Favorite cars of the 70s-80s? Like to hear what the general thoughts are..

[stoptheclunkerbillnow! 10]

1974 Dodge Monaco, as seen in Blues Brothers

1973-77 GM intermediates (Chevelle, Cutlass, etc), with innovative swivel seats

1973-later Chevy and GMC trucks and Suburbans

1969-73 Chrysler Imperial

Ford Pinto cruising wagon

[LuxDriver 2]

Yeah, 1969-73 Imperial Cpe were different for sure... With that flying saucer look and with buckets..interesting. My Mom had a 1973 4 dr , I recall lots of little issues mechanically..she then got a 1979 Electra to replace it which she kept till she no longer felt capable of driving..

[dgpnaples 10]

The El Camino's from 78-86 are great utility car/truck. I have always enjoyed owning one , working on them is easy, parts are plentiful and they seam to hold value, no matter what the level on condition. They are the great weekend car for amy homeowner and always draw attention at a cruise-in. 

 

[Guest]

The El Camino's from 78-86 are great utility car/truck. I have always enjoyed owning one , working on them is easy, parts are plentiful and they seam to hold value, no matter what the level on condition. They are the great weekend car for amy homeowner and always draw attention at a cruise-in.

Especially the ones with the quad headlamps!

[LuxDriver 2]

Which would be most Desireable year,options,etc I know they are hot Łooking .. There's a GMC cousin too.. As interesting?

[Guest]

Which would be most Desireable year,options,etc I know they are hot Łooking .. There's a GMC cousin too.. As interesting?

The cousin would be the Caballero:

http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/23218746-770-0.jpg?rev=1

1983 El Camino cousin;

http://myclassicautos.net/autos/sites/default/files/images/Camino/1983%20Custom%20El%20Camino.jpg

Edited September 7, 2015 by helfen (see edit history)

[John348 898]

Which would be most Desireable year,options,etc I know they are hot Łooking .. There's a GMC cousin too.. As interesting?

 

 

Once in a "blue moon" you see a GMC, mostly the Chevy version is seen, as I recall they look pretty much identical

[Attitude928 17]

These are in my collection: '89 Bentley Turbo R, '88 XJS, '84 633CSi, '80 vette, '77 Maserati Khamsin, '74 TVR 2500M, '71 Lotus Elan +2S, '70 Mustang Mach 1. They each fulfill a need...

 

(PICS are in my gallery)

[Guest]

Id agree with those.. Not sure what year Cutlass was discussed but they were nice in their segment.. The Mark Vs I dont think reached their appeal as of yet. They are huge land yatchs.. But mostly well proportioned and appointed. When I compare them to their competitors they seem to have a bit more fit and finish pluses..

Endurance is always a factor to me. What survives tells us what we cared to fix ,or save, as a culture. Cars that made a statement to us. It's also a nod to the car's road worthiness by lasting this long.

At Car Shows we love being dazzled and entertained..which cars will do that for us in the future? What about the Toro XSR (I believe that's the wrap around window one)from 77/78, and the mid 80's Riviera converts (82-85?) ??

The Mark V is nice, but if you find a mid 70's in the right condition and the right color the Lincoln Town coupe has a great look, and ride. Buy it and appreciate it for what it was designed for and you will be happy. 

[Dave@Moon 11]

There are dozens of sports cars from the 1970s and 1980s that are both desirable and collectible.  I have a 1972 Triumph TR6, and the people I know in the club are already complaining that they are being priced out of the market for the better cars.  A $40K TR6 is not unheard of.  Fiat 124s, X 1/9s, Maxda RX7s, first generation Miatas, Alfa Spiders, MG MGBs and Midgets, Triumph Spitfires & GT6s, Jensen Healeys, rear engine VWs, VW GTIs, etc. are all appreciating members of this club.

