Muscle car/Classic car for daily driver??????

[EZ Nova]

Nice stories and El Camino. KEEP THEM COMING.

Ziggy, Harvey's??? Umm Jane and 401 by any chance?? That was before my time. We used to run out of Weston & Finch on weekends. Always made some $$$. Never lost but that was because we knew our limits. Ran with a '73 454 Vette with nitrous. Ran twice one night. Ran a Blue '69 COPO Camaro and another '69 Camaro out of Comp Auto. After winning, Serge with the Challenger wanted to run. Umm I knew better and we declined.

My first car was "supposed" to be a B5 Blue '70 Cuda 440+6 4sp 4.10 Dana. Black hockey stick stripe, black int. with Keystones classics. Put $1000 down till spring. Owner got shipped out for work and offered my $$$ back as he didn't know when he could get back and it was now mid April, 1982 (I think). 2 days later a buddy called and said he would take my offer for his '68 GTX Convert. 440 4 sp 4.10 Dana Blk on Blk with red interior. That was my daily driver for 4 years in the summer. Had winter beaters but from april till it snowed, I drove that 440 everywhere. I was 16 and pumped gas. Worked 2 years to save for the car. Car went 12.70's with slicks. Fun car and nice size. Been thinking something like that for a retirement driver. Nice ride, big, has some power and the '68's just look tough.

Nothing seems to match the late 60's Mopar B bodies for size, comfort and power with some tough looks. The '68 GTX/'69 Coronet Rt's as well as the '69 Chargers. There power steering was just sick. Most 440's were fast and pretty trouble free. Ya a L72 Impala would be fast, but just wouldn't "look the part" like the Mopars.

[markinnaples]

Love the stories and pics, keep 'em coming!

[HawkX66]

The only thing that really stops me from using my 69 as a DD is salt on the roads and the location where I'm driving. Thankfully in VA the salt is used for a much shorter period than in Mass or Mich where I've lived. During the warmer months I drive it as much as possible which is most of the time when I'm home. It never gets old or mundane for me.
Like others, the idiots with the "I'll give you $10k cash for it" comments never end. What do you want? My motor? That's just the nature of having a nice muscle car though.

[ZiggyL78]

Originally Posted by EZ Nova

Nice stories and El Camino. KEEP THEM COMING.

Ziggy, Harvey's??? Umm Jane and 401 by any chance?? That was before my time. We used to run out of Weston & Finch on weekends. Always made some $$$. Never lost but that was because we knew our limits. Ran with a '73 454 Vette with nitrous. Ran twice one night. Ran a Blue '69 COPO Camaro and another '69 Camaro out of Comp Auto. After winning, Serge with the Challenger wanted to run. Umm I knew better and we declined.

My first car was "supposed" to be a B5 Blue '70 Cuda 440+6 4sp 4.10 Dana. Black hockey stick stripe, black int. with Keystones classics. Put $1000 down till spring. Owner got shipped out for work and offered my $$$ back as he didn't know when he could get back and it was now mid April, 1982 (I think). 2 days later a buddy called and said he would take my offer for his '68 GTX Convert. 440 4 sp 4.10 Dana Blk on Blk with red interior. That was my daily driver for 4 years in the summer. Had winter beaters but from april till it snowed, I drove that 440 everywhere. I was 16 and pumped gas. Worked 2 years to save for the car. Car went 12.70's with slicks. Fun car and nice size. Been thinking something like that for a retirement driver. Nice ride, big, has some power and the '68's just look tough.

Nothing seems to match the late 60's Mopar B bodies for size, comfort and power with some tough looks. The '68 GTX/'69 Coronet Rt's as well as the '69 Chargers. There power steering was just sick. Most 440's were fast and pretty trouble free. Ya a L72 Impala would be fast, but just wouldn't "look the part" like the Mopars.

Hi.Ya.That was me.I probably met you at Weston & Finch one time or another.It was a great hangout.I had my Grand National back then.I was on Nitrous also.I shocked a lot of Big Blocks as the car ran 11.80s and idled like stock.We didn't have drag radials so we ran McCreary dirt tires.They hooked real well on the street.When I first started using the spray on my GN I did a lot experimenting.Always trying more boost and a hotter chip to go faster.When I got in the 11s I blew a lot of head gaskets.The car was still under warrenty so I just took it in and they usually fixed it.After about the 3rd time my original dealer turned me down.The service manager told me that my Ecm screws were loose and so was the waistegate actuator rod.I had to tow the car to Burlington were nobody knew me to get it fixed.lol.
Thanks for posting.
PS.Buy that GTX before they hit 100K!

