Fired up the scanner today. Here's a trip through memory lane, not every one but most are here. I'll spare you my current LeMans and Caddies which I am sure you've all seen enough of.
1st Car, paid $2500 in 1978, it was a 75 2+2. Purchased from used car lot on St. Clair Avenue near Bathurst.
262 V8 Small block, Hooker Headers, duals with Turbo Corvair mufflers, got a Carb from a 400 sbc Kingswood Estate at Dom's yard - Bomanville.
Wife's first car, this shot is about 1982 after redoing body and paint. Car was purchased at Hogan's.
I added a 455 SJ intake and chrome valve covers, Holley carb and 1979 Trans am dual exhaust.
1986 Monte Carlo SS - ordered from Hogan's August 29th 1985, Delivered on November 10, 1986, it was #40 for '86 out of Arlington Texas. Piad $15,700. My All Time Favourite.
Nice rear end too. i relocated antena from front fender to rear, that took guts to drill a hole in brand new car!
Ok , no laughing - Second car in family to Bonneville, sold when Suburban arrived. I bought this one over the phone from the same salesman that sold me the Bonneville. These were in high demand when they first came out so he said I had two minutes to decide. It was on a train on its way to Addisons. I surprised my wife for Christmas with this, put a red bow on it.
1978 Z28, bought at used car lot on Danforth Avenue east of Victoria Park Redid engine with camel back heads, LT 1 cam, wild!
First new car, it's an 81, bought it in January 82, it sat in basement of Roberstson Motors since July 81 when I found it. They didn't even know they had it. Paid $10,600, it was a fast fun and rare car. Traded it on Monte Carlo SS.
-- Edited by 73SC on Sunday 31st of May 2009 01:18:20 PM
-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 22nd of March 2010 09:35:34 PM
the first car I had on the road was a 75 Monza 2 + 2 262 V-8 auto with those aluminum wheels
That was my first car too ! Hooker Headers through Turbo Corvair mufflers with downspots at the rear axle, carb from a 400 Kingswood Estate. She moved, and sounded good doing it.
-- Edited by 73SC on Saturday 30th of May 2009 08:52:12 PM
Got this one for free, It's a 94 Regal Custom, Special, I helped my wife's girlfriend find it originally back in 97 and I really liked it then, so when she asked us if we wanted it for the kids in July 2007 I jumped on it. It's got a 3.8 V6, which is bullet proof.
This is what makes it Special. It was originally in GMAC registration back in 97 so I have no idea where it served or what role it was in.
1978 Buick Electra Park Avenue - Now this is a real Buick! Always had a soft spot for the big boats. This has to be the best of the boats I have driven, I think it even has my current Caddies covered. Bought at Hogan's.
1999 GMC Suburban SLT - the top of the line in 99, this listed for $54,000 and my wife had to have it, was just over $63,000 on the road. Still have it to this day. What a great vehicle, never regreted purchasing it. Bought at City.
1976 Grand LeMans - a real nice cruiser, 350 Canadian Pontiac engine under that hood. Bought at Hogan's.
1992 Bonneville SE - factory ordered this one too, it was built on December 27, 1991, I got it January 11th 1992. This car cost $26,900. Solid car, killed by tanker truck on November 6, 2006. I think it would still be running if it wasn't written off. Bought at Addison's.
-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 1st of June 2009 10:24:10 AM
the first car I had on the road was a 75 Monza 2 + 2 262 V-8 auto with those aluminum wheels
That was my first car too !
my first car was a 1967 beaumont custom 2-door hardtop 283 glide buckets/console but it never made it on the road.
The monza was really neat and quite fast. I later bought a 78 Monza Spyder with a 305 4-speed the bottom end was gone the woman ran it low on oil-so of course I put a 400 small block in it out of a 73 Chev Caprice (same oil pan though)-it always dripped oil (likely reason why the 305 knocked) so one night I decided to braze up the pin holes at the bottom of the pan-well what a boom ! I blew every gasket out of the engine and blew the valve covers off their top mounting bolts ! I admit I was scared lieing under the car with the torch.
I had one more V-6 1980 Monza Syder with 39,000 kms orig paint, bought it from the original owner that stored it the day after the last payment was made on it-I bought it to sort of remenice but it was kinda like the 83 TA I have now-nice but -
I used to own a X-11 they were a fun car. loved the V6 growl it gave.
Forgot to say I had Hooker Headers on it, collectors emptied into a 3 inch straight pipe into a single muffler with dual outlets. It sounded like a Harley actaully plus that cowl induction hood and dual snorkle air cleaner growled real good. These HO 2.8 V6's had a real high lift cam in '81 that came on strong at about 3000 rpm. I could tell you about the cars I blew off but no one would believe me. My XII was putting out close to 180 net HP.
-- Edited by 73SC on Saturday 30th of May 2009 09:44:38 PM
I used to own a X-11 they were a fun car. loved the V6 growl it gave.
