General => Lounge => Topic started by: EricCoolCats on January 20, 2012, 04:02:32 PM
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: EricCoolCats on January 20, 2012, 04:02:32 PM
Via the Chicago Tribune:
Where have all the 80s gone? When the Detroit Three tried to think small to meet mileage regulations, the results were mostly forgettable http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/used/sc-cons-0112-autocover-80s-cars-20120114,0,4919392.story?page=1
"So the 1980s was, on the whole, a ghastly time to buy a new American car. They succumbed to rust and bad solid-state electronics; they were miserably built, wretched to drive and barely passed emissions when new. To be fair, 20-30 years have passed, so the good ones — and there were some — went 150,000 miles and were sped, a number in the "cash for clunkers" program.
It seems unlikely that people will ever collect 1980s American cars, short of a National Auto Losers Museum, but there are few left anyway."
Quote
Endangered species
1983-88 Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar
Rather handsome aero T-bird was a huge improvement over its boxy forerunner, and sold well, but almost all are gone now — a combination of flimsy construction, time and miles. Nice ones are worth a look, especially turbo models and the oddly-formal Cougar. $750-$1,500.
Collectibility grade: C
Nothing got a real decent grade in this article but golly...we were mentioned on purpose! Nice to see some recognition anyhow.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: thunderjet302 on January 20, 2012, 04:29:04 PM
I love that the Fox T-bird/Cougar had "flimsy construction" but the Mustang did not ;).
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: mcb82gt on January 20, 2012, 04:34:04 PM
Mustang of the era are like rattle-traps compared to these cars.
Im sure its just more sound deadening etc, but these are still more rattle free.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: EricCoolCats on January 20, 2012, 04:48:03 PM
Remember that the author has likely never owned one of our cars. It's easy to be an armchair critic on that there Internets. ;)
Still, the subpar quality of the steel used in all 1980s cars qualifies as 'flimsy construction' in my book. Had waaaayyyyy too much experience with that in the last 25 years. One cannot tell me that the door panels are not flimsy. Fox seat backs. Sit down, do they not twist? Hath the console latch withered the test of time? Do seat belt receptacles not expose their fragile innards? Oh, the arrow of time...curses unto thee.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Cougars 2 go on January 20, 2012, 07:56:23 PM
I've owned cars from the 70's to the last decade. The flimsiest, most problematic, and biggest PITA to fix cars are the newest ones. My cats can sit for years with preventive runs every few months, then go to emissions, PASS, and go back to sitting.
I'm not following the whole "flimsy" thing. The plastics and metals in these newer cars are flimsier than the cats. The cats handle and drive great. My 14-year old niece commented how comfortable one of my cloth cats was and asked me why all the new cars have hard seats.
Well if the 80s won't be represented at car shows, I guess we can get used to being the only ones of our breed at show after show.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: 5.0 tbird on January 21, 2012, 12:23:36 AM
Quote from: EricCoolCats;378249
One cannot tell me that the door panels are not flimsy.
You should try owning a Mark VII then haha. :hick:
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: vinnietbird on January 21, 2012, 08:53:06 AM
The Sport and I say they can Suck It !!!
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 09:56:19 AM
Hon
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 10:12:14 AM
Ma
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 10:23:29 AM
[im
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: 50tbrd88 on January 21, 2012, 10:57:07 AM
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Chrome on January 21, 2012, 11:10:16 AM
:rollin:
Quote from: 50tbrd88;378300
"mussel" car.
lmao
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Chrome on January 21, 2012, 11:22:12 AM
I believe are cars our scarce due to low production numbers. Mustang had a rough time in their second gen. When their 3rd gen came out, public went wild. This eclipsed the sales of our cats and birds. Perhaps if they marketed these things differently, they would have sold better. If they were to let the public know that they were higher end versions of Mustangs, it would have helped. That is really what they were other than the power downgrade. Better built, and better looking, but on the same platform. Not the first time for Mustang to harm sales of other cars. Galaxie and Fairlane sales dropped in 64 due to the arrival of the Mustang. They were faster and much better built than the Mustang and didn't cost as much. It's funny that if the Mustang-Probe consolidation would have happened, Cougar/T-Bird popularity would have been through the roof.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: ZondaC12 on January 21, 2012, 11:24:54 AM
As Eric said, armchair criticism is what's going on in that article, and a LOT of it.
