tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post7088820483697393985..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: Props to the ad guys.Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-64934130362697360952010-06-18T09:59:18.503-04:002010-06-18T09:59:18.503-04:00Friend of my dad used to race a '68 Hemi Dart ...Friend of my dad used to race a '68 Hemi Dart at National Trail outside Columbus. The torque cracked the roof on either side.<br /><br />My dad was a small-block guy. His last motor (circa 1962-63) was a 283 bored .60 over (making it a 292) with 13:1(!) pistons, a Racer Brown cam, and a Hilborn. Potential record-holder at the time, but he never quite got the Hilborn sorted. He used to swap out the stock Chevy rear end for Olds in his race cars; said they were harder to break.<br /><br />The first family car I remember was a '64 Impala SS, midnight blue, 409 4-speed.Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780425923108876647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-12319196021727514592010-06-17T14:47:58.886-04:002010-06-17T14:47:58.886-04:00Tam,
All the artful engine camouflage done by ...Tam,<br /> All the artful engine camouflage done by the original builder was wasted by being in a '57. It was totally sprayed in rattle can orange, including the chrome valve covers and the plug wires. Except the carb, which was painted gold! That was done to hi-lite the fact it was a Quadrajet. Up 'til then, I didn't know they could be tuned for performance, but someone knew what they were doing.<br /><br />That low-rise iron intake was internally hogged out to match the runners of the 435hp 'Vette intake manifolds, and the only gasket set that would fit was the Mr Gasket brand. It looked like the manifold had been sectioned and then welded back together. When I got home with the first gasket set from the Chevy dealership, and pulled the top end, the only thing that matched up was the boltholes. The round port holes were way smaller than the rectangular ports. Same problem when I exchanged them for the 'Vette gaskets. Had to order them from the local speedshop. <br /><br />I had pulled the heads due to a dropped valve at idle. Half the valvesprings were broken. Fortunately, the valve wasn't bent, as they didn't match anything Chevy had, either. I think that was the first engine I had the heads off, so I was very much a noob, and didn't really know what I was looking at. Educational, though.Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-42938092491002366242010-06-17T13:11:28.208-04:002010-06-17T13:11:28.208-04:00Will,
The problem with the Monza, as my mechanic ...Will,<br /><br />The problem with the Monza, as my mechanic noted, was "too much motor, not enough car". I think that the race-spec 327 twisted that little unibody enough, Panhard rod and posi or no, to set the ass-end to swinging.<br /><br />It had the same problem getting races you mentioned. The windows were tinted enough to keep the stripped racecar interior from being immediately obvious, but the lumpy cam made the radio antenna (left on for camouflage) sway like a buggy whip quite noticeably at idle and you can't hide the clatter of solid lifters.<br /><br />You couldn't get a street race with a serious competitor in your weight class, but there was always some kid with an IROC or Five-Oh LX who was sure he couldn't get beaten by a girl, and that kept Saturday nights in the lonely office parks fun and profitable. :DTamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-9381864558109778502010-06-17T05:58:45.826-04:002010-06-17T05:58:45.826-04:00Tam,
for whatever reason, that Mustang would tr...Tam, <br /> for whatever reason, that Mustang would track straight, for me at least, even spinning the tires at 108mph going through the traps. Not so much for the last(?) owner, as he put it into a guard rail while spinning them in high gear. Hmmm, guy I bought it from did something similar, except it was a tree at unknown speed, but same left front corner.<br />Can't say the same for my '57 Chevy ragtop with the who-knows how big BBC. Started life as a low hp 396 in a '68 Chevelle, and had some serious money/effort added to make it a real sleeper, as long as it wasn't running. It was seriously scary sounding then! Well, to a competitor :p It was a two year old repo when I got the engine out of it. That thing would spin both tires, even with an open rear 3.55 (or 3.70-long time ago!). Even with a set of 9" stiff wall slicks. Brought to mind that song (Beach Boys?) "get pushed out of shape, and it's hard to steer, when I get rubber in all 4 gears". I suspect that ragtop was twisting it's chassis/body pretty badly, as it had enough HP to yank the front wheels off the ground shifting second. <br />Had to run it on Sunoco 260 (108 octane), and got maybe 2mpg. That BB Mustang got 5mpg around town, and about 11mpg on the freeway.