The cars of the mid-1970s to the early 1980s are often looked down up on by car enthusiasts. Much of this is for good reason. Styling was compromised by the huge 5 mph bumpers, driveability suffered from the archaic emissions controls, they had weak power plants that often didn’t get good fuel economy and they were either bloated and oversized, or tiny and unsubstantial. Despite all their faults though, there are many decent cars from this era.
Prices on the more desirable 1950s and 1960s survivors continue to be relatively high, and their supply is dwindling as more cars are restored. However, there are still a considerable number of original untouched cars from the so-called malaise era. Best of all, they often come at a price that is significantly more affordable than the older cars. These malaise era cars have some advantages, such typically having better brakes than their older counterparts, and most of the mechanical parts are readily available and relatively cheap (depending on the model).
As the owner of a car that falls right in the middle of the malaise era, I can say that while some of the stereotypes ring true, but if you pick the right car from this era they can be a truly great vehicle. Furthermore, as LT Dan pointed out, with his Grand Prix, it doesn’t take much effort or money to make some of these malaise era cars into great driving machines, even by modern standards. Anyone who is somewhat mechanically inclined can often update the engines and suspensions with basic cheap modifications to improve drivability, power and fuel economy.
I decided to peruse eBay to see what cars were on the malaise market. There were quite a few nice original cars from this era for affordable prices. When searching, I set the price limit of $2500 to $10,000 and only searched for cars with asking prices to avoid finding cars that were priced artificially low due an ongoing auction. I also tried to find a variety of cars that would capture an assortment of budgets and interests.
So c’mon, let’s take a walk through the Malaise Market Place sales lot and find a car for you. We’ll start off with the lower priced cars and move up towards the $10,000 price cap. First up is this 1978 Cougar XR7. This Cougar appears to be an original but well used survivor. The body is mostly rust free but it certainly isn’t free of marks and imperfections. Those are just signs of life experience. It is equipped with a base 302-2V V8 with about 118,000 miles but the cylinder heads were recently rebuilt. The current owner reports that he uses it regularly so it should be a fairly reliable driver as is. Parts on these cars are plentiful and cheap and it’s easy enough to squeeze more power or efficiency out of a Ford 302 should one desire. At $3750, the price seems to be fair.
If you desire something smaller and sportier, take a look at this 1984 Camaro Berlinetta, economically priced at $3000. It has a 2.8L V6 and a TH700-R4 overdrive transmission. The car is low mileage original with only 33,000 miles, but has been sitting for about 3 years. So chances are, unlike the Cougar, this car will need some mechanical work to make it roadworthy and reliable. This is supported by the stalling issue the seller mentions. A carb rebuild and a good go over of the brakes would be needed at minimum. The body and interior appear to be pretty decent, but the hood definitely has some serious structural rust at the front edge. Luckily a replacement shouldn’t be hard to find, but I am sure one could also just drive it as is.
Perhaps the best budget buy is this ’86 VW Scirocco. It probably falls outside the so-called malaise era, but when I came across it, I thought it was such a great find, I had to include it. This unmolested survivor looks to be in excellent shape. It has Washington plates on it and based on the excellent condition of the body, I suspect it spent most of its life in that state. The car has the 1.8L four cylinder with a 5-speed, and loads of new parts. Even the wheels have been restored. The only concerning thing I see in the listing is that the owner suspects that “based on the condition of the camshaft” the engine was recently rebuilt. So it seems that he hasn’t owned it long and if the engine was rebuilt, hopefully it was done correctly. For $2500, it’s probably worth the gamble.
Moving on to cars that fall into the more middle area of our price range, is this 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88, a Curbside favourite. Being a ’77 Olds, this is car is the center of the 350 “corporate” engine fiasco. And as luck would have it this Olds is equipped with the engine that was the center of that, the Chevrolet 350-4bbl LM1. While many will turn their noses up at this Oldsmobile not being powered by an Oldsmobile V8, I’d rather have the Chevrolet 350 over the 1977 Olds 350. The LM1 Chevy 350 was one of the best American engines of the late 1970s and it would easily out-perform a 350 Oldsmobile and likely a 403 as well. In addition by 1977, Olds V8s had undergone a number of cost and weight reductions which reduced its quality. Overall this car appears to be in very good original condition, with a decent interior and body. The only down fall is the non-working aftermarket A/C. For $5795, you could have this cheap and easy to maintain classic B-body.
