1980-81 Big Pontiacs?
 

Why doesn't this forum include the last two years; 1980-81 Catalinas/Bonnevilles? Didn't they still have 301 Pontiac motors? :confused:

[I can see excluding 80's USA sold Parisiennes since they were rebadged Caprices.]

'80 4.9L OR 301 WAS STILL AN OPTION, BUT 81 OLDS 307 OR BUICK 231V6 WERE ALL YOU COULD GET. FORGOTTEN YEARS I GUESS.

And the 5.7 diesel ;)

I think in 81 you could also have the 265 V8, a whopping 120 hp :rolleyes:

YEP I FORGOT TO ADD THAT

Waste of brain cells to remember a 120 hp wimp V8 from the early 80s.

Ford 255, Chevy 267, Pontiac 265 V8, what were they thinking ? :rolleyes:

Well, CAFE was raised to 20 MPG for 1980. So, no 400's anymore. And, back then it was like today, MPG mania. Big cars adn V8's were supposed to be 'gone by 1984'. Gas was predicted to be $5 a gallon [in 1984 cash].

But we know what really occured. Then Parisienne was brought in. They should have re-applied Bonneville to that B body and called the G body 4 door the "Grand Prix sedan"

Anyway, the last Catalina/Bonne B bodies still looked good.

My first boss had a new 2dr 80-81 Bonneville, good looking car in it`s day. Remember the velour pillow interior. I guess if you had to drive a slug it might as well be comfortable.

Those cars with the chevy V8`s ate camshafts, usually toast in first year.

The 305 "soft" cams, I dont know if the case hardening was to thin in that era or what.



It wasn't the cam it was the ****ty blend in the oils. I've got an 81 305 with the oem cam. It lasted because it's only had straight weight oil ran in it. It sits for extended time between starts also.

We did put a ****load of cams in tho.

Mike

Mike

I'd love to get a few 265s just to have them. I've been casually looking for some for many years around here. They are quite hard to find, at least locally. Could be a great little Pontiac for a mileage build and then use a 301 turbo set up with some other upgrades.

last of the full size bonneviles with 80-81 being 2 of my favorite years....looking for a sport coupe with buckets and those honeycombs wheels...with 2 tone even better...and why not one with the diesel 5.7. Seroius :)

81 & up diesels were "DX" blocks improved. By the last two or three years of production they were decent engines, but by then the public was scared of them and gas went back down and had a steady price.
A rare find is the 4.3 V6 diesel found in FWD and mid size RWD GM's ; that engine is sought after by diesel guys like me. It could do 40 mpg in a Cutlass Ciera Im told.

My first car in 1987 was an 81 Bonneville Brougham with the pillowed velour interior, 2-tone brown/gold on the ouside and tan interior. Was a very nice car, but it has that little tiny V8 engine (265??), and it could barely climb hills. I remember getting passed by Nissan Sentra's every time I had to climb a long hill. Though the trans didn't downshift properly either (actually not at all:D), so that probably didn't help much. Still, I would love to find that car again somewhere....

So the Open question?

Why doesn't this forum include the last two years; 1980-81 Catalinas/Bonnevilles?

Because no one cares about them other than a handful of us.

Post 12 pretty much sums up the Pontiac end of things in 80 and 81.
Maybe the 301 garage has something....

"no one cares"

Would be a nice project to take one and drop in a 400 v8 or something else better.

I'm in the market for a '78-81 Bonneville that came with a diesel from the factory for a project I've got in mind...

Its a 4-door & priced a bit to high ( Like 2X) but its in great shape and is a 350 Diesel

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Pontia...25.m3641.l6368

The 80-81 Bonnevilles were very nice looking cars in their day but garbage drive lines obviously limited collector interest. I got my drivers license in 1980, bad time to be a car guy! My uncle had a fleetwood with the 350 diesel; apart from excellent mileage everything else was a disaster, durability, smell, smoke, noise, lack of power etc. Growing up with this era of cars (say 73 or so to 85 or so) is what made me love 60's cars!

I'd like to hear more about that....
My thought would involve an Olds 455. I've run across a bunch of those in last few years, but nearly none Pontiac 455's..........