which era were the best muclse cars built
Printable View
which era were the best muclse cars built
Late 60's. Even though I owned a 66 GTO, I would have to say 68- "69" -70 are the best muscle car years. And anything GM would be my personal preference.Quote:
Originally posted by dombrorj
which era were the best muclse cars built
yea the muslce car to me is when the rat motors came into the game.
I would agree. i would go as far as to say '69-'71, and an array of GM products are included.
I would lean forward a little in the years. 69-73, cause there was still a lot of HP in a few 73s. 74 is when the EPA really killed a lot of cars.
Mid 60's to 69. Some of the Fords, Chevy's and Mopars were unbelievable. Chevy's 396 and 427, Fords 406 and up and Mopars wedge and Hemieeeeeees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh I don't know, for me 1965-1973 Ford, Chevy or Mopar, I like them all, The Galaxy, Chevelle and Baracuda the best but a '65 Mustang, '67 Camero or a '70-'73 Plymouth Duster or Dodge Demon or dart would keep me happy.
All out performance wise I would have to say the last generation of F-bodies and even the previous generation mustangs are my favorites.
As far as style goes I'll say late 60's to early 70's are my favorites.
Abe
Id have to say the 60's were the best, in pure horsepower and in style. I know ill offend most here but I like mopars the best then Fords, GM's and finally the independants.
That'll get ya' on Bob's Christmas Card List. He He He:) :) :)Quote:
Originally posted by suedeplymouth
I know ill offend most here but I like mopars the best
who is voting for the smog emmissions no power 145 horse camaros from the 80's?? what car from the 80's had power and is considered a muscle car.?????????
Looking at the voting on the poll most of you that logged a vote must not have even been alive during the '60's. While there were a couple years at the beginning of the '70's when there were some great street monsters, after '72 there was nothing but junk with graphic kits on it. Can anyone take a Nova bodied Ventura with GTO decals seriously??? An A bodied Mopar with Roadrunner decals?????:rolleyes:
Sorry kids, ya had to be there. Every year during the '60's one company or the other upped the ante, often serveral times a year. It was a glorious time!! Acid dipped bodies, aluminum fenders, doors, bumpers, factory cheated altered wheelbases, big engines/little cars, dual four barrels, factory built "sleepers" prowling Woodward Ave, virtually every company, even AMC, getting into the game. Z11, ZL1, Z28, Thunderbolt, GT350, GT500, Mach 1, HP289, G code Galaxies, Max Wedge I, II, & III, A990, HEMI. Go watch two movies Bullit and Smokey and the Bandit. C'mon, really, Mc Queen in the Mustang 2+2 vs the Dodge Charger with real driving skill...................or Reynolds with jump and crash scenes as fake as his hair!!!! Nuff said!!!!
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
[
Sorry kids, ya had to be there. Every year during the '60's one company or the other upped the ante, often serveral times a year. It was a glorious time!!
Well said BBBob... Cannot add a thing to that.
My admiration was toward the Cuda and Goat- but all were hot!
corvette summer , great movie
When discussing "Muscle Cars" consideration must be given to what the average joe could buy from the dealer and not necessarily what the factory backed boys had on the dragstrip or on the track. I spent a good deal of the 60's in So Cal and I never saw anything stock touch a well tuned street Hemi, either on the street or on the strip and I spent many Fri and Sat nights at Lion's, Irwindale, and OCIR. Sundays were spent after 68 running my 68 Charger in E Pure Stock. Never found a 350 horse 396 I couldn't beat. The Charger was a 383 with pwer everything.
Even AMC? Yeah, there was a time when AMC was cool. But they killed the AMX name in the end. Anyone drive a 79AMX and youll see what i mean. a 82SX4 was quicker off the line, and it had a I6!Quote:
Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
virtually every company, even AMC, getting into the game.
This Car Is Not Fast!:mad: :mad: :mad:
Gee Bob sounds like you read my post about selling performance vs selling the image of performance.:LOL: :LOL:
You mention some really great cars in your post......"Z11, ZL1, Z28, Thunderbolt, GT350, GT500, Mach 1, HP289, G code Galaxies, Max Wedge I, II, & III, A990, HEMI"....... some of these were the top of the line and unfortunatly these were also reasonably low production and pretty expensive for their day.
One of the really great things about the 60's was what the average joe working for $2-$5 an hour could get. Many of the most sought after muscle cars today were nothing more than drive it/race it till you wear it out or break it and throw it away cars. In many cases high school graduation presents in my class (1970) were new Chevell SS 396s, Road runners, a BB Camero and a couple of Mach I mustangs.
