Truthfully, yeah, I would. Like I said, great cars, but if the tranny blows or the alternator dies, there’s nothing I can do to fix it, save for shell out a TON of money, and in my part of the country, wait for parts to be shipped. Part of the joy of owning a muscle car, for me anyway, is the fact that if something needs repair or modification, I can get in there and do it myself. I’ve been there firsthand to hear a few European exotics revved. I stand by my assessment: they sound like a lawn tractors with the throttle open. A rumbling big block Chevy though…now THAT gives me goose bumps. I guess it all comes down to taste.
It is not about which one is better. It is about restoring a piece of history, a hobby. It is like comparing a Harley Davidson to a Valkarie. Each has its own good and bad points. There is nothing like rebuilding a car from the ground up. The really fast imports have modified suspensions, engines, etc. They are both the leading edge of technology for their times. In the 60’s and 70’s these muscle cars were the leading edge. I built a 65 Ford Falcon from the ground up for my brother in law. When we started it for the first time after the v-6 to v-8 swap his mother came out of the house asking, “What did I do?” Everyday when he drives it heads turn twice. You see Accuras, Civics, Mitsubishi every single day, they are common place so the heads are not turning in the same way. People look at these muscle cars and they see a piece of history and the time it took to restore that history. Does not mean they are better or faster than an import, it means respect. By the way, I also own a Honda Civic.
OK, find me a gtr, i will sit in it and tell you it sounds stupid!
It sure does look cool though and is fast, i’ll give you that.
Laz, have you ever seen a GTR?
There is probably 2-3 GTR’s in all of America. That is a shame because i seriously think that for its price itisthe greatest performance car you could buy. You are right when you say it is fast, around the nurburgring it could stomp all over nearly all supercars except some Porsche’s and very few others.
lets get something straight right off the bat, all of the muscle cars from the 60s, 70s are kick ass cars. They were great for stoplight to stoplight and there werent any rice rockets to worry about. also gas was way cheaper and oh yeah they weighed way more then a honda. I dont hate rice rockets, i loved fast and the furious and those are great cars also and yeah a modded rocket would probably beat a muscle car, but dont try and tell me that a rice rocket could beat a modded mustang of gto, go to a drag strip these guys have over 800 horses, finally all these cars would get their asses handed to them by the worlds greatest racing legacy from Italy Ferrari just ask any of the F1 racers
Yah, i looked it up on yahoo and found some sites that showed pics and specs. I am suprised they don’t sell them in the U.S. They are quite a site. But as far as just cruisin w/ the windows down on a nice summer day, i love my 1988 formula 350.
Im 22 and drive a 70 Chevelle SS daily. I think the main reason you dont see many muscle cars on the road is that the SS, GTO’s Hemi’s are just way to rare to enjoy on a daily basis and are left in the garage unless its 72 and partly cloudy outside. these cars sold for like $4,000 back then and now run 20G+ just for a matching #'s car thats in okay condition, and even more for complete restores. I saw a 70 Chevelle SS go for $172,000 on baret jackson auction, sure it was like 1 of 25. Plus kids these days couldnt handle the power, think give a kid a car with 400+hp compared to the 150-200 there used to and they’ed kill themselves. I think this and the expsense is what drives kids to little imports. and to the guy with the 72 corvette, who ever calls that car a “boat” should be slaped, find a car today that looks that good today besides the new vettes, and Italian, and german cars. but thats what i think, i know many kids 16-20 that watched the fast and the furious think differently, but to get an import to those levels would cost mucho $$$$$$. Also who turns there head to look at a ricer nobody! I have people everyday tell me how cool my car is, and the women love it.
Buddy the cars that your dad are talking about are BONE STOCK that 340 ponie could easily be turned into a 500 horse-power 12 second car without to much money (unlike imports) And to the rice boys I am questioning why you have such large wings? I asked a rice boy why he had it and he informed me that it “keeps the car on the ground” First of all that honda would be lucky to see over 110 miles per hour wich would be when the wing would be used for that purpouse another told me for better traction of the tires. This boy had a honda and i fail to see why you would want downforce on the rear wheels when a honda 93 honda is a front wheel drive car. Also the scoop on the roof is retarted because it would do nothing but act as a air trap slowing down the car. Oh well.
