early 70s compact cars big 4
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Topic: early 70s compact cars big 4
Posted By: HudCo
Subject: early 70s compact cars big 4
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2024 at 9:48pm
their was the ford pinto, chevrolet vega, amc pacer . what did chrysler have?
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Replies:
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2024 at 9:53pm
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2024 at 9:57pm
Chrysler mostly went to Mitsubishi for their earliest small cars. I think the first subcompact they offered for the US market was the "Colt", which was Mitsubishi manufactured.
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Posted By: Dennis J OPKs
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 7:57am
What about the Valiant? Maybe that's too big.
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Posted By: mdm1
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 8:30am
AMC made both the Gremlin and the Pacer. Drove a Pacer once. Like being in a bubble.
------------- Everything is impossible until someone does it! WD45-trip loader 1947 c w/woods belly mower, 1939 B, #3 sickle mower 1944 B, 2 1948 G's. Misc other equipment that my wife calls JUNK!
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Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 9:03am
Isnt it crazy mostly all manufactures went over there to pick up on technology- we couldnt do it over here ,,, WTF- cars , tractors etc,,
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Posted By: thendrix
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 9:29am
Dennis J OPKs wrote:
What about the Valiant? Maybe that's too big. |
If I remember right the Valiant was a bigger car. Wasn't the Valiant what the Duster was made from?
------------- "Farming is a business that makes a Las Vegas craps table look like a regular paycheck" Ronald Reagan
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Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 9:41am
I had a Plymouth Arrow back in the day , believe it had a Mitsubishi engine. Little 4 cylinder hatch back . Fold down back seat with a hatchback. Every teenager should have one. Car was a piece of crap but was a lot of fun for me at the time
------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 10:08am
i dont remember the colt being the same time frame as the pinto or vega i think it came on the next wave of compacts
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 10:16am
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Colt%20" rel="nofollow - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Colt
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Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 1:41pm
Maybe a little later . Late 70s or early 80s. What was the little Dodge/Chrysler? Sporty little thing neat looking. Maybe even had a turbo version I think. Pretty popular.
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 1:58pm
This one?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Starion" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Starion
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Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 2:24pm
No that's not it not as rounded body style more angular I can picture it but the name eludes me.
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Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 5:06pm
All of the big 3 have slept with imports... Dodge had Mitsubishi, Chevy had isuzu, ford had mazda...
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 5:28pm
Challenger? That nameplate has been all over the spectrum with Dodge. Magnum is another that has.
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 6:31pm
not really a Compact... but always liked the look of this !!
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Posted By: Walker
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 7:10pm
I drove an old Gremi for years and for the money to buy and maintain it it was the less costly, most dependable and nicest driving car I ever had. Things like door and window controls were absolute junk but the drive train and engine were rock solid. You might get a spring or two stuck in your arse from the seat but by golly you'd get there. It even held up good rust wise .
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Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 7:40pm
My sister had a Gremmie. Decent car. Way better the the Dodge Omni she replaced it with. That POS left her stranded a few times. My aunt also had a Gremlin. A Levi model. Full denim interior. Has anyone seen the Hemi Gremie?
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Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 8:18pm
Conway Twitty loved the Pacer. A guy next door to me once painted one for him. Said he was the nicest guy you could meet.
------------- No greater gift than healthy grandkids!
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2024 at 8:32pm
I had a 70 AAR barracuda for a while back in 76. Bought at Tremont Auto Auction and replaced the lt. 1/4 panel, tail lamp panel, rear face bar, straightened the trunk floor, and rt. 1/4 quarter. Then refinished the car back in it's original silver w/matte black hood. Nice car for the day, but too hard on gas to drive routinely.
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Posted By: alan-nj
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 9:31am
Late 70's Chrysler came out with the Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon. First small car of their own that I can remember. Prior to that , it was the Dodge Dart / Plymouth Valiant with the virtually indestructible slant 6 225 engine. Had a 75 Dart. Loved it, engine lasted forever, car rusted out first. Had about 200,000 when I finally had to get rid of it around 84 or 85. Traded it for a Subaru Brat.
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Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 9:47am
Neighbor had a Gremlin and It sure had gremlins. When it was only about 3 or 4 years old, he gave it to another neighbor who used the body for a (dirt) sportsman race car.
Of all the compacts listed, none were much to brag about!
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Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 4:45pm
Hadda 79 D-100 p/u with the slant six. Had alla the emissions BS kill the first engine. Next engine lasted another 60K, last one similar. Got good at motor R&R, last one took about 3 hrs...
