Beautiful car Jon. Congratulations!
How nice all that work was done by the previous owner. I bet it's like riding on a cloud.
How nice all that work was done by the previous owner. I bet it's like riding on a cloud.
My “new” Cadillac
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Thank you, Patrick
You’ll have to see it sometime.
You’ll have to see it sometime.
What a beautiful car! Our dear neighbors growing up always had a Cadillac and I remember when they brought home their 72 SDV. I forget the name of the color, but it was a beautiful metalic gold, brown vinyl top, and medium brown leather. He wouldn't drive it until he took it to Sears and had Sears tires put on it. ( He was the manager for local Sears) I loved riding around in it with them. They kept it until 78 when he got one of the last Eldorado's. We moved away in 76 and always kept in touch with them. We visited them once in about 1996, and to my total surprise, they still had the Eldorado with only 50K miles on it. (also a new SDL next to it)
They've both passed away and I always wonder what happened to Eldorado.
They've both passed away and I always wonder what happened to Eldorado.
cfz2882
Well-known member
very cool
does it have the 8-track player ? also,if the AC compressor has been swapped for a Sanden or other aftermarket replacement,needs to have a proper A6 reinstalled as soon as convenient
does it have the 8-track player ? also,if the AC compressor has been swapped for a Sanden or other aftermarket replacement,needs to have a proper A6 reinstalled as soon as convenient
Caddy
Jon what a beautiful car congrats. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. The Maytag Man.❤
Jon what a beautiful car congrats. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. The Maytag Man.❤
good-shepherd
Well-known member
the AC compressor has been swapped
Yeah, thats definitely not a Harrison A6 compressor.
It was probably retrofitted to R134 and they tossed the A6 compressor.
Yeah, thats definitely not a Harrison A6 compressor.
It was probably retrofitted to R134 and they tossed the A6 compressor.
Vintage auto air conditioning systems
Yes, it looks like your Cadillac has definitely been converted to a more modern compressor and probably 134 refrigerant, they would certainly be no reason to even consider converting it back, those old R6 compressors, used a ton of power, and ultimately are not that reliable as time goes on.
Weather is not extreme in Oregon anyway and unless you wanted to spend thousands of dollars converting it back is simply no point.
On my vintage cars I always kept running them on R12 I could get enough of it out of old refrigerators to keep them up and running .
The only car I have left that runs on R12 is the 1986 limousine, my restored 1994 Plymouth voyager minivan was already in our 134 a vehicle. Yay.
Yes, it looks like your Cadillac has definitely been converted to a more modern compressor and probably 134 refrigerant, they would certainly be no reason to even consider converting it back, those old R6 compressors, used a ton of power, and ultimately are not that reliable as time goes on.
Weather is not extreme in Oregon anyway and unless you wanted to spend thousands of dollars converting it back is simply no point.
On my vintage cars I always kept running them on R12 I could get enough of it out of old refrigerators to keep them up and running .
The only car I have left that runs on R12 is the 1986 limousine, my restored 1994 Plymouth voyager minivan was already in our 134 a vehicle. Yay.
I learned how to drive
With a 1975 Fleetwood. Parents would not let me have my own car as a teen so that was what I got to drive when I did get to drive. That or Dad’s 1976 Eldorado.
No car has ever come up to that for me. Not that I have ever been able to afford a car in that price class that would have any chance of comparing. One of the things I have always missed was the feeling of safety with all that heavy metal around me.
But in adult life with my affordable, sensible cars the fun of a manual tranny always compensated. Until, alas, after 40 years of having a car with a stick I finally ran out of luck finding one when I recently had to get a new car.