[EZ Nova]

Originally Posted by ZiggyL78

Hi.Ya.That was me.I probably met you at Weston & Finch one time or another.It was a great hangout.I had my Grand National back then.I was on Nitrous also.I shocked a lot of Big Blocks as the car ran 11.80s and idled like stock.We didn't have drag radials so we ran McCreary dirt tires.They hooked real well on the street.When I first started using the spray on my GN I did a lot experimenting.Always trying more boost and a hotter chip to go faster.When I got in the 11s I blew a lot of head gaskets.The car was still under warrenty so I just took it in and they usually fixed it.After about the 3rd time my original dealer turned me down.The service manager told me that my Ecm screws were loose and so was the waistegate actuator rod.I had to tow the car to Burlington were nobody knew me to get it fixed.lol.
Thanks for posting.
PS.Buy that GTX before they hit 100K!

Ya we must have meet.

McCreay Dirt 60's Eh. I started running mine on my '88 Mustang GT rag. Like your is was stock, but with a kit and headers. Sprayed 100. That was one of the most fun car I ever had. Best I got with the stock motor and Nitrous was 11.60's at JP Day @ St.Thomas. People kept saying I was in the "wrong-lane, that the 11 second car lane" LOL Even had the turbine on it with the McCreary's.

I too hurt it at the track, Cayuga this night. Raced a 427 '68 Firebird, beat him bad as I think he thought I was just a stock 14/15 second car. KILLED him off the line and sprayed in 2nd. Last pass of the night, went to run and I hear, "this is a grudge race" over the PA and the Firebird passes about 10 cars to race me. Well this time I spray off the line. I heard it hit the bottom end and rattle some. It was off as RPM was a bit low, Ran 12.0??? and KILLED him again. He didn't believe the car could run like that. Too it to the local dealer and said "it just started poppin and farting" Car had about 70,000Km so there replaced the engine (they had already did 3/4 trans). I went to get some stuff out of it, and the mechanic goes "HOW FAST IS IT ON NITROUS". said he didn't care just wanted to know and said the new motor is balanced and .030 over, so should be a bit faster. It was and that's when it went into the 11.60's. Ran like that for about a year.

The went to JP to get a top-end. I knew Paul and Joe already from the track as I was crew on my buddies SB Ford IHRA record holding B/D dragster. So I talked to them some and when I got there Paul was taking apart his black Tbird. So he said, "Give me and hour and you can have my heads and intake off my car" For years those "stock" casting had more work than anything we saw, done very well. Car was running 11's WITHOUT Nitrous now. Never did need the nitrous, but did play with it a few times with that deal. Man the car was fast, for a 4000lbs + GT with a big stereo. Only thing that fit in the trunk as a case a beer sideways, or a 10lbs nitrous bottle. But couldn't be at the same time....

So back on track. With my dealings noted about in the past. I have thought of a Ranger with a 5 liter as a drive to fit this DD stuff. Just think it's too small and doesn't have the look. Plus time to do all this just isn't there for a while as we just had a baby Feb 2018. Like something that "could" tow an open car trailer. So I guess a wagon or El Camino would be the smallest I would go. Not towing far maybe a couple hrs.

Ya the GTX deal, maybe a couple/3 yrs away. Just can't swing it now I think. BUT never know.

[ZiggyL78]

When I was racing I had a great time.8 second cars that would pull the wheels and get out of shape if the track wasn't prepped.It was a lot of fun but one of my favorite times was getting in the tow car/truck and pulling the car home.After all the bouncing around it was great to get in a comfortable car and cruise home.AC was nice if it was hot but I really liked an open window with a cool breeze blowing through.

Maintaining a fast street car or 2 and keeping up with the race car was a long day.The race car would always take 4 to 6 hours of maintenance before a race, even if it wasn't broken.Back in the day our DD would be a full size car like a Cadillac or Lincoln.Big motor with lots of torque and drank gas as fast as the race carIt was also great in the winter.They were cheap to buy and towed well if you had the Stabilizer bars and trailer brakes.I'm an old man now and there is always something fast in the garage.The last car I had was a 442 with a crate 502 with NOS and it was a handfull on the street.Now I just have a 396 Chevelle.

