Simple explanation: Better asphalt in the 70's.
Why are the "used to own" stories so exaggerated?
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Well, sometimes the stories ARE true. October 1983, my 2nd cousin and I, neither one of who had a driver’s license yet took a joy ride in his parent’s 1972 Sedan Deville. He got crossed up on a gravel road, slid into a ditch and hit an elm tree. The car hit hard enough to bounce back maybe 10 feet from the tree. The impact bent the hood higher than the roof and shoved the fan through the radiator. He was a football player and had no seat belt and bent the steering wheel almost to the dash hanging on. I had on a lap belt and was thrown like a rag doll inside the car. Once we came to our senses, he hit the key, the engine cranked, the belts snapped, and it started up. We backed out of the ditch and and DROVE that car over two miles back to his house, leaning out the windows to see. His dad went to a junk yard and bought a used doghouse, radiator, steering wheel etc, bolted them on and that car pretty much drove like it was never wrecked. The last I knew, that car is still buried in the weeds behind their barn with several other 70’s era vehicles that were parked after they crapped out or were no longer needed. Try THAT with any late model ride.
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Now that I believe is 100% true!
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OMGosh, did I relate my El Camino debacle to you all? And here I thought I could take a car completely disassembled and make something of it. I do have four more years to retirement, and then maybe seven years till I die, IT ISNT ENOUGH TIME!
Tommy, you may be too young to recall how many folks DIED in car crashes in the 1960s. I recall a nice woman in a KIA telling me how much safer cars like the 67 were "back in the day". I thanked her for her compliment on the car, but ASSURED HER her KIA was safer at any speed than my 67 SS Chevelle. " Ma'am , dont you recall how many of us DIED back in the day?" She did in fact, but had to say > they dont make them like they used to, w/o thinking first.
That happens alot too, the "parrot" effect.
I had a guy at a show & shine argue with me about what year my 69SS was. He told me it was a 70 because he had one just like it with a factory 327. When I told him there were no 327 Chevelles in 1970 and I was pretty sure the car I have owned for over 20 years was a 1969 he looked at me like I was an idiot and walked away. It kind of tries your patience but you meet lots of knowledgeable people as well so kind of balances out.
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There is certainly truth in all that, but the lack of seatbelt use also played a HUGE factor in those death statistics. I have been in three SERIOUS car accidents (including the one I mentioned above) in pre-1980 cars and walked away without a scratch. Of course I was wearing a seat belt in all three.
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I'm sorry you're car want fall out of a tree even if it is pushed. At 18 I bought my sister's 1970 SS Chevelle she bought new had 115k miles on it (1978) 396 375 HP 400 th. It was all stock 1/4 mile 11:80s So take your Post and tell me you have a true stock SS with 300 HP that want leave a black Mark even holding your brakes. 🤣😂
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I don't worry about the stories people tell, there is entertainment value. Why burst someones bubble, let them live the dream.
Just goes to show there is a lot of younger owners that pour massive amounts of money so they can "feel" like they are fast and can list every dollar so I won't tell you any stories about our 50 years ago rides... maybe the clock technology improved...65 GTO 421 SD from a Catalina stock ran consistent mid 11s at beeline in Phoenix ...one run on a perfect day 10.88 and I was 20ish.
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See, prime example of a bit of nostalgic entertainment.
In 1970 when my LS-5 M-22 was new, My goal in life " At that time " was to get into the " 14 s ". In 1970 ( street cars ) cars that ran in the 13s & 14s were the kings. DAM few cars of any brand or model in the 70s would run in the 13s & 14s. In the 60s & 70s you could use a " Sundial " to time the fast cars. So in closing about the fast cars of the 60s & 70s, How many 2022 Corvettes & Mustangs are pulling the high tech engines and installing a 427 / 454 or a 390 / 429 Thunderchicken engines? P. S. I have a ordered 2010 Silverado with a 6.2 & a 6 speed, I shifts at 5800 in each gear with the A/C operating, ( it will kick the AZZ of both of my B. B. Engines ) Nuff said ! Remember in 1932 the Ford V-8 was a fast bad azz car. Its day has passed, The big orange hunk of iron in our old cars, That era has also history.
I enjoy both of my B.B. Orange engines, 454 & 468.... Its not about speed or performance. For me its all about........................ " SMILES PER HOUR " Bob
I enjoy both of my B.B. Orange engines, 454 & 468.... Its not about speed or performance. For me its all about........................ " SMILES PER HOUR " Bob
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A guy walks up and says, "that Duster looks like the one that was in my neighborhood about 30 years ago".
So, I ask him if it was purple. He says no. Ask if it had the same slotted mags, he says no. I ask if it has the same shape....bingo........ha............