I got particularly attached to the Fleetwood because by the time it was 5 years old and it had well over 100,000 miles on it, I was the only one who could start it when it was really cold. LOL
When my folks passed those cars were still sitting in the garage, with dead batteries, flat tires and all fluids leaked out onto layers of cardboard underneath. I vowed that I was going to take the Fleetwood and get it running. But a mechanic/former neighbor talked me out of it. It had well over 160,000 miles on it and it had sat undriven for 25 years because the folks got tired of getting it fixed all the time. It wouldn’t hold auto tranny fluid and he said it’d cost a bundle to pull the engine and tranny to replace those gaskets. Then he said keep in mind nothing has been maintained or kept up for 25 years so you’ll have 25 cumulative years of unaddressed problems nearly all at once, as with any barn find car. I knew he was right. Every part except engine and tranny had already been replaced once if not twice already — and not with OEPs. So I let it go. One of the saddest things I ever had to do.
Nothing beats a 1970s Cadillac IMO, especially the 1975 year. They weren’t very reliable though. After about 60,000 miles they broke down every 3 months or so. After I had begun my adult life, Dad finally got tired of it and bought a 1987 Honda Accord 5-speed. Which was another dream of a car, even for a sensible car. He regretted trading that car until the day he died.
Anyway, enjoy that dream car!
With a 1975 Fleetwood. Parents would not let me have my own car as a teen so that was what I got to drive when I did get to drive. That or Dad’s 1976 Eldorado.
No car has ever come up to that for me. Not that I have ever been able to afford a car in that price class that would have any chance of comparing. One of the things I have always missed was the feeling of safety with all that heavy metal around me.
But in adult life with my affordable, sensible cars the fun of a manual tranny always compensated. Until, alas, after 40 years of having a car with a stick I finally ran out of luck finding one when I recently had to get a new car.
I got particularly attached to the Fleetwood because by the time it was 5 years old and it had well over 100,000 miles on it, I was the only one who could start it when it was really cold. LOL
When my folks passed those cars were still sitting in the garage, with dead batteries, flat tires and all fluids leaked out onto layers of cardboard underneath. I vowed that I was going to take the Fleetwood and get it running. But a mechanic/former neighbor talked me out of it. It had well over 160,000 miles on it and it had sat undriven for 25 years because the folks got tired of getting it fixed all the time. It wouldn’t hold auto tranny fluid and he said it’d cost a bundle to pull the engine and tranny to replace those gaskets. Then he said keep in mind nothing has been maintained or kept up for 25 years so you’ll have 25 cumulative years of unaddressed problems nearly all at once, as with any barn find car. I knew he was right. Every part except engine and tranny had already been replaced once if not twice already — and not with OEPs. So I let it go. One of the saddest things I ever had to do.
Nothing beats a 1970s Cadillac IMO, especially the 1975 year. They weren’t very reliable though. After about 60,000 miles they broke down every 3 months or so. After I had begun my adult life, Dad finally got tired of it and bought a 1987 Honda Accord 5-speed. Which was another dream of a car, even for a sensible car. He regretted trading that car until the day he died.
Anyway, enjoy that dream car!
good-shepherd
Well-known member
They weren’t very reliable though.
Have to disagree.
The 472ci Cadillac engine and 400TH transmission were a solid combo.
My mom had a 1973 and 1986 Coupe De Ville (425ci 400TH combo). The '73 had the notorious GM nylon timing gear fail around 125,000 miles but other GM engines had the same problem.
Otherwise there were no reliability issues, in fact both ran well over 100,000 miles with less than ideal maintenance.
Have to disagree.
The 472ci Cadillac engine and 400TH transmission were a solid combo.
My mom had a 1973 and 1986 Coupe De Ville (425ci 400TH combo). The '73 had the notorious GM nylon timing gear fail around 125,000 miles but other GM engines had the same problem.
Otherwise there were no reliability issues, in fact both ran well over 100,000 miles with less than ideal maintenance.
good-shepherd
Well-known member
1986 Coupe De Ville (425ci 400TH combo).
Correction: it was 1979 Coupe De Ville.
Correction: it was 1979 Coupe De Ville.
