Repo Finder provides free repossessed bank cars for sale, bank repossessed cars, credit union repossessions, and ATV repo lists among other repo sales service lists. Index to the Unique Cars and Parts Classic, Vintage and Veteran Car Reviews and Road Tests. Unique Cars and Parts Car Reviews and Road Tests. The Super Shift was a clever idea, and if one treats the range- change system as an overdrive system rather than an eight- speed gearbox, it made a whole lot of sense. The cost was minimal - and a conventional overdrive unit from the era could not be used on a transverse engine arrangement anyway. The British car industry must have realised the opportunity they let pass, namely the Laycock . It too was installed on an unlikely front wheel drive car, the Triumph 1. But Mitsubishi put it into production. And that why we remember it. The Free List of Bank & Credit Union Repo Sales. Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova. The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova was a small automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, and produced in five generations for the 1.
Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped, Nova becoming the nameplate for the 1. Built on the X- body platform, the Nova was replaced by the 1. Chevrolet Citation introduced in the spring of 1. The Nova nameplate returned in 1. NUMMI manufactured, subcompact based on the front wheel drive, Japan home- based Toyota Sprinter. History. Unlike the Corvair, the 1. Chevy II was deliberately never intended to be revolutionary in concept or execution; its mission was to give Chevrolet buyers a simple, back- to- the- basics compact car. When he announced the Chevy II to the press, Chevrolet General Manager Ed Cole described the car as offering . Among the finalists was Nova. It lost out because it didn't start with a . Ultimately the Nova badge would replace Chevy II, but that wouldn't happen until 1. In almost every way, the creators of the Chevy II used Falcon as a benchmark. The 1. 96. 2 model range included sedans and wagons, as well as a two- door hardtop and a convertible, just like Falcon. The only body styles it didn't offer which the Falcon did were a sedan delivery and coupe utility (the Ford Falcon Ranchero), most likely to avoid competing with Chevrolet's own El Camino. First generation (1. Louis, Missouri, USNorwood, Ohio, USVan Nuys, California, USWillow Run, Michigan, USBuenos Aires, Argentina,Antwerp, Belgium,Bienne, Switzerland. Body and chassis. Class. Compact. Body style. Layout. FR layout. Platform. X- body. Related. Acadian. Powertrain. Engine. L) Chevrolet 1. 53. I4. 19. 4 cu in (3. L) I6. 23. 0 cu in (3. L) I6. 28. 3 cu in (4. L) V8. 32. 7 cu in (5. L) V8. Transmission. Powerglide automatic. Dimensions. Wheelbase. Length. 18. 3 in (4,6. Sedan, Coupe . The car was of semi- unibody construction having a bolt on front section joined to its unitized cabin and trunk rear section, available in two- door coupe and four- door sedan configurations as well as convertible and station wagon versions. The 1. 96. 2 Chevy II came in three series and five body styles. A 2. 00 series was also introduced, but was discontinued almost immediately. All Chevy II engines featured overhead valves. A V8 engine was not available in 1. Absent documentation, dealer installed . Refer to the GM Heritage Center 1. Chevrolet Nova information available on the GM Heritage site. Like all Chevy two- door hardtops, the body style was marketed as the Sport Coupe. For 1. 96. 3, the Chevy II Nova Super Sport was released, under RPO Z0. SS was a sport and appearance package). Rival manufacturer Chrysler had earlier developed the Slant Six in their Plymouth Valiant, a Chevy II competitor, when the cars were introduced to the public in late 1. At introduction in the fall, the hardtop coupe was missing in the lineup, contributing to a loss of sales (as well as showroom appeal). Chevrolet subsequently reintroduced the Sport Coupe in the lineup later in the model year, and it remained available through 1. Parking lights moved down to the deep- section bumper, and sedans gained a new roofline. Taillight and backup lights were restyled, as was the rear cove. The 1. 96. 5 Chevy II came in entry- level 1. Nova 4. 00, each in three body styles. The Nova Super Sport came as a Sport Coupe only, and its production dipped to just 9,1. Super Sports had a new brushed- chrome console with floor- mounted four- speed manual transmission or Powerglide automatic, but a column- mounted three- speed manual remained standard. Bucket seats wore textured vinyl trim, and the dashboard held ammeter, oil pressure, and temperature gauges. An expanded engine lineup gave customers six power choices of the six- cylinder or V- 8 engines; the four- cylinder was available only in the 1. But, for Chevy II enthusiasts, 1. Chevy II became a muscle car. A 3. 27 cu in (5. V8 was available with up to 3. W), suddenly putting Nova SS performance practically on a par with the GTO, 4- 4- 2, and 2. Mustang 2. 