'83 was the first year for the 4 speed auto.

 

Thanks Brian, I do what I can.
Jim, IIRC that was a change from a bulletproof MB 3-speed to a bullet-proof MB 4-spd.

VB, re: Good point # 5, Bad point #1: What EFI?

Bad #2: Have you had a good look at an S4?

Bad #5: Not that I've noticed... what pads are you running?

Bad #6 & 7: Not so much anymore...

Bad # 8: Fixed

Bad #9: What's a chip?

Otherwise, I agree with you...

 

For US models, '84 for ROW's.

 

Bad 2: It wasn't a comparason to other cars. The CIS cars are horrible in just the huge number of lines. The S4 are awful in burrying the darn vacuum lines. But there are still alought of vacuum lines on the 83-84 US cars.

Bad 5: Only way I could ever get fade involved trying to make it fade. It is doable. I'm immagion that if you put a blower on the car, you really could get some fade. Darn good, but not great. Not the same as the "Big Red" on an 83.

Bad 7: Unless you've replaced all the wireing, you've got 22+ year old wireing. With 20 year old insulation. Face it, we're talking electrical grimlins.

 

Hmmm... Doesn't seem too bad to me. I've seen much, much more vac-line spaghetti in other cars, other marques -- just doesn't strike me as being an issue.

Also, condition of insulation is likely related to time spent baking in the sun. The only place where I have any insulation showing signs of degradation are a couple of places in the engine bay. Connectors are a different story though.... but that's a maintenance issue on any car. I've seen cars 10, 15 years newer with wiring in worse shape. At least the insulation isn't biodegradable!

 

You ever seen any of the early 80s computer controlled carburated American cars? Terrible, terrible vacuum line octupi, all of them...

<Shudders>

 

Yep... had a 78 Monaco Interceptor package - it was on a par with the shark. Many GM cars had 2-3x the mess in the 80's IIRC