<br /><br />I could never get anyone to race me at the So Philly streetraces on Fri and Sat nights. That engine scared off everyone. Think it might have reminded them of another '57, a sedan, that no one ever beat. THAT car was impressive, although it was towed to the races, not street driven. My engine's idle was so radical, that it shook the car side to side. It was frustrating, that it scared off others. Nothing I could do to make it less obvious.<br /><br />And my previous car? A '62 Alfa Romeo Julietta Spider :DWillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-86831951609901937332010-06-16T21:57:09.049-04:002010-06-16T21:57:09.049-04:00Will,
Gears made a lot of difference. My Monza ha...Will,<br /><br />Gears made a lot of difference. My Monza had a relatively tall rear end (3.08? It's been a while...) and so it took a lot of motor to put it in the twelves. And even with that steep gearing, you had to drive it out of the hole on street tires. I went across more than one intersection completely sideways when I got overeager with the throttle. :DTamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-16080599402067528502010-06-16T14:14:32.351-04:002010-06-16T14:14:32.351-04:00A friend in high school had a '65 GTO with the...A friend in high school had a '65 GTO with the tri-power 389 and 4spd. Previous owner had set a national record in NHRA with a 12.29. Can't recall the speed. Think it lowered the record by a second, but it passed a teardown inspection. That thing would eat the 4 bbl 389's for lunch. He traded it in on a new '71 Nova, they allowed him $1100 value. I found out after the fact. Bummed.Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-17254889863283189252010-06-16T14:02:11.788-04:002010-06-16T14:02:11.788-04:00Going to Net HP may have been a response to the bi...Going to Net HP may have been a response to the big 3 sandbagging on HP numbers for insurance coverage, and better classes in NHRA dragracing. My '71 Mustang with the 429 SCJ package was factory rated at 375 HP (which got me a 20% insurance surcharge for "excessive HP"), but NHRA calculated it to be at least a hundred hp higher. That car required slicks to put it to the pavement. At Fremont Raceway (CA) it would spin the street tires all the way to the lights, on just the primaries of the rather small factory Holley. With the factory 4.11 Detroit Locker (massive 31 spline axles), and the Fairbank's modified factory C6 auto trans, that translated to mid 14's. At ATCO in NJ, slicks would drop that to flat 11's. The next owner put a larger Holley and custom Hooker Headers on it, which he stated made it nearly undriveable on the street (he wrecked it). It was embarrassing on the track with street tires. That was the same times that 351 Torino's were getting.Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-29962836740652687992010-06-16T13:13:01.190-04:002010-06-16T13:13:01.190-04:00The 426 Hemi probably actually put down about 470 ...The 426 Hemi probably actually put down about 470 bhp, according to most sources. So yeah, SAE (especially with older, higher drag accessories) would be 400 ish. But if you look at its acceleration:<br /><i>Compare with a Car Life test of a '69 Dodge Charger R/T with 426-Hemi, 4-speed manual and 3.54:1 gears:<br />0-30 mph--------------- N.A.<br />0-60 mph--------------- 5.7 secs<br />1/4 mile----------------- 13.9@104 mph</i><br /><br />That 1/4 mile time is within striking distance of some minivans and cute utes. It has a lot of stuff working against it, bias ply tires, meh clutches, suspension made of twizlers and pretzels, so the engine is nowhere near its potential. Plus it is sucking up gas at about the same rate as if you just poured it in with a coffee can. <br /><br />It comes down to schools of thought, really, same as with guns. There are folks that pick up an older 1911 or an AR, never touch a thing and have it serviced by the manufacture and have a great time shooting it. Or the ones that immediately start swapping parts out to make it fit them better. What really matters though is that they are being used for the intended purpose. <br /><br />This does make an interesting comparison though, as it implies that the ijits that load a billion useless accessories onto their weapons are the "ricers" of the firearm world.jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07682952829635407505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-83098272040424153572010-06-16T12:41:28.346-04:002010-06-16T12:41:28.346-04:00...and frequently straight pipes and nice, cool, d......and frequently straight pipes and nice, cool, dense air.