Ep. 20 The Malaise Era Part III: The Revival of the American Automotive Industry

[@Dizzy206]

Crazy to think that a guy in the Netherlands knows so much history about American cars. More so than most Americans. But i respect it so much. Love watching your videos Ed!

[@PACKERMAN2077]

Yes it's almost as if his Google fu is Asian level

[@culcune]

I have been to the Netherlands a couple times in the early to mid-90s, and I recall quite a few American cars prowling the streets, including most of the cabs in Amsterdam being American sedans like Caprices. My parents emigrated to Chicago from England in 1968, and my dad was always into American cars growing up in England, although there are seemingly far fewer American cars in UK than in Holland.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

This is one of the biggest compliments as I can get. Thank you!

[@javathehut7285]

Could’ve sworn he was dutch, idk

[@rolux4853]

@@javathehut7285 you know it’s the same thing?

[@elihappinesspie]

When I was a kid, I remember watching Robocop, and thinking how futuristic the cop cars looked. As an adult, this video made me look back and realize, those were Taurus's :)

[@xaenon]

"6000 SUX", lol. "Something with reclining leather seats, that goes really fast, and gets really shitty gas mileage."

[@meierb75]

I was going to write a similar comment. I remember the first Taurus I saw on the road, and flipping out because it looked like it came from the future.

[@danweyant707]

An early product placement? They DID say that they chose them for filming because the Taurus looked so different

[@xaenon]

@@danweyant707 It wouldn't really be 'product placement' unless there was something to identify it very specifically as a Ford. Calling it a '6000 SUX' really kind of does the opposite, yeah?

[@danweyant707]

@@xaenon Dad always said, "Never try to explain a joke."

[@JoJoJoker]

Automobile Leo DiCaprio strikes again!

[@Iseenitall]

Good one😁

[@Ashfielder]

Leonardo DiCabriolet

[@the_kombinator]

Yeah I thought so too.

[@stevenwilhite4026]

Love your channel!

[@sarchdesigns2884]

@@Ashfielder haha man

[@ninocaruso6850]

A correction: The Buick Regal never raced in any series with the Turbo V6 Engine. A Buick Turbo V6 was modified to race in the IndyCar open wheel series.

[@laureanosanchez5265]

Also was used on some prototypes of the IMSA series

[@Dratchev241]

in the Busch grand national series, they would have used a V6 (rules back then) but not turbo.. Winston cup used V8

[@ninocaruso6850]

@@laureanosanchez5265 I had forgotten about IMSA

[@dorfrt3508]

Buddy Ingersoll drove a twin turbo V6 Regal pro stock car in drag racing.

[@fredsambo]

The Buick turbo V6 was almost always on the pole in IMSA GTP racing in the 1980's. John Paul Jr. would always lead the first part of the race until something inevitably broke. They had awful luck after qualifying, but that engine was super fast.

[@robinmichel9048]

Teasing us with Part IV, so much like the dreaded To Be Continued...

[@bobmarnoch9118]

I’m the other way. I went into this one thing it was the end of a cool series to discover there is going to be another one. Yay!

[@palco22]

Part IV.........how to remove character from a car and make every car look the same ! No wonder pickup trucks began to outsell cars ! Great videos !

[@MartinLeMalin]

They all look the same indeed !

[@no1DdC]

Watch this video again and pay attention when car traffic from the '70s and '80s is being shown. Notice anything?

[@palco22]

@@no1DdC What are you referring to ?

[@no1DdC]

@@palco22 Cars looking extremely similar to one another in this footage as well. This isn't new. Cars have always looked mostly the same. Most people are buying a car like they are buying an appliance and car makers are aware of this, designing these vehicles to be as bland as possible. This was the case throughout most of automotive history.

[@palco22]

@@no1DdC Hemianopsia is a nasty thing !

[@ErikHare]

I am 55 years old. I bought my first car in 1985. I have no doubt it continued well into the 1990s.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

My dad had a Ford Granada and my mom a pinto.😆I’m 56 and drove a spitfire.😁

[@freedomlandcanada230]

@@ramongonzalez2112 did you notice hispanic people bought cars that sounded Spanish? did you ever notice this? My Spanish father bought a Granada too.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

@@freedomlandcanada230 I’m sure that was an influence too. Ours had comfy red velour seats👍

[@leomonster1973]

I’d say it continued until 2010

[@dlittlester]

My Mom gave me her 1996 Taurus. At that time I lived on the west coast, and flew with a friend to central Canada. I remember we drove back along the Trans Canada Highway, at way over the speed limit, air conditioner on, and getting something like 38 miles to the gallon. Once I got it back home, I realized that driving around town, like from home to work, wasn't it's forte. It took a lot of gas to get from a stop to the next stop. It was perfect for the highway, though.

