Curbside Classic Archives
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1985 Archive
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1985 Cadillac De Ville 4.3 V-6 Diesel: The Most Underpowered Cadillac Since Before WW2
Posted on October 27, 2025 | 45 CommentsMost Cadillac fans are aware that for about six and a half years, many Cadillac models were available with the unfortunate Oldsmobile 5.7-liter diesel V-8. Towards the end of that […] -
Junkyard Classic: 1985 Dodge Caravan SE – The Whiplash Special
Posted on October 24, 2025 | 68 Comments(Updated 10/24/2025) I’ve been holding out for a first year 1984 version of Chrysler’s first generation minivan but finally realized it just will not appear until very […] -
Curbside Find: 1985 Honda Acty 4WD Pickup – ¡Kei Suerte!
Posted on September 17, 2025 | 16 Comments(Updated 9/18/2019) It’s fascinating to discover the bigger JDM cars, but there are many, many kei cars, vans and trucks around that also want a little […] -
My 1985 Mazda RX-7 – Reality Steps In
Posted on March 13, 2025 | 24 Comments(first posted 11/22/2014) This was the shortest term of ownership I ever had a car for, about a year and a half but this brief flame burns […] -
Curbside Classic: 1984 Honda Accord – The Canary in the Coal Mine for the Traditional American Sedan
Posted on March 1, 2025 | 80 Comments(first posted 3/8/2014) It was with the second generation that Honda’s Accord began to take a toehold in the Midwest. At the time, there was a lot more “Buy ‘Murican” […] -
Lost & Found: Automotive Treasures Saved From a Nebulous Fate
Posted on December 2, 2024 | 35 CommentsRecently, I accompanied my wife and daughter on a roadtrip that covered nine states. Enjoying the temperate climate well south of the Mason-Dixon Line, I figured a bumper crop of […] -
The Cars Of My Maternal Grandparents
Posted on July 28, 2024 | 39 Comments(first posted 7/2/2018) I’ve been debating this essay for a while, but now seems as good a time as any. With my grandmother Violet (referred to previously […] -
Curbside Recycling: 1985 Oldsmobile Firenza S Coupe – A 1970 4-4-2 It Is Not
Posted on January 4, 2024 | 54 CommentsLord, won’t you buy me an Oldsmobile sang no one ever, certainly not Janis, and not any of the legions of artists since. Yet here we were in the times […] -
Salvage Yard Classics: A Trip To Kansas City
Posted on May 5, 2023 | 36 CommentsWhat’s a guy to do when he has a short but indeterminate amount of time to kill when in Kansas City? Why, you drop off the wife at her destination […] -
COAL: 1985 Buick LeSabre Limited – Chapter 20, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Posted on November 27, 2022 | 50 CommentsThis begins a really odd chapter in my car ownership experience. Or maybe we should say “another” really odd chapter. It began with a harebrained idea. You know the kind […] -
COAL: 1985 Ford LTD Crown Victoria – Chapter 17, Heavy The Head That Wears The Crown
Posted on November 6, 2022 | 46 CommentsIn the summer of 1993, my car life was in fine shape: We had the stalwart ’88 Accord sedan and the ’86 Marquis Wagon (the smaller one, like a Fairmont) […] -
COAL: 1986 Mercury Marquis Wagon – Chapter 16, No Not That Marquis, The Smaller One. Like A Fairmont
Posted on October 30, 2022 | 69 CommentsIn a short 18 months or so, I had gone from piloting a land yacht (’66 Fury III) to having a blast in a go kart (’83 Colt) to needing […] -
Curbside Classics: The General Motors N-Body – How Quickly We Forget
Posted on October 19, 2022 | 142 Comments(first posted 6/6/2012) There are some things you just tend to forget about. Appointments to the dentist. Needing to tuck-point the brick on your house. What your wife wore on […] -
COAL: 1985 Volkswagen GTI – Chapter 8, Fahrvergnugen!
