-Andy
PS3, Xbox 360, & Steam tag: Cryptic78
_________________________
|.....Overnight.....................| ||
|........Japan Parts................||'|";,___.
|_..._...____________======||_|_|...,]
"(@)'(@)""'''''''''''''"'''"**|(@)(@)*****"(@)
A little bit of both.
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/...cars-work7.htm
The Death of Muscle Cars
In many ways and for many reasons, America lost its innocence in the 1960s, and no-holds-barred performance cars were just one casualty of wrenching social changes. Muscle cars began fading away in the 1970s. Most were gone by mid-decade, victims of a changing market and increasingly strict government regulations. A precious few managed to hang on longer, but only as meek reminders of their '60s selves.
The decline was perhaps inevitable. Demand for big, fast, thirsty cars dried up as rising gas prices and hefty insurance premiums had many buyers looking at thriftier, more affordable Detroit compacts and imported minicars. At the same time, progressively tighter limits on tailpipe emissions forced automakers to detune engines via lowered compression ratios, fewer carburetors, more restrictive intakes, and other power-sapping measures. New Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards called for adding crash-protection features such as bigger, sturdier bumpers that added performance-sapping weight.
While these harsh realities compromised all cars to some degree, muscle machines fared the worst by far. They did, after all, have the most to lose.
The Last Great
Muscle CarsFor profiles, photos, and specifications of some of the last great muscle cars of the classic period, see:
- The compact 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 was a "sensible" vehicle that signaled the twilight of the muscle car era.
- The 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 was the last Boss and, with a 330-bhp solid-lifter 351-cid ram-air V-8, among the best.
- Packing a 455-cid V-8, the 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am featured the biggest engine ever put in a pony car.
Signs of loss appeared as early as 1971, when General Motors' engines and some Chrysler Corporation mills were recalibrated to run on regular-grade gas instead of premium. That same year, GM switched its advertised engine ratings from gross figures to more-realistic net numbers, which made the power and torque losses look even worse on paper. American Motors, Chrysler, and Ford followed suit for 1972, when many engines were further detuned for newly required low-lead fuel.
Then, in October 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drastically curtailed oil exports to the United States, touching off a national energy crisis marked by widespread fuel shortages, record gas prices, and long lines at the pumps, among other discomforts.
2005 Roush Sport, 2009 F-150 PLATINUM SCREW
You can get your Ford in any color you want, as long as it's black.
Muscle cars were killed by all the following to varying degrees: Insurance, emmissions, fuel prices/embargos (there was 2 embargos, one early 70's, the other late 70's/80.
Up until 1970, many complained it would be the insurance companies that killed the musclecar since the young who purchased them found it difficult to afford to keep insurance on them. Car companies looked for ways to keep the prices affordable from underrating, etc.
Emissions started to kick in 1968, however, major changes to cars didn't occur until 71....GM and ford dropped compression really across the board; mopar held out dropping compression on on the 383 (10:1 to 8.7:1).
71 represents the last year of the "real" muscle cars to me...as by 72 many of the cars were emaciated forms of their old self, and of course, the hemi was no longer available.
75 represented another big nail in the musclecar coffin, not that there was any era still kicking per se, when most cars were federally mandated to have catylytic converters....from about 75-81, compression ratios rarely exceeded 8.2. The 78 440's had a rated compression ratio of 7.8:1, but if you check, they're around 7.5:1, lol.
Of course, the embargo of 73 also killed what might have been left of the big engine cars of that era....
1979 Lil' Red Express -Officially the quickest "bolt-on" LRT in the country.
1989 Shelby CSX #500/500
The most powerful production Minivan, ever...
Be sure to check out my weekly adventures on the second page of your Sunday Comics!
Wow some people like to hear themselves type LOL. Muscle car, big block big iron. Gone forever I am guessing.
Really?