I used to get aggravated with the red car, it felt like a rattle trap, especially up front. Nothing "looked" bad though, and I've learned a lot since then. I figured that's how they were built. Then I bought the black car and test drove that around the guy's neighborhood and almost ped myself. There's nothing else to say. Tight and quiet as any nice brand new vehicle. It has....maximum motorsports C/C plates. Big whoop? The rest of the suspension is original...I think maybe poly bushings or just NEW bushings all around, but there you go. And 100k on the thing. Never hit a pothole in its life maybe? Idunnfrickinknow but obviously it's capable of being like that. I'm excited to see what the red car does once it's back together and I freshen the whole front end.
Thunderjet302 said he did that and his front end is quiet as a mouse too. What are others' experiences? This doesn't get generally thrown out there a whole lot (I feel like it anyway lol)
Definitely the steel used was of lower grade. The welding/construction is important too. I see plenty of the big RWD 305/350 Cadillac Broughams, ones that have definitely been used in their lifetime, I don't see rockers GONE, doors melting away, the chrome bumpers usually blow out, that always bums me out. See that a lot, and the rest of the car looks nice. Look at Chevrolet Berettas/Corsicas!!! My friend has one, always have been impressed. There are two small holes in the driver's side floor around a body plug, but the rest is good for almost 180k of year-round use. They double-galvanized all of the bodies on those cars. The mid 90's Blazers too I think. Panthers seem to have fared okay up here too considering.
My mom's 02 Explorer sickens me. There's a gap 1/8" by 2" in the pass. side rear wheel house where the inner rocker panel meets it. Like 3" inboard toward the center of the car. Right smack in the middle of the tire's width. Just open, they didn't seam seal all the way down!!!! So that rocker has just been filling with salt. I punched through the awful rot about halfway forward so stuff will drain and maybe limp it along. Other side almost as bad. Facing the frame, each side has 3 ovular holes. Each covered with a FOAM STICKY PAD. Huhh???? Yeah that's not gonna peel off from water/salt heat/cold. No way. Mid-late 90's Nissan Maximas, Altimas rear wheel wells definitely, same era and newer last gen Tauruses. Honda civics pretty famous for that, the list goes on.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Chrome on January 21, 2012, 11:40:54 AM
I can't say much about rust. I don't live in the rust belt. I do know the rest of our foxes are built well. They don't rattle like the new cars. New cars have things mounted where there is nothing of substance to mount them to. Like I said, the rarity is due to low production numbers. When they were new I saw very few of them on the road around here.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 21, 2012, 11:48:30 AM
Ummm my TC is still fairly tight and has over 140K mi, along with around 700 drag strip passes on totally orig suspension, no bumps, clunks or rattles...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: daminc on January 21, 2012, 11:49:35 AM
don't worry... all cars rust to nothing in Buffalo. my new van was rusting after 1 year. My lincoln has rust, my 05 ranger is totally rusted underneath with 6000 miles on it... bring it here, I can kill it fast after 1 winter
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: daminc on January 21, 2012, 11:50:44 AM
and my cougar didn't have a rattle or squeak ever. drove like a tank
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 21, 2012, 11:51:10 AM
Quote from: daminc;378308
don't worry... all cars rust to nothing in Buffalo. my new van was rusting after 1 year. My lincoln has rust, my 05 ranger is totally rusted underneath with 6000 miles on it... bring it here, I can kill it fast after 1 winter
Sounds like a great place to be FROM...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: ZondaC12 on January 21, 2012, 12:05:43 PM
That's the problem ANYTHING is gonna rust in the right environment lol. The salt probably tends to "sandblast" the paint right off!
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 01:50:50 PM
Clai
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 01:52:23 PM
Act
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 21, 2012, 01:59:38 PM
Here is a late model GTI getting a new radiator. Tell me the new cars are easy to work on . Cougar 2 Go is 100% correct. This is what the new cars are like to work on.