[@alexsmith-ob3lu]

Fascinating! I’ve had that similar experience driving American cars too. My Saturn LS200 sedan was very economical for driving highways, but consumed a lot of gas driving on local roadways.

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

The gist I'm getting is that the malaise era started to end when US automakers did what the population had done 15 years before and started buying/making foreign cars. Which says quite a lot about the (in)flexibility of large US companies.

[@Blackadder75]

Maybe all the smart people started working in the IT industry, an area that the US would dominate for a few more decades

[@bighands69]

Foreign car companies did not need to reach the regulations of US auto manufactures. It had nothing to do with US manufactures being behind foreign cars.

[@Blaa_Boi]

Please keep these Automotive History videos going Ed. I don't care if they've been done before, the way you present, narrate whatever you wanna call it, feels so refreshing, no bullshit just straight up well researched facts and plenty of jokes.

[@georgebova7336]

Ed's Auto Reviews are the very best motor vehicle episodes on KZbin. Brief, to the point, factual, entertaining humor enhanced further by Ed's Dutch-accented delivery. FIVE STARS.

[@newdefsys]

I was there, back in the 80s, when the Grand National and GNX were new and trust me, anyone who saw one was immediately struck with awe.

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

I was shocked. THIS... but, but.. it used to be an old mans car.

[@shaunhaynes7045]

I see a new vid, I like first then watch. It’s just going to be great isn’t it?

[@pierredecine1936]

Did the Same ...

[@HeortirtheWoodwarden]

I do that with every video I watch. It became a reflex at this point.

[@pierredecine1936]

@@HeortirtheWoodwarden lotta crap on KZbin, may I suggest MAKE.ART.NOW. watch Anamorpia then Annamorphia 2

[@pierredecine1936]

Link isn't working, but that is the name

[@PanterC]

I swear, this channel is so underrated. I can't wait for new videos!

[@fuktiktok8611]

I'm curious - what is this channel's rating? You say it's underrated, but I can't find any ratings for it at all.

[@HazewinDog]

@@fuktiktok8611 like/dislike ratio is a rating. subscriber count isn't.

[@fivizzano]

Taurus was a ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE...

[@bossfan49]

until.....1996 (3rd generation). They made it smaller, rounded it off even more- including the rear window. It looked ridiculous.

[@magoid]

@@bossfan49 Ridiculous Indeed... If any other indication was needed that the malaise era didn't ended yet, that was one.

[@1984xlx]

The early ones had a lot of mechanical problems.

[@drakefallentine8351]

I've only owned 2 Ford Taurus'....my first and my last. What a miserable piece of junk. You would think after building cars for 100 years, Ford could build a car that didn't leak every fluid known to Man.

[@fivizzano]

@@bossfan49 absolutely right ! I was thinking of the ORIGINAL design, a timeless work.

[@MrTPF1]

REALLY enjoying this series. Raised in the 60’s, I watched all of this unfold, and it’s cool to see it all on the screen.

[@johnsutcliffe3209]

Part 4.When Ford couldn't be bothered making cars comply with regs anymore so convinced the buying public the f series was what they really wanted.

[@manthony225]

People buy what they want to buy.

[@johnsutcliffe3209]

@@manthony225 yep the advertising industry takes care of that

[@EdsAutoReviews]

I will surely talk about this!

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@johnsutcliffe3209 And guess what, they actually like it, buyers like their full size trucks, you know why, it has power, interior space, and none of the problem a sedan has, Americans always love big

[@joecummings1260]

No mechanics were confused when they found small block Chevys under the hood of cars and trucks produced by other GM divisions. we were thrilled to see a small block Chevy which was one of the best engines ever produced

[@deadfishparty]

I’ve been waiting like 2 weeks for this. In this day and age of instant gratification I’ve aged 20 years since the last release. Well done EAR!

[@Theogenerang]

My favourite styling oddity from that era was the full width headlight to headlight illuminated strip on the Mercury's.

[@plastiksurgeon9129]

Aaaah! The Mercury Sable! My Grandmother had one.....she had always bought for the most part some type of Ford. Sadly, that would be her last car and then my Aunts and Uncles fought over it after she passed. 😟

[@drakefallentine8351]

@ Tabubil. That "oddity" was unintentional as the Mercury Division designers were just learning the new version of AutoCAD.

[@21stcenturyozman20]

@@plastiksurgeon9129 What did your grandmother pass: another car, a truck, or gas?

[@edugj23]

A thing that can look much better with current technology.

[@JohnDoe-ir2ft]

I dropped a 454 I to an 80 regal back in the early 90s. Everybody always asked if it was a grand national. Lol. I was like nope junkyard special, biggest engine I could stuff into a smallish car. I payed 50 bucks for the car, 300 for the engine from a junkyard, built the transmission myself a 700r4 and boy would that thing fly. The good old days.

