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Hey, Camino...got an even better project for you

Flybrian

By Flybrian
in The Lounge

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ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

Posted
Posted
Coolness... but... please don't tell me it has an Olds 5.7 diesel (which was available in G bodies, although I don't think it was in the El Camino.) :unsure:
Sixty8panther Newbie

Sixty8panther

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About two weeks ago I watched TIN MEN, as I do every so often to drool at all the Cadillacs in the movie.

esp. Danny DeVito's '62 CDV, the hardtop, cooler version of the Banana Boat.

I have decided that my ultimate daily driver idea would be a MB turbodiesel inline-six with a manual

transmission in a '61 Coupe deVille (white interior of course) with a pastel exterior color.

That and the '59 Buick would be the last two Post-War cars I'd ever need. :D

Sixty8panther Newbie

Sixty8panther

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Damn.... that Sunbird Safari would look awsome nestled between the Datsun & Mercedes.

Looooooooooove it!

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

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The Sunbird was based on the Monza, the Astre was based on the Vega.

Which is why the Sunbird name on this bodystyle (and front-end style) puzzles me. Must have been a transition year.

K.C. Newbie

K.C.

Posted
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I was wondering that, too. I thought the Pontiac version of the Vega was the Astre. I thought the Sunbird was along the lines of the Monza, Skylark, and Starfire.

BigPontiac Newbie

BigPontiac

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Which is why the Sunbird name on this bodystyle (and front-end style) puzzles me. Must have been a transition year.

You are correct sir! I pulled my book off the shelf (Standard catalog of Pontiac 1926-1995). It shows 1977 as the last year for the Astre coupe and hatchback. It appears that the wagon got folded into the Sunbird line for 1978. There's a caption in the 1979 section under a photo stating the name as "Sunbird Astre Safari station wagon". Appears to have been dropped in 1980.

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
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You are correct sir! I pulled my book off the shelf (Standard catalog of Pontiac 1926-1995). It shows 1977 as the last year for the Astre coupe and hatchback. It appears that the wagon got folded into the Sunbird line for 1978. There's a caption in the 1979 section under a photo stating the name as "Sunbird Astre Safari station wagon". Appears to have been dropped in 1980.

Makes sense as I never saw one of these with the Sunbird snout.

ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

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Camino, how can you tell that's a '76? I cannot tell which grille mesh it has... was the bowtie in the grille only on '76s... hmmm... I think I just answered my own question.

My H/T-body memory is fuzzy. I did remember they put the Sunbird name on the T-body Vega-based wagon after the Astre name went kaput... but did they put the Monza name on Chevy's T-body wagon after Vega died in 1977?

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted

Camino, how can you tell that's a '76? I cannot tell which grille mesh it has... was the bowtie in the grille only on '76s... hmmm... I think I just answered my own question.

My H/T-body memory is fuzzy. I did remember they put the Sunbird name on the T-body Vega-based wagon after the Astre name went kaput... but did they put the Monza name on Chevy's T-body wagon after Vega died in 1977?

It's a '76 because it has a mesh grille, the '77 has slats.

Yes, they put the Monza name on the wagon and it got the cheapo, round headlight, Monza nose.

ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

Posted
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Well, I was using the word "mesh" in general terms, yeah, there was a crosshatch mesh on the 76s and vertical bars on the '77s, for the Classic trim level, at least. Didn't they still have a base model El Camino, at least in '76, with the round headlight front end and grille of the base, non Classic Malibu? Was there a bowtie in the center of both '76 and '77 models? I thought the bowtie was omitted on 77s, at least on the Malibu... I am relying on memory.
Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

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hey camino... your getting me to start to like mid 70's A Bodies! yours look good...

btw, i want your shop

Haha!

It took me decades to warm-up to them myself! Now, I really like them.

As for the shop, once I add heat and some real lights, it will be my true heaven. :AH-HA_wink:

SuperSport623 Newbie

SuperSport623

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im starting to warm up to a lot of oddball late 70's cars that i never liked before... i want a 78 malibu pretty badly, but ive been getting a bit of a monza fettish lately.... one of those "its so ugly its cool" things...

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted

im starting to warm up to a lot of oddball late 70's cars that i never liked before... i want a 78 malibu pretty badly, but ive been getting a bit of a monza fettish lately.... one of those "its so ugly its cool" things...

I've always liked the Monza - it would make a great drag car.

In fact, it was a common choice for NHRA Pro Stock back then.

ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

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My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.:)
Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted

My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.:)

Nice recipe.

BigPontiac Newbie

BigPontiac

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Posted

My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.:)

I would tweak that to start with a Pontiac Sunbird Formula...

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