<br /><br />The 426 Hemi would probably make ~400 horsepower in today's terms (That 425 SAE gross number was as far underrated as most Chevies were overrated.) By comparison, the 376-cid V-8 in the new Camaro SS makes 426. Net.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-82109921888485316172010-06-16T11:45:21.917-04:002010-06-16T11:45:21.917-04:00"Because SAE/BHP was measured at the engine a...<em>"Because SAE/BHP was measured at the engine and not at the wheels, it is no less legitimate..."</em><br /><br />No sir, not exactly.<br /><br />The old gross rating was determined by testing the engine on the dyno with NO power-robbing accessories on the engine. NONE. No alternator, no water pump (a separate pump was installed) and no A/C.<br /><br />The net rating, beginning in '72 I believe, was used because of a mandate by the Feds to give a more realistic advertised rating to the general public, for whatever that was worth.theirritablearchitecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04105315709746689270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-3551955033516608452010-06-16T10:55:18.349-04:002010-06-16T10:55:18.349-04:00Mostly, I'd prefer to slap a modern engine in ...Mostly, I'd prefer to slap a modern engine in my old, early 70's muscle cars.<br /><br />Man, that was quite the hairstyle that lady was sporting.perlhaqrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920117742664645165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-11858018443772219532010-06-16T10:19:44.476-04:002010-06-16T10:19:44.476-04:00Well the Hot Rod Nationals are in town this weeken...Well the Hot Rod Nationals are in town this weekend. Power Tour was here last week. Corvette still made here.<br /><br />It is nice to live in an OPEC friendly town.<br /><br />GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-40972712927544430432010-06-16T06:23:54.962-04:002010-06-16T06:23:54.962-04:00But Les,
when's the last time you saw guns ...But Les,<br /> when's the last time you saw guns in a car ad? At least they put a shit load of 'em in there!<br /><br />Of all the '60s cars I had, I don't think any of them would qualify as a muscle car. <br />I swapped a 302 2bbl into my '66 Ranchero, and a 4spd. A 500cfm Holley 2 bbl (#4412) made it a tire smoking bike hauler.<br /> Swapped a 348 (w block?) into my 62 SS Impala, with a 4spd Muncie. Had to run a quart of ATF in the oil to keep the lifters from collapsing.<br /> My '60, '61 ragtop, and '63 Impala all had 283/Powerglide setups.<br /> My '65 Mustang Fastback 2+2 had a 302 2bbl and original 4spd/2.80 rear. (got 33mpg! at 55mph- only rated 170hp)Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-35445421423765890542010-06-16T06:01:46.535-04:002010-06-16T06:01:46.535-04:00I don't care what kind of styling it may have,...I don't care what kind of styling it may have, it's still a modern Chrysler product. And I have spent waaaay too much time inventing new swear words while working on those poorly designed/ indifferntly built bits of junk.<br />In fact, how is it that no matter what part you need to replace in a chrysler, you have to remove about half of the car just to get to it.<br /><br />And my favorite thing about classic cars- engine compartments you can just about camp out in. And fewer bits that can go wrong!<br /><br />WV-Bableung: the capitol of Suthern Meso-Po-TaimeeyaJoe in PNGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-34868706544153102692010-06-15T23:59:28.375-04:002010-06-15T23:59:28.375-04:00So why did the BHO Government-owned "People&#...So why did the BHO Government-owned "People's Industry formerly known as Chrysler" NOT mention the THREE things the Former United States of America is known for in its Politically Correct Ad? Cars, Freedom, and GUNS! Gotta learn to read between the lines when studying the Propaganda being put out nowadays, friends. P.S. 1st car, 68 Newport, 2nd car, 67 Newport, 3rd car, 67 Newport, then OPEC and JImmy Carter took my big highway cruisers away ( like Sammy sang, "I CAN"T DRIVE 55!"), and its been downhill ever since.Bubblehead Les.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00730873284089958084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-68800173212460955322010-06-15T23:36:13.807-04:002010-06-15T23:36:13.807-04:00*Six, damnit.
