1961 Chevrolet Bel-Air series

[electra225]

I follow this YouTube channel. I learned some things I either didn't know or just didn't remember. Like 1961 being the first year for the 409. I did not know you could buy a 1961 El Camino. I thought 1960 was the last year for El Camino. I did not remember there were 24 different drivetrains in 1961 on full-size Chevrolet cars. I did not know one could buy a Bel-Air 4-door hardtop in 1961. The picture that is shown of the Power Pack 283 in this video is actually a later 327, with the scalloped valve covers. And the wrong air cleaner for a 283. Maybe someone will enjoy this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoMhNIPyNPM

[19&41]

I guess any year they offered a station wagon they could've had an El Camino. Like Ford, they produced half bed models based on their intermediate and compact models as well.

[electra225]

The El Camino might make a topic for a good discussion. Did not El Camino take a hiatus in 1962 and 1963? It re-appeared on the Chevelle chassis after that time.

[19&41]

According to Wikipedia, the hiatus was from the end of 1960 to 1964 when the Chevelle platform model was introduced. I wonder if the '61 they refer to in the video might have been an individually customized wagon?

[TC Chris]

Hey, good link--my Chevy! (Well, not the Impala). And in the intro, you'll see the car that's sitting right next to the Chevy in winter storage, the '65 Olds Starfire. I was gratified to see that the mpg rating were miserable, which matches my experience. I had figured that in my mature years, with a light foot on the accelerator, I'd get decent mileage. Well, no. Still wretched by today's standards.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I'm not sure I agree with those mileage statements. I remember when I could get Super Shell leaded gasoline, I could get 20 mpg on a Buick if you drove it like you had some sense. If you got into the four-barrel, then it wasn't very good. The old six cylinder Chevy's dad had got over 20 mpg all the time, and they'd burn almost anything that was combustible. 283's and 327's got in the upper teens if you drove them prudently. Burning oxygenated fuel is not conducive to good fuel economy. Remember, when gas was 30 cents a gallon, 15 mpg was considered reasonable mileage. Nobody paid attention in any case, it wasn't important back then. A Ford Falcon with a 144 six and standard shift might get mileage approaching 30 mpg. I like the YouTube channel I linked, but some of his details leave me scratching my head.

[19&41]

There are many dubious sources of information on the internet. Putting a presentation like that together, one can vacuum up some errant information into the mix. The El Camino was not the only half bed that GM and it's subsidiaries made. There has been a thriving market for them in Australia, as manufactured by Holden since the '50s.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ho ... HoverTitle

[Firedome]

Anyhow I could care less about gas mileage of my vintage cars, or boat for that matter. We put at most 500-800 miles a year on the cars and maybe 7-8 gas tanks of 6 gallon each on the pontoon boat. I'm gonna enjoy 'em while I can while gas is still pretty cheap (inflation factored in) and available and not worry about it.

That said I've always been a proponent of V8s with 2 bbl carbs, they have plenty of usable low-end power around town but do get better mileage and are simpler to work on, my '65 Olds Dynamic 88 convertible with 425 2 bbl engine could get 16 mpg on the road, not bad. My '69 Cutlass 350 2 bbl, even with a little early emissions stuff, about the same. The Olds V8 4 bbls were more like 10-11 around town and 12-ish on the road.

[electra225]

The Oldsmobile 425, 455 and even the 350 were torque monsters. When GM started putting the Olds diesel engine in pickup trucks, every farmer in the country around where I lived bought one. They blew them up with predictable regularity. The shop I worked for specialized in replacing the diesel engine with a GM gas one. Naturally, the Oldsmobile engines were a drop in. The other GM engines required also swapping out a mating transmission. The most popular replacement for the Olds diesel was the Olds 455 followed by the 500 cid Cadillac V-8.

[hermitcrab]

I remember my buddy restoring his 61.... the front fenders were notorious for rusting out behind the headlights , even back in the late 70's finding good fenders were like hen's teeth ...most that you see today are replacements ...

