The General Car Thread.

[Auzkhia]

New game: Try to find the modern day equivalent of your car, if it is not a 2016 or 2017 year car.

Me: 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 sport with a 2.8 liter NA V6. Polar White exterior, black leather interior, with carbon fibre trim. It might have costed anywhere from $25000 to $30000, adjusted for inflation, $36,273 to $43,529. Which makes sense, because I remember V6 C-classes were around that price. KBB estimates used car like mine is anywhere from 600 to 3000 depending on engine, trims, and condition.

New: 2017 C43 AMG with 3 liter turbo V6, that is also polar white, black leather, and carbon fibre. It comes to $55,520 (I didn't spec up with parking sensors and premium packages because 90's didn't have that). Wow, V6 C-class is expensive, and the name is weird, because the W202 C43 AMG had a 4.3 liter V8, but the W205 doesn't. The w205 2017 C300 has a 2 liter turbo 4 cylinder.

I don't think the cylinder number is the important thing here. The more important thing is where the car places in the range. Your car matches better with the C300.

And I have no car yet, although the best match for my dad's Corolla is a 2017 1.4 diesel manual midrange Corolla in silver.

I have a better idea: find the car that is the modern equivalent of your first car, or, if you are on your first car or have no car yet, the modern equivalent of your dad's first car.

In my dad's case, the 1997 Nissan Almera sedan with an 83 HP 1.5 and a manual would be matched by a Toyota Corolla (as the Nissan Pulsar has no sedan version) 1.6 petrol manual sedan in silver.

The C300 is more related to the C230 Kompressor both are I4 with forced induction, well in the USDM Mercedes-Benz market. But USDM W205 only has C300, C43 AMG, and C63 AMG.

So, it's too expensive? I see, just go to Belgium and pick one up for cheaper. This is before the dealers, that lobbied congress in 1988, imposed the 25 year rule. Still, it would have been a 230S, and would be like an E-class now.

Not really. While in Belgium it might be cheaper, the import cost would nullify the difference.

Still lower than US dealer prices apparently since grey imports were popular.

[Petrolheadia]

I don't think the cylinder number is the important thing here. The more important thing is where the car places in the range. Your car matches better with the C300.

And I have no car yet, although the best match for my dad's Corolla is a 2017 1.4 diesel manual midrange Corolla in silver.

I have a better idea: find the car that is the modern equivalent of your first car, or, if you are on your first car or have no car yet, the modern equivalent of your dad's first car.

In my dad's case, the 1997 Nissan Almera sedan with an 83 HP 1.5 and a manual would be matched by a Toyota Corolla (as the Nissan Pulsar has no sedan version) 1.6 petrol manual sedan in silver.

The C300 is more related to the C230 Kompressor both are I4 with forced induction, well in the USDM Mercedes-Benz market. But USDM W205 only has C300, C43 AMG, and C63 AMG.

Not really. While in Belgium it might be cheaper, the import cost would nullify the difference.

Still lower than US dealer prices apparently since grey imports were popular.

Grey imports were popular for a different reason - certain trims were unavailable in America.

Otherwise, there wasn't much difference. The Mercedes pricing in Europe used to be not much lower back then than it is now - and the original price of an US-spec 280SE from these times is about $50k in modern money.

An amount which can't and couldn't buy you an S-class in Europe, even a base model.

[Elwher]

Imagine you are a 60-year-old businessman, living in 1968 Washington D.C. Your previous car, a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, served you well, but now looks old and is getting a bit worn. You want to replace it with a normal brand-new 4-door sedan. The options are:
- Lincoln Continental 460 ci,
- Cadillac Sedan de Ville 472 ci hardtop,
- Imperial Crown,
- Mercedes 250S automatic,
- Rover 3500S 3-speed automatic.

Which one would you choose? I'd get the Cadillac.

either the Cadillac or the Lincoln. Any foreign car would detract from your chances of contracts in DC. 1968 was not a year to not drive American.

[Auzkhia]

1978 Lincoln Continental with 1954 Jaguar MKVII bits on it.

I actually like it, strangely enough.

[White Chrobatia]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

[The Two Jerseys]

1978 Lincoln Continental with 1954 Jaguar MKVII bits on it.

I actually like it, strangely enough.

That just screams "I'm a pimp!".

[White Chrobatia]

1978 Lincoln Continental with 1954 Jaguar MKVII bits on it.

I actually like it, strangely enough.

That just screams "I'm a pimp!".

