"There's this dead spot above 30mph when you stomp the pedal......."This must be dude's first trip around the block in a mid 70's Chevy with a Quadrajet and 3 speed auto.
I suspect he is quite a bit younger than this car, and has no clue how to clean a carb or adjust the fuel mixture. I had a buddy in high school who had a '75 Nova LN with the factory 350 2 barrel. It smoked the tires off of the line and hauled tail in stock form. My Dad's 76 Nova Concours with a 305 ran 0-60 in 10 seconds, hit 100 easily, 85 mph in 15 seconds. Not all that quick by today's standards, but quick for back then. Joe Ligo needs to tune this Laguna, or sell it to someone who once owned and tuned catbureted cars.
There's a dead spot as well in Joe Ligo's brain☺ This 350 2 barrel tuned properly should be a strong runner that can run 0-60 in 10 seconds. I bet Ligo has never held a can of carb spray in his life.
@@McBeamer94 I had a 1975 Monte Carlo with the same Engine/Transmission setup. There was no "dead spot", and it would do zero to sixty in less than 10 seconds. The car shifted into third around 25 mph, which is probably what he is talking about. My Monte Carlo also had Air conditioning and was certainly the heavier car.
I loved mine. 350 2 bbl, then added 4 barrel. then added dual exhaust. then built it as 383, then built a 400 small block stroker 377, and had a 396 for it when it was stolen. Dual gate trans from a GTO and a 12 bolt rear. Drove it from 1981 to 1993, had it shipped to Hawaii in the service. Shipped back. I miss it .
When I was 17 in 1982 I had one of those cars with a 400 small block it was white with black int and a black landau top. I took off all the anti pollution BS bored it out 30 over and put in a bigger cam and some headers and backed it with a reworked turbo 400. It ran pretty good, I loved that car and drove it for about 10 years.
Late 80s and a buddy had one , but I think it was a 350 or 305 or something... damn rear highway gears , they must have been in the low twos. it shifted into 3rd by 100-110 and then really had a hell of a time going faster. Christ, I think it did the 1-2 shift at 60 or so. Way too much gear, if it had power, who knows I’d bet it would do 140 geared like that.
AutoLounge It always bugs me how no one talks about these cars because there was no Muscle by 1975 When I see someone with a car like this from this period i salute them because they are true car enthusiast.
That's what happens when you put restrictive primitive emissions equipment, mild cams, and low compression ratios together. It's like making a runner breathe through a straw.
still felt punchy at low speed since the torque was there. basically put in mind a V8 with a 3000 rpm limit, going beyond, while possible, just made the engine scream with no forward momentum.
THANKS ! Had to go back in video.....as upper LOOKED like the Monte and Grand Prix seats I looked for everywhere. Car I just found has seats that LOOK like swivels too. I won't find out till I find the owner. Looks like a family passed down car, from added cool stuff on it.... but an easy fix to make respectable driver. Clean and cool enough to take too many initial pictures.
I always liked the Laguna, very stylish with the right color combination and options. My father had a 74 Chevelle, plenty of power almost hit a telephone pole with it when I was in HS.
I remember these mid 70's Chevelle. I loved them when I worked at an auto shop at the time. They were solid, roomy and smooth. The auto companies had to quickly add equipment the engines were never designed for in order to meet emissions and this really hurt gas mileage and of course performance but the street isn't a race track anyway.
In my teens, my neighbor had a Laguna S3 454 4speed. They were rare, but yes the 454 WAS available on the Laguna. It was available in '74 along with the 4 speed as far as my research can find.
can you do a video of the Baldwin motion 73 chevelle... The last Baldwin-Motion Chevelle was a 1973! Here is a '73 Phase III Chevelle packing a L-88 427, an M-22 4-speed, 4.88 rear gears, and the Hone-O-Drive overdrive. This car was the only Phase III Chevelle produced in '73. When purchased new, this car sold for $12,030, making it the most expensive Chevelle Motion ever built.
We were late 80s teens. A buddy had one. What I remember is we wanted to be out west with it because of those highway gears. The damn thing shifted into 3rd at like 100-110mph!! It was no quicker than another friends 76 monte, and another kid had a 68 nova with a 6 and a powerglide... they all ran dead even, nobody could run away from each other. Those were some fun times, even if we missed the boat as far as real musclecars.
Thanks MotorWeek for showing this Chevelle. I remember this car as a kid . I know its been at least 30 years since I've seen one. You guys have to show more of the muscle from the 70s.
Ultimate M All though these were no were near as power full as there 60s predecessors I want to see more of these post muscle cars from the muscle car era no one ever talks about them or owns them it would be rare seeing that 75 laguna then A 70 LS6 Chevelle.
When I worked at Buff Whelan Chevrolet in the early 2000's, a guy use to bring his Laguna S3 in - it was white w/ a red interior & was a good looking car.
Thanks for posting that retro-review. My very first brand new car was a 1975 Laguna Type S3. It was silver, like this one, but had a half-vinyl roof and black racing stripes down the sides that met up with the black rubber strips on the front and rear bumpers, and a black interior with the swivel buckets. It had the 350 so it wasn't a race car, but it was miles ahead of the standard Chevelle/Malibu in terms of sportiness and luxury. I wish this video showed the differences between the Laguna and the Chevelle. The regular Chevelle had rectangular speedo and no gauges whereas my Laguna had the Monte Carlo dash with the round dials and I think full gauges. The Laguna also had a revised front suspension geometry and large swaybars front and rear. It would corner fast and flat. It was more of a short wheelbase Monte Carlo than it was a Chevelle/Malibu. I loved it, but sold it about a year and a half after I bought it when I moved across the country in 1977. I wish TH-cam would allow me to post a picture of it.
Man O War Yup there a complete dark horse nobody owns them nobody owns them no one ever talks about them I feel like these cars should be talked about more when talking about the Decline of the muscle years it would be more rare seing that 1975 Chevelle Laguna then seeing a 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 454.
Nobody talks about them because they're suuuuuppppeeeer slow and handle like a tugboat. They look neat and like has been said already, they're rare, those are it's only two redeeming qualities. Yes I understand why they're so slow and that they really couldn't do anything about it thanks to the ascent of the American nanny state, but they're still slow. Also yes, I know you can do X, Y, and Z to them and get some HP number that's larger, but you can say that about any car.
