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Jan 29, 2010 14:54:09 GMT
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The Poncho Turbo Sunbird was a rocketship, a seriously quick performance ride in its day. Or even today. A friend had a black convertible version, and it was really quite a nice car. If I recall it was trimmed in gold pinstripe, a la the Trans Am JPS look. I realize this is a deparaging thread, with tongue-in-cheek "love the J-car" then lacerate it, so thought I'd add some balance. There were some truly outstanding versions. The turbo 'Bird was the best of them IMO.
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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Hirst
Posted a lot
This avatar is inaccurate, I've never shaved that closely
Posts: 3,930
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Jan 29, 2010 15:12:06 GMT
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It's not tongue-in-cheek from my end, Norm! Might be from some of the others, but hey if it gets people thinking about them it'll be worth something. I think the J-car gets unfairly picked on considering all the cool cars to come out of it and I thought it'd be nice to see a bit more non-muscle American stuff on here.
My thinking was that I would assume a lot of people on here would like MK2 Cavalier SRis, so it wouldn't be a huge leap of the imagination to get them to like the same thing in a different suit.
We can all have a good laugh at the frankly absurd adverts though.
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Jan 29, 2010 15:19:32 GMT
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Heck, I KNOW you like 'em!
A time machine ride back to like 1985, and you'd have just loved the Turbo Sunbird J2000, in black, with convertible top. It really was a great handling car, and scooted! I recall he did quite well at autocross (think you call it "gymkhana" for orange cone timed dodging) in his class.
I was not prepared to be impressed. But I was. And I'm picky! This was muscle car performance from a lithe small bore FWD GM in the mid-80's!
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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Hirst
Posted a lot
This avatar is inaccurate, I've never shaved that closely
Posts: 3,930
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Jan 29, 2010 15:25:45 GMT
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Excellent, did wonder what the handling would be like, especially with it being a convertible with that much power!
What I want to know is what those Cavalier Z24s are like. Imagine if one turned up here with front-end damage, you could stick a Vauxhall Cavalier front on it and rebadge it as a Cavalier Sportshatch!
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Jan 29, 2010 15:33:39 GMT
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^^No idea, never had any experience with the Z24. In the mid-80's GM was still allowing Pontiac to separately tune its handling, so things like the Firebird and Sunbird would have special optional Pontiac-only suspension/steering packages distinct from their Chevy cousins.
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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Jan 29, 2010 15:53:32 GMT
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Holden Camira: SUPERCAR! FROM THE FUTURE! HIS MISSION, TO RIIIDE STREET HAWK! Daewoo Espero: When I arrive at work I chuck my keys up and grab them like this bloke. It makes me feel big. I am torn between these two as the best adverts. If the computer in the Holden actually made that noise while it performed speed, distance and fuel calculations then consider it sold. But if the Espero really does give the feeling of contentment that he is so obviously experiencing, then, well, Mr Daewoo dealer would have himself a deal.
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1989 Peugeot 205. You know, the one that was parked in a ditch on the campsite at RRG'17... the glass is always full. but the ratio of air to water may vary.
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DutyFreeSaviour
Europe
Back For More heartbreak and disappointment.....
Posts: 2,944
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Jan 29, 2010 16:27:38 GMT
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I had the GLi version of the Mk2 - lovely motor and went like the proverbial off a shovel.......... never let me down and only let it go as the then GF went nuttzorz with me having 5 cars. shoulda binned the bug painted in road-stripe yellow paint instead Would have another if I could afford yet another money drain ;D
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Back from the dead..... kind of
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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Jan 29, 2010 16:32:41 GMT
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^^No idea, never had any experience with the Z24. In the mid-80's GM was still allowing Pontiac to separately tune its handling, so things like the Firebird and Sunbird would have special optional Pontiac-only suspension/steering packages distinct from their Chevy cousins. I know the sunbird had 4pot engines 1.8/2.0 ohc, from brazil, but were they the same basic engines as our 8v ohc engines at the time? its just interesting if they are, how much power the emision control stuff must zap e.g my vauxhall is a 87 has 1.8 8v engine (new) about 115bhp but the sunbird was down to 84bhp with a 1.8. the 1st gen pont turbo was 150bhp then 165bhp going from 1.8t to 2.0t, better then the v6s, and impressive back in its day, the sunbird is my fav of the US ones, I also like the cady but ive driven a couple and they arnt very good lol any ideas on weights of the sunbirds, anyone? id love to know what suspension options they done aswell
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Last Edit: Jan 29, 2010 16:50:49 GMT by pirate
persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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Jan 29, 2010 17:28:15 GMT
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^^Hey, Pie-Rat, weren't that you who said GM was making nothing but curse word cars for a very long time (in another thread)? Glad to see some Poncho love from you, baby! Dunno the weights and HP ratings, but surely that Wiki-able if you wish to pursue it. Norm
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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Jan 29, 2010 17:38:47 GMT
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^^Hey, Pie-Rat, weren't that you who said GM was making nothing but curse word cars for a very long time (in another thread)? Glad to see some Poncho love from you, baby! Dunno the weights and HP ratings, but surely that Wiki-able if you wish to pursue it. Norm certanly did say that, like I said the chev cav was not as good as the euro cars, the caddy was a flop as you know, but I liked the styling of the ponts, had a older gran prix a few years ago aswell, ive just been playin on ebay.com there seems to be hardly any of these cars left bar a few later 90s cavaliers. wiki wont tell me what I want to know lol its evil and I don't like it. and just cus something is a bit curse word doesnt mean I cant like it, I do love allegros and metros after all haha oh yeh forgot, from what i can tell the engines look a fair bit differant.
