Happy Friday, Autopians! To round out our week of record albums paired with cars from the same year, I’m giving you a two-fer: Joe Jackson’s first two albums, Look Sharp! and I’m The Man, both released in 1979. And we’ve got two unusual and cool ’79 model-year cars to check out, as well.
But first, let’s go back to 1988 – I mean, yesterday – to see how our two automatic coupes did. You all surprised me; I did not expect that Reatta to win. Maybe it’s because you know there are more exciting and fun Z cars out there, whereas the Reatta kind of just is what it is.
I’m glad you generally agreed with me that the hood scoop on the Reatta has got to go, as well. It seems there are some appearance mods you can live with, and others you just can’t. I once sold a Coupe DeVille that I really liked, simply because I just couldn’t stop hating its fake convertible top. I thought I’d get used to it, but I never did. And when I found out how much work was involved in removing it, I gave up.
I was six years old in 1979, and even I could tell that the world outside The Muppet Show and my Matchbox car collection was kind of a mess. Gas was expensive, the President was mopey, and I wasn’t allowed to be in the room while my parents watched the news, because they were always swearing at something. All I knew for sure was that disco sucked and so did my mom’s car. (I have since come around to some disco, but the Dodge Aspen still sucks.)
What I didn’t know was that pop music was rewiring itself from the inside out, changing in ways that would become very important to me in just a few years. People were recording albums that I would grow to love when I got older, fusing punk, reggae, and rock into something called “new wave.” I probably heard some Joe Jackson songs back then, on WLS or WLUP, but it wasn’t until I started delving into the musical past in college that I acquired my love for Look Sharp! and I’m The Man. (Anthrax may have helped a little, too.) From the raw power chords at the beginning of “One More Time” through the frenetic climax of “Friday,” I still can listen to them both just about any time.
Finding cars from 1979 was a bit harder. As you are likely aware, it wasn’t exactly a high-water mark for the auto industry. Eventually, after some digging, I did find two cool old classics, coincidentally for the same price, that I think you’ll appreciate. Here they are.
1979 Ford Ranchero GT – $7,500
Engine/drivetrain: 351 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Peoria, AZ
Odometer reading: 105,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but has been sitting
In 1979, long before the “Information Age,” I’m willing to bet that not a lot of Americans knew that car-based pickup trucks had a name in Australia, or that they were wildly popular there. No one here would have seen a Ranchero and called it a “ute.” 1979 was the end of the road for the Ranchero, after 22 years. This final version was based on the LTD II, and features the same stacked dual rectangular headlights, pointy front fenders, and massive front and rear overhangs.
Under the shockingly long hood of this Ranchero is Ford’s “351M” V8 engine, driving the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic. This big cast-iron brute puts out a whopping – wait for it – 151 net horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, to what is probably a fairly tall rear axle ratio. Spirited driving is likely out of the question, but that’s the case with nearly all American cars of the era.
This Ranchero has only recently been awakened from a twenty-year slumber, and from what the seller says, it isn’t quite awake yet. It runs and drives, but has a little misfire they haven’t tracked down yet. The fuel filter, plugs, and plug wires are new, so it could be crud in the tank, or in the carb. Luckily, cars this age are simple, so it shouldn’t be too hard to track down the issue. It’s in good cosmetic shape inside, but the carpets are sun-bleached and for some reason the center trim/horn button/cruise control buttons are zip-tied on. However, the seller says everything on the dashboard works.
It has been repainted, years ago, and shows evidence of some possible bodywork at the right rear, where it looks like there is a chip in some filler. Bring a magnet along to see how much filler there really is. But it was a California car, and the photos in the ad show a nice clean underside that would make Midwesterners weep.
1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV – $7,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Glendale, CA
Odometer reading: 97,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Alfa Romeo, now part of the massive Stellantis empire (or, as I have heard them jokingly called, “Italian Leyland”), has a rocky history in the US. And, if I’m honest, pretty much everywhere else, too. Alfas are often beautiful cars, universally praised for their handling and road manners, with sonorous engines that make you want to stay in a lower gear just a little bit longer to hear them wind out. They are also finicky, rust-prone, and unnecessarily complicated. And while a few select models can be considered collector’s items, a whole lot of 1970s and 80s Alfas are just extra-high-maintenance used cars.
