[71SportRagtop]

I'm a Musclecar guy. I always have been and always will be. I've owned some really bada$$ cars over the years. Some of the car's I've owned are as follows: 67 GTO, 70 GTO convertible, 70 RS Camaro, 71 Chevelle SS, 69 Dart GTS, 72 442, 67 Chevelle, 67 Nova, 72 Challenger 440 6 pack, 71 Lemans Sport convertible, 70 Lemans Sport, and lastly my 68 Firebird.

For a short time when my kids were very young I got out of Musclecars. The "car guy" in me had a hard time not having anything to tinker with and cruise so I got a cheap car. I picked up a 5.0 Mustang and for a period of about 2 years I really dove into them. My 5.0 Mustang was not stock. I had an 86 GT convertible with some nice mods and believe me this car MOVED. I was running aftermarket aluminum heads, a Ford Motorsport cam, Cobra intake, headers, ect. While not as cool as a Musclecar the 5.0 Mustang can go fast, is easy to modify, and is truly a blast to drive. That being said, it's no Musclecar. So the 5.0 Mustang was sold and I'm back in a 60's Musclecar to stay.

I ran into a buddy the other day from my 5.0 Mustang days who asked about my car. When I told him I sold the Mustang to get back into Musclecars he acted like I was crazy. A debate began about how fast a 5.0 Mustang was compared to the older Musclecars and why would I get rid of a fast car to go back into an older car.

He couldn't seem to grasp the idea that it isn't always about going fast and sometimes it was cool to cruise an older car.

Here's all I know: as fast as my 5.0 Mustang was, it wasn't even 1/4 as cool as my 68 Firebird. It got basically no attention at cruise nights and never got anywhere near the "thumbs up" that I get in my Firebird.

My thinking today is as a 44 year father of 2 that I don't give a crap who is faster than me as long as I love my car. And honestly I'd much rather have ANY Musclecar over a 5.0 Mustang.

[KS circutguy]

Fast IS cool .IMO

As for the quarter mile, the 2013 Mustang GT needs a mere 12.7 seconds to do the deed at 111.1 mph.

+29MPG
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz23olhDP6k

[marxjunk]

Ive had modified muscle cars my whole life...ive modified them too...and heres my thought..

I had a bone stock 66 Chey II SS with a bone stock 327 that had nothing but a small aftermarket holley...i pulled the power glide, slid in a 350 turbo, and nothing else...nothing...and it was the most enjoyable 60s car i ever had...basically stock..all i did was wash it, thats it...no issues, no problems...all i did was drive it..and it was cool...

I traveled a lot back then for work, id come home on thursday, wash the car and drive it...id drive 3+ tanks a weekend thru that thing with no worries or issues...it was the most enjoyable car i ever had..and it was a stock car....dont get me wrong, i like bad ass thumpers, but that car changed my mind about a bone stock driver...now i have 3...

[Derding]

I went the opposite way, sold my 68 Firebird last summer and picked up a 91 Mustang LX 5.0 convertible. Why? Don't get me wrong, I loved the Firebird, but was kind of afraid to drive it. Between rock chips on the freeway and idiots in parking lots, I found it less stressful to just leave it home. Plus no AC so it was hot in the summer. With the Mustang I can drive it to work in the summer and not really worry much about it in terms of door dings or rock chips. Plus it has AC and is much more friendly to drive. Tons of aftermarket parts and parts in general are cheap for the Mustang. Definately not as cool as the Firebird, just more practical for me and I drive it a lot more than I did the Firebird. Furthermore I pocketed a bunch of $ selling the Bird and getting the Mustang. Someday I might go back, but for now I really like the little 5.0

[jonmachota78]

I dont get it. Make your bird fly and have the best of both worlds.

[mechanickeith]

I can relate to bone stock drivers. 61 Tempest with over 530K on the odometer. Went out to have some pizza with some friends last night. 3 times during dinner someone came in & found me (must of been the Pontiac Heaven shirt I was wearing) & wanted to talk about my car sitting outside in the parking lot. Quick & fast only last for a 1/4 mile, cool lasts forever!!!

[Region Warrior]

Nothing like cruise'n in an old car.
400/4spd/3.55...one of the best all around combo's.
Todays style lines dont come close to 60's-70's muscle.
The less gagits, the better.
May give up on the 68 FB(street/strip), and get back the 67FB 400/4spd/3.36 for next summer.
May even leave off the PB and PS.

[PMD1969]

Anybody can buy and make fast a 5.0 Mustang - boooooring. But any of the cars you listed are badass.