Muscle cars went from 1964- 1974 As they continued on there way of being a luxury car as the Muscle car era had faded I love seeing these cars pre muscle car years I feel like there important to talk about when talking about the pre muscle years what we got in the 70s were cars that still looked like pretty cool muscle cars but lacked the high performance Please motor week do more of these type of videos. It would be more rare seeing a 1975 Chevy Laguna then a 1970 Chevelle SS LS 6 454 V8 Its rare seeing these post muscle years the only Car that kinda kept the muscle car somewhat alive was the Pontiac trans am.
Scobey scobe no but they still somewhat tried and add some additional performance but After 1974 is were They ether were discontinued or turned into a personal luxury car which I do miss or went on and sold its good name of in the process like the mustang Charger the Chevelle nova Cutlass etc 72-74 imo they still made a attempt but after 74 is were they gave up the only one that still tried to do something was the Trans am but even those were under powered.
Scobey scobe I’d say after 72’ but my Dad has a 73’ Grand Prix and let me tell you that car was luxury and sport. Not extremely fast but fast enough with nice torque
I know this guy from the channel AutoMoments. As always, amazing work, and happy for him for finding a bigger platform to share his awesome job. Keep up with this kinda content, please!
I still love that car, it may not appeal adrenaline junkies I enjoyed driving them,I also loved the swivel bucket seats,if you want more power just use an earlier engine.
Similar to my '77 Monte Carlo, grateful my Monte Carlo was optioned out with the 175hp, 275lb ft tq 350ci 4bbl V8 w/ dual exhaust... Also the third generation Chevelle was certainly a lot larger than its predecessor, in no way was it downsized.
Papo Cam From the factory it did have two exhaust tips behind the rear wheels, however the exhaust was completely redone by the previous owner with a genuine dual exhaust unit, figured the factory exhaust would have been routed the same way. Thank you for providing me with further insight on my car. 👍
Sean James the space was available to do it yourself, but,passing anti pollution test on certain states were impo$$ible,especially California. Thanks for your time & reply. L8r...
if i remmeber well mexico had dual exh monte carlo SS and with the manual 4 speed. i dont rmemeber the years but i think they lasted well into the 80's. they sticked with the 4bbl there well into the efi era. im sure some GM boy will know more about those than i do
Ragimund VonWallat . There was a BIG DIFFERENCE between Mexico & USA as far as STRINGENT Anti pollution device, especially catalytic converters. I, guess there was NO CONCERN south of the border. It was all about the BENJAMIN$$. All that crap ADDED $$$ to the price,in your country it wasn't the law,as up here in USA.
Was gonna say this, it was bigger than the '68-72 generation and almost as big as the '61-64 full-size (at leaast the four-doors were). Chevelles had two wheelbases from '68-77, one for the coupes and (through '72) convertibles and a longer one for sedans, wagons and El Caminos.; Monte Carlos used the long wheelbase with the regular coupe body and the extra length allocated to a longer hood instead of extra back-seat legroom.
1973-77 chevelles are the best handling chevelles from the factory. Drop in a decent small block or even a big block and it will out perform a 64-72 Chevelle in every aspect. And I think they have the best body style produced
Plush luxury, great V8 sound, 250lb/ft torque and the size of a large European sedan. It would even fit perfectly into our "Eurobox" garages. I wish I had one! ✌️😍
The '73 Chevelle wasn't "downsized", it was slightly larger and significantly heavier than the previous model for rollover safety standards and bumper regulations. The '78 was the "downsized" model you're thinking of.
I have a set of those swivel buckets in my storage trailer. I have owned many chevelle's over the years and have never been without one since 1969, a total of 14 different ones. Right now I still have a 1967 2 door sport coupe that I've had since 1978. I bought it in CA and drove it to OH where it has been mostly stored, only driven on occasion. Just has 100,500 miles. Totally rust free original body panels. Still have the original black CA plates. Has had one repaint in 1982. It's a 350 ci with 350 hp and a 350 turbo trans. The engine has only 18,000 miles since new. Needs new battery and tires. Would sell for $16,500.
I had a '77 Malibu Classic. Factory straight six , almost no options. No ac, no vinyl roof,,,etc . That was a real car . Beautiful body design, plenty of power, handled and rode like a dream . I would love to find another exactly like it
Gary - "Plenty of power," from the six? For what it's worth, THEY can be modded for more power. Clifford Performance. I can't imagine too many were sold with the 6...
My dad had one of these. I think a 1976 model, same silver color, same red interior. OK maybe it wasn't inspiring to drive, but these things are cool. Even with the full power steering and that thin GM wheel they used forever. Great cruiser and these days they get looks. And you can always fix that little power problem with a few trips to the auto parts store. What a cool throwback and a well preserved time capsule of a car. More of these please!!
Wow this is so strange. As a child in South Texas in the very early 80s, these Chevelles, Camaros, Firebirds, Trans-ams, Mustang II's were everywhere. Seeing this old Chevelle really gives me an odd nostalgic feeling.
Boomers on craigslist be like: $12000 price is firm, I know what I got. This here is a classic american muscle, it's rare so it's expensive! Yeah has a little rust, needs TLC, heater core leaks, NO LOW BALLERS $12000 CASH ONLY MUST BE A SERIOUS BUYER.
I've always had a soft spot for the Laguna, LS7 it with a Tremec 6 speed, Lower it with Spring / Shock package, Willwood Brakes all around, 18" Diameter Wide Torque Thrust style Wheels Center Sections Painted Smoke Grey to Match the Exterior paint ......Wow!!!!
We had a green and white 1976 Chevelle Laguna Type S3. It was loaded down with just about every option. Had the 350 engine. Was not a bad car in its day but there were some quality glitches---electrical issues and some flimsy plastic interior pieces. It had the F-41 suspension. Handled well while having a firm but solid ride that was really not too uncomfortable.
I knew a guy in 93 in high school and we laughed at him. I had a Camaro with a 71 330hp 350 and a 3:43 rear with 1800stall and although that's not the greatest combo by today's standards my rough ol Camaro blew it away
Your wrong. The S3 could be had with the 454. I’m lucky enough to have one I also have the build sheet that was tucked above the gas tank so I can confirm it was a factory big block laguna.
Should had a detuned version of the Corvette L82 350 engine as the standard engine. With 195 hp. A 145 hp 350 was just not right, but still a cool design.
