A person (or thing) can coast a long way on image. By 1983, Cadillac had suffered from a couple years of powertrain misses such as the V8-6-4, the (not their fault) Diesels, and the HT-4100 aluminum V8. These engines… more»
Good Car, Bad Transmission: 1990 Buick Park Avenue
For a very long time, one of the best options for “cheap wheels” was any big General Motors product with a 3800 under the hood, because they were well-known for lasting at least 200,000 miles, even if the body was disintegrating… more»
BF Auction: 1962 Ford Econoline Van
It was inevitable that it would happen, but we are all subjected to a twisted sense of reality in the collector car world. On any given weekend in America, there is almost certainly a local car show going on… more»
BF Exclusive: 1980 Pontiac Firebird Formula
UPDATE – The seller has reduced their asking price! After a full ten years on the road and in the consciousness of sporty car buyers, the second-generation Firebird finally showed some signs of slowing down in 1980, as total… more»
Mostly Original 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
In its August 1957 road test of the Studebaker Golden Hawk, Motor Life magazine said it was a “compromise car,” but that was in no way a slight on the South Bend sportster; instead, it was intended to be complimentary, as… more»
Solid Southern Car: 1972 Pontiac Luxury LeMans
Of all the great controversies in the motoring world, one of the most incendiary is the fender skirt. Some cars came with them from the factory floor, other cars were subjected to the whims of their owners; either way,… more»
Reasonably Priced 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1
My parents are Mustang people, so there’s never been a point in my life where there hasn’t been at least one Mustang in the family (currently there are four: my parents own two, I have one, and my wife… more»
BF Exclusive: 1964 Ford Thunderbird Project
In 1964, Ford introduced what would become the last generation of unibody Thunderbirds until 1980, and the public responded by buying 92,465 of them, an increase of almost 30,000 units over the previous model year. Although it was based… more»
Go Mango! 340-Powered 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger
The Slant Six is a Mopar mainstay, but if given the chance to swap a complete 340 and 727 Torqueflite from a ’70 ‘Cuda into your Slant Six Dart, especially when it’s a factory Go Mango car, many of… more»
Incredible Build: 1951 Ford Custom
Once or twice a month, I play bar trivia with my trivia pals, but I have never seen one category that would be a guaranteed hit (with me): identifying the non-stock parts on a custom car. Automotive customization is… more»
One-Owner 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible
Read any production chart from the 1970s and it becomes clear that the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was America’s Sweetheart. In 1970, 26,983 were sold; not bad, but not enough to make anyone notice. By 1975, however, Oldsmobile had sold… more»
66k Miles? 1960 Pontiac Bonneville
With the ascension of Bunkie Knudsen and John DeLorean into Pontiac’s executive sphere came a certain audacity of marketing that few automakers have managed to match. We could list the big stories: the GTO, the Super Duty race cars,… more»
FE-Powered Hot Rod: 1961 Ford Galaxie Starliner
Our Buckeye State Barn Finder Ted may have just found something to keep all the Ford fans on the site awake tonight. Not only is it a 1961 Galaxie Starliner, which was a beautiful car straight from Ford Motor Company’s assembly… more»
All Original? 1955 Studebaker President Speedster
I’ve always appreciated when a carmaker appreciates their own product. A few modern automakers still seem to get it: Jeep hides “Easter Eggs,” little reminders all over their various models about Jeep’s rich history. You can hardly look at… more»
44k Miles: 1979 Cadillac Eldorado
The handsome new 1979 Cadillac Eldorado was a huge hit in its first year, selling 67,436 units, an improvement of over 20,000 compared to the gigantic 1978 models, and speaking of size, the new Eldo lost over a thousand… more»
Two-Owner 1986 Ford Thunderbird
I’ll always give my parents a lot of credit, and a little of the blame, for tolerating and promoting my car weirdness. In addition to handing down my mobile auto-mechanics classroom (my mom’s rusty ’65 Mustang, which I still… more»