If you prefer your luxury to be from Coventry rather than Lansing, then take a look at this ’83 Jaguar XJ12. This original car only shows 123,000 kms (76,400 miles) on the odometer. It was an obviously well cared for car, with solid body (some minor rust on the rear valence) and a decent looking interior. Being from Canada, I suspect this car was rarely (or never) exposed to the harsh winters. At $5695 CDN, it’s only $4300 USD, so it’s a fair bit cheaper than the Olds – such a deal! Somehow I suspect it might cost a bit more in upkeep and not be as trouble free as the big Olds.
Paul recently asked where all the Dusters went, so I went searching for one. This is an original 1975 Plymouth Duster powered by a Curbside favourite, the venerable slant-six. The car is being sold by a dealer and the description incorrectly lists the car as a “Dodge Duster.” The seller claims that it has spent its life in Arizona. Despite this, it has some perforation rust developing on the one of the lower quarter panels and one of the rockers. The Duster has an automatic and it has logged 107K miles. At $5250, it’s bit cheaper than the big Oldsmobile, but also a little rougher around the edges.
If you prefer your mid-70s compacts from FoMoCo rather than Ma Mopar, then take a look at this original ’76 Mercury Comet 2-door. It apparently only has 32,000 miles on it and runs and drives well. Of course whether this is the 200 six, or the more likely California mandatory 250 six, both aren’t exactly held in high esteem. So maybe that is a reason it wasn’t driven much. The car is listed in California, which explains the very clean looking body and its interior and engine compartment look very good as well. The prices are climbing on our little car shopping adventure, and this Comet has a price of admission of $6900.
How can we cover off the Malaise era without looking at some more personal luxury coupes, right? Well wait no more, as the prices continue to climb, I found this very nice surviving Chrysler Cordoba for $7500. It is described as being “showroom clean inside and out” and from the photos it doesn’t look far from the truth. This is probably the cleanest looking Cordobas I have ever seen. The silver exterior with the red interior works quite well on this car, but unfortunately there is not Corinthian leather. Powered by a smog era 360 it would have Chrysler’s electronic ignition, and not the problematic Lean-Burn of the later cars. The 360 only accumulated 40,000 miles in the last 45 years.
Cordobas are nice, but the king to the PLC segment was the Cutlass Supreme. I didn’t come across any Colonnade Cutlasses but I did find this downsized 1979 Cutlass Supreme. These Cutlasses were a bit less substantial and plainer than the Colonnade forbearers. They also had styling that was a little quirky compared to the 1981 and newer Cutlass Supremes. Nevertheless, this particular Cutlass looks to be a very nice survivor in a nice period brown. Under the hood it is stuck with a truly malaise V8, the Oldsmobile 260 that racked up 82,000 wheezing miles. At least it will keep those Olds purists happy, since it has an Olds V8, right? No darn 305 Chevy here for that true Oldsmobile man. The body and interior look excellent, but from the undercarriage photos, I’d say this car spent some time in northern climate. At $7575, it’s priced about the same as the Cordoba, so less value if you buy your car by the pound.
Not all of us want an old car though, so I didn’t forget about trucks. Many lament about the days of yore, when men were men and trucks were trucks. That meant trucks were all work, no pleasure. Regular cabs, 8-foot boxes, bench seats, and stiff suspension for carrying lots of weight were the ingredients to a real truck. Well then if that’s the kind of truck you want, I have just the truck for you, this 1978 Chevrolet K20. The truck is very period correct in the medium green with an old style cap over the box. Inside is nothing but a plain vinyl bench and a rubber floor. While under the hood is a trusty 350 Chevrolet V8. The Chevrolet trucks of this vintage virtually disintegrated with rust before your eyes, but the body on this one appears to be excellent. The undercarriage is solid, but not perfect, suggesting it has seen some inclement weather in its time. For $7,995 you can this truck could be yours and it will work to your hearts content.
Then again, I know pick-up buyers are loyalist, and so no self-respecting Ford man will by a Chevy. Don’t worry, I found a Ford too for you Ford guys. Although it is pricier at $9999 and so it will bring us to the most expensive vehicles on our shopping trip. This 1984 Ford F250 is also a 4×4 like the Chevrolet, but is equipped with the International 6.9L diesel, the predecessor to the much loved 7.3L. While these early diesels were sluggish by modern standards they did get excellent fuel mileage and I’d argue this 6.9L was the best diesel engine offered in a pickup during this era. This Ford truck is more costly than the Chevy, but it also appears to be in even better shape. With only 90K miles on the odometer, I suspect this truck has much more life left in it do some heavy hauling.
