Big American boats

I had a couple - 65 4 dr Ford Galaxie and 68 4 dr Pontiac Parisienne when I was in college and could pick them up for $100 as rust buckets junkers. Both had inline six engines and were hardtops.

I don't mean cool American boats like the 64 Pontiac GTO convertible as an example, but the mundane 6 cyl people movers of their time.

Anybody own a restored American boat?

First car I bought here in the USA was a 1975 4 door Fury, 318 and rust free from LA, however the glove-box had a Cordoba plaque affixed and appeared factory.

It was just like Roscoe P Coltraine's cop car

Here's my '61 Bonneville. It has a 348hp tripower engine and four on the floor from the factory.

I had a '62 Buick Invicta 4dr hardtop. 401 Nailhead, but it said 445 on the air cleaner, for the torque of the motor. Single digit fuel mileage, but sooo much torque.

I have a 1961 lincoln continental. White w/ black interior. I would post a picture but i dont know how to get it from my harddrive.

fritzsch wrote: I have a 1961 lincoln continental. White w/ black interior. I would post a picture but it wont fit on this screen.

Fixed that for you

stuart in mn wrote: Here's my '61 Bonneville. It has a 348hp tripower engine and four on the floor from the factory.

That. Rules. I do heart vintage Pontiacs.

My 455 olds that I sold a few years back...

My father just bought a 1976 Eldorado convertible. It's bigger than Oprah!

Kramer wrote: My father just bought a 1976 Eldorado convertible. It's bigger than Oprah!

If that doesn't make it to the magazine, well y'all just don't know whats funny...

Its not much of a boat for the era, but people today think its the size of a tank.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/1081/

This I would consider a boat, and is was fun to hoon around in.

In reply to Nitroracer:

I had a '71 Galaxy 500 much like the one above,same fugly color. Drove it for a couple of years & gave it to my daughter who managed to dent about every panel & bumper in her 1st year of ownership. Also had a '63 Buick LaSaber,paid $200 for it,drove it for 50-60K & gave it to my brother who drover it another 30K or so & sold it for $100. Best automotive value I've ever had. Got the Buick in '75 & the Ford in '90. Took both of them on moderately long trips on occasion & except for the Buick developing a propensity to overhead had no problems.

all through my 20s I kept grandma's '67 Buick LeSaber going. It ran AMAZINGLY well for a 340" motor with a 2bbl carb the size of a small soup can.

Sweet little power train that belonged in a far smaller and sportier vehicle. I always wanted to swap it into a CJ3 or 5.

I still regret not buying my uncles 4 door T-Bird, like above. 9MPG and a boat load of TQ.

And rust, and oil leaks.

Thats why I had to pass

Like this??

My first car was a '66 Bel-Aire 4-door with a 3 on the tree!

Fit_Is_Slo wrote: Like this??

I don't think so. That's not really"big".

Big is relative.

I recall a nice low-mileage '73 Plymouth Fury III that my parents owned many decades ago. That thing was unreal. Two-door hardtop, with a hood and a trunk that could double as supports for queen-size mattresses. 360 ci, 2-bbl, auto, and it was a total dog. It must have weighed over 4000 lbs.

Restore, no. But I've sure had some.

Here's mine:

'67 Le Mans; Dad bought it new for Mom at Christmas of '66. 326/2bbl/Powerglide. It's not quite as solid as it looks in this picture and has 270,000 on it, but it would be a fine driver. I grew up riding in it and driving it, and I've been hanging onto it ever since, but it may go up for sale this spring. It hasn't been out of my garage in a few years. Anybody interested?

Make mine a wagon -- doesn't matter what one.

I really have a thing for cars of this era -- but I don't have the garage space OR the driveway space for one. Plus, most are gone here in the North. Neat cars, and a neat reflection of North American society compared to others around the world.

I hope people are saving as many as they can.

914Driver wrote: Big is relative.

indeed

I've had two 1970 Pontiac Bonevilles. Both had the 400, with a Turbo 400 transmission and 4bbl carb. You didn't corner so well in them, but they ate highway miles for lunch. Gas mileage wasn't bad unless you floored it, then you could watch the gas gauge fall. I'd love another, but good examples are hard, hard to find.

I've had a lust for a late-70s Thunderbird for a while, but never see one when there's the three free spaces in my driveway (and the thought of dealing with cali smog for something with that early of emissions equipment puts a serious damper on things).

Something like this: