Pfeil

And all day the little one of yours says....

There was a clause in this new law that stated vehicles with exhaust controls (1966-1975) must have and maintain all of their emission equipment at all times. Also, in this clause the state said that if for some reason the state air quality takes a turn for the worse or that the state cannot meet its carbon offset, that the state can bring those 1966-1975 back into smog check without a referendum. As the state draws the noose tighter to go to zero emissions (their goal) you are likely see those cars called back into smog check, and possibly worse for all IC cars and trucks.

Peter, you are so naive. Millions of cars went to the crusher because the state moved the emission standards tighter from which the cars were certified when new. Here's the goal everyone, ten years from now we'll move the goalpost😉. That actually happened,I have proof.

I'll just add that my 1976 Oldsmobile has an EGR valve for NOX control, however there was never a Federal or State NOX standard for vehicles of those years. My Olds was subject to Biannual Ca. emission checks from 1978-2013, in 2013 I moved to Arizona. Working in automotive engineering my company required everyone to have a Ca. smog, brake and lamp license. In the mid 90's a BAR's newsletter foretold of all cars in the testing program (1976-present) would be tested for NOX in the cruise mode of the emission test. Basically, they were trying to establish a standard for cars that were built with a devise but without an NOX emission standard. I noticed on my Oldsmobile's emission test copies until one day the test actually had a standard. I still have all the emission test records for my Olds. Not only did the state create a standard the vehicle was never certified for, but the CO and HC levels were also reduced from year to year from what the car was certified for when new. That my friends is trying to legislate failure or legislate cars off the road. Sorry, BAR= California Bureau of Automotive Repair. When SEMA and other pro automotive organizations fought for new rules in the early 1970's The state of Ca. came to an agreement by which today is still in place. Exempt from any emission testing of vehicles 1975 and older. There was a clause in this new law that stated vehicles with exhaust controls (1966-1975) must have and maintain all of their emission equipment at all times. Also, in this clause the state said that if for some reason the state air quality takes a turn for the worse or that the state cannot meet its carbon offset, that the state can bring those 1966-1975 back into smog check without a referendum. As the state draws the noose tighter to go to zero emissions (their goal) you are likely see those cars called back into smog check, and possibly worse for all IC cars and trucks. Next is us because we are in a way an internal combustion engine. What are they going to do about our own Co2? Hell, what are the plants going to do??? 🧨

The color of mine. Last year of reverse flow heads, first year wide track. First time a "stock" car would break into the 13 second bracket drag racing and the first "stock" car to average over 150mph at Daytona, 170mph off the backstretch. Motor Trend car of the year and the coast-to-coast mileage run by TomMcCahill 1-1/2cents per mile for gas. Car averaged 21.7mpg and fuel cost whole trip of 2442.7 miles was $35.79 !

Probably one of the most affordable almost hand-built cars. I have a blueprint that shows where every welded seam is (all hand welded and leaded in, filed, (no plastic fillers) sanded and painted. My brother-in-laws father bought a new 59 Ghia, black over red and unfortunately died a few months later so the car became my brother-in-laws. I remember the storage behind the rear seat (when folded down) that my niece and nephew used to crawl into while driving. Thanks for that memory Gunsmoke. 😪< they call that a sleepy face, but it looks like someone with a tear in their eye. It did to me.

I can't help myself from liking the era and its magic for me. BTW, I've eaten at all the restaurants/diners below-back in the day. The cars just go with the buildings. aa

1959 Merc. has a nice front-end IMO, I don't know what happened to the rear, and it's not like they didn't know the rear styling was overbearing because it's an outgrowth the 57-58 Merc. >1959>58> 57>

I'll bet they never knew what a Rambler wagon was.

When you said this; "also underlines the arbitrariness of all the elements." I must remind you that at GM the stylist designer were under some constraints. Those constraints were canopies and some body parts. For example, the two door hardtop coupes all use the same doors. The basic door had bolt on pieces to make them different on Olds and Buick. 1959 Pontiac inside of the door frame has the bolt holes that will attach a Buick or Olds door extension to it. 1959 Olds below, you can see the added-on portion to the door, it's painted black. Same door though as Pontiac-Chevy etc. That connector portion connects the front fender flair to the rear quarter flair. The connector just bolts to the door.

Interesting photo of the 59 Pontiac Bonneville. 1959 Pontiac styling was considered the most conservative of all the GM divisions of 1959. Can you see the correctness of that statement. < Funny Chevrolet doesn't have a full front and rear bumper and use a valance underneath.

If I blindfolded you and took you for a quarter mile trip in a 67 then a 66 or vice versa you wouldn't be able to tell the difference by seat of the pants.

Get it running and driving only for evaluation. If you put off restoration it will never happen.

First thing you do on a used car. Tire date code and proper pressure and balance, Brake inspection including fluid condition, wheel bearing inspection, cleaning repacking and resetting wheel bearings. Engine condition and tune-up- when was it serviced if needed-service it, trans condition and when was it serviced if needed-service it, driveshaft/U joints -check/replace or lube. Differential, when was it last serviced, don't know? Service it. Check suspension-bushings, ball joints, play and power steering, what's the fluid smell like? change it if necessary. Check all cooling system and hoses, replace coolant if necessary. If you don't know when it was done last change the hoses and coolant. After you do the above and you are confidant in the work, like philip roitman says " you can drive it 80-85MPH all day long " and if needed or wanted short burst over 100 would never hurt the car.

Even if I knew for sure an engine has been rebuilt and I wanted that engine, the first thing I would do upon delivery to my garage/ shop is to completely disassemble the engine and start inspecting, measuring and weighing parts. I never trust someone to do the work, especially these days. On a rebuild of mine, I want to be present when the rotating assembly is balanced, and everything that comes back from the machine shop is measured when it comes back to me before assembly. BTW this post should be in the technical section.

Women have a good eye for things. Ask any one and they will tell you six inches makes all the difference! 😉

Well, not make you but I'm glad you did. Your post and mine shows you what GM threw away. The post above tells me if I'm correct that the timeline is 1968+. That DOHC 4 valve 421 Pontiac is around 1963 or slightly before. The picture below is Mac Mckellars 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix, a SOHC 421 Grand Prix. Can't imagine what the stats would have been in USAC, NASCAR, IHRA, NHRA if GM would have allowed Pontiac to do what they did best.

Politics played a huge role in the futures of Pontiac and Oldsmobile. If you look at Sloans price structure you will find that Buick division continually violated Sloans structure. Not only would it dip into Oldsmobile, but even into Pontiac. How do you think Buick stayed #3 in sales in the 30's 40's and the early part of 50's???? Now you know. Look below at the price of 2 door hardtops for 1957 at GM. Chevrolet Bel Air V-8 $2399 Pontiac Chieftain Catalina $2529 -Star Chief Catalina $2901 Olds 88 Holiday & $2854- Olds98 Holiday $3937 Note The proper structure here, Olds 88 is below Pontiac's expensive model. Buick Special Riviera $2704- Buick Roadmaster $3944 Note Buick Special undercut Olds 88 and Roadmaster is nearly at the 98's price. Cadillac Coupe deVille $5116. I stopped buying Hemmings magazine a few years back, but in the back of the magazine there was a year in cars section featuring a certain year and it showed the make, how many produced, price and sales ranking. Buick always seemed to violate GM's price rules. Another example, by 1953 Pontiac is ready to release its new V-8. The 1953-54 Pontiac chassis are modified and ready for this new engine. Buick goes to the corporation and complains the new Pontiac will take sales away from Buick's new 1953 nailhead V-8. The corporation holds Pontiac back two years to unveil its engine. Pontiac had great success in racing from 1957-1963. Pontiac knew Chrysler was going to reintroduce it's hemi. Pontiac was in the process of developing a three valve SOHC 389-421, a 4valve per cylinder DOHC 389-421 and a SOHC inline six cylinder. In January 1963 the corporation tells Pontiac and Chevrolet get out of racing. Everyone in those days who followed racing will tell you it was Fords Total Racing program with FE side oilers and the Chrysler Hemi in intermediate Dodge 300's and Plymouth Belvedere was the reason they were winning all these races. The fact was GM stabbed Chevy and Pontiac fans in the back and pulled them out of racing and engine development. If Pontiac was allowed to productionize those engine (which they would have to have done to be eligible to race) they would have been miles ahead in engine development for the late 60's into the 90's. The only thing good that happened out of all of this was it forced Pontiac to take its performance off the track and put some of it on the street. Enter the 1964 Pontiac GTO and Catalina 2+2. Pontiac's SOHC V-8's and six, standing next to the DOHC 4 valve 421 is Pontiac's engineer and famous cam designer Mac Mckellar. If only they would have just left Oldsmobile and Pontiac alone.

And today, Olds, Pontiac, Mercury etc. All middle-class cars. As is often cited, the share of adults who live in middle-class households is shrinking. Now, 50% of the population falls in this group as of 2021, down from 61% 50 years earlier, according to Pew.

If you put Pontiac and Olds together for a list, it would be huge. If you take China out of the equation (Buicks sold and engineering going there) Pontiac should have stayed, it sold more cars than Buick in its final days. Look at this 1964 Pontiac. Killed and then the body style surfaces as a 1968 C-3 BTW, Oldsmobile's F88 is the car that should have gotten the nod. A 324 and a 4-speed hydro. Seems pretty simple to me.

1935 – Oldsmobile offers the first all steel roof on an automobile. I'm pretty sure this Fisher body turret top thing is all GM, but I can't say for sure. I know Pontiacs are all steel 1935. I believe Pontiac is all "A" body in 1935 so that makes Chevrolet all steel too.

What would be interesting is for you to make a list of all the things GM has done to make you say in what way Olds was a redhaired stepchild?

So true is the old Yorkshire Dales farmer saying, "Only them that has them can lose them."

1929 Pontiac (earlytimeschapter.org)

For the series Darling Buds of May they used a Rolls. BTW, you can see flowers in the bud vase.