Note this is not a collison repair it is a radiator replacement. 600 bucks + parts!!!!!
Ahh yes, been there done that. As the only guy in our shop who isn't afraid to work on Eurojunk I've been there far too many times, in fact. I wish I still had the pics of when I had to install two turbochargers in a 2002 Audi A6 quattro 2.7. I had to remove the entire front end, THEN I had to remove the entire front subframe with the drivetrain and exhaust system still attached, and even then, with the engine/trans sitting on a stand, it was STILL a huge pain in the ass to get at those turbos. It was an 18 hour flat-rate job. 18 hours at $105/hour, plus $3500 worth of turbochargers. On a car you MIGHT fetch $5k for, if it was in perfect shape (this one wasn't).
With those VW's with the longitudinal engines (Passat, A4, A6, etc) you also have to remove the front end (VW calls it the "Lock carrier") to replace timing belts. With just about any VW, whether longitudinal or transverse engine, you need to do it to access the radiator, A/C condenser, etc. One thing is good, though - at least they use flexible A/C hoses, so you can swing it out of the way without cracking the A/C system open.
As for 80's cars: It's easy to look at a car with 30 years under its belt and call it flimsy. Indeed, when I put my T-Bird back on the road after having it garaged for two years I actually laughed the first time I used the wipers, at how flimsy they looked. Probably 90% of the perception of "quality" is in the look and feel of the materials. It's nothing whatsoever to do with how well the car is made, it's how it looks and feels. Actual quality/durability has nothing to do with it. Witness the fact that everyone wants soft-touch materials inside their car instead of hard plastic, and then look at the soft-touch dash of a mid 80's Thundercat that has seen some sun and then wonder how good an idea this may be. It's also easy to look at a car that weighed ~3500 pounds and call it flimsy when a modern version of the car would likely weigh upwards of two tons. We'll just see how well the new cars look after 30 years. All I know is that I walked away from my '88 Cougar after bouncing it back and forth between a guard rail and an 18 wheeler without a scratch. Also without airbags, exploding seat belts, etc. That was not a "flimsy" car...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: ZondaC12 on January 21, 2012, 04:15:50 PM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;378315
All I know is that I walked away from my '88 Cougar after bouncing it back and forth between a guard rail and an 18 wheeler without a scratch. Also without airbags, exploding seat belts, etc. That was not a "flimsy" car...
Quoted for truth and badassness lol.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 06:29:55 PM
Thu
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: thunderjet302 on January 21, 2012, 06:46:19 PM
Quote from: EricCoolCats;378249
Remember that the author has likely never owned one of our cars. It's easy to be an armchair critic on that there Internets. ;)
Still, the subpar quality of the steel used in all 1980s cars qualifies as 'flimsy construction' in my book. Had waaaayyyyy too much experience with that in the last 25 years. One cannot tell me that the door panels are not flimsy. Fox seat backs. Sit down, do they not twist? Hath the console latch withered the test of time? Do seat belt receptacles not expose their fragile innards? Oh, the arrow of time...curses unto thee.
See I've never had any of the above happen with my T-bird. Maybe I'm just lucky but I think it has to do with how the car was maintained over it's existence.
Quote from: ZondaC12;378303
As Eric said, armchair criticism is what's going on in that article, and a LOT of it.
I used to get aggravated with the red car, it felt like a rattle trap, especially up front. Nothing "looked" bad though, and I've learned a lot since then. I figured that's how they were built. Then I bought the black car and test drove that around the guy's neighborhood and almost ped myself. There's nothing else to say. Tight and quiet as any nice brand new vehicle. It has....maximum motorsports C/C plates. Big whoop? The rest of the suspension is original...I think maybe poly bushings or just NEW bushings all around, but there you go. And 100k on the thing. Never hit a pothole in its life maybe? Idunnfrickinknow but obviously it's capable of being like that. I'm excited to see what the red car does once it's back together and I freshen the whole front end.
