Any car guys in here?

I'm not a car guy but I would like to have a Mini Cooper. What does that say about me?

 

I bought a 79 silverado big 10 new in 79. It had dual gas tanks and was two tone tan and white 350 V-8, I just wonder if you own the one I had? I owned it for 14 years and sold it in 93 here in Phoenix, just curious???

 

I owned some muscle cars back in 60s when they were just run of the mill cars and not the Icons they have become today, I had a pretty hot 55 buick century stick till I was sideswiped by a drunk driver, I owned a 64 Impala SS hardtop that was a good peppy car, I owned a 62 Bonnevile convertible white with a turquoise and white interior 389 tri power with turbine wheels, that could smoke the tires pretty good, 68 merc cougar with a beefed up 302, ive owned a lot of cars over the years and just down graded from two cars to 1. I bought a new chevy equinox and thats about my speed now at age 70, I still love looking at them though, I never miss a Mecum auction, it brings back memories for me....

 

My dad, who is 70 as well, just went to the Mecum in Indy in May.

 

BobbyBiz is the Benz still stock? Any mods planned?

 

Ahh yes the good old mod bug, once you start going to the track it's all downhill from there. I ran my car five times last year and ran a best of 12.1 with a 1.8 60ft. This was on street tires and a stock blower with upper pulley only. Earlier this year I hurt the trans so I've been watching friends run at the track and it's killing me. Once the weather cools down I'm having the trans rebuilt with all the good stuff and a ported stock blower with a more aggressive pulley setup is getting installed. With slicks this combo should be in the 11.50 to 11.20 on street tires and possibly high tens on slicks with an aggressive launch.

 

Yes, its stock. And that run was on street tires at 20psi....with 20" wheels and 30 series tires which isnt exactly conducive to getting traction. Still I managed a 1.83 60ft by babying it off of the line. I came out at 1000rpm and I was really surprised at how well it hooked up. Good track prep, I guess. It also was a little lax getting into 3rd. I shifted (ha ha) at 6,000 rpm (peak hp @ 6100) but the trans did its own thing and didn't go into 3rd right away causing a slight hesitation. Thats the price you pay for a slush box I guess.

Anyway, like I said, it was my only run of the day. I misunderstood the PRP website that day and got there right at 9 when the gates opened. I thought TT's began at 10 (thats the way it used to be back in the day), but didn't realize they have to go thru the Teen and Jr dragster races first and that TT's didn't start until 1. I sat around 4hrs until the real racing finally started and then had the misfortune of going on the day that there were TWO oil downs which delayed things like crazy. Plus, PRP is notoriously slow, something that came back to me from my time there in the early 90s as I sat around waiting. I didn't get to run until around 3:30. Needless to say I had fun, but was very agitated at that point. I was going to stick around for the second TT, but I had plans for the evening (based on things starting at 10am) and needed to get back home around 5:30. I live an hour away.

I was really bummed though because I really did want some more cracks at it. I think I could have def come out at a little higher rpm.

As far as mods, I don't have any plans at this time. But thats not to say that I haven't given it some thought. Mods for Benzes are $$$. But Kleeman, Renntech, Eurocharged and others make some packages that will bring that car to 700+HP, but you're going to sink 10K plus into it. I can get it to 600 for about $6,000. About the cheapest you can do is a $700 ECU tune (20hp, better mpg, and no speed limiter). This is prob the most I'd do. I love going to the track, but I really don't want to make a habit out of it especially with THAT car. If I ever really get the bug, I'd probably go with Mustang and play with it. Thats the way to go.

I do plan on going again this summer, but Im going to wait until the weather cools and hit a TNT night, probably a Friday at Quaker City. My dad is in the finishing stages of building a lightweight 63 Galaxy with a 460 Ford crate motor that he's planning on running at some point. Ill probably wait until he's ready and go with him.

 

Do you go to PRP?

The few times I was there this year (once to watch, once to race) and was blown away at the times that cars are running.

