willy’s for their willy’s coupe, [proplr]but i can’t remember if it was made that way or if people just wanted a bigger engine
Well, it’s not the one that I had in mind. Do you have more info?
I don’t know if this counts, but the ol’ Chevy Luv trucks had Toyota engines back in the `80s.
That’s a good guess but at that time GM and Toyota had an alliance. In fact, up until very recently Toyota built cars at the former GM plant in Fremont, CA and shared several cars that were sold as Chevies and Pontiacs, ie. Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix.
I’m sure this isn’t the answer either, but is a great illustration of how incestuous the early days of American automobiles was.
The first automobile company started in 1901 by Henry Ford, The Henry Ford Company, was funded in large part by John and Horace Dodge (yes, of the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company), but went bust in 1902, was then subsequently re-financed with Henry Leland in charge. Leland renamed it the Cadillac Motor Company and used the frame and body parts left behind by Ford to create the first Cadillac, virtually identical to the Ford Motor Company’s (founded in 1903) new Model A, but using a single cylindar engine designed by Leland for Ransom E. Olds’s Olds Motor Vehicle Company (later to be known as Oldsmobile). Leland then sold to General Motors, but later quit over differences about GM’s WWI war effort. Leland then formed Lincoln Motor Company which was of course then sold to Henry Ford.
Begging your pardon sir, the Luv was imported from Isuzu, not Toyota, and not just the engine, but the whole truck.[bgr]
Yes, and the first Ford couriers were just Mazda’s with different badges and tailgates. I had a 1980 Chevy Monza that had a 2.5L that was a blue color, meaning it was actually a Pontiac engine, does that count? lol
kustommodeler1 - Good catch on that Isuzu/LUV truck. You’re right about that, but the General also had an agreement with Isuzu. What I’m thinking of happened in the swinging 60’s!
Dunno if this is what you’re thinking about, but Studebaker used a Chevy engine in the Avanti back in the 60’s/70’s? Might have even been a complete GM chasis/drivetrain.
That’s a good one, but they, or whoever was making the Avanti by then, did it by choice. The one I’m thinking of didn’t choose to. [whstl]
The Avanti II used the 327ci from the 'Vette in 1965/66, and used GM engines throughout the run, even used the GM “G” platform (Monte Carlo) in the late 80’s, but it’s wasn’t Studebaker anymore, as they shut down in 1963. The Studebaker Avanti was only offered in 1962/63 and came with the Hawk 289ci.
Checker Motors used Chevy 350s in the Marathons.
Checker made the decision to go with 283 Chevy engines in their car, but in the situation I’m thinking of the owning company didn’t have much choice. So no right answer yet…
AMC used the Pontiac 2500 / 2.5 “Iron Duke” .
Great litte engine. My S-15 is at 198,000 and still going strong.
The vehicle’s that it was in (note the AMC vehicles at the bottom of the list) :
- 1977 Pontiac Astre
- 1977-1980 Pontiac Sunbird
- 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero
- 1982-1985 Pontiac Firebird
- 1982-1985 Chevrolet Camaro
- 1985-1990 Chevrolet Astro
- 1985-1990 GMC Safari
- 1989-1992 Pontiac Grand Prix
- Chevrolet Citation
- Chevrolet Celebrity
- Chevrolet S-10
- Chevrolet S-10 Blazer
- GMC Sonoma
- GMC S-15 Jimmy
- Chevrolet Monza
- Buick Skylark
- Buick Skyhawk
- Buick Century
- Pontiac 6000
- 1985-1991 Pontiac Grand Am
- Oldsmobile Ciera
- Oldsmobile Omega
- AMC Concord/Spirit (1980-82)
- Eagle (1981-83)
- Jeep CJ (1980-83)
- Grumman LLV United States Postal Service delivery vehicle
- 1975-1992 Chevrolet Opala (Brazil)
Well, maybe a little hint is needed here? Ford was involved indirectly.
Was it the Studebaker Lark? I had a friend in the Air Force that had one and I had a ride in it and heard a V-8. I asked what was in it, and to my surprise he said a 289.
No that’s not it. Actually Studebaker had their 289 V-8 engine.
I got it!! Funny cars.
Regardless of what manufacturer the body is supposed to resemble, there’s a HEMI in there.[t$t]
Isn’t HEMI a Mopar thing? Ford was involved indirectly as mentioned.
You’re getting warmer! Actually the funny cars aren’t sold by the manufacturers to the public. The last or so the Mustangs have been running the Boss Ford 500 which is a new engine from Ford, although it is essentially a Ford revision of the hemi-based engine the others use.