89s- at least in straight- line acceleration. Midyear also brought a more potent 2. The Chevelle Malibu SS continued to eat away at the Nova SS market: Out of 1. Chevy IIs built for 1. Falcons), only 9,1. Super Sports. For 1. Chevy II had the dubious distinction of being the only car in GM's lineup to suffer a sales decline. It is possible that some Chevy II sales were lost to the brand- new '6. Corvair, which addressed virtually all its 1. Z- body) styling along with a brand- new chassis. Second generation (1. Louis. Missouri, USNorwood. Ohio, USVan Nuys. California, USWillow Run. Michigan, USBody and chassis. Class. Compact. Body style. Layout. FR layout. Platform. X- body. Related. Acadian. Powertrain. Engine. L) I4. 19. 4 cu in (3. L) I6. 23. 0 cu in (3. L) I6. 25. 0ci (4. L) I6 (1. 96. 7)2. L) V8. 32. 7 cu in (5. L) V8. Transmission. Powerglide. Dimensions. Wheelbase. 11. 0 in (2,7. Length. 18. 3 in (4,6. Sedan, Coupe . In general, proportions were squared up but dimensions and features changed little. Highlights included a bold grille and semi- fastback roofline. The lineup again started with Chevy II 1. Chevy II Nova 4. 00 models. For just $1. 59 (equal to $1,1. Nova 4. 00, buyers could choose a Nova Super Sport. Available only in a Sport Coupe, the Nova SS was top of the line. The 1. 94 cu in (3. L) inline- six was standard on the Super Sport, but any Chevy II (excluding four- cylinder) engine could be coupled with the SS. The Nova SS was visually distinguished by wide rocker panels and a bright aluminum deck lid cove. It had bright SS emblems on the grille and in the ribbed rear panel, and Super Sport script on the quarter panels. Wheel covers were inherited from the 1. Malibu SS. Strato- bucket front seats were included, but a tachometer cost extra. Front and rear emblems displayed . Buyers could also order a 1. L) inline- six engine (std. This engine was first seen in the Chevelle. This engine with the close- ratio four- speed manual transmission turned the normally mild Nova into a proper muscle car; The Powerglide automatic was not available with the 3. The 1. 96. 7 models received nothing more than a touch- up after a restyling for 1. All Novas got a crosshatch pattern that filled the deck lid trim panel. The Nova officially was still called the Chevy II Nova and had overtaken the bottom- rung Chevy II 1. The Chevy II 1. 00 lacked much in the way of trim or brightwork. A government- mandated energy- absorbing steering column and safety steering wheel, soft interior parts such as armrests and sun visors, recessed instrument panel knobs, and front shoulder belt anchors, were included in all 1. The 1. 96. 7 Chevy II and its deluxe Nova rendition continued to attract compact- car shoppers, but the Chevrolet Camaro, introduced for 1. Nova sales. Available only in hardtop coupe form, the 1. Chevrolet Nova SS got a new black- accented anodized aluminum grille. SS wheel covers were again inherited, this time from the 1. Impala SS. Nova versions started with the 1. L)in- line six engine but new was an optional 2. L) inline- six. Further powertrain options included a 1. W) 2. 83 cu in (4. L) V- 8 and, for $9. W) 3. 27 cu in (5. L) V- 8. Nova SS coupes had a console- mounted shift lever with their Powerglide automatic transmission or a four- speed manual. Other models had a column- mounted gearshift. Compared to the 1. About 1. 0,1. 00 Nova SS Chevrolets went to customers this year, 8,2. V- 8 engines. In the Chevy II 1. Nova series, six- cylinder engines sold far better than V- 8s. Louis, Missouri, USVan Nuys, California, USNorwood, Ohio, USWillow Run, Michigan, USOshawa, Ontario, Canada. Sainte- Th. The station wagon and hardtop sport coupe were discontinued, the former in line with an industry trend which left AMC the only American maker of compact station wagons until Chrysler rejoined the market in 1. Ford Falcon wagon was actually a midsize, using a bodyshell identical to the Fairlane wagon's). One notable change was the front subframe assembly . Although the front subframe design was unique for the Nova, the Camaro introduced a year earlier was the first to incorporate such a design; the redesigned Nova was pushed a year ahead to 1. The sales brochure claimed 1. Options included power brakes and steering, Four- Season or Comfort- Car air conditioning, rear shoulder belts, and head restraints. There were a few Chevrolet Novas built with the 1. L), the same motor that had been used in the previous generations of the Chevy II. Sales of the 1. 96. Chevy Nova fell by half. In 1. 96. 9 Chevrolet dropped the Chevy II portion of its compact car's name; it was now known simply as the Chevrolet Nova. The 1. 53 cu in (2. L) four- cylinderengine was offered between 1. Jeep DJ- 5. A a. k. Far more popular were the 2. L) six- cylinder and the base 3. L) V8, which replaced the 2. L) V8 offered in previous years. Several units were produced with the 3. L), 2. 75 hp (2. 05 k. W), engine, four- barrel quadrajet carb and four- speed Saginaw transmission with a heavy duty 1. At mid- year, a semi- automatic transmission based on the Powerglide called the Torque- Drive (RPO MB1) was introduced as a low- cost option (~$1. Powerglide) for clutchless motoring. The Torque- Drive transmission was only offered with the four and six- cylinder engines. The two- speed Powerglide was still the only fully automatic transmission available with most engines, as the more desirable three- speed Turbo- Hydramatic was only available with the largest V8 engines. Nova SS. One of the smallest muscle cars ever fielded by Detroit, the Nova SS now included a 2. W) 3. 