Thanks, Irish. I was a H S Sr. in '69 and well remember the muscle cars many of the rich kids got for graduation. As I was watching the video, I was amazed at the space between engine and hood, especially those big block MOPAR's. You could sit on the fender with your legs in the engine compartment as you tinkered to get just a bit more speed. None of the government mandated "extras" hanging off of these beautiful beasts, letting the raw power reach the wheels.
a guy in my outfit had one like this in '73. A 440 Roadrunner. Traded it for a POS brand new econobox. The insurance cost him just as much as the gas he was not burning. net savings:0. fun loss: incalculable.
Put the same money in the stock market in 69 and today you'll have 1.5X more than these are worth. Or more. Fun toys. Not investments. But oh my what you can do with a big block and a machine shop...you'll never have more fun with your clothes on.
Stylish death traps, all of them. Lousy tires, poor brakes, crap suspension, total weight imbalance, no shoulder belts, many with no head rests, no crumple zones, no air bags, no side impact door beams, no strong roof pillars, weak headlights, imprecise steering. Sure, great styling (and no rust proofing either) and 6mpg.
A late model Mustang or Camaro with the 6 cylinder engine would just about make it onto this list with 0-60 or 1/4 mile times. Any V8 in either car would put them at or near the top of the list. Plus they can turn corners and stop, which most of these old crates couldn't manage.
Complain all you want, but computer engine control, fuel injection, variable valve timing, 4 valve heads, and instant shifting 6-8 speed automatic transmissions changed the game forever. Perhaps these new cars don't seem as fast because they have suspensions that actually work, but they are hella faster than any old rust pile from the 60s.
Thanks, Irish. I was a H S Sr. in '69 and well remember the muscle cars many of the rich kids got for graduation. As I was watching the video, I was amazed at the space between engine and hood, especially those big block MOPAR's. You could sit on the fender with your legs in the engine compartment as you tinkered to get just a bit more speed. None of the government mandated "extras" hanging off of these beautiful beasts, letting the raw power reach the wheels.
ReplyDeletea guy in my outfit had one like this in '73. A 440 Roadrunner. Traded it for a POS brand new econobox. The insurance cost him just as much as the gas he was not burning. net savings:0. fun loss: incalculable.
ReplyDelete69 my favorite year AND NUMBER.
ReplyDeleteCamaro on the bucket list, maybe a bronco as well.
They missed the Mercury Cyclone.
ReplyDeleteMan, I miss my '69 Corvette. and, yes, it had the L88.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why do you torture me, Irish??!!
Put the same money in the stock market in 69 and today you'll have 1.5X more than these are worth. Or more. Fun toys. Not investments. But oh my what you can do with a big block and a machine shop...you'll never have more fun with your clothes on.
ReplyDeleteStylish death traps, all of them. Lousy tires, poor brakes, crap suspension, total weight imbalance, no shoulder belts, many with no head rests, no crumple zones, no air bags, no side impact door beams, no strong roof pillars, weak headlights, imprecise steering. Sure, great styling (and no rust proofing either) and 6mpg.
ReplyDeleteA late model Mustang or Camaro with the 6 cylinder engine would just about make it onto this list with 0-60 or 1/4 mile times. Any V8 in either car would put them at or near the top of the list. Plus they can turn corners and stop, which most of these old crates couldn't manage.
Complain all you want, but computer engine control, fuel injection, variable valve timing, 4 valve heads, and instant shifting 6-8 speed automatic transmissions changed the game forever. Perhaps these new cars don't seem as fast because they have suspensions that actually work, but they are hella faster than any old rust pile from the 60s.