What's your favorite car?

[thevacuumman]

My favorite car isn't a car. It is my daily driver 1997 Silverado 3/4 Ton (Goldie). This truck is a trooper and has never given me any major issues or left me stranded. My favorite car is my old 1966 Ford Thunderbird in Green. It was such a beautiful car but I had sold it to replace my wife's 1999 Grand AM Gt with a 2013 Chevy Sonic.

 

[thevacuumman]

2013 Chevy Sonic

I had no experience with any GM car newer than a 2004 Impala. This car I find to be comfortable and great on gas. I also really like that it's Topaz Blue.

 

[suckolux]

I think that T-Bird is Tahoe Turquoise ?

 

[thevacuumman]

I can't remember the color. Someone on here told me the color then I for got what it was called.

 

[brando_husky]

Beautiful 66 tbird. I love that shade of green.

 

[panasonicvac]

My 2nd favorite

A 2000's GMC DENALI That we bought in 2003. It was the replacement of our Chevy Tahoe that we later took at our first and last cabin to use up there. Had some major modifications on this as you can see because my Dad wanted this to look nice like the tail lights, DVDs, back up camera, etc.

I've always liked this truck for some odd reason, We later sold this truck in 2007 and now my Dad uses a 2007 Lincoln Navigator.

These were the pictures we took when this was listed on KSL back in 2007.

 

[tolivac]

Would have to imagine the movie player screen visible to the driver only works when the car is stopped-very nice.

 

[kenkart]

Re M-37

My uncle had a 53 Dodge M-37 Weapons Carrier when I was growing up, Have ridden many miles in that thing and have seen that winch pull loads you would think impossible...As for Chryslers PushButton shift, it really was about bullet proof, not so much the Edsel and Packards, Chryslers was mechanical and theirs was electrically operated.

 

[dirtmaster37]

Mine will forever be.."The LAST Real Packard".....19

I have been in love with these cars for over 25 years. No, I do not own one, but will eventually. I have been fortunate enough to sit in, and drive fellow collectors 56's and they are by any yardstick the finest automobiles ever to rool out of Detroit in the 50's or 60's for that matter.

From the very robust V-8, thru the butter smooth ( yet troublesome) Touch Button Ultramatic, to the float ride you get from the Torsion-Level torsion bar suspension. I cant say enough about these last cars from a brand that sadly lost it's way.

Here are a few VHR pics of a car that was sold a few years back....

 

[dirtmaster37]

Pics of the Packard....

Sorry Pics.....

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Wow!

not MY favorite choice, BUT ..... just look at that thing!! Can it all be wrapped up with "Stunning"?

 

[dartman]

My 41 had a Braden MU2 winch and one time I was in the backyard before all the other houses were built screwing around and sunk that thing down to the frame/bumper. There was NO driving or pushing it out.
I decided to winch to the small fir tree very close to the truck. Engaged the winch, truck started to move, then the tree popped up, root ball and all and almost fell on the cab. I had to dig that 3/4 inch cable out from around the tree and mud and found a BIG fir tree quite a bit away.
I did all kinds of fun and dumb things in my truck and jeep back in the day. They both were amazing rigs in what they could do if you were crazy and could drive and read the terain.

 

[vacerator]

Packard has

a history beggining in Warren Ohio. The museum and annual show is there.
After Henry B. Joy bought most of the company's stock, it moved to Detroit.
General Motors named the electrical division in Warren Ohio Packard Electric.
They used to make every wiring harness for every GM vehicle.
Packard had a large proving ground and lodge in Shelby township Mi. They spent way too much money designing their own automatic transmission, while Ford bought their first from Borg Warner, and were even using GM Hydramatics in Lincolns.
Richard Teague designed that beautifull Packard Patrician above, then went to American Motors upon the merger of Packard and Studebaker, also a failing company.
Hudson and Nash merged to be the number four automaker AMC.
With Mercury, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks nearly as nice as a Packard, with lower price tags, they just couldn't compete with that. I think even a base level Cadillac costed less. Production ended with the 1956 model year. The factory is finally being demolished, what hasn't fallen down on it's own.