[PonchoV8]

"Gagits".

I'm a convertible guy. The cool is better than the speed of some redneck's sbc.

Originally Posted by PMD1969

Anybody can buy and make fast a 5.0 Mustang - boooooring. But any of the cars you listed are badass.

I call them 5.nothings.

[sal70lemans]

I like having something from both worlds.

My '70 Lemans Sport with it's original 350/TH350/2:56 peg leg is a great cruiser, looks cool and gets plenty of attention and thumbs up even though it's definitely not fast. When I have the "need for speed" my '09 Yamaha V-max with it's 1700cc V-4 more than fulfills that addiction (plus I think it looks just as cool as the Lemans).

The money I spent on the Vmax would have easily covered the expense of a built 455 (plus updated trans and rear end) for the Lemans, but I think leaving it as-is and getting my speed thrills from the V-max was the right call (and far, far more reliable). Just my .

Scott

[Bob Dillon]

Fast is always cool, but cool is not necessarily fast.

[Engine-Ear]

Not to hijack / deviate from the words chosen in the original post, but...

None of my cars are quick. They're sorta fast (if you have the time in getting there!), but more importantly they do have STYLE. Style is COOL.

I prefer style to quick.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by Engine-Ear

I prefer style to quick.

Anyone can go quickly given enough dollars, style is something some cars just inherently have or don't have and contrary to quick, more dollars can quickly turn something stylish into something lame or overdone.

I am now into the 4 door cruisers with slightly modified engines to give them some get up and go since I have a family to drive around now. Getting in and out of Firebird and A-body back seats as a 2 door is a pain vs. a 4 door B-body.

[PonchoV8]

Chicks dig convertibles. Because convertible classics are cool.
They don't necessarily like fast if it isn't cool. And cool isn't usually the same to females as it is to males.

[keith k]

Speed thrills are so much easier to get from modern cars (along with everything else, like great steering feel, great brakes, etc.), that I've stopped trying to "improve" the old stuff.

I sort of consider my old Pontiacs as "art", and just enjoy them for the tinkering and the driving "experience".

[Fullback66]

I have a car the I think is "cool, show worthy, fairly stock" and can be fast when I want it to be. I try to drive it everyday. Park it way from other cars, and worry about a paint chip.

NOW
I am looking for Loud and flat black. Cut the dash or rear wheel wells. Park it any place I like and drive it until it snows.

It's probably not going to happen any time soon.

[NBF823]

I like them fast, but I'd rather have an old car, than a new one, even if the new one is faster.

This does have a little to do with engineering, it's unavoidable. But I'm not one of thos guys who doesnt like fi, twin cams, or won't consider a 4cyl a performance car. But I'd rather have deep dishes with a poor scrub radius, than modern wheels.

I'm just a sucker for the late sixties, early seventies styling. I like road race cars the best, with bubble flares, and duck tail and bill spoilers. Fantastically formed steel and fiberglass. I'd take that stuff over a new skirted jelly bean any day of the week regardless of its technical disadvantage.

Pre impact bumpers rule. Chromed steel formed to the shape of the car.

How bad is my old car affliction?; well, I only look at rwds as cool cars. I have this ratty old rwd Nissan that's lucky if it makes 175hp. I had to get something more reliable, so I looked at an 00 z28 with 305hp and a six speed that would crush that Nissan in pretty much every car contest imagined. I just couldn't part with my ratsun over a jelly bean. I bought the cheapest crap new fwd that would fit my needs, and used the rest of the money to store, and keep my Nissan, as opposed to owning a 305hp rocket. It's no offense to GM, or the fourth gens, but the style of the camaro was just the farthest thing from what I think a cool car is.

Keep in mind I have a 2nd gen T/A project also - wouldn't trade that for fifth gen. What's with the 20" wheels!? Is it a duesenburg? 74" wide?

Also, sometimes I think cars have to be old for me to like them. I seem to like third gens now more than I did ten years ago - but maybe I'm just comparing them to fourth and fifth gens.

[Lemans64]

I'm a old car guy for the looks and the Nice rumble sound of that LUMPY cam , u can't get that sound with a newer injected engine. They may be faster and handle better but they don't have the cool looks, Even the people on the street think so with all the thumbs up, LOL.

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by 71SportRagtop

I'm a Musclecar guy. I always have been and always will be. I've owned some really bada$$ cars over the years. Some of the car's I've owned are as follows: 67 GTO, 70 GTO convertible, 70 RS Camaro, 71 Chevelle SS, 69 Dart GTS, 72 442, 67 Chevelle, 67 Nova, 72 Challenger 440 6 pack, 71 Lemans Sport convertible, 70 Lemans Sport, and lastly my 68 Firebird.