Had to chuckle
Whoever thinks weather isn’t extreme in Oregon should come visit. We’re often hotter than Las Vegas. Hit 116 in 2021 ( still traumatized by it) and routinely will just sit at or around 100+ in the summer - and the sun just burns differently out here than the Midwest of my youth. (I suspect because there is less moisture and other particulates in the air). All this is still on the cooler side of the state too!
, heaven help you if you’re on the eastern side.
Gone are the days when Oregonians didn’t need AC. Only my Datsun was built with AC and its compressor is toast, so it’s like I’m in a solarium. Be glad someone else bit the bullet and converted for you! I am jealous!
Whoever thinks weather isn’t extreme in Oregon should come visit. We’re often hotter than Las Vegas. Hit 116 in 2021 ( still traumatized by it) and routinely will just sit at or around 100+ in the summer - and the sun just burns differently out here than the Midwest of my youth. (I suspect because there is less moisture and other particulates in the air). All this is still on the cooler side of the state too!
, heaven help you if you’re on the eastern side.Gone are the days when Oregonians didn’t need AC. Only my Datsun was built with AC and its compressor is toast, so it’s like I’m in a solarium. Be glad someone else bit the bullet and converted for you! I am jealous!
Automobiles built in the 90s and after 2000
Or at least 2 to 3 times more reliable than any automobile built in the 70s, I remember when I was in high school in the late 60s and somebody had a car that actually ran almost 100,000 miles with only a burned out tail lightbulb things like that made the news then because it was so unusual.
When has anybody replaced an alternator or a starter on a modern car? It’s very unusual to have problems before at least 100,000 miles even lightbulbs seldom fail in that time range anymore because of more reliable LEDs etc..
I still love my vintage cars and this doesn’t take away from how cool they were, I have a vintage 1986 Chrysler limousine and 1994 restored Plymouth five speed, voyager minivan still.
John
Or at least 2 to 3 times more reliable than any automobile built in the 70s, I remember when I was in high school in the late 60s and somebody had a car that actually ran almost 100,000 miles with only a burned out tail lightbulb things like that made the news then because it was so unusual.
When has anybody replaced an alternator or a starter on a modern car? It’s very unusual to have problems before at least 100,000 miles even lightbulbs seldom fail in that time range anymore because of more reliable LEDs etc..
I still love my vintage cars and this doesn’t take away from how cool they were, I have a vintage 1986 Chrysler limousine and 1994 restored Plymouth five speed, voyager minivan still.
John
My 2001 Infiniti had a failed starter. Also both headlights (not simultaneously).
My mother's 2011 Buick had an A/C evaporator leak. Failed blinker lamp. One of the headlight modules is catching moisture in rain (nothing as yet done about that). The water pump is being replaced (leak) at this moment.
Starters and alternators still go bad, not all that common but it’s something that still happens from time to time. The 2004 Honda Odyssey my folks have has been fairly reliable, but it’s needed the air conditioning system gone through at least 4 times and a replacement transmission when the original gave up the ghost at the 137,000 mile mark in early 2015.
Cars peaked in reliability in the 90’s and 2000’s when there was still common sense in automotive design, but seems as though the quality and reliability has been dropping off in recent years. Ford has had nothing but issues with their Ecoboost engines, the 3 cylinder Ecoboost uses a rubber belt to drive the oil pump that’s literally soaked in oil. If that belt breaks, bye bye engine. The 2018 Ford F150 Limited has built in sensors in the taillights, if water somehow gets in it’ll short things out and will cause the computer to go berserk and will cause it to be bricked and will have to be towed somewhere to be fixed, if you think I am making this up just look at FordTechMakuloco’s channel on YouTube, that repair ended up costing $5600.
Get a dent in the or rear end collision in a Rivian truck? Forget about it, it’ll cost $41,000 to fix since the bed and roof is all one piece, again I am NOT making this up. Thankfully if it’s just a simple dent, it can easily be pulled out but if it’s any worse than that, it’ll be expensive.
But in the end, it’s all relative to the time and era to which it was built if you really think about it.