 

[real1shep]

Favorite engine:426 Hemi


Next favorite:V-10 Dodge truck engine I presently have...450ft/lbs of torque just off idle and not a nickles worth of trouble since it was new(1995)


After that, tie for: 440, 383 and the cars the 409 was stuffed into.


Honorable mentions:427 Chev, 427 Ford side oiler & 389 Pontiac Tri-power, 390 Ford, 390 AMC


 


It's a highly subjective question....some people are rabid about small block, fast revving engines and other like me love the big blocks.


 


Kevin


 


 

 

[floor-a-matic]

My favorite car would be the 1979 Ford Granada that my parents used to have; interior had dark blue/woodgrain trim & exterior dark blue


 


Or 1976 Ford Maverick white with blue top

 

[vacerator]

Engines, Granada;

Kevin, how about the Pontiac 421 Super Duty?
Flooramatic, I learned to Drive on a Granada in driver-ed. It had a six in it. Not bad, for what they cost back then. It was an upscale car from the Maverick which it replaced. President Obama even had one.
Mavericks were solidly built cars also. Our neighbor had one.
They replaced the Falcon, but mainly in sheet metal and shape only.
The other driver-ed cars we drove were a Chevy Nova with a 305 V8, a Plymouth Volare' SE 318 V8, and an Oldsmobile Omega brougham with a 350 Olds rocket V8. That was the best handling, and smoothest car. It also had the highest price tag.
My friends mom had a 1978 Mercury Monarch ESS in midnight blue and a chamois landau top. She chose it over the Cougar XR-7 for better fuel economy. It had a sluggish inline six. Especially when the A/C was on.
I almost bought a used V-6 Mustang Mach 1, which was even worse. I chose a slightly used Olds Cutlass Supreme V8. Best selling car in 1976.

 

[real1shep]

Don't remember

the details about the Pontiac 421 Super Duty. What car(s) did it typically wind up in? I might have raced one with the 'cuda, but don't remember that engine.


 


Kevin

 

[suckolux]

Mom had a double black 76 Cutlass Supreme, sweet, smooth, fairly fast car, not much trouble either, it replaced a 74 Monte, that was a TURD! 85 T Bird replaced the Cutlass, I missed the olds then.

 

[vacerator]

the 421

was very limnited, costly to mill, and usually installed in Catalina's, the 2+2, Executive, or Bonneville. Maybe Grand Prix's in '68 or '69. I don't know if it was ever in a GTO. GM had cubic inch restrictions for mid size cars.
David, '74 was the worst smog control laden year for any car. Chevrolet 350's with air injection and EGR ran sluggish.
1975 with unleaded fuel, a catalytic convertor, and high energy electronic ignition made a world of difference. The spark was 85% hotter. Only California cars kept air injection in '75.

 

[vacerator]

I was confused

myself about the 421. There also was a 428, only in large cars, unless a customer had a dealer install one in a GTO. The early 421's were dealer installed only.
Reserved for NASCAR racing until 1967 when it's crankshaft switched from a drop forged to a nodular iron one.

 

[suckolux]

Oh I know, 70s I was in the auto business, that one was really bad! But not just the running. Of course CA cars were the worst I think in the poor running

 

[bikerray]

I had a '66 Buick Wildcat Convertible that had twin quadrajet carbs, it would pass anything on the road except gas stations.

I don't remember any Buicks with a pushbutton transmission. Chrysler Imperial had pushbutton on the dash and Edsel had pushbutton in the center of the steering wheel, which was fun when you turned a corner and the trans dropped into low when the wired were shorting out.

 

[vacerator]

No, Buick

never offered a push button transmission selector.
David, my second cousin worked for Chevrolet central office back then. I remember him going out there to the old Southgate Ca. assembly plant which was having quality issues. It was also very old. I don't know if they ever produced Monte Carlos, but they did full size (B) body Impalas, Caprices, and (A) body Chevelles. The Monet Carlo then was an A special, with a 116 inch wheelbase vs. 112 inches for the Chevelle. Same width. Same dash board even.
A high school stands on the site today.
Van Nuys ran f body Camaro's and Firebirds. Freemont may have also made larger cars then. That's the Tesla plant today.

