This is the Old Cars

[Luke]

It's funny how the interest for cars comes back once you give up bikes. I had hot cars in the garage that only got driven no more than 6-8 times a year but I was on the bike everyday regardless of weather. Didn't matter that your only car got 8mpg because you never drove the thing. Life changes and moves on but that desire to have a cool car or sickle never stays quite for very long. Went about 15 years with out a car. Once the last toy was gone from the shed didn't take long to realise that I needed another 1. Bikes are now no longer in my future but looks like the car thing is back to stay

 

[sicndhed]

It's funny how the interest for cars comes back once you give up bikes. I had hot cars in the garage that only got driven no more than 6-8 times a year but I was on the bike everyday regardless of weather. Didn't matter that your only car got 8mpg because you never drove the thing. Life changes and moves on but that desire to have a cool car or sickle never stays quite for very long. Went about 15 years with out a car. Once the last toy was gone from the shed didn't take long to realise that I needed another 1. Bikes are now no longer in my future but looks like the car thing is back to stay

A friend asked me about bikes vs cars a long time ago. I told him an $8000 bike can put a bigger smile on your face than an $80,000 car. After he started riding he said he understood.

 

[rpmcarter]

yeah bikes ARE a lot of fun but I prefer to live to see my daughter grow up. All the years I rode I may have dumped a bike 3 times over a period of 30 years, all which were very minor to the tune of maybe 500 total dollars in damage. I felt that was a good score to go out on.

I loved riding bikes but I'll take the 80,000.00 car. Of all the bikes the only ones I didnt own was a Harley and Suzuki. Harley was going to be next until the chickeness set in. Wifey works in the ER and she will absolutely never get on another and she insisted we ride every weekend before our daughter was born. She would let me ....but I choose not to.

 

[sicndhed]

Things can go wrong pretty quick when you’re on a bike and you pay the price for the mistakes of others. I broke my left leg in four places as a result of a load of loose gravel on a 55 mph curve. Four surgeries were the result of a pickup truck that crossed the centerline on a 55 mph highway.

 

[Luke]

agreed it was a major crash that has ended my bike riding days. Still I would be on 1 right now if I could.

 

[1973grandeklar]

I have to share this beauty with you all. It is a 1972 Galaxie 500 with a 400-2V in her. She was a beast, but my wife still married me in that thing. Actually, she had a real nice car and we told the wedding patrons that no one could touch her car. I, OTH, told them to do what you want to my car, just make sure I can drive it!



Interesting tid bit about the engine: It ran great until one day driving down the road it just died. I checked everything, but could not get it restarted. It would crank all day long, but no juice to the plugs. Pulled the distributor to find that the pin at the gear was sheared. Replaced pin and drove it for about another month and same thing happened.

At this I did a little research and found that this was a common problem on these old Ford engines. The valve seals were a palstic type that would become brittle with age. Seems that the plastic would find its way into the oil pump and lock the gears. Pulled the engine, refreshed it and never had trouble with this car. Looked like crap, but ran well. Sold it to purchase a 1968 GTO (in need of restoration).

I should add that all that crap stained the paint!!!

 

[luxstang]

I love that Galaxie. I´d realy like to have one of those.

 

[rpmcarter]

Haaaa WOOOOWEeeee on that Galaxy. Beast they were and although tanks would still haul once you got them moving.

Oh and dude your wife really DOES love you to marry you with that thing LOL.

I thought I was lucky I had a 67 Mustang my only and prise possession. Started dating again after I finally came up for air after the divorce, figured I'd chase chicks and have that car forever. Had to sell it to fund yet ANOTHER court encounter with the X to the tune of 50g's. Well then came the reality of a DODGE SHADOW.... Current and last wife stuck right with me cuz I'm cute and was driving a fabulous Dodge Shadow.

But God works in mysterious ways. I had an encounter with a Catholic Priest being very deliberate with my backend. The resulting lawsuit gave opportunity for a VERY nice F150 Shortbed XLT ...chrome everywhere.

 

[rpmcarter]

yeah bikes ARE a lot of fun but I prefer to live to see my daughter grow up. All the years I rode I may have dumped a bike 3 times over a period of 30 years, all which were very minor to the tune of maybe 500 total dollars in damage. I felt that was a good score to go out on.

