1971 muscle car war all over again ?

[Cd]

Do you guys remember 1971, when muscle cars seemed to pile on as much horsepower as they could before the EPA regs went into effect ?

I notice now we have a resurgence in muscle cars, and the horsepower is ever increasing, just as it was back in '71.

Today, you can buy a Charger with over 700 horsepower, and an actual 200 + mph top speed.

I think it's ironic that this gasoline powered cars are dying off, and electrics are the new thing. It's as if Detroit is giving the muscle cars one last chance at glory - just like 1971.

When I saw a Tesla run the exact same E.T. as a Hellcat Challenger, I knew " the writing was already on the wall "

[user removed]

Started working at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership in April 1969, right about the time the Daytona Chargers and Dusters came out, barely 18 years old.

regards
mech

[user removed]

The writing was on the wall when a 1969 Boss 429 Mustangs insurance hit $3500 a year, equivalent to about 35k plus today. It's why you see many of them with super low miles.
My 59 Corvette was $285 a year for comparison (no collision).

regards
mech

[Miller88]

Wow. $3500 in 1969 dollars? That's crazy!

[kafer65]

Yeah, but you can get 3 times the gas mileage in that car compared to back in the day. I really like that car and the sound it makes but I wish they would make the rear seat access easier and put a turbo diesel three cylinder in it and get 6 times the mileage! Even the new Camero is getting a turbo 4 cylinder.

[spacemanspif]

I still have my remnant of the 80's poor attempt to keep the HP war alive. My rear drive, full frame Monte Carlo that rolled off the assembly line with a fire weezing, ground tickling, 180hp V8 engine!!! I've benefitted from the new HP wars, I have a 300hp, completely stock, truck engine under the hood now with lots of potential for more.

The HP wars are staggering though, and the numbers just keep climbing, but so does the complexity. New engines with their direct injection, multiple computers and software to keep you from changing things makes it a little less enticing for swappers like myself. However for those with the cash to spend on the new cars with big HP numbers it's very fun to be "King of the road" even if it's only for a year before another one comes out that is even more powerful.

[kafer65]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

1970½ Plymouth AAR 'Cuda 340/6BBL with 4-speed...geez, it was fun!

I didn't realize they were based on the Valiant. Absolutely loved driving the '68 Valiant! Many people didn't realize how well they handled compared to most of the blunt instruments they drove in that era. Heck, I wouldn't even mind the drum brakes today since so many cars have mushy pedal feel.

[Xist]

Don't the forced-induction four-cylinders have engine sounds pumped through the speakers?

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Xist

Don't the forced-induction four-cylinders have engine sounds pumped through the speakers?

Well, if it would just keep the noise inside :-)

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Cd

Do you guys remember 1971, when muscle cars seemed to pile on as much horsepower as they could before the EPA regs went into effect ?

I notice now we have a resurgence in muscle cars, and the horsepower is ever increasing, just as it was back in '71.

Today, you can buy a Charger with over 700 horsepower, and an actual 200 + mph top speed.

I think it's ironic that this gasoline powered cars are dying off, and electrics are the new thing. It's as if Detroit is giving the muscle cars one last chance at glory - just like 1971.

When I saw a Tesla run the exact same E.T. as a Hellcat Challenger, I knew " the writing was already on the wall "

I'm too young to remember the Muscle Car era, but I own a couple classics from then and am quite familiar with these cars. This modern horsepower war is much more refined. With traction control, ABS, airbags, etc, modern cars are powerful, but fairly safe and can still eek out decent mileage for what they are. I've had the opportunity to put some miles on a 2nd gen CTS-V (556hp, 6-spd, RWD wagon) and it is a truly fantastic experience.

Since when are gas powered cars "dying off"? Electric cars are still a miniscule percentage of the market and have some huge (insurmountable?) hurdles to overcome before they can realistically replace someone's primary mode of transportation. Battery life, range, and time to recharge are all issues that your typical car buyer doesn't want to deal with..

I don't see gas cars "dying off" any time soon. And if gas powered cars do start dying off, I believe the murderer will be the automotive apathy of the younger generations rather than the electric car.