I was talking with my dad today about how cars back in the 60's had so much horse power compare to the cars now. I mean a beaumont 4 door family car came stock with like 375 horse. Anyway, Back in the day he says at night there used to be street races all over the place from light to light or just draggin on the highway. He never admits to it even when he had his 63 vette or his 69 mach 1.(Liar) I guess back then when you wanted to race guys they would hook there backup lights as there back running lights to let other racers know that they were fair game and looking to race. He sayed it was a blast, they could put a few dollars in for gas and go crusin around all night. The movie dazed and confused started to come to mind.(Wicked movie) What are your guys favorite times in the 60's for goin out cruisin or racing.??
This is one for the older Car guys!
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Well it was cruising in my '69 Mach 1 Mustang in the mid - late 70's. 10 1/2 - 1 compression and premium leaded fuel 0.75 or so a gallon, going to the drive - in with my girl friend (now wife of 20 years) and driving to high school then college above 100 mph. Now I get nervous pushing 75 mph.
Never got a ticket but the cops would follow me all over town, kinda loud, kinda lumpy cam and very wide B. F. Goodrich Radial T/A's and 10'" wide Crager SS mags.
Never should have sold that car.
Oh, the rated horsepower ratings in the 60's were gross horsepower expected under ideal conditions and not a true HP rating. The rating system change explains some of the drop in numbers.
Never got a ticket but the cops would follow me all over town, kinda loud, kinda lumpy cam and very wide B. F. Goodrich Radial T/A's and 10'" wide Crager SS mags.
Never should have sold that car.
Oh, the rated horsepower ratings in the 60's were gross horsepower expected under ideal conditions and not a true HP rating. The rating system change explains some of the drop in numbers.
Street race....Whats that? Oh, we dont do that here at Hotrodders.com
It's like it never existed? I would love to hear some of the old timers stories (you know there are some that just need to be shared) But the thread would get crushed by "management".
C
It's like it never existed? I would love to hear some of the old timers stories (you know there are some that just need to be shared) But the thread would get crushed by "management".
C
Lets, look at some things in the 60s that made driving fun. Straight pipes were king and NOISY during acceleration and deceleration (lots of popping and cracking with a vacuum line disconnected) and cruising was just a little dull pain. !04 octane leaded gasoline that was cheap, high compression motors, most hooked to 3 and 4 speed manual trannys and more 4:11 gears than you could shake a stick at. No power steering or brakes, no air conditioning, and no pollution controls to retard the timing: nothing to rob horse power. Now put on Rayon corded biased tires and you had the recipe for the most attention grabbing squalling peel outs and any speed around a turn sounded like the biggest skid known. Almost ever car sounded like it was the hottest thing on 4 wheels. That is why I call todays rods "sneaky quick" because the Flow Masters are relatively quiet and those radial tires are almost silent in comparison. The sounds of speed is not there, relatively speaking but the performance is even better today, in my opinion.
Tree
Tree
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Take it from an "old guy'.....................Our stories get better everytime we tell them.
Seriously, I loved the days in my 64 SS Impala ragtop or my 70 LS6 Chevelle...............Probably the best years of my life, car wise.
But I also love the cars I have now, and for some strange reason, I don't need all the horsepower any more. I would be cool once in a while, but don't really miss it.............
Seriously, I loved the days in my 64 SS Impala ragtop or my 70 LS6 Chevelle...............Probably the best years of my life, car wise.
But I also love the cars I have now, and for some strange reason, I don't need all the horsepower any more. I would be cool once in a while, but don't really miss it.............
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Admitting on a public forum that you broke the law is never a good idea...is it.fat50 said:Street race....Whats that? Oh, we dont do that here at Hotrodders.com
It's like it never existed? I would love to hear some of the old timers stories (you know there are some that just need to be shared) But the thread would get crushed by "management".
C
:thumbup:weel i,m not that old (so i'm told) but around 1980 we used to hook up our backup lights to. not specificly to race but as a kid thing although sometimes that did happen.
my first car was a 71 charger, i put n-50-15s on the back with air shocks all the way up (no tubs) and remember cruising down revere beach i felt like i was floating on air (it was the altitude from the air shocks) it was awsome having everyone checking out the car, i'll never forget that feeling as long as i live and its why i still love cars today.
my first car was a 71 charger, i put n-50-15s on the back with air shocks all the way up (no tubs) and remember cruising down revere beach i felt like i was floating on air (it was the altitude from the air shocks)
it was awsome having everyone checking out the car, i'll never forget that feeling as long as i live and its why i still love cars today.
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Crusin
Man I wish sometimes those days were still here. I had several cars but really liked my 70 Mach I. Go to the Drive in for $4.00 I remember the movies- Gone in 60 seconds, Cannon Ball Run, Smokey & the Bandit. don't remember what year Hollywood Knights came in and American Grafitti. I do remember if you had $20.00 for a night you were rich. $30.00 and you and your high school sweetheart could go to the NHRA races. And park your car and sit on the hood or pull the old blanket on the ground and watch them. And then the new generation came into it with the Vega's running 350's.