Thunderjet302 said he did that and his front end is quiet as a mouse too. What are others' experiences? This doesn't get generally thrown out there a whole lot (I feel like it anyway lol)
Mine was quiet and tight up till about two years ago. Then the driver's side lower control arm started to squeak at about 129000 miles. I did not like this. I knew the bushings had to be replaced so I just went nuts and replaced every rubber bushing in the front end. The car rode slightly better and the squeak was gone. The car feels tight like a new car, and feels even tighter since I had the subframe connectors welded in last year. I would say that it rides just as good if not better than the '11 Focus or the '12 Mustang.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: nbzimmer on January 21, 2012, 08:03:10 PM
"the oddly-formal Cougar."
You know, I think there is a better word for that. It's called "CLASSY." Ha.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Shadow on January 21, 2012, 08:30:32 PM
(post removed)
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: bryan163 on January 21, 2012, 09:24:28 PM
The Mustang GT only got a C+ for collectibility. Those cars have a huge following!
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 21, 2012, 11:02:35 PM
BeO
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Haystack on January 21, 2012, 11:50:26 PM
Actually, I think these cars were made to handle better then average. 1980's cars it wasn't uncommon to still have laef springs or a steering box rather then a rack and pinion. And all of my cars surprised other people with how quiet the car rode.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Beau on January 22, 2012, 12:07:51 AM
I've got this to say: I've replaced every bushing in the front with Energy Suspension poly bushings, replaced the rear control arms with CHE arms, and those too have poly bushings.
The difference is beyond night and day. I've got Sn95 Stang front springs, front end parts, and struts. When I get the rear done, and possibly SFC put in later this summer, I expect it'll handle as well as any thing to come from the Big 3 in the last 20 years, excluding the beasts like Vipers, Vettes, newer Camaros and the '99 and up Stangs etc
Just tonight I finally very carefully adjusted the tie rods and got my front wheels in pretty good alignment...took her for a spin down to the highway and back...absolutely not a twitch in it now. It will be even better once I put the Stang springs in the back, and get the right shocks for the rear (have Fox Stang shocks, they're extended to the point of being useless).
I agree with Haystack...they handled pretty decent compared to most cars of the day, with a decent supple ride. Amazing what they can be like with a few new parts and good tires now. :bowdown:
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: ZondaC12 on January 22, 2012, 12:20:03 AM
Definitely can't wait to get it back together and test it out. It's always been so great to drive...but this kind of improvement will make the addiction far worse LOL.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: rodsterh on January 22, 2012, 09:37:01 AM
Quote from: EricCoolCats;378246
Via the Chicago Tribune:
Where have all the 80s gone?
Good find Eric, thanks for passing it along. I do agree with this.
To be fair, 20-30 years have passed, so the good ones — and there were some — went 150,000 miles and were sped, a number in the "cash for clunkers" program.
and sold well, but almost all are gone now
Think about it, out of all of the 83-88 TBirds/Cougars built, how many do you actually see anymore? They really were built well, despite what the writer says, so I think they were driven hard, used up and disappeared right before our eyes. Thanks in part to the high price of steel at one point.:mad:
As far as collectibility, who know with the number of 'collectible' cars made from the 80's on, but I can tell you by the interest my car had when displayed at a show where TBirds were featured, people sure haven't forgotten them!
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: 50tbrd88 on January 22, 2012, 09:44:55 AM
Its just not T-birds/Cougars that are rarely seen these days. I met a mid-80's Camaro on the road the other day and thought, "its been awhile since I've seen one of those on the road".
Its like a cycle of life. Some successful person buys the car new (because our cars where not "cheap" back then). Then its gets sold to second owner who drives it past the 100k mark who then sells it to a kid or trashy person that proceeds to destroy it in a slow and agonizing fashion. Final step of course is the trip on the wrecker to the junkyard.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 22, 2012, 11:24:40 AM
Quote from: 50tbrd88;378380
Its just not T-birds/Cougars that are rarely seen these days. I met a mid-80's Camaro on the road the other day and thought, "its been awhile since I've seen one of those on the road".
Its like a cycle of life. Some successful person buys the car new (because our cars where not "cheap" back then). Then its gets sold to second owner who drives it past the 100k mark who then sells it to a kid or trashy person that proceeds to destroy it in a slow and agonizing fashion. Final step of course is the trip on the wrecker to the junkyard.