Forgot to say I had Hooker Headers on it, collectors emptied into a 3 inch straight pipe into a single muffler with dual outlets. It sounded like a Harley actaully plus that cowl induction hood and dual snorkle air cleaner growled real good. These HO 2.8 V6's had a real high lift cam in '81 that came on strong at about 3000 rpm. I could tell you about the cars I blew off but no one would believe me. My XII was putting out close to 180 net HP.
-- Edited by 73SC on Saturday 30th of May 2009 09:44:38 PM
Who remembers the advertising in early 1979 ?
"The first Chevy of the 80's"
I guess that was the first attempt at small car front wheel drives ? the 'X' body, which brings the skylark, Phoenix with it-uni-body front wheel drive here we come America-funny how these were looked back on as not very good cars-yet they were good, my Dad had an 83 Skylark for years, The transverse 2.8's were good, the floor would rot if not looked after but all in all a good car and surely as good or better than anything the off shore groups were offering at the time for the price range.
I bought my X-11 from a guy that worked at GM Diesel in London. It was the second car i had. Had a sunroof and someone had painted it a terrible brown. Still that was a fun car. I remember he wanted to show me how it would handle and he whipped that thing around the parking lot with me along for the ride...damn that was a fun little car.
I remember the one where the Citation is pulling a camper trailer but they have taken off the rear wheels of the car. It was a way out there concept that front wheel drive! I bought mine because : A - I was a GM man B - It was an affordable "performance car" for a young 24 year old. C - Road & Track raved about the X11 package - VERY RARE for that to happen then.
I have to admit that the car suffered from cheap interior parts and poor fit and finish but it delivered what it was designed to do. I loved driving that thing on the winding roads to our cottage it handled like it was on rails, and as Rolilk says when you got on it that cowl induction growl was awesome. Oh ya I had a sun roof too, nice logoed bag with hold downs to store it in the trunk space... some fond memories of that sunroof and my wife and her cousin's bras too....but we digress
-- Edited by 73SC on Saturday 30th of May 2009 10:11:19 PM
But that is why you started this thread..And All the memories that come with it. We all have them with different cars. I stll remember just going for a game of golf with a friend. And he decides we NEED to get there very fast! His 70 442 is certainly fast, but Man GM never thought it out too well. When it was time to hit the brakes I thought the car would shudder to peices. Scary but good memories!
-- Edited by Rolilk on Saturday 30th of May 2009 10:20:21 PM
Ok then...... so we're heading up HWY 400 to cottage country, sun roof is off balsting along at 140 or so, and the next thing I know is the two pretty and shapely early 20 something girls in my car have somehow taken off their bras without me knowing and are flying them out of the sunroof, if that wasn't enough of a distraction I had to drive the rest of the trip trying to keep my eyes on the road instead of on the wind whipped, get my drift, light coloured tank tops of my passengers!
Ok then...... so we're heading up HWY 400 to cottage country, sun roof is off balsting along at 140 or so, and the next thing I know is the two pretty and shapely early 20 something girls in my car have somehow taken off their bras without me knowing and are flying them out of the sunroof, if that wasn't enough of a distraction I had to drive the rest of the trip trying to keep my eyes on the road instead of on the wind whipped, get my drift, light coloured tank tops of my passengers!
This was my first and only new car purchase: An 89 Cavalier RS. The RS was basically a lightweight Z24. Mine had the 2.8 , 5 speed and no other options (except cassette). It was fairly quick. I swapped out a Monza muffler (the black ones with the "Ferrari" chrome tips".
I took it and my (then) girlfriend to Myrtle Beach. Dig the mullet and shades and white legs. I had to run from Colonel Sanders the whole time I was there!
I worked at the dealership at the time. When the car was in for PDI a tech backed into it and took out the hood and grille. I tried to convince them to put a Z24 hood on it. Instead I got the stocker but did manage to get the Z24 grille. The RS grille was plain and had a gold bowtie..
Good times..good times...
-- Edited by 69Laurentian on Saturday 30th of May 2009 10:55:45 PM
Thats a nice line up of cars, I like the Monza as I also has some fond memmories with mine, I had the 78 2+2 305 4 speed. Pulled our camper trailer all over with that.
It really intrigues me how so many of us had and continue to have similar taste in cars. A guy I knew had a 305 4 speed Spyder, that was a nice car too brown with gold decals. I was really bumed when I bought the shop manual for my Monza and it said Vega on the front cover. I went through front brakes like no tomorrow on that Monza, too much weight and too much speed for little Vega non finned discs!
-- Edited by 73SC on Sunday 31st of May 2009 10:03:06 AM
I had the same problem with the brakes, I thought it was a horible set up, they always rattled. Had to keep changing those dam teflone sliders the pads rode on.
My hat's off to you w/ the GM loyalty too Ray!. How appropriate you've posted on the eve of GM declaring Bankruptcy as your story and pics are a classic example of GM failing those who remained loyal!.
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
I love the WHITE Monte Carlo
