How many here have driven a muscle car?
04-24-2010, 07:36 PM
#11
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I have owned and driven a lot of muscle cars. 69 Mach I 428 Super Cobra Jet, 70 Mach I 351C. two 69 Mustang Grande's with 351 W's. 64 Corvette vert with 2 tops & 327/300/4sp, 73 Vette 350. 455 Trans Am, camaro RS/SS, misc. 289 Mustangs. I also made a living buying and selling cars for a while and specalized in muscle cars.
How did they drive? By todays standards not so well. The tires had little grip, they didn't turn well, and although they were lots of fun to drive fast in a straight line they didn't stop worth a damn. Being able to lay a strip of rubber at 80 mph was sure entertaining...
How did they drive? By todays standards not so well. The tires had little grip, they didn't turn well, and although they were lots of fun to drive fast in a straight line they didn't stop worth a damn. Being able to lay a strip of rubber at 80 mph was sure entertaining...
04-24-2010, 08:14 PM
#12
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I drove mine today.
1970 LS-5 454/390 Corvette. Not much faster than the S2000 due to the 3.08 gears but sounds great. The S2000 is a much nicer car in every way (except the sounds). I like driving the vette, but I love the S2000.
1970 LS-5 454/390 Corvette. Not much faster than the S2000 due to the 3.08 gears but sounds great. The S2000 is a much nicer car in every way (except the sounds). I like driving the vette, but I love the S2000.
04-24-2010, 08:32 PM
#13
Originally Posted by jbird,Apr 24 2010, 06:27 PM
This is mine, bought it when I was 18. Sold when 21 and bought an S2000.
It's a 1973 Holden LJ Torana. It had a 260hp straight 6 with big cams. (Holden being the Aussie version of GM). The wheels are pindly little 13x7" ahhaha. With this set up it ran a 13 second quarter mile.
That was swapped out for a stroked EFi 5.8L (355ci hence the number plate) V8 after I got bored of the power.
BIGGGG mistake. This motor lunched the gearbox and lunched the diff.
Had to put a supra gearbox in and a skyline differential (R31 skyline) and upgraded the brakes all round and put 15x9" wheels on the back. The car is amazingly small and light in this guise it ran a 12.3 sec quarter mile with loads of wheel spin. It was faster with an easy take off and then short shifting into 2nd I found.
This is what it looked like with the V8 and half cage
I found myself shifting gear and hooking the steering wheel to the right every time the tacho swept past 3000rpm haha
p.s I know it might not be the greatest looker paint wise, but the body was relatively rust free and straight PLUS I was only 18 at the time so I wasn't exactly rich.
James
It's a 1973 Holden LJ Torana. It had a 260hp straight 6 with big cams. (Holden being the Aussie version of GM). The wheels are pindly little 13x7" ahhaha. With this set up it ran a 13 second quarter mile.
That was swapped out for a stroked EFi 5.8L (355ci hence the number plate) V8 after I got bored of the power.
BIGGGG mistake. This motor lunched the gearbox and lunched the diff.
Had to put a supra gearbox in and a skyline differential (R31 skyline) and upgraded the brakes all round and put 15x9" wheels on the back. The car is amazingly small and light in this guise it ran a 12.3 sec quarter mile with loads of wheel spin. It was faster with an easy take off and then short shifting into 2nd I found.
This is what it looked like with the V8 and half cage
I found myself shifting gear and hooking the steering wheel to the right every time the tacho swept past 3000rpm haha
p.s I know it might not be the greatest looker paint wise, but the body was relatively rust free and straight PLUS I was only 18 at the time so I wasn't exactly rich.
James
04-24-2010, 10:11 PM
#14
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Good spot. Nope definitely live axle ... the R31 skyline had a live axle too obviously I had to cut it down and re-stud it to suit. But the bonus was it had disc brakes on the rear.
Reason for the upgrade, 28 spline axles ... the stock Torana ones looked like match sticks next to it and much stronger diff + better final drive + standard viscous LSD.
It was a four link rear end.
Reason for the upgrade, 28 spline axles ... the stock Torana ones looked like match sticks next to it and much stronger diff + better final drive + standard viscous LSD.
It was a four link rear end.
04-24-2010, 10:42 PM
#15
Originally Posted by jbird,Apr 24 2010, 10:11 PM
Good spot. Nope definitely live axle ... the R31 skyline had a live axle too obviously I had to cut it down and re-stud it to suit. But the bonus was it had disc brakes on the rear.
Reason for the upgrade, 28 spline axles ... the stock Torana ones looked like match sticks next to it and much stronger diff + better final drive + standard viscous LSD.
It was a four link rear end.
Reason for the upgrade, 28 spline axles ... the stock Torana ones looked like match sticks next to it and much stronger diff + better final drive + standard viscous LSD.
It was a four link rear end.
04-25-2010, 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by fishfryer,Apr 24 2010, 10:14 PM
I drove mine today.
1970 LS-5 454/390 Corvette. Not much faster than the S2000 due to the 3.08 gears but sounds great. The S2000 is a much nicer car in every way (except the sounds). I like driving the vette, but I love the S2000.
1970 LS-5 454/390 Corvette. Not much faster than the S2000 due to the 3.08 gears but sounds great. The S2000 is a much nicer car in every way (except the sounds). I like driving the vette, but I love the S2000.
04-26-2010, 03:01 AM
#18
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Nice LS-5. I've been thinking about a 70 model. I was thinking high 13s with fairly hard street tires and low 13s with DRs. Is that giving it too much credit or is that about right?
04-26-2010, 06:31 AM
#19
My "other car" is sort of a muscle car, just w/less weight. I do need to pad the roll bar, it's quite possible to whack one's head (or the passenger's) against it under acceleration.
Other than that, various other "muscle cars" that didn't leave too big an impression. However, I once drove a "pre-muscle car", 1958 Chrylser 300D, 392ci Hemi, 2x4 carbs. Lumbered off the line, but it kept on accelerating way past when the speedo was buried. Spooky.
Other than that, various other "muscle cars" that didn't leave too big an impression. However, I once drove a "pre-muscle car", 1958 Chrylser 300D, 392ci Hemi, 2x4 carbs. Lumbered off the line, but it kept on accelerating way past when the speedo was buried. Spooky.
04-26-2010, 01:12 PM
#20
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i KNOW its not a true "muscle car" but I owned a 97 SS camaro, and for a while I had no power steering because the psp went out...does that count? Super raunchy idle, flowmaster exhaust so the drone was insane..
I would love to drive a real muscle car one day though.
I would love to drive a real muscle car one day though.