Category: 1980’s

Which Eighties television hero vehicle would you choose for your dream garage? – Matt Litwin @Hemmings

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n our latest edition of This or That, we’re continuing our selection of hero cars, though this time from a 1980s small-screen perspective. One-hour action dramas were hardly new to television audiences; however, rather than the generic good guys versus bad guys, a la the Dragnet / Adam-12 style of story telling, writers, directors and producers – in most cases – took things to a whole new level of weeknight entertainment. Thus, once again we’ve picked four different rides from four different shows that debuted (with one exception) during the Reagan administration. Let’s take a look at this week’s big impact players, in order of appearance, all of which are currently available in the Hemmings classifieds.

1969 DODGE CHARGER SE

Though it made its debut in 1979, the Dukes of Hazzard was a staple of early Eighties television; save for the delayed start of the fifth season initiated when Tom Wopat and John Schneider – disenchanted with scripts, salaries and royalties – opted to walk out in protest. They were famously replaced by Byron Cherry (as Coy Duke) and Christopher Mayer (as Vance Duke). Bo and Luke were explained as having joined the NASCAR circuit; a laughable situation considering their probation for peddling moonshine was a direct violation of the famed stock car governing body’s rule book. Ratings plummeted, and 19 episodes later Tom and John were back in action. Ratings recovered, but only slightly. The one constant, of course, was the 1969 Dodge Charger – such as this example for sale – that arguably was the biggest star of the show, which ended in 1986. It’s no secret that a couple hundred were callously destroyed in the making of the Dukes. As to our featured example, portions of the seller’s listing states:

Original Window Sticker, Broadcast Sheet, Build Sheet. Original 383 Car, has the original engine. Has paperwork on car with receipts and other items added to car. Painted Light Green Metallic, Hood mounted turn signals, roof drip rail moldings, newer green vinyl roof, dual outside mirrors, window moldings, felt and rubber, tinted glass, door handles, gas cap, taillights and trim, backup lights, front & rear bumpers and bumper guards, headlight doors, grill, antenna, wiper arms, side marker lights all look great. Original rims with BF Goodrich radial T/A white letter tires. The interior is the Original Green on bucket seats with headrest, back seats, door panels, arm rest with bases, back side panels, door handles, window cranks, rearview mirror, Woodgrain on gauge cluster, Factory AM/FM radio. Factory A/C vents in dash, Pioneer AM/FM/CD/XM radio mounted in glove box with remote. Factory console with woodgrain. Green headliner and Sunvisor’s, seat belt and shoulder belts. Door sill plates, dark green Carpet, black carpeted floor mats. Package tray, all factory gauges and clock. Powered by a 440 engine that has been rebuilt, 727 Torque Flite transmission that is automatic. Weiand intake, Edelbrock carb, original air cleaner is chrome. Chrome oil breather, stock exhaust manifolds, power steering, power front disc brakes. Rear drum brakes, dual exhaust with stainless tips. Factory A/C.

1983 PONTIAC TRANS AM

The Eights delivered a new array of technology to mainstream America. Artificial intelligence, wider use of digital equipment, and sleek aerodynamic automotive designs all came together in one tidy package called KITT (or Knight Industries Two Thousand), a highly modified, third-gen 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am developed for the use of Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) field agent Michael Knight, formerly known as police Detective Lieutenant Michael Arthur Long in the opening segment of the 1982 pilot episode of Knight Rider. Unlike this 1983 Pontiac Trans Am for sale, reportedly the studio built the initial KITT at the cost of $100,000, which included the car’s iconic side-to-side light beam in the nose cone, apparently modelled after the the Cylons’ light beam in Battlestar Galactica. Equipped with an array of surveillance cameras, bulletproof shielding, a security system, remote communication devices, insane turbo boosters, autonomous driving mode and the ability to fly like a certain orange General, it’s really no wonder Knight Rider was an instant hit. All good things come to an end – or at least the original series – which lasted through 1986. According to portions of the seller’s listing:

t’s only showing just over 1,300 miles; clean Carfax with no accidents. It’s of course a numbers matching car; All the lines flow perfectly down the sides and the fit of all the panels is equally impressive with every gap being even and symmetrical. This is a factory Bright Red car that has clearly been garage stored and kept polished to a mirror finish; this car is factory rear hatch car with T-Tops. Every piece of glass in this ’83 checks out to be original. This Trans AM was factory ordered with the rear spoiler that’s done in black. It also has the Black Side Trim, Lower Black Accents and the black grill that really makes the Bright Red pop. To finish off the exterior it’s sitting on the original 14” Finned Cast Aluminum Wheels with Uniroyal White Letter Tires. On the inside it’s done in the factory Two Tone Charcoal interior with Black Accents; All the door panels are in excellent condition; the dash shows no signs of sun abuse or any damage. It comes with factory AC that blows cold and even the original radio is still in it; has the factory steering wheel and does come with cruise and tilt wheel. The center console is in excellent condition. Under the hood it’s powered by the matching numbers 305 V8 engine dressed in the original valve covers and air cleaner that seals to the Power Bulge Hood. The V8 is mated to the Matching Numbers 700R Automatic Trans and 10 Bolt Rear End with 3.23 Gears. It comes with Front Disc Brakes and Rear Drums.

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1973-’87 Chevrolet Pickup Buyer’s Guide – Mike McNessor @Hemmings

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Rounding out some finer points of the popular “square body” haulers

There’s been a lot of buzz in recent years around 1973-’87 Chevrolet light trucks (and their GMC counterparts), aka “square bodies.” Whatever you choose to call them, these boxy trucks are popular because they’re widely available at affordable prices, there’s an abundant parts supply, they’re simple to work on, and they’re a blank slate for modifications

.The current trendiness of 1973-’87 Chevrolet light trucks is inspiring this issue’s buyer’s guide, but it’s probably overdue. While values have been on the upswing—we’ve seen some examples fetch breathtaking amounts at auction—with more than 10 million built, these trucks are still plentiful.

When Chevrolet’s C/K light trucks broke cover for the ’73 model year, they sported a new, more modern-looking profile, with a hood that was flush with the tops of the fenders and doors that were set into the trucks’ roofline. (To clarify: “C” for two-wheel drive, “K” for four-wheel drive, and in ’87 the nomenclature changed for one year on full-size pickups to “R” for two-wheel drive and “V” for four-wheel drive.) A four-door crew-cab model was also introduced as a $1,000 option on 1- and ¾-ton trucks.

Under the skin, updates from the 1967-’72 series included a switch from standard rear coil to leaf springs on two-wheel-drive ½- and ¾-ton trucks, longer front leaf springs and a standard front stabilizer bar on four-wheel-drives, full-time four-wheel drive, and an energy-absorbing steering column. The 454-cu.in. V-8 was offered for the first time, and the fuel tank was moved from inside the cab to outside the frame rails.

1976 C10 fleetside with the Silverado package

It was that last change that would embroil these trucks in controversy and lead to accidental deaths, a federal investigation, millions in court settlement costs, and a nationwide class action lawsuit. Long after the last of these trucks had left showrooms, their side-saddle tank design received a double dose of national media attention. First, in 1992, NBC’s news series Dateline aired a segment that showed a GM truck exploding when it was T-boned by a speeding Chevrolet Citation. Subsequently, Dateline retracted the segment and admitted that it had rigged the truck with incendiary devices to make it explode. But, in 1995, GM agreed to a $600-million settlement over the sidesaddle tanks. As part of the deal, owners of 1973-’87 GM light trucks were issued $1,000 rebates toward the purchase of a new GM vehicle.

Today, 1973-’87 GM light trucks make great projects and excellent work or play rigs. Their popularity means you might pay more for good examples as time marches on, but it also means a better return on investment. Due to the wide range of this guide, it’s a little bit general in some areas. For specific year and model details, go to gmheritagecenter.com, where every brochure from 1973-’87 is available for download, as are detailed information packets with dimensions, options, specifications, and more. That said, if you’re considering one of these hardworking haulers, here are some points to be aware of.

Silverado (left), which was the top trim offering with available cloth seats, carpeting, and more; Scottsdale was a step up from base and included vinyl upholstery, full-depth foam seat, and interior courtesy lighting.

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In Case You Forgot, Here’s A Little Detail To Remind You How Much GM Sucked In The 1980s – Jason Torchinsky @Jalopnik

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Nostalgia is a potent drug and, like any old bastard, I’m highly susceptible to it as well. Hell, I work in a sort of idiotic shrine to a very specific kind of nostalgia. But there are some details of the past that, even with the rosiest-colored glasses, are still very clearly garbage. I’m talking about being a kid in the back seat of many 1980s GM cars, specifically the GM cars (and one Chrysler) that, somehow, didn’t let you roll down the rear windows.