 

[suckolux]

Chevelle in a Tux as they say!

 

[suckolux]

Though I have to say, no worse than dad's 74 GP SJ, that was fast anyway

 

[real1shep]

'71 was about the end of high compression/high performance engines in street cars....the insurance companies were all over it at that point. Some could be converted back at expense, some not. Still some high performance beasts in motor homes and maybe available as recreational off-road/boat engines. 


 


I think we established quite awhile back that there was no push button 40's Buick tranny...my bad. Doesn't really serve a purpose to keep beating that dead horse. The three-on-the-tree was the tranny to have in the 40's, the Dynaflow being a bit sluggish as was said.


 


If there was a Goat with the 421, I never saw one. The premium engine being the 389 Tri-power. When I was growing up in St.Louis, there was a special plant there that made the baddest of the bad Vettes, many on special order. My brother had a friend whose dad was a doc and he told his son he could have any Vette he wanted, as long as he didn't get any tickets. He'd special order Vettes from that plant every couple of yrs that were pretty incredible. Compete stock with about anything Baldwin Motors was putting on the street.


 


My brother taught me to drive a stick on a '68 396 SS Camaro hardtop with a floor shift. He had the car about six months and it was stolen. He had ordered the 350 and got the 396 by mistake for the same price. We raced a 350 once, same yr, right in front of a cop shop from about 30mph on. No comparison. Sweet ride....too bad it was stolen...in a way that was my 'first car'...lol.


 


He took the insurance money and bought a Pontiac Formula 400, auto. Had the stand-up hood scoops but they were fake. Probably some kinda dealer option to make the ram air real...I dunno. He had that car forever...even pulled his bass boat with it down in TX.  The valve train on those engines was anything but bulletproof....he was lucky. I was just starting to work on engines then.


 


GM was hypocritical to put their phony 'ban' on street racing in the early 60's....I think it was '64. Ways around it of course, but that left Mopar to accelerate their street racing program to the point where they had little competition by the late 60's. I always liked the body style of the AMX and the little Javelin...but they weren't serious contenders. The Mark Donahue Javelins were good lookers and the red/white/blue editions were so rare, that they have been forged for decades. AMC didn't have distinct build codes for their Javelins and many of the factory cars where mix & match which to this day drives the collectors crazy trying to sort out the fakes. 


 


And speaking of 'fakes'....did you know there are more registered Duesenbergs than were ever made? And the fakes are so well done that even the experts get fooled. Charles Schmidt Motors sold one(fake) to a well heeled collector and Charles did real prison time over it.


 


Kevin

[this post was last edited: 9/2/2016-04:52]

 

[suckolux]

I want to say the 421 and 421SD were for the bigger boats and maybe?? started with the Catalina Swiss Cheese racing program? I know they were more likely to be seen in the Bonneville and GP. I THINK

 

[vacerator]

Yes David,

just the large boats. I think when Pontiac had to produce thousands and thousands of small journal 350's, and large journal 455's they needed another line in the Montcalm avenue foundry and engine assembly area in Pontiac. No more room for the 421, or 428, plus they were old school heavy mills like Fords 390, and 429's.
My exes dad worked at the Pontiac foundry. He retired after they "assembled" their final engines. The 2.5 litre Iron Dukes for Fieros', and A and X body cars, and the Braziilan 1.8 litre turbo 4 cylinders for the Fiero and the J body Sunbirds.

 

[oliveoiltinfoil]

I am European so I have done it properly. Its probably not the best car in the world but it does most things well. Being a VW its beautifully built, jack of all trades, master of most of them. I have got 80.3 MPG on a long run and gets to 60 in less than 10 seconds. 550 miles per tank

 

[suckolux]

Mike, is it true you can't tell what Pontiac engine you have, from the outside they all appear the same?301-455? Rumor mill is all I have. I have had several, but not at the same time.