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

Sweet! I messed about with Mopar engines and transmissions stuffed into Jeep CJ7s back in the '90's. First with a 318 and a cut-down A-904 AT, then I went insane and dropped a stroker 340 with an A-833 4 speed manual in the next one. "Go fast on dirt!" Even with a full roll cage and racing harnesses, I'm surprised my lead foot and I made it past the millennium...

[@k.b.tidwell]

The challenge nowadays is just to find a 1980 Regal, period. My family had a 1979, and asking people if they even remember them is like trying to ID the third girl from the left in the Robert Palmer "Simply Irresistable" video.

[@culcune]

The one thing not mentioned about malaise is the ease to simply work on the cars back then. Crappy 70s cars could be kept on the road indefinitely by turning a wrench. People got lazy and now we have a whole generation of soy boys who can't change their own oil. Now, in their defense, modern cars are difficult to work on.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Are you this guy? Hahaha! kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5ywhXutn95pkJo

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

@@EdsAutoReviews I have been - with mixed results! 🤣

[@craigmclean8260]

Great video; the pizza menu (which I paused the vid to read) was hilarious! I think the Isuzu Gemini was originally sold here in the States as a Buick "Opel" model, ca. 1976-77. The Chevette did eventually get an Isuzu 1.8 liter diesel as an option, though, and was more closely related to the Vauxhall Chevette, IIRC...

[@douglasb.1203]

Correct you are. The Chevette platform was also used by Isuzu to make, drumroll please: The Impulse. I ask, when is the last time you saw a Chevette or a first Gen Impulse?

[@car4367]

@@douglasb.1203 also the Gemini

[@mistermood4164]

The big 3 never recovered from the malaise era

[@HazewinDog]

I don't think AMC recovered either tbf

[@bighands69]

The moment foreign cars could come into the US without being subjected to the same regulations as US cars was the end of the industry.

[@royale7620]

They did lmao, what makes u think they didnt?

[@mistermood4164]

@@royale7620 the big 3, have all but left making cars, as they can only make money from suvs, mark my words when EVs become mainstream Ford and GM are going under.

[@royale7620]

@@mistermood4164 they left because they dont sell, the market advances and changes much faster in North America compared to Europe lmao, we still value station wagons and they dont since 1996, they dont make money only from suvs and they will not go under when EVs become mainstream and they never will, look how many ppl gave up on the electric car recently, it's just a hassle more than anything else, thats just simply ur speculations fantasies, asian car makers have always been distasteful producing the ugliest and boring and most bland designs ever, it's like a car made by the robot for the robot human that only drives his Honda EV from the office and back home. Old school Ford fan 4 ever, #BodyOnFrame , #Big46V8

[@JaffaJannu]

A part 4? Ed you're too generous to us.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

The K-cars!😆👏

[@salvatronprime9882]

I've been following this series, it's cool to be early for this one 😎

[@shodancat1000]

You gotta mention Ford's "MN12" platform that debuted in 1989 as the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar. Thunderbird SC had independent rear suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS, automatic adjustable suspension, sporty interior with 5 speed transmission, goodies like automatic climate control, a supercharged V6, and so on! A real euro-inspired leap forward at the time.

[@Roberto89gbbr]

PLEASE! make more of these wonderful videos!! Geweldige content! Can't wait for part IV

[@seed_drill7135]

145 h.p. from a 5 liter? Chrysler said "hold my beer" and offered 115 h.p. from a 5.2.

[@HazewinDog]

and in 2014 we got Fiat-Chrysler producing 105hp 875cc 2-cylinder engines lol. how the times have changed!

[@damilolaakanni]

And my 2002 VW golf makes that same amount of HP as that Chrysler...from a 2.0 4 cylinder engine. Times have really changed.

[@seed_drill7135]

@@damilolaakanni By the end of its production, after being reconfigured into the "Magnum 5.2" the old 318 was putting out 220 h.p. But by that time, it was only available in Jeeps and trucks.

[@k.b.tidwell]

The biggest reason for that low HP was the low low low compression those engines ran.

[@jebediahgentry7029]

It blows my mind you can get so little power from a big(ish) V8. You almost have to try to accomplish that. It's kind of impressive in a way.

[@superdestrier9160]

Another birthday surprise! My friends may have forgotten my birthday, but Ed hasn't forgotten how to make amazing videos.

[@makwa]

Happy birthday!

[@superdestrier9160]

@@makwa Aw thank you :)

[@jlennon784]

This channel is ridiculously entertaining and so underrated.

[@MyHeadHz]

The conclusion of the epic trilogy. EDIT: Amazing work! Can't wait for part 4!

[@map3384]

You nailed what most GenXers were thinking in 1992 while listening to Pearl Jam and wearing flannel shirts. Why was GM and Ford producing so many grandpa cars? Only the Japanese were designing their cars for a younger generation. In the early 90s everyone my age was driving Civics and Corollas. American car manufacturers became the old man’s car.