Willie B Hardigan me to It always bugs me when people want to talk about Chevelle s or muscle cars they don't talk about anything past 1970 or 1971 like these cars don't exist oh well at least they won't bring up the prices like they would with there 1960s counter parts.
- theres one rotting away (rusted beyond belief) in the back of an abandoned building across town- white with gold(?) stripes 454. - sign on windshield (faded) “not for sale” - tires flat/dry rotted,paint severely faded - interior busted,sun baked. Very sad 😢
Just photographed one of these '75, yesterday. No wide rubber strips (impact) trim on front or rear, missing lower grille (really, try to find one). Unknown engine. LOOKS like swivel buckets in black interior, automatic console. Surface rust in some spots, NAPA bow tie key hole protectors, mud flaps....Chevy bowtie exhaust tips, knock-off spinner center caps on mixed size ralleys. Crayon red. saw four times in a few days, but not owner who MUST work nearby to keep an eye on it.
I had a ‘75. It was made in California which meant it got a 4 barrel and put out 155 horsepower. Obviously not a world beater but it was a very fun car! Very solid and dependable. It always got me where I needed to go!
I always thought for traditional muscle cars(i.e. mid-sized 2 door American coupe) that the 1977 Pontiac Can Am(based on the Le Mans platform) was the last of the breed until the 1983 Monte Carlo SS debuted.
@ Clint Davis, you have to see the each era for what they were, the 80's G body GM cars(Monte Carlo SS, Olds Hurst, Buick GN & GNX) were all muscle cars in their own right and in fact would out perform anything mid-sized from 1975-1980. Remember, that "305" Monte had 180hp, the Laguna shown here had less hp with a 350....
The customer could choose from coupe, sedan or wagon with 3 or 4 different engines , a multitude of paint colors and interiors. Obviously these Chevelles don't have as much HP as their immediate predecessors but they still had loads of personality compared to modern cars.
Right Lane Hog They really do what ever happened to personal luxury cars like these post muscle cars also they seat 5 people more comfortably then a modern 4 door sedan imo.
@@tonichappell7596, about 75% of the Chevelle Malibu sales from '73-77 were coupes because the baby boomers were older and had money for new cars. If you couldn't afford the Monte Carlo, you bought a Malibu. It was about the same size, weight, engines and options.
Like the Retro vids, but this modern review of an oldie is a nice and informative piece. Wonder if you could fit an LS3 in that Laguna.....and upgrade the brakes to match the power.
93455Driver any LS engine will go right in with new motor mounts it would be much faster and better on gas and no one would expect it which would make it very fun
I love it when Motorweek does a segment on a car that was made before they started their show in 1981. I wish they did more, perhaps start a segment for classic cars that are still running reliable and strong at 20+ years old 😅 I also like how Joe did the presenting, his commentary reminds me of John Davis lol
I'd say that it was just the beginning of a great time for cars. More stringent emissions standards forced manufacturers to design higher performance engines, which resulted in the ridiculously powerful cars that we have today.
idontcare80 Fuel prices were a bigger force for improving power and performance than emission standards. Most modern emissions equipment are restrictive, and environmental laws harm fuel economy more than anything, particularly requirements for ethanol, EGR systems, particulate filters, displacement taxes, etc. If GM made a straight piped small-block today, with all the technological advancement out there, it would get better fuel economy and have lower CO2 emissions than any V8 before it, but don't tell that to the useless apes that run the EPA and other regulatory agencies that are killing our cars.
You're wrong, improving emissions meant improving the efficiency of the combustion process, which meant that engines had to make more power from less fuel. The Japanese had no real problem adapting to stricter emissions standards, because they were already improving engine efficiency in pursuit of making more power from smaller displacement engines. You can thank the corn lobby for ethanol, not emissions standards. Still, though, racers love E85. Particulate filters are only a problem for diesels, and diesels are garbage anyway. "...it would get better fuel economy and have lower CO2 emissions than any V8 before it, but don't tell that to the useless apes that run the EPA and other regulatory agencies that are killing our cars." I'm not sure what you mean by this, GM wouldn't have made cleaner and more efficient V8s if it weren't for the EPA, they were content to build the same engines for 50 years, it was only the fear of losing market share to the Japanese and pressure from the EPA that made them advance.
To go into further detail... The American big three formed an oligopoly, they had no real competition in the US, so they had no real incentive to advance and they stagnated aggressively, which is why the Japanese were able to take so much of the market share from them starting in the '70s. Why advance when you can produce the same basic product for 30 years? It's cheaper than coming up with new designs and investing in new tooling and production methods. Here's a fun little bit of history that shows how comfortable GM was with stagnation: - Most of the other automobile makers licensed the new engine design from Honda, conceding that their own engineers would not be able to produce a similar motor by the time the new rules would be in place. Notably, although General Motors was also unable to design a sufficiently clean-burning motor, its management was contemptuous of the CVCC engine. The company’s chairman, Richard Gerstenberg, said in 1973: “Well, I have looked at this design, and while it might work on some little toy motorcycle engine, I see no potential for it on one of our GM car engines.” Soichiro Honda took this dismissal as a dare. He bought a 1973 V8 Chevrolet Impala, air-freighted it to Japan, designed a set of CVCC heads to fit the automobile, and flew the car back to the Environmental Protection Agency’s facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for further pollution testing. The car easily passed the stringent 1975 requirements. Which prompted Honda to say in a Playboy interview: “When Congress passes new emission standards, we hire 50 more engineers and GM hires 50 more lawyers.” -
This car has a lot of potential. All it needs is a motor and trans. transplant and you have performance. However, I'd bet the owner keeps it original on purpose. I can understand.
I miss when Manufacturers made Coupes & Sedans. Sure they all looked similar but nowadays Manufacturers produce 1,000 CUVs that Look & Do The Same Exact Thing!🥱
Why? It's a cool car and is a few bolt ons or a drivetrain swap away from being as good or better than anything that ever came from the factory... Only an idiot would leave it stock.
Easily as good looking as the older ones. As a matter of fact growning up in the 70's and seeing them reach high prices in the late 80's early 90's I've been bored of them for 2 decades. Hell, if you want a 70 Chevelle to stay current in street performance and reliability it aint stock anymore either.
there was no downsized 1973 chevelle model. actually it was bigger than ever due to newly mandated front bumpers. the chevelle/malibu line wouldnt be downsized until 78.