Exactly... You guys can stop the hand wringing, I've seen this a half dozen times now... By the late 50s the pre-WWII stuff was gone, by the late 60s, there wasn't even much early 50s stuff around(speaks of quality eh?)... By the late 70s the earlier 60s stuff was getting thin, and by the late 80s the 60s vehicles were all but gone(exceptions "Stangs, Vetts Camero, etc)... As time goes on the durability and length of service has increased, but thinking you're going to regularly see vehicles older than 25 years in daily service is mostly a dream...
From Oct '61 till March '63, I lived directly behind a used car lot, 90% of the cars before '55 went straight to the back lot(other side of our fence) and most sat there till they were sold to the s yard... I'm not talking a large dealer but just a neighborhood used car lot that never had anything newer than two or three years old, the old stuff was mostly junk by the time it was a dozen years old...
Except for rare exceptions now days salvage yards keep only vehicles newer than 15-18 years old... If you find something you need/want at your local yard, don't pass it up cause there probably won't be another one unless it here, ebay, etc...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 22, 2012, 01:45:26 PM
We
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: thunderjet302 on January 22, 2012, 06:58:03 PM
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;378386
Exactly... You guys can stop the hand wringing, I've seen this a half dozen times now... By the late 50s the pre-WWII stuff was gone, by the late 60s, there wasn't even much early 50s stuff around(speaks of quality eh?)... By the late 70s the earlier 60s stuff was getting thin, and by the late 80s the 60s vehicles were all but gone(exceptions "Stangs, Vetts Camero, etc)... As time goes on the durability and length of service has increased, but thinking you're going to regularly see vehicles older than 25 years in daily service is mostly a dream...
From Oct '61 till March '63, I lived directly behind a used car lot, 90% of the cars before '55 went straight to the back lot(other side of our fence) and most sat there till they were sold to the s yard... I'm not talking a large dealer but just a neighborhood used car lot that never had anything newer than two or three years old, the old stuff was mostly junk by the time it was a dozen years old...
Except for rare exceptions now days salvage yards keep only vehicles newer than 15-18 years old... If you find something you need/want at your local yard, don't pass it up cause there probably won't be another one unless it here, ebay, etc...
As cars get old they usually just wear out. Up here they mostly rust out before they completely wear out but miles and time take there toll. I rarely see anything built before the year 2000 in my neighborhood, except old cars that people purposely keep nice. Most of the cars from the 90's are getting into the 15ish year old range, which means they usually are ready for the crusher...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TOM Renzo on January 22, 2012, 07:41:28 PM
We
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: EFFalcon on January 22, 2012, 09:27:05 PM
The main issue with 80's cars was that they were in a lot of cases, ahead of their time in terms of technology, without proper knowledge of the technology :P
the electrical systems are horrible, unorganised, pr0ne to issues and difficult to diagnose. polution systems just strangled the cars beyond ridiculous
90's cars IMO, are the best balance of technology/mechanics. Wiring looms are near(er) and diagnosis tools started to become more available. Engines were still simple enough to play with
but 80's cars have their own style, no one wants an 80's car because they are in that transition period between being junkers and collectable. the same discussion would have happened 10-15 years ago about 70's cars.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: EricCoolCats on January 22, 2012, 11:52:48 PM
^ EFF, you nailed it.
Lots of car critics love to bash cars from the 1980s because, looking back, most of them weren't all that great. But at the time, nobody knew any better.
But remember that the 80s was a period of sweeping change in the auto industry. We started the decade with carbs and ended it with EFI. We started the decade with rudimentary computers and ended it with ECMs that can still hold their own today. We also saw the birth of ABS braking, airbags, adjustable suspension, the inclusion of most of today's creature comforts, and aero design.
Folks, a lot of things happened to autos between 1980 and 1989. We were truly lucky (blessed?) that our cars were amongst the best of the decade. Going through all of my paperwork and books and articles, Ford seemed to have spent an unusual amount of time and money getting our cars just right. And you know something? They pretty much did. The looks speak for themselves. But the proportions are still classically modern 30 years later. The suspension, adapted from so many other Fox cars, just plain worked well. The wheelbase was just right, slipping in oh-so-nicely between the Mustang and the Mark VII.
