There are some good qualities of these cars: Malibu, Cutlass, Regal, etc, but they are far and few good qualities and features.
First on the list of poor qualities is interior features. GM went overboard with poor quality plastic trim parts. Since these cars are not highly desirable, the the aftermarket reproduction parts are very few, to non-existent. Consequently, when the plastic parts begin to deteriorate and literally crumble, there is no source for replacement, thus, people do not want them.
The big front and rear bumpers are, for the most part, ugly (a govt mandate for 5mph front impact and 3mph impact rear). GOOD quality replacement bumpers are not available.
Engines, especially performance options. Well, what can I say. Oh, I know------------YUK!
Four speeds? Nope!
And I could go on and on and on.
Yes, I have an A-body from this period. It's a 76 Cutlass S.
I special ordered it new with a factory 5sp. Went through 3 of those 5spds before I replaced it with a Richmond 5sp in 1988, and have not touched it since.
The last year for an Olds 455 was 76. The first year for a 5sp was 76. BUT, the 455/5sp was not available together. So, in 88, I built my own 455/5sp combination.
A 12bolt rear was no longer available-----------------------well, sorta. Few people know about the 12bolt that was available in wagons and some El Caminos. I accidently learned this 73-77 12bolt while going through some cars in a salvage yard. I ran across a 75 or 76 Cutlass wagon with a 12bolt (TOTALLY different from the 65-72 12bolt rears). Posi for these rears was about as common as chicken lips---------------------but I located one. Rear gear choices were VERY high geared ratios (as I discovered by deeply digging through my Olds parts books), such as 3.08-2.56. I'm sure because of the poor performance and poor fuel economy of these engines, many cars had very high ratio rears to keep engine rpm's as low as possible.
These cars do share a lot of common parts. PLUS, some people may remember this was the era when GM division engines no longer existed and they became CORPORATE engines. For example, there was a big stink about Olds customers discovering they car had a Chevy engine. GM won the court battle because they said all GM engines were corporate engines. I clearly remember that a LOT of people were pissed because their Olds, Buick, etc, etc got a Chevy engine.
My 76Cutlass S with the built Olds 455(468), Richmond 5sp and original 2.41 posi (corporate 8.5 10bolt) is an extremely smooth and nice driving car. BUT, it just ain't what Cutlasses were in the late 60s-early 70s!!!!
In my opinion, after the era of GREAT GM A-body cars of the 60s-early 70s, the 73-77 models COULD HAVE BEEN GMs golden age-------------------------NOT!
Just before installing the engine/5sp, I decided to replace the headers (which I was able to sell) with W30 iron exhaust manifolds (they have individual internal runners).
First on the list of poor qualities is interior features. GM went overboard with poor quality plastic trim parts. Since these cars are not highly desirable, the the aftermarket reproduction parts are very few, to non-existent. Consequently, when the plastic parts begin to deteriorate and literally crumble, there is no source for replacement, thus, people do not want them.
The big front and rear bumpers are, for the most part, ugly (a govt mandate for 5mph front impact and 3mph impact rear). GOOD quality replacement bumpers are not available.
Engines, especially performance options. Well, what can I say. Oh, I know------------YUK!
Four speeds? Nope!
And I could go on and on and on.
Yes, I have an A-body from this period. It's a 76 Cutlass S.
I special ordered it new with a factory 5sp. Went through 3 of those 5spds before I replaced it with a Richmond 5sp in 1988, and have not touched it since.
The last year for an Olds 455 was 76. The first year for a 5sp was 76. BUT, the 455/5sp was not available together. So, in 88, I built my own 455/5sp combination.
A 12bolt rear was no longer available-----------------------well, sorta. Few people know about the 12bolt that was available in wagons and some El Caminos. I accidently learned this 73-77 12bolt while going through some cars in a salvage yard. I ran across a 75 or 76 Cutlass wagon with a 12bolt (TOTALLY different from the 65-72 12bolt rears). Posi for these rears was about as common as chicken lips---------------------but I located one. Rear gear choices were VERY high geared ratios (as I discovered by deeply digging through my Olds parts books), such as 3.08-2.56. I'm sure because of the poor performance and poor fuel economy of these engines, many cars had very high ratio rears to keep engine rpm's as low as possible.
These cars do share a lot of common parts. PLUS, some people may remember this was the era when GM division engines no longer existed and they became CORPORATE engines. For example, there was a big stink about Olds customers discovering they car had a Chevy engine. GM won the court battle because they said all GM engines were corporate engines. I clearly remember that a LOT of people were pissed because their Olds, Buick, etc, etc got a Chevy engine.
My 76Cutlass S with the built Olds 455(468), Richmond 5sp and original 2.41 posi (corporate 8.5 10bolt) is an extremely smooth and nice driving car. BUT, it just ain't what Cutlasses were in the late 60s-early 70s!!!!
In my opinion, after the era of GREAT GM A-body cars of the 60s-early 70s, the 73-77 models COULD HAVE BEEN GMs golden age-------------------------NOT!
Just before installing the engine/5sp, I decided to replace the headers (which I was able to sell) with W30 iron exhaust manifolds (they have individual internal runners).
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