Ahhh, the mid '70s. I remember reading Motor Trend and road test articles included a large face block that mentioned the fuel mileage, or lack thereof. Interesting that they also included a few images of the '73 models, with the huge and utterly graceless bumpers that ruined some good looking cars. My grandparents bought a '73 Malibu 4 door new. They didn't follow any of my advice on the matter, skipping the 454, the sport suspension, special instrumentation and the Turbine I wheels....
Dont forget these cars had axle ratio's in the 2.45 etc ratio's !!! Add 3.08's or 3.23's and it makes a big difference ! Swap the smog carburetors and ignition systems and its a huge power gain 50 plus just from that alone !! Add duel exhaust with no cats,no resonators and gain power ,headers or pre smog exhaust manifolds gain more power !! So,low compression,smog carburetors,smog ignition systems,total highway gearing slowed these cars.. A simple few hours to swap the carb,ignition then exhaust you have a decent performer ! Add 3.08's of 3.23 gear you will have more performance and still do 90 mph on the highway with the 3 speed auto without the engine revving !! If you want to add a cam and head work do it,but low compression you could also fix that too,a little more money and more than a few hours..But 500 hp or more can be had by a slick engine rebuild in any Big 3 cars of the era !
sorry motorweek. I have to correct you. I myself love the 73 to 77 chevelle and have rebuilt several. the 1975 s3 did come with a 454 4 speed . it was an ordered option that is a very rare find. wish I still had mine.
Built quite a few of these 1975 Chevelles and S-3 1974 models to dirt street stock and enduro series competition...in late 80s....very durable. 74 S-3s could have 454.
I prefer the styling of the '70-'71 Chevelle. I could just be biased because that's the car my dad had growing up. I wish we still had that car. It was a great car.
the 2.56 or 2.73 gears most of the 73 and up cars came with didn't help anything in the fun dept either. add some extra weight, smog choked motors and well yea, you can see what was goin on. However all that could be changed and these cars were much improved over the 64-72 stuff in ride and handlin. Not too mention when you show up to the cruise in one of these, you won't have a dozen other guys with the same car like the 64-72 stuff.
...well if you run 400 stock heads the holes are already there... you only need to drill the heads if the hole arent there..swapping non 400 small block head or after market aluminium head etc
454 was available with S3 Laguna. I have personally owned 2 1976 Laguna S3 with factory equipped 454 engine and TH400 transmission. One of my neighbors has one right now with factory installed smogged down 454.
P.S I still 💕💕 these slow running malaise cars after all I was a teenager in the 70,s and a mechanic living in detroit I built my own hotrods the factory was restricted, on the other hand I wasn't.
Man.... I had a 76 s3....350 2bbl was gutless of course but i swapped a four barrel intake and carb on it. But i was 21 now 42 but had no clue what i had and how rare it was.... Id love to find one now
"There's this dead spot above 30mph when you stomp the pedal......."This must be dude's first trip around the block in a mid 70's Chevy with a Quadrajet and 3 speed auto.
Yes the quadrabog is a phenomenon lost in time..........................and now the secondaries are opening
I suspect he is quite a bit younger than this car, and has no clue how to clean a carb or adjust the fuel mixture. I had a buddy in high school who had a '75 Nova LN with the factory 350 2 barrel. It smoked the tires off of the line and hauled tail in stock form. My Dad's 76 Nova Concours with a 305 ran 0-60 in 10 seconds, hit 100 easily, 85 mph in 15 seconds. Not all that quick by today's standards, but quick for back then. Joe Ligo needs to tune this Laguna, or sell it to someone who once owned and tuned catbureted cars.
There's a dead spot as well in Joe Ligo's brain☺ This 350 2 barrel tuned properly should be a strong runner that can run 0-60 in 10 seconds. I bet Ligo has never held a can of carb spray in his life.
Or he just describes what he feels to us we're not behind its wheel and/or have never driven one of these cars.
@@McBeamer94 I had a 1975 Monte Carlo with the same Engine/Transmission setup. There was no "dead spot", and it would do zero to sixty in less than 10 seconds. The car shifted into third around 25 mph, which is probably what he is talking about. My Monte Carlo also had Air conditioning and was certainly the heavier car.
I loved mine. 350 2 bbl, then added 4 barrel. then added dual exhaust. then built it as 383, then built a 400 small block stroker 377, and had a 396 for it when it was stolen. Dual gate trans from a GTO and a 12 bolt rear. Drove it from 1981 to 1993, had it shipped to Hawaii in the service. Shipped back. I miss it .
When I was 17 in 1982 I had one of those cars with a 400 small block it was white with black int and a black landau top. I took off all the anti pollution BS bored it out 30 over and put in a bigger cam and some headers and backed it with a reworked turbo 400. It ran pretty good, I loved that car and drove it for about 10 years.
Nice man! Good riddance to that mess of vacuum lines and crap.
Stone Cold Texan How much power did it made at the time.
wish you raised the compression otherwise your bigger cam was 'spinning loose'
Nice thing about Chevys is how common or compatable parts are. You can go to a junkyard and find high performance parts because of it!
Late 80s and a buddy had one , but I think it was a 350 or 305 or something...
damn rear highway gears , they must have been in the low twos.
it shifted into 3rd by 100-110 and then really had a hell of a time going faster.
Christ, I think it did the 1-2 shift at 60 or so.
Way too much gear, if it had power, who knows I’d bet it would do 140 geared like that.
Please do more like this! I find this era of automotive history so interesting, 145hp out of a 5.7L v8...wow just wow.
AutoLounge It always bugs me how no one talks about these cars because there was no Muscle by 1975 When I see someone with a car like this from this period i salute them because they are true car enthusiast.
That's what happens when you put restrictive primitive emissions equipment, mild cams, and low compression ratios together. It's like making a runner breathe through a straw.
still felt punchy at low speed since the torque was there. basically put in mind a V8 with a 3000 rpm limit, going beyond, while possible, just made the engine scream with no forward momentum.
It’s not 5.7
@@floridaroadways A 350 c.i. V8 is exactly a 5.7L.
My grandparents still have it in the garage! The one with the burgundy top and trim. They’ve had it since the mid 70s.
I had one new swivel bucket seats hydraulic front bumper roll pleated Burgundy upholstery.
Love how they just showed him swivel the seat(!) but didn't mention it
Mark Hildack Those swivel seats weren't a new idea. Chrysler was first to have them, back in 1959.
