The non-muscle American car thread (READ THE OP)

[TexRex]

The Buick Riviera T-Type, renamed from Turbo, bowed in 1981.

A turbocharged 3.8 V6 was employed, but because the car was an E-body (like the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado), it sent its power to the front wheels. You wouldn't know this by looking under the hood...

...because it utilized the TH325 longitudinal transaxle. A keen eye might note that the engine is offset in the bay, done to reduce CV axle angles through suspension travel.

 

[Populuxe]

The Buick Riviera T-Type, renamed from Turbo, bowed in 1981.

A turbocharged 3.8 V6 was employed, but because the car was an E-body (like the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado), it sent its power to the front wheels. You wouldn't know this by looking under the hood...

...because it utilized the TH325 longitudinal transaxle. A keen eye might note that the engine is offset in the bay, done to reduce CV axle angles through suspension travel.

Speaking of the 8th gen Cadillac Eldorado and 3rd gen Oldsmobile Toronado...


Built from 1979 to 1985, they lost a thousand pounds and 20 inches in overall length over the previous generations. Despite that, they retained a presence that following generations lacked. The Caddy had an Olds 350 V8, later a Cadillac 468 V8, the poorly designed Olds diesel 350 V8, and a new aluminum-block 4100cc (250cid) Cadillac V8. The Olds came with an Olds 350 V8 in both gas and flawed diesel versions, with a 307 V8 standard in the final year. This generation of the E-body were the last GM FWD cars built using a body-on-frame chassis and longitudinally mounted engine.

 

[TexRex]

Y'know, I really like those Toronados. I think the whole body is very handsome but I particularly like the front end treatment...except the bumper.

 

[Populuxe]

Y'know, I really like those Toronados. I think the whole body is very handsome but I particularly like the front end treatment...except the bumper.

I agree. I've always liked the Toronado. That front end, with it's large vee'd painted surface, rectangular headlights and horizontal chrome strips is very art deco and well executed.

 

[Volksauto]

Ford's first V8, the 221 cubic inch flat-head was first used in their Model 18 for 1932. The iconic Model 18 is a very rare car to not be seen modified or hot rodded. It's getting harder and harder to find these original beauties. These are all the different body styles the Model 18 was available in:
Roadster

Two-door Cabriolet

Phaeton

Tudor Sedan

Fordor Sedan

Station Wagon

Two-Door Convertible Sedan

Sedan Delivery

Panel Van

Three-Window Coupe

Five-Window Coupe

Victoria "Vicky"

 

[Populuxe]

I could really go for a nice original phaeton or two-door convertible sedan.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

The Dodge Neon taking on touring car racing.

I've heard from somewhere on here that the 1st gen Neon had it's own spec racing series. I'm guessing these were it.

 

[Silver Arrows]

I've heard from somewhere on here that the 1st gen Neon had it's own spec racing series. I'm guessing these were it.

Yep, the white one was the one. I distinctly remember the one media guide that my dad brought from the Molson Indy in Vancouver in the late 90's, and one of the supporting races was that one make Neon series.

 

[Populuxe]

Speaking of road racing Dodges, here's David Donohue in the Dodge Stratus he used to win the 1997 North American Touring Car Championship. The race series only lasted two years, from 1996 to 1997, part of a bigger Super Touring Championship series that ran during the mid to late 90s. Donohue won the driver's championship in '97, but Honda won the manufacturers championship both years. (Randy Pobst won the drivers championship in '96 in an Accord.)

 

[Volksauto]

 

[CyborgGT]

Saw one of these in traffic today. I always thought they were pretty cool, like a sort of slept-on future classic. It was completely stock, so it got me to wondering what the 'mod' crowd does with Contour SVTs. As it turns out, it's hard to find decent-looking examples - for my taste, anyway. Lots of domestic rice, the search reminded me of when I was looking at buying a Dodge Magnum. Managed at least one, though...

 

[Populuxe]

A Contour done right is a very slick looking car.

 

[Razor440]

 

[TexRex]

I do love the big American two-doors of around that time.

Just look at that back glass. And a Delta 88? Come on!

 

[Populuxe]

Speaking of American cars with great back windows, how about the 1977/8 Oldsmobile Toronado XS? It used a hot wire to bend the glass at a 90° angle to make a car with a complete wraparound back window.



In addition to the XS which came with a moon roof as standard, there was also an XSR with sliding T-top roof which was advertised for the 1977 model year. Orders were taken for it, but the engineers couldn't find a way to stop rain water from getting into the T-top and then into the interior, so it was cancelled along with all the preorders. No one knows exactly how many prototypes were built, but at least three have been documented, and two still exist.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I found a Contour touring car.

 

[Tornado]

I always thought the coolest thing about that Toronado was the double CHMSL molded into the base of the rear deck.

Orders were taken for it, but the engineers couldn't find a way to stop rain water from getting into the T-top and then into the interior, so it was cancelled along with all the preorders.

This is in stark contrast to the GM of just half a decade later, where engineers couldn't figure out how to keep rainwater from getting into the T-Top of the 3rd gen F-Body, then said "well, that's a shame" and sold them for an entire decade.

 

[Razor440]

 

[TexRex]

Fuuuuuseeeeelaaaaage. Admittedly I like to see a bit more tumblehome in the greenhouse than that Sport Fury demonstrates, but the car still ticks some boxes for me.

 

[Tornado]

The whale Caprice was still a mistake. Chuck Jordan's biggest?

Fuuuuuseeeeelaaaaage. Admittedly I like to see a bit more tumblehome in the greenhouse than that Sport Fury demonstrates, but the car still ticks some boxes for me.

That's great, then. He also posted the most famous car with double tumblehome!

 

[TexRex]

The whale Caprice was still a mistake. Chuck Jordan's biggest?

Citation?

Edit: Not asking for a citation, but proposing the Citation holds such a distinction.



Another edit:

That's great, then. He also posted the most famous car with double tumblehome!

I see no 2nd gen F-body in the post.

 

[Tornado]

Citation was early enough that it was still probably under Mitchell's eye, though I suppose Rybicki could have been the one to sign off on the final. I think Jordan was still in Europe at that time.

 

[TexRex]

Citation was early enough that it was still probably under Mitchell's eye, though I suppose Rybicki could have been the one to sign off on the final. I think Jordan was still in Europe at that time.

Ah, fair...I think I put Chuck as veep a little earlier and the X-body as arriving a little later, perhaps confusing it with the Celebrity.

I do recall him not looking back on the bathtub Caprice particularly fondly. I don't have any strong feelings about it either way, but I do feel that regardless of paint color it ends up being rather beige.

 

[Tornado]

Jordan didn't get the job until Rybicki and Roger Smith had already doomed the entire company by making every car look like the Grand Am.

 

[TexRex]

 

[Razor440]

Personally find the bathtub Caprice to be a very good looking car, especially the ‘91-‘92 with the skirts (the big wheel arches only suit the Impala SS IMO), and those “flying saucer” style hubcaps with the black center, as seen on the 9C1.

 

[Draggon]

Personally find the bathtub Caprice to be a very good looking car, especially the ‘91-‘92 with the skirts

I like the Buick Roadmaster version. I think the semi-formal roofline suits this body style better.

 

[Volksauto]

I like the Buick Roadmaster version. I think the semi-formal roofline suits this body style better.

Those factory tires surely do accent those wheel covers greatly!

 

[TexRex]

I like the Buick Roadmaster version. I think the semi-formal roofline suits this body style better.

Fleetwood > Roadmaster.

 

[-Fred-]

Roadmaster but only if it's a wagon. It's the rules.