1975

[HarleyEarl]

The seventies are much miligned as are cars from the era.

Lets look back and see what all the fuss was, say 1975.

First, let's take a look at the Mercury Bobcat.

Edited August 26, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[Robert Hall]

Here's a favorite of mine: A Mercury Marquis 2dr ht. I love those mid '70s land yachts. They had a cool two-toning on the coupes that I'm looking for pics of. I did find some pics of the Canadian Meteor Montcalm and Rideau (like the Monterey).

Edited August 26, 2008 by moltar

[Camino LS6]

1975 has much more to offer than that.

Plus it is the last year you can do whatever you want in the way of modification without the smog Police getting nasty.

[HarleyEarl]

There is of course the '75 Chrysler Cordoba:

[HarleyEarl]

Here's a favorite of mine: A Mercury Marquis 2dr ht. I love those mid '70s land yachts. They had a cool two-toning on the coupes that I'm looking for pics of. I did find some pics of the Canadian Meteor Montcalm and Rideau (like the Monterey).

Damn, that is a great looking car....almost forgot about those nice coupes.

[bobo]

In the mid-70s, some family friends had a Bobcat as well as the full-boat Lincoln Continental, which was big enough to house a small family. The early Bobcats, of course, had the same design defect as the explosion-prone Pinto.

[HarleyEarl]

Now, for something really different, the '75 AMC Matador coupe:

[Robert Hall]

Damn, that is a great looking car....almost forgot about those nice coupes.

I still remember at age 6 at the L-M dealer w/ my folks..my Mom really liked the yellow '76 Marquis 2dr ht....we went for a test drive in it, a silver Monarch coupe, red Mark IV and a maroon Continental 4dr...we ended up getting the Continental..my Dad's idea for the 'practical family car'..

[HarleyEarl]

Those big Mercs back then looked so Lincoln. Great '70s style.

[Camino LS6]

'75 is also the last year for big block A bodies.

[Robert Hall]

'75 is also the last year for big block A bodies.

Ah... interesting factoid... how about the B-bodies....still big engines thru '76?

[Camino LS6]

Ah... interesting factoid... how about the B-bodies....still big engines thru '76?

Pontiac held on to the 400 even in the A cars I think. But, '75 was it for the Chevy 454 and I think all of the 455s were also gone ( but Balthazar will probably correct me if I'm wrong).

[balthazar]

So no 402/454 Chevelles after '75?

HA-HA: plenty of 400 LeMans' thru '77. Neener-neener!

I have very very little love for the '70s cars- the ghastly hanging bumpers, the faux this-n-that, the anemic engines, the pillow-tufted interiors - blech. What a screaming letdown from the '60s. I've owned only 3 '70s cars: a '72 Riv (parts car, but I loved it) & a '73 Charger Rallye (which is more an extension of the '60s), a passable stripper/commuter '78. I can take a 'lower-line' '77-79 B-Body, but the 'full-boat' '70s cars make me ill. Never owned an '80s car- never will.

[Camino LS6]

Of course trucks are another story.

[Camino LS6]

So no 402/454 Chevelles after '75?

HA-HA: plenty of 400 LeMans' thru '77. Neener-neener!

I have very very little love for the '70s cars- the ghastly hanging bumpers, the faux this-n-that, the anemic engines, the pillow-tufted interiors - blech. What a screaming letdown from the '60s. I've owned only 3 '70s cars: a '72 Riv (parts car, but I loved it) & a '73 Charger Rallye (which is more an extension of the '60s), a passable stripper/commuter '78. I can take a 'lower-line' '77-79 B-Body, but the 'full-boat' '70s cars make me ill. Never owned an '80s car- never will.

Yeah, I love how Pontiac kept the dream alive a bit longer (even in the F-body).

The last 454 SS wasn't even a Chevelle... it was an El Camino!

The SS Chevelle was "replaced" by the Laguna S3.

At least until the 90/91 Silverado version.

[Camino LS6]

In '75 you could still buy one of these with a 454 and a 4spd.

By CaminoLS6

[Camino LS6]

Also the last year for the Monte Carlo big block.

[HarleyEarl]

1975 was also the last year for the Chevrolet Bel Air. It's a great model name. Wish it would come back.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Behold the Mighty Pontiac LeMans Sport Coupe....

My dad had one like this in Powder Blue for about ten years. Rust got so bad there were holes in the trunk pan and people were afraid to park next to it when he rid himself of it in 1990.

[Robert Hall]

1975 was also the last year for the Chevrolet Bel Air. It's a great model name. Wish it would come back.

Yes, in the US...but in Canada, it apparently lived on a few more years.. I've seen a '78 Bel Air 4dr in Florida w/ Ontario plates..

[mustang84]

Never really have been a fan of the '73-75 Cutlasses. I don't like the creases on the sides nor the dual round headlights,

I generally don't like the styling of a lot of vehicles that came out in '74-'75. Most cars donned dual round headlights that looked dopey next to rectangular, gaping grilles. The new quad rectangular headlights that started coming out en masse around 1976 gave cars a fresher and crisper look (see the '75 Eldorado, '76 Cutlass, '77 Trans Am, etc).

[XP715]

If I had to pick a 1975 model year barge to drive for the rest of my life, I think this Coupe DeVille would be just fine:

Can't go wrong with white on red, especially if the interior were all white as well (with black carpets and dash).

[Robert Hall]

Never really have been a fan of the '73-75 Cutlasses. I don't like the creases on the sides nor the dual round headlights,

I generally don't like the styling of a lot of vehicles that came out in '74-'75. Most cars donned dual round headlights that looked dopey next to rectangular, gaping grilles. The new quad rectangular headlights that started coming out en masse around 1976 gave cars a fresher and crisper look (see the '75 Eldorado, '76 Cutlass, '77 Trans Am, etc).

Yes on the headlights..the '76-77 Cutlasses looked better than the '73-75 up front, at least...I like the rears of the '73 A-bodies, they had the smallest bumpers. I've always thought it was odd that GM went to 2 headlights on all the A-bodies in '73; most of them from '64-72 had quad lights, which look much better on a car of that size, IMHO..

For the Cutlass, I like both the regular and Cutlass Supreme front ends in '76-77..nice job with the waterfall grille.

Edited August 27, 2008 by moltar

[HarleyEarl]

Does anyone know or recall the laws surrounding headlights in that era?

And why did it take so long for regulations to change to allow rectangulars and other forms later on?

The round headlight really dictated front end design.

[balthazar]

I cannot get past '72 with the A-Specials / G-Bodies.

Edited August 27, 2008 by balthazar