50 cu in (5. V8 engine along with a heavy- duty suspension and other performance hardware, priced at US$3. A total of 1. 7,5. SS coupes were produced for 1. Novas sported the SS badge until 1. Simulated air extractor/vents were added below the Nova script, which was relocated to the front fender behind the wheelwell instead of the rear quarter panel. The 3. 50 cu in (5. Kill Your Darlings: The Birth and Death of the Pontiac Fiero. Launched in 1. 98. Pontiac Fiero promised to be a good- looking, affordable mid- engine sports car introducing exciting new techniques in production and design. Alas, it became one of GM’s great disasters: overweight and underpowered, tarnished by alarming reports of reliability problems and engine fires. By 1. 98. 8, more power, better looks, and a $3. Fiero closer to its original promise — just in time for the corporation to bring down the ax. This week, we look at the origins and history of the Fiero and the reasons for its sad fate. WAIL OF THE BANSHEEThere was a discussion on The Truth About Cars recently about why General Motors always seems to kill its most interesting models just after it finally gets them right. The pattern is familiar: The company rolls out a new, exciting product to great fanfare, only to have said product turn out to be seriously flawed. After the company finally fixes most or all of the flaws, it decides to cancel the product anyway, leaving aggrieved fans and puzzled observers scratching their heads. There are many examples of this sad tendency, notably including the Chevrolet Corvair and Cadillac Allant. The idea of a cheap, plastic- bodied Pontiac sports car goes back 2. XP- 8. 33, later known as the Pontiac Banshee. The Banshee was the brainchild of E. M. De. Lorean, then the division’s chief engineer. Both Estes and De. Lorean had joined Pontiac back in 1. Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen. They had spent the ensuing eight years reinventing Pontiac as GM’s excitement division with considerable success. By 1. 96. 4, however, they were faced with a dilemma. Although Pontiac had some fast, good- looking products, particularly the GTO, even its sportiest models were big, five- and six- passenger cars. Pontiac had nothing resembling Chevrolet’s Corvette Sting Ray or, more significantly, the new Ford Mustang. The Mustang was then beginning a concerted assault on the youth market that Pontiac had so assiduously cultivated and represented a serious threat. In response, De. Lorean ordered Bill Collins, then assistant chief engineer for chassis engineering, to develop a compact sports car as a potential Mustang rival. To keep costs down, it was to use a fiberglass body and share about 8. Pontiac models. The resultant XP- 8. Banshee looked something like a scaled- down Corvette or the later Opel GT, an aggressive little two- seater powered by Pontiac’s new overhead- cam six. The Banshee was intended to have a reasonable starting price of around $2,5. V8 Mustang. Although De. Lorean and Estes made a strong case for producing the Banshee, GM’s senior management, which had to approve all new models, said no. The corporation’s leadership had little enthusiasm for sporty cars and even less for two- seaters, which they thought too limited in appeal to justify the investment. Even the Corvette, then was selling better than ever, was a distinctly marginal item as far as the corporation was concerned. GM leadership had no interest in building another plastic- bodied sports car, which they assumed — probably not unreasonably — would only cannibalize sales of the more expensive Sting Ray. The Banshee project ultimately came to nothing. Estes was promoted to run Chevrolet and De. Lorean, who succeeded Estes as head of Pontiac, had to content himself with the midsize GTO and the F- body Firebird, based on Chevrolet’s new Camaro. By early 1. 96. 9, De. Lorean had followed Estes and Knudsen to Chevrolet and the image they built for Pontiac began to wither. As we discussed in our recent article on the GTO, Knudsen, Estes, and De. Lorean’s willingness to play fast and loose with GM’s conservative corporate policy was the root of Pontiac’s success in the sixties. By contrast, their successors, Jim Mc. Donald and Martin Caserio, were more concerned with cost controls, internal politics, and complying with new federal regulations. Alex Mair, who replaced Caserio in October 1. Can Am, but most were not successful. Pontiac quickly slipped back toward its pre- Knudsen obscurity. THE COMMUTER SPORTS CARIn 1. Pontiac’s Advanced Engineering group, headed by Turkish- born Hulki Aldikacti, again proposed an inexpensive plastic- bodied sports car, analogous to the long- defunct Banshee concept. The proposal added a new wrinkle: a mid- engine drivetrain, something that was becoming virtually de rigueur for serious sports cars. New general manager Robert Stempel and chief engineer Robert Dorn, an ex- racer, both liked the idea, but they were not confident about its prospects. The corporation had previously rejected proposals for a mid- engine Corvette and with ever- increasing federal emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, new sports cars were not on the menu. Bob Dorn pointed out, however, that if the two- seater could be built cheaply with a fuel- efficient four- cylinder engine, it could help Pontiac meet its CAFE targets. Late that year, Stempel and Dorn presented the idea to senior management, presenting the mid- engined model not as a sports car, but as a cheap, two- seat commuter vehicle capable of returning up to 5. L/1. 