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Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna
The Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna is a mid-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet for the 1973 through 1976 model years. Part of the GM A-Body platform, the 1973 Laguna series included coupes, sedans and station wagons. It was the top-line Chevelle series that year positioned above the Malibu. For 1974 through 1976 the car was produced as a one-model Laguna S-3 coupe, the new-for-1974 Malibu Classic series taking the top-luxury series position. All Lagunas sported urethane front-ends which easily distinguished them from other Chevelles. NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough earned the first two of his three consecutive Winston Cup championships piloting a Chevelle Laguna.
The 1973–1976 Chevelle Lagunas accounted for 108,815 of nearly 1.7 million third generation Chevelle sales. Production included 42,941 1973 Laguna coupes, and 38,790 1974–1976 Laguna Type S-3 coupes, making them relatively rare cars in today's collector market.
Chevrolet honored California beach resorts again by naming the top 1973 Chevelle series "Laguna" with the Malibu taking the middle spot while the base series was called simply "Deluxe". Laguna models featured specific front and rear styling including a body-colored urethane front end concealing the new 5 mph bumper system. On minor impact the urethane nose cone, backed up by shock-absorbing cylinders, deflected and rebounded; Laguna models also featured a specific diecast chrome grille with bowtie emblem, a body-colored (steel) rear bumper, front and rear bumper rub strips, bright roof drip moldings, bright wheel-opening moldings, chrome taillight bezels, full wheel covers, and Laguna fender nameplates. Laguna interiors were more lavish than the Malibu in pattern cloth and vinyl or optional breathable all-vinyl upholstery, distinctive door trim with map pockets, deep-twist carpeting, woodgrain vinyl accents, and Laguna nameplates.
The 1973 Chevelle Laguna "Colonnade" hardtop featured a semi-fastback roofline with styled "B" pillars, frameless door glass and distinctive rear quarter glass on two-door coupes. New side windows with styled center pillars were featured on four-door sedan models. The new-design B pillars were structurally strong enough to contribute to occupant safety in a roll-over type accident. GM had anticipated federal roll-over safety standards for January 1974 that did not materialize. The unusually thin windshield pillars contributed to the much-improved visibility over the previous generation Chevelles. Two Laguna station wagons were introduced, including a Laguna estate. The wagons, available in six- or nine-passenger seating, featured a counterbalanced liftgate which allowed for easy entry and loading up to 85 cubic feet (2.4 m3).
The new top-of-the-line Laguna shared with all 1973 Chevelles the most extensive redesign in their 10-year history. The chassis were as new as the bodies. Wheelbase dimensions were carried over from the second-generation 1968-1972 models, with a sporty 112 inches for coupes and 116 inches for sedans and station wagons on an all-new sturdier perimeter frame with increased front and rear suspension travel, larger, 8½ inch, rear axle, wider, six-inch, wheel rims, refined rear control arm bushings and new shock absorber locations, new body mounts and improved front suspension geometry. The left wheel was adjusted to have slightly more positive camber than the right which resulted in a more uniform and stable steering feel on high-crown road surfaces while maintaining excellent freeway cruising stability. Clearances for spring travel were improved for a smoother ride over all types of surfaces; the coil springs at each wheel were computer-selected to match the individual car's weight. Power brakes with front disc brake calipers were standard on all 1973 Chevelles.
Additional new features were an acoustical double-panel roof, tighter-fitting glass, flush-style outside door handles, molded full foam front- and rear-seat construction, a flow-through power ventilation system, an inside hood release, a refined Delcotron generator and a sealed side-terminal battery, a larger, 22 gallon, fuel tank, and "flush and dry" rocker panels introduced first on the redesigned 1971 full-size Chevrolets. Another structural improvement was a stronger design for the side door guard beams. Options included swiveling Strato-bucket seats (with console) for coupes, a power moonroof, and Turbine I urethane (backed by steel) wheels, as was the instrument gauge cluster.
While lesser Chevelles (except the Malibu SS option) came standard with either a 250-cubic-inch six-cylinder or a 307-cubic-inch two-barrel V8, Lagunas came standard with a 145-horsepower 350-cubic-inch two-barrel V8. Options included a 350 four-barrel V8 of 175 horsepower (130 kW) and a 454 four-barrel V8 rated at 245 horsepower (183 kW). Hardened engine valve seats and hydraulic camshafts made these engines reliable for many miles, and allowed them to accept the increasingly popular unleaded gasoline. A three-speed manual transmission was standard; four-speed manual and Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic were optional. Crossflow radiators and coolant reservoirs that prevented air from entering the system prevented overheating.
Speed and Supercar magazine said in a June 1973 "Street Test": "Chevy gets it right on." "Enough is plenty, that's how we feel about the ('73) 350 Laguna. "... We couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell you what a groovy all around car it is even if it can't smoke the quarter-mile run in 13 seconds. And what car in '73 can." "It's not overpowering but it's enough - and so comfortable that the editor bought the car." "The Laguna is the type of car you want to own for fast, comfortable transportation in quiet luxury."