 

Then there are the odd balls.  Subaru BRATs, Dodge Rampages, SVO Mustangs, Taurus SHOs, Dodge Spirit R/Ts, virtually any 2 door non-Renault AMC, special edition I H Scouts, Dodge Little Red Trucks & Warlocks, all rotary engine Mazdas, Subaru SVX, etc. 

 

Finally there are the harbinger cars.  The 1955 Chevys and 1932 Fords of that era in that they foretold the future.  Toyota Corollas & Hi-Lux pickups, Datsun 510s & 411 pickups, K-Cars, first generation (1984) Jeep (AMC) Cherokees, etc.  Most of these were disposable and frankly some may be gone already.  Rarity will enhance their historical value.  When was the last time you saw a mint Subaru Justy?

 

While many of these may have been less than perfect cars, they are never the less unique to their era and therefore interesting..., and likely valuable soon if not now.

[ghostymosty 30]

I like to stick to the 60's but have ventured into the 70's and 80's cars. I really liked my 79 Cordoba with T-tops, 2 different 71 Plymouth Sebrings, an 89 Chrysler TC Maserati to replace my really nice 91 TC that I sold to get a work van.

 

I feel like the collectible ones from this era are those of a type that will never be produced again, the huge 2 door hardtops and convertible luxury and near luxury cars, the rear wheel drive midsize personal luxury coupes with long hoods to peer over as huge chunks of road disappear behind the car as it floats along.

73 and 74 Charger SE models, 74 and 75 Imperial / 75-78 New Yorker, Town and Country station wagons, 71 to 76 Electra and Oldsmobile 98, Buick Estate wagons and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wagons, 73 Grand Prix and Cutlass Supreme with the skinny front bumpers, Eldorado and Riviera, 75 to 78 Grand Marquis and LTD Landau, 74 and 75 Cougar XR7. Obviously the exotic Italian and British sports cars.

 

I am leaving out any of the German built cars just because they do nothing for me on a gut level. I drive cars through an auction a few days a month and recently got to take a 72 Mercedes SEL across the blocks but the inside just looked and felt so 'purpose made' that I didn't find anything to like about it, not good for collector value. The Porsche 356 coupe I drove was better but still not inspiring to me. The 1970 Ferrari 365 GT was absolutely awe inspiring even though I was sweltering inside because the driver window wouldn't go down. The 1975 Eldo convertible was nice except for the cracking plastic on the dash and sounding like the front end was falling out while driving over a couple of dips in the parking lot, still liked it. The 1972 Chevy C10 pickup was ... a truck.

[padgett 873]

GM had a whole raft of 2 seaters in the 80s other than Corvettes. Most are undervalued.

[GregLaR 1,035]

1972 Lincoln MK IV. One year only with the front bumper the original designer intended. This car was an absolute show stopper when it first hit dealer showrooms in late '71. Unfortunately, '73 brought the federally mandated heavy bumpers and spoiled the look, then the basic body style ran way too long but I believe the '72 will carve out it's well deserved place in automotive history.

[Ed Luddy 157]

I'm very much into 70's-80's cars. They are lots of fun and far more affordable than older ones. Even the lowly Cordoba is welcome to my fleet!

[Guest]

I'm very much into 70's-80's cars. They are lots of fun and far more affordable than older ones. Even the lowly Cordoba is welcome to my fleet!jeepgc 075.jpg

Keep it up Ed, we need to see more of those cars at cruises and car shows. 

[Aaron65 167]

I just picked up a '74 Firebird in February, so I'll throw that in.  I've always liked '70s Firebirds.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Aaron65 (see edit history)

[JamesBulldogMiller55Buick 240]

1973 Oldsmobile 88 Convertible 455cid dual exhaust

[Paul Dobbin 611]

I guess this group is aging into the trap of collecting luxury cars.  I like them too, but they're expensive to keep pristine or repair. 

For the 70'& 80's, I have to agree with other posters, the El Camino & Caballero are hard to beat.  Stylish, functional, easy to get parts and are usually appreciated in stock condition. The gentleman's pickup is desirable from 1964 to 1987.  I have a great 1981 that I'd trade only for a 1957 Ford Ranchero.