I loved riding bikes but I'll take the 80,000.00 car. Of all the bikes the only ones I didnt own was a Harley and Suzuki. Harley was going to be next until the chickeness set in. Wifey works in the ER and she will absolutely never get on another and she insisted we ride every weekend before our daughter was born. She would let me ....but I choose not to.

the last of my 7 bikes...Goldwing that I put 33,000 miles on in three years.

That's My BMW the beige one in the back.

 

[rpmcarter]

The beginnings of my 67 coupe....400 hp with the original 3 spd. I took on a 69z and he didnt know what hit him when that tall azz 2nd gear kept winding up and 3rd? well I had a fender on him as we passed the state trooper!!!!!

The car sat like a road racer with gt wheels and painted Springtime Yellow with a black vinyl top. She looked great and ran awesome.

the 65....well I did a lot of work to it...drove it, had fun sold it because AER cost to build the 302 on the above car was 3500.00 back in 1990!!!!

 

[rpmcarter]

forgot all about this lost soul. So I get my hair cut at a shop and the owner is a classic fan. His dad use to have a 71 and raced it at the track Eastex Dragway that I've discussed before. For 2 years we discussed my obsession for 69-70 fastbacks and the elusive search. So he tells me of a unit that is on the way to his hunting lease but he can never remember where except the two little towns it "might" be between. After many attempts to meet him there ...just never worked out. One Saturday I drive up hoping to remind him and he would meet me. 1 hour and a half up there....I'm wondering around in a remote area of Texas and the radar senses started putting clues together. I FOUND this car with NO DIRECTIONS what so ever. So I pass by and it IS the junkiest place you've ever seen. I stop and the house has commodes in the front yard, all kinds of stuff. I had pics at one time but cant find them.

So the door is open on the building...I dare not call it a house this thing was like clapboard at best. nobody answers... I come back 3 or 4 times. Finally I go and knock on the door facing (door is still open if it even had a door). nothing...I turn and walk away. I hear the voice "What tha PHock you doing in my yard" I turn around to see this biker lookin dude acting all badazz....hell he'd fit right into Hells Angels or any other group.

Well I guess that was suppose to SCARE me. I simply turned around and said ...yeah I'll tell ya what I'm doing here..... well he figured if I was stupid enough to stand up to him I was either all right or dumb enough to fight him or whatever.

well turns out the car had been his for 17 years and he was "away for awhile" Turn out he needed money and got it for 1200.00 I quickly cashed it into 4500.00 and painted the Mach I

 

[sicndhed]

Found some shots from '88 of a '68. Drove it as a daily for about a year then let it go.

 

[rpmcarter]

"Sic" you sir have owned some fine American Horsepower.

 

[MotoArts]

This one has been around here for 44 years so far, so the memories and attachment is kinda permanent LOL. First car i remember being allowed to wash. Most of the wrench turning, minimal as it has been, was my doing since probably '79 or so.

High school car. Originally a pond scum green 400/C6/2.75 geared vinyl topped, whitewalled grocery getter. It looked a lot nicer than the pic shows. The cool JC Whitney snap-in headlight covers completed the front end blackout look, but i don't have any pics of it wearing them. My first rolling resto, it rarely was out of commission for more than a day. Bought in '81, sold probably '84. If I could have ONE of the ooooh so many back...

One of the few X brands over the years. A sum of $700 brought this disaster of a

'69 307 auto car, perfect interior, console shift thing home right after I sold the Torino. Ugly as sin when I got it, paint and wheels sure helped. Put MAYBE 50 miles on it. Looked cool, I freakin' hated it. Sent that sucker down the road for what I remember being maybe $2700, fair money at the time.

It sure as hell could never take the place of the 'Rino...

 

[rpmcarter]

Moto....cool stuff. Nice Torino too, my friend in VA. has a 72/3 GTS with roughly 450 hp. He has been working on that car for 13 years. But he has worked EVERY inch of that car by himself. We made a bet 13 years ago, whoever finished their car first the other owed a steak dinner. I started on a STRIPPED 65 SS Chevelle. I hunted the country for parts ( never again). Well I finished that car (6 years), a cougar, a 67 Mustang coupe and now the Mach I is close. We still laugh about that and he is 10 times the mechanic that I am.