[@gnrldoodoo]

This is my new favorite channel

[@darwinskeeper421]

Nice to know that Ed is Omniscient, he knows about the Dodge Omni. I had once test drove an early 80s 024, the sporty coupe version and the 024 based Rampage ute. They were nice cars for the time.

[@Black3004sChannel]

Very happy to hear there's gonna be a part 4! Keep up the great work Ed!

[@zakariasrw]

It's always a good day when there's a new episode on this channel.

[@johncamara1650]

The Malaise in my opinion was from the early 70's to the late 80's. And it was because of EPA regulations. Modern fuel injection fixed most of it. After they got the EFI sorted out (thanks Bosch...Germans had a boner for real EFI back in the '60's and became the best at it) big horsepower followed. Even the Japanese were producing L Jettronic Bosch under license for Nippondenso. Game changer

[@jimmcl8338]

I agree. From the mid 80's and on; especially, when GM got better with the TBI. For me the start of the end of this Malaise era (I'm afraid that I've never heard of this era,) was when I stopped seeing those air pumps and less vacuum tubes.

[@sking2173]

@@jimmcl8338 - Yep. In ‘85, GM introduced their TPI (tuned port injection), which WOKE the Chevy small-block V-8. Fuel injection did indeed save the day. It’s a shame Detroit took so long to adopt it.

[@RidleyAtOutlook]

Love your vids, Keep them coming!

[@michaelfong5424]

Another great video! Looking forward to the next installment. Keep up the great work.

[@Iseenitall]

Waiting for part IV! As always good job! Well done

[@luisvelasco316]

I appreciate the flexibility of deciding to ditch the trilogy plan to add a 4th chapter. Love your videos!

[@EdgyNumber1]

I like Ed's channel. These videos and his delivery is perfect! 👍 👍 👍

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

If I had to pick the moment it ended, I'd probably go with the introduction of the Ford Taurus in 1985 (as a 1986 MY)

[@simpleinverso8628]

kinda, but we can still feel repercusions to this day. in another note: I think that we're entering another "powerhouse on wheels" era, now guided not by big displacement engines, but by big ass turbos, and superchargers, which might be a sign automakers are feeling confident they've mastered these techniques.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@@simpleinverso8628 yeah... Big turbos and superchargers when everyone is phasing out internal combustion engines...that is a stop gap solution, a short term fix, just that.

[@nebulabob]

They were garbage...biodegradable transmissions, amongst other things.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

Yes. Curvy, rounder. Mercury cougar too. As a kid I hated those boxy cars of the 70s and early 80s.✌️

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@ThePatUltra yeah... Right. Whatever.

[@michaelbaka4777]

Loving this channel!!! Had an '82 Omni, what a bullet-proof car! If it hadn't rusted to the ground, literally, I might still have it!! Almost never maintained it, beat the living hell out of it, drove it off-road, took it on road trips, hauled a small trailer with it [!!!], got stuck in the snow in Michigan with a full tank of gas and lived! Man, I had some interesting times in that thing. Hadn't thought about it in YEARS until this video, thanks a lot!!!

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

Loved the pizza menu Easter egg! Funny, snarky, and informative, as usual. Another home run for your excellent channel!

[@61rampy65]

But Ed is NOT a failed KZbinr! This channel is growing, and it seems to have very loyal fans. And I'm one of them!

[@rickylafluer5504]

SO WORTH THE WATCH!

[@martinbalmforth2665]

And next, part 34 of this 3 part episode.. Edvyou are a legend.

[@fossilfueled27]

I think we're in a new malaise era, where car companies no longer take any risks. All the interesting cars are dying off. All the 3-door hatchbacks and coupes are dying off because it's cheaper to just design the 5-door or sedan version. Cars like the Golf are just facelifted and we're told it's an all-new model. And then all those hatchbacks are lazily rehashed as crossover SUVs and unceremoniously shat out into showrooms for us morons to scoop up. In a world where we're supposed to be more environmentally concerned than ever, we're consistently buying unnecessarily oversized shitheaps that we don't need. There's not one single thing a Ford Kuga does that a Focus doesn't do equally well. There's nothing a Tiguan does that a Golf doesn't. There's no reason to buy a Volvo XC60 when a V60 does all the same things. A crossover is simply a hatchback with some black plastic stuck on, some extra ride height, and other than that it's heavier, slower, worse on fuel and worse for the environment. I have no interest in new cars anymore, and honestly believe all the best combustion engine cars have already been made.

