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

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Ez ryder said:

Yeah you are the target market for them . I can't even count how many AARP customers I have with a ultra low mi vett in the garage that they can hardly get in or out of the 2 times a yr they take the thing out in the day light for the early bird special at the drive Inn 

Didja' have ta' say that???   

[ActionfigureJoe 3,468]

A 60’s or early “70’s muscle car is the last place I’d go for performance. Maybe as an investment though. They stink, handle like shit, suck fuel, and are just old. Even a resto mod doesn’t excite me. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate a well cared for older muscle car AND the person who is passionate enough to rescue and preserve a piece of American history. 

[ACE 10,297]

New. Old ones are nice to look at but that’s about it 

[ActionfigureJoe 3,468]

After dealing with and selling class B motor homes earlier this year, I formed a soft spot for the Westfalia Synchro 

 

[Big Crappie 3,352]

Love them all but my I love the old Detroit muscle in it's original state. Rough riding, poor handling, smelly, can get beat by a modern mini van but 1/2 the fun is going back in time. Hell I still love jumping in my 1940 Ford pickup once in a while and that fucker don't go or stop worth a shit. LOL

[steve from amherst 16,342]

8 hours ago, Plissken said:

The new ones will never tug at you’re heartstrings like the 60’s era.  But for daily driving, obviously a new one is preferred.  So I say get both.  Science!

The correct answer

[Frostynuts 678]

Like lots of guys have stated, the 60 up to 70 stuff had beautiful styling, and is great to look at.

My latest toy was a 2016 Mustang GT convertible, with 435 factory hp. The nicest car I have ever owned. 

Performance wise, ride wise, the new stuff kicks ass, compared to any of the old stock stuff. 

If I ever win a lottery, I wil have a 68 Mustang fastback, resto-mod.

[Doug 4,286]

The intent of this thread was a muscle car for occasional ride not a daily driver.  If it was for a daily driver yes the new stuff all day.  I guess if not for a daily driver and you had a choice between a showroom condition 1967 tri-power 427 vette optioned out well or a new vette what would you take.  I know both but you only have the option for one.  Mine would be the 1967.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Doug

[Shifty 1,110]

I like the old stuff but also drool over the HP  / performance numbers today’s cars bring to the table. Just pulled the chevelle from my youth out of the backwoods. Pic from the ‘91 and then from last week. 

[Zambroski 24,107]

Both have they own brand of “coolness factor for sure”.  I think if it’s a garage queen, I’d go old school.  If I wanted a performance machine that can, quite frankly, do everything better (and I do)…..not just a little bit better, A LOT BETTER, gotta go newer.

Now, if your idea of “performance” is dumping the M22 clutch with the big block and 4:10’s in the rear at the stop light, I suppose the old metal would work pretty damn well.  But if you want to make the next corner without losing control on almost every level and going ass over tea kettle, then new metal is where it’s at.

Case in point, years ago I did Auto-X and I swapped my ride with a guys 1976 vette.  It’s not even a close comparison.  Not even remotely.  He said the same after a few laps in mine.  It’s just a whole different playing field.

[Zambroski 24,107]

42 minutes ago, Doug said:

The intent of this thread was a muscle for occasional ride not a daily driver.  If it was for a daily driver yes the new stuff all day.  I guess if not for a daily driver and you had a choice between a showroom condition 1967 tri-power 427 vette optioned out well or a new vette what would you take.  I know both but you only have the option for one.  Mine would be the 1967.

If I actually drove (like I stole it) it, new.  If I occasionally tooled it around town, old.

Also, the new base vettes can’t really be compared to the Z06’s and ZR1’s.  So, that makes a difference there.  I’d have to redo the entire suspension on a base model.

[Snake 11,623]

Brother popped in this weekend....

[DriftBusta 13,532]

8 minutes ago, Snake said:

Brother popped in this weekend....

My electrician has one of the same vintage.  Growing up I worked with a paperhanger who had a couple real hot Torinos.  They still look good after all these years, even if they didn't get quite as much attention as the Chevelles.

[Catalina 157]

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. 

 

[Doug 4,286]

6 minutes 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. 

 

Land yacht 👍

Friend had his parents 1973 Olds 98 2 door.  The rear quarter panels were as long as some cars.

[800renegaderider 3,479]

23 minutes ago, Snake said:

Brother popped in this weekend....

Torino’s are such under appreciated cars. They still look bad ass even today especially the 70/71 style but that 73 ain’t bad either 👍 

[TurboDHC-2 3]

Whether it’s to own and occasionally cruise, or to daily-ish drive the new stuff is the smart choice.  (And I have a few, some American some German…..buuuuttt

Nothing shuts a car show down and diverts attention like a chromed up, brightly painted, big block from yesteryear that literally leaves tire marks just from sitting idling because the lumpy cam in the block causes the car to wiggle and shake so much!  Not a vette, not a gtr, not a Lambo.  The heart chooses nostalgia and classic idgaf unapologetic styling and brashness.

 

[Zambroski 24,107]

I don’t know if it’s in my future but, if I had the chance to scoop up a 70 Chevelle SS with the right mechanics or an old Goat, I would.  I’m not looking though so, it’d have to pretty much be brought to me.  Doubtful.

[smokin george 3,798]

Just now, Zambroski said:

I don’t know if it’s in my future but, if I had the chance to scoop up a 70 Chevelle SS with the right mechanics or an old Goat, I would.  I’m not looking though so, it’d have to pretty much be brought to me.  Doubtful.

If I was younger I'd order a new 70 Chevelle body by Dynacorn, new custom upgraded frame/suspension, LS motor etc etc and build the car the way I'd want it to be. I can't fathom paying a big $ for a true SS car that's 50yrs old that I could've bought new back in the day. 

[Zambroski 24,107]

Just now, smokin george said:

If I was younger I'd order a new 70 Chevelle body by Dynacorn, new custom upgraded frame/suspension, LS motor etc etc and build the car the way I'd want it to be. I can't fathom paying a big $ for a true SS car that's 50yrs old that I could've bought new back in the day. 

I actually like the new retro inspired Camaros and strangs.  I remember when Foose was rewriting the book on muscle car restoration.  

[MnDean 280]

I loved the old 60's muscle  cars, I had a 69 Camaro , nothing special, just an original 6 cylinder car that we swapped in a 350 and powerglide trans. Fun car .

As I have aged my intrest in owning fast cars has decreased , now just an old Saturday cruiser works for me. I acquired this clean 63 T bird a few years ago. The heater and AC were not working, so the plan was to get the climate comforts working, but that just seemed to escalate into more work, pulled the engine and trans for a refreshing, but the engine compartment was in rough shape, greasy old and dirty.  A little paint really cleans things up. Lol

[TurboDHC-2 3]

Bullet birds, another one of my favorites,  well done sir!

[Tommcat 1,045]

mine in it's current form. i'm trying to find an 8-71 for it right now.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Tommcat

[Anler 12,316]

I was a huge muscle car fanatic my whole life. But the new muscle is about 1000x better than the old stuff. I dont think I would even want a 60's -70's car even for nostalgia purposes at this time. They dont do anything near as good as the new stuff. And for the price to do a full restomod, its not even worth the money. Corvette, mustang, camaro, challenger/charger, etc... the new stuff is great. World class even

[smokin george 3,798]

I grew up in the era when a late night cruise turned into squaring off a set of lights or going to one of the hotspot burger joints where everybody hung out. It was American Graffiti, two lane blacktop and so forth back then. For us old guys that was a good time growing up.