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Your Favorite Muscle Car (1960-70s)

I own the muscle car of my dreams, 68 Firebird 400.

Am getting it in shape for the summer.
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A.Goldberg said:
My definition of muscle car wouldn't include a Corvette. Though certainly technical definitions vary between organizations and individuals, a muscle car in my mind is a coupe (with a back seat) - often also offered in a 4 door variant. A muscle car is a souped up sedan/family car, offering practicality and performance. On the other hand, the Corvette is a 2 seater with limited practicality designed from the ground up for performance. Therefore, I would consider it a sports car.

The original Mustang I wouldn't consider a mustang, however perhaps later in its life it fits the definition for some time.

I've been a fan of most classic American cars, for some reason they just don't interest me. While their are some exceptions, such as the first generation Corvette and Mustangs, the category of muscle cars has especially never interested me. I've been bred to favor classic British cars by my father haha.

I'd say the Chevelle is my preferred choice amongst the "true" muscle cars. If you call a Corvette a muscle car, I'd go with that no questions asked.
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The
 
Akamai 808 said:
The
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The 1969 l88 is the biggest horse power any one could buy from a dealership the baddest muscle car sold to the public in the 60s 70s producing close to 600hp with some tuning broke many records in racing in my opinion the fastest naturaly aspirated muscle car sold to the public to this day if you can name any other American car that make as much hp without a blower or turbo let me know
 
Akamai 808 said:
The 1969 l88 is the biggest horse power any one could buy from a dealership the baddest muscle car sold to the public in the 60s 70s producing close to 600hp with some tuning broke many records in racing in my opinion the fastest naturaly aspirated muscle car sold to the public to this day if you can name any other American car that make as much hp without a blower or turbo let me know
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L88 Vette?
 
really NOT impressed with any car of that period and i grew up during those years
-dont need a garage queen. A car has to have a purpose; daily driver, autox, track, 4x4 pickup...


give another 5-7years and we all will have an electric anyways
 
jeyf said:
really NOT impressed with any car of that period and i grew up during those years
-dont need a garage queen. A car has to have a purpose; daily driver, autox, track, 4x4 pickup...


give another 5-7years and we all will have an electric anyways
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I have mixed feelings about that era

Cars in the 50's were more fun and interesting to look at perhaps a bit hopeful

Cars of the 20's and 30's were all about prestige and coach work

If you push to the mid 80's you see a cool shift and the early stages of what we have now cars the Mustang SVO, The Omni GLH, the Grand National, Starion/Conquest, Shelby Daytona. While these cars weren't fast in any modern sense they were the big 3 actually reacting to the foreign invasion heck I'd still drive an Omni GLH
 
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Akamai 808 said:
The 1969 l88 is the biggest horse power any one could buy from a dealership the baddest muscle car sold to the public in the 60s 70s producing close to 600hp with some tuning broke many records in racing in my opinion the fastest naturaly aspirated muscle car sold to the public to this day if you can name any other American car that make as much hp without a blower or turbo let me know
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Sure, Phase VX Viper, the current model, makes 645HP, naturally aspirated. :)
 
lowendlinux said:
If you push to the mid 80's you see a cool shift and the early stages of what we have now cars the Mustang SVO, The Omni GLH, the Grand National, Starion/Conquest, Shelby Daytona. While these cars weren't fast in any modern sense they were the big 3 actually reacting to the foreign invasion heck I'd still drive an Omni GLH
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Yes! Remember all the Chryco turbos, the ubiquitous 2.2L

lowendlinux said:
And one is crank HP and wheel HP
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Older HP numbers were SAE Gross vs. the modern SAE Net, and neither was wheel. The difference was an engine without accessories, open exhaust, etc., vs. the engine being measured as it would operate in a vehicle (including all the restrictive emissions controls that were starting to appear in the 70s).

Forty years after the end of the “classic” muscle car era, there is still some confusion over horsepower ratings, especially how they relate to today’s cars. Let’s try to clear it up.

Prior to 1972, American carmakers used the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) “gross” measurement of horsepower. Gross meant the figure was taken from an engine running on a test stand, with no air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected.

By 1971, carmakers began reducing compression in many engines in order to meet upcoming emissions requirements and to use unleaded fuel. General Motors and Chrysler began advertising both gross andSAE net figures in 1971, derived from an engine tested with air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected.
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Full article:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2013/08/13/horsepower
 
members talk here about horsepower, vehicle weight and handling also come into play.

technology has moved on. Even comparing recent offerings to what was being built start of the millennia.
 