[@fossilfueled27]

@ThePatUltra Even normal cars sit higher than ever though. Your garden variety shitbox Suzuki Swift or Corsa sits like a monster truck when you're inside it compared to older models. I'm not denying a crossover is easier to get in and out of, but if every single crossover was replaced with its hatchback counterpart there's no getting around the difference it would make. Think of all the extra resources that go into an SUV, the 10-20% worse fuel economy because of the weight, and the impact on emissions, all for a higher seating position. Besides it's not just mothers doing school runs that buy these things. It's literally everybody. I know plenty of people who drive either themselves or their partners and never have people in the back seats and they still have a massive SUV. One of my customers has a Nissan X Trail and literally never had a back seat passenger, or a full boot. If he needs a high seat to get in and out of he could just as easily live with a Suzuki Ignis. But it's not about what we need - it's image and status. It's like an iPhone. Everyone seems to need the latest fad.

[@cseland]

Can’t wait for the next one, keep up the great work!

[@joemamaurmama]

This is great stuff. I was born in NJ, USA, in 1959. I'm one of 8 kids in my family. Our earliest family cars went from my Dad's, ( he was an amateur car racer at Trenton Race Track in the late 1950's when courting our Mom), 1958 Porsche Speedster, to owning two 1963 Corvettes at a time! One a convertible, the other a split window hard top. They stuffed us kids into the back to go to GrandMoms on Sundays. My spot was the back window deck. My Dad had to ditch his sports cars for a succession of 6 or 7 Ford Country Squire Station Wagons. Fast forward to all of the bad American cars that I have owned in 44 years, and I have a great one now. I'm on my 3rd Chevy Volt in 8 years. Plug in hybrid. 53 electric miles on a full charge, with a gas engine that goes the regular 350 mile range. Best of both worlds. Save on gas without the range anxiety. As the mileage gets close to the end of the awesome 100,000 mile warranty , I have traded up to a newer one. I have always been a believer in GM, rather than Ford. My dear wife drives a beautiful Chrysler Pacifica plug in hybrid. Same thing. We both work within 20 miles of home and go months without buying gas. The whole point of my ramble is that I have lived through the worst of American cars, and now we own 2 American made cars that are very high quality, and very comfortable. We charge them with the solar panels on our roof. Thanks for your awesome insights. Well done!

[@Ahoderasan]

I love the 92 Brougham though 😅

[@CarWash811]

This channel is one of the biggest surprises in youtube. Wow what a content and presenter. More subs needed and fast!

[@christopherkraft1327]

This is a great series on the Malaise Era, I can't wait for the next video!!! 👍👍🙂

[@sornord]

Putting on these stripes and spoilers! That'll make it go faster fer shurr!

[@georgeh6856]

The Ford Taurus had "almost no grille". It looked good. Take that, modern day Lexus and BMW.

[@baronvonjo1929]

Eh.... Im not the biggest fan of the giant grills but the Taurus didnt pull off the no grill right for me.

[@HazyFelix]

Damn I love the land yachts. Now, when nothing looks malaise, that brougham looks like a proper king

[@kellingtonlink956]

Thanks for another refreshing history lesson. Very well thought out and edited. Simply... excellent.

[@pavloschairetakis2624]

2:09 "this is a car with a fifteen year old design" Land Rover Defender- look what they need to mimic a fraction of our power

[@Robert_B_445]

Very true. Sold almost the same car from 1983 to 2016 with minimal changes. At least Mercedes TRIED to update the W463 G-Wagen with new interiors over the years!

[@muznick]

Old design are great in some cases: Jeep XJ Cherokees would sell like hotcakes if they started making them again.

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

@@muznick They sure would! I'd take a bare bones version in a heartbeat! Gimme a manual and even (gasp!) crank windows!

[@khairulhelmihashim2510]

inspired by the success of Volvo 240 series.

[@jamesslick4790]

What's REALLY funny is that an American car is mocked for having used a design for 15 years, When Volkswagen ads in the 60s mocked US cars that kept changing every two years while Volkswagen stuck with the tried and true (1930s!!!) design. Make up your mind Europe!

[@SeshanTM]

You should make an episode on studebaker and also edsel

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Edsel most definitely! Studebaker I have to look into...

[@SeshanTM]

@@EdsAutoReviews thanks for considering this comment

[@larrylaffer3246]

It's morning in America again. Time to rev up those engines and hit the roads.

[@90boiler]

Jack.

[@etiennegregoire3091]

My 86 mustang svo is my fav of all the cool cars I have owned. I still have it all original incl window sticker but I drive it a bit. The SHO Taurus was great too.

[@redram5150]

My dad worked at an Olds dealer when they switched to a “GM Corporate engine”, which was the dressed up way of saying “Chevy engines for all!”. He vividly recalls instances where people who bought new cars from them recently showed up absolutely livid that their Oldsmobile has a “F#%&ing Chevy engine!”. Funny thing was the Chevy engine was better, but because they saw Chevy as the entry brand, the engine must be worse. Dad has always been a fan of large vehicles, which rubbed off onto his children. But he did have a gray 1984 Dodge Omni, and he & I loved that thing. I really wish it had been a GLH, but nonetheless it was a great little car.

