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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Buying my first car tomorrow /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1309830702 Message started by Biddie on 07/04/11 at 18:51:42 |
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Title: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Biddie on 07/04/11 at 18:51:42 I'm buying my first car tomorrow. A '66 Malibu SS with a 454 crate in it. I know most of us don't like cages, but for a cage this is about as good as it gets. This isn't the exact one; however it looks the same as mine. 400 HP at the rear. http://www.histomobile.com/histomob/internet/34/924001.jpg |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Serowbot on 07/04/11 at 18:56:34 Woof!!!... :o... |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Biddie on 07/04/11 at 18:58:30 My bad actually 440HP at the rear. Trade off is it only gets 15 mpg going downhill with a tailwind. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by RidgeRunner13 on 07/04/11 at 21:33:51 Not sure how much you know about cars but with one that old that has been modified, condition is EVERYTHING! If you don't know a lot, get someone who does to help you. I bought my first car 46 years ago when I was 12 & I've seen more bad things in modified cars than you can imagine. Me & a couple of friends used to specialize in finding ones people had put major bucks into before giving up & selling them. BTW, a small magnet hidden in a rag is your best friend. Run it over the body, especially around the fenders, to find body filler hiding flaws. Just one of MANY things to look for. 8-) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/04/11 at 21:36:54 & look down the sides from front & rear, lean back & forth to see how much rippling you see,, thatll show about every ittle door ding you can imagine.. If you can park it under fluorescents, you can see any roof/hood/deck lid dings. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by bill67 on 07/05/11 at 03:52:50 Biddie if you really need it buy it. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by SavRon on 07/05/11 at 05:12:00 Nice....Classic Muscle Car, and highly collectable. Look it over real good. If its not a basket case and the price is right,,, snap it up. Post some pics if ya get it. I had the very same car when I was 19, Candy Apple Red, 4 speed, side pipes, ladder bars. Engine was a LT 1 - 350 -- 375 hp out of a corvette. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/05/11 at 05:53:06 Don't know about your experience, but this is like giving a teenager a Hyabusa. The only difference is they don't make these any more. The steering and brakes, unless modified along with the suspension, are not what we call good quality today. A crate 454 can have as little as 260 hp, so don't get all excited about that. NOW the good news. I love the 66 and 67 body. I also don't care about body filler when done right. My first car was a 390 Ford. I worked on it constantly--and loved it! You will probably get closer to 11 mpg with a carbureted engine. My advice is free and given from a long look back. Drive the speed limit, keep your head, and make friends with the old guys who will most assuredly want to look it over at the 7-11. Enjoy your new car by driving responsibly and knowing what it can do without showing off. And don't ever sell it if you can even park it in a barn and let it rust. I traded a '65 Mustang fastback that should still be in our barn. Don't do that. Enjoy and show us real pics when you get home. This is great. Boofer :) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/11 at 07:01:17 & hes right about Bondo,, Done well,, its not a bad thing at all,,, Ive put it on a Mack that was used in the oilfiled,, it bounced up & down those horrible roads & never shed any of the mud I smeared on it. & some of it was so deep I ran a welding rod across the dent to work like re-bar. Carefully laid in mud can be deep & not crack. I wouldnt have done that, but the dent simply would not pull with the equipment I had,, my come along was dragging the fork lift,,, |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by WD on 07/05/11 at 17:21:07 15mpg? From a 454? Unless it has a modern EFI set up with matching computer controlled 4 speed automatic it won't happen. Those cars have the aerodynamics of a brick with the edges worn off. I used to drive a 68 Pontiac Catalina with a 2bbl 400 from a 69 Firebird. On a good, and I mean GOOD day it got 4 mpg. 400 is a destroked/underbored 455 (same block). That said, if it is decent, go for it. I have a 318 powered 69 Dodge truck that gets 8-12 mpg. The 413-3 powered motorhome gets 6-8 mpg. Heck my Savage MIGHT get 30 mpg with all the mods and high bars. I commute in a 94 Ranger 2wd shortbed with a 2.3L 4 banger and a 5 spd manual. 