Waaaay back in the early 90s there was about 3 summers in a row where I hit the track probably 5 to 6 times per summer. I had a 1985 IROC (let the jokes beging...but they were COOL then ) and the best I could muster from that car was low 15's. But that was respectable back then. New 5.7L IROC's were running 14.30s as were the GT Mustangs. The LX 5.0s were a tenth or 2 quicker while the GNs and newer Corvettes were in the low 14's. Older Vettes, TA's and Formulas and Monte Carlo SS's were mid 15 second cars and the Mitsu Exclipses and Dodge Conquests were high 14s. 300ZX TTs were mid 14's. By brother had an 83 GT 5.0 that he modded. It was a solid 14.1 second car. Almost no one ran in the 13's. It was a rarity and quite an accomplishment usually by the GN guys who played around the the boost on their turbo chargers. I remember one time when an 87 Buick GNX pulled in and ripped off a 13.30 straight from the street. I was amazed. By far the quickest street car I had ever seen out there. Also there were MAYBE 2 or 3 guys who ran cheater slicks (drag radials). No one did such a thing.

I think about 1993 was the last time I was there...until '05 when I dropped in on a random Thursday. Even then I was surprised to see how quick the cars had become, but that was nothing compared now. Back in 05 there was a new Z06 (C5) running 12.6s and a bunch of the Terminator Mustangs (thats what you've got, right?) in the mid/low 12's. FF to 2012 and it seems that every other Mustang is an 11 second car. To me, an old timer (41), thats just sick. I was surprised to see pass after pass after pass of cars with license plates and inspection stickers hitting mid 11's. From my perspective where a fast street car runs low 14's, 11's is just mind boggling.

The biggest kick I got was telling my dad about all of the Bob George Dodge guys in their old iron who trailer their cars in, have open exhaust, are running racing slicks, doing long smokey burnouts, and making tons of noise while they're running mid 10s (thats his kind of racing...from the 60s). Only to be followed up by a Mustang thats (relatively) quiet was driven in and is street legal that rips off an 11.20. Its a beautiful thing!

 

Biz I go to gateway race park in Madison Ill just across the river from saint louis. And yeah it's crazy how cars keep getting faster and faster every year. I love mustangs and would have loved to be old enough to witness the 5.0 mustang movement in the late 80's early 90's. I remember my uncle telling me about running his 71 nova at the track during this period. It had a high compression 377 (destroked 400) on alcohol. He said it always got a lot of attention at the track from on lookers. Then one day at the track he watched a black 5.0 gt in the staging lanes that was getting a lot of attention. It looked and sounded like a 13 second car then it ripped off a 9.50 at 140 he was amazed. The mustang turns out to be my tuners old shop car and it was the first 5.0 to run in the nines on a stock block.

 

I went to a meet this past Saturday at the Waterfront and look what someone brought:


Yep, thats a $450,000 2012 Lamborghini Aventador in the flesh. Not an exotics kind of guy, but wow was that thing amazing.

 

I got a chance to go for a ride in a 1000rwhp Heffner twin turbo Lambo Gallardo a few years ago and it was scary fast.

 

I have a 03 Mach 1. Dont know what it runs, stock except for magnapack cat back and MGW shifter. I ve never turned the traction control off. lol

Have 66 chevelle project car. Its been a project for almost 20 yrs now I guess.

 

I too was a gear head and to this day i wish i would have stored a few classic's i owned. i just can't believe the price they are bringing today (muscle cars) that basically ended in 1970 four of several i had still stands out today.1965 Chevelle ss 327cu.in. with the ole muncie 4 speed,(you know the one you always had to untangle the linkage) 1967 (Goat) GTO 400cu.in with the Hurst His & Hers dual gate shift and the 1970 Chevelle ss 396/402bore with cowl Induction. When you hammered the secondary (vacuum) on the QJ the vent would rise on the hood pretty cool.I could never leave my fingers off them as to letting them stock. Always gearing down(ring &pinion) shifters,ladder bars, air bags in the rear coils,headers,holly carbs,edelbrock intakes,exhaust,boring cyl.walls,ole school soild lifter cams (loved the rattle lol) etc.Every weekend the guys would meet at our local hangouts tasty freeze, church parking lots and meet to race on the local roads. Back when you could lay a case of beer in the back seat and grab a cold one between runs and not worry bout the town clowns. Also had a 1955 stepside chevy pickup which my brother and i basically restored Sand blasted, capped the head lights and rear bottom corners of cab...(cancer spots for that yr).sprayed it synthetic pearl red dropped a 327/300 with 202 heads..9" ford rear,buckets from a 67 camaro and the m- 22 stone crusher trans. layed new cedar in the bed. Rubber was Mickey Thompson 10/50s mounted on cragar ss on rear. Bla bla bla..sorry guys you struck a cord here...miss my pass time and my wheels. If any here have the classic's hang on to them( keep them origninal) good invest for your latter yrs.