THANKS ! Had to go back in video.....as upper LOOKED like the Monte and Grand Prix seats I looked for everywhere. Car I just found has seats that LOOK like swivels too. I won't find out till I find the owner. Looks like a family passed down car, from added cool stuff on it.... but an easy fix to make respectable driver. Clean and cool enough to take too many initial pictures.
Yep. Real subtle!
President of company had one of these swivel seats...he often took secretary out for ..ah lunch down dead end street
I always liked the Laguna, very stylish with the right color combination and options. My father had a 74 Chevelle, plenty of power almost hit a telephone pole with it when I was in HS.
I remember these mid 70's Chevelle. I loved them when I worked at an auto shop at the time. They were solid, roomy and smooth.
The auto companies had to quickly add equipment the engines were never designed for in order to meet emissions and this really hurt gas mileage and of course performance but the street isn't a race track anyway.
thats a bad ass car.. i dont think people should bash those years.. they are slow but they look so cool
Motorweeks traditional reviewing would have worked with this car. Wheres my 40-55mph passes?
In my teens, my neighbor had a Laguna S3 454 4speed. They were rare, but yes the 454 WAS available on the Laguna. It was available in '74 along with the 4 speed as far as my research can find.
They stopped offering the 454, mid year 1974. After that the biggest power plant you could get in a Laguna was the 400.
I like how the car still sounds good. You rip all that emissions control shit off there and you have a really sweet looking sleeper.
I just watched this on Velocity and wanted to give the video a thumbs up.
can you do a video of the Baldwin motion 73 chevelle... The last Baldwin-Motion Chevelle was a 1973! Here is a '73 Phase III Chevelle packing a L-88 427, an M-22 4-speed, 4.88 rear gears, and the Hone-O-Drive overdrive. This car was the only Phase III Chevelle produced in '73. When purchased new, this car sold for $12,030, making it the most expensive Chevelle Motion ever built.
We were late 80s teens.
A buddy had one.
What I remember is we wanted to be out west with it because of those highway gears.
The damn thing shifted into 3rd at like 100-110mph!!
It was no quicker than another friends 76 monte, and another kid had a 68 nova with a 6 and a powerglide...
they all ran dead even, nobody could run away from each other.
Those were some fun times, even if we missed the boat as far as real musclecars.
Thank you for the GM car footage once again. Keep up the good work!
No
Thanks MotorWeek for showing this Chevelle. I remember this car as a kid . I know its been at least 30 years since I've seen one. You guys have to show more of the muscle from the 70s.
Ultimate M All though these were no were near as power full as there 60s predecessors I want to see more of these post muscle cars from the muscle car era no one ever talks about them or owns them it would be rare seeing that 75 laguna then A 70 LS6 Chevelle.
@@Victoria3232-j7o I love Muscle Car memories, i love classic car
When I worked at Buff Whelan Chevrolet in the early 2000's, a guy use to bring his Laguna S3 in - it was white w/ a red interior & was a good looking car.
Nothing wrong with that car that an LS3 and a Tremec couldn't go a long way toward fixing. You'd probably even get better gas mileage.
TheKiltedYaksman1 Exactly mate an LS Swap with some performance parts will make this disco mobile fly like a bansee.
I was thinking the same thing! LS power for the win!
Or you could rip out the smog gear and work on that 350. All kinds of ways to wake it up.
Yawn
Thanks for posting that retro-review. My very first brand new car was a 1975 Laguna Type S3. It was silver, like this one, but had a half-vinyl roof and black racing stripes down the sides that met up with the black rubber strips on the front and rear bumpers, and a black interior with the swivel buckets. It had the 350 so it wasn't a race car, but it was miles ahead of the standard Chevelle/Malibu in terms of sportiness and luxury. I wish this video showed the differences between the Laguna and the Chevelle. The regular Chevelle had rectangular speedo and no gauges whereas my Laguna had the Monte Carlo dash with the round dials and I think full gauges. The Laguna also had a revised front suspension geometry and large swaybars front and rear. It would corner fast and flat. It was more of a short wheelbase Monte Carlo than it was a Chevelle/Malibu. I loved it, but sold it about a year and a half after I bought it when I moved across the country in 1977. I wish TH-cam would allow me to post a picture of it.
These cars were suuuper rare.
Man O War Yup there a complete dark horse nobody owns them nobody owns them no one ever talks about them I feel like these cars should be talked about more when talking about the Decline of the muscle years it would be more rare seing that 1975 Chevelle Laguna then seeing a 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 454.
Nobody talks about them because they're suuuuuppppeeeer slow and handle like a tugboat. They look neat and like has been said already, they're rare, those are it's only two redeeming qualities. Yes I understand why they're so slow and that they really couldn't do anything about it thanks to the ascent of the American nanny state, but they're still slow. Also yes, I know you can do X, Y, and Z to them and get some HP number that's larger, but you can say that about any car.
Muscle cars went from 1964- 1974 As they continued on there way of being a luxury car as the Muscle car era had faded I love seeing these cars pre muscle car years I feel like there important to talk about when talking about the pre muscle years what we got in the 70s were cars that still looked like pretty cool muscle cars but lacked the high performance Please motor week do more of these type of videos. It would be more rare seeing a 1975 Chevy Laguna then a 1970 Chevelle SS LS 6 454 V8 Its rare seeing these post muscle years the only Car that kinda kept the muscle car somewhat alive was the Pontiac trans am.
charger master 64-71 after 71 there wasn't any muscle.
Scobey scobe no but they still somewhat tried and add some additional performance but After 1974 is were They ether were discontinued or turned into a personal luxury car which I do miss or went on and sold its good name of in the process like the mustang Charger the Chevelle nova Cutlass etc 72-74 imo they still made a attempt but after 74 is were they gave up the only one that still tried to do something was the Trans am but even those were under powered.
Scobey scobe
I’d say after 72’ but my Dad has a 73’ Grand Prix and let me tell you that car was luxury and sport. Not extremely fast but fast enough with nice torque
It’s a nice ride and now there’s a lot of aftermarket parts so you can make it very fast.
It would be cool with 4 speed.
I love these cars
GM's 1970s collonnades were great looking cars.
I know this guy from the channel AutoMoments. As always, amazing work, and happy for him for finding a bigger platform to share his awesome job. Keep up with this kinda content, please!
Great looking car and I love the drivers seat that swivels.
