Posted on 11/26/2011 5:52:02 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Once in high school I had my moms 66 Comet Cyclone up to what I think was about 140.
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NOT BELIEVABLE ,
Just a Mustang with weaker engines and more frontal area...
115 MAYBE
I had a 1970 Cougar with a Cleveland that couldn’t break 120 until I put a 385 series (429/460) distributor in it (351C distributors broke up at 5500 ,, 460 distributors remained stable to 7000).. and yes at high speeds my speedo read high...
I’ve had three cars up to stupidly extralegal speeds in my life, no Porsches or supercars, fairly prosaic, a late nineties Corvette that settled right in but the body integrity was a little lacking, squeaks, rattles and such. Fun, but I wouldn’t buy one (rented it), maybe the newer ones are better. Another was a 94 Maxima SE, pretty nice, felt like it was on rails right up to that point, good control, felt stable but ran out of steam, probably governed. The last I still have, a Sube GT turbo. Felt very happy at 120, but the suspension setup is a little unusual, soft bushings for a somewhat compliant ride while having a fairly firm suspension otherwise. It works quite well at speeds most people would be driving. But, sort of a vague roly-poly motion and an occasional sensation of wallowing at very high speed, didn’t like it and backed down. Love the car but sustained high speed runs are not it’s forté. Twisties, oh yeah, built for those, but not that.
Only time I drove a Corvette (an ‘87) I had it up to 90 in third gear on Rt. 128 in the Boston suburbs. I have no idea what the specs were for that car, I drove it after winning a bet and slowed down for traffic even though it was 2:00 AM (it never ended in Boston, even 25 years ago.)
I ran Bias ply VW tires on the front of my drag mustang I never worried about stopping, I worried about starting and getting there.
That’s sort of what i was remembering, don’t recall a model with concealed headlights though. I’ve never bought a Chrysler product, much as I admire some of their cars from the sixties to early seventies. They just don’t do it for me with their contemporary efforts, for whatever reason.
You got that right. I bought a 1967 Corvette when I got back from VN. The wimpy 427 cu. in. 435 HP model. No shortage of power.
But the aerodynamics would scare the crap out of you. Fastest I ever had the beast was 135-140 and still accelerating. Unfortunately, I got the feeling I would need to retract the landing gear very soon.
Scary for such a sexy shaped car to be so treacherous at high speed. If I had been rich, could have looked into how the guys that raced the car dealt with it...........Man, if I could have afforded to keep that car, what a blast it would be now.....
It was a typical post 1975 Chrysler...a consummate POS.
The roads in and around Boston strike me as very abrupt, you must have known them well. It’s a nerve wracking town to drive in for out of towners.
Do they still have that multi-directional tunnel with lane splits coming out of Logan? That thing looked lethal.
Possibly bolting weights in the front end? It would cut some speed but maybe keep the nose from lifting
They were beautiful cars. GM just didn’t do ugly on anything while Bill Mitchell was over Art & Color, and that was one of his best.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of taking a Mercedes E430 up to 135 MPH for a stretch. It was smooth as silk, no amazing tunnel-vision or 2001 Space Odyssey visual effects. ;)
I felt like I could ride like that all day. Pretty spooky.
The next time I took it to the shop I jokingly told the mechanic that it had a slight shimmy around 122 MPH. He expressed serious concern and said he’d check it out.
I moved to Ohio in 1992. The tunnel coming from the airport then was the Sumner, which was fairly straightforward. You may be referring to the Ted Williams tunnel opened in 1995. I've never driven it.
Where I drove the Corvette was MA Rt. 128, AKA I-95, a beltway around the city through its western suburbs. Eight lanes for most of it and jam packed 24/7.
You must have been in open desert. Trees arching over the road cause the visual effect at 120 and above, particularly at night.
I think he perhaps already had a liquid lunch.
Realized I was going so fast that if I hit a stick or pebble in the road they would eventually have to pick me up with a stick and a spoon (yes, "Wolf Creek Pass" mention, there) so I backed off.
Best car I ever owned...remembered even at that speed to put my left foot under the accelerator...I had more peddle yet to go...and this was an automatic tranny!!!!
Oh yeah, the mid-60’s had some gorgeous cars from GM. Buffy had a Chevelle with the optional 396. Nice car, but an automatic, and the engine was the neutered one with hydraulic lifters. Could not rev for squat..........
A classic. Any rust?
Buffy = buddy, but you knew that unless you thought this was a vampire thread.......
My brother had a 1970 Cougar that he souped up because it would “only” run about 110, after he souped it up real good he ran it through a guard rail, as in the guard rail cut it in half between the driver’s seat and passenger seat. He and an Army buddy that was with him both survived by some miracle. My dad asked him later how fast he was going but he didn’t answer that question. He drag raced all through high school- souped up a lot of cars, pickups and even a grain truck. When he souped up the Cougar he hadn’t been back from Vietnam too long but as far as I know it was the last one he souped up.
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