Jump to content

Mahoning63

Members
  • Posts

    362
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Mahoning63

  1. The 4 inches came from speculation on Jim Dunne's part back in 1977: https://www.indieauto.org/2022/12/30/its-too-bad-that-late-70s-big-chryslers-didnt-become-stretched-volares/ The work-up started with the Imperial coupe so it has the same windshield as Mirada and Cordoba, which might be why they look similar. It's front overhang has also been brought in to more or less match theirs. Would have been best if the car had an independent rear suspension.
  2. What-if 4-door on 4-inch longer wheelbase for rear legroom. Front overhang brought in, rear notch smoothed out, wrapped taillights unwrapped.
  3. What do you consider a real car?
  4. Mine is far different than Buick's vision of a modern coupe! https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/01/buick-wildcat-gms-new-concept-car-to-revolutionize-the-brand-for-evs.html
  5. Come to think of it, the front would have benefitted from a rearward lean like the '76 Century 2-door. Inside, it could have used Regal's I/P and GS's center console and adapted the rectangular metallic-looking center gauge cluster and other upgrades from the real '74 Riv. Overall, it could have been a nice car that was well-differentiated from Monte Carlo and Grand Prix and able to command a higher price.
  6. It may have been a simple case of bad timing, the new B/C-bodies launching in '71 but the new A-bodies not launching until '73. All these programs carried the latest appearance, tech and reg content and supplier and manufacturing strategy. I do wonder if the '71 Riv might have been better off using the Camaro/Firebird body that launched a year earlier, and with an independent rear suspension based loosely or heavily on Corvette. Here's an update with front door cut lines so the doors can open! Also a slightly taller grill. To save on development cost, Regal's body could have been used aft of the front doors, with uniqueness only in the taillights. It would have been the long hood, commanding grill and hidden headlights that sold the car. The challenge would have been what to do for '78. Launch a year later the familiar '77 Riv? Base the car on the down-sized '78 Regal and again with a longer axle-dash? Or keep (if possible) or drop the car for a year then launch the '79 fwd car.
  7. Photo mod started with Regal, added 4 inches forward of firewall, altered surfaces on front door and forward, raised the grill and hid the lights. Rear could have looked like actual Riv, just a bit narrower.
  8. Work-up on 127 wb, idea being that it and similarly styled 122 hardtop coupe and convertible would become the new Pacific series. No Panama but lowest trimmed Pacific would be like Panama. High series would go against Cadillac. A version of the 4 door pillared hardtop that had removable B-pillars could have also been offered, likely a low volume car but early in with a 4 door hardtop. New front face for all, and all other Packards retired. To give the dealers a little more volume perhaps a deal could have been struck with Hudson to supply Jets retrimmed to be a stand-alone Clipper brand. Rear fenders would be extended to surround a standard rear mount. Might have prompted Barit not to merge with AMC but unlikely.
  9. '57 New Yorker would use sedan greenhouse style, Imperial would use Southampton style. '57 DeSoto 4-Passenger Coupe
  10. 57 NY'r 4 and 2 door. Imperial would only get the other two roofs.
  11. Not sure where that extra foot of wheelbase would go. Here's a '76 version though can envision it with the large Imperial's grill of that era.
  12. Photo alternation. Headlights would be hidden.
  13. Always liked the styling of the Aspen coupe. Imagining it with Monaco styling front and rear and called Monaco Gran Coupe or perhaps the new Charger for '76, downsized similar to '74 Mustang II.
  14. Idea is one FWD model on 108 wheelbase instead of RWD Hornet 108 wb and Gremlin 96 wb cars. Perhaps called the AMX.
  15. Just tinkering... Matador sedan's 122 wheelbase, hidden headlights and skirts. Concord perhaps a better name.
  16. Thanks John. Re: A-bodies, we are thinking along same lines. About five years ago I did a very rough mod on 49 Chevy fastback sedan to see what a late 30's Sixteen grill might look like. Concluded that the headlights looked best inset. There's an idea for the white car.
  17. Glad you liked them! OK, here's what the Design Center came back with, benefiting from a little help from Accounting. (disclosure: I was the Studio cost lead for latest Blazer and mid-engine Vette so am sympathetic to appearance, packaging and affordability). Here's a progression, first image being the production fastback roof on 62's 126 wb, with no axle-to-dash extension. This would be an easy car to build today if all the parts where there. Second image lengthens the chassis 7 inches per 60 Special. In other words, it is the 60 Special with a fastback roof, minus the 60S's 4 inch longer rear overhang and side trim. Rear seat could have been positioned anywhere along a 7 inch length, enabling good headroom while increasing legroom vs. 62 (and 60S?). I did some photo comparisons and turns out 60S doors are same width as 62, moved forward 7 inches relative to rear axle. 60S rear fender bulge's forward termination point relative to rear axle is same as 62. Third image adds the 7 inch axle-to-dash extension from earlier images, creating a whopping 140 inch wheelbase. I like this car, has a massive look about it in keeping with traditional Sixteens. Fourth is one approach at working in your suggested trim progression. Enjoy! EDIT: updated the last image to include triple trim on rear fenders too.
  18. Struggling with the front. First doubles the number of vertical bars, second borrows overall shape from other GM cars, particularly '40 Buick. Neither have the presence of my favorite, the '37.
  19. Re: long hood... absolutely. Several years ago I used it to balance out the raised rear of a '69 Olds. Streamliners are helped by a long hood.
  20. Glad you like it. The car would need three donors: '48 Sedanette, '39-40 Sixteen and '50 Buick or Olds 98 Town Sedan, all in fair shape at best so as not to destroy history. The Town Sedan is very rare but its side window frames would fit nicely, see update. The previous image had longer front doors (from 60 Special?) and shorter rear doors than the 62 sedan. This version has 62's entire front door and rear door lower. I think the long hood makes the car but the stock hood would have to be reshaped to smoothly meld in the extension. Would the '38-40 grill look good grafted in? Probably not, but something would need done even if it was only swapping out the egg-crate grill inner bars with a finer mesh similar to Sixteens of old. Would want to use the '50 Buick's one-piece windshield and rear glass.
  21. Daydreaming of the '38-40 engine in a '48 streamlined sedan on 133 wb, the 7 extra inches added forward of firewall. Not sure how the front should look but it would need to be very classy.
×
×
  • Create New...