So, I ask him if it was purple. He says no. Ask if it had the same slotted mags, he says no. I ask if it has the same shape....bingo........ha............
1969 Chevy Chevelle SS396, M20, 12 bolt 3:55, 454 w/fuel injection
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In high school one of my favorite teachers used to say the primary reason for the drivers seatbelt was to keep you behind the wheel longer to keep control of the vehicle. Those slippery bench seat and power sliding make for fun times.
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Here's one for you, in 1986, my best friend bought one of the 1979 10th Anniversary Trans Ams, which were loaded with basically every single option in the Firebird catalog, including leather bucket seats. The first thing he did after buying it was Armor All those leather seats. We went out for a drive with me behind the wheel, and I took a left hand turn as hard as that WS6 suspension would allow, and even with the seat belt on, my butt ended up on TOP of the console, pulling my feet off the pedals, and nearly making me lose grip on the steering wheel. One more story about that car; A few years later we took it on a one day 600 mile road trip around the state of Indiana. It was late afternoon, and we were on a hilly curvy two lane state highway that runs along the Ohio River up on a high ridge. I was driving, and my buddy was snoozing in the passenger seat. It was raining lightly, and I came out of an uphill curve at about 50 MPH and hit the throttle. The ever unpredictable factory positraction caught me off guard, and before I knew it, that car was all crossed up almost completely sideways heading right for the tree lined embankment with the river several hundred feet below. All of those years of sliding around on ice and dirt came in handy, and I was able to get the car back under control without waking up my buddy, who never knew how close we came to death, or at least totaling his 20,000 mile 79' TA.
Well, a story from back in the day. I borrowed my Dads truck and took my Kawasaki Mach 111 to New England Dragway in May 1973. I knew I needed a new tire and chain soon, so I went for it.
Ran 14.1, 92 mph, my first runs down a track, Still have the timeslip! Took me until 2005 to better that in the 82. The Chevelle did high 16s at 80 ish, one legged on its second engine and th350 at Gulfport Dragway.
My best car bragging stories are the guys that swear a 351M is a 500 hp big block, and that Cobra kit car has a transmission that ran at Talledega, and a 9 in rear and the like. For the one particular guy, I pointed out the removeable cover and quad shock brackets on his 8.8. Then I pulled out a 100 bill and invited him to Gulfport Dragway, 2 out of 3, on Wed nite, vs my little 82 Mustang. Declined and quit talking cars at work.....
Agonizing, but I have had to listen to several!
Ran 14.1, 92 mph, my first runs down a track, Still have the timeslip! Took me until 2005 to better that in the 82. The Chevelle did high 16s at 80 ish, one legged on its second engine and th350 at Gulfport Dragway.
My best car bragging stories are the guys that swear a 351M is a 500 hp big block, and that Cobra kit car has a transmission that ran at Talledega, and a 9 in rear and the like. For the one particular guy, I pointed out the removeable cover and quad shock brackets on his 8.8. Then I pulled out a 100 bill and invited him to Gulfport Dragway, 2 out of 3, on Wed nite, vs my little 82 Mustang. Declined and quit talking cars at work.....
Agonizing, but I have had to listen to several!
Hah, read youtube comments same thing. Ah yes their short stroke stock sbc ran 8000 rpm all day!!!!!
I do the "let em talk dont burst their bubble"..they just wanna be included in the car guy thing.
There are some that are total bs'ers I pay no mind to them. Usually walking away while they are in mid sentence gives a message.
Ran into one of those guys at Famoso raceway a handful of yrs back...his 12.40 Cobra ran a 14.. Guy was a little loud mouthy Italian dude. Him and his crew type thing.
Rather than stick my elbow in his face went along with it. He didnt believe my 90 Z was bone stock save for some gears and some lousy super turbos. Spanked him by well over a second.
Fun stuff.
I do the "let em talk dont burst their bubble"..they just wanna be included in the car guy thing.
There are some that are total bs'ers I pay no mind to them. Usually walking away while they are in mid sentence gives a message.
Ran into one of those guys at Famoso raceway a handful of yrs back...his 12.40 Cobra ran a 14.. Guy was a little loud mouthy Italian dude. Him and his crew type thing.
Rather than stick my elbow in his face went along with it. He didnt believe my 90 Z was bone stock save for some gears and some lousy super turbos. Spanked him by well over a second.
Fun stuff.
I was talking with a guy once about 1/8th mile times and I made a comment like “I wonder what it would do in a 1/4” he said just double the time from the 1/8. I was so dumbfounded by his comment that I was lost for words. In fact I don’t remember anything else about that entire day! It must be that the conversation was just that amazing! 😁🙄
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