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 5:58pm
any one biuld a small block chevy vega
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Posted By: ACinSC
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 6:18pm
Little brother had a Gremlin with a small block in it.
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Posted By: Dennis J OPKs
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 7:22pm
I think the early Omni's & Horizon's were really VW's in disguise. They had some sort of arrangement with VW, looked like a Rabbit.
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 7:45pm
HudCo wrote:
any one biuld a small block chevy vega |
Two of them both utilizing "Doug Thorley" kits and 9" Ford rears with aluminum carriers. I made the frame connectors, and ladder bars myself as they were needed.
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 7:47pm
ACinSC wrote:
Little brother had a Gremlin with a small block in it. |
Installed a 401 AMC into one that originally had a 304 AMC and it was a real runner.
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 8:09pm
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 9:12pm
No, this was a Gremlin "X" we stuffed the 401 into. Three speed manual originally and it got a four speed. I want to say a 1972 car as it didn't have those grotesque front impact bumpers. Removed the engine from an Ambassador former police car and I want to say that was a 74. Good running engine for the time with a Comp Cams 268H and their lifters for a mild addition. Hard to keep tires on the back of that for some reason.
I had for a short time a 69 AMX w/390 AMC engine, and Borg-Warner T-10 transmission. It was a good strong engine too. No back seat as early true "AMX" Javelin cars were not offered with them.
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2024 at 10:27pm
very cool i have not seen a javilin for a long time or a rebel a gremlin with that engine in it would have to be like driving an old gasser or altered
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 6:19am
I also had a Rebel but it wasn't anything special at all. Four door, automatic, w/290 AMC engine. Bought that one cheap as it was clean, but overheating. Thought it had head gasket problems, but in reality was a broken head bolt behind the power steering pump. Replaced only the bolt and the problem never came back. Sold that car to a young guy just getting a driver's license and never seen it again.
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Posted By: ACinSC
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 7:22am
Early to mid 70s a friend bought a new AMC car. Can't remember the model but it was ugly, kinda bulbous looking.
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 8:11am
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Posted By: ACinSC
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 8:42am
Wow! Thanks Steve. Might have been a matador but it doesn't look too ugly in the picture.
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Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 8:37pm
Was probably a Javelin!
------------- No greater gift than healthy grandkids!
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2024 at 10:00pm
didnt realize their was that many models thats without the jeep line up . what one would hold up the best in a demo derby the gremlin the pinto or the vega , if the pinto dosnt explode and blow them all up
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Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 6:09am
hay, I drove a Pinto hatchback for a few years,fun little beastie. Always wanted to have the station wagon version, drop my spare 289/225 into it..sigh. also wanted to drop my '67 stang convertible onto a Wagoneer chassis ( surprisingly easy mate... ) dbl sigh...
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Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 6:43am
[QUOTE=jaybmiller]hay, I drove a Pinto hatchback for a few years,fun little beastie. Always wanted to have the station wagon version, drop my spare 289/225 into it..sigh. also wanted to drop my '67 stang convertible onto a Wagoneer chassis ( surprisingly easy mate... ) dbl sigh...
[/QUOTE
I had a 71 Pinto sedan w/1600 engine and it was a great little car. Drove that through high school a season. Also had a 71 hatchback that I liked a lot and it had the 2000cc, (122cu in) engine and ran like a striped ass ape for what it was. Wanted to V8 this one, (never did) before partially trading it for my B-61 Mack truck, (still have). Both four speed cars. Had a 73 Pinto "Squire" wagon with the fake wood grained sides for a while too, (growing family) but that had the 2300cc, (140cu in) engine and automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, and was rolling scrap iron. Left my wife stranded twice so I "OFFED" that sumbitch with little further thoughts.
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Posted By: ACinSC
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 7:54am
Might have been a Javelin Tracy? Thanks
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Posted By: DonBC
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 12:24pm
My parents bought a Ford Falcon about the time I left home for university. I believe that it was the worst car they ever owned. Mechanically poor and cheep interior. For my summer surveying job we had a Dodge wagon with the slant 6. That engine seem indestructible. I convinced my parents to buy a Dodge with the slant six.
------------- Jack of all trades, master of none
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Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 2:20pm
I had a 1963 Mercury Comet convertible, I was car washer at The local Ford garage, first job out of High School, I cleaned it up to go on the showroom floor and ended up buying, traded my 1953 Ford conveertible in on it. Run like a deer.
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Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2024 at 10:05pm
sounds like the pinto might be the winner
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