Driving tip of the day..

[heironymouspasparagus]

I am more than willing to include Sport Sedans as well as 2 door cars.  My '95 BMW 540i, 4 door, (obviously not American although some BMW models are assembled in South Caroling now) is a somewhat of a performance car.  When I bought it, every insurance company except one (Farmers) wanted the same premiums as for a Corvette.

I am thinking of something more exciting than the average family sedan people mover. Back in history, I would include GTO, 442, Buick GS series and mid 80s Grand Nationals, Chevelle 396, 427, 455, Nova 397 and I actually even saw a Nova 427 once, Dodge Chargers, Cudas, Plymouth Satellite,  Road Runner,  Ford Torino, and a couple of AMC models I don't remember at the moment.  They all had their strong points compared to the other choices at the time.

About 1980, Ford made a Fairmont with a turbocharged 4 that always sounded kind of interesting.  It was such a light car, it should have gone-scat-like-a-turpentined-cat....  that means fast.

[AquaMan]

AMC models were Javelin with a 390, Rebel with a 360 or 390. Javelins were very cool and fast. The post 67 Novas had the 396 as well. Most were imprinted onto telephone poles.

The only truly scary fast car I ever drove was my brother's 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 ci monster engine. Torqueflite auto was crisp and the gearing was in the range of 373 iirc. He says a 426 hemi was the only thing faster at that time. Hurt my stomach!

Ford? Fix Or Repair Daily.

[Hoss]

AMC models were Javelin with a 390, Rebel with a 360 or 390. Javelins were very cool and fast. The post 67 Novas had the 396 as well. Most were imprinted onto telephone poles.

The only truly scary fast car I ever drove was my brother's 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 ci monster engine. Torqueflite auto was crisp and the gearing was in the range of 373 iirc. He says a 426 hemi was the only thing faster at that time. Hurt my stomach!

Ford? Fix Or Repair Daily.

455 GTO (1968) scared the bejeezus out of me in highschool.  Four-speed BW tranny with a Hurst shifter.  Fastest thing I ever drove.  Surely not meant for taking curves.

[Red Arrow]

AMC models were Javelin with a 390, Rebel with a 360 or 390. Javelins were very cool and fast. The post 67 Novas had the 396 as well. Most were imprinted onto telephone poles.

The only truly scary fast car I ever drove was my brother's 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 ci monster engine. Torqueflite auto was crisp and the gearing was in the range of 373 iirc. He says a 426 hemi was the only thing faster at that time. Hurt my stomach!

Ford? Fix Or Repair Daily.

A Navy friend had a Mopar (Plymouth or Dodge, I don't remember) with a 440 (Hemi?).  The car was purple with peeling paint.  I was fast but I think the peeling paint was due to a paint defect more than the speed and acceleration of the car.

[Red Arrow]

455 GTO (1968) scared the bejeezus out of me in highschool.  Four-speed BW tranny with a Hurst shifter.  Fastest thing I ever drove.  Surely not meant for taking curves.

Depends on how it was set up.  A lot of kids put skinny tires on the front and monster tires on the back. Those cars went straight.  

I had a 1969 Buick GS 350.  Essentially the same chassis but this one only had a 350 cid engine with about 280 HP (old HP ratings, not net).  My brother drove it on a standing start lap around Hallett in under 2 min.  I think it was 1:58.  It didn't have disc brakes, only power 4 wheel drums.  They were good for about 1/2 of a panic stop from 70MPH so he had to start shutting down for the really sharp corners early.  On the hairpin to the front straight, he had the back end hung out about 20 degrees or so but held it to make the final push to in front of the timing/scoring building.   The only car faster that day was a Datsun 240Z that was semi prepared for autocross. It ran about 1:55 with 2 different drivers.  My Buick had regular radial tires, Heavy duty shocks, the optional rear sway bar and airbags in the rear springs for trailer towing.  Otherwise, box stock.

You young guys that never had to put up with drum brake fade should be thankful for modern brake systems.

Edit:
There weren't any real race cars there that day.  It was a company picnic.

[dbacks fan]

You young guys that never had to put up with drum brake fade should be thankful for modern brake systems.

Didn't even have to be a fast car to have drum brake fade, and god forbid if you got them wet. Hated adjusting drum brakes.

[Red Arrow]

Didn't even have to be a fast car to have drum brake fade, and god forbid if you got them wet. Hated adjusting drum brakes.

Roger on the wet brakes.  Adjusting drum brakes was a pain.  Get it wrong and one or more wheels would cause it to pull.  The self adjusters never kept the pedal at the right height but would keep the clearance from getting so much that the pedal went to the floor.  That is unless you had a cup failure in the master cylinder. Single piston master cylinders before 1967 added to the thrills.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Roger on the wet brakes.  Adjusting drum brakes was a pain.  Get it wrong and one or more wheels would cause it to pull.  The self adjusters never kept the pedal at the right height but would keep the clearance from getting so much that the pedal went to the floor.  That is unless you had a cup failure in the master cylinder. Single piston master cylinders before 1967 added to the thrills.

'61 Chevy wagon was a joy in that way.  Especially when you had 12 to 14 of your closest friends in with you.

Drum brakes - that's why they invented Park in the automatic transmissions.  As in "put it in park"....

[Red Arrow]

Drum brakes - that's why they invented Park in the automatic transmissions.  As in "put it in park"....

I thought that was to imitate the sound of bad snychros.

[dbacks fan]

Don't worry, they are going to make transmissions out of water, so you just pour it into gear. The only thing worse was the 'crash box' gear boxes.

[Red Arrow]

Don't worry, they are going to make transmissions out of water, so you just pour it into gear. The only thing worse was the 'crash box' gear boxes.

Ever drive a Dynaflow in a 4000 lb car with only 150 HP?  1954 Buick Special.  It was not a small car like the 1960s Specials.  I just happened to look it up today, 122" wheelbase.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I thought that was to imitate the sound of bad snychros.

Does that, too, but it will stop the car when the brakes don't work.  Kinda rough on the tranny.....


And now for something entirely different.... again.
YouTube is such a wonderful thing!  You can get anything you want...at Alice's Restaurant.... oh, wait - different movie.  Jeremiah Johnson in parts;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FerH_4NMJUY

Too grainy...will stick with the DVD, but damn... everything is out there!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Ever drive a Dynaflow in a 4000 lb car with only 150 HP?  1954 Buick Special.  It was not a small car like the 1960s Specials.  I just happened to look it up today, 122" wheelbase.

52 Chevy with Powerglide was closest I ever got to that.  Then 57 Chevy.  Didn't get into a Buick until 63 Skylark.

51/52 Skylark is a sweet car that I would love to have now.  Kind of pricey, though.  Good looking tail end on it.

[Red Arrow]

52 Chevy with Powerglide was closest I ever got to that.  Then 57 Chevy.  Didn't get into a Buick until 63 Skylark.

51/52 Skylark is a sweet car that I would love to have now.  Kind of pricey, though.  Good looking tail end on it.

Turboglide was the Chevy tranny close to the Dynaflow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboglide

Early 50s Buicks had terrible brakes.  I would only want one as a collecter's piece.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Turboglide was the Chevy tranny close to the Dynaflow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboglide

Early 50s Buicks had terrible brakes.  I would only want one as a collecter's piece.

There is an old 54 Oldsmobile for sale on one of my traffic patterns in Broken Arrow.  Well worn, but rebuildable.  Would put a Cummins diesel and Allison tranny in it, then put some better wheels/brakes/suspension on it.  Then get an old vintage travel trailer to pull with it.  Like in the Lucille Ball movie....