For a short time when my kids were very young I got out of Musclecars. The "car guy" in me had a hard time not having anything to tinker with and cruise so I got a cheap car. I picked up a 5.0 Mustang and for a period of about 2 years I really dove into them. My 5.0 Mustang was not stock. I had an 86 GT convertible with some nice mods and believe me this car MOVED. I was running aftermarket aluminum heads, a Ford Motorsport cam, Cobra intake, headers, ect. While not as cool as a Musclecar the 5.0 Mustang can go fast, is easy to modify, and is truly a blast to drive. That being said, it's no Musclecar. So the 5.0 Mustang was sold and I'm back in a 60's Musclecar to stay.

I ran into a buddy the other day from my 5.0 Mustang days who asked about my car. When I told him I sold the Mustang to get back into Musclecars he acted like I was crazy. A debate began about how fast a 5.0 Mustang was compared to the older Musclecars and why would I get rid of a fast car to go back into an older car.

He couldn't seem to grasp the idea that it isn't always about going fast and sometimes it was cool to cruise an older car.

Here's all I know: as fast as my 5.0 Mustang was, it wasn't even 1/4 as cool as my 68 Firebird. It got basically no attention at cruise nights and never got anywhere near the "thumbs up" that I get in my Firebird.

My thinking today is as a 44 year father of 2 that I don't give a crap who is faster than me as long as I love my car. And honestly I'd much rather have ANY Musclecar over a 5.0 Mustang.

I agree!
built my older Formula to cruise, with 8.4:1 CR ( stock '72) Has enough balls to keep the WRX kids at bay "if needed" and has style as mentioned. The history, and classic design is worth way more than a 1/4 mile "orgasm" ( maybe the 1/4 lasts longer??LOL). As far as fuel economy for those who brag on newer cars. My 455 is getting 17, and I am certain I could do a Pontiac 350 thats fast with injection and OD and get 25 MPG too.
Also, there is a difference between "quick" and fast"
Fast, Ill see you at the texas mile.... quick, well see you at the stop lights....
Having fun? Ill see you at a cruise night, in the Pontiac heaven T shirt, having some great food! CHEERS!

[goatman65]

I like having both. But if i have to chose then i go with a cool car. Id rather have a not so fast car that looks good rather than fast car that looks like crap.

Mustangs are like flies around here and i have to admit they do run. And i do like the new ones and 12.7 1/4 is quick,but the newer breed of 'musclecars'...Stang,Challenger,Camaro,may be as fast or faster than 60s-70s musclecars but they just dont seem as exciting to drive.
For lack of a better word,they just dont have the musclecar 'personality'.
Lets take a ride in a 40yr old muslecar........
Fire up an old musclecar...you get a nice rumble from the exhaust with maybe a hint of cam 'lope' or even the soft 'clatter' of solid lifters. You may have to keep your foot on the gas pedal for a few minutes as it warms up then once it will idle on its own the whole car kinda rocks side to side from the cam. Now you 'roll' the window down,no power windows here. Now you can really here the exhaust rumble.
Need to unlock the passenger door?...no power locks either,reach across the seat and pull the door lock up. No 8 speaker concert stereo with controls built into the steering wheel or 'voice command'. Just a one speaker am radio but we rather leave it turned off and listen to the engine as we go row the '4 on the floor', not a 6 on the floor with 'traction control'.

Now we get moving and at about 30 mph, 'nail it'! and hear a real carb make that 'Whaaaaaaa' sound we all love. About the same time you are slammed back against the seat,tires are squealling the front-end rises up and the back -end wants to go sideways and you're thinking 'oh yeah'!while smiling and watching the tach.As it approaches the shift point you picked, not the on-board computer,you tap the clutch ease up on the gas and pull the white Hurst shift ball back into 2nd gear as hard as you can and 'nail-it' once more. Again the carb says,Whaaaaaaaaaaaa' and the tires squeal again.You do this 2 more times while the smell of burnt rubber and pre-catalytic convertor exhaust enters the passenger compartment thru every nook and cranny that that is no longer sealed up on our 40yr old musclecar. You let up on the gas and let the car come down to a more sane and cool cruising speed as your heart rate also slows down.
Now a ride in a new musclecar, Yawn. Boring. Maybe i heard a tire squeal. Surround-sound stereo is louder than the exhaust. I dont feel or hear a 4 bbl........