Cars peaked in reliability in the 90’s and 2000’s when there was still common sense in automotive design, but seems as though the quality and reliability has been dropping off in recent years. Ford has had nothing but issues with their Ecoboost engines, the 3 cylinder Ecoboost uses a rubber belt to drive the oil pump that’s literally soaked in oil. If that belt breaks, bye bye engine. The 2018 Ford F150 Limited has built in sensors in the taillights, if water somehow gets in it’ll short things out and will cause the computer to go berserk and will cause it to be bricked and will have to be towed somewhere to be fixed, if you think I am making this up just look at FordTechMakuloco’s channel on YouTube, that repair ended up costing $5600.
Get a dent in the or rear end collision in a Rivian truck? Forget about it, it’ll cost $41,000 to fix since the bed and roof is all one piece, again I am NOT making this up. Thankfully if it’s just a simple dent, it can easily be pulled out but if it’s any worse than that, it’ll be expensive.
But in the end, it’s all relative to the time and era to which it was built if you really think about it.
Some areas of newer cars are more reliable but others are not. Older cars HVAC systems were cable (my favorite) or vacuum operated. Pretty easy to fix and service, generally without too much disassembly. Todays junk has a gazillion actuators to crap out and just replacing one of them generally calls for an entire dash removal. When all of the cost are added up including labor, the price can easily exceed the worth of the vehicle several times over. This doesn't include the very complex, finicky and expensive all in one infotainment center that controls radio/HVAC/Navigation, ect. Fixing/replacing these is very involved and expensive. All in one means when one area fails, the entire unit needs to be replaced. Most of these are a dealer item only, not available aftermarket. After 10-15 years, you're up a creek if it fails. There are some out there making a business repairing them but it's only a matter of time when that can no longer be accomplished without the necessary parts.
These bazillion gear automatic transmissions are causing a lot of issues, especially in American vehicles. It has gotten so bad that American manufactures are sourcing Aisin transmissions from Toyota 'cause they can't figure out how to properly build one. To make matters worse, the fluid is claimed to be sealed for the life of the transmissions which is BS. More gears = more shifting = more wear and tear on the fluid and the need to change it out more regularly. Some of these transmissions are serviceable but it's a VERY involved process. Dipsticks have all disappeared for almost a decade now. Toyota is about the only manufacture that can make a reliable and durable CVT. Honda automatics have always been weak (like all Chryslers with an overdrive auto) but the trick is to drive them easy and change the fluid every 20K miles. Pretty hard to accomplish that in models that don't contain a dipstick.
It is me or has anybody noticed the shear amount of LED lights that fail on newer cars? The first and only light bulb to fail on my Honda Accord was the one of headlights, after 17 years running them at least 6 days a week, generally twice a day during the winter months. The rest of the bulbs are still original at 25 years old and work fine. So much for LED's being more reliable. Look at the price and labor to replace LED lights, some can get close to the 5 figure mark and access is very involved.
Yes, some of the older vehicles went through alternators more often but they were easily accessible. Also, the alternator didn't have to be replaced because the internal voltage regulator died. Older generators are a cinch to repair, just brushes and sometimes bearings. Modern stop/start vehicles eat through starters like crazy in town driving situations. Ever replace a starter on a Cadillac NorthStar or other V8 equipped vehicles where it's located under the intake manifold? That has to be the dumbest place to put one and even Toyota is guilty of this.
My buddy had to have his entire dash cluster replaced on his 2003 Chevy truck when it was 2 years old. Coworker had the same thing on his 2008 Chevy SUV (forget what it was now) as the gauges started becoming inop. Dash cluster on my Toyota truck is about to turn 40, no problems. Honda is about to turn 25, no problems. Haven't had to replace one single dash lights anywhere on either vehicle yet. Never had to fool around with gauges on my really old stuff from the 50's-70's, they're simple and just worked.
