"Malaise" Era Cars

Aspen/Vooooolare!

There's a Cordoba running around Denver that looks awesome.

Moparman wrote: In reply to kanaric: Heck, my 99 Neon coupe would run the 1/4 mile in the high 15s when it was new and bone stock. The truth is; only the rare big-engine muscle cars were especially quick. My 1989 Shelby Dakota with 118,000 miles on the stock engine (with just a few bolt-ons) has run the 1/4 mile in the high 15s with severe traction problems off the line.

Not all malaise era cars were slow. I've owned and race a slew of them and some were downright fast. I had a '74 Dart Swinger with a stock 318 2bbl, the only deviation from stock was muffler shop duals. That car was a solid 15.5 to 15.8 sec 1/4 mile car. 360 4bbl powered A & F body (Darts, Dusters, Aspens, and Volares) were all solid low 15 second performers stock. Yeah, the large heavy models just had to lug around way too much weight to be quick. Had a 73 Charger Rallye with a 340 that could only muster low 17's and a 77 Cordoba with a 400 4bbl Lean Burn that couldn't muster any better than mid 18's. It was deadly consistent though, won many a bracket race with it.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: Aspen/Vooooolare! There's a Cordoba running around Denver that looks awesome.

There is a Super Coupe like the one on the top of that photo that runs around these parts. The subtle brown is awesome, and I am a sucker for brown cars anyway.

OK no sooner do I read through this thread, next I stumble upon a 1979 Dodge Magnum XE near me, with a "special order 360 4 barrel police interceptor high performance engine"

In reply to Ottawa:

It's a sign.

Sooo . . . I didn't get a malaise car for XMAS. I'll make another thread so not to spoil this one.

A "famous" malaise era car:

I have always thought the Mustang 2 had great lines, even if the finishing was horrendous.

Monza always looked great with box flares.

Granada and Fairmont are two cars I grew up with when I was little and have a spot for.

This means you will probably get a Miradar

In reply to Ottawa:

you must buy it.

Edit: Saw the price. $4500 is too much.

In reply to mtownneon:

I hear you. My Shelby Dakota would be in the low to mid 15s, if I could get the rear to hook up. I could easily see a lighter A body running in the low 15s with a 318.

Check out a Gremlin X sometime. I believe it was in 1974 that a V8 Gremlin X was quicker in the 1/4 mile than any Vette available that year.

Mazdax605 wrote: There is a Super Coupe like the one on the top of that photo that runs around these parts. The subtle brown is awesome, and I am a sucker for brown cars anyway.

Yeah, I went looking for Aspen pics and that popped up. I'd never heard of the Super Coupe before. I read a web site about it when I found that. Now on the stoopid long list of cars I want. That thing is just flat cool.

The cool looking Cordoba I see every now and then around here is brown too. It's bad ass.

mndsm wrote: you can't totally hate an era that spawned a car so big, it was banned from demo derbies for being too badass.

There's a massive C-body Chrysler (I dunno if it's a Newport, New Yorker or Imperial) tucked into the carport of a cool 60's modern ranch house that I run by. It's in a ran-when-parked state, but it's usually blocked by another vehicle when I go running past it (while running). One day I'll snap a pic of it without getting shot for trespassing.

Anyway, you guys are leaving out the Pontiac Can Am:

I thought these were the knutz when I was a young lad.

So Gamby, just out of curiosity, do you by chance run?

Ottawa wrote: OK no sooner do I read through this thread, next I stumble upon a 1979 Dodge Magnum XE near me, with a "special order 360 4 barrel police interceptor high performance engine"

That's the E58 Police Package 360. Mopar never called them interceptors. I think that's a Ford thing. The E58 was more or less the '74 360 HP motor that replaced the 340 after '73. The E58 came with a double roller timing set, molly rings, and a windage tray. The cam was very close to the 340 automatic cam grind.

If that was closer, but I am not looking to deal with "importing"

CGLockRacer wrote: A "famous" malaise era car:

Peter Parker's Uncle Ben enjoyed cruising in it too.

nicksta43 wrote: So Gamby, just out of curiosity, do you by chance run?

I wanted to clarify that I wasn't some maniac just hanging around their house. I still want to get a good pic of the car, though.

Missed that Volare/Aspen Super Coupe. I definitely remember them, but haven't thought of them in awhile. I dare say it was a pretty cool-looking car. I'd love to see one lightly resto-modded now.

Being born in 80 I have a soft spot for some of these cars from a nostalgia stand point, but short of maybe a Fairmont with a load of mustang parts or 77-79 T-bird or Lincoln on air bags I can't see much desire to own one. Some good memories though.

My Grandma had a white with burgundy interior 77 Chrysler Cordoba that she had when I was 4 or 5 and I would sit in the passenger seat and try and sound out reading the name badge on the glove box saying "Cor-do-Ba".

A friend of mine had a terrible 82 fairmont 4 door with the classic "chalk texture" faded dark red paint job. We took great delight in "off roading" with it on it's blown shocks on the trails behind the local Walmart. He would also drive down main street doing "key shoots" by quickly flicking the ignition off and back on to produce a good sized back fire. LOL

And after reading the blog post about how crappy the Granadas were I'm glad that I passed up on the flat black primered 79 2-door that I looked at once. It had a 302 in it which was the main appeal but it looked like it was probably a pile of crap.

Just missed out on a 1980 Mirada with a 318. If there was ever a car begging for a Mopar crate engine swap, this was it.

In reply to Moparman:

The only thing my '83 Mirada was begging for was death.

Noticed this Mopar

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plymouth-Road-Runner-super-coupe-ROADRUNNER-SUPER-COUPE-/251418785662?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3a89ba377e&item=251418785662&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

I actually like the look of the Mirada. A 360 crate engine and a 727 or A518 trans and it could be a nice quick ride. Most versions tipped the scales at less than 3400lbs.

Does anyone know of one of those Chrysler "Kit Cars" on the street?