I just got through helping a freind that runs a wrecking yard do his annual crush. One of the cars that went was pretty representative of the era, a 68 Charger RT (Believe me it was pretty picked over and there was NOTHING usable left....still broke my heart). It had been a 375HP 440, 4spd, 3.55 posi car, manual brakes, manual steering zero option car. In it's day "JUST" another factory street racer. ;)
Yeah!! Now the voting is getting around to where it should be!!
You're right Mike, I put up the heavy hitters just to make the point. But the era was filled with good "affordable" cars too. Any GM midsize; Chevelle, Le Mans, Cutlass.... with a 326, 327, 330 and a four speed. Or a B body Mopar with an hp 383, either 4 speed or torqueflite, or 390 Ford, either full size in the early '60's, or Fairlane/Mustang in the mid '60's could be a performer. And oh so many more. But every so often someone you knew would show up with a killer car. I worked in a grocery store after school and weekends. One of the clerks showed up to work one day with a brand new, '63 Ford 300 tudor sedan, plain as day lookin'. It was painted that slightly greenish toned gold they did then, with the complimentary interior. No radio, no heater, small hub caps, blackwalls...............really plain jane gran'pa lookin'. But as you've probably guessed by now, it did have some gold colored "chickens" on the front fender. Dual quad 427/4 speed car. I got the ride of my life that night!!!!
As for the graduation present thing, no well-to-do daddy in our house; I had to buy my own in '65. Not exactly a muscle car! It was a '56 Beetle. But it did have an Okrasa kit on it (that'll test any Type I freaks here). :LOL:
Bob, You rock!:toocool: I especially like the last sentence comparing the movies. I agree, how much better can you get than that Mustang and Charger going at it? many have tried to imitate but have yet to compete. those fart and furious movies rely on tricky camera effects and rediculous stunts to make a chase excting. just the fact that a Mustang and Charger were doing the chasing made it exciting to watch.Quote:
Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
While there were a couple years at the beginning of the '70's when there were some great street monsters, after '72 there was nothing but junk with graphic kits on it. Can anyone take a Nova bodied Ventura with GTO decals seriously??? An A bodied Mopar with Roadrunner decals?????:rolleyes:
It was a glorious time!! Acid dipped bodies, aluminum fenders, doors, bumpers, factory cheated altered wheelbases, big engines/little cars, dual four barrels, factory built "sleepers" prowling Woodward Ave, virtually every company, even AMC, getting into the game. Z11, ZL1, Z28, Thunderbolt, GT350, GT500, Mach 1, HP289, G code Galaxies, Max Wedge I, II, & III, A990, HEMI. Go watch two movies Bullit and Smokey and the Bandit. C'mon, really, Mc Queen in the Mustang 2+2 vs the Dodge Charger with real driving skill...................or Reynolds with jump and crash scenes as fake as his hair!!!! Nuff said!!!!
Oh by the way Bob, did you live in Detroit as a teen? I noticed you mentioned Woodward Ave. If so, do you make it back to town during the Woodward Dream Cruise?
Those EMPI motor kits are worth a bundle these days...Quote:
Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
It was a '56 Beetle. But it did have an Okrasa kit on it (that'll test any Type I freaks here). :LOL:
Dave Brisco
No, I had the good fortune to spend most of my teen years in So Cal, so it was Van Nuys Blvd, Ventura Blvd and Hollywood Blvd mostly. I've just been aware of Woodward since that time.Quote:
Originally posted by racerxjj67
Bob, You rock!:toocool:
Only when I'm in the right kind of chair! ;)
Oh by the way Bob, did you live in Detroit as a teen? I noticed you mentioned Woodward Ave. If so, do you make it back to town during the Woodward Dream Cruise?
Well an all inclusive list for me would probably run from the 63 'Vette to the 70 Chevelle; but, I guess what I personally view most as muscle cars are those from 64-69. Granted there were quite a few cars up through '72 that had quite a bit of power; but, I guess, I have to have my cake and eat it too, and styling also plays a big part in it for me as well. I really prefer my muscle to be pre-70 when it comes to that.
The poll numbers are looking a lot more realistic now that a few more oldtimers are weighing in.
Yeah Bob, my dad didn't have deep pockets either (and also believed that us kids would respect it a lot more if we had to buy it ourselves). When I graduated I was stuffing a 354 Poly (56 Chrysler) motor in a rusty 49 Plymouth buisness coupe. I was pretty proud of myself at the time but cringe a little now when I think about my first effort to build a "hotrod".
Personally I'm glad I lived though those times and was working at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership. Not a lot of people can say they got a chance to "road test":cool: a couple of Hemi or 440 six pack cars when they were new.
One other thing I tend to miss a little about those times are the factory hype terms; Super Duty, Golden Commando, Magnum, Boss, Cobra Jet, Super Sport, etc.
Ahhh for the days when blowers were generally only found at the drag strip and no one had head of Nos.:CRY: