New Muscle Car Era ?

[PONY MAN]

I was reading on another forum about muscle cars & a pretty cool question was asked.
Do you believe that we are in a new muscle car era now ?
There are some really quick \ fast cars coming right off the factory line these days.
I owned my first cars back in 1974 & it was a 1971 SS Chevelle with a 396 bored out to a 402 plus other bolt on mods ....
I have owned Trans Am, Z 28, 66 Chevelle SS ...
I really like the muscle cars ,but todays cars have much better handling , braking, great power from smaller engines ....
What do you guys think about today's cars ?

 

[ViciousJay]

its a coin toss, yes in the 60's and 70's those cars had the body lines and the power motors of that era, today compared to back then is different guys were happy to be in the 13's unlike to day when its more like the 10's for us, i def like the old school bodys better except for the WS6 i always thought it looked bad ass, but as far as motors id rather have a NEW GEN motor rather then a carbed one, its my personal preference due to fuel injection is cleaner to deal with spending countless hours adjusting a carb, so yeah OLDSCHOOL body fan, and NEW GEN MOTOR FAN, not to mention aftermarket parts cost a hellva lot less on the new gens then on the old schools, where it takes ruffly 4 to 8K to a new gen to run tens then it does an old school 12 to unlimited K to reach tens

 

[DaleM]

What do you guys think about today's cars ?

I don't know if Muscle car is how I'd descibe the new cars. They are greater perfomers for the most part but the styling and nostalgia of the muscle car is what I think will be hard to recapture.

 

[Smokinbago]

I love the muscle car era, but there is nothing being able to pick up a 400 + hp (or darn near) car from the showroom floor. Plus the cars of today have more than just horsepower, they are refined, tossable in the twisties, can stop, safe, excellent braking, and most of all (for me anyway) straight line fun.

 

[ampstang]

I've owned three different classic Mustangs. They weren't as fast as the new ones, but they had the coolest sound. My '66 was loud as hell with 2 Chamber Flomasters and moderate cam. The old muscle cars at least sound the coolest. The other day a 454 Chevelle passed me. The massive sound of the big block sounded unreal. I wish I had one of those.

 

[LocoGT]

Todays cars are not "muscle" cars

 

[poopnut2]

I just think they're in another horsepower war. Motors today are so smooth and refined, it's hard to call it muscle.

 

[PONY MAN]

I've owned three different classic Mustangs. They weren't as fast as the new ones, but they had the coolest sound. My '66 was loud as hell with 2 Chamber Flomasters and moderate cam. The old muscle cars at least sound the coolest. The other day a 454 Chevelle passed me. The massive sound of the big block sounded unreal. I wish I had one of those.

*** Yeah ! , it is something about a big block rumble that is really sweet.
I remember when I was a kid on Saturday afternoon washing my car in the driveway & I here my friends cars coming up into the neighborhood blocks away.
I had a couple of buddies like me that had Chevelles & two buddies that had 68 & 69 Dodge Chargers.
Those big engines can really pound the ground.
I like today's cars sound,but most of our Stangs sound similar.

 

[toomanymustangs]

Its all relative. Those cars back then werte just like cars of today, as far as styling. New cars are hot looking "Muscle cars" and just like back in the day. In 1970 people wouldn't stop what they were doin to watch a 390 fastback drive by, same as people dont give new cars the looks as the old ones. Those cars are just getting rare, making people apreciate them more. Another thing, Those old cars were rated at engine HP and new cars are rated on a new system to keep number down, they are run with all accesories going and the transmission drag also. It will come to an end though, just like it did back in the day. A Muscle Car to me is a car that people drive on the weekends and fix up with speed parts, Muscle cars have no years, just styles.

 

[DaleM]

My old 69 El Camino was a bad mofo in it's day. The numbers 396 still haunt me today.

 

[JoeNashville]

Even if we were the climbing gas prices will kill it quickly. I'd say the new vette and the new Cobra will be the pinnacle of domestic performance for a LONG time.

 

[PONY MAN]

Even if we were the climbing gas prices will kill it quickly. I'd say the new vette and the new Cobra will be the pinnacle of domestic performance for a LONG time.

I think there will always be motorheads willing to make the sacrifice of the higher gas prices.
High prices really suck though, just when most car companies are puting out some really decent cars out now.
The eighties really burned me out with the econo box cars & trucks wtih small engines & no power. :fm:

 

[Starfox07]

Its different. Muscle cars of the 60's and 70's were midsized cars with large motors put in them and a new name. "Muscle cars" of today are just performance cars, with a number of options.

 

[rfat16]

I think its relative. 60-71 had Great body style and great power. IE Muscle Car era. Now you have cars that look good. I don't think most have the character they had back in the day but they do make more true power. For example- The 70 Chevelle SS LS6(450hp) a stock one you would have to have a good day to get it in the 12's. For the most part it was a low to mid 13 sec car. Today a 450hp car will be well into the 12's. You can also drive home with the air on with out the thought of anything breaking. I love old cars a lot but for me to drive and beat on and take to the track its all new stuff.

 

[JoeNashville]

I think there will always be motorheads willing to make the sacrifice of the higher gas prices.
High prices really suck though, just when most car companies are puting out some really decent cars out now.
The eighties really burned me out with the econo box cars & trucks wtih small engines & no power. :fm:

I hear ya bro...I remember when I was so nerved up over driving a buddy's 87 GT back in the day that I didn't sleep for nearly a week. I thought that car was FAST...LOL.