Overpowered, overpriced new cars

[JDgreen227]

Same here...like most "sports", there's too much money involved in it to be a sport.

Bird, you remember a mid-60's racer named Fred Lorenzon? Drove for Ford for a while. How about Parnelli Jones?

Oh yeah, Lorenzen...drove #28, and won Daytona in '65....honest, I did not Google that, probably the only thing I remember about '65....my dad owned a Galaxie 4 door then and I was so happy one "like" my dad's car won the race.

 

[RoyJackson]

Oh yeah, Lorenzen...drove #28, and won Daytona in '65....honest, I did not Google that, probably the only thing I remember about '65....my dad owned a Galaxie 4 door then and I was so happy one "like" my dad's car won the race.

My father's car (he worked as a State Park Superintendent) was a '64 Ford...one nice car with a 390 (of course, the State of MD didn't buy 390's...his car was a straight 6 and 3 on the tree).

 

[JDgreen227]

My father's car (he worked as a State Park Superintendent) was a '64 Ford...one nice car with a 390 (of course, the State of MD didn't buy 390's...his car was a straight 6 and 3 on the tree).

Those 240 sixes were one of the best engines Ford ever made, finally being upgraded in stages as the fuel injected 4.9 six used in the half and 3/4 ton trucks. My dad's ('65) car was a black Galaxie 500 4 door with a 352 and Cruise O Matic, his good friend had a bare-bones Custom with 240 six and stick, my dad's car could barely outrun the Custom in a drag race because the six had such good low end torque and was a lot lighter than the Galaxie, which was loaded up with power options.

 

[RoyJackson]

Those 240 sixes were one of the best engines Ford ever made...

It actually wasn't a bad patrol car. Since there was only one road through the park and they depended more on the 2 way radios then pursuit, it did the job.

 

[Bird]

Same here...like most "sports", there's too much money involved in it to be a sport.

Bird, you remember a mid-60's racer named Fred Lorenzon? Drove for Ford for a while. How about Parnelli Jones?

Actually, I hardly remember the name of Lorenzen; had to look it up. But Parnelli Jones' name has always been familiar.

Your father had a '64 Ford. I started on the police department in 1964 and we had black 1964 4-dr sedans with the smallest V-8 engine, 3-speed on the column, no power anything, and no air-conditioning.:laughing:

 

[RoyJackson]

Your father had a '64 Ford. I started on the police department in 1964 and we had black 1964 4-dr sedans with the smallest V-8 engine, 3-speed on the column, no power anything, and no air-conditioning.:laughing:

Jeez, Bird...does that mean you're old enough to my my father?

 

[Bird]

Jeez, Bird...does that mean you're old enough to my my father?

If I'm not, I'm very close to being old enough.:laughing:

 

[JDgreen227]

Actually, I hardly remember the name of Lorenzen; had to look it up. But Parnelli Jones' name has always been familiar.

Your father had a '64 Ford. I started on the police department in 1964 and we had black 1964 4-dr sedans with the smallest V-8 engine, 3-speed on the column, no power anything, and no air-conditioning.:laughing:

The smallest V8 that year would have been either the 260 or the 289, my dad had a '67 Galaxie with the 289, and in high school I had a '62 Fairlane with the 260...cannot recall when Ford bored out the 260 but I am quite sure it was after the Mustang was introduced in '65.

 

[Bird]

The smallest V8 that year would have been either the 260 or the 289, my dad had a '67 Galaxie with the 289, and in high school I had a '62 Fairlane with the 260...cannot recall when Ford bored out the 260 but I am quite sure it was after the Mustang was introduced in '65.

Yeah, we had the 289. In those days, Dallas had all Fords, but in 1966, Chevrolet underbid Ford, so we had Chevy with the 283 for one year, then back to Fords. In 1968, we got the 302 engines, and power brakes. Then in 1969, went to the first 390 engines, power brakes and steering, air-conditioning, and automatic transmissions. In 1970, the first Plymouths.

 

[xtn]

Bird, as much as the cars in Nascar today are tweaked far away from factory specs,...

They aren't tweaked from factory specs. A modern NASCAR vehicle is a purpose-built, complete tube frame, racing machine. Other than the fact that they have an engine and four wheels, they have nothing in common with the production cars they are supposed to represent.

 

[Bird]

Speaking of "stock" cars, how many here remember the old Mobil Economy Run that used to be done each year? It was a (fair?) approximation of fuel mileage before the EPA ratings. You may notice the comment, "Automakers tried to "prepare" their cars to achieve better results."