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Last Edit: Jan 29, 2010 17:39:47 GMT by pirate
persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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Jan 29, 2010 17:56:55 GMT
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During the '80s GM had to respond, mainly to a resurgent Chrysler under Lee Iaccoca, with more punch in its mid-size FWD line. At the time Chrysler was the world's leading turbocharging manufacturer. Almost every vehicle line, including the minivan (!), had a turbo option. The Chryslers came with a 5-year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty, later extended to 7/70! GM needed some "boost". The 'Bird Turbo was one of its answers to the Chrysler turbo onslaught. (And like he did at Ford, Iaccoca once again hooked up with his buddy Carroll Shelby, and they made music together with a whole line-up of Shelby Dodges. Then Carroll even started manufacturing his own Shelbys with Dodge powerplants in Whittier CA. I have one of the first Shelbys from that new facility.)
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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Jan 29, 2010 18:08:12 GMT
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i wish they were throwing turbos on here lol! there were a few companys mainly janspeed doing conversions, am i right in thinking, having a turbo boosts power yet when tested for emisions at a constant rpm they don't shove up the emisions? there are some fine shlby dodges, or were. i do have to remind myself they are two totaly differant markets. i think american cars are more disposable then what ours used to be, and a smoother v6 is prob better for us roads then a smaller 4 pot lol don't think i don't like american cars, i do, i just think they were not as good as some euro cars. of course there is the 80s austins and rovers.....
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persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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Jan 29, 2010 18:22:24 GMT
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To American enthusiasts, the late 80's were like the late 60's all over again. Cars were cheap, fast, except now they stopped well too, and handled with most anything else being made in-class. The late 80's Mustangs and Camaros, Corvettes, Buick GNs, Dodge turbos, T-Birds in turbo/V8/or S/C format, 2-seat Fieros, Sunbirds, Shelby turbos, Viper in the wings, TransAm & IMSA racing in full song, NASCAR golden age sedans streaking in popularity, ahhh......... it was a great time to be young and free! And fuel was cheap. The Japanese and Euro manufacturers really were caught flat-footed for about 5 years, with nothing as inexpensive and fast, nor with the reliability backed up by anything like Chrysler's 7/70 warranty for free engine/trans replacement if that motor blew its lid. I was doing pro endurance racing (Peugeot 505 Turbos) by the end of the decade, and the vast vast bulk of competitive cars were North American. Only the higher-end BMWs and Nissans were in the mix at all.
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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Jan 29, 2010 18:32:19 GMT
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I think american cars really are still pretty cheap tbh, compared to our, ours are only just gettin inline with everyone else, ive played car builder on a few new manufacturers (states ones), and they come out well priced, wouldnt be so by the time it hits our shores with shipping and taxes tho. would be interesting to do some comparisons, a retro head to head with what was hot in the states in the 80s and what was over here. although I was actualy young in the 80s, I think it was a darker time here, with most wanting practicle cheap to run cars with a few hot versions thrown in. que the decent turbo diesels starting out.
oow I forgot the sierra cosworth. (its friday vodka has been used) although is cosworth american?
another edit, ive learneded the merker was a U.S xr4i, but turbo, and lots of cosworth stuff came from that. I'm not a ford person, which is wierd as its my surname.
hurst give us more retro j-body porn
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Last Edit: Jan 29, 2010 19:08:34 GMT by pirate
persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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Jan 29, 2010 23:09:16 GMT
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Sheesh that late-model Ponti Sunbird on pg1 made me wince......One of the regular Classic American contributors in Canada has a Z24, Or he did when I last read it about a year ago. I fancy a Toyota Cav too, though I've no idea why.....
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Jan 29, 2010 23:27:56 GMT
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I love them, some of them are clearly very stylish, particularly the NA coupes.
However I'm struck dumb but the lovely Olds. I've been wondering what the girly in A-team has been driving for the first 8 or so episodes... now I know!!!
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Sheesh that late-model Ponti Sunbird on pg1 made me wince....... Pull the cam out of yer haid! The pg 1 'Bird is basemodel spec. Here are the Turbo GT's, less than 1500 of them ever made. Note the white one on the trailer resides in the UK! To me, these are the ultimate J-cars, hands down.
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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Jan 30, 2010 11:26:08 GMT
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No, not that one. That actually looks vaguely similar to my S12. I meant this; Aiiiieeeeee!!
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,608
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So you meant Sunfire? Convertible version pretty wild. They certainly uglified them later on. Remember a rental sedan that felt Sooo cheap inside. wow, show car versions: Was shocked to see earlier Sunbird/Cavalier cabrio in a US wreakers 10 yrs ago with the 2/2.5mm steel side skirts riveted to the sills for extra reinforcement! & a Detroit example on the road with a Hessian bonnet! They used to be so common there & so many variants you would almost think the J-car had originated there. I also remember stories GM USA sold them at a loss to get their CorpAverageFuelEconomy figures down so they could sell more profitable less-economical models.
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Last Edit: Jan 31, 2010 2:15:27 GMT by 79cord
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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