Ugggh those T-birds continued to get uglier and trashier after 1970. When the rounded model came out it looked like a slug imho. At least the first 3 iterations had some style. I always fancied a 67 four door ,looked quite smart for a 4 dr.
"bad"'70s cars that...
- Thread starter cfz2882
- Start date
Help Support :
Interestingly enough, the 1977-1979 Thunderbird was the best selling Thunderbird of all time.
Yes I remember seeing nearly everyone of those made—decades after they came out…
Even outselling it’s own stablemate the Mercury Cougar…
— Dave
Even outselling it’s own stablemate the Mercury Cougar…
— Dave
Traded cars in every 3-5 years.......
Maybe in your area but when I was growing up as a kid in the mid 70's the newest cars on my two block long street were a used Ford Maverick and a used 70 Pontiac Catalina. Everyone else drove old cars because thats all they could afford. Examples I saw were 59 Thunderbird, 62 Old Cutlass, 65 Tempest, 66 Belair, 63 Impala, 66 Olds Ninety Eight, 62 Galaxy, 66 Coronet, 66 VW squareback, 60 Dodge, 66 Mustang, 69 Marquis, plus my parents 66 Caprice wagon and 65 Chevy II sedan. And this was just an average working class area not poverty row. My dad drove his 53 Buick Roadmaster he bought new until 66 when he bought the Caprice wagon, and drove that until 79 when he bought a new Buick wagon, then drove that until 1990 with another Buick wagon until 2000 when he bought a 1990 Volvo 240 wagon.
Maybe in your area but when I was growing up as a kid in the mid 70's the newest cars on my two block long street were a used Ford Maverick and a used 70 Pontiac Catalina. Everyone else drove old cars because thats all they could afford. Examples I saw were 59 Thunderbird, 62 Old Cutlass, 65 Tempest, 66 Belair, 63 Impala, 66 Olds Ninety Eight, 62 Galaxy, 66 Coronet, 66 VW squareback, 60 Dodge, 66 Mustang, 69 Marquis, plus my parents 66 Caprice wagon and 65 Chevy II sedan. And this was just an average working class area not poverty row. My dad drove his 53 Buick Roadmaster he bought new until 66 when he bought the Caprice wagon, and drove that until 79 when he bought a new Buick wagon, then drove that until 1990 with another Buick wagon until 2000 when he bought a 1990 Volvo 240 wagon.
Had a nightmare of being in a non-air conditioned two-door car's back seat, on a scorching hot day, only to realize despite the opera windows this car had, at least the front windows that open, at least some air does come back there, but better be driving at a mid-to-highway speed...
'70's and early '80's suburbs saw a lot of car thefts or break ins, my mother went up to two guys trying to open a car's vent windows possibly attempting to steal the car, one had a flashlight over the other one, so it's a good thing that my mother randomly spotted them and made them get away, in another car they apparently drove up to it in...
Naturally after they left, my mother went up to the neighbors telling them what had just had happened while they were in the house unaware of the attempted break-in/possible theft of their 1970 Chrysler Newport 4-door hardtop, and promptly called the police, and filing a report when the cops minutes later came...
-- Dave[this post was last edited: 1/9/2023-22:36]
'70's and early '80's suburbs saw a lot of car thefts or break ins, my mother went up to two guys trying to open a car's vent windows possibly attempting to steal the car, one had a flashlight over the other one, so it's a good thing that my mother randomly spotted them and made them get away, in another car they apparently drove up to it in...
Naturally after they left, my mother went up to the neighbors telling them what had just had happened while they were in the house unaware of the attempted break-in/possible theft of their 1970 Chrysler Newport 4-door hardtop, and promptly called the police, and filing a report when the cops minutes later came...
-- Dave[this post was last edited: 1/9/2023-22:36]
One family I knew could never live without a full sized van, before moving they had a number of van conversions, all Fords, starting off with a window van that had no seats in the rear, just a carpeted wooden bench along the drivers side that I don’t think even had seat belts across from the sliding side door…
I don’t know how the kids sat still that way either, and one would have needed to have been placed in a child seat, at that age… That family made many trips to and from Florida that way… When they just moved to our neighborhood they had a window van that I’m certain had normal seats in the rear or at least one front facing bench…
— Dave
I don’t know how the kids sat still that way either, and one would have needed to have been placed in a child seat, at that age… That family made many trips to and from Florida that way… When they just moved to our neighborhood they had a window van that I’m certain had normal seats in the rear or at least one front facing bench…
— Dave
I have a neighbor in her early 90's that told me they bought a used hearse from a local funeral home and with 6 kids and no seat belts, it worked for them when she was young and foolish..
polkanut
Well-known member
My dad bought his aunt's 1978 Granada Ghia from her in 1989. It had 10,002 original miles on it. I had aftermarket cruise control installed in it and the rear leaf springs replaced. It also had the base 250 straight 6 cylinder engine. Once it got up to highway speed she was a great cruiser that was fairly easy on gas. It was a sharp looking ride. I sure wish I still had it.
vacerator
Well-known member
Yes, the Granada/Monarch/Versailles
were nice cars. Having long lineage parts from the Falcon/Maverick the bugs were mainly gone.
were nice cars. Having long lineage parts from the Falcon/Maverick the bugs were mainly gone.
