 62 Imperial also! Go figure. Only other I can think of is first year Edsel which did give trouble, Telematic? I think? I believe a 58 model. Dyna slow the term heard in this area too and they got warm.Later ones were more efficient and quicker. Mom said our 56 Century would dust anything at the lights.
 
It depends.

For torque and smoothness, mine is the Old's Rocket 350, and 455. Buick mills aren't bad either, and both smoother than the Tiac small and large journal engines, or Chevrolet, turbo fire (small), or turbojet (Mark IV) large blocks once the mileage gets high mind you.
Chevy's used to have lifter tick, and the small block 400 with it's siamesed close together bore cylinders had a sickly exhaust note. Pontiacs were known to snap timing chains.
The Chrysler original Hemi has to be on the list of course, and the old 383's and 440's also, but even a 318 used to move a mid size basic Coronet, Charger, Sattelite Sebring, Volare', or Aspen rather well, and the 360 even better.
As for Ford, the 429, and 390, the 351C (Cleveland), and 352 W (Windsor) mills. The older 390, and 429 were retired by the time pollution control standards required an EGR port, as the former blocks heads had no room to put one in. Fuel economy standards made designing new heads for smog control uneconomical. Enter the 460, which could have been a real performer, but was lower compression from the get-go. Full size Lincolns and T-Birds were very heavy, which used up all that low end torque.
Fords 400 Windsor V8 was prone to valve seal and head leaks.
 

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