[@muznick]

I think it was more brand loyalty than viewing Chevy engines as inferior.

[@redram5150]

@@muznick regardless, GM was sued over it. Which lead GM to label engines for a time “GM Corporate-(Brand) Leader”. “Brand” being the make of car the engine was being installed

[@sking2173]

I don’t agree that the Chevy engine was better. It was a favorite amongst hot-rodders, but the engine almost all of those folks were fussing about was the Chevy 305, which was an economy-engine. I preferred the Pontiac and Olds V-8’s over the 305 Chevy (I worked on the things). Of course, GM then started mixing and matching in almost their entire lineup.

[@redram5150]

@@sking2173 the brilliance of the SBC is its cheaper to work on and has an entire industry of aftermarket support standing behind it. Im a big fan of the 305. Yea, it was their go-to econo box engine, buy it was a nearly square design that still responded well to modification even if the smaller cylinders precluded it from getting the most from large valve heads. I’ll argue that the real gutless wonder was the 307. It used a 283 block and 327 crank, which are two great engines in and of themselves. But together they didn’t accomplish anything, even with better heads and cam installed.

[@sking2173]

@@redram5150 - Though what you say is arguably true, for the consumer that would simply drive his car, the Chevy wasn’t the most durable engine. From my experience, the best of the sedan-grade V-8’s from GM in the 70’s was the Oldsmobile, and a Cutlass owner that unexpectedly found a Chevy V-8 hiding under their hood had a reason to be angry. As for that 305, there were two iterations of that engine. The first, from the late 70’s, was strictly an economy engine, and then when GM decided the 305 would take on a more performance-oriented guise, it was upgraded. I had two of those late 70’s 305’s, and they performed well. One did wipe a cam at about 100k miles, but was otherwise dependable. Neither of them had any power. If I had wanted to make SB power back then, I would have junked the 305 and dropped a fresh 350 or 400 under the hood. Same thing with the big block. If you need to scrape your 402, nobody with any sense puts another 402 in it. For the same weight, you can have a much more capable 454 !!

[@NinjaCustomCars]

One of the best's youtube channel

[@_Bran]

Lets hope KZbin doesn't take this one down as well

[@guidostraathof]

Geweldig leuk om te kijken!!

[@kammer007]

Omg omg omg omg omg! I don’t know why but loving the channel and your odd sense of funny haha! Thanks. Just subscribed!

[@drakefallentine8351]

Welcome to the Club.

[@viliusbagusauskas5343]

babe wake up, eds auto reviews posted

[@iron1349]

I think of the first gen Taurus as a generic 90s car released in 1985

[@kailahmann1823]

jup… Just thought of a VW Passat B3, which is the first of these "no grill designs" I remember from my childhood. But nop, that was only two years later. In 1986 a car with curved design was a sensation.

[@danielcorder7399]

This channel has become my favorite channel on KZbin

[@Seltsamisierend]

He's still so underrated, wtf KZbin algorithm xD

[@Sevenfeet0]

Another great video and my comments....I almost knew there would be some swipe toward Cadillac in this but not in the way I thought. Malaise Caddies were mainly engine related problems between 1980-1986 (Olds-source V8 Diesels, V8-6-4 6.0L big block, 4.1L HT4100 V8 (head gasket issues, poor performance)). Yes, the 1992 Brougham was in the fleet way too long but people were still buying the thing. Yes it was based on the 1977 platform with a exterior design that had barely changed since 1980. My first Caddy I got at age 21 which was a used 1980 Coupe DeVille I bought while in college in 1986. And just like the 1977 Chevy Caprice, the 1977 Devilles and Fleetwoods were redesigned from their gargantuan 1976 models with the 8.2L V8. These "smaller" models had 7.0L V8s and tidier dimensions, like the Caprice (Buick and Oldsmobile did this too). The next downsizing wouldn't come until 1985 but the older model still sold well and lasted into the 1990s. And while you did cover the lackluster GM J-Cars in a previous video, I wouldn't let GM off the hook just yet about the early 80s. One distinctively bad car was the 1980 Chevy Citation which also had related cars at Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick. The "X-Cars" were GM's first traverse mounted front drive cars. And they were awful. I should know since the Citation was my first car in high school and I had a brand new 1980 car. It wasn't that small....midsized even. And on paper it made sense. But the cars had such bad torque steer that if you went over 70 MPH, the entire front end shook. And it couldn't be fixed. It also rusted way too easily in an era when GM knew how to deal with that. And the base engine was the 2.5L I4 "Iron Duke" that dated back to the late 1960s. That's right, GM gave its supposedly tech forward front wheel drive car with a carbureted 4 banger from a decade earlier. This was the same company who was selling imported Opels in Buick dealerships with fuel injection between the late 60's to the mid 70's. In the end, the following technologies led the US domestic automakers out of the Malaise Era: Unibody construction - Led to lighter cars with smaller dimensions and better crash safety Fuel Injection - better fuel economy and better performance Digital engine management - along with fuel injection proved you could raise horsepower numbers AND get better fuel economy. Computers! And finally, other technologies like forced induction (turbocharging), overhead cam and variable valve timing designs all helped. But there is nothing like dramatically losing market share to Asian and European brands to get your attention.

[@jeffwang6460]

"This is a car with a 15 year old design, inside, outside, and under the hood!" Nissan 370Z: Yeah? And what of it?

[@thefelper.7181]

These videos are almost inexplicably fun and nice to watch! Thank you very much, 👍🏻 your work is appreciated!

[@israpianoman]

Great video like always! Keep going!!

[@shaun2072]

Excellent work Ed.

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

Part 4, good. Maybe the Daytona iroc r/t will get a mention. 225 hp from a 2.2

[@seanbaskett5506]

I just found this channel 3 minutes ago and I already f*ckin' love it. Well done, Ed. My friend in high school drove a periwinkle K car. It had over 300,000 miles and the oil hadn't been changed in 3 years (as of our senior year 2002). We tortured that poor thing on dirt, light sand, clay, and rural Idaho rollercoaster roads where at 20 over the speed limit you caught air, Finland style. Best budget rally car ever made, and weirdly, unutterably reliable. We beat the sh*t out of it. You just couldn't break the damn thing. I don't understand it.

[@JoJoJoker]

I’d say the Malaise Era truly ended when GM went bankrupt in 2009.

[@colindragan9352]

Yeah that was really when the "old way" of running a car company died for good.

[@DS-wo8wr]

@@colindragan9352 Because the “new” GM is so much better?

[@colindragan9352]

@@DS-wo8wr not better, it just operates differently. Most notably drastically reducing the number of divisions and basically abandoning making sedans

[@dmiller1000]

@@DS-wo8wr Right. They're just truck companies now. Their crossovers get mediocre reviews. Lord help them if people stop buying trucks. And the larger foreign manufacturers are not going all in on electrics. What do they know that we don't know?

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

id say 83 but soviet gopnik is right about how car companies are run changed after 2009

[@salvatronprime9882]

The Taurus SHO was the car that best represents the end of the malaise for me. When it first debuted it was so beautiful and unique. I liked it better than the Mustang.

[@davidvarga9161]

I love this series.

[@The330p4]

I absolutely LOVE this channel. Ed, please don't run out content.

[@JuanGarcia-vb3du]

Love those 1980's cars!

[@jackgirote9132]

I came across these videos a little over a year after they were uploaded. I am so glad I did. So much fun!

[@snap_oversteer7483]

Oh wait there is indeed a new episode yaay

[@badkittynomilktonight3334]

Malaise era began to lift with the reintroduction of the New Mustang in 1978, that signaled a return to making affordable cars that were economical enough but still actually fun to drive.

[@Bob.W.]

Yep, bought a new 79 Horizon to help bail out MoPar. Good car actually.

[@williammaceri8244]

Hey Ed, I have been watching and enjoying your History of American Cars series. Not only is it presented well, it also has your unique delivery style, and for a guy like me that is an American Car Gearhead icon, I was there and watched the industry go from the jewel of all industries, creating a reason for a young kid like me have a reason to live. To this day I'm 99.9% car at any given time. Guys like me had to watch our cars dissolve right at the time we were becoming of age to drive, BAMB! we get hit between the eyes with the '73 oil embargo that changed the industry to this day. We no longer had our beloved muscle cars and huge engined land yachts to one day eispire to own. Excruciatingly painful for all of us. But having been there I can tell you you tell the he story very accurately. So sad, and I thank you for that. That damn oil crisis changed everything in our futures. I think it is one of the main reasons I collect 1:18 diecast models of all my favorite and game changing cars that shaped the industry. I have them all, they're shelves line the wall of my room so they are still very much part of my daily life, but on a, well 1:18 scale of life. Again thanks for your excellent coverage of the most important segment of my life. By all means Ed, keep them coming.

[@stevedeleon8775]

I wish I still had my 1986 IROCZ 350 V8 TPI 5 speed manuel putting out 350 HP..that was decent HP back then

[@3canctheayr]

Actually, the 350 TPI maxed out at 220hp in the IROCZ and about 230hp in the Vette. They gained 5-10hp for 87. I had an 87 GN and could easily womp all those cars and the mustangs back then.