I still love that car, it may not appeal adrenaline junkies I enjoyed driving them,I also loved the swivel bucket seats,if you want more power just use an earlier engine.
Similar to my '77 Monte Carlo, grateful my Monte Carlo was optioned out with the 175hp, 275lb ft tq 350ci 4bbl V8 w/ dual exhaust... Also the third generation Chevelle was certainly a lot larger than its predecessor, in no way was it downsized.
Sean James dual exhaust DIED AFTER G.M. installed the catalytic converter in 1975. The closest to dual was dual outlet AFTER the catalytic converter.
Papo Cam From the factory it did have two exhaust tips behind the rear wheels, however the exhaust was completely redone by the previous owner with a genuine dual exhaust unit, figured the factory exhaust would have been routed the same way. Thank you for providing me with further insight on my car. 👍
Sean James the space was available to do it yourself, but,passing anti pollution test on certain states were impo$$ible,especially California. Thanks for your time & reply. L8r...
if i remmeber well mexico had dual exh monte carlo SS and with the manual 4 speed. i dont rmemeber the years but i think they lasted well into the 80's. they sticked with the 4bbl there well into the efi era.
im sure some GM boy will know more about those than i do
Ragimund VonWallat . There was a BIG DIFFERENCE between Mexico & USA as far as STRINGENT Anti pollution device, especially catalytic converters. I, guess there was NO CONCERN south of the border. It was all about the BENJAMIN$$. All that crap ADDED $$$ to the price,in your country it wasn't the law,as up here in USA.
Chevelle was NOT "downsized" for '73.
Was gonna say this, it was bigger than the '68-72 generation and almost as big as the '61-64 full-size (at leaast the four-doors were). Chevelles had two wheelbases from '68-77, one for the coupes and (through '72) convertibles and a longer one for sedans, wagons and El Caminos.; Monte Carlos used the long wheelbase with the regular coupe body and the extra length allocated to a longer hood instead of extra back-seat legroom.
Yup, funny they bring up that word because for most people downsizing wasn't a thing until the '77 B-bodies did it.
Yeah, 77 must have been a weird year, the GM full & mid size cars were nearly the same size.
mcqueenfanman, 77 was definitely disorienting for GM sizing.
BubbaSmurft The performance was downsized or non existing but they did not physically down size the body.
1973-77 chevelles are the best handling chevelles from the factory. Drop in a decent small block or even a big block and it will out perform a 64-72 Chevelle in every aspect. And I think they have the best body style produced
Much agree, drives so awesome, the 73 is my favorite
Plush luxury, great V8 sound, 250lb/ft torque and the size of a large European sedan. It would even fit perfectly into our "Eurobox" garages. I wish I had one! ✌️😍
The '73 Chevelle wasn't "downsized", it was slightly larger and significantly heavier than the previous model for rollover safety standards and bumper regulations. The '78 was the "downsized" model you're thinking of.
I have a set of those swivel buckets in my storage trailer. I have owned many chevelle's over the years and have never been without one since 1969, a total of 14 different ones. Right now I still have a 1967 2 door sport coupe that I've had since 1978.
I bought it in CA and drove it to OH where it has been mostly stored, only driven on occasion. Just has 100,500 miles. Totally rust free original body panels. Still have the original black CA plates. Has had one repaint in 1982. It's a 350 ci with 350 hp and a 350 turbo trans. The engine has only 18,000 miles since new. Needs new battery and tires. Would sell for $16,500.
ps3613t - Don't sell. You'll ALWAYS regret it. At worst, it could be a part of your retirement fund.
Randy- Thanks for reminding me. You are right. I have sold other cars that i regretted.
Big metal beasts.
That swiveling driver's seat is sexual chocolate!
There was even a 76 olymipics version they were white with red stripes now I bet they are worth a few bucks
I had a '77 Malibu Classic. Factory straight six , almost no options. No ac, no vinyl roof,,,etc . That was a real car . Beautiful body design, plenty of power, handled and rode like a dream . I would love to find another exactly like it
Gary - "Plenty of power," from the six? For what it's worth, THEY can be modded for more power. Clifford Performance. I can't imagine too many were sold with the 6...
I like the look of the 1973 Chevelle/Malibu. I still want one.
Oh, man. I had forgotten about these.
The 1975 Laguna S-3 is the lowest production number of the 3 years they were made. Less than 7700 of these gems were ever made.
My dad had one of these. I think a 1976 model, same silver color, same red interior.
OK maybe it wasn't inspiring to drive, but these things are cool. Even with the full power steering and that thin GM wheel they used forever. Great cruiser and these days they get looks.
And you can always fix that little power problem with a few trips to the auto parts store. What a cool throwback and a well preserved time capsule of a car. More of these please!!
I had a 76 Malibu (4 square headlights), same colors, 305/350 turbo. It was a nice car in the 80s, put 75k miles on it and never had a bit of trouble.
Wow this is so strange. As a child in South Texas in the very early 80s, these Chevelles, Camaros, Firebirds, Trans-ams, Mustang II's were everywhere. Seeing this old Chevelle really gives me an odd nostalgic feeling.
Boomers on craigslist be like: $12000 price is firm, I know what I got. This here is a classic american muscle, it's rare so it's expensive! Yeah has a little rust, needs TLC, heater core leaks, NO LOW BALLERS $12000 CASH ONLY MUST BE A SERIOUS BUYER.
I've always had a soft spot for the Laguna, LS7 it with a Tremec 6 speed, Lower it with Spring / Shock package, Willwood Brakes all around, 18" Diameter Wide Torque Thrust style Wheels Center Sections Painted Smoke Grey to Match the Exterior paint ......Wow!!!!
Doug would be in awe of those swivel seats.
Chrysler was first with swivel seats, in 1959.
One of these was on CraigsList in the Seattle area last week. Looked like it had been sitting out since the 80's.
We had a green and white 1976 Chevelle Laguna Type S3. It was loaded down with just about every option. Had the 350 engine.
Was not a bad car in its day but there were some quality glitches---electrical issues and some flimsy plastic interior pieces.
It had the F-41 suspension. Handled well while having a firm but solid ride that was really not too uncomfortable.
Teemancan - "Quality Control" was possibly the biggest problem back then.
Randy Morobitto There still is quality control issues.
