Compact cars of 1969 ...
- Thread starter odie
- Start date
JHZR2
Staff member
Most of those cars had between 90-115hp. All were surely heavy.
I’d have to imagine if that power level in modern engine tech (maybe better, diesel or compression gasoline engines), modern cars…. We would have much better fuel economy figures. To some extent you need what you need. Wind resistance is cubic to power, and people, even enviro greenies, think they’re entitled to drive obscene speeds. But smaller power plants pushing bigger cars, not engines that are smaller but tuned to give huge power numbers, could be ideal for a lot of use. Too many are trained to think they can’t merge on the highway or drive safely without a v6 and hundreds of hp. And it bites them all the way to the bank.
I’d have to imagine if that power level in modern engine tech (maybe better, diesel or compression gasoline engines), modern cars…. We would have much better fuel economy figures. To some extent you need what you need. Wind resistance is cubic to power, and people, even enviro greenies, think they’re entitled to drive obscene speeds. But smaller power plants pushing bigger cars, not engines that are smaller but tuned to give huge power numbers, could be ideal for a lot of use. Too many are trained to think they can’t merge on the highway or drive safely without a v6 and hundreds of hp. And it bites them all the way to the bank.
...and then along came a Datsun 
I'll take the Rambler followed by the Corvair please.
I'll take the Rambler followed by the Corvair please.
Yup, every one. Owned a '67 Dart (225 cu in) and a '65 Falcon (200 cu in). Both three on the tree.Rode in most of the cars mentioned . Those were the days .
I dream of having my '65 Corvair back. Just like this one;
Most of the cars here are in the 90 to 115 hp range and indeed they can merge just fine.
Bias-ply tires, unassisted drum brakes all around, AM-only radios, manual windows, manual steering, points and condensers instead of fancy electric engine controls, poorer fuel economy than an Eco-Boost Ford Explorer and really pretty pitiful quality control. Oh, and what’s this “galvanized steel” you modern folks use to prevent panel rust? But you could get a vinyl roof.
I find, that some people insist on having high horsepower engines, and then refuse to use the power available to them. I've literally heard people complain about a lack of power, while
not even using full throttle. They're just afraid to push their foot down a little further.
those were "compact"....
to put them in to today's sizes...
most are some where between a 2nd Gen (2013+) Ford Fusion( Classified as "midsize") and a 5/6 gen(2008+) Taurus( Classified as "FullSize") with a similar wheelbase.
Fusion -
Length:191.7"
Wheelbase: 112.2"
Base Engine: 2.5l I4, 175HP
Taurus -
Length: 201.8"/202.9"
Wheelbase: 112.7"/112.9"
Base Engine: 3.5l V6, 263-288HP
the 60's "compacts"
Lengths: 181"-195"
Wheelbases: 106"-111"
to put them in to today's sizes...
most are some where between a 2nd Gen (2013+) Ford Fusion( Classified as "midsize") and a 5/6 gen(2008+) Taurus( Classified as "FullSize") with a similar wheelbase.
Fusion -
Length:191.7"
Wheelbase: 112.2"
Base Engine: 2.5l I4, 175HP
Taurus -
Length: 201.8"/202.9"
Wheelbase: 112.7"/112.9"
Base Engine: 3.5l V6, 263-288HP
the 60's "compacts"
Lengths: 181"-195"
Wheelbases: 106"-111"
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I’ll take the 69 Nova with the L78 396 box checked, along with the Muncie M22, and 411 posi please…and in Marina blue….sure…add the console and gauge package…and the am/fm eight track….! I’ll figure out how to make the $93 a month payments later. 
Is the M22 that comfortable to drive? Noisy (straight-cut gears), super close gearing, too, pretty tall first gear? Actually, I don't really mind the latter...
You left off Corinthian Leather...
That was the seventies, Ricardo Montalban sold them (Chrysler Cordoba) & there never was (rich) Corinthian Leather. Does not exist.
Now I gotta urge to go trash a Chevy Citation. Sadly, they're all gone.(actually, Citation was an 80's ride IIRC) oh well.
I owned a 1966 Chevelle with the L34 360 hp 396 and the M22. I loved the whine of the M22 straight cut gears. With the headers uncorked and CCR blaring through the 8 track, you couldn’t hear it anyways!
I saw a pretty good condition Oldsmobile Omega four door in my eldest daughter's neighbourhood the other day. It was the Olds equivalent / Twin of the Citation... '80 - '84??? I was surprised by the condition.
That 2.8 V6 (one of the two engines available, if memory serves) formed the basis of the 3.1, and then the 3.4 I believe. Now, they may have had some intake manifold challenges, and possibly main seal leak challenges (???) but didn't they ultimately do yeoman's service in many FWD GM cars for many years?
Not sure the Citation and Twins FWD A/T's were that stout, though.... Maybe later developed ones were better.
The glaring omission from this list are the VW models that were available at the time. These were true compact cars of the time.