25-30 mpg. The rest are just toys, never trust a vintage vehicle, they are all haunted. And leak. But usually worth it. You won't score any fun girls in a Prius... |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/05/11 at 18:09:58 You won't score any fun girls in a Prius... Thats okay,, fun guys dont drive a Prius,, whatever a guy in a Prius scores,, he deserves,, I had a Z28 with a 327,, it was okay, but The most Fun car I ever had was a 78 Grand Prix with a 400 in it,, that thing would fly thru a corner like nobodies bidniss.. A passenger got scared in a corner & let go of his beer, it didnt hit the floor, or the seat, it went between my arms as I held the wheel & hit my door.. Thats cornering,, I couldnt make the Camaro generate that kinda G forces in a corner. & the 400 gave me close to 12 MPG.. The 460 I had in a BIGGO Mercury gave me 8 MPG, uphill, into the wind, or off a cliff with a tailwind,, it didnt matter.. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by scroop on 07/05/11 at 19:38:53 You only live once, but as Boofer said, keep your head and don't do anything stupid with it. Remember that he wants to sell it more than you want to buy it and be sure to pay your price and not his. As long as you have the Savage as your primary vehicle you'll be alright. 8-) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by arteacher on 07/06/11 at 05:27:32 Closest I ever had to a muscle car was a '69 'Chief with a small block 350, 4barrel, 300 horse heads,and headers. Bought it for $50 sight unseen from a friend of my dad, who had loaned it to his son, who did the mods. Cost me $6 to safety and I drove it for 7 years with only minor repairs. Sold it for $500 to a kid who wanted the motor. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by bill67 on 07/06/11 at 05:45:07 Mine was a brand new 1964 chevy 409 impala 340 hp power glide. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by kimchris1 on 07/06/11 at 07:10:19 Biddie, congratulations on your "new, old" car. Man those muscle cars are still ones that will turn this gals head. I love looking at them when we go to the races. Would love to drive one and who knows, someday I just might.. Enjoy it and be sure to post pics of yourself with it.. :) kim |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by MrBrownTX on 07/06/11 at 10:26:43 BA |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by scroop on 07/06/11 at 18:19:46 666D68683233040 wrote:
That's a beautiful machine, Bill. I love those big old Impalas, especially the tail lights. 8-) You said that you got it brand new, what was the sticker? |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/06/11 at 18:45:55 I love those big old Impalas, especially the tail lights. They made sure to make the tail lights good lookin, since they knew most folks were gonna be lookin at them,, |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by mpescatori on 07/07/11 at 07:36:08 143F32323F33560 wrote:
Biddie, my most sincere CONGRATULATIONS for landnig such a great car !!! :) A few words on performance and mpg from one who's used to $9/gal gasoline... :o (keep in mind I speak/think with a European mind, but mechanicals is mechanicals...) 1) 454cu.in is a hoooge engine with hoooge cylinders: you might actually get better mileage frmo a 4-barrel carb rather than a 2-barrel carb, PROVIDED the buterflies open sequetially AND you have a VERY good foam air filter and high flow intake manifold and headers (in other words, a 4-barrel with only two butterflies open will have better airflow than a 2-barrel at the same engine revs) 2) the old generation 3-speed automatics would often shift "low-2nd-drive" in only a few hundred feet; change the auto trans oil from a SAE90 to SAE75-80 (thicker oil) 3) remember the old adage to run properly inflated tires and have the front wheels properly tracked. Actually, I'm convinced that if you simply "lope along" at 55-60 you should easily be in the 15mpg range, if not better. To improve mileage you can always consider GearVendors Over/Underdrive, literally an overdrive to have 4th gear in your 3-speed box! http://www.gearvendors.com/ 8-) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/07/11 at 11:39:52 He may have a Power Glide transmission. A built PG can handle gobs of torque. And it doesn't hurt to shift out quickly. The engine can handle it. That was a way to get the engine back in it's low end grunt zone. Buy the car. Take it easy. learn what you can. We're getting on our own nerves. jmo ;D |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by RidgeRunner13 on 07/07/11 at 14:57:30 I've rebuilt automatics going back as far as a 1953 Chevy cast-iron PG & they all use some form of ATF. Even most modern manual transmissions use ATF now. Please do not put SAE 75-80 or 90 in anything since the mid 90s without checking first. It could get very expensive. 