 

[sicndhed]

"Sic" you sir have owned some fine American Horsepower.

Thanks. I don’t want to muck this thread up with current shots of old cars but I wanted to mention that compared to back in the day it has gotten so easy to improve the performance of muscle cars. I am fortunate to have a lot of the cars I’ve wanted since I was a kid but if I had to keep them stock I would sell most of them off. If vintage Mustangs respond half as well as old Camaros and Vettes to a few simple mods then my Chebys are going to be gathering a lot of dust once my Fords hit the road. It’s hard to believe how a first gen Camaro responds to the basic stuff: solid body bushings, frame connectors, Guldstrand mod (same as Shelby drop), 12:1 high effort steering box, bigger sway bars and better shocks. It’s the same basic tricks for a lot of old iron. Even on 15” tires no one who’s driven my old stuff believes how they feel.

My Factory Five has been getting most of my attention lately but there are three fastbacks (’67, ‘69 and ’71) that I’ve been gathering parts for and they deserve to be back on the road. I’m going to try to make the 71’s large engine compartment pay off.

 

[rpmcarter]

ahhh no problem...post away. I love seeing the cars in transition. and the old ones we've owned. I bid on a 65 Chevelle because I DO love the body style and 300 horses will move that car quick...more horsies and they love horse power, handle like a dream which is why they were used so much for racing. I was ask why so low. My only response was because I understand the SCARCE PARTS in the U.S probably better than anyone. (imo of course)

 

[Luke]

"Sic" you sir have owned some fine American Horsepower.

Thanks. I don’t want to muck this thread up with current shots of old cars but I wanted to mention that compared to back in the day it has gotten so easy to improve the performance of muscle cars. I am fortunate to have a lot of the cars I’ve wanted since I was a kid but if I had to keep them stock I would sell most of them off. If vintage Mustangs respond half as well as old Camaros and Vettes to a few simple mods then my Chebys are going to be gathering a lot of dust once my Fords hit the road. It’s hard to believe how a first gen Camaro responds to the basic stuff: solid body bushings, frame connectors, Guldstrand mod (same as Shelby drop), 12:1 high effort steering box, bigger sway bars and better shocks. It’s the same basic tricks for a lot of old iron. Even on 15” tires no one who’s driven my old stuff believes how they feel.

My Factory Five has been getting most of my attention lately but there are three fastbacks (’67, ‘69 and ’71) that I’ve been gathering parts for and they deserve to be back on the road. I’m going to try to make the 71’s large engine compartment pay off.

What's the story with the viper looks interesting

 

[sicndhed]

What's the story with the viper looks interesting

It’s got a history. It was converted into a race car by Bobby Archer. He raced it very successfully in various classes but it’s most know for SCCA T1 wins.

http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/522733-BOBBY-ARCHER-WINS-5TH-CONSECUTIVE-SCCA-T1-RACE

The car has over 40 wheel to wheel victories. Archer sold the car to Dr. Kevin Huston who used it primarily to refine his driving skills. Once Kevin had accomplished what he set out to do with the car it became available. Kevin was looking for a street RT/10 Viper to go along with his immaculate ’96 GTS street Viper. My wife traded her ’94 Viper (plus $$$$$) for the race car.

Kevin changed the graphics (and its number from 32 to 18) and we left the appearance alone. I re-installed enough street equipment to get it back on the road (and a stereo). Most of the conversion for racing centered around safety and suspension. It was raced with mufflers so the drivetrain did not need de-tuning to return to traffic. I did remove the side impact bars from the cage to make egress less of a chore.

My wife does remind me that her Camaro will out accelerate anything I own and her Dodge will out handle and top end anything I own. Her days at the top may be numbered. If I can ever get going on my ’71 Mustang it might out run her Camaro. I have a FFR coupe that I’ve spec’d to outdo her Dodge now all I have to do is build it. She will likely request faster vehicles if I ever beat her current lineup. That’s part of what I love about her.

 

[Luke]

Nice and I dips me hat too the good lady of the house. Excellent taste Mrs Sicndhed