MoparRocks
12-09-2005, 23:38
I am the only one who has an appreciation for vintage American (and, in some cases, Australian) muscle & pony cars.
Muscle cars, you know, were created for one purpose: Acceleration. The way they're designed often leads to low top speeds (usually around 120 to 135mph) but excellent straight-line acceleration. For instance, a '68 Plymouth Road Runner equipped with a 383-4bbl. (335hp gross; 290-310 net), a 4spd transmission, and a 4.10 SureGrip rear-end could get them to 60mph in about 6 seconds, provided a good driver and proper conditions. In 1968, this was mind-bogglingly fast. Most European supercars from that time to the same or more time to get to that speed. Often, their top speed was 15-20mph more. Braking and handling, naturally, was much better. But they cost a LOT more. A '62 Ferrari 250 GTO was about as fast as a '64 Pontiac GTO (w/ minor mods), but cost much, much more. About $13k more in total. Nobody could afford one; that is, if they could even find one, as only about 40 were made.
Now, then there's the pony cars. With their short wheelbases and lightweight small-block engines, most of them handled exceptionally. Some examples that come to mind include the Camaro Z/28, with a 302-4V V8 that produced about 360hp (gross) and weighed very little. It featured optional 4-wheel disc brakes* and an optional heavy-duty close-ratio transmission, the M22 Rock-Crusher. This, and Mopar's TorqueFlite Automatic, are very good and reliable transmissions. Bulletproof. Another that comes to mind is the '64-1/2 through '66 Mustang GT. Sure, they had pretty basic suspensions, and only front disc brakes, but they were good handlers. Especially the 1965 Shleby GT350. That was a true sports car- in every meaning of the word. Look it up.
*Only from 1967-69, and you had to install them yourself.
Now, on to the poll...
Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that most muscle car engines have a very broad power-curve. Most muscle cars got their peak torque from idle all the way to redline. Most muscle car engines are very durable and reliable, with the execptions of one's such as Mopar's infamous 426 Hemi (465hp gross/375hp net) and Chevy's fire-breathing 427 TurboJet models. Now, you may be thinking "Boy, those sure took a lot of displacement to get that power." Yeah, that maybe true. In some cases. Either way, that was VERY impressive in the '60s.
Muscle cars, you know, were created for one purpose: Acceleration. The way they're designed often leads to low top speeds (usually around 120 to 135mph) but excellent straight-line acceleration. For instance, a '68 Plymouth Road Runner equipped with a 383-4bbl. (335hp gross; 290-310 net), a 4spd transmission, and a 4.10 SureGrip rear-end could get them to 60mph in about 6 seconds, provided a good driver and proper conditions. In 1968, this was mind-bogglingly fast. Most European supercars from that time to the same or more time to get to that speed. Often, their top speed was 15-20mph more. Braking and handling, naturally, was much better. But they cost a LOT more. A '62 Ferrari 250 GTO was about as fast as a '64 Pontiac GTO (w/ minor mods), but cost much, much more. About $13k more in total. Nobody could afford one; that is, if they could even find one, as only about 40 were made.
Now, then there's the pony cars. With their short wheelbases and lightweight small-block engines, most of them handled exceptionally. Some examples that come to mind include the Camaro Z/28, with a 302-4V V8 that produced about 360hp (gross) and weighed very little. It featured optional 4-wheel disc brakes* and an optional heavy-duty close-ratio transmission, the M22 Rock-Crusher. This, and Mopar's TorqueFlite Automatic, are very good and reliable transmissions. Bulletproof. Another that comes to mind is the '64-1/2 through '66 Mustang GT. Sure, they had pretty basic suspensions, and only front disc brakes, but they were good handlers. Especially the 1965 Shleby GT350. That was a true sports car- in every meaning of the word. Look it up.
*Only from 1967-69, and you had to install them yourself.
Now, on to the poll...
Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that most muscle car engines have a very broad power-curve. Most muscle cars got their peak torque from idle all the way to redline. Most muscle car engines are very durable and reliable, with the execptions of one's such as Mopar's infamous 426 Hemi (465hp gross/375hp net) and Chevy's fire-breathing 427 TurboJet models. Now, you may be thinking "Boy, those sure took a lot of displacement to get that power." Yeah, that maybe true. In some cases. Either way, that was VERY impressive in the '60s.