This car, a 1979 Alfetta GTV, is such a car. It’s not the earlier and better-looking Giulia Sprint GTV, nor the later and faster GTV6; it’s the one no one remembers. It’s got all the good stuff, though: a fuel-injected twin-cam engine, a rear-mounted five-speed transaxle, four-wheel disc brakes, and a racy DeDion rear suspension. The fuel injection system on these cars can be fussy, but the seller says this one runs great, and is “such a pleasure to drive.”
These cars have a really weird dashboard configuration: the tachometer is front-and-center in its own little binnacle, with a wider binnacle in the middle of the dash for the speedometer, warning lights, and other gauges. All the better to wind out that sweet twin-cam engine, while your passengers panic over the speeds you’re hitting. Actually, come to think of it, this is a 1979 model, which means the speedometer only goes to 85. What a dumb law that was.
This Alfetta looks mighty clean and straight, and it looks good in black. I like the Panasport wheels on it, too. The seller says a lot of things have been replaced, and they have service records to prove it. The only thing that doesn’t work is the driver’s side power window.
So there you have it: two great albums and two cool cars from what was at best a difficult year in American history. Give Joe Jackson a listen while you look over the cars; there’s a little something in there for everyone. I can’t believe I got away with a whole week of talking about music almost as much as cars, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Maybe we’ll do it again sometime. Have a great weekend!
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Just here to pick the Alfa without even reading anything about eithers condition.
Just here to pick the Alfa without even reading anything about eithers condition.
I kinda want the ranchero. Luckily for me, it is close but out of my budget. It is so terrible it is awesome. Look at those overhangs!
I kinda want the ranchero. Luckily for me, it is close but out of my budget. It is so terrible it is awesome. Look at those overhangs!
Great now I have “I’m the man” stuck in my head
You think you’re immune, but I can sell you anything…
Great now I have “I’m the man” stuck in my head
Maybe I’m feeling frisky today, or maybe that Ranchero is just that hideous, so I’ll take the Alfa
Maybe I’m feeling frisky today, or maybe that Ranchero is just that hideous, so I’ll take the Alfa
I am not sure I would drop 7,500 on either of these, but at least I would enjoy looking at the Alfa once it dies again and is cost prohibitive to repair.
I am not sure I would drop 7,500 on either of these, but at least I would enjoy looking at the Alfa once it dies again and is cost prohibitive to repair.
That front 3/4 view of the Ranchero makes it look like the hood is as long as the bed.
It probably is! The box length is less than 75 inches
OMG I just googled a side profile. It’s extremely ridiculous.
That front 3/4 view of the Ranchero makes it look like the hood is as long as the bed.
It probably is! The box length is less than 75 inches
OMG I just googled a side profile. It’s extremely ridiculous.
Thanks, Mark, for all the music! I’m slowly digesting it, it’s been a rich lesson.
As for the cars, the Alfa, of course. A driver’s car in a great shape that will grow in value.
The other is an incredibly inefficient and boring piece of Malaise.
Thanks, Mark, for all the music! I’m slowly digesting it, it’s been a rich lesson.
As for the cars, the Alfa, of course. A driver’s car in a great shape that will grow in value.
The other is an incredibly inefficient and boring piece of Malaise.
Have to choose the Alfa. At least it’ll be nice to look at in the garage while it’s not running! Love the addition of tying music to car years this week. Thanks!
Have to choose the Alfa. At least it’ll be nice to look at in the garage while it’s not running! Love the addition of tying music to car years this week. Thanks!
Gotta be the Alfa. In the words of Marcus King: “come fuck my life up again”
Gotta be the Alfa. In the words of Marcus King: “come fuck my life up again”
Gimme the Alfa. I had an ’84 Spider Veloce in Rosso Red with the twin cam. That car was fun as hell. Loved to wind and never left me stranded. It did have an issue with the passenger side window that I never did fix. It didn’t bother me too much as the top was always down and I had the driver’s window up above 40 mph anyway. Still, I’d fix it first and I know the mechanic to help me sort it out.
