The 1981 Pontiac Efficiency System - Dealer Film (GM186)

7 of 7: With the price of gas more than doubling between 1978 and 1980 (when the 81's came out), efficiency was the name of the game. Adjusted for inflation, the average 1980 price per gallon was $4.25 in 2022 dollars.
GM was leaning-hard into improving MPG numbers and this video makes the case for a number of new features implemented on Pontiacs to help bump those figures up.
See the "1981 Pontiacs" playlist for model-specific dealer films.
Digitized from LD GM186 with enhanced audio.

[@davebarron5939]

My 83 Camaro had the "electric carb" and actually it ran very well. However, now it has an LS and it runs VERY well.

[@77chevy4x4]

Nice . I went the other route . 78 car .. 69 motor built to spec . THEN . Lol 😆

[@dwight48093]

I worked for Bernie Hout Chevrolet as a light line mechanic back then. They sent me to the Tech Center for training on the C3 system, some of the scenes in this film were from there. Boy, have things changed!

[@googleusergp]

They were located at 35500 S. Gratiot Ave in Clinton Township, MI and today it is Moran Chevrolet at the same address.

[@quicksilver462]

A neat little program called "WINALDL" , and an old win98 laptop and user made cable to connect to the ALDL, allows a user to view all live data of the CCC system as the engine is running. I used this when I built a 350 ci engine to replace the 305 in my 1986 MC SS. All systems connected and running, I was able to run 13.23 @101 mph in the 1/4, and get 25 mpg on the highway, with 2500 stall converter and stock 3.73 gears!!

[@sasz2107]

These were the kinds of cars I learned to work on - GM cars with electronically controlled carburetors. I liked them quite well and I learned a lot from them. I have rarely had problems with the computer command control system. I still have an 81 Buick Skylark and the CCC works fine on it. When I drove the car regularly on long trips, it used to get 32 mpg on the highway. More like 26 around town / mixed driving.

[@buick1955]

She could sell me a Pontiac any day !

[@saulperez6633]

The dashboard which appears there Is the same that the mexican Montecarlo Landau and ss beautiful one

[@Greatdome99]

It's interesting that all these so-called 'computer controls' are nothing more than solid-state on-off switches that could have easily been handled by a series of old-fashioned relays 50 years ago. Computers have come a long way since!

[@captianjolly]

Every computer system everywhere is merely a series of solid state switches.

[@pl5624]

Chrysler had the same type system in 1981 on 2.2 engines.

[@debrastarke3996]

Now, which engine does my new Pontiac come with? The Chevy 305, Olds 307 or the Buick V6?

[@markschommer7407]

Only thing is now that the car is almost 42 years old, the vehicle speed sensor no longer works to tell the computer to engage the torque converter clutch. And nobody has one. So now what? It gets interresting at times when trying to preserve these cars as I'm trying to do.

[@pl5624]

Nobody plans for a car to last 40 year's.theyre lucky to think they'll last 5-10 years.

[@googleusergp]

Might find NOS out there or a good used one.

[@kellismith4329]

You could add a switch so you can engage it manually

[@scottwagner3214]

I guess it only matters if you're trying to improve fuel economy, right? If the lockup torque converter doesn't engage I suspect it's not a big deal

[@googleusergp]

@@scottwagner3214 A lot of them were disconnected when the TCC solenoid went bad, but they were made to be "locked up" by design.

[@elgeneralxx]

I have this on full blast right now in my apartment complex at 4am so it can wake everyone up

[@magicmaker15]

Not all heroes wear capes !

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

👍👍👍👍

[@77chevy4x4]

2022 your computer has stopped letting your life live .

[@mamz1404]

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على عبدك ورسولك محمدﷺ