Heater core.
Dash has