How I miss the the old days....

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I've come to admire and disdain cars of all ages. I dispise anything with a closed driveshaft system, such as the '47 Mercury in the shop now for a clutch. Beautiful car, horrible idea for a drive train system. Give me a small block Chevy of nearly any vintage, because they are so adaptable. I love the 2001-2007 Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Caravan, but disdain any other make's minivan. I'm not a fan of anything Nissan. The Ford mods prior to the three valve jobs are reliable and relatively straightforward.

The list goes on and on. It's all junk people, it's just that some junk is better and last longer than other junk.
 
I've had the new latest technology (small turbo) and lived in the era of points and plug changes every 12K miles. I will say I like the simplicity of the old small blocks, but didn't like the gas mileage. The new Cruze is more comfortable, safer, gets better mileage, handles better and is very reliable. If something like the turbo breaks, I can get a new one with manifold, etc and replace as a unit for 600 bucks. I wish I could get an old Camaro cheap like you could 30 years ago. Gas is cheap and I would drive it a lot.
 
On my commute, I could easily average 40 mpg in one of our '86 Civic Wagons and even in bad winter conditions 36 mpg+ was realistic.
Still, these were very light weight cars and I shudder to think of the consequences of being hit in the side by almost anything else.
Both of those that we had were driven past 200K, so the durability was there as well.
I doubt that I want one of these today, but I have fond memories of these cars. They felt quicker than they were, they had better shifting than any post 1991 Honda save the S2000, you could shift up or down sans clutch pretty easily and the engine would pull hard all the way to redline while also remaining smoother than any later larger displacement Honda four cyl.
Quite a contrast to our '12 Accord, which while huge and fast as well as economical lacks the engaging nature of the earlier cars.
 
I still love many older cars- such as my Club Sport and the '02 I ran for seven years. I also wouldn't mind having a 1970 Boss 302 or Z/28 in the garage. That said, I have an old magazine that contains a compilation of '60s and early '70s road tests from the old High Performance Cars magazine. Most of the hallowed musclecars(which I love, by the way) couldn't break into the 13s without slicks, loosening the drive belts, and pulling the air cleaner. And if they got over 12 mpg on the highway that was a bonus. Today most every V8 ponycar can break into the 12s right off the showroom floor and average 20 mpg without breaking a sweat. And as far as braking and handling goes, the new cars are infinitely more competent. So, while I did love the musclecar era of the '60s, I much prefer to be able to drive and track the cars you can buy now.
 
People tend to look at the past with rose tinted glasses, would i love to go back in time and spend a few days in the 70s? [censored] yeah! But kids born today will eventually be the ones talking about the good old days too, it's a repetitive cycle.
 
Originally Posted By: gmh101357
For me anyway...I dont like all these new turbo engines they push on you now. Looking at Ford 150's they have 300 ecoboost models and about 40 v-8's. Trying to explain to my wife's grandkid.....I dont want all this electric [censored] that I have to pay for and never use.
Give my 75 Ford F100 with a 300 inline 6 any day. I could stand inside the engine bay it had so much room. Its was so easy to work on plugs, points etc....took 30 mins to change out. Oil change was havoline 30 wt. I miss all inline 6 engines ...my fav config....now BMW has jumped on the turbo craze for a few miles per gallon. I would take the 2.5 inline 6 in my old 1990 BMW 325 any day I bought used for 5k. i told him im going to just by used older cars from now on....starting with a 72 Mach 1 with a 351 Cleveland 4 speed....you can bury me in it. rant over.....


Cars are more reliable than they ever have been, run cleaner, and require much less maintenance. And on top of all this-get much better millage for their class/size.

Not sure what your missing? Changing points/condenser/ plugs every 12,000 miles (Then having to use a timing light to get it just right)? AND this took 30 minutes? Sure! Having to put a sack of water hanging from your radiator you could use when your car would over heat going up a mountain? NON-energy absorbing bumpers? Bias ply tires? How about steering columns that were non-collapsing and struck you in the chest-like a battering ram? Yeah-those air bags are nasty-they give you a bloody noise-sometimes break an arm but they save your life. And that on-board navigation-that gets you to your destination safely without stress.

Can't believe this stuff on here sometimes......
 
