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On my way to see the Frederick Keys (O's A ball team,damn it
was HOT!) I was on MD 100 West bound. In my rearview
mirror, I spotted a red, convertible 1970 GT0. I slowed down so
as to get along side him for a better look. It was then I sighted
the "455 HO" badges. We exchanged glances, dropped to third
and the race was on. Except it wasn't much of race Despite a
mighty roar from is 7 liters of Detroit muscle, I immediately pulled
ahead and I shut it down before 100mph.
As someone who grew up on "The Dukes of Hazzard"
and "Smokey and the Bandit", I have a great affection for muscle
cars, but I must confess some disappointment. It sure sounded
the part but It didn't have much to back it up. Oh well, it still
looked cool.
I used to drive a 70 GTO in college. I had the 400 Ram Air III. Was a long time ago, but I think it was a mid/high-14 car. Engine had 80K miles and needed a rebuild.
A guy I met back then had a 70 Judge with the 455HO with two Holly 4bbl carbs (600 in front - 750 in back). Plus he custom built the ram air to fit around his duel four's. It looked like a stock Orange Judge, but was putting out 600+ HP (the engine was bored and built with racing part). He wouldn't trade, despite repeated requests.
Emissions standards took a draconian turn in 1970, destroying HP. It took the entire decade for auto manufactures to figure out how to meet the requirements and make some decent power. A '69 muscle car could move, but a '70 muscle car was really hindered. They also changed the horsepower measurement from gross to net which helped hide the nose dive in power ratings.
I had a '70 Judge Ram Air IV. It ran really strong in its day. The problem is having a 32 year old muscle car running like it did when it was new (unless it has been complete rebuilt). It probably has not-so-good rings, old valve seals, bent push-rods, lots of slack in the drive train, in need of a carb kit, old plug wires, in need of a distributor rebuild ................... you see where I'm going with this.
I owned a Royal Bobcat white 65 GTO. It weighed just under 3200 lbs. with 415 hp. and 435 ft. lbs. of torque. The Pontiac dealer in Royal Oak, Mich. took stock cars and "tuned" them for the drags, mine turned low 12s at Norwalk, Ohio. A friend of mine bought a new 70 Chevelle SS 454 with cowl induction, it was the fastest car out of Detroit that year. I took him 2 out 3 runs, I would have had all 3 if I wouldn't have missed a shift.
I had a 71 Pontiac t-37 which was an option on the Lemans basically a poor mans GTO but it had a transplanted 455 with an 850 holley dbbl pumper headers etc. Talk about torque! The newer cars however are set up more efficiantly and can outperform a lot of the older muscle cars. Compression and h.p. was lowered in 71 so 70 is the last good year for h.p.