Since the cars were bought from dealers' inventory, the automakers didn't know which of their cars would be selected. I believe it was 1957 or 1958 when Chrysler products had some rear differential failures and it eventually hit the news that Chrysler put motor oil instead of SAE 80-90W gear oil in all the cars they made for a 2 week period to be sure the one bought for the Mobil Economy Run had thinner oil in the rear end to help the gas mileage.:laughing:

 

[dodge man]

There is a nearby town, Keokuk Iowa, that has three retired stock car drivers. Erni Derr, Don White, and Ramo Stott. I had a friend that had his engine rebuilt at of the guys engines shop about 15 years ago. He quit racing in the mid 70's. It had looked like he quit racing the week before. There were still Superbird front cones and wings laying around. The really good racers got what was called a body in white, which was a striped down shell. The guys in Keokuk got complete cars, and they had to strip out all the parts. This guys shop was still filled with all these brand new looking interior parts, seats etc. He had this huge rack of of 8 3/4 rear ends with different ratios. He had a 70 Superbird race car out back that had been rebodied as a 74 Dodge Charger. At that time, these were true "stock" cars, they started out as regular cars and had a roll cage added.

This was when Dodge was just gettting back in racing, they were in trucks at the time but not Nascar. We had some interesting talks about the past and future of Dodge in Nascar.

 

[om21braz]

TI'd even put a Holman-Moody Talledega against these new cars, with modern tires.

I know where there is a Ford Talledega just sitting in shed - all original as far as I know.

 

[JDgreen227]

I know where there is a Ford Talledega just sitting in shed - all original as far as I know.

Belongs to a little old lady who drives it to church, right....:laughing:

 

[tcartwri]

Have you ever been to the site carsinbarns.com

warning! will make you cry.

I recall coming across a 69 Charger 500 in the junk yard when I was a kid. The one with the flush grill and rear window. It was badly rusted and the motor was missing, but I wish I had been a little bit older when I found it.

 

[om21braz]

Belongs to a little old lady who drives it to church, right....:laughing:

Actually, I don't believe it has been driven by anyone in probably 30+ years.

 

[RoyJackson]

Have you ever been to the site carsinbarns.com

warning! will make you cry.

I recall coming across a 69 Charger 500 in the junk yard when I was a kid. The one with the flush grill and rear window. It was badly rusted and the motor was missing, but I wish I had been a little bit older when I found it.

Being into sportscars, the one that brought tears to my eyes was in Italy (I was stationed in Italy at the time). I had a Fiat Dino coupe, but really had the hots for a Fiat Dino Spyder (attached picture).
A buddy and I were at a salvage yard looking for some wheels. There was a very nice Dino Spyder setting there...clean, all the parts were there.
I went back the next week to see if I could buy it....by that time, the salvage yard had cut the Spyder in two pieces (right at the doors).

The attached picture wasn't the car I looked at...just an example of a Fiat Dino Spyder.

 

[JDgreen227]

Speaking of "stock" cars, how many here remember the old Mobil Economy Run that used to be done each year? It was a (fair?) approximation of fuel mileage before the EPA ratings. You may notice the comment, "Automakers tried to "prepare" their cars to achieve better results."

Since the cars were bought from dealers' inventory, the automakers didn't know which of their cars would be selected. I believe it was 1957 or 1958 when Chrysler products had some rear differential failures and it eventually hit the news that Chrysler put motor oil instead of SAE 80-90W gear oil in all the cars they made for a 2 week period to be sure the one bought for the Mobil Economy Run had thinner oil in the rear end to help the gas mileage.:laughing:

Bird, I remember reading about those economy runs but it always baffled me why so much importance was paid to them because even today, how many people buy a car based on fuel economy as compared to other makes. I have never purchased any new or used vehicle with gas mileage as a factor in my choice.

 

[RobertN]

The Talledega was an interesting car from a rules standpoint.

The Hemi's were hard to beat, even with restrictions. After the Daytona, NASCAR made Mopar build a minimum number of cars "as raced", and they had to make a certian number of cars related to the number of dealerships. Hence, there are lots of Superbirds out there. And, originally, a minimum number of Hemi 4spd cars.

For, did not have to do that. There were much fewer Talladega's. AND... none of the Talledega's were ever built "as raced", ie 427 4spd or Boss-429 4spd cars. those motors were and trannies were placed in other cars, like the Boss-429 Mustangs.

Ford never had to jump thru the hoops that Mopar did; Mopar was restricted to make Ford competitive. Of course, mid-late 1960's, GM was a non-player in Winston Cup...

I know where there is a Ford Talledega just sitting in shed - all original as far as I know.

 

[RobertN]

Yup, pretty sad seeing some of those cars rot...

Have you ever been to the site carsinbarns.com

warning! will make you cry.