Jim*Six, damnit.<br /><br />JimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-47965831627112729922010-06-15T23:35:20.213-04:002010-06-15T23:35:20.213-04:00I do have a soft spot for this one. It looks like...I do have a soft spot for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ18DkQTRuY" rel="nofollow">this</a> one. It looks like the car is getting away from the helicopter... because it <i>is</i>.<br /><br />As for Dodge, I'll buy a Charger when it comes with five hubcaps.<br /><br />JimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-58980253944398586102010-06-15T23:33:34.756-04:002010-06-15T23:33:34.756-04:00Noah D: In discussing above the mid-70's death...Noah D: In discussing above the mid-70's death of American iron due to govreg, corporate moribundity, and the oil "crisis", I left out the fourth deadly factor: the Jap invasion got serious. <br /><br />Toyota and Datsun (Nissan) led the charge, and Honda was transitioning from four-wheeled motorcycles into real cars. The CVCC engine (it's where the name "civic" came from) was extremely efficient and trouble-free, and became the basis for both the Civic itself and what was to become America's number one selling car a few years later, the Accord. But what really got my attention, and stole me and many of my peers away from Detroit was the CRX that you owned. The Si version was the original "Pocket Rocket"; it was positively awesome, and single-handedly set me on a two-decade binge of Japanese efficiency.<br /><br />I was ragged-on quite a bit as a traitor, but truth to tell I believe it was the Japanese invasion and the efficiency and robotics that they pioneered that eventually made the US nameplates realize it was re-do or die. I've since developed a taste for Kraut-built RWD, but the Accords and Camrys that so capably moved my family around, and most especially that little '84 blue-with-red-and-white-pinstripes (a little ironic American patriotism) CRX have a very warm and toasty spot in my bank of automotive memories.<br /><br />ATAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-301264567468138582010-06-15T22:39:50.268-04:002010-06-15T22:39:50.268-04:00If you want Instant Angst, try being passed by a C...If you want Instant Angst, try being passed by a CLEAN '84 TransAm... with antique plates.<br /><br />And I'm the guy that's had a '71 Nova for thirty years.rickn8orhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911803300343351338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-60952173299244839822010-06-15T22:10:44.008-04:002010-06-15T22:10:44.008-04:00Born in '72 to a family distinctly lacking in ...Born in '72 to a family distinctly lacking in a passion for cars, I've never owned anything like the old muscle cars - I wasn't into them enough to know which 'cheap' ones were worth getting, and which ones to stay away from. I couldn't afford a lot of repair/restore work, or a lot of gas. So I ended up with a 1985 Honda CRX. No HF (yay), no Si (boo), just a plain-jane silver over black 1.3l two-seater.<br /><br />God, how I loved that car. Horsepower was laughably low,but it weighed almost nothing. Power brakes, manual steering, 5-speed, it was almost perfect. I blew more than one paycheck to put the best Pirellis I could possibly justify on it, and that car cornered so well it frightened me; I wasn't confident enough to push it anywhere near its limits.<br /><br />It died in a nasty accident more than 10 years ago, doing its safety job quite well as I slid into an existing wreck at about 50 mph on a city-block length of black, black ice.<br /><br />I miss that car something fierce. The stately Avalon and supremely useful Odyssey are perfect for my married with 3 kids life now, but still...<br /><br /><i>We are blinded by our perceptions.