messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@anonymitaet-im-inter.net...
There was plenty of junk around in the 70's. Not just GM junk. The Vega was just worst than most others. I got through the 70's with only one serious car problem. With a '64 Bug, a '67 Skylark, a '66 F-150 and a '74 Dart. A '71 Nova with a 307 burnt a valve - I really pushed that one - and I junked it. Consider it the Worst Car I Ever Had. Every other car had no engine or trans problems, they just rusted away. VW sold a lot of Rabbits that started burning oil right away. The Jap cars were quickly dissolved by rust and you had to scrape the ice from inside of windshields while driving up north. Never heard anything good about them either. AMC was ALL junk and probably blew more head gaskets than Vegas. I don't know about Fords, except my dad was happy with his LTD.
You couldn't go far wrong with a GM 350 or Chevy or Chrysler straight 6. Those were probably the best. Some might add the Chrysler 318, but I've never been a Chrysler fan.. Most EVERYTHING else was JUNK. ALL OF THEM. Those pioneers who bought small for fuel economy ended up paying more in the long haul. But they were necessary sacrifices to advance technology. I honor their sacrifice. Suckers. Nah. just kidding. Only other '70's cars I had besides the Dart and Nova was a '76 Caprice and a '78 Chevy Beauville van I bought after 1980. Both with 350's, and both did just fine except for rust.
The '70s was a terrible decade for all cars. GM continued that trend in the 80's with the Citation and its brethren. But just like the Vega, anybody with any sense didn't buy them. The Citation and it's ilk were a boon to Jap auto manufacturers. That's when they began to really began to eat the market. First decent 4-cyl GM had was the 2.0, and first decent V-6 was the
2.8. I bought both only after they were proven. Now I'm looking at the Ecotec to be in my next ride if I go with a Malibu. It'll be my first without push rods. But if I decide on an Impala, it'll be a 3.5 with push rods.--Vic
I'm crossposting this to rec.auto.tech - might get other ideas, since they are much more sophisticated in matters automotive..