In tank fuel pumps, yeah, those are always fun to replace. I'd rather replace a mechanical fuel pump on the block like the good old days. 2-3 bolts and a couple of easy removable fuel lines and the job is done in 15 minutes on the side of the road.
Anything with cylinder deactivation has been shown to rapidly increase piston ring and cylinder wear/tear.
Water pumps driven by a timing chain are very expensive and involved for replacement. Another stupid design.
This small engine/turbo combo nonsense is quickly wearing out engines. It's also wearing out the turbo's. Expensive to service/fix.
Light tension piston rings wearing out quickly and burning oil, still a problem 15 years later.
I agree with Sean, the mid to late 90's through the early 2000's were prime years, especially for the Japanese. Just enough tech to run everything efficiently and easily access OBII computer diagnostics in real time but without all of the unnecessary complicated BS like the last 15-ish years.
I was chatting it up with a Toyota tech last year and I was telling him how my folks 2001 Toyota Camry has over 300K miles with nothing done except a driver side window regulator and drivers side door handle, besides regular scheduled maintenance. He said a new Camry is waaaaay too complex and won't last that long, at least not without a decent amount of repairs. I believe him.
These bazillion gear automatic transmissions are causing a lot of issues, especially in American vehicles. It has gotten so bad that American manufactures are sourcing Aisin transmissions from Toyota 'cause they can't figure out how to properly build one. To make matters worse, the fluid is claimed to be sealed for the life of the transmissions which is BS. More gears = more shifting = more wear and tear on the fluid and the need to change it out more regularly. Some of these transmissions are serviceable but it's a VERY involved process. Dipsticks have all disappeared for almost a decade now. Toyota is about the only manufacture that can make a reliable and durable CVT. Honda automatics have always been weak (like all Chryslers with an overdrive auto) but the trick is to drive them easy and change the fluid every 20K miles. Pretty hard to accomplish that in models that don't contain a dipstick.
It is me or has anybody noticed the shear amount of LED lights that fail on newer cars? The first and only light bulb to fail on my Honda Accord was the one of headlights, after 17 years running them at least 6 days a week, generally twice a day during the winter months. The rest of the bulbs are still original at 25 years old and work fine. So much for LED's being more reliable. Look at the price and labor to replace LED lights, some can get close to the 5 figure mark and access is very involved.
Yes, some of the older vehicles went through alternators more often but they were easily accessible. Also, the alternator didn't have to be replaced because the internal voltage regulator died. Older generators are a cinch to repair, just brushes and sometimes bearings. Modern stop/start vehicles eat through starters like crazy in town driving situations. Ever replace a starter on a Cadillac NorthStar or other V8 equipped vehicles where it's located under the intake manifold? That has to be the dumbest place to put one and even Toyota is guilty of this.
My buddy had to have his entire dash cluster replaced on his 2003 Chevy truck when it was 2 years old. Coworker had the same thing on his 2008 Chevy SUV (forget what it was now) as the gauges started becoming inop. Dash cluster on my Toyota truck is about to turn 40, no problems. Honda is about to turn 25, no problems. Haven't had to replace one single dash lights anywhere on either vehicle yet. Never had to fool around with gauges on my really old stuff from the 50's-70's, they're simple and just worked.
In tank fuel pumps, yeah, those are always fun to replace. I'd rather replace a mechanical fuel pump on the block like the good old days. 2-3 bolts and a couple of easy removable fuel lines and the job is done in 15 minutes on the side of the road.
Anything with cylinder deactivation has been shown to rapidly increase piston ring and cylinder wear/tear.
Water pumps driven by a timing chain are very expensive and involved for replacement. Another stupid design.
This small engine/turbo combo nonsense is quickly wearing out engines. It's also wearing out the turbo's. Expensive to service/fix.
Light tension piston rings wearing out quickly and burning oil, still a problem 15 years later.
I agree with Sean, the mid to late 90's through the early 2000's were prime years, especially for the Japanese. Just enough tech to run everything efficiently and easily access OBII computer diagnostics in real time but without all of the unnecessary complicated BS like the last 15-ish years.