00 km). The stratagem worked and the project, known as the P- car, received preliminary approval — ironically, from Pete Estes, who had become president of General Motors in September 1. Bob Dorn assigned Hulki Aldikacti as the P- car’s project manager and chief engineer and told him to proceed. THE ART OF COMPROMISEEffective as it was, the sleight of hand involved in the P- car’s approval was something of a devil’s bargain. The total budget for the program was set at only $4. With such a limited budget, Aldikacti decided his best bet was to sequester the P- car from the normal Pontiac organization. Most of the engineering development was done at an outside firm, Engineering Technology Ltd. The design of the P- car, meanwhile, went not to John Schinella’s Pontiac Two studio, but to the Advanced Design Three studio, then run by Ron Hill. Keeping the P- car out of the normal development channels allowed Aldikacti to control costs and limit bureaucratic delays and interference. Less happily, it also reflected the project’s marginal status within the division. The budget quickly squelched any ambitions Aldikacti had of making the P- car America’s answer to the Ferrari Dino. Developing a unique engine, for example, would have exceeded the project’s total budget as well as pushing the P- car over its target price. Aldikacti had little choice but to use existing components drawn from GM’s parts bin. The corporation’s principal objection to mid- engine design was that it required a rear transaxle and independent rear suspension, both of which were expensive. In 1. 97. 8, however, GM was readying a new crop of low- cost, front- wheel- drive X- cars (the Chevy Citation/Pontiac Phoenix, et al) for the 1. Aldikacti and the engineers at ENTECH realized that they could use the Mac. Pherson strut front suspension and transaxle from the X- cars in the rear of the P- car with fairly minor modifications. The P- car’s front suspension, meanwhile, was borrowed from the subcompact Chevrolet Chevette. This kludge of existing pieces was cheap, if far from ideal. Aldikacti had dreams of a high- revving, all- aluminum V6, but the budget and the ambitious fuel economy target made that impossible. Early on, the P- car was intended to have a 1. L (1. 12 cu. Later, when the project budget shrank even further, the fuel economy target was relaxed and the 1. L was replaced by the familiar 2,4. The Iron Duke was slow- revving, heavy, noisy, and underpowered, but, like the parts- bin suspension, it was cheap and available. The 1. 98. 7- 8. 8 Pontiac Fiero’s Iron Duke engine got extensive modifications, boosting power from 9. W). Despite the cooling vents atop the engine cover, the radiator is in front. The long coolant lines are vulnerable to air bubbles and the system needs to be bled properly any time coolant is added or changed. The idea of recycling familiar components was not necessarily a bad one, but GM’s parts bin at the time was not exactly cutting edge. A five- speed transaxle, for example, would have benefited both performance and fuel economy, but GM didn’t have one, so the P- car initially had to make do with the X- car’s four- speed manual and three- speed automatic. THE PLASTIC P- CARA critical part of the P- car concept was its plastic body, something with which Aldikacti had been intrigued for some time. Since the early fifties, plastic had seemed like the material of the future: lightweight, immune to rust, resistant to dings and dents, and able to form complex shapes that were difficult to achieve in metal. More importantly, as far as the P- car was concerned, plastic molds were vastly cheaper than the tooling for steel body panels, making plastic far more affordable for low- volume products. Unfortunately, plastic bodies also presented a number of problems. While plastic panels are lighter than steel, they aren’t as strong and getting adequate rigidity is therefore challenging. Lotus had used a full fiberglass monocoque for its Elite sports cars, but they were disturbingly flimsy for everyday use. The Corvette and the later Lotus Europa relied on a heavy platform frame for structural support, but even then, their rigidity was not impressive. Furthermore, plastic didn’t hold paint very well and the fit and finish of plastic body panels left much to be desired. Aldikacti was aware of these issues, but he couldn’t afford to sacrifice the cost savings of bodying the P- car in plastic rather than steel. ENTECH and Pontiac ultimately developed a novel “space frame” concept for the P- car’s structure, a welded steel unibody with bolt- on plastic panels. In concept, it was comparable to the old Citro. Pontiac broke new ground, however, with the engineering process.
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