Posted on September 4, 2022 | 57 CommentsThe summer of 1985 was a time of transition for me. For the first time of my life, I was on the verge of real life – which included two […] -
Curbside Memories: 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S – The Good, The Bad, The Facts Of Life
Posted on August 22, 2022 | 44 CommentsLos Angeles, California, USA, 1985 – That’s the place and year I earned my driver’s license. As a 10th-11th grader, life was more than a little angst-filled. Little things were […]
![1985 Cadillac De Ville 4.3 V-6 Diesel: The Most Underpowered Cadillac Since Before WW2 Most Cadillac fans are aware that for about six and a half years, many Cadillac models were available with the unfortunate Oldsmobile 5.7-liter diesel V-8. Towards the end of that […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1985-Cadillac-Sedan-de-Ville-diesel-Grayfern-ClassicCars.com-side-left-badge-inset.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![Junkyard Classic: 1985 Dodge Caravan SE – The Whiplash Special (Updated 10/24/2025) I’ve been holding out for a first year 1984 version of Chrysler’s first generation minivan but finally realized it just will not appear until very […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_3967.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Curbside Find: 1985 Honda Acty 4WD Pickup – ¡Kei Suerte! (Updated 9/18/2019) It’s fascinating to discover the bigger JDM cars, but there are many, many kei cars, vans and trucks around that also want a little […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IMG_20190825_151000-copy.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![My 1985 Mazda RX-7 – Reality Steps In (first posted 11/22/2014) This was the shortest term of ownership I ever had a car for, about a year and a half but this brief flame burns […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_5141.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Curbside Classic: 1984 Honda Accord – The Canary in the Coal Mine for the Traditional American Sedan (first posted 3/8/2014) It was with the second generation that Honda’s Accord began to take a toehold in the Midwest. At the time, there was a lot more “Buy ‘Murican” […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CC-63-037-800.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Lost & Found: Automotive Treasures Saved From a Nebulous Fate Recently, I accompanied my wife and daughter on a roadtrip that covered nine states. Enjoying the temperate climate well south of the Mason-Dixon Line, I figured a bumper crop of […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/south-of-rolla.jpeg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![The Cars Of My Maternal Grandparents (first posted 7/2/2018) I’ve been debating this essay for a while, but now seems as good a time as any. With my grandmother Violet (referred to previously […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/photos-Version-3.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Curbside Recycling: 1985 Oldsmobile Firenza S Coupe – A 1970 4-4-2 It Is Not Lord, won’t you buy me an Oldsmobile sang no one ever, certainly not Janis, and not any of the legions of artists since. Yet here we were in the times […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_5251.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Salvage Yard Classics: A Trip To Kansas City What’s a guy to do when he has a short but indeterminate amount of time to kill when in Kansas City? Why, you drop off the wife at her destination […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_0533.jpeg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![COAL: 1985 Buick LeSabre Limited – Chapter 20, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time This begins a really odd chapter in my car ownership experience. Or maybe we should say “another” really odd chapter. It began with a harebrained idea. You know the kind […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/1985-Buick-LeSabre-02.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![COAL: 1985 Ford LTD Crown Victoria – Chapter 17, Heavy The Head That Wears The Crown In the summer of 1993, my car life was in fine shape: We had the stalwart ’88 Accord sedan and the ’86 Marquis Wagon (the smaller one, like a Fairmont) […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1985-Crown-Victoria-02-Feature.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![COAL: 1986 Mercury Marquis Wagon – Chapter 16, No Not That Marquis, The Smaller One. Like A Fairmont In a short 18 months or so, I had gone from piloting a land yacht (’66 Fury III) to having a blast in a go kart (’83 Colt) to needing […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1986-Marquis-Wagon-01-Feature.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Curbside Classics: The General Motors N-Body – How Quickly We Forget (first posted 6/6/2012) There are some things you just tend to forget about. Appointments to the dentist. Needing to tuck-point the brick on your house. What your wife wore on […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/P5170575.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![COAL: 1985 Volkswagen GTI – Chapter 8, Fahrvergnugen! The summer of 1985 was a time of transition for me. For the first time of my life, I was on the verge of real life – which included two […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1985-GTI-01a.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Curbside Memories: 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S – The Good, The Bad, The Facts Of Life Los Angeles, California, USA, 1985 – That’s the place and year I earned my driver’s license. As a 10th-11th grader, life was more than a little angst-filled. Little things were […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IMG_0971.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)