I like a good ute. But I like a better looking one without still having to fix it after I’ve spent 7.5k already. I also hope he replaced all the rubber on it as well. At the end, you’d still have a late 70’s Ford Ranchero. No dice.
Gimme the Alfa. I had an ’84 Spider Veloce in Rosso Red with the twin cam. That car was fun as hell. Loved to wind and never left me stranded. It did have an issue with the passenger side window that I never did fix. It didn’t bother me too much as the top was always down and I had the driver’s window up above 40 mph anyway. Still, I’d fix it first and I know the mechanic to help me sort it out.
I like a good ute. But I like a better looking one without still having to fix it after I’ve spent 7.5k already. I also hope he replaced all the rubber on it as well. At the end, you’d still have a late 70’s Ford Ranchero. No dice.
My vote goes to the Alfetta… even though something seems off with the suspension. It seems to me the front is too high. It’s like the current owner had to replace the front springs and got the wrong ones.
This is how it should look:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4006/4682996178_d735c6ee50_b.jpg
EDIT: I just read that these have torsion bars up front. And THAT means it’s merely a case of adjusting the front torsion bars which is explained here
https://www.alfabb.com/threads/torsion-bar-adjustment.687766/
My vote goes to the Alfetta… even though something seems off with the suspension. It seems to me the front is too high. It’s like the current owner had to replace the front springs and got the wrong ones.
This is how it should look:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4006/4682996178_d735c6ee50_b.jpg
EDIT: I just read that these have torsion bars up front. And THAT means it’s merely a case of adjusting the front torsion bars which is explained here
https://www.alfabb.com/threads/torsion-bar-adjustment.687766/
Another hard choice. The Ford is going to take some work to get back on the road, but parts for that Windsor are going to be easy to find and other than the faded carpet (Ford cheaped out on red dye – the rear seats and filler panel on my cousin’s Aero Bird were white not too long after they got it), the interior looks nice. But the Alfa’s body does too, despite the rear quarter’s slightly odd proportions (something about which the Ranchero can cast no stones), and it would be a blast to drive, whereas the Ford would be strictly for cruising.
The whole “disco sucks” movement was really just another cultural symptom of white backlash that brought us Reagan and Top 40 hair metal, this time against the music of urban minorities and gays – like what you like or don’t, but there’s no need for public record-burning. Sadly, I didn’t realize that at the time, but my musical tastes were just forming and I did sign up for the New Wave versus the aforementioned hair metal, which didn’t go over that well in my military-town junior high school. (Thank you, WXYC, for occasionally piercing the static enough to bring me “Rock Over London” at home, if not in the car.) So, to backlash against the backlash and to embrace that ’70s malaise aesthetic as well as the likelihood of available parts, I’ll get down with Henry to-nite.
Another hard choice. The Ford is going to take some work to get back on the road, but parts for that Windsor are going to be easy to find and other than the faded carpet (Ford cheaped out on red dye – the rear seats and filler panel on my cousin’s Aero Bird were white not too long after they got it), the interior looks nice. But the Alfa’s body does too, despite the rear quarter’s slightly odd proportions (something about which the Ranchero can cast no stones), and it would be a blast to drive, whereas the Ford would be strictly for cruising.
The whole “disco sucks” movement was really just another cultural symptom of white backlash that brought us Reagan and Top 40 hair metal, this time against the music of urban minorities and gays – like what you like or don’t, but there’s no need for public record-burning. Sadly, I didn’t realize that at the time, but my musical tastes were just forming and I did sign up for the New Wave versus the aforementioned hair metal, which didn’t go over that well in my military-town junior high school. (Thank you, WXYC, for occasionally piercing the static enough to bring me “Rock Over London” at home, if not in the car.) So, to backlash against the backlash and to embrace that ’70s malaise aesthetic as well as the likelihood of available parts, I’ll get down with Henry to-nite.
The Alfa’s power window issue would be something that would bug me until resolved.
Looking at the pic of the engine compartment, what’s spookier to me is that open-ended elbow hovering over the exhaust manifold. It looks like something is missing.
But to my eye, it’s still pretty.
The Ranchero is just absolute rock bottom styling and mechanical malaise.