Jump to content

Current American Muscle car or 60's and 70's Muscle car?


Doug

Recommended Posts

Friend is retired now for a couple years from a well established shop.  They still call him in when they have cars from the 60's and 70's to work on cause nobody knows how to work on them anymore.  He's surprised some times what he works on that shows up at the shop.  He's work on hemi cars, a 1965 4 door Bellaire with a 409 and recently worked on a Pontiac tempest with the single overhead cam 4 barrel 6 cylinder in it. 

He also owns a 67 GTO for over 30 years that went through a rotisserie restoration a few year back.

Edited by Doug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I so WANT to say old muscle, but my pocket book says differently.  My first car was a 68 Galaxie XL that I built the 390 for when I was 15.  Drove it 300k miles and enjoyed every one of them.  I am constantly considering building a pro touring version of some older muscle and enjoying it, but instead I have a 775hp Escalade for towing and an Audi S6 as a daily.  The modern interior and comfort for a regularly driver is just superior.

Why the S6?  Faster than most 2 door modern muscle cars and can haul my 10/12 year olds to sports without having to get in my wives car.

vFGMRHh.jpg

As for the Escalade, well, I needed something to tow.  It started out as my daily, but is now an extra.  

x9PXVLb.jpg

I ordered a C8 Vette as well....but when it came I realized I am too damn tall to drive it :(  Thought that modern muscle would be fun, but starting to contemplate a 60's machine again instead.   And the same reason I won't fit in a Vette is the reason that I can't fit my family in a GT500 or the like.

Edited by Deephaven
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Catalina said:

My summertime daily driver from 1990 to 2002. Got it with just under 30,00 miles on it, put on about 40,000. Great fun driving on summer days. Not a muscle car, but powerful enough, and a comfy cruiser. Took second place in the national Pontiac show for its class in 1992. Easy to maintain, never let me down from a reliability standpoint. 

Not something that could handle a highway off ramp at 60, and you need to leave some extra room to get it stopped, but it was lots of fun. 

 

Front_Yard.thumb.jpg.9e37aebece67732feca21b1ca07f5c8a.jpg

Sorta know that body.  Had a 68 Executive 2 door that I also drove as a daily driver.  The body was unique and those rear quarter panels as mentioned were something.  Mine had fender skirts and it made the panels seem even larger.  The car was damn near a low rider without a drop. That trunk was like a having a truck bed.  It was a cruiser as long as you pointed in a straight line.

I didn't want to part with the car when I did quit driving the thing.  It seemed like a waste to throw it away.  I stored it in a shed until my nephew was old enough and into cars.  Gave it to him as a project car and he is slowly going through the thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Gold Member
28 minutes ago, Doug said:

Friend is retired now for a couple years from a well established shop.  They still call him in when they have cars from the 60's and 70's to work on cause nobody knows how to work on them anymore.  He's surprised some times what he works on that shows up at the shop.  He's work on hemi cars, a 1965 4 door Bellaire with a 409 and recently worked on a Pontiac tempest with the single overhead cam 4 barrel 6 cylinder in it. 

He also owns a 67 GTO for over 30 years that went through a rotisserie restoration a few year back.

Shop down the road that we sublet to has younger guys that work there. I was there one day and they were trying to get a nova to run correctly. They had timing lights going adjusting stuff couldn’t get it right. Owner comes over no light nothing turns the dizzy adjusts the carb all by ear in less than 5mins and the thing ran mint lol. It was pretty impressive.

Edited by 800renegaderider
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

I love the old ones, and work on the new ones daily. I will take a new one 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. The ONLY a thing the old ones have on the new is nostalgia and some looks. 
 

As of right now, sign me up for one of these. 
 

 

4CD004A6-8F53-4605-9C79-341D77AD096B.jpeg

This will be a very rare car in the near future.  GM has no use for V8 cars, it doesn't fit their new agenda.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

I love the old ones, and work on the new ones daily. I will take a new one 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. The ONLY a thing the old ones have on the new is nostalgia and some looks. 
 

As of right now, sign me up for one of these. 
 

 

4CD004A6-8F53-4605-9C79-341D77AD096B.jpeg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Gold Member

Here is my baby.   Runs good with the 400 small block.  It is my first car.  Got it when I was 15 years old.  Dad just bought a new Mustang GT with the coyote motor.  There is no comparison in power and handling new vs old.  But you should see the neck breaking looks my Monte gets when we are out driving around.  Mustang no one even notices...  Love my old iron.  

montewithshoes.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BadaBing444 said:

This will be a very rare car in the near future.  GM has no use for V8 cars, it doesn't fit their new agenda.

V8’s don’t fit any automakers long term agenda. Short term though? Caddy V Blackwings, C8’s, Stellantis puts a Hellcat engine is almost everything these days not to mention that I heard a rumor that the C8 might be making Ford drag a GT car back out of retirement possibly? EVs are coming hard and fast for sure but gasoline burning V8’s from Detroit going away say tomorrow? Well, guess we will have to wait and see about that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Platinum Contributing Member

If I was to do an older muscle car it would be a Resto-mod or Pro Touring.   I bought an first year retro Mustang in 2005 and just didn't drive it enough.   I've thought about pulling the trigger on something the last few years but so far I've learned from that experience.

Damn near bought 83-84 Hurst Olds as when I was a teen I thought that car was the shit even though they were underpowered and slow.

I'd might consider a Bandit TA or General Lee if the price was right.   