[TC Chris]

My '69 Cutlass 350 2 bbl, even with a little early emissions stuff, about the same. The Olds V8 4 bbls were more like 10-11 around town and 12-ish on the road.

For a long time I've recorded my gas purchases for the daily drivers--amount, date, cost, miles showing. From time to time I would calculate actual overall mpg. Seems to me on the '69 4-4-2 (auto. trans.) I could get 15-16 by prudent driving. By that time, 1970s, with gas prices climbing,
I was extremely prudent.

I don't pay much attention to mileage in the Chevy, especially while it's still in the miscellaneous-repairs stage. Not worth the worry, given the limited use. I do record the Mustang GT mileage. It is mostly highway driving and about the same as the 4-cyl. Ranger (!)--25-26 mpg.

As to the "early emissions stuff"--that was a perfect example of Detroit stubbornness. The American engineers adopted the attitude that "we can't do it." And they proved themselves right. The Japanese engineers said "We'll make it work properly." And they proved themselves right. Pretty soon "Made in Japan" had a whole new meaning, as did "American car." I bought a 1980 Datsun 510 wagon when I could no longer get leaded premium for the 4-4-2. What a sweet car that was. The one skill the Japanese took a while to master was corrosion resistance.

Chris Campbell

[walyfd]

There were more models in the Chevy line then than the entire GM offerings today...

Don't even get me started on colors and interiors...

[electra225]

There is a '63 Electra four door sedan, last I knew of it was in New Jersey, built in New Jersey, that had was special ordered with three-on-the tree transmission, no power steering, no power brakes, two-barrel carburetor, no radio, crank windows and moony hub caps. Desert Sand color with tan interior. UUUGGGLLLY. It did have heater and defroster. The man who bought it new wanted LeSabre equipment, but liked the body style of the Electra. Back then, you could get anything you would pay for. My Electra was built in Kansas City with bucket seats and floor shift console, something that wasn't even an option on Electra in 1963, or any other year I'm aware of.

[walyfd]

Heat may have been standard (it was in cadillac in '62) but I do recall reading it could be deleted for a credit. A lot of hearse and flower cars were stripped bare of comforts. You were stuck with power brakes and steering and whatever transmission the 86 series came with.

Radio delete was interesting. I looked at a '62 Fleetwood a friend was selling. Needed a ton of work but had air and the standard power windows, etc., but no radio. The Birmingham dowager wasn't paying her chauffeur to listen to baseball games while waiting for her...

There's a mint, low mile plum Burgundy '65 Fleetwood from Rhode Island also says radio. This was the service car of a super rich family... again, the help wasn't being paid to be entertained... but they were vain enough to be sure the staff was seen in a senior series cadillac.

[TC Chris]

Radio delete was interesting. I looked at a '62 Fleetwood a friend was selling. Needed a ton of work but had air and the standard power windows, etc., but no radio. The Birmingham dowager wasn't paying her chauffeur to listen to baseball games while waiting for her...

There's a mint, low mile plum Burgundy '65 Fleetwood from Rhode Island also says radio. This was the service car of a super rich family... again, the help wasn't being paid to be entertained... but they were vain enough to be sure the staff was seen in a senior series cadillac.

Geez, talk about bad attitudes. I can imagine the loyalty and the quality of service such folks got (spit in the soup, anybody?).

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

In a '63 Buick, a heater and defroster were options, sold separately. You could buy a heater without defroster, but you had to get the heater if you wanted a defroster. Rear defogger did not require a heater. Power steering, brakes, two-speed overlapping wipers and Dynaflow and 4-barrel carburetor were all standard on a '63 Electra. All optional on a LeSabre series job. I have a friend in South Dakota who owns and body off restored a '63 LeSabre four door hardtop that was uber-loaded. It had all the Electra goodies on it. The original owner bought a new Electra, then found it wouldn't fit in his garage. So he ordered a LeSabre built with all the Electra goodies so it would fit into his garage. It has air, power windows and vent windows, dual exhaust, four barrel "power pack" 401. Guidematic, rear defogger, Positraction everything you would expect on an up-line Electra.