I knew a guy in 93 in high school and we laughed at him. I had a Camaro with a 71 330hp 350 and a 3:43 rear with 1800stall and although that's not the greatest combo by today's standards my rough ol Camaro blew it away
Downsized? These were the largest Chevelles/Malibus ever produced.
Nova SS 1975?
175hp but the 4 speed Standard is a Fun car.
Need to review my dad one.
been in our family since 1987.
Oops i meant to right 1975.
Nice job Joe.I had forgotten about these.
Your wrong. The S3 could be had with the 454. I’m lucky enough to have one I also have the build sheet that was tucked above the gas tank so I can confirm it was a factory big block laguna.
Should had a detuned version of the Corvette L82 350 engine as the standard engine. With 195 hp. A 145 hp 350 was just not right, but still a cool design.
Personally I love these cars
Willie B Hardigan me to It always bugs me when people want to talk about Chevelle s or muscle cars they don't talk about anything past 1970 or 1971 like these cars don't exist oh well at least they won't bring up the prices like they would with there 1960s counter parts.
- theres one rotting away (rusted beyond belief) in the back of an abandoned building across town- white with gold(?) stripes 454. - sign on windshield (faded) “not for sale” - tires flat/dry rotted,paint severely faded - interior busted,sun baked. Very sad 😢
Just photographed one of these '75, yesterday. No wide rubber strips (impact) trim on front or rear, missing lower grille (really, try to find one). Unknown engine. LOOKS like swivel buckets in black interior, automatic console. Surface rust in some spots, NAPA bow tie key hole protectors, mud flaps....Chevy bowtie exhaust tips, knock-off spinner center caps on mixed size ralleys. Crayon red. saw four times in a few days, but not owner who MUST work nearby to keep an eye on it.
Nice old school car.
My 74' Chevelle Laguna S3 was painted solid silver. I sold it years ago island thought this was it until I realized it was a 75'. Still cool!
If that thing had a four speed and a 454 it would still be kind of badass. Despite the velour. Sooo much velour!
I had a ‘75. It was made in California which meant it got a 4 barrel and put out 155 horsepower. Obviously not a world beater but it was a very fun car! Very solid and dependable. It always got me where I needed to go!
I really like it. Never seen one in person
I always thought for traditional muscle cars(i.e. mid-sized 2 door American coupe) that the 1977 Pontiac Can Am(based on the Le Mans platform) was the last of the breed until the 1983 Monte Carlo SS debuted.
05gtdriver 80s MCs with 305s and ground effects are hardly "muscle" a good bodystyle and platform though.
@ Clint Davis, you have to see the each era for what they were, the 80's G body GM cars(Monte Carlo SS, Olds Hurst, Buick GN & GNX) were all muscle cars in their own right and in fact would out perform anything mid-sized from 1975-1980. Remember, that "305" Monte had 180hp, the Laguna shown here had less hp with a 350....
The customer could choose from coupe, sedan or wagon with 3 or 4 different engines , a multitude of paint colors and interiors. Obviously these Chevelles don't have as much HP as their immediate predecessors but they still had loads of personality compared to modern cars.
Right Lane Hog They really do what ever happened to personal luxury cars like these post muscle cars also they seat 5 people more comfortably then a modern 4 door sedan imo.
Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Cordoba and Cougar are just a few examples of what I think you are talking about.
these were grandpa cars...no one under 65 bought those underpowered land yachts...certainly not for list price.
@@tonichappell7596, about 75% of the Chevelle Malibu sales from '73-77 were coupes because the baby boomers were older and had money for new cars. If you couldn't afford the Monte Carlo, you bought a Malibu. It was about the same size, weight, engines and options.
The 1975 and 76 Plymouth Dusters and Dart Sports with the 360 V8 option were the fastest Passenger cars of the 1970s.
Like the Retro vids, but this modern review of an oldie is a nice and informative piece. Wonder if you could fit an LS3 in that Laguna.....and upgrade the brakes to match the power.
93455Driver any LS engine will go right in with new motor mounts it would be much faster and better on gas and no one would expect it which would make it very fun
93455Driver LS3 would fit but you may need to change oil pan to a 2002 camaro style to fit trucks also have a different style oil pan
if those are super rare, i think they are undervalued.
That red interior. Wow.
CarSmartsTV I love the red interior in my 96 Ford F150.
I love it when Motorweek does a segment on a car that was made before they started their show in 1981. I wish they did more, perhaps start a segment for classic cars that are still running reliable and strong at 20+ years old 😅 I also like how Joe did the presenting, his commentary reminds me of John Davis lol
Sad time for cars.
I'd say that it was just the beginning of a great time for cars. More stringent emissions standards forced manufacturers to design higher performance engines, which resulted in the ridiculously powerful cars that we have today.
idontcare80 Yeah so maybe we should thank the 70s arguably we got better cars in the future and I think a lesson was learned back in the day.
idontcare80 Fuel prices were a bigger force for improving power and performance than emission standards. Most modern emissions equipment are restrictive, and environmental laws harm fuel economy more than anything, particularly requirements for ethanol, EGR systems, particulate filters, displacement taxes, etc. If GM made a straight piped small-block today, with all the technological advancement out there, it would get better fuel economy and have lower CO2 emissions than any V8 before it, but don't tell that to the useless apes that run the EPA and other regulatory agencies that are killing our cars.
You're wrong, improving emissions meant improving the efficiency of the combustion process, which meant that engines had to make more power from less fuel. The Japanese had no real problem adapting to stricter emissions standards, because they were already improving engine efficiency in pursuit of making more power from smaller displacement engines.
You can thank the corn lobby for ethanol, not emissions standards. Still, though, racers love E85.
Particulate filters are only a problem for diesels, and diesels are garbage anyway.
"...it would get better fuel economy and have lower CO2 emissions than any V8 before it, but don't tell that to the useless apes that run the EPA and other regulatory agencies that are killing our cars."
I'm not sure what you mean by this, GM wouldn't have made cleaner and more efficient V8s if it weren't for the EPA, they were content to build the same engines for 50 years, it was only the fear of losing market share to the Japanese and pressure from the EPA that made them advance.
To go into further detail...
The American big three formed an oligopoly, they had no real competition in the US, so they had no real incentive to advance and they stagnated aggressively, which is why the Japanese were able to take so much of the market share from them starting in the '70s. Why advance when you can produce the same basic product for 30 years? It's cheaper than coming up with new designs and investing in new tooling and production methods.