Edited by Highmark
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, poopooforme said:

Here is my baby.   Runs good with the 400 small block.  It is my first car.  Got it when I was 15 years old.  Dad just bought a new Mustang GT with the coyote motor.  There is no comparison in power and handling new vs old.  But you should see the neck breaking looks my Monte gets when we are out driving around.  Mustang no one even notices...  Love my old iron.  

montewithshoes.jpg

74? Here's mine. I received it from my parents when I graduated high school. It was in need of some work but for a free car, I gladly took it. I started the build in 89 and decided to go the Pro-Street route to have something different. 

Picture 003 (Large).jpg

Picture 005 (Large).jpg

Picture 002 (Large).jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Legend said:

The old stuff styling is far better.  And for fucking in the back seat. 

 

The new stuff is just so much better in every other way. 

 

I'd like both.

 70's and 80's was terrible for auto design.   50's and 60's i agree look good but IMO not better than todays

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 I like them all but I still have a passion for small fwd cars that dates back to my SAAB days in the early 70's. My last few summer toys were a 2006 JCW MINI, a 2014 Fiesta ST and I just purchased a 1993 Dodge Daytona IROC R/T. 

F4BD7F21-A03D-430D-AE63-B78E192D25A3.jpeg

C8B0AC5C-1CB6-4C38-81C7-35558BFB5498.jpeg

4542BD63-442C-45A1-8D01-64AC53AE38A1.jpeg

72E0F395-06A6-4DFE-84A9-68045073B5A7.jpeg

4EA281D6-2C49-4091-A277-341C5E9927B9.jpeg

0BC5B65D-BED9-458D-B325-6F3440FD67E8.jpeg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Highmark said:

If I was to do an older muscle car it would be a Resto-mod or Pro Touring.   I bought an first year retro Mustang in 2005 and just didn't drive it enough.   I've thought about pulling the trigger on something the last few years but so far I've learned from that experience.

Damn near bought 83-84 Hurst Olds as when I was a teen I thought that car was the shit even though they were underpowered and slow.

I'd might consider a Bandit TA or General Lee if the price was right.   

I remember seeing the 83/84 Hurst Olds at the dealer when I was a kid. Great looking cars and those Lightning rods shifters were cool. I’ve got a friend with one. Total pigs but so was everything in the early 80’s. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Highmark said:

If I was to do an older muscle car it would be a Resto-mod or Pro Touring.   I bought an first year retro Mustang in 2005 and just didn't drive it enough.   I've thought about pulling the trigger on something the last few years but so far I've learned from that experience.

Damn near bought 83-84 Hurst Olds as when I was a teen I thought that car was the shit even though they were underpowered and slow.

I'd might consider a Bandit TA or General Lee if the price was right.   

My dad had a coworker with a charcoal grey ‘86 Olds Cutlass that was a V8 car (307) with buckets and console. Had the factory chrome plated 15” wheels on it too. Dad was going to help me buy it but said that I wasn’t trying hard enough to get a job. I was 15, was working for a local farmer and had 3 applications in to local places. Actually got a job at one of the local auto parts stores a few weeks later but the car was already gone. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Platinum Contributing Member
5 hours ago, Sael said:

 I like them all but I still have a passion for small fwd cars that dates back to my SAAB days in the early 70's. My last few summer toys were a 2006 JCW MINI, a 2014 Fiesta ST and I just purchased a 1993 Dodge Daytona IROC R/T. 

F4BD7F21-A03D-430D-AE63-B78E192D25A3.jpeg

C8B0AC5C-1CB6-4C38-81C7-35558BFB5498.jpeg

4542BD63-442C-45A1-8D01-64AC53AE38A1.jpeg

72E0F395-06A6-4DFE-84A9-68045073B5A7.jpeg

4EA281D6-2C49-4091-A277-341C5E9927B9.jpeg

0BC5B65D-BED9-458D-B325-6F3440FD67E8.jpeg

my dad had one of those 2 stroke saab's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Angry ginger said:

 70's and 80's was terrible for auto design.   50's and 60's i agree look good but IMO not better than todays

mid to late 70s was 2nd worst time for cars. 80s was the worst. 

 

I disagree with modern cars looking better than classic cars. Modern cars maybe designed better, have better aero, etc. But they all look very similar. Low, round, narrow. Classics had character. 

 

But thats my opinion.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

My dad had a coworker with a charcoal grey ‘86 Olds Cutlass that was a V8 car (307) with buckets and console. Had the factory chrome plated 15” wheels on it too. Dad was going to help me buy it but said that I wasn’t trying hard enough to get a job. I was 15, was working for a local farmer and had 3 applications in to local places. Actually got a job at one of the local auto parts stores a few weeks later but the car was already gone. 

Had a 80 Cutlass that was loaded including T-top that had a 260 (V-8).  Talk about gutless it barely had enough power to get up the driveway approach.  Surprisingly it had a turbo 350 trans and not the metric 200.  I put a 403 in with a cam and intake that made it better.  Sold the car to my brother inlaw and my nephew totaled it when a guy ran a red light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Doug said:

Had a 80 Cutlass that was loaded including T-top that had a 260 (V-8).  Talk about gutless it barely had enough power to get up the driveway approach.  Surprisingly it had a turbo 350 trans and not the metric 200.  I put a 403 in with a cam and intake that made it better.  Sold the car to my brother inlaw and my nephew totaled it when a guy ran a red light.

Back then, I would have tossed the 307 for a bigger Olds engine. Probably a 455, if I could have found one but at minimum a 350. This car had already had the TH200 tossed in favor of a TH350. The factory 2:41 rear gear was also tossed for a 3:23 with an Auburn posi. The owner was the lead body repair tech at the GM dealer where my dad was the parts department manager for 35 years. Only reason that the 307 was still in it was because it was the owner's wife’s summer car. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Trying to pay the bills, lol

×
×
  • Create New...