</i><br /><br />As Tam says, 'This.'Noah Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-37399055792302169292010-06-15T21:10:32.967-04:002010-06-15T21:10:32.967-04:00Tam - do you think that hairstyle will make a come...Tam - do you think that hairstyle will make a comeback?libertymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13987591250148492879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-75364751708907966882010-06-15T20:41:20.060-04:002010-06-15T20:41:20.060-04:00Still: Bottomline, I like "Drive" cars. ...Still: Bottomline, I like "Drive" cars. I yearn for "fun" cars, though I can no longer afford the maintenance OR the wear and tear on me fixing them.oghttp://www.neanderpundit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-90532470384335355852010-06-15T20:18:07.514-04:002010-06-15T20:18:07.514-04:00lol. Actually, it meant "Brake horsepower&quo...lol. Actually, it meant "Brake horsepower", and the term is still used in engineering, measured by a DeProny brake, at the power source. By all means, though, compare away. Because SAE/BHP was measured at the engine and not at the wheels, it is no less legitimate. Park a new "hot" engine on a De Prony brake, or park an "Old" car on a dynamometer. The De prony brake is still used at a wide range of speeds to determine the optimal output of an engine under multiple conditions. Depending on the vehicle and the engine, the effective hp as measured at the engine vs the output of the wheels is less about the engine than the efficiency of the drivetrain, due to better gear technology and synthetic lubricants. No, an efficient drivetrain will not add HP to an engine, but neither does delivered HP at the pavement determine the speed of a car, it's weight and tires and suspension <i>and driver</i> determine that. Modern cars have more sophisticated suspensions and more engineering has gone into weight distribution. <br /><br />yes, i do know much better than that, which is why I said what I did. If you compare modern "super" engines to old ones using the same equipment, you will be quite surprised what you find. I have done.oghttp://www.neanderpundit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-80505693493199977292010-06-15T19:15:46.580-04:002010-06-15T19:15:46.580-04:00Og,
"yep. By all means, compare "old&qu...Og,<br /><br />"<i>yep. By all means, compare "old" horsepower to "new" horsepower...</i>"<br /><br />You know better than this. ;)<br /><br />"BHP" in the old days of SAE Gross meant "brochure horse power".Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-91165883651716764702010-06-15T18:59:23.266-04:002010-06-15T18:59:23.266-04:00Buddy of mine, still on active, out on a float rig...Buddy of mine, still on active, out on a float right now, doing a dog and pony show in Africa, actually I think he's headed up Baltic-wards now, he picked himself up a '70 GTO.<br /><br />He asked me for advice when he was thinking about it, he was torn between a new GTO and the '70 GTO. I'm a practical, boring guy: I told him to get the new one. He took my advice for what it was worth, and got the '70.<br /><br />Last year I went out to visit him at Camp Swampy (the one in NC). Sure, the '70 had to idle for about five minutes before we started to roll. Sure, it coughed a couple of times when it started up. Sure, it didn't have A/C or a stereo.<br /><br />When I sat in it, though---much less when I drove that bad boy---I remembered the line from the crippled mechanic in "The Road Warrior." "Last of the V-8 interceptors!"<br /><br />Last of the V-8 interceptors!<br /><br />We rumbled and bumbled and fumbled on down the road. Steering was a bit twitchy. Handling was nothing to brag about. I didn't light up the tires, except, umm, once, and that was accidental-like, I swear.<br /><br />I was following my buddy home from the bar (him driving his jeep), and was stopped at a light just off the main drag. A captain rolled up in a new 'Vette, and the look on his face was . . . just like the commercial . . . priceless.<br /><br />The look on his face was lust and envy, the kind the Russians call "white envy" to mean "just damn that's cool" and not "I'd kill you for that car" and appreciation and the drop in his jaw was just from the sheer awesomeness of the '70 GTO, rumbling and bumbling and fumbling there at the stoplight.<br /><br />Better cars today? Sure, I surely do agree. Better in almost every way. But damn. Just damn.<br /><br />I think Tam actually used a good comparison, a few posts back. (Tam's good like that, ya dig?) She was comparing the Blue Angels and the Horsemen in their P-51s. That '70 GTO is a P-51. It ain't near the plane the F/A18 Hornet is. Then again, in it's own way, the P-51 is MUCH MORE plane than the Hornet.Hunsdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05188706369004532171noreply@blogger.com