I actually agree on this. It looks more or less pretty cool, what a pimp would be driving around in 1961 or something.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

I like that era, but prefer Japanese cars of the era to American ones.

[White Chrobatia]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

I like that era, but prefer Japanese cars of the era to American ones.

Really? I find them so compressed and inguenuine.

[Belantica]

1978 Lincoln Continental with 1954 Jaguar MKVII bits on it.

I actually like it, strangely enough.

I think it looks pretty cool tbh.
I wouldn't mind cars that looked like this.

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

Same here brotha.

[White Chrobatia]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

Same here brotha.

triggered

[Soviet Haaregrad]

inguenuine.

Please explain what you mean.

Personally I feel that Nissans and Toyotas of that era were some of the best looking cars around. There's lots of American cars of that era I also like, (Vega, Camaro, Nova, Mustang, Demon/Dart, Duster, Cuda, Challenger, Firebird, Javelin, Hornet, Spirit) but Fairlady Zeds, 510s, Laurels, Cedric/Glorias, Skylines, etc are unmatchable. Celicas, Corollas and Crown coupes are pretty nice too.

[Belantica]

Same here brotha.

triggered

Whoops

[GreatestBanks]

inguenuine.

Please explain what you mean.

Personally I feel that Nissans and Toyotas of that era were some of the best looking cars around. There's lots of American cars of that era I also like, (Vega, Camaro, Nova, Mustang, Demon/Dart, Duster, Cuda, Challenger, Firebird, Javelin, Hornet, Spirit) but Fairlady Zeds, 510s, Laurels, Cedric/Glorias, Skylines, etc are unmatchable. Celicas, Corollas and Crown coupes are pretty nice too.

This will be unpopular, but, to me most Japanese sports cars of the 60s and very early 70s were somewhat dopey looking. The Celica was just a rip off the style of American sports car (long hood short deck well slanted windshield)

The S50/S54/S57 and C10 Skylines just look like an econ car design. The 240z to me looks like the Jag E-Type had sex with classic Mini cooper headlights and crapped out a bastard child.

[Auzkhia]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

They're alright, if you just want a big powerful engine.

I prefer the newer ones.

[GreatestBanks]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

They're alright, if you just want a big powerful engine.

I prefer the newer ones.

Hey the Charger R/T with the Hemi had something of a braking system.
''The Dodges were even more interesting and less predictable. The 318 stopped in an almost straight line in 147 feet; eight less than the best Marlin. This was with drums. The 383, also with drums, took eight feet more the same as the Marlin 6. No surprise so far. The Hemi-Charger with discs did the same test in an amazing 133 feet, despite its greater front-end weight.''*
*The stop was from 60-0 on a clean strip of road

The 1967 318 Charger event came close to 50/50 weight distribution.


http://www.motortrend.com/news/1967-marlin-charger/

[GreatestBanks]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

It's my dream to enter into a B-body Charger in the morning

[Soviet Haaregrad]

This will be unpopular, but, to me most Japanese sports cars of the 60s and very early 70s were somewhat dopey looking. The Celica was just a rip off the style of American sports car (long hood short deck well slanted windshield)

The S50/S54/S57 and C10 Skylines just look like an econ car design. The 240z to me looks like the Jag E-Type had sex with classic Mini cooper headlights and crapped out a bastard child.

Americans didn't invent that shape, and by that same standard wouldn't every single car (regardless of nation of origin) with a long hood/short deck be a ripoff?

Anyways, the question for White Chrobatia was how are they 'inguenuine', although a definition of what is meant by 'inguenuine' would be a good place to start.

[GreatestBanks]

This will be unpopular, but, to me most Japanese sports cars of the 60s and very early 70s were somewhat dopey looking. The Celica was just a rip off the style of American sports car (long hood short deck well slanted windshield)

The S50/S54/S57 and C10 Skylines just look like an econ car design. The 240z to me looks like the Jag E-Type had sex with classic Mini cooper headlights and crapped out a bastard child.

Americans didn't invent that shape, and by that same standard wouldn't every single car (regardless of nation of origin) with a long hood/short deck be a ripoff?

Anyways, the question for White Chrobatia was how are they 'inguenuine', although a definition of what is meant by 'inguenuine' would be a good place to start.

The Celica design is a clear rip-off of the Ford Mustang.

The problem isn't the long hood/short deck design language used by the Japanese sports cars, that's just Front Engine Rear Drive sports car language, but the Celica is an outright rip-off of the mighty Mustang

[Soviet Haaregrad]

Americans didn't invent that shape, and by that same standard wouldn't every single car (regardless of nation of origin) with a long hood/short deck be a ripoff?