Both of the trucks I found were ¾ ton 4×4’s which means high stances and stiff rides. So for those of you who want to haul cargo in comfort and low to the ground, here is a nice 1976 Chevrolet El Camino. This El Camino is in great shape and appears to be well cared for. It even has a spray in bed liner so you won’t damage its pretty cargo box when you are hauling materials. It didn’t list what was under the hood, but it’s most likely a 350, although it could be a 305 or 400. However, it does show that it has 189,000 miles on the odometer, so it may be tired if it hasn’t been rebuilt. Nevertheless, as the owner of the car equivalent of this ute, I can attest these cars are very good drivers. For $9500, it’s cheaper than the big Ford truck too.
If you prefer to haul your cargo enclosed and in something more economical, then maybe you’d like this 1978 Datsun 510 wagon. With only 12,500 miles on the odometer, it is described as “a fabulous original time capsule.” This car obviously has not seen much use, but the seller reassured that it’s got a new battery, tires, wheel cylinders, along with a fresh tune-up, oil change and fuel system flush. The Datsun has original paint, which has been buffed to a shine to remove the oxidation, and the interior carpeting was replaced due to musty smells. Unfortunately it is an automatic, but it does have air conditioning. For $9995, you won’t find many other comparable cars in this condition.
For those not interested in hauling, I have two more cars that fall into our price range. The first is this absolutely meticulous looking 1976 Mercedes 280S. This W116 Mercedes was built when Mercedes arguably built the best cars in the world. These cars were solidly built and said to feel like they were carved from a solid block of granite. This particular example is a beautifully preserved California survivor, with 79,000 miles on the clock. The M110 2.8L six only pumped out 120 hp, considerably less than the European tune, to meet the strict US emission standards. So these cars were sluggish, even by 1976 standards with a 0-60 time of about 16 secs. The body and interior look top notch, and it reportedly wears its original paint and has had no body repairs. The undercarriage looks nearly flawless as well. For $9900, this is probably one of the nicest W116 Mercedes around and would make a nice leisurely weekend cruiser.
I am going to finish this shopping trip the way I started. Our first car we looked at was an economically priced 1978 Cougar. The last car is an immaculate brother of that Cougar, an ultra-low mile 1978 Thunderbird. This Thunderbird is the lowest mileage car I found on our shopping trip, with its 351M only accumulating 7708 miles. It looks to be a near perfectly preserved car, with the only significant flaw being the road rash on the front left fender due to a missing mud flap. The vibrant red velour interior should satisfy even the most discerning brougham lover. And on top of that, the car was apparently used in the 2020 feature length documentary Dog Valley, which is about a horrific murder that happened in Utah in 1988. Many of the events of this murder are centered on this 1978 Thunderbird owned by the victim in the film. For a buy it now price of $9995, this infamous T-bird could be yours.
That brings us to the end of this little malaise market place shopping adventure. I hope that in this wide variety of cars you were able to find a car that meets your budget and tastes. So which of these cars would you buy?
I think I’d roll the dice on the Jag, or if I felt like spending more, the K20. Asking prices and selling prices are two different things, however, so there is a lot of room for negotiation on some of these.
I agree with you on the asking and selling prices. Of course many of these vehicle prices are geography dependent and some of the “buy it now” prices are optimistic.
My parents had a Datsun 510 rather like that one but had fake wood paneling and a five speed manual. Not sure I could stomach that price tag or an automatic but it is an interesting survivor.
Value for dollar the Scirocco is probably the best buy out of the lot but the 1983 Jaguar XJ12 is the one that tugs are the heart strings the most with the V12 and wire wheels so I’d go with that.
Mostly this makes me feel old as this was the time of my peak car sampling experience, as I used to work for Hertz and as a transporter drove several of these routinely.
I even owned a ’74 Datsun 710 when I sampled the ’78 Datsun 510 at that same job. Most like the original 510 better, but the engine of the ’78 is almost identical to my 710…but I had a 4 door sedan…my college car, and the one I owned also while working for Hertz.
3 years later, the Datsun was in an accident driving up to my parents on I89 near Sharon VT, got it fixed but didn’t trust light RWD car for my trips now that I was 4 hours from them, so traded it on a ’78 Scirocco…my sentimental favorite car of all time.