Here's a fun little bit of history that shows how comfortable GM was with stagnation:
- Most of the other automobile makers licensed the new engine design from Honda, conceding that their own engineers would not be able to produce a similar motor by the time the new rules would be in place. Notably, although General Motors was also unable to design a sufficiently clean-burning motor, its management was contemptuous of the CVCC engine. The company’s chairman, Richard Gerstenberg, said in 1973: “Well, I have looked at this design, and while it might work on some little toy motorcycle engine, I see no potential for it on one of our GM car engines.”
Soichiro Honda took this dismissal as a dare. He bought a 1973 V8 Chevrolet Impala, air-freighted it to Japan, designed a set of CVCC heads to fit the automobile, and flew the car back to the Environmental Protection Agency’s facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for further pollution testing. The car easily passed the stringent 1975 requirements. Which prompted Honda to say in a Playboy interview: “When Congress passes new emission standards, we hire 50 more engineers and GM hires 50 more lawyers.” -
This car has a lot of potential. All it needs is a motor and trans. transplant and you have performance. However, I'd bet the owner keeps it original on purpose. I can understand.
I miss when Manufacturers made Coupes & Sedans. Sure they all looked similar but nowadays Manufacturers produce 1,000 CUVs that Look & Do The Same Exact Thing!🥱
A guy i know had a 73 laguna. Cool car.
What a painful death for the Chevelle.
Why? It's a cool car and is a few bolt ons or a drivetrain swap away from being as good or better than anything that ever came from the factory... Only an idiot would leave it stock.
sidefx996 Sorry, but I'd still much rather a '68 to '72 Chevelle.
Giovanni Same!
Nothing was downsized in '73....I really mean NOTHING!Restyled yes.
Easily as good looking as the older ones. As a matter of fact growning up in the 70's and seeing them reach high prices in the late 80's early 90's I've been bored of them for 2 decades. Hell, if you want a 70 Chevelle to stay current in street performance and reliability it aint stock anymore either.
That swivel seat though!
mraurora swivel Buckets the Olds Cutlass Supreme had them from 1973-1977
This Motorweek guy hasn't aged a day in 30 years.
there was no downsized 1973 chevelle model. actually it was bigger than ever due to newly mandated front bumpers. the chevelle/malibu line wouldnt be downsized until 78.
Ahhh, the mid '70s. I remember reading Motor Trend and road test articles included a large face block that mentioned the fuel mileage, or lack thereof. Interesting that they also included a few images of the '73 models, with the huge and utterly graceless bumpers that ruined some good looking cars. My grandparents bought a '73 Malibu 4 door new. They didn't follow any of my advice on the matter, skipping the 454, the sport suspension, special instrumentation and the Turbine I wheels....
Dont forget these cars had axle ratio's in the 2.45 etc ratio's !!! Add 3.08's or 3.23's and it makes a big difference !
Swap the smog carburetors and ignition systems and its a huge power gain 50 plus just from that alone !!
Add duel exhaust with no cats,no resonators and gain power ,headers or pre smog exhaust manifolds gain more power !!
So,low compression,smog carburetors,smog ignition systems,total highway gearing slowed these cars..
A simple few hours to swap the carb,ignition then exhaust you have a decent performer ! Add 3.08's of 3.23 gear you will have more performance and still do 90 mph on the highway with the 3 speed auto without the engine revving !!
If you want to add a cam and head work do it,but low compression you could also fix that too,a little more money and more than a few hours..But 500 hp or more can be had by a slick engine rebuild in any Big 3 cars of the era !
The perfect car to drop in a better powertrain.
sorry motorweek. I have to correct you.
I myself love the 73 to 77 chevelle and have rebuilt several. the 1975 s3 did come with a 454 4 speed .
it was an ordered option that is a very rare find. wish I still had mine.
He sure has aged. Glad to see he is still with Motor week
Motor week, do more of these.!!!!
When you run out of Retro episodes so you start making new ones. Not that I'm complaining.
Jon davis has been hosting motor week for over 35 years that’s incredible.
Enjoying MotorWeek content as usual. However, one small correction….
The Malibu/Chevelles we’re not “downsized” until 1978.
Good thing about living in a state that doesn't do emissions testing is you could strip all that emissions crap off an older car and nobody would know
Built quite a few of these 1975 Chevelles and S-3 1974 models to dirt street stock and enduro series competition...in late 80s....very durable. 74 S-3s could have 454.
Why does everything that kicks ass in racing get banned? 😂
Toasted Pastry just like the super bird.
I prefer the styling of the '70-'71 Chevelle. I could just be biased because that's the car my dad had growing up. I wish we still had that car. It was a great car.
I used to have one. Of course we didn’t know then, what we know now.
At 4:20 I'd nickname that horribly placed telephone pole "The Widow Maker" !
Just drop a 400 hp crate engine in it and you've got a screamer!
Me gusta el carro
the 2.56 or 2.73 gears most of the 73 and up cars came with didn't help anything in the fun dept either. add some extra weight, smog choked motors and well yea, you can see what was goin on. However all that could be changed and these cars were much improved over the 64-72 stuff in ride and handlin. Not too mention when you show up to the cruise in one of these, you won't have a dozen other guys with the same car like the 64-72 stuff.
Downsized? Wheelbase was the same 112 inches and the cars were even longer than before.
Didn't know the 400 was available, great engine but the steam holes need to be drilled out, flaw of that engine.
Nice review too!
...well if you run 400 stock heads the holes are already there...
you only need to drill the heads if the hole arent there..swapping non 400 small block head or after market aluminium head etc
are you the same guy on all of the detailing forums? Drive a Abarth? NVM. I didn't see your avatar before
Klasse Act that’s why the Pontiac 400 never had the fame of its sister the Chevy 400 sb.
454 was available with S3 Laguna. I have personally owned 2 1976 Laguna S3 with factory equipped 454 engine and TH400 transmission. One of my neighbors has one right now with factory installed smogged down 454.
& don't forget!...they could also be equipped with a factory 4-speed manual too! (only in combination with the 454 equipped one's though!)
P.S I still 💕💕 these slow running malaise cars after all I was a teenager in the 70,s and a mechanic living in detroit I built my own hotrods the factory was restricted, on the other hand I wasn't.
Man.... I had a 76 s3....350 2bbl was gutless of course but i swapped a four barrel intake and carb on it. But i was 21 now 42 but had no clue what i had and how rare it was.... Id love to find one now