My DD is a 2010 MKS Ecoboost twin turbo.Sure.It's an old mans car but nothing beats me off the light as it has AWD and it hooks on spit.I put a tune in it and it feels like a mid 12 car.It's a riot to drive and I love it.The biggest problem is letting the other guy know I'm up for a run anytime.lol.Don't get me wrong,I will only do a first and second and it must be a clear road.I have no interest in driving 120 within city limits.I take the Chevelle out if I'm in the mood but the Lincoln is far from boring.
The Pre Collision Warning System has saved me 3 times.The car is mint and only cost me $7500 US(10K Canadian).

[dale68z]

I daily drive my cars. I have driven my white 68 rs 180000 miles in 19 years. I don't drive it as much as I used to. I now have 4 other cars I swap out being driven. 68 firebird 400 (5000 miles in the last year),71 rs camaro (35000 miles in the last 9 years), 72 el camino (15000 miles in 4 years), 73 camaro (guessing 5000 miles in 3 years). I drive 2 of them for 1-2 months then do the garage car swap around, and drive the other two. The el camino gets driven randomly.
My drive to work was 10 miles. We moved last year, the work commute is now 22 miles.

Living in Phoenix AZ has it's perks.

[EZ Nova]

Ziggy,

Wife and I went out last night, dinner and a movie. Seen Apollo 11. It's all filmed from back in 1969. As the show went on, I said to her "this is why I like old cars! There all unique and have there own character." She said "I know. Today's cars all look the same."

At this time, I have 3 Nova's:
'67 SS with a BB 427 T400 and Gear Vender,

'66 With Mike Papadmou's Ex-NHRA Pro Stock 500" BBc with a Bruno/Liberty. Both those were Fj Smith built SuperStockers. The bar is out to of 67 for the street. I bought it rolling last fall.

'69 SS 396/350Hp car is also done by Dale who was Fj's top guy for many years before going out on his own. It's an 8.50 cert car. But keeps all the normal stuff not like the '66 or '67. I put a 785Hp ZL1 in it and a T400. It's done for a F.A.S.T. style racing. But it has headers so they won't want me there.

The '67 SS has a L-72 shortblock but I had a nicely done top end I put on it. This one will have O.D. Dakota Digital analogue dash and cruise control, P.W. and locks, A.C. and EFI either this year for this winter. That is going to be the driver for a bit anyway. Still going get some compression out of it, but for now, just de-tune and premium fuel. Maybe a meth injection kit if needed. Car WILL be too fast as it sits anyway and this motor combo, in my '69 with a PG and more weight, it ran 10.40's and did a bit more work to the heads due to sitting for a bit. It did run 10.70's in a 3600+ lbs Buick Regal.

So will be around but looking for more of a mild stock deal that could possibly tow these to shows and maybe Cayuga/St. Thomas/Woodward would probably be the furthest I would tow a car. A friend of mine has a W30 and he tows a 21 ft boat. Has a ton of "creature comforts" and he drives it everywhere.

THAT is what I want to do.

John

[EZ Nova]

OK back to the topic. Was "surf'in" yesterday and came across what I think is also a nice option to the driver stuff, a 1970 Olds RALLY 350. The car fits the "different/stand-out" bill, not super pricey, and can get most or all the parts for it.

So that got me thinking! Maybe these "jr. Musclecars" like the Rally 350, GS 350 Pontiac Tempest t or GT-37's. Ford maybe a 66/67 Fairlane. Somehting along those lines. Or a MUSCLE wagon, like a W-Vista Cruiser, SS Impala, Mopar with some parts, etc. Many used them as drivers for years, so why not now????

[ZiggyL78]

You've got a fleet of real serious rides.Get a serious tow vehichle.Cars don't cut it.Period.Not enough weight,not enough brakes and not enough power.It dosen't matter how far you have to tow.5 miles or 500 miles.You can still get in trouble easily.I have been towing for over 40 years.All over the States.I've done it all.

Get a truck that is going to tow safely for the sake of your family.Have you ever been on the Skyway pulling a trailer and a good wind blows through?Not fun.Things can get bad real fast.How about stopping fast in the rain while towing?You also need something that is good in the snow.You have enough cool cars to keep you busy.

I had a Silverado SS for 10 years.Fast,good brakes, very comfortable,low maintenance and big power with a tune and exhaust.AWD.They hook real good and are a cool truck.Leather interior,killer stereo,and power every thing.Great for hauling loads,motors,trannies.LS power and dependibility. Just take one for a test drive.You won't regret it.

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