But…Those would be the choices of the 40 year younger me…the current me drives a 2000 Golf manual, but my next car is likely to be automatic. And almost 40 years ago I moved to the sunbelt, so AC is a requirement, and I’m no longer the scrambler I was, so though my heart goes to those 2, my head says something like the Cordoba or the Olds. Working for Hertz I drove many of the 2 door midsized cars. At the time, I wasn’t too interested, but some part of me likes what is no longer available, also I now fit the “old geezer” age that many of these were originally aimed at..when I was 40 years younger I favored smaller cars, but like these partly because you don’t see them everywhere anymore (but they were everywhere back then).
The first item I noticed on the Olds Delta 88 is the missing “zip tube” hose or duct on the air cleaner housing. This was put there to gain somewhat of a “ram air” effect and to assure the engine was breathing cool air as the under hood environment on most vehicles had become quite toasty by this time.
I agree with you on the AC compressor mount. That is unusual. It reminds me of where the Borg Warner compressor was located on my parents’ “69 Mark III.
I think I’d take the Cordoba; looks clean and solid, strong engine, no lean burn carb
EVERY one of these POS are priced at far more than double what they are worth. The owners are nuts.
I have arrived at “that certain age” when most things seem to cost about twice what I think they should be.
House, car, clothes, shoes, restaurant meals, bar drinks……….
Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think and you can’t take it with you!
“priced at far more than double what they are worth.”
Unlike new cars, which are priced four or five times what they are worth.
Of course, despite the crazy prices, manufacturers sold 17.1 million new vehicle last year.
In 1983 I purchased a new VW Rabbit GTi for $9,000. In 2017 I purchased a new Honda Civic Si for close to $24,000 which was nearly exactly the same price when adjusted for inflation. (Significantly less when I consider that the GTi had no sound system. Back in the day I preferred to go the aftermarket route for higher quality components and spent about $600 for the whole thing.)
The GTi was the first “pocket rocket” introduced in the U.S. market and it was an extremely fun and enjoyable car. (So much so that after I sold it to buy a Jetta sedan to accommodate our toddler and her car seat I bought another ’83 a few years later).
The Si is so far superior in every way, for the same price.
The B-body and the Jag POS!. Seen the crap GM and at Nick out now?.
Nah, they’re reasonable until the Comet, from there the prices inflate to “I know what I have, price is firm, no tire kickers, get off my lawn” territory.
I would generally agree with you Matt, but I think some of the other higher priced cars aren’t too inflated. The trucks would easily go for those prices around here, especially in that condition. I also think the Cordoba at $7500 isn’t out of line, based on the pics I saw on the eBay ad, it was really nice.. The Mercedes seems to be reasonable for the condition it’s in too, but I am no expert on Mercedes prices. And of course as I stated above many of these prices vary greatly depending on location.
’84 F-250, no contest. But if only it were a SuperCab…
With you on the Ford truck (Built Ford Tough). I had a stripper ’82 F-100 with a big-6 and similar paint scheme. Best vehicle ever.
The colors on the Mercury are stellar but the body looks too beat up. The MB or the Jag would be the emotional choice but the Córdoba is for me. El Camino price seems very high
The Cougar AND the Cordoba are doing a serious siren call on me.
Less-See here now….how much “room” do I have on the blood sukin’ Visa card?
I’d lean toward the Elco or one of the Mopars. For a fun driver, either should work.
Not sure how the early Turbo 700s were behind a V6. The V8 versions were awful…however a reputable tranny shop could easily rebuild to post-1987 specs which would make it an excellent slushbox.
With either of the Oldsmobiles, again, I’d want to budget for transmission issues. The early “metric” units of the day were 50 shades of garbage – but easily replaced with ye olde bulletproof Turbo 350, which is just what many tranny shops did back-in-the-day as the original units died and the cars were out of warranty.
One of the hardest parts of finding decent Malaise Era stuff is finding the ones that didn’t look like they were styled under the influence of very hard drugs. Like, that B-Body Olds? Yikes! Appalling from every angle! Even the steering wheel is awful.
And that Benz? I’ve never understood it. I guess I had to be there, because I cannot for the life of me understand how vinyl seats and that rate of acceleration were considered luxurious. Or was this one pre-MBTex? It is a pretty car, though, no way around that.
That Jag, on the other hand… I’d probably still go for it, despite the reputation from that era. Surely by now people on the internet have worked out how to correct the original maladies and deficiencies. And what a looker! Twice the cylinders, twice the wood of the Benz. Let’s talk.