We could have used better braking. We could have used better quality sheetmetal. Lord knows we could have had better support from Ford. And of course, more horsepower is a given.
Still, given all the good and the bad, name for me another domestic car model or line that continuously improved over the decade like our cars.
Corvette? Bah. Camaros were keeping up easily with the 'Vette. F-Bodies? They improved in looks but quality never got better. Mustang? Arguably, but the interior blew chunks and was more flimsy. GM G-Bodies? Same old same old, despite the Monte SS/GP 2+2 (I'll concede to the Grand National). Chrysler? LOLz.
Ford's commitment to our cars is blatantly obvious now, but even I saw that when they were new. Else I'd have never bought my first one.
I still cannot help but think that, had we been given even a mid-HO 200hp motor, that we'd have joined everyone's elite list of most desirable cars from the 1980s. Everyone loves the look of our cars, everyone remembers them fondly, but nobody remembers them for their power or being fast right out of the factory. Another 50hp or so would have changed that perception.
I only linked to the article because, for once, someone recognized our cars for what they were: ed good. Not fast. But good. And I'll take that. :)
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: mcb82gt on January 23, 2012, 09:15:29 AM
We could have used better braking. Easily fixed now We could have used better quality sheetmetal. Lord knows we could have had better support from Ford. And of course, more horsepower is a given. Easily fixed now
Those corrections lead to a very desireable car to me. Im glad I own one.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 23, 2012, 11:39:14 AM
Quote from: TOM Renzo;378436
I dont see collectible foreign jobs except Porsche and BMW or maybe a BENZ. Just my $.02
You're kidding yourself. Nostalgia is a huge factor in collectibility, and today's 20-something's will look back on their first car with the same reverence we do. And like it or not, there are some very compelling cars coming out of foreign manufacturers. STI's, EVO's, RX8's and S2000's will almost certainly have collector value. So will the Genesis coupe, the upcoming FT86, and even more Plebian cars like Civic SI, Accord Coupe, Mazdaspeed 3, etc. Young people care more about these cars today than they do about Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers. I highly doubt that time will change their minds, so it only stands to reason that decades from now they'll seek out the cars of their youths...
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: 50tbrd88 on January 23, 2012, 01:06:43 PM
I agree. Look at the Barrett-Jackson auction. There were cars like Ford Falcon's and Dodge Dart's bringing pretty good money this time around. Back in the day those were not as desirable as say a Chevelle, Charger, Torino, etc. Dad told me that Falcon's were "nerd cars" and were basically the Ford Escort of his youth.
Eventually someone will look back and miss the Focus, Civic, etc they drove when they were young.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: Chrome on January 23, 2012, 01:42:17 PM
Eric, I agree 100% It is nice that are cars were mentioned for once. I just wish it had not been in a wrongfully negative light.
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 23, 2012, 05:38:29 PM
Speakin of Barrett-Jackson, did anyone notice the cougar driving the VW bug in the Hagerty Ins commercials???
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: hwy73 on January 23, 2012, 07:01:17 PM
"I still cannot help but think that, had we been given even a mid-HO 200hp motor, that we'd have joined everyone's elite list of most desirable cars from the 1980s. Everyone loves the look of our cars, everyone remembers them fondly, but nobody remembers them for their power or being fast right out of the factory. Another 50hp or so would have changed that perception."
Agreed. But urban legend has it that Ford wouldn't allow these cars to perform as good (or maybe even better) than the all-mighty mustang. The Mark VIIs probably only snuck out of the factory with the HO because it was too heavy with all its Lincoln "stuff" to out-perform a mustang. Wouldn't it have been cool to have had a choice of several V8's 60's/70's style?
Title: A Lil' Love For Us
Post by: 50tbrd88 on January 23, 2012, 07:09:50 PM
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;378550
Speakin of Barrett-Jackson, did anyone notice the cougar driving the VW bug in the Hagerty Ins commercials???
Guess I missed it.
I was checkin out that little gal they had hanging out with Justin Bell. I think she was a model from one of those men's magazine and was most definately a mega hottie.