 

99% of cars make lousy investments. They are meant to be driven, not tucked away under cover in a garage and looked at.

 

Your right keep the dam covers off and drive them.....your wrong about turning profits. I always made a profit on my rides even when the numbers didn't match. I could sit here and share more on cars that family members and friends who have made money on and some that were money pits too. Just one example in 1971 my dad bought a 55 chevy Bel Air 2 door hardtop all origninal 265 v8 factory paint no rust in Maryland for 700.00 mom sold it in 2005 for 12,000 even at that price was cheap.So not sure where your coming off that cars are bad investments unless you have had bad experiences. It depends on the make - model and year along with what people are looking for. People like Jay leno that have tons of metal and glass sitting around are only a rich man's play toy sadly most are not driven.. a waste but his pleasure!

 

So your family owned the Bel Air for 34 years. How much was spent on the vehicle during that time? Repairs, maintenance, insurance, etc.

If you think cars make good investments, I suggest you see a financial planner.

 

We have done well over the years without any advisers.. happy motoring!!

 

Love GTOs. My Mom had a gold '67 with a black vinyl top and a His & Hers Hurst and my uncle had a '64 ragtop 389 tri-power car.

I had a good friend that had a wicked '69 that would pull the front wheels 2 feet off the ground and after he sold it, he built a '68 that was an exact duplicate.

 

I've been thinking about replacing my daily driver ('04 S10) so I went out last weekend to look at trucks. Walked into a Chevy dealership and what smacks me in the face? 2012 ZL1, red, black leather, 6 speed and 580 glorious horsepower!





Want.Soooo.Bad.

A buddy of mine has one and said it's amazing. He threw on long tubes, a smaller blower pulley, bigger injectors and had it tuned and it put down 630rwhp.

 

Not a good daily driver, but a nice car nonetheless. Keep the S10 and pick up the ZL1 for weekends.

We live in great times. So many hi-perf cars to pick from. Mercedes and Audi both have discovered the importance of AWD. The HP numbers from the factory are getting so crazy, not to mention how cars respond to simple mods, that putting the power to the ground is a serious issue and is only going to get worse. I know from a purist point of view that AWD is looked down upon, but when regular streetable cars are putting down 500 and 600+ HP and there comes a point where is just isn't worth it. Why have 662 HP in your Shelby if all you're going to do is roast the rear tires? The new 2013 E63 AMG will be the first of the AMG cars to come standard with a version of their 4matic AWD. A 5.5 Twin Turbo putting out 550 HP and driving with all 4 wheels is going to be wicked. In a straight line that thing should be nipping at the heels of a ZR1. Just wait until they attach the 4matic to the C63 and SL63. Low 11 sec 1/4 cars right there. A few mods and hello 10s. Crazy. I know Audi is getting on the train too. IIRC the new S4 has some ridiculously small (<5.0 L) TT V8 thats putting out almost 450 HP with AWD and running low 12s/high 11s.

This is where the American cars are being left behind. The European Exotics and the Japs with their rally cars...the WRX and EVO...and the GT-R have been using AWD for over a decade. MB and Audi are on it too and that means BMW wont be far behind. And the Americans are still pouring all of their power thru the back wheels only. There would probably be a collective 'yuck' from most Americans, but Ford and Chevy really need to consider at least having an AWD option for their highest HP cars.

 

The ZL1 wouldn't be my daily driver, it would be a toy to replace my current weekend toy.

It's either replace my truck with a truck or my toy with a toy.

 

Toy with a toy, no doubt.

 

I like AWD, I've rode in a srt8 jeep and my brother has a wrx. AWD launches are something everyone should experience in their lifetime. But when it comes to American cars like the vette, camaro, and mustang I just don't see AWD in their future. Despite its benefits AWD means more weight and more components to maintain and repair. I'd like to see the domestics go on a diet, heft is what is hindering some of these new muscle cars.

 

Look who went to the drag strip yesterday...and got video too.
[video=youtube;kCLXhnFyOzY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCLXhnFyOzY[/video]