balthazar

Well, of course the execution here is wrong, but the general assumption is not so off : the vast majority of japanese cars have been FWD for 25 years.

headlights & partial grilles look like '70 Duster 340 pieces. Front fenders look like full Impala units with perhaps Javelin 'humps' grafted in.

I recognize 'em. Here's another one to guess :

^ I believe it resulted in undue NVH...

^ Yep: Dodge front clip, Plymouth side trim & rear clip. Sure seems like a lot of trouble for 'half a dozen of the other'.

Kk WRT the 231 being mid-year. NeonLX said it well; that's a LOT of car for the lil' 231- the shipping weight for a dry '75 LeS 4-dr sedan was 4355. IMO, Buick was nuts with that move.

Desoto Diplomat; Plymouth body, DeSoto smile :

'76 brochure doesn't list the 231 being available in the Les, the 350 was standard and the 455 was optional. Chitlon's '82 manual also does not list a VIN code for a 231 in a Riv/Les/Ele Buick until '77. http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Buick/1976_Buick/1976_Buick_Brochure/76%20Buick%20Pg%2069.html I would've bet against a 231 being in a pre-'77 full-size... not sure what's RPO here. '76 231 : 105 HP @ 3400, 185 TRQ @ 2000 '76 350 : 155 HP @ 3400, 280 TRQ @ 1800 '76 455 : 205 HP @ 3800, 345 TRQ @ 2000

mercedees should dust off the sheet metal dies from this and re-pop them. Shiny paint, alloy wheels, a radio, $175K price tag and viola, the next gen G-wagon!

toyoyo sold 200 GS's last month, what's the point of announcing anything other that 'it's been discontinued'?

^ Yea, the hood is totally gone. Car was obviously vandalized/relieved of parts over time, roof must've been cut away, too. And tho I can attest that the Morrokide upholstery is very high quality, long-lasting stuff, it's not going to survive being buried in sand and pounded by salt water waves for decades. I can see the tempered side glass being gone once broken, but if you've never broken a period windshield with the goal of removing it- it's not easy to eradicate it totally. Who knows the real story here.

I'm with you, this would be killer as a 2-dr hardtop, still good as a 2-dr sedan. About the only 4-dr that makes me daydream is an Eldorado Brougham. But I ramrodded a '64 Cat 4-dr sedan for a few years; they can still weave a spell... and at this point I am quite bored with modern junk and even a sedan of this vintage is attractive in comparison.

303 HP motor is 10.5 CR, gonna need octane booster in every tank unless you're a featherfoot. You are also going to need a hand sledge (and a different trans crossmember) to get that SHM under the floorpan of the Cat; hopefully the RHM is still serviceable (they're pretty cool once you get used to them). Might be a good time to ponder a 700R4. 2369 4-dr sedan- still neat with the batwing flying roofline (which the hardtop didn't have), but I could not take that green color. Talked down to $2K (and rebuild the '61 389) : cheers

4-cyl Ecotec has already made 1000, IIRC. Car is not 'too big' for a DD, I DD a 237" truck everyday in Jersey - BFD. In my car days, I preferred my Pontiac DD's length immensely: 213". Just about perfect.

>>"if it could have been restored, it would have been."<< Yes; because every car that could be restored, already has been >>"Also, Frank Kent plans to immortalize the symbolic Cadillac as artwork for years to come. At the grand opening, it will be buried nose-first into the ground, paying homage to Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo Texas."<< How about 'immortalizing' CADILLAC, not a hippie art group from decades ago that no one knows even existed?? How does the Cadillac Ranch immortalize CADILLAC ?? Restore the car & display it permanently, THAT'D be a tribute to your livelihood. Not this. Everyone who walks up to the dealer and sees a half-buried classic is going to think they're uncaring, clueless idiots. No way in hell would I order a license plate screw from that dealer, by phone, if it was the only one with that screw in the state & I had to drive to pick it up.

I would love to see larger cars...

QFT

And the 125 years is in reference to the company as a whole. Re-read smk's post. He specifically said "Mercedes-Benz car division". Those two were separate & competing companies until the merger. The hyphen is a handy reminder. Otherwise, it's like saying Fiat-Chrysler is 112 years old. • • • mercedeees fleets far more than just the e-class- even the s-class is a common 'black car', in addition to other more mundane uses such as for police duty. Where it hurts M-B in germany is that the brand has an very poor private retail rate there, and it enjoys a FAR lower image there than in the U.S.. M-B has relied on tactics there that the American makers are consistently bashed for doing "wrong" here. You throw a tin box like the sprinter on top of that and it becomes crystal clear. M-B already has a commercial division- the sprinter is a straight-up utilitarian-grade cheap piece that without question belongs there..... except guess what- it has the 2nd highest YTD growth numbers, so it looks good on the sales chart. It's like Olds stated; same deal as sticking a Cadillac emblem on this when GMC is right. there. : Same thing with the a-class; they should be larger smart models or anything else but 'M-B's, but they are hellbent on putting "a mercedes in every driveway" as their tagline read a few years ago. mercedees is driven to achieve... VOLUME.

^ Nah, it's custom.

"Mercedes-Benz" as a car division is 85 years old (formed in 1926).

No, not factory, but a few were built & purchased... Just sayin'..

mercedeees = mass market mainstream, made easier by striving with clenched teeth for "a car (& cargo van) for every purse & purpose". Go mercedees!!! Me, I'm hoping they realize their proclaimed goal of 'a mercedees in every driveway', now THAT would be special. I just hope I don't get flak from my neighbors when there's none in my driveway...

"Mm-mmmm, rentals.....," said mercedees. "Eat 'em up, yum!"

I'll bet this was pricier...

1800 '74 Hurst/Olds's built, 380 with the W-30. Interesting take on the hood- '70 scoops molded into a '74 hood; sorta nice in an over-the-top manner. The Year of the Bumper kills the mediocre '73 design for me. Nice car but NOT at $55K. By the narrowest of margins: Jeer.