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Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna
The Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna is a mid-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet for the 1973 through 1976 model years. Part of the GM A-Body platform, the 1973 Laguna series included coupes, sedans and station wagons. It was the top-line Chevelle series that year positioned above the Malibu. For 1974 through 1976 the car was produced as a one-model Laguna S-3 coupe, the new-for-1974 Malibu Classic series taking the top-luxury series position. All Lagunas sported urethane front-ends which easily distinguished them from other Chevelles. NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough earned the first two of his three consecutive Winston Cup championships piloting a Chevelle Laguna.
The 1973–1976 Chevelle Lagunas accounted for 108,815 of nearly 1.7 million third generation Chevelle sales. Production included 42,941 1973 Laguna coupes, and 38,790 1974–1976 Laguna Type S-3 coupes, making them relatively rare cars in today's collector market.
Chevrolet honored California beach resorts again by naming the top 1973 Chevelle series "Laguna" with the Malibu taking the middle spot while the base series was called simply "Deluxe". Laguna models featured specific front and rear styling including a body-colored urethane front end concealing the new 5 mph bumper system. On minor impact the urethane nose cone, backed up by shock-absorbing cylinders, deflected and rebounded; Laguna models also featured a specific diecast chrome grille with bowtie emblem, a body-colored (steel) rear bumper, front and rear bumper rub strips, bright roof drip moldings, bright wheel-opening moldings, chrome taillight bezels, full wheel covers, and Laguna fender nameplates. Laguna interiors were more lavish than the Malibu in pattern cloth and vinyl or optional breathable all-vinyl upholstery, distinctive door trim with map pockets, deep-twist carpeting, woodgrain vinyl accents, and Laguna nameplates.
The 1973 Chevelle Laguna "Colonnade" hardtop featured a semi-fastback roofline with styled "B" pillars, frameless door glass and distinctive rear quarter glass on two-door coupes. New side windows with styled center pillars were featured on four-door sedan models. The new-design B pillars were structurally strong enough to contribute to occupant safety in a roll-over type accident. GM had anticipated federal roll-over safety standards for January 1974 that did not materialize. The unusually thin windshield pillars contributed to the much-improved visibility over the previous generation Chevelles. Two Laguna station wagons were introduced, including a Laguna estate. The wagons, available in six- or nine-passenger seating, featured a counterbalanced liftgate which allowed for easy entry and loading up to 85 cubic feet (2.4 m3).
The new top-of-the-line Laguna shared with all 1973 Chevelles the most extensive redesign in their 10-year history. The chassis were as new as the bodies. Wheelbase dimensions were carried over from the second-generation 1968-1972 models, with a sporty 112 inches for coupes and 116 inches for sedans and station wagons on an all-new sturdier perimeter frame with increased front and rear suspension travel, larger, 8½ inch, rear axle, wider, six-inch, wheel rims, refined rear control arm bushings and new shock absorber locations, new body mounts and improved front suspension geometry. The left wheel was adjusted to have slightly more positive camber than the right which resulted in a more uniform and stable steering feel on high-crown road surfaces while maintaining excellent freeway cruising stability. Clearances for spring travel were improved for a smoother ride over all types of surfaces; the coil springs at each wheel were computer-selected to match the individual car's weight. Power brakes with front disc brake calipers were standard on all 1973 Chevelles.
Additional new features were an acoustical double-panel roof, tighter-fitting glass, flush-style outside door handles, molded full foam front- and rear-seat construction, a flow-through power ventilation system, an inside hood release, a refined Delcotron generator and a sealed side-terminal battery, a larger, 22 gallon, fuel tank, and "flush and dry" rocker panels introduced first on the redesigned 1971 full-size Chevrolets. Another structural improvement was a stronger design for the side door guard beams. Options included swiveling Strato-bucket seats (with console) for coupes, a power moonroof, and Turbine I urethane (backed by steel) wheels, as was the instrument gauge cluster.
While lesser Chevelles (except the Malibu SS option) came standard with either a 250-cubic-inch six-cylinder or a 307-cubic-inch two-barrel V8, Lagunas came standard with a 145-horsepower 350-cubic-inch two-barrel V8. Options included a 350 four-barrel V8 of 175 horsepower (130 kW) and a 454 four-barrel V8 rated at 245 horsepower (183 kW). Hardened engine valve seats and hydraulic camshafts made these engines reliable for many miles, and allowed them to accept the increasingly popular unleaded gasoline. A three-speed manual transmission was standard; four-speed manual and Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic were optional. Crossflow radiators and coolant reservoirs that prevented air from entering the system prevented overheating.
Speed and Supercar magazine said in a June 1973 "Street Test": "Chevy gets it right on." "Enough is plenty, that's how we feel about the ('73) 350 Laguna. "... We couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell you what a groovy all around car it is even if it can't smoke the quarter-mile run in 13 seconds. And what car in '73 can." "It's not overpowering but it's enough - and so comfortable that the editor bought the car." "The Laguna is the type of car you want to own for fast, comfortable transportation in quiet luxury."