Posted on 08/11/2022 5:49:28 PM PDT by DallasBiff
C hrysler's Plymouth division had sand kicked in its face. Twice. First, when its all-new-fastback Barracuda's debut was completely eclipsed by the Ford Mustang, despite beating it to market by a couple weeks. Then, after redesigning the Barracuda for 1967 with dedicated sheetmetal that totally obliterated any traces of its Valiant origins, and adding a coupe and convertible, Plymouth's entry was again overshadowed, this time by the release of Chevy's first-ever Camaro.
Chrysler execs were no doubt keenly aware that the still-new personal-coupe market didn't just generate sales, it garnered lots of attention for the makers of the category's hero cars. The image enhancement enjoyed by the brand with the hippest youth cars was a prize worth nabbing, and this was likely the motivation behind Chrysler's third effort at a pony car—a pull-out-the-s
(Excerpt) Read more at hemmings.com ...
I rode a Kawasaki Ninja way, way back and it was scary. At about 95mph, the front wheel would start going airborne of its own accord.
As a kid of the sixties, I remember all these muscle cars. But the sad part is I remember the fatal accidents. 17 to 20 year old kids were killed in these things. Trees with bark pulled off was the usual monument.
Mopar 413 & 426 Max Wedge, and 426 Hemi did quite well on the drag strip and oval track in the sixties. NASCAR banned the hemi after one year.
Yes Chrysler did a lot to be different, The Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Daytona design didn’t go over to well with the public. Dealerships were throwing those nose cones and spoilers in the dumpster. I’d love to have one of those cars now. I don’t understand why Chrysler was slow to get rid of the left hand threaded lugs. I have them on my 64 with tapered axles and the hubs are swedged to the drums, a real pain in the rear.
Awesome times
Though I wasn’t able to drive until the 70s
Best times ever
(Well, not so much after it hit the dozers)
Not to worry. That was a Camaro though it sorta looks like a Firebird.
Yeah, I knew that was a junker Camaro. But one of the Challengers on the set pulled it into the crash, at least.
Yep - mile long cable
The age of 350+ hp cars with bias ply tires and drum brakes. We are lucky to have survived.
My buddy had a muscle car with a bench seat and four-on-the-floor. He joked about being on dates with that car and the girls snuggling up, calling 4th gear "the cootchie-check".
A lot of car collectors tend to focus on marque or specific model, but I think - at least where American cars are concerned - that an amazing collection could be based on model year. A collection of 1970 American cars would be like a window into that "last hurrah" - just before government regulations began bringing the manufacturers to heel and everything turned bad.
I had a 70 Barracuda, not a Cuda, mine only had a 318-2 barrel carb.
It did have some good punch too it, I loved the car,
regret selling it like 50 of my other 60-70’s cars.
IIRC, the Gurney cars were sold west of the Mississippi. The Yarborough cars were sold to the east. I once spotted a clean, all complete and original Gurney car (blue graphics on white paint) on a used car lot in Gulfport, Mississippi. Around 1983, IIRC. The price on it was $3,500.00 - now a deal I regret passing up. 351 car, though - most of the 428CJ homologation “aero” cars were the Torino Talladegas.
The premiere muscle car (imo). Awesome...awesome...and beautiful!!
I own a Mustang GT now with the 5.0 Coyote.
That’s the best engine, pound for pound i have ever driven.
I have a F-150 with the truck variant of the Coyote in it too.
Traded in my Chevy for it.
The Chevy could barely pull my Wakeboard boat on the Interstate @ 65-70 MPH.
With the Coyote, no such problem. Even though both engines on paper are very similar (at least in CI).
I know a guy who owned a ‘70 Hemi Challenger convert.
One of 7.
Back then it was probably worth 250k.
“You can keep your Mopar. I will keep my 60’s mustangs and 70’s GMs.
80s was all bad.”
Not all. ‘89 Turbo Trans Am would destroy just about any “muscle car” from the 60s or 70s.
My first new car was a 1985 Monte Carlo SS, looking back I should have bought a Buick Grand National, fastest production car back then.
Yeah - there were a few bright spots in the ‘80s!
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