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And my 395 hp Hemi RAM is a hoot to drive as well. Personally I don't favor turbo engines. This is not because of some imagined reliability issue, it's the undignified gasps and burps from under the hood. The 2.7 Ford IMO is the worst one. But most any modern PU is such a nice thing compared to any of the good old daze machines we all grew up with.

My 4 door luxury car can easily blow away my old 70 Chevelle 454 in almost any performance metric while getting far better fuel mileage and NVH...
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
And my 395 hp Hemi RAM is a hoot to drive as well. Personally I don't favor turbo engines. This is not because of some imagined reliability issue, it's the undignified gasps and burps from under the hood. The 2.7 Ford IMO is the worst one. But most any modern PU is such a nice thing compared to any of the good old daze machines we all grew up with.

My 4 door luxury car can easily blow away my old 70 Chevelle 454 in almost any performance metric while getting far better fuel mileage and NVH...


Yeah but your 70 Chevy had soul....nothing beats the sound of that 454....todays cars for the most part are fwd econo boxes that look alike. I have a 72 mach 1 4 speed, am radio, roll up windows ...but it has A.C. and a 06 GT Mustang ....guess which one i like the most
 
Originally Posted By: gmh101357
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
And my 395 hp Hemi RAM is a hoot to drive as well. Personally I don't favor turbo engines. This is not because of some imagined reliability issue, it's the undignified gasps and burps from under the hood. The 2.7 Ford IMO is the worst one. But most any modern PU is such a nice thing compared to any of the good old daze machines we all grew up with.

My 4 door luxury car can easily blow away my old 70 Chevelle 454 in almost any performance metric while getting far better fuel mileage and NVH...


Yeah but your 70 Chevy had soul....nothing beats the sound of that 454....todays cars for the most part are fwd econo boxes that look alike. I have a 72 mach 1 4 speed, am radio, roll up windows ...but it has A.C. and a 06 GT Mustang ....guess which one i like the most


Go test drive a Scat Pack or SRT392 Challenger or Charger and then tell me nothing beats the sound of that 454. IMO the 6.4L Dodge is the best sounding high performance V-8 I have ever owned (and that is with the factory exhaust system). I have owned more than a few muscle cars. To name a few, Firebird 400, 5.0 Mustang, Shelby GT 500, 4 Corvettes to include a 2015 Stingray).
 
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Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
Originally Posted By: gmh101357
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
And my 395 hp Hemi RAM is a hoot to drive as well. Personally I don't favor turbo engines. This is not because of some imagined reliability issue, it's the undignified gasps and burps from under the hood. The 2.7 Ford IMO is the worst one. But most any modern PU is such a nice thing compared to any of the good old daze machines we all grew up with.

My 4 door luxury car can easily blow away my old 70 Chevelle 454 in almost any performance metric while getting far better fuel mileage and NVH...


Yeah but your 70 Chevy had soul....nothing beats the sound of that 454....todays cars for the most part are fwd econo boxes that look alike. I have a 72 mach 1 4 speed, am radio, roll up windows ...but it has A.C. and a 06 GT Mustang ....guess which one i like the most


Go test drive a Scat Pack or SRT392 Challenger or Charger and then tell me nothing beats the sound of that 454. IMO the 6.4L Dodge is the best sounding high performance V-8 I have ever owned (and that is with the factory exhaust system). I have owned more than a few muscle cars. To name a few, Firebird 400, 5.0 Mustang, Shelby GT 500, 4 Corvettes to include a 2015 Stingray).


I've driven the rental challenger with the smaller v8 and I still prefer my c3 vette with 350. I could only imagine what it'd feel like with a big block. These new cars are just too civilized and safe. If I'm not heading in a perfectly straight line when it chirps 2nd the car will hang the tail out and try and spin. I nearly gave an old lady a heart attack one day when I almost lost it.

The sound, the smell, the feel, the uniqueness, the scariness. Naw, nothing beats the experience of an old hot rod. I stand around and watch guys fire up their rides at the end of the car show. A 427 c2 stingray with just enough rumble that you can hear the mechanical lifters chattering, oh man.
 
Oh, and another thing. I don't want my engine at fast idle on the highway. I want it screaming at 3500 so it feels like you're driving something. My ta runs 4000+ at 70.
 