D.T. said:
Yes! Remember all the Chryco turbos, the ubiquitous 2.2L



Older HP numbers were SAE Gross vs. the modern SAE Net, and neither was wheel. The difference was an engine without accessories, open exhaust, etc., vs. the engine being measured as it would operate in a vehicle (including all the restrictive emissions controls that were starting to appear in the 70s).



Full article:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2013/08/13/horsepower
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I need to remember to google first type second

I assumed the net was wheel and I also assumed it it was later than the 70's I'm done assuming :eek:
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jeyf said:
members talk here about horsepower, vehicle weight and handling also come into play.

technology has moved on. Even comparing recent offerings to what was being built start of the millennia.
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Sure it does

"simplify then add lightness" --Colin Chapman

The problem is we've been adding complexity, size, and weight for decades

golf-40-22yrs25.jpg
 
lowendlinux said:
I need to remember to google first type second

I assumed the net was wheel and I also assumed it it was later than the 70's I'm done assuming :eek:
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Nah, that's cool, I think it's a common misconception. The power to the rear wheels was a big difference:

Some Super Chevy readers must have been stunned to see that an LS6 Chevelle SS, with 450-hp rating, put down 288 rear wheel hp in the dyno test. That would have put a net hp rating at around 350 hp for that legendary big block.
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this is going off topic
-foster fond memories of your teen age years and go ahead and buy that 80's car.
-automotive design is fashion and the human experience, forget the past and confuse your way forward.
but
-the newest design effort built on previous efforts, will have better handling not just 80's straight line performance.
-Any dyno print out tell a lot more than a manufacturer's horse power rating.
-A garage queen is just another mouth to feed so get rid of it now or the Probate Court will.
-Interest in gasoline driven cars will decline for electric, like the incandescent light bulb. Availability of self driving Lyft cars, easier access to public transportation (built into your iPhone GPS & apple-pay), population becoming more urban.

lowendlinux said:
... Sure it does "simplify then add lightness" --Colin Chapman The problem is we've been adding complexity, size, and weight for decades...
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-research your vehicle and see how the interior cubic inch spec has bloated out over the years. Here we are not talking about additional weight due to safety regulations, just leg room etc
-lots of electronics in the cars these days but almost all of it a duplicate of what is in your iPhone.
-peeps were buff in the 80's and did not have cup holders, power locks...
 
Don't have the pics, but I loved 63-67 'Vettes, late 60s- 1970 Challengers, late 60 Chargers, 68-70 Javelins (I have a Mark Donahue model with a 360 4bbl that ate Z-28s for breakfast- never lost to one.) Camaros up until about 76 or 77 (had a 75).


By the way- the one saying they don't make high horsepower cars anymore... The 707hp Challenger has a new brother- Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, with over 800 horsepower (808-840hp.)
 
jeyf said:
this is going off topic
-foster fond memories of your teen age years and go ahead and buy that 80's car.
-automotive design is fashion and the human experience, forget the past and confuse your way forward.
but
-the newest design effort built on previous efforts, will have better handling not just 80's straight line performance.
-Any dyno print out tell a lot more than a manufacturer's horse power rating.
-A garage queen is just another mouth to feed so get rid of it now or the Probate Court will.
-Interest in gasoline driven cars will decline for electric, like the incandescent light bulb. Availability of self driving Lyft cars, easier access to public transportation (built into your iPhone GPS & apple-pay), population becoming more urban.


-research your vehicle and see how the interior cubic inch spec has bloated out over the years. Here we are not talking about additional weight due to safety regulations, just leg room etc
-lots of electronics in the cars these days but almost all of it a duplicate of what is in your iPhone.
-peeps were buff in the 80's and did not have cup holders, power locks...
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I don't understand
 
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my post got lost in the refresh while , below the same but different:

this sounds all from the Jetson's cartoon but interest gasoline driven cars is and will decline.

The 80's garage queen has limited run time. Drive the dream ride of your teenage years NOW and be happy. Probate court will NOT be able to sell your 1988 Super Chevy to pay the lawyers.

this is no way!!

Renumber the day back 2016 Obama made incandescent lighting illegal?
100 years of lighting technology changed overnight. Day before the change old people, at homeDepot, were filling their shopping cars with 10 packs of incandescent bulbs. Probate will send all that stuff to the re-cycle.


i know this is all off topic so DO WHAT YOU WANT.
 
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I ought to throw in a picture of my current fun car. It's a 68 Mustang coupe. It's got a 393 Windsor stroker with a fairly crazy cam and a T-5. I haven't had it on a dyno yet, but if it's not over 500 hp at the wheels I'll eat my hat. It'll pass everything except a gas station.

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