old car question
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My dad is a mechanic from the 70's/80's/90's, and he told me to never get an 80's car because for the most part that decade had some of the worst cars he had ever worked on.
>poor mpg
>poor computers
>no power
He also told me that 70's cars were extremely heavy, but could be very powerful and if collided with a modern car, would relatively have no damage to it. Namely the 1974 Pontiac Grand Safari Station-wagon, or as he calls it, "The Tank".
I would like to get a car from the 60's, 70's, or 80's, mpg is not an issue as long as it is not too bad (I have a modern fuel efficient asian sedan for that); repairing it is not an issue (provided it's maintenance, as I plan on buying a drive able or easily repaired to be drive able car) either.
I would like to get a GM car over anything else, a coupe most likely. I know how to drive stick. I need my dad however for maintenance since he is the mechanic. Is he right on the cars from the 80's or is there a good argument I can give on car parts that will justify something from the 80's (provided I find something from that decade I like)?
>>14070965
80's-90's american iron is pretty much all garbage bro. The only reason you'd buy from that time period is for german cars (80's) and jap cars (90's)
>>14070979
This. 80s BMWs and Mercedes are some of the most reliable cars ever built. They of course took a shit in the 90s and now they're really bad, though that's mostly due to the heavy reliance on electronics doing what used to be done mechanically.
>>14070979
so a Camaro/Firebird and El Camino from the 80's are not good choices?
Big problem on 80s cars is the combination of heavy smog restrictions, transitioning from carbs to several types of primitive fuel injection, and OBD1, which was a nonstandardized engine management system where every model of every year can be different, it's really a pain in the ass if you have electronic issues to diagnose and replace parts. Starting in 94 and all cars by 96 have OBD2 which is a universal system, all codes across all cars sold in the US are the same car to car.
>>14070999
not unless you plan to dump serious money into the engine. Smog/emissions bullshit means these cars are pretty much useless in factory spec
>Buy 70's / 80's car
>Removing Smog shit
>????
>+100 HP
>>14070999
Most 80s cars were garbage, just in different ways.
>>14071029
sadly it doesn't work that way
>>14070965
Yeah 80s was trash for American cars unfortunately due to new emissions standards and, like your dad said, very poor early computer controls. However, if you were to buy one, they are very cheap (gm's g-body platform is fairly cheap and huge aftermarket if modding is your thing, same thing for ford's foxbody)
I'm not too sure about the accident part but I was in an accident in my 80s elco, it was totaled but I was safe even though flimsy seatbelts and no airbags. Safety was not a thing until the 90s really.
Sounds like your dad will cover you on maintenance so I say pre-smog era is the best bet (before 1973). But don't be too quick to drop the 80s!
>>14071037
>remove smog shit
>remove smog heads, replace with better heads
>Remove shitty smog cam
>Install better cam
>headers
>????
>+100 HP
>>14071058
have you done that?
>>14071058
He probably hasn't but someone has
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ccrp-9903-305-chevy-small-block-engine-build/
gmc caballero or gmc sprint?
I own a valiant that i DD. Its 37 years old
You dont want an old ass car unless it was somebodies daily driver, this will keep the engine healthy, used with most issues ironed out with good reliability as i found. Old cars that have been disused with low mileage may seem like a good option but no doubt all the seals would have shit themselves + a multitude of problems from things simply failing. They were good a reliable at one stage but that was 40 years ago. Parts are also only going to get harder to find
Cars from the 80's have the same fate, but with different technologies that are obsolete now or unreliable back in the day. Cars from th e90's are still good with a fantastic second hand parts nearly readily available from basically any scrap yard. I like to have a 1991 Subaru Liberty as a backup car because there will be 10 spare engines at any local scrap yard but finding a failed oil pump on my 1977 Hemi? im going to have to order that shit or buy an entire car for parts as that usually comes out cheaper in the long run
just get some old ass buick from the 70's. Not many people want those so it should be cheap for you. Maybe an Oldsmobile?
>>14070965
Listen to him. You don't want those shitboxes.
>>14070999
Can confirm that my roommate's '85 El Camino was constantly breaking down and is/was a piece of shit. Super comfy ride though.
>>14070965
Mercury Cougar
You're getting terrible advice. Seventies cars were heavy blocks of metal but couldn't crash worth a shit. Any reasonably sized modern car will do much much better than some piece of shit from the seventies.
>>14070998
>80s BMWs and Mercedes are some of the most reliable cars ever built
80's Mercedes are; 80's BMW's not so much.
>>14071090
a friend of mine took a 7.4L 454 and modded it.
went from 120 wheel to 310rwhp
the smog shit and 8.5:1 compression really kills power.
60s cars ftw