These cars — which were GM’s A- and G-bodies from 1978 to 1983, and the 1981 Chrysler four-door K-cars — represented a huge percentage of cars on the road when and where I was growing up, in 1980s America. I feel like pretty much every family I knew at the time had at least one car from this lineup, and the reason I remember this so well is because of the painful memories of sweltering in the back seats of these metal mausoleums, in the heat of a North Carolina summer, with rear door windows that remained steadfastly and cruelly fixed.

The list of dirt-common cars that were like this is ample: Buick Centuries, Regals, Oldsmobile Cutlasses, Pontiac Bonnevilles, Chevy Malibus, and those early K-Cars. I think there were some others, as well, but these sorts of cars formed the backbone of the carscape of America at the time, which means the plague of no-open-rear-seat-windows was widespread.

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1980 Briggs & Stratton Hybrid -Christopher Smith @Motor1.com

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Jay Leno gets a close look at the coolest hybrid you’ve never heard of.

Did you know Briggs & Stratton built a car? Yes, that Briggs & Stratton, the company best known for the small engines used on lawnmowers. And it’s not just any car, but a hybrid … built in 1980 no less. Honestly, we didn’t know such a machine existed until this video cropped up at Jay Leno’s Garage, but when we saw this six-wheeled hatchback with styling not unlike a 1980’s L-Body Dodge Charger, we couldn’t not click on it. And once we watched the video, we knew we couldn’t not share it with you because it’s actually very impressive.

This is strictly a one-off concept car designed to be a technology demonstrator, and actually, its top speed isn’t so impressive. According to the video, Richard Petty managed to get this car to a whopping 68 mph on a closed course. On the streets of California, Leno and Briggs & Stratton Engineering Technician Craig Claerbout achieved 60 mph, but when you realize there’s just an 18-horsepower (13-kilowatt) air-cooled twin-cylinder Briggs engine under the hood, that’s not such bad speed. An electric motor is connected to the engine, which then connects to a four-speed manual transmission sending power to the first set of rear wheels

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Buyer’s Guide: The plentiful, affordable, 5.0-powered 1987-93 Ford Mustang – Mike McNessor @Hemmings

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A new Mustang GT hit the ground galloping in 1982 and Ford shouted its return with the slogan: “The Boss is Back!” Hitching the Boss legend to this new pony made good marketing sense, but the Fox was no retro-themed throwback. It would go on to inspire a new generation of enthusiasts and launch dedicated magazines and websites, as well as become a darling of the aftermarket.

Old-school, American rear-drive performance mounted a comeback in the 1980s, ushered in by cars like the Buick Grand National, the Chevrolet Monte Carlos SS, and the Camaro IROC-Z. But, when new, these vehicles were priced out of reach of many young people on entry-level salaries. Also, the GM contingent offered manual transmissions only as exceptions rather than the rule.

Not so the 5.0. Ford priced the Mustang GT affordably and, beginning in 1983, offered a real-deal Borg-Warner T-5 fives-peed manual transmission. For ’86, Ford dumped the Holley carburetor and made multiport fuel injection plus a roller camshaft standard—exotic parts for a low-dollar production car back then.

While Chevrolet charged a premium for all the good stuff, Ford lowered the price by offering the el-cheapo LX with a 5.0 powertrain. Not only was it less expensive, but the notch-window body style, exclusive to the LX line, was lighter than the hatchback/convertible GT.

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Buick G-bodies did nothing less than dominate the Pure Stock Drags scene in the Eighties – Josh Skibbee @Hemmings

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Turbos and Regals and Grand Nationals, oh my! In the ’80s, the high-performance muscle car was supposedly a dying breed — fuel and emissions standards stifled manufacturers and forced them to put the kibosh on performance.

Starting in the late ’70s, though, General Motors searched for unorthodox methods to pump out performance while staying within emissions and fuel guidelines, a quest that led the company to Buick’s turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6.I know what you’re thinking… “V-6 engines don’t belong on the strip!” “Turbos are for imports!” or, “My great-grandfather had a Buick.” Take a look at the vintage Pure Stock Drags video below and see just how that little Buick V-6 ate Foxes, 442s, and IROCs for dinner — and even a 1985 Omni GLH for dessert.

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Exploring Chevy’s 1988-’98 pickups as affordable projects – Terry McGean @Hemmings

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As the humble pickup truck’s place in American culture steadily evolved from simple-but-valued tool to modern fashion statement, it gained a huge fan base. While admiration grew and trucks aged, restorers began returning some of them to showroom shape.

Meanwhile, hot-rodders and customizers crafted their own interpretations of the classic pickup.

