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balthazar

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Everything posted by balthazar

  1. balthazar
    The fuel injection was problematic, requiring dedicated mechanics to keep it operational. But Daimler -as usual- wanted sales volume first & foremost, and they quickly sullied the SL nameplate with the 89-HP 4-cylinder 190SL, killing off the 300 coupe early in the '57 MY, then killing off the cheaper-to-build convertible after '62. For a 4-banger with 89 HP. That's closer to HALF the horsepower the Corvette had 10 years earlier! Daimler basically did the opposite trajectory that the Corvette did. With the tri-carb inline 6, the Corvette in '54 alone outsold the entire run of daimler 300s, coupe & convertible combined, from '54-63. The early SLs sold terribly; most years were around 200 units.
  2. balthazar
    Sometime about 6 years ago, I passed a still-operating stand-along GMC dealer in northern NJ. Looked like it was the same since 1960 or so. Don't remember the name. This ISN'T it, but here's another stand-alone GMC dealer in Jersey : https://www.franksgmc.net/AboutUs#close
  3. balthazar
    Like I said- Seville was the highest priced and never an 'entry' model'. S-class & Seville were routinely compared in the press. Despite the MB's higher price, it was a poorer, far less luxurious value. Seville ate into s-class sales in that era, having never competed in that segment; what was then called 'international-sized' sedans. Mercedes continued to benchmark Cadillac, coping numerous amenities & features; a lo-ooong road of 'catch-up'. By the '90s, after 30+ years in the market, they finally got it right. Well.... except for the value portion. It's hard to lose more money on a mainstream brand's model than at mercedes. That, they still ahve to work on, but in order to do so, they'd have to pump the brakes on the production lines (which they'd never, ever do).
  4. balthazar
    Sure; BMW and Mercedes didn't field any competitors to them. Incorrect. Other than the Series 75, it was the the highest priced model. In the '70s ('75-76) the entry model would've been the Calais.
  5. balthazar
    Seville was an s-class / 7-series competitor, not a lowly 3-series.
  6. balthazar
    Of course there were stand-alones in the '70s. But here's an example of the first 60 or so numerically-coded San Fransisco Zone Pontiac dealers: Pontiac only : ||||| ||||| ||||| :: 15 Pontiac plus 1 or more other brands : ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| | : 26 Unknown (name only) : ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| || : 27
  7. balthazar
    Hen’s tooth @ the dealer : Silverado Crew Cab / Standard Bed. If it had the 3.0L TD I’d still be humping it. EDIT :: As of Jun 22- this truck was marked 'sold'. Sticker was $53K.
  8. balthazar
    I realize there's basically 'none' today, but they were far from the norm in the '60s, too (tho there were more). The '60s was the decade that saw a lot of pairing up. You'd probably have to hit the '40s for single-liners to be common / the norm.
  9. balthazar
    I defined this trend years ago here; design -hampered by CAFE / aerodynamics- is in it’s 95th percentile. Not going to see major stylistic change going forward anymore. Get used to what you’re used to.
  10. balthazar
    It did have full leather seating standard the first year, and gained the V6 in year 2. Look- I'm not a fan of this car. I think the black/gold trimmed D'Oro package was a nice looking little car, but I'm not a fan of little cars. I still stand with my earlier post that the Cimarron was too far removed from the definition of a Cadillac THEN. I attach no such sentiment toward -say- the ATS when it came out, but that's 30 years later. Perhaps if the Cimarron had followed the '85 Downsizing 2.0, but in '82, the Devilles were still REAL full-size BOF cruisers, and the shock was pretty huge. There's nothing stylistically 'wrong' or deficient with this car : Here's a article from Automobile, on a then 25-year old Cimarron. If you brush past the lame joke attempts, he doesn't fault the car itself. https://www.automobilemag.com/news/1986-cadillac-cimarron-v6/
  11. balthazar
    burger time, 1938 :
  12. balthazar
    junkyard, Jackson OH 1936 :
  13. balthazar
    I glanced at the link above: that’s the C&D article I have. I skimmed over the MT article, and it largely agrees, reacting favorably. The MAIN issue with the Cimarron was that it was SO different than the traditional Cadillac, not that it was uncompetitive. Which it was according to the press.
  14. balthazar
    Just wait til they’re all in 3-second to 60 EVs.
  15. balthazar
    I have the Car & Driver review of the '82 Cimarron vs. the 3-series and (IIRC) a Volvo, and it was well received, esp vs the craptastic BMW. I know it's not the popular narrative, and we're all about conforming to the popular narrative / meme nowadays, but the ink on that one hasn't fade yet.
  16. balthazar
    It's too late for ferrari & bentley- they're going to be discontinued because they don't have 5 SUVs. It's impossible for them to survive 1 more day. "small volume players that are part of a parent company" You mean like Acura???
  17. balthazar
    BMW sold 2.5 million last year. Honda/Acura sold 5.3 million.
  18. balthazar
    It's for the street. I would like to take it to the strip at least a couple times. There, I would use actual slicks. The issue with running it on the strip is; it's going to be too quick to run without a roll bar, and I refuse to put one in. Some tracks kick you out after 1 run under 11.5, others might let you do a few. I would like to know for sure what it'll do, so I'll have to look into that scene for the best scenario to run a few times sans bar. But for the street, pretty sure I'll need the contact patch these give me (315's).
  19. balthazar
    Street legal ‘drag radial’.
  20. balthazar
    • Shelved the seat belts for now. Some of the pics of vintage, aftermarket belts look fairly hideous. These weren't installed cleanly, and the seat may be moved artificially up, but still; not having this slop :
  21. balthazar
    Ferrari has 0 SUVs, Lambo has 1, bentley has 1 Rolls has 1, maserati has 1, Tesla JUST added #2... how are these luxury brands surviving without 5?? Maybe acura isn't planning on carpet-bombing every vehicle segment and continually pushing for sales above all else. I mean, it's possible, you know.
  22. balthazar
    "Fast" refers to top speed. Nearly every BMW sold here is limited to 155MPH. The '20 M550i is limited to only 130 MPH. Multiple Cadillacs have exceeded 180 MPH. Multiple Cadillacs have gone 200. You certainly didn't mean "fast". If you meant 'quick' --which refers to acceleration-- a 2019 550i claimed 3.9 sec to 60, slower than a number of Cadillacs. The '20 M550i claims 3.6 to 60 (still; Automobile called it "unexciting"), the '19 CTS-V was tested at 3.7, a virtual tie. Of course- this is only bragging rights (if anyone cared to stick around and listen to a BMW owner talk... about anything). No one anywhere is drag racing a 5-series.
  23. balthazar
    To set the record straight: the same year- 1962.
  24. balthazar
    CUV sales volume isn't remotely based on maximum HP ratings.
  25. balthazar
    • Bolted rear suspension back up (lower shock mounts & Panhard Bar) and sat the car back on the floor (in the rear). • cleaned / lubed the vent window regulators; bagged & put on the shelf. • started poking around with the seat belt situation. Front lap belts were not required by federal statue until Jan of '66, tho GM began installing threaded bosses for front lap belts for the '62 model year. Obviously there's nothing on my car from the factory for belts. I have a pair of period (aftermarket) belts I already dyed black, but some of the mounting hardware seems to be MIA. I hate the modern 'tight weave' nylon look in a car this old, but without those MIA brackets, I can't even install these 2 pair. Researching options.
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