The ‘Bird’s about three grand overpriced, given the mid-tier spec. In Town Landau guise these are just baby Lincolns (I have a ’77 Town Landau with 84,000 miles on it), and since none of these had any real sporting pretentions, no sense in dressing down. Still, a good looking car, better looking to my eye than the Cougar counterpart.
The Datsun’s a strong contender just by way of being a wagon. I’d be scared to drive it in Michigan, though. Every time I see a nice old foreign car turn up in Detroit (typically driven by some 20-something that’s just moved from the West Coast), it’s rusting and looks like shit inside of a year.
Which is also why, despite how loudly my heart sings for it, I couldn’t buy that F-250. I’d want to use it for pickup stuff, but I couldn’t stand the thought of damaging it or driving it in the winter. God what a beautiful brute though!
Of the lot, I’d want the F-250, but I’d have the Jag. But then, I already have two Malaise Era luxury cars. Do I need a third? Eh, f*** it! This one at least would have some sporting pretention to it!
And that Benz? I’ve never understood it. I guess I had to be there, because I cannot for the life of me understand how vinyl seats and that rate of acceleration were considered luxurious. Or was this one pre-MBTex?
That’s ok; you’re from the upper Midwest, and you’re not supposed to get it. 🙂
No, that’s not MBTex. S Class cars came with either a high quality velour or genuiiiine leather. The cheaper cars came with MBTex, with leather optional.
Wasn’t vinyl (MBTex) seen on quite a lot of American luxury cars? I seem to remember so.
If you wanted a faster rate of acceleration, you ponied up for the 450S/SE. Some folks weren’t in a hurry.
Guess what? Luxury was not just defined by loose pillow seats and fake wood and padded vinyl roofs. That is, depending on what part of the world you’re from and your ability to look beyond what you were exposed to in your neighborhood growing up.
I had two friends with mid 80s Benz sedans. Even with a lot of use, they remained solid cars. Impressive.
The Delta 88. It demonstrated that GM had the gumption to downsize and won the bet. The rest of the industry fell into step several years later.
As to the Chevy vs Olds V8; makes no difference to me. As long as the engine runs, the transmission shifts, the 8 tracks works, and the A/C can be retrofitted with new freon, I’m a happy camper.
Now my brother would take the Thunderbird in a flash. He had a jet black ‘78 bird and loved it. His wife made him trade it in for a foreign make several years latter. He’s regretted it even since.
Every one of these vehicles has appeal to me, though I think I would stick with the domestic brands….with that Camaro near the top of my list.
Just this morning I was on Craigslist and found a nice looking, pale yellow, Ford LTD II 2 door. It’s in as good a shape as the best examples here, but that HUGE front bumper and it’s massive front overhang….
The Jaguar, the Thunderbird at the end and the Chevy truck. Actually, the Chevy reminds me of the vehicle used in a TV series I used to watch as a child called “Petrocelli”, where Barry Newman played a lawyer by that name and drove a truck set up similar to this one. Anyone remembers that show?
Enjoying the responses on this thread!
Don’t agree with some of them (of course!)…..
“EvahBuddyzDiffnt”
+1.
I must confess I sighed before opening the page, what good could this possibly be?
But there is some fun stuff here. 510 wagon is interesting, but as DS said it’s too expensive and has an automatic.
For me I’d take the Comet, and try to source some slimmer bumpers from an earlier year.
Yes, the automatic in the 510 is a killer and so over priced.
That beautiful Cordoba, all day. (With the brown Cutlass Supreme being my second choice.)
Many of these are the midwest to east coast price. Most would stall in California for a long time. I’ve seen nice malaise era 80s El Caminos for far less out here. So far less I was stunned. The other earlier years are way in the stratosphere. The Comet, with those hideous bumpers, is way over. The Cordoba probably would back east and a maybe in the west. Gotta be a real lover of Japanese wagons for that little cutie.
I’d personally go for the Sirocco myself. Always liked the body and my best friend had a new one so I know how they are. Problem is that any car from 1976 and up must pass the CA smog test.visual and emission. That being the case they can be harder to modify for improved power and driveability. I always shy away from the year 1976 and limit my searches to 1975 and under.
As an example my Mazda is a 1991 but some years ago I saw the requirements for what my car had to pass get tighter. What was that? Apparently they want the car to pass standards from later years and for what it was not built to have to meet. Pretty obvious looking over all my smog printouts and seeing the HC, CO, and NOx baselines get lower.