[@stevedeleon8775]

@@3canctheayr my uncle modified it brian..he raced here at Tucson Raceway Park he & his pit guys ..raised my 220hp to 350hp..it's amazing what can be done with Techs that know what they're doing 👍

[@stevedeleon8775]

@@3canctheayr did you read that my IROC was modified?. my uncle who raced & was a gearhead here at Tucson Raceway Park.. added high performance parts & machined the block ..all I can tell you is I was blessed 🙏to have him do that for me..👍P.S. GM Performance was his main sponsor 👍

[@3canctheayr]

@@stevedeleon8775 Suggestion; The word 'modified' might have been helpful in your first post...... ;)

[@druballard8929]

My new top 5 channels! Bravo!

[@NiPPonD3nZ0]

There is little I want from america... But the car culture, the way they nurture and allow stuff to be done... We can only dream here... I hope I wont die without the possibility to drive an american V8 automobile... GM, Ford, MoPar, doesn't matter... Life is too short to drive boring cars... I'm stuck with a 99 Opel Astra 1.4i 16V ... Cry for me please... I can cry no more...

[@Expatriate1977]

The regal was a bullet proof car. An elegant monster on the road with the turbo 6. One of my neighbors had one he built up to 1100 HP. Really was a beautiful car. Blows away so many other cars. I had a 1979 Oldsmobile cutlass supreme coupe. I wish I never sold it. Comfortable, beautiful and got 28 mpg on the highway with the small 260 V8. Really sweet car. Taurus was so nice as well. Comfortable and powerful. They came out with a SVT model that was really fast and kinda odd but a fun car to drive. The really crappy cars only came out in the last 10 years or so. They dropped quality in favor of high volume sales. Automakers know they can't outdo the cars they made decades ago so they reduce parts availability and now all cars built have only an 8 year supply of parts. Eventually nobody will own their own car. I'm in the process of amassing as much money as I can to buy up my favorite classics and also build a small company that will create replacement parts for older cars. At some point, the big three will have to realize that there's money to be made from royalties of aftermarket parts sales. I prefer old cars over new due to the style and easy maintenance

[@Stroporez]

Ah, the cliffhanger.

[@bruns-o-tron]

I love that the auto captioning took your pizza metaphor and turned it into "The dough is the cake platform."

[@fivizzano]

Has Chrysler EVER been NOT on the brink of death ?

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Right before their disastrous merger with Daimler/Mercedes in 1998 or so, Chrysler was the most cash-rich automaker in the world

[@royale7620]

@@chrisfreemesser5707 Mercedes legit scammed and robbed them lol.

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@royale7620 They're also the reason you can't import cars younger than 25 in America

[@MysterE1971a]

Yesss....I need moooore. Bring on part IV! Well done

[@Two-Checks]

Nice design. I've always been a Dodge Omni man. I'll see myself out.

[@rubendoblado8229]

We had a Talbot Horizon (european version) since 1983 to 1994, what a car! Here in Spain, Police had these cars in GT model with 90 hp, taxi drivers had models with near 1 million kms... Some times I see one diesel model (GTD) running in the Jarama Circuit...

[@jetsons101]

Years back I had a Dodge Omni GLHS and it was fun, Carroll Shelby really knew his stuff. R.I.P. Glad to see him in your video. Funny thing, also years back I picked up a 65 Shelby GT350 and I still have it. Thanks for your time and work......

[@stiang872]

00:04 YUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@tomaszproblem2684]

I did not see it

[@stiang872]

@@tomaszproblem2684 Its on the left and is blue

[@dillbob330]

The only thing I loved about the Taurus was that it indeed broke the mold in the US and was the start of the curvy styling of the 90's. Great content, cant wait for the next part.

[@dillbob330]

@Lukas zzstu Sikorski Well, a google search seems to show you are correct. Plus- turbo!

[@traveleraz8269]

It ended in 1984 with the Buick Grand National

[@quintessenceSL]

Kinda. Although lauded now, Buick turbos weren't really popular in their time (total Buick turboed cars produced in 1984- 5,204. Hardly a revolution). It's a case of revisionist history, with the public still trying to wrap their heads around all this new-fangled technology, which could have just as easily failed in the market.

[@traveleraz8269]

@@quintessenceSL I can understand and respect your opinion. I would say that the car set an example of what could be.

[@quintessenceSL]

@@traveleraz8269 Given how ubiquitous turbos are now, can definitely say Buick were ahead of their time, pointing the way to the future. But as far as marking when US cars could successfully compete with imports, the blue oval has the sales numbers to back up their claim.

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@quintessenceSL And remember a majority of those turbo Buicks back then were not Grand Nationals, they were probably more T-type Regals or Rivierias

[@joshuaecht]

The '84-and-up C4 Vette, the '85 Third-Gen Firebird/Camaro, the '84-'87 GN/GNX, the '82-and-up Fox 5.0 Mustangs and the '83 Thunderbird/Cougar/Mark VII were the first step to what we have today.