I was chatting it up with a Toyota tech last year and I was telling him how my folks 2001 Toyota Camry has over 300K miles with nothing done except a driver side window regulator and drivers side door handle, besides regular scheduled maintenance. He said a new Camry is waaaaay too complex and won't last that long, at least not without a decent amount of repairs. I believe him.
Re:#33
After reading this I’m even more convinced that I’ll probably never buy another new car again. My 2007 Honda Civic has been the most trouble free car I’ve ever owned, and it’s the 23rd car that I’ve owned since 1969. It has adequate power, handles beautifully and is a pleasure to drive. The only thing that I would change is the poor visibility. The wide side pillars that contain the side air bags really cut down on the visibility, ditto for the extremely slanted rear window and the GD head rests. Although I don’t like a lot of gadgets, a rearview camera would have been a nice feature to have included in this car.
The odometer just turned over to 65,000 miles two weeks ago and I’m 72 so I see no reason why I should ever need to buy another new vehicle.
I agree with Dan, all of this new complicated crap that they use in the new cars is just more crap to break down and cost a fortune to replace/repair. Simple is always better IMHO.
Eddie
After reading this I’m even more convinced that I’ll probably never buy another new car again. My 2007 Honda Civic has been the most trouble free car I’ve ever owned, and it’s the 23rd car that I’ve owned since 1969. It has adequate power, handles beautifully and is a pleasure to drive. The only thing that I would change is the poor visibility. The wide side pillars that contain the side air bags really cut down on the visibility, ditto for the extremely slanted rear window and the GD head rests. Although I don’t like a lot of gadgets, a rearview camera would have been a nice feature to have included in this car.
The odometer just turned over to 65,000 miles two weeks ago and I’m 72 so I see no reason why I should ever need to buy another new vehicle.
I agree with Dan, all of this new complicated crap that they use in the new cars is just more crap to break down and cost a fortune to replace/repair. Simple is always better IMHO.
Eddie
good-shepherd
Well-known member
Automobiles built in the 90s and after 2000
I was talking about Cadillac reliablity compared to other 70's era cars.
The '79 Coupe Deville my mom had was especially reliable and I liked it better than her '73 CDV.
On the other hand her 1970 Impala with a 400ci engine had problems with leaking freeze out plugs, bad ball joints A/C never worked and other maintenance issues.
I was talking about Cadillac reliablity compared to other 70's era cars.
The '79 Coupe Deville my mom had was especially reliable and I liked it better than her '73 CDV.
On the other hand her 1970 Impala with a 400ci engine had problems with leaking freeze out plugs, bad ball joints A/C never worked and other maintenance issues.
good-shepherd
Well-known member
when there was still common sense in automotive design
Its the not the manufactures fault per se.
Its the impossible government CAFE MPG mandates (and roll over crash standards) they are forced to meet or face fines per vehicle.
Its the not the manufactures fault per se.
Its the impossible government CAFE MPG mandates (and roll over crash standards) they are forced to meet or face fines per vehicle.
Reply #33
Cars really did peak in reliability in the 90’s to mid 2000’s, though there were some cars in the late 80’s that were just as reliable since the GM 3800 debuted around 1987/1988 or so (there was a engine before the 3800 that basically was the same, the 3800 was beefed up) and was produced all the way up until 2008.
Crazy as this sounds, the GM 3800 aka the Buick 3800 was quite literally one of the last engines in modern times were you could easily remove the engine from the car and rebuild it at home if you had all the tools and knowledge to do so. Simple push rod design that would run for quite some time along with having fuel mileage from 20 mpg city, 30 Hwy.