Another great automobile is the Datsun/Nissan 240 Z, 280 Z, 280 ZX and the first 300 ZX.  For 20 years, 1975 -1995 I drove them every day (4 in row).  All were Z-Barted and didn't rust or have many mechanical problems. My favorite one was the 1979 280 ZX.

Both these suggestions have a large following of  devoted fans, which makes replacement parts available to keep them a regular

driver type cars.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna 2,153]

I guess this group is aging into the trap of collecting luxury cars. ...

 

Actually, I liked the bigger and more luxurious cars from day one.

In my childhood, muscle cars were long gone, and so my interests

gravitated to the velour-lined highway cars that brought memories

of comfort and vacation trips with family.  Give me a Buick any day!

 

Here's a current picture of my 1975 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe.

Edited February 16, 2016 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Guest]

Actually, I liked the bigger and more luxurious cars from day one.

In my childhood, muscle cars were long gone, and so my interests

gravitated to the velour-lined highway cars that brought memories

of comfort and vacation trips with family.  Give me a Buick any day!

 

Here's a current picture of my 1975 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe.

As you can tell from my post #59 I like those cars!

[John_S_in_Penna 2,153]

Mr. Helfen, that Town Coupe in posting #59 is a,

nice looking car.  Yours?  Regardless, it shows an

example of a '70's car to admire.

Edited February 16, 2016 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[John348 898]

At Christmas my 98 year old mother-in-law asked me if I could sell her car. My father-in-law purchased it new from one of the last of the small town Chevrolet dealers in 1988.The car sat in the garage sine 2004. Put a battery in it an after a three tries it started, ran pretty good. I asked her if I could have it, and she said yes. I loaded it in my trailer and took it down to my house in Florida where I have plenty of temperature controlled storage and figured it can stay safe and sound here. I did encounter a few trouble codes and ended up having to replace the I.A.C. and the computer. I never thought in my life that I would look at a Celebrity station wagon as an old car. The A/C blows ice cold! It is just a little too small for me as a station wagon or I would be using it as a knock around car down here when I visit, but it is no comparison to my 85 Caprice Estate Wagon I use around town while here. The Celebrity never spent a night outside since the day it was purchased,kind of neat I also have all of the original paperwork

 

Edited February 18, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)

[padgett 873]

There are a few cars from that period, decades ago I had a few caddys, '67 Eldo and a 60 special Fleetwood brougham (could lie down in the back seat & had picnic tables) but have always liked smaller "interesting" cars plus a tow car.

Going to look at a very rare early '90s four passenger coupe tomorrow. DOHC 24 valve 6 and a five speed manual. My kind of car.

[LINC400 55]

At Christmas my 98 year old mother-in-law asked me if I could sell her car. My father-in-law purchased it new from one of the last of the small town Chevrolet dealers in 1988.The car sat in the garage sine 2004. Put a battery in it an after a three tries it started, ran pretty good. I asked her if I could have it, and she said yes. I loaded it in my trailer and took it down to my house in Florida where I have plenty of temperature controlled storage and figured it can stay safe and sound here. I did encounter a few trouble codes and ended up having to replace the I.A.C. and the computer. I never thought in my life that I would look at a Cavalier station wagon as an old car. The A/C blows ice cold! It is just a little too small for me as a station wagon or I would be using it as a knock around car down here when I visit, but it is no comparison to my 85 Caprice Estate Wagon I use around town while here. The Cavalier never spent a night outside since the day it was purchased,kind of neat I also have all of the original paperwork

 

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You do realize that you are showing pictures of a Chevrolet Celebrity and calling it a Cavalier.

[John348 898]

You do realize that you are showing pictures of a Chevrolet Celebrity and calling it a Cavalier

 

I do now my mistake I owned 3 Cavalier's as throw away commuter cars over the past 20 years and I just slipped my apology, thanks for pointing it out, correction made

Edited February 18, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)