I’m in the Bay Area also and I don’t think the El Camino price is that high … I’ve been looking at them for a while and prices are shooting up. But I agree that 1976 or newer is just asking for trouble when you can get an older Colonnade that doesn’t need to be smog compliant. All that said, the 1980 me would be aghast, but I kinda like the Cutlass. But I’d probably take the diesel F250.
nice and hard selection………………i’ll take the El Camino followed by the Cutlass,the F150 and the Chevy truck!!
the F-250 in a heartbeat. I had one with the 6.9 back in the day, so I’m well familiar with keeping one of those things running. Always have a spare set of glow plugs on hand. And it actually wasn’t that “sluggish,” 175 hp was enough to get out of its own way. plus the 6.9 was far less susceptible to cylinder wall cavitation compared to the 7.3.
After having owned examples of about half the cars in this list, I’d go for the Cordoba and the Mercedes, because it’s okay to own more than one. The T-bird and Jag would be a nice second choice.
Now that we have hindsight (and power tools!) it’s not very difficult to wake up most Malaise Era American V-8s. In some cases, it can be as simple as a carburetor and camshaft swap or if one is so inclined, it’s relatively easy to swap in modern fuel injected V-8 engines.
And unlike earlier cars, there seem to be fewer purists for cars of this era, so a few “resto-mod” tweaks aren’t going to offend a lot of people.
As for my current tastes, I tend to like smaller cars now, so the only cars on this list I would desire would be the VW, or the Datsun, if I could find a manual transmission donor car.
yeah, I’d also consider the Cougar and Thunderbird, in hopes Ford Performance releases a crate version of the new 7.3 truck engine.
I’ll take the white thunderbird, it’s the most malasiest of all malaise automobiles you can get. White two door car with a contrasting vinyl roof, red interior, velour. It’s perfect.
I’d pick the Cordoba. If I were to buy an older car now, it was be strictly for enjoyment, like driving leisurely on a beautiful day. The Cordoba would fit that need (OK, not a ‘need,’ I know) perfectly. Plus, I genuinely like the styling of these round-headlight Cordobas. I’d certainly buy this one, and the price seems reasonable.
In second place, I’d pick the Mercedes 280S. I hold a tremendous amount of respect for these cars — owning one would be enjoyable, but expensive. Maybe I’m just being seduced here by the palm trees in the background and the high-quality photography, but I do like this.
Third place: Oh, why not… the Scirocco. Largely overlooked and unloved, these base-model Sciroccos have largely disappeared from the earth. I love the wedge styling and the Germanic interior… for $2,500 I’d take the gamble and give it a good home.
Is it just me, or is that 79 Cutlass Supreme riding a bit high on the suspension? Maybe I’ve just been around too many lowered cars, but that dead space between the tire and the top of the wheel wells has me questioning whether or not it has AWD.
For me, the Jag. Period. And yes, I know what kind of hell the four fuel pumps on the V-12 are.
Yup, it has the very rare AWD option. So rare, most folks have never heard of it. But you obviously have. 🙂
The car probably has replacement coil springs. The aftermarket tends to offer far fewer spring choices and will sometimes offer 1 spring part number that covers 3 or 4 factory spring part numbers. This often results in the new coil springs having an incorrect stance, more often than not is too tall. This can effect the steering and suspension geometry. It can be fixed, by cutting the springs to get the properly ride height, but the springs need to be cut properly to prevent them from losing their tempering (no cutting torches). I also checked the undercarriage photo again and it shows that the car has overload shocks (at least in the rear) which tend to increase the ride height.
Duster without question, it’s not even that pricey for what the bodystyle typically commands these days. Scirocco would be my second choice, I’d daily drive it.
Runner ups would be the Comet and Tbird, but they’re way overpriced.
The 1977 Delta 88 and the Cordoba (I’m guessing 1976 with the 360?) are first on my list. Our first car we had together was my wife’s 1977 Delta 88; the original color was the same as this yellow example, but we had a black Landau roof and black velour interior. A couple of years in, she decided she didn’t like the yellow and had the car repainted black (without my knowledge). The shop did a good job with the respray, but I always liked the black/yellow combination better.
The Cordoba has been one of my favorites since I was a young’un. I was about 11 or 12 when these cars were released and these things have rung my bell ever since. Other than changing over to the factory turbine wheels, I would leave this bad boy e x a c t l y the way it is. Bicentennial year, all over again!