ITs all the about the red/white/blue american muscle cars. It used to be the opedimy of what america was all about big strong and proud. It was a total culture within a subculture. Nowadays it’s those stupid f’in imports with the squirrel engines and the majority of the people are either skinny punk ass asians thinking their hard asses. Yeah they made be faster than the old stallions of the 60 and 70’s . But i gaurantee if they butt pirate nader didn’t get involved, there would hemi’s and LS6"s roamin the streets waitin to pounce the hell out of every fuckin import. And don’t give me any bullshit about me in regards to my opinions because i don’t hear it !!!
I like rice rockets/rice burners because they’re nice driving without modification and cheap on gas. However, since I’ve moved to north/central California (one of the great Meccas of auto restoration & shows), I’ve increased my previously strong respect for the beloved American muscle car, or show-off car, be it from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or even pre-gas crisis 70’s. It’s a hobby, it’s a passion, and it has nothing to do with what’s the ‘better’ car in terms of performance, any more than collecting and painting lead military miniatures makes you a better soldier.
Around where I live now, it’s an amazing cut-off…most people of drinking age who are car nuts have a restored old American car…or maybe an occasional REALLY cool VW Beetle…anyone under drinking age has a rice rocket. Oh, and that’s not a racist comment, any more than ‘spaghetti western’ is a racist comment…it’s a cultural term, and people within the culture even use that term.
I can’t help but be embarassed by the skinny 17 year old weasels with their baseball caps on backwards, driving some tripped-out Civic with an oversized exhaust pipe. Especially when they lower the car and it makes sparks every time it goes over a Wal-Mart parking lot speed bump…
My father just bought a 65 gto, tri-power, convertible, three speed. I’ve got 2 Triumph spitfires from the 60’s. They aren’t muscle cars but put them together and you’ve got 8 cyls.
“Does anyone else notice there are not half as many old Muscle Cars on the road as there used to be” gee, lets get this right, there are not as many old cars as there used to be? you too bright for me
First of all sport compacts is the correct name and they are todays muscle cars. Just like kids in the seventies wanted their cars to look and sound a certain way kids today want the same. Just now the looks and sounds are different. I love sport compacts and they are enjoyable to hear and fix up.
ok , the rice burners are the muscle cars of this era. But show me a 2.6 that puts out 1000 hp on the dyno and i’ll show you an engine that had about 50 large put in it. give me that much money and an '67 camaro and i’ll make it better. My point is rice burners are fast…after you add several thousand in turbo’s, intercoolers, nitrous, then strenthen the block and tranny…then you have somethingn that might, MIGHT turn 10’s. A stock muscle car will beat a stock rice burner in the quarter, but your right rice burners handle better so ya take and ya give i guess. BTW one riceburner i must say i do love is the supra. but even at about 50 grand new, they only turn a 13 second quarter. now that is very fast though, and i think people throw around 10 second quarter mile like its nothing. Very few people, very few, actually have a streetable car that is that fast. and i’ve yet to see anything that is streetable with 1000hp, execpet maybe a Buick GN with some serious cash in it…now ya wanna talk modern american muscle? i’ll put a GN or a viper against a riceburner anyday, and they handle.
Pieranunzino, check out this web page (get rid of the space before the word records)
http://www.exvitermini.com/ records.htm.
GTR’s with 1000hp run much better than 10 seconds for quarter mile. Even on street legal tyres the best time is 8.7.
Vipers and corvettes arent very good handling cars. Around the nurburgring a corvette laps it in about 8 minutes 38 seconds. A honda civic type r does the same track in about 8 minutes 40 seconds. That is a front wheel drive with no torque.
First of all, GNs are just sick.
Go to www.gnttype.org they have a list of drivers there who have the best 1/4 miles, nearly ten of them are 7s!!! About 250 are 11s or better. You can put about 2k into a GN and get an 11 car, how many Hondas in the world can do that? Not many, and they cost a ton and are only good for little men.
As far as the Corvette, that is a freaking super car. It might not have the best 0-60 compared to the muscle cars, but is an actual race car. It has a real oversteer and a big wide base, it takes skill to drive and destroys front wheel drive junkers. Same time as a Civic? Maybe with a 17 year old 5’4’’ punk driving, with his hat on sideways.