First year production: new model

[Porter]

I think they did a great job on the 67 Eldorado, Im sure the General spent a fortune on the engineering and design, rumor has it the 66 Olds Toronado was the guinea pig, or the sister car released first, perhaps someone here can enlighten me.

On the other hand the 68 Vette was darn near a disaster, not a new Vette but a restyled Vette with a carryover drivetrain, the auto pundits had no mercy, slipshod assembly, squeaks and rattles, the big block engines would over heat, etc. GM had a big UAW strike that year so production was low, no doubt the workers took little pride in the manufacturing either.

The 67 Vette was refined to the hilt after the previous four years of production,(drum brakes were phased out in 65 with the credit if so desired to have them) the General will address and correct all porblems given a few years.

The 68 Vette has unique features, ignition key in the dash, pushbutton door handles, no tilt wheel. (all of which disappeared in 1969)

The 69 model with the strike now over was a killer year for production, new engines (350 in lieu of the 327) the consumers were hungry for Vettes bigtime, and of course the General scrambled to improve the build quality.

The 1970 model would prove to be the zenith year, flared fenders, LT-1 350/370hp engine, the new 454 big block,no smog stuff ,etc.

Is there an undesirable year for an older Corvette or Cadillac ?

Not in my book,they are all classics, part of the evolution.

Some guys will even settle for a nice set of fins and sacrifice the 472/500 engine. You cant have it all !

Porter

[Johnny]

[Is there an undesirable year for an older Corvette or Cadillac ?]

For Corvettes, I think 74s arent that desirable.  With the introduction of emission controls, it was the low point of performance for Corvette.  I also think the the early 84s were a disaster, with the cross fire engines, and inadequate brakes.

Cadillacs....any year with the HT4100 engine, is to be avoided, and possibly the early Allantes.

[Johnny]

[rumor has it the 66 Olds Toronado was the guinea pig, or the sister car released first, perhaps someone here can enlighten me.]

I have heard this before, that GM put its new luxury innovations in the Oldsmobile first.  Didnt they put automatic transmissions in the Olds before Cadillacs?

[Rhino 21150]

You can have fins and a 500! An ex girlfriend of mine has one. I know its a 500 because I put it in the car. Ported, polished, slightly upped cam, dual 3" pipes on the headers. BIG Holley. 1959 Eldopopasaurus. She recently told me about the CD/DVD/GPS unit her new sucker, er, boyfriend put in it. Coca Cola red super sneaker, the exhaust is silent, the engine is beastly. She spooked a Nissan ZX300 one afternoon with it.

[Mick Harrison CLC #20844]

The 74 Corvette was also the last year of the 454 Corvettes.  I had a 74 454 car for about 18 years, it was fun car!

[Mick Harrison CLC #20844]

Here is some data I found on the Toronado/Eldorado Projects http://100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1960/cad67e.htm TARGET=_blank>http://100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1960/cad67e.htm

[Allen Garbowitz]

Whats more desireable, 66 Olds Tornado (Oldsmobile is gone) or a 67 cadillac Eldorado (Eldorado name is gone)?

[Doug Houston]

There were dark days for Cadillac, unfortunately. Indeed, the 4100 engine, but I believe that the piece de resistance was the renamed cheapest Chevy, AKA Cimarron. You rarely see one around, and just as well. If anything ruined Cadillacs name, that was it!

Was it another bean counters inspiration? I bet it was.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

I think most people in the know considered Oldsmobile the trial balloonor innovation division of General Motors.
As for Hydra-Matic Drive, although much of the developmental work was done by Cadillac, Oldsmobile offered it first on its 1940 models. It was introduced during the 1941 model year on Cadillac after it was beefed up to handle the 150 horsepower of the Cadillac V-8 (40 more than the Olds Straight Eight and 50 more than the Olds Six).

[David #19063]

Allen,

Personally, I would prefer the 67 Toronado over the 66 Toro or 67 Eldo.  The Toro has such a killer look.  The 68 Eldo is a close second due to the 472.  Although, one of my dream cars is a 67 Riviera GS or second to that a 65 Riviera GS with 425 and 2x4bbls.

David

[Andrew 10638]

I agree, the Cimarron had no redeming features over the competition. At least the HT4100 got good mileage compared to many, and starting in 1988 it morphed into a more reliable unit than that produced in the early 80s

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

I have a personal dislike of Cadillac models of 1936-37.  Also, barring the Eldorado Brougham, the "reverse-finned" models of 1957 just dont do it for me. In addition and with a few exceptions, granted, the marque began losing its unique identity in 1971; after that the subtle changes make it hard to easily tell one year from the next.

Just an opinion.  I will accept to be shot down in flames by the seventies-eighties-nineties aficionados !

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

BTW, what is a "Corvette" ?
Tee-hee !

[Johnny #662]

I have a personal dislike of Cadillac models of 1936-37.  Also, barring the Eldorado Brougham, the "reverse-finned" models of 1957 just dont do it for me. In addition and with a few exceptions, granted, the marque began losing its unique identity in 1971; after that the subtle changes make it hard to easily tell one year from the next.

Just an opinion.  I will accept to be shot down in flames by the seventies-eighties-nineties aficionados !

I sort of agree with you on the 57s.  I wasnt that thrilled with the reverse fins either, but the oveall "package" was quite nice.  While the changes in the early to mid 70s were subtle, a true Cadillac aficionado could tell the difference in years.  Also the 70s were the era, when Cadillac started styling trends, with the 71 Eldorados, that spread throughout the industry, such as hood ornaments, operal windows and opera lights.  I believe Cadillac was the first car to have the rectangular headlights with the all the  75s.  I think Buick and Oldsmobile had the rectangular headlights on their most expensive models, Electra and 98s.

I think sales figures will bear witness that the mid 70s Cadillacs were the most popular among buyers.  I think even when they started to downsize with the introduction of the 77s, they were still very beautiful and desirable cars to have.

[denise 20352]

> rumor has it the 66 Olds Toronado was the guinea pig, or the sister car released first, perhaps someone here can enlighten me.

   Or you could say that the Eldo was a cheap copy of the Toro, if you were a die-hard Olds fan.  

   I almost hate to quote from the Chiltons 64-71 book, because every time I do, people tell me that Im full of dooty and I end up having to do independent research.  The last time was in a Chrysler forum, where at least half a dozen people told me that there was not such an engine as a 1960s Firepower 390, 413 engine with ram horn intakes, and it took me hours to find another reference to it.   So, um...I dont have it in front of me anyway, so Ill go out on a limb and paraphrase...

    The 66 Toro used ball-spline Rzeppa joints, which turned out to be inadequate, and were later replaced with tri-pod joints in model year 1967.  (I think they were talking about the inner joints)  Heres an interesting link about CV joints

http://hostingprod.com/@aa1car.com/library/cvjoint1.htm TARGET=_blank>http://hostingprod.com/@aa1car.com/library/cvjoint1.htm

    What is significant to me is that I dont know of any other major changes that had to be made to these cars.  Aside from a rubber damper in the right driving axle, they were so overbuilt that you couldnt tear them up.

-denise