Just think of the cars we used to wheel & deal with our buddies that are worth a fortune now. I had Mach I's, 396 Chevelle, 67 GTO, AMX Javelin and I bet we never sold one for more than $800 bucks. Had at that time a ugly green superbird. Traded it for a Harley. That ugly green sure looks good nowadays.---:spank:
Man I wish sometimes those days were still here. I had several cars but really liked my 70 Mach I. Go to the Drive in for $4.00 I remember the movies- Gone in 60 seconds, Cannon Ball Run, Smokey & the Bandit. don't remember what year Hollywood Knights came in and American Grafitti. I do remember if you had $20.00 for a night you were rich. $30.00 and you and your high school sweetheart could go to the NHRA races. And park your car and sit on the hood or pull the old blanket on the ground and watch them. And then the new generation came into it with the Vega's running 350's.
Just think of the cars we used to wheel & deal with our buddies that are worth a fortune now. I had Mach I's, 396 Chevelle, 67 GTO, AMX Javelin and I bet we never sold one for more than $800 bucks. Had at that time a ugly green superbird. Traded it for a Harley. That ugly green sure looks good nowadays.---:spank:
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To bad old street racing stories are frowed upon, my dad did it constantly for about 3 years, he's told me some good ones. I know most of you older guys have them too.
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The Drive-In RULES It's The Best!!! I won't go to a regular theater too many noisey people, sticky floors and hassles. Theres one in Visalia about 7 miles from here I used to go all the time and Sneak buddys in thru my trunk (a 93 corsica had pull down backseat to access trunk...now sold). At the drive-in you really never have to leave your car if you don't want to, come prepared lawn chairs, sodas, ciggarettes if you smoke. The huge screen is cool like triple the size of a regular indoor. Being able to tune the radio to the movies channel on the cars stereo really kicks butt crank it upjust try to imagine a 40 foot high movie screen playing XXX movies for all the world to see you could watch them while driving down the main road,now that was a drivin tripple feature boy how times have changed
I ran into a Pole there once in the dark dang speaker poles cant see them over the fender in the dark lol ... Hope they never tear that place down its pretty old and it RULES.OH yea Not to mention you get 2, yes TWO! Movies for The price of 1. New Movies, Not old ones. Another reason drive in rules. 5 bucks huge screen 2 cool movies and being in the comfort of your own zone no obnoxious stranger right next to you if there is you just park your car elsewhere lol.
Drive-In's :thumbup: :thumbup:
Abe
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Besides the Person next to or behind you hahahaha. TearGas!!!!! If ya got Power Windows, car off-windows up. Your the only one that can't smell it=pure joy........Face the wrath of my methane lol.
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Old days
Poncho here is a test. Remember what we used to pay for Cragar 5 spoke mags? Was it $190 a set ? And if I remember right I dented the hood on a 71 Mach I and I believe it was $135 brand new from Ford. That was a Ram Air hood. I think that was the right price. And I believe min.wage was $1.75 an hour so I had to bag a lot of groceries to get a new hood. Just about had to quit my 50 cent a pack smokes to save more money!
Poncho here is a test. Remember what we used to pay for Cragar 5 spoke mags? Was it $190 a set ? And if I remember right I dented the hood on a 71 Mach I and I believe it was $135 brand new from Ford. That was a Ram Air hood. I think that was the right price. And I believe min.wage was $1.75 an hour so I had to bag a lot of groceries to get a new hood. Just about had to quit my 50 cent a pack smokes to save more money!
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In the late 60's I used to drag the main in my 59 Ford, chicks would ignore me. My buddy came by in his XKE and the same chicks were all over us, went back and got the 59 Ford just 5 min later and ... yep ... nothin! Gas 35 cents a gal when I first started driving. That old Ford (390) would smoke the right rear tire for almost a city block. Rag tires, reverberators, I even had a record player in my ford (played 45's). Topped it out one nite at 130 MPH. Wanted to trade it for a 29 Ford pu with a Cadillac engine but my dad wouldn't let me, thought I would get killed or something. (He was probably right). Yea .... the good old days?
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Brought home a 63 Corvair ragtop.................my old man made me take it back. Next, I came home with a 66 GTX with 440/4gear. They wanted $2000 for it...............back it went. Finally, I settled for a 63 Falcon ragtop, that dad approved of..........probably better off.
A few years later, dad realized I wanted a V8 and suggested that I get one. I came home with the Big Block Chevelle. By then, I was maure enough (in my mind anyways) to appreciate it.
A few years later, dad realized I wanted a V8 and suggested that I get one. I came home with the Big Block Chevelle. By then, I was maure enough (in my mind anyways) to appreciate it.
My dad had plenty of decent rides when I was young,back when drinking and driving was allright basically.Totaled several,ran his Roadrunner THRU somone's home.He finally sobered up before he killed himself or somebody,started buying junk then.We were out one winter in his 69 VW Beetle,No Heat in those things,battery under the rear seat,darn thing fell thru the floorboard going down Bardstown road,where it had rusted out finally.
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