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So your point is that you can quantify someone totally as merely the sum of their posession(s)? I used to operate a '69 Mercury Cougar. The outside looked like hell, and the interior needed a lot of work, but as an Engineer I modified the bloody thing behind the dash and under the hood to where it was a real terror on the road -or off of it!

I had an early-70's Mercury Comet, outside banged up, NICE V8 under the hood, and from before anti-pollution gear robbed you of performance. The thing I liked most was the ability to park it on a New York street and have it still be there when I returned

I appreciated the same thing about My Cougar. I recall one year the apartment complex where I was renting a unit had all the cars in the carports broken into overnight on Christmas Eve 'Day' and a lot of things were taken -especially the stereo equipment, units, speakers, the works. Nobody bothered with My car, however. I felt bad for everybody else, but pleased that I had suffered no losses.

Yes, older muscle cars are unbelievable.

I once had a 1970 olds with a 455 four-barrel. an ugly car, but it would do 0-60 in nothing flat.

Since you both were speakng about cars before, allow me to change the current subject a little, to the car arena.

Now, I know that both of you seem to be enthusiasts for old(as in pre-1980) cars, and I do NOT really like to DRIVE old cars. I like to look at them and ride in them, but I do not wish to OWN one, as a daily(or otherwise) driver. I am into hi-tech, and like cars with touch screens, computer control, Fuel injection, Distributorless ignitions, digital instruments, electronic(as in LCD) mirrors, etc. I owned an olds Trofeo previously, and two Rivieras, all of which had the computer screen. I loved all 3, the Olds in particular, was a great car. Quite fast, reliable, and a LOT of fun to drive.

That being said, it just seems to me, that ALL cars nowdays are becoming considerably more powerful,(from the factory) and some of them are ferociously fast!! take for example the Corvette Z06. Here we have an engine with over 500 HP STOCK, and the tranny, chassis and tires, to handle that power. 0-60 in 3.5 sec, 11 sec. quarters, STOCK!! I have kept up on the vette, over the years, and the ONLY thing that MIGHT had touched the current one was the ZL-1 aluminum vette,or maybe the L-88 BB, but the tires, chassis and tranny limited the available performance from that machine,(the ZL-1) and only 2 were built(officially, anyway), due to the extra-high cost of the engine. Not to be outdone, Ford now has the Gt, that has similar performance, at WAY higher cost, and a much-upgraded"retro look" Mustang. Cadillac now has optional engines with over 450 Hp, in supercharged form(as if the 275-320 hp. from the Northstar was not enough).Even lesser cars, such as the Impala, now have an available V-8, of over 300hp. Chrysler has revived the Charger, and it can have a 400hp+ Hemi engine.And modern v-6 cars are not "just plebeian transportation' nowdays. Nissan now has more than 250 HP, from its 6 in its cars, such as the Altima and Maxima. Lexus has a 300+ v-6 HP IS model.

Even 4 cylinder cars are no longer a laughing matter. I recall about 20 years or so ago, that a 4 banger was laughable, slow, and noisy. NOT today. Many of the 4 cylinder cars have respectable HP AND torque figures, allowing for good takeoff AND high-speed acceleration.

SO the bottom line is-- it appears that nearly ALL cars are getting a LOT more powerful nowdays, right off of the showroom floor. And around here, at least, drivers are taking advantage of this. I typically drive around 70 or so, on the Highways. EVERY time I get on the road, at this speed, a BUNCH of cars pass me at 80,90 and higher speeds. And these are NOT just Vettes,Porsches, 'stangs, and the like, but Minivans, SUV's, "family" cars, compact cars,and these are driven by Men and Women alike, young and old. About the ONLY exception to this, is the "older set" who still drives at 60 or less, in the "slow lane.

Have you noticed this trend, also?