Late model muscle car's

Evan Smith · 06-29-2009, 06:07 AM

Wow, are you guys missing it. Alan, you can't buy anything at 1970s prices anymore! A big-block muscle car of the '60s was $3,500-5,000 depending on what you got. It would run 14s, 13s or 12s with some work. The new Camaro V-6 will run low 14s. With old cars you got poor mpg, constantly tuning (plugs, wires, carb adjustment, points, etc.) and not much comfort compared to today's cars. And a house back then was $25,000-40,000. Today's cars cost $25,000-50,000 and a house is four-10 times that. Plus, today's cars last twice as long as cars of the '60s and '70s did. You can get 150,000-200,000 miles with a little care. You were lucky if you got 110,000-mile from older cars. So, one could argue that you get twice the product for same (albeit time-inflated) price. Could you imagine at $3 per gallon if your hot rod got 6-9 mpg? No one would own one. Chalk one up for EFI. Now you can have a fun car and get 20-plus mpg. Boy, technology really sucks.

Modern EFI is a breeze, it's all nuts and bolts. So what if you control fuel and spark with a computer or re-flash tool? I can't speak for the GM cars, but the Fords are relatively easy. The last carb car I had was a '84 Monte SS and there were more vacuum lines than actual engine parts. It sucked to work on!

How could anyone possibly complain about the performance of modern-era muscle cars? My Wife's 2007 Mustang GT (automatic) went 13.28 at 105 in good air with only a re-flash of the computer. It cost under $30,000. Alan, what house are you buying for $60,000? That would mop up just about any muscle car of the '60s. Now, I love '60s and '70s muscle cars and agree that you can't compare the style and character to new cars, but as far as performance and comfort goes there is no contest. You will not get the same civilian reaction cruising a '70 Road Runner or '69 Camaro or Mustang as you will a new car, you can thank the 5-mph bumpers for that. The styling on the older cars was just plain awesome.

I recently put a blower kit on the GT and with street slicks went mid-11s at 116 mph. That's with stock gears, exhaust, converter and it still gets 24 mpg on the highway.

Jeff, BTW, the new Shelby will run mid-11s/120-plus in good air with sticky tires. I drag tested one and it will be out in the next issue of MM&FF.

Evan

06-29-2009, 06:07 AM	#17
Evan Smith Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Tampa Posts: 400 Likes: 7 Liked 115 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Late model muscle car's Wow, are you guys missing it. Alan, you can't buy anything at 1970s prices anymore! A big-block muscle car of the '60s was $3,500-5,000 depending on what you got. It would run 14s, 13s or 12s with some work. The new Camaro V-6 will run low 14s. With old cars you got poor mpg, constantly tuning (plugs, wires, carb adjustment, points, etc.) and not much comfort compared to today's cars. And a house back then was $25,000-40,000. Today's cars cost $25,000-50,000 and a house is four-10 times that. Plus, today's cars last twice as long as cars of the '60s and '70s did. You can get 150,000-200,000 miles with a little care. You were lucky if you got 110,000-mile from older cars. So, one could argue that you get twice the product for same (albeit time-inflated) price. Could you imagine at $3 per gallon if your hot rod got 6-9 mpg? No one would own one. Chalk one up for EFI. Now you can have a fun car and get 20-plus mpg. Boy, technology really sucks. Modern EFI is a breeze, it's all nuts and bolts. So what if you control fuel and spark with a computer or re-flash tool? I can't speak for the GM cars, but the Fords are relatively easy. The last carb car I had was a '84 Monte SS and there were more vacuum lines than actual engine parts. It sucked to work on! How could anyone possibly complain about the performance of modern-era muscle cars? My Wife's 2007 Mustang GT (automatic) went 13.28 at 105 in good air with only a re-flash of the computer. It cost under $30,000. Alan, what house are you buying for $60,000? That would mop up just about any muscle car of the '60s. Now, I love '60s and '70s muscle cars and agree that you can't compare the style and character to new cars, but as far as performance and comfort goes there is no contest. You will not get the same civilian reaction cruising a '70 Road Runner or '69 Camaro or Mustang as you will a new car, you can thank the 5-mph bumpers for that. The styling on the older cars was just plain awesome. I recently put a blower kit on the GT and with street slicks went mid-11s at 116 mph. That's with stock gears, exhaust, converter and it still gets 24 mpg on the highway. Jeff, BTW, the new Shelby will run mid-11s/120-plus in good air with sticky tires. I drag tested one and it will be out in the next issue of MM&FF. Evan __________________ Evan Smith 1798 STK Last edited by Evan Smith; 06-29-2009 at 06:20 AM.