Remembering Oldsmobile

[knightfan26917]

Originally Posted by EPA2

As a side note, anyone remember the old 1970s era Cadillac station wagons which were done by a few different conversion companies?

*nods*

Yep, I sure do. In fact, Kevin W, of the First Gen MC Club (the one who built the replica of the '72 MC "Coke Machine"), has one ... saw it when I visited him in SC a few years ago.

Here is a website, too:
http://www.cadillacstationwagon.com/



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...MidW Event = 04/04/09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Where's that shiny car?...did it ever get you far?" ... All-American Rejects ... 'Gives You H**l'

[AMERICA 123]

Originally Posted by EPA2

I saw about 11 years ago an ultra rare 1970 Chevelle Wagon (in a private collection), which was ordered by the original owner from the factory with the Chevelle SS 396 (402) V8, factory dual exhaust, factory 4-speed manual transmission, etc. My theory is that the original owner must of been a guy who wanted a 1970 Chevelle SS but because of a family could not order one, so he did the next best thing he ordered a Chevelle station wagon with all the Chevelle SS goodies.

That's a great example, EPA2.

You really could do stuff like that - and you know what, it was fun when you ordered the car !

Typically, you'd end up with an MSRP that was very atypical, but then you had alot more room for horse tradin' so it never ended up as bad as it started.

[ponchoman49]

Quote:From the 1980 introduction of the front-wheel drive Omega to the death of the rear-wheel drive Cutlass Supreme in 1988, in eight short years Oldsmobile had been so drastically changed. The traditional Oldsmobile buyer who had come back to an Olds dealer in 1988 to buy a new Olds would have thought he had awoken in a terrible nightmare or somehow stumbled into the twilight zone.

This is exactly the way I feel in todays automotive nightmare. Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Saturn and Pontiac are all gone. Buick makes but 2 cars and one large SUV. The bland Camry is Americas best selling passenger sedan followed closely by the butt ugly hybrid fad called the Prius. Foreign cars are all the rage and very few American dealers are left these days. Full frame cars are but one in the form of the lone one model Grand marquis, station wagons are very few and far between, 2 door coupes are all but gone from the American side of car business, V8's are all but restricted to muscles cars like the Vette, Camaro, Stang and Challenger/Charger, Chrysler is owned by a foreign nameplate, GM sees sales declines every month and both took several government loans. Styling is at an all time low in many cases with so many sedans and CUV's that are all looking increasingly alike just like the FWD 98's/88's, Electras and Devilles of the 80's all over again. Rear drive is hard to find at the General and Ford unless you like 2 door penalty boxes that can seat 2 and upstart Hyundai makes rear wheel drive large sized sedans with V6 and V8 power with Mercedes/BMW looks and Chevy Malibu LTZ prices. Trunks are shrinking, interiors are more clausterphobic, curbweights have gotten out of control in many cases, engine sizes are going down every year and mileage has barely improved and gone down in several cases(2010 LaCrosse example) and techonology has exploded with electric brakes, steering, navigation units, Onstar, lane departure warning, radar cruise control etc. It's like after the 80's everything went downhill with the final nail in many coffins being this dreadful decade of buy foreign and screw America! Very sad times indeed.

[F14CRAZY]

GM shoved that FWD bullcrap they called the A and W body down the throat of America. If you ask me, and I think 2002 Caddy would agree, GM HAS NOT RECOVERED from when they switched to unibody FWD. Sales PLUMMETED and never returned.