The Thunderbird would be my first pick, followed by its corporate cousin, the Cougar. The only other ones that would interest me at all are the 1977 Olds and perhaps the Duster. One of the real challenges in dealing with cars from this era is that the engineers were still coming to terms with emissions standards and there were a lot of stopgaps added on to the engines. Looking under the hood of cars from this era are enough to give one the vapors; you would need a lot of patience to get them to run acceptably. The relative simplicity of trucks from this era might be enough to make me consider the Chevy pickup, although I don’t really need or want four wheel drive. I used to work with a guy who had a truck very similar to the F250 above; he put something like 225k miles on it and the diesel engine was still going strong. Like many other vehicles from that time the rust finally got too bad to ignore and the Ford had to be put down.
Nice selection Vince! I’m going to be pawing through these for awhile. At first glance, the heart says Jaguar, Cordoba, Merc, and Scirocco in that order. The head says…you’re out of your element Donny.
Cordoba all the way.
Since you all (may) know how I feel about PLC(s), the Cordoba is the one for me. While silver is boring now, back then it was something special, especially with a red interior. I’m not a Mopar guy, but I’ve always liked the Cordoba, especially that year.
Heck, this non-Mopar-guy even has a soft spot for that Duster due to its venerable Slant Six!
Back to the PLC(s) for a minute: Back in the day, I would’ve picked the Thunderbird or Cougar. Today, I don’t like the wheel covers on the ‘Bird (and preferred the ’79 anyway). The Cougar, always a nice choice in green, but I liked those in that midnight blue/chamois color combo, which while obnoxious today, was oh-so Broughamtasic back then.
I’m not a truck guy, but both trucks appeal to me just simply because of their colors. The Chevy would probably be more practical for my needs, but that Ford is just gorgeous. Two tones really need to make a comeback.
I love the Jag. I’ve always loved that model Jag. It’s a great price for one in that condition. But I would not want the expense of keeping that V-12 running.
The other luxury car has probably my favorite wheel covers ever… color keyed Mercedes. It is in beautiful shape too. I even think I might be able to give it a pass (or simply be passed!) with its “Plate Tectonics” like acceleration.
Nice Collection, Vince!
The Chevy K20 or the Benz. It’d depend on the day.
I like the K-20. After 1977 they didn’t rust as bad as the older versions, more galvanized sheetmetal. A 350 in the 3/4 ton would not have much in the way of emission controls, and even in California no catalytic converter and true dual exhaust. The Ford is nice, and the 6.9L diesel was a good engine, but 4X4 F-150’s and 250’s that vintage had that awful ‘Twin Traction Beam’ front suspension. No thanks! Sheetmetal was awfully thin and I think both the 3/4 ton GM’s and Rams had a stronger chassis under them as well. That Olds 88 is nice, but I for one liked the Olds 403. They always felt strong to me. Nonetheless, I think I would go with that Cordoba.
Vince, why do you tease?
I love every one of these cars to some degree.
So lets see, I already have a Duster and a Delta 88 so I’ll cross those off.
The VW, Jag and Benz are maintenance and moneypit disasters; no-go.
As a Mopar guy, I never got into the Cordobas. No particular reason why, they just never spoke to me; I like the later Magnums and Miradas more. That particular car is exceptionally nice though.
I never got into the 3rd gen F-Bodys so the Camaro is out.
An early, small bumper Maverick or Comet is cool but not the girder bumper cars.
I like the pickups, especially the Chevy K20 with the magic wand of power sticking up out of the floor but everyone has a ‘sqaurebody’ Chevy or Ford in my area so make mine a Mopar, preferably a ’77 Dodge Power Wagon with a 440.
I dont hate the El Camino but I dont love it.
The 510 wagon came close to being my pick but the automatic killed it.
I do like the basket handle Thunderbirds but I’m more partial to the big sexy green Cougar you posted.
So that leaves me with the Cutlass as my pick of the list and I would donate the 260 to the local Coast Guard Auxiliary unit to use as an anchor and fit the car with a properly built 350 or 403.
Vince, Im sure you could free up some room in your garage for one more…
I have to admit as I searched for cars for this post, that Delta 88 was calling my name. I really want to get a GM B-body again, and most of the ones my family and I owned were Oldsmobiles (we had two from the late 70’s). I’d also love an old truck, but I prefer dentside Fords to the Chevy’s of this era, and never cared for the 80’s Ford trucks. I don’t normally like Cordobas, but that one seems to be in amazing condition, and I think the asking price is reasonable (about 10K CDN) for an essentially perfectly preserved car. That Mercedes was really intriguing to me too, it was also in amazing shape (I love the clean undercarriage), but I’d prefer the 450. Plus I really don’t know those Merecedes at all, it’d be a steep learning curve.