Anyways, the question for White Chrobatia was how are they 'inguenuine', although a definition of what is meant by 'inguenuine' would be a good place to start.

The Celica design is a clear rip-off of the Ford Mustang.

The problem isn't the long hood/short deck design language used by the Japanese sports cars, that's just Front Engine Rear Drive sports car language, but the Celica is an outright rip-off of the mighty Mustang

The Celica LB certainly looks very Mustang-ish, and they weren't too shy about expressing that it was heavily influenced by the Mustang. However, if that's the basis of your argument that the Celica 'was just a rip off', it's ignoring that the Celica was out for years before the LB body style was ever offered and that the notchback was offered alongside a liftback that didn't have the Mustang-esque design cues - Toyota sold a liftback and notchback of the Celica for multiple generations.

[White Chrobatia]

Is anyone else here a complete sucker for old muscle cars? I LOVE the 60's/early 70's era American Muscle

They're alright, if you just want a big powerful engine.

I prefer the newer ones.

http://www.automobilesreview.com/galler ... cat-03.jpg

[The Two Jerseys]

Americans didn't invent that shape, and by that same standard wouldn't every single car (regardless of nation of origin) with a long hood/short deck be a ripoff?

Anyways, the question for White Chrobatia was how are they 'inguenuine', although a definition of what is meant by 'inguenuine' would be a good place to start.

The Celica design is a clear rip-off of the Ford Mustang.

The problem isn't the long hood/short deck design language used by the Japanese sports cars, that's just Front Engine Rear Drive sports car language, but the Celica is an outright rip-off of the mighty Mustang

Yeah, the original design may just bear a passing resemblance to a Mustang, but the liftback is a pretty blatant knockoff.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

The Celica design is a clear rip-off of the Ford Mustang.

The problem isn't the long hood/short deck design language used by the Japanese sports cars, that's just Front Engine Rear Drive sports car language, but the Celica is an outright rip-off of the mighty Mustang

Yeah, the original design may just bear a passing resemblance to a Mustang, but the liftback is a pretty blatant knockoff.

Speaking of Mustangs and Celicas...



Those '77 Celica taillights look more like Mustang taillights than the stock '78 Mustang ones.

[Auzkhia]

They're alright, if you just want a big powerful engine.

I prefer the newer ones.

Hey the Charger R/T with the Hemi had something of a braking system.
''The Dodges were even more interesting and less predictable. The 318 stopped in an almost straight line in 147 feet; eight less than the best Marlin. This was with drums. The 383, also with drums, took eight feet more the same as the Marlin 6. No surprise so far. The Hemi-Charger with discs did the same test in an amazing 133 feet, despite its greater front-end weight.''*
*The stop was from 60-0 on a clean strip of road

The 1967 318 Charger event came close to 50/50 weight distribution.


http://www.motortrend.com/news/1967-marlin-charger/

In the 60's, that would be OK, naturally modern standards are higher, but even so, Jaguar had four wheel disc brakes, so did the Fiat 124. What's Chrysler's excuse?

[GreatestBanks]

Hey the Charger R/T with the Hemi had something of a braking system.
''The Dodges were even more interesting and less predictable. The 318 stopped in an almost straight line in 147 feet; eight less than the best Marlin. This was with drums. The 383, also with drums, took eight feet more the same as the Marlin 6. No surprise so far. The Hemi-Charger with discs did the same test in an amazing 133 feet, despite its greater front-end weight.''*
*The stop was from 60-0 on a clean strip of road

The 1967 318 Charger event came close to 50/50 weight distribution.


http://www.motortrend.com/news/1967-marlin-charger/

In the 60's, that would be OK, naturally modern standards are higher, but even so, Jaguar had four wheel disc brakes, so did the Fiat 124. What's Chrysler's excuse?

It was for cost concerns and because drum brake life.

The Charger, despite weighing over two tons with the Hemi, stopped decently and managed to handle well. Still, a Hemi Charger was the 4th fastest car from 0-60 in the 1960s (0-60 in 4.8 and through the quarter at 13.5@105mph)

The 426 was an engineering feat of brilliance. Yes, it did have many problems. The valve-train design limited the engine RPMs and the use of cast-iron which brought up weight(Despite some use of aluminum for cylinder heads) as well as the sheer size of the engine all were negatives.

Still, the Hemi was brilliant. And it made cars incredibly fast, lightning fast in the 1960s. The 426 Charger was faster from 0-60 than a Ford GT.