The years rolled on and certain models emerged as favorites, spawning a vast aftermarket blooming with reproduction and upgrade parts and kits. So widespread is this enthusiasm for classic pickups today that values of the most popular models have swelled substantially during the past decade or so. It’s good news if you already have one, but not so great for anyone on the hunt for a budget-friendly alternative to pony cars or muscle machines.

Consider the 1967-’72 Chevrolet trucks, popular from new and long adored by enthusiasts. Today, they’re nearly as sought after as the muscle cars of the same era, and values have followed suit, making them less accessible to the younger builders trying to get into a vintage project.

More recently, the following generation of Chevy trucks— the 1973-’87 “square-body” era—has been following the same trajectory, with values escalating rapidly.So, where does that leave the aspiring young builder on a budget? Or even the seasoned tinkerer looking to start a new project with a casual cash commitment? Fortunately, GM kept right on building pickups, and its next generation proved to be a winner.

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How a single magazine cover photo changed the course of auto design at GM in the Eighties – Daniel Strohl @Hemmings

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For a while in the early 2010s, it seemed that every profile of then-GM CEO Dan Akerson had to include a reference to the framed cover of the August 22, 1983, issue of Fortune magazine in his office. Business Week, the Washington Business Journal, even Fortune itself made note of the cover featuring each of GM’s four near-identical A-body intermediate sedans lined up in profile, all swathed in burgundy, under the question “Will Success Spoil General Motors?” The detail was meant to illustrate Akerson’s determination to rid GM of its old ways, but Akerson was far from the first GM executive to take that single magazine cover to heart.

The message conveyed by the four-car lineup was clear: GM might very well have been making money hand-over-fist by badge-engineering its products across its once-distinct brands – not only did the A-bodies prove popular with customers and permit greater cost savings via shared tooling – but it was doing so at the expense of more concerted engineering, marketing, and styling efforts that would better position the brand against the foreign competition slowly eating GM’s market share. If the average newsstand customer couldn’t easily tell the four cars apart, then how could the average intermediate car buyer distinguish them? And what did that say about GM management’s assessment of its own customers?

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True world class distinction or, how to try to set the mid-Eighties GM A-bodies apart – Daniel Strohl @Hemmings

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The idea behind this week’s story about the mid-Eighties GM A-bodies and the backlash over their badge engineering wasn’t to bash the company. Yes, every car company makes mistakes, and it was instructional to see exactly how GM took that criticism to heart in an effort to avoid repeating that mistake and to build a better car company.And yes, reams could be written and business school textbooks could be filled with every misstep that brought GM to that point. Not one single factor, not one single person can be blamed for the situation. It’s easy to spout theories and it’s easy to point at the factors that we personally understand and accept, but to get the entire picture, it’s often helpful to go back to original material for the answers.So, for instance, let’s take a look at a series of dealer training films for the 1982 Chevrolet Celebrity, the 1984 Pontiac 6000, the 1985 6000, and the 1985 Celebrity.

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The foxy, boxy 1980-’82 Mercury Cougar was the last of a dying breed – Milton Stern @Hemmings

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After growing from a large pony to a nearly full-size thoroughbred in the 1970s and enjoying increasing success along the way, the time had come to downsize the cat. Yes, I mixed my metaphors.Already established as a near twin to the Ford Thunderbird since 1977, the direction of the next-generation Cougar was no real surprise, especially since, one year earlier, a Mustang-like Capri debuted in the segment originally occupied by the Cougar.

I already featured the Fox-platform Thunderbird, and somehow gave the impression that I wasn’t a fan. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Apparently, my attempt at an honest assessment of the aesthetics of the 1980-’82 Thunderbird struck some nerves, so let me try this again.

The “Foxy Cat” was a boxy cat, adopting the overly square lines that were evident in many cars introduced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Cougar XR-7 took a proud stance on a 108-inch wheelbase, which was 3 inches shorter than its original 1967 wheelbase.Had Ford chosen a more sporting style for the Thunderbird and Cougar XR-7, rather than sticking with the dated personal-luxury-car image that was a winner in the 1970s, the result may have been more graceful.

The new Cougar had all the requisite personal-luxury-car hallmarks: a padded vinyl roof, fixed rear quarter or opera windows (depending on optioned roof treatment), and a formal grille with an upright hood treatment. The look was completed with a vinyl wraparound strip that encircled the entire car in either black or a contrasting color, depending on exterior décor packages and body-color bumpers—which Ford loved keeping large.

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