8-) A Turbo 400 would have been my choice back in the day, but there are overdrive trannys available now that would be a better choice for a daily driver. Wonder if the OP bought it or not? |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by joscswny on 07/08/11 at 06:47:57 Biddie, All this advice is excellent and tiimely. Buy the Thing!!! And work lots of overtime. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by bill67 on 07/08/11 at 08:50:28 2622202E7D797B4B0 wrote:
That's a beautiful machine, Bill. I love those big old Impalas, especially the tail lights. 8-) You said that you got it brand new, what was the sticker? [/quote] I think it was around $2700,it was the 2 door hardtop dark blue |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by arteacher on 07/08/11 at 08:54:24 Ya buy it or what? :-? |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/08/11 at 09:57:53 Ridge Runner, When I was a pre teen and teen my dad and I used to hang a lot of engines and such from a big tree in our side yard. We overhauled a 1951-52? Power Glide using that tree for shade. HEAVY. We weren't mechanics, but country folks back then did their own work. We had a gear chip off our John Deere tractor. While using a cold chisel and hammer I got a bb sized piece of steel in my right forearm. I can still feel it today, 40 years later. That tree is gone and so is my dad. I hope the Chevelle leaves the same good memories and do-it-yourself work ethic I learned. And no matter how it started out, with a 454 in it it is a Chevelle. :) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Biddie on 07/08/11 at 14:40:54 Sorry about the long reply time, my job requires long hours everyday. I normally come home shower eat then go straight to bed. I did buy the car. It has a '07 GM crate 454 with 700 miles, turbo 400, Barry grant demon carb. These are the only pics I have right now. http://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2011/07/08/bikepics-2237125-full.jpg http://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2011/07/08/bikepics-2237129-full.jpg |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by EJID on 07/08/11 at 15:10:18 Awesome looking car! Must be fun, but don't let it become a trouble maker 8-) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/08/11 at 17:04:49 414E4D40040 wrote:
And don't you become a trouble maker. ;D Engine shows proper attention to assembly detail. Hope it's good for years to come. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/10/11 at 10:10:27 Biddie, I will be going up Tn 45 taking daughter to camp in a bit. I have a 2000 Grand Prix 3.8 that's been "Breathed on a bit", A/C good stereo. lumbar crank, smooth, reliable--why am I remebering 1973 and my friend's Mustang Mach I 351 Cleveland, competetion steering, suspension, exhaust, and wondering if you are taking a Sunday ride? Tn 45 is railroad straight and was on my way to college. If you didn't mind Tn Troopers it was perfect. Get a picture of you with the car. Not just digital. Print it out! Good day. :) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by scroop on 07/10/11 at 13:58:34 52595C5C0607300 wrote:
Wow, that's about what I paid for the Boulevard! |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Boofer on 07/10/11 at 16:40:37 Bill, I was thinking about 3200 for a 66 327 4 speed, I think 300 horse, but you could get more. You're probably about right for yours. :) |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by Sunchasers on 07/11/11 at 12:49:01 Holy Crap!.... a "first" car like this one?? I would have killed for a car like that growing up! My first car was a '71 Ford Maverick... 6 cylinder, 4 door. :-/ Couldn't afford anything else... LOL. |
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Title: Re: Buying my first car tomorrow Post by scroop on 07/11/11 at 14:39:43 My first car was a 1979 Volkswagon Rabbit that I paid $300 for. It ran and everything! :P |
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