Another extremely reliable car from the late 80’s until 2011 was the Ford Panther Platform, quite literally was indestructible and could literally run a million miles when maintained diligently. The early Ford Panther Platform cars from 1979 to 1991 all had the 302 V8 paired up with the 4 speed AOD that could run for quite some time, the 302 was in production until 2001. Another of the final engines in modern times that could easily be rebuilt at home. The later Panther Platform cars had the modular V8 which has proven itself to be very, if not ultra reliable but my only gripe about it is it’s an overhead cam design. Not all overhead cam engines are bad, but the more parts an engine has, the higher probability of a break down or failure, especially if it’s an interference design with a rubber timing belt.
I think the reason why some cars on the late 80’s, 90’s, and up until the 2000’s were so reliable is some engines like the GM 3800 aka the Buick 3800, Ford 302 V8, Ford 240/300 inline 6, and Chevy 350 small block (might be a few others I missed) have roots that date back to the 1960’s, if not mid to late 1950’s. The GM 3800 started out life as the Buick Fireball V6 in the Special and Skylark in 1962/1963. The Ford 302 started out life as the 221 in 1962 and the displacement was bumped up every couple of years before being maxed out at 302 cubic inches. The Chevy small block started out life as the 265 in 1955, a few variations were around from 1955 to the early 1960’s, but eventually settled on 350 cubic inches in the early to mid 60’s and has been made well into the 2000’s, heck even early 2010’s. As for the world famous Ford 240/300 inline 6, came to life around 1965 for commercial purposes but soon found it’s way into cars like the Custom and Galaxie 500 not to mention Ford trucks, I believe that particular engine is still in production for industrial generators and such.
80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s cars as mentioned above are probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to having classic car simplicity but with modern car reliability. If something goes wrong, it’s cheap and inexpensive to fix.
Cars really did peak in reliability in the 90’s to mid 2000’s, though there were some cars in the late 80’s that were just as reliable since the GM 3800 debuted around 1987/1988 or so (there was a engine before the 3800 that basically was the same, the 3800 was beefed up) and was produced all the way up until 2008.
Crazy as this sounds, the GM 3800 aka the Buick 3800 was quite literally one of the last engines in modern times were you could easily remove the engine from the car and rebuild it at home if you had all the tools and knowledge to do so. Simple push rod design that would run for quite some time along with having fuel mileage from 20 mpg city, 30 Hwy.
Another extremely reliable car from the late 80’s until 2011 was the Ford Panther Platform, quite literally was indestructible and could literally run a million miles when maintained diligently. The early Ford Panther Platform cars from 1979 to 1991 all had the 302 V8 paired up with the 4 speed AOD that could run for quite some time, the 302 was in production until 2001. Another of the final engines in modern times that could easily be rebuilt at home. The later Panther Platform cars had the modular V8 which has proven itself to be very, if not ultra reliable but my only gripe about it is it’s an overhead cam design. Not all overhead cam engines are bad, but the more parts an engine has, the higher probability of a break down or failure, especially if it’s an interference design with a rubber timing belt.
I think the reason why some cars on the late 80’s, 90’s, and up until the 2000’s were so reliable is some engines like the GM 3800 aka the Buick 3800, Ford 302 V8, Ford 240/300 inline 6, and Chevy 350 small block (might be a few others I missed) have roots that date back to the 1960’s, if not mid to late 1950’s. The GM 3800 started out life as the Buick Fireball V6 in the Special and Skylark in 1962/1963. The Ford 302 started out life as the 221 in 1962 and the displacement was bumped up every couple of years before being maxed out at 302 cubic inches. The Chevy small block started out life as the 265 in 1955, a few variations were around from 1955 to the early 1960’s, but eventually settled on 350 cubic inches in the early to mid 60’s and has been made well into the 2000’s, heck even early 2010’s. As for the world famous Ford 240/300 inline 6, came to life around 1965 for commercial purposes but soon found it’s way into cars like the Custom and Galaxie 500 not to mention Ford trucks, I believe that particular engine is still in production for industrial generators and such.
80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s cars as mentioned above are probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to having classic car simplicity but with modern car reliability. If something goes wrong, it’s cheap and inexpensive to fix.
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