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Originally Posted By: Danh
Please, let's relive the mid-70s automotive scene: horrible assembly quality, awful driveability, pitiful performance and lousy fuel common to boot. And none of it could be fixed. I'll take the present. Oh, I forgot to mention abundant and early rust.
SMOG WHEEZERS
eek.gif
 
I saw a spit window vet the other day at a gas station....i just about wrecked my car trying to get over to pull in to look at it. He had crown of drooling old guys like myself.....it was not a 427 but those chevy small block v8 sound like no other. My fav era for cars was 64-72 after that smog pumps and epa regulations killed it. I had a 70 Buick GS 455 it had no smog stuff.....so im guessing the first years were 71 or 72? my 72 mustang has been rebuilt with a 351 and has nothing with a holly 4bl
 
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At 52, I am by no means an old geezer. But I grew up with rose colored goggles. I loved the old cars of the 40's and 50's. I loved them for their simplicity, style and the fact that they were a tangible connection to the past. My daily drivers were anything from a 48 Chevrolet Stylemaster to a 1st Series 55 Chevrolet deluxe cab pickup (still my favorite!). There were many other oldies along the way. As a family man, I love the reliability and safety of the new automobiles. My 2016 Grand Caravan is greatly improved over my 2009 T&C. The 3.6 Pentastar easily gets 25-27 MPG hwy.The T&C got 21-23. If the T&C started going faster than 65, the RPMs started rising past 2000. The 2016 stays just at or slightly under 2000 RPMs at 80 MPH. My 1990 K1500 is simple to work on, but I lack the physical strength to do it anyway. Just changed out the shocks and that took me 3 days because of aches and pains. While new automobiles are not easy to work on, anything past basic maintenance (oil changes, spark plugs, wires, etc) are beyond the capabilities of most drivers these days. New automobiles require much less basic maintenance. Air filters can go 50k miles, spark plugs 100k miles, oil and filter 10k miles. If I owned a vintage auto today, it would not be a daily driver. Then I stop and remember that the 1991 Chevrolet pickup truck that I am driving daily is just about as old today as the 1955 Chevrolet pickups I was driving in the mid-80s. So, I guess I am driving "vintage" for a daily driver. My "vintage" 1991 Chevrolet is heaps more reliable than the museum pieces of the past. I might even survive a significant crash in the 91 whereas death would most probably be a certainty in the 55. No thanks! I will still choose a modern automobile for safety and reliability when and where I can.
 
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In the movie "Midnight in Paris", Owen Wilson's character goes back in time to the 20's to meet a writer he idolized. At some point, he travels further back in time to meet her idols. She doesn't want to return to the modern times (the 1920s). We all have an idolized vision of the past because we remember the good and forget the bad. In the 1970s my dad would say "they don't make em like they used to" referring to Model A's and the cars of his youth. Now, we are extolling the modern vehicles that he looked at with chagrin in the 70's as "the cars of the good ole days". There is something to be said for basic features and ease of maintenance, but today's automobiles have made great strides in reliability and safety, even if they lack "soul".
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
This is a hoot. All you guys with minivans and pickup trucks telling us our old hot rods suck.



It's not that they suck, it's just that they are no more practical in today's world than tube televisions, candlestick telephones, or 8 track tapes. There is such a think as technology and advancement. Then there is nostalgia.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
This is a hoot. All you guys with minivans and pickup trucks telling us our old hot rods suck.



So until the G8 GXP the 2002 Trans Am WS6 ticked out fastest 1/4 mile time of any factory Pontiac ever. The G8 GXP bested that in 09.

I am not saying they suck. I am just saying they are not as good as you remember. I do all the work on my modern LS engines.

Caprice, out runs, out handles and out stops a 1969 GTO judge. My 6 speed WS6 sure has plenty of soul and can run at 3500 RPM on the highway if I choose to. I have driven a bunch of old Muscle cars and they are raw, poor handling beast, with very little stopping power.

So if you are missing points, carbs, the smell of raw fuel, and drum brakes ok, I get it. If you are missing performance, well I have got news for you...you are missing out on the modern stuff.

As far as your C3? Looks great, beautiful car, but I would be willing to run my 2015 Malibu against it. While it has no soul at all...Numbers don't lie.
 
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