Unfortunately no garage space for one even if I wanted though. I need to build that second garage/shop on my property and then I’d be set. 🙂
My first choice would be the El Camino, followed by the Delta 88. I also like the Ford pickups of that era, so the F-250 would be welcome in my driveway as well. This being Ontario, they’d be put away for the winter.
Scirocco, Cordoba, then Chevy truck. All are very nice though.
Hard to pass on the Cutlass or the Cordoba at those prices. If that dealer would take $4700 for the Duster, I’m afraid I’m signing on the dotted line for that baby.
I will say that agree with the sentiment expressed above, the prices do seem to be climbing in the classic-used car regime. And these are in $USD no less.
I seem to be the odd man out as I would choose the scirocco or second the Benz. If the 510 was 1/2 the price with a stick or the original generation also with a stick for that price then I would choose it as well. The other choices other than the trucks don’t do it for me, and never did when they were new and I was just starting to notice cars and their differences.
Wasn’t the Comet about $4900 when new? I had a ’76 back in college and I have no fond memories that I want to relive with that car.
I would get the 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 2 door, the 1977-79 B/C bodies are ranked among my favorite cars of the Malaise era automobiles, I feel the late 70’s was a very good period for GM.
I’d like to nominate the aftermarket AC equipped
Oldsmobile 88 for the longest-upper-radiator-hose-ever award.
Scirocco, K20, then that magnificent ’78 T-bird for me! Vince, you’ve laid out an excellent smorgasbord with something for pretty much everyone here and a far wider range of choices that I figured there’d be when looking at the title.
You’re right that the trucks will likely fetch all the money, the Scirocco is not really findable anymore, especially in good condition and in white, and while the low mile American cars seem to keep popping up, might as well get while the getting’s good. And gas is cheap again so now’s the time. As far as being overpriced, eh, not really, or basically good luck to anyone looking for equivalently nice condition vehicles at half the asking prices. But still, no harm in offering less and seeing what happens. Thanks for an enjoyable read.
The best bang for the buck looks to be the Cougar, from where I sit. But that Cordoba is beautiful. I have never owned a B body, but if you are going to, why not get the one that everyone actually wanted, right down to the color combo. It would be a way for a contrarian to be contrarian. 🙂
That Comet reminds me why everyone bought Dusters. As for the Duster itself, I was always more of a Scamp/Swinger guy.
I agree will everything said here by J P Cavanaugh.
Some great finds here!
I like the Cutlass, but I think something is fishy on it. Doesn’t it seem to ride significantly higher than it ought to? Having been a budding young car spotter in the late 70’s and 80’s, I don’t recall Cutlasses looking like they are ready for a flood or off-road adventure.
I also like the Thunderbird personal murder coupe. That would be tempting!
See my post above. I suspect it has replacement coil springs, which often result in incorrect stance.
Not only that, but the extra height prevents the shock absorbers from compressing in their proper range, unless you got taller shocks to compensate. So you bounce around with no ride control at all.
I’ll take the Scirocco and K20. Both have bulletproof drivetrains and easy to repair. Parts easy to get and reasonably priced. Body parts for the Scirocco probably a little more of a challenge, better hope it doesn’t get hit.
I’m in the EU, I already have a non-malaise era, US-made car so that colors my decision. So I’d say the Scirocco if it is rust-free (not easy to find here). I had one when I used to live in the UK which I totaled so it would be the closing of a circle – sort of. It won’t stay standard though, these cars can handle 150 hp with ease and here we have tons of bits to deal with the crappy brakes and/or improve the handling even further. Oh: the horrid Federal bumpers would be the 1st thing to go!
Make mine the Olds B-body all the way, especially if I was to drive it on a daily basis. These cars are very easy to live with, run smooth and strong, are very comfortable, reasonably quick as is in proper tune and have huge trunks. Of course being that it has a Chevy 350 4BBL it would be child’s play to pull those 170 stock horses up to 200 with a few simple tricks and into the 300 range with cam, carb and intake work and better flowing heads all of which are cheap and plentiful. The suspension would benefit from high level gas shocks and the firmest springs/bushings available and the steering gear tightened up a bit.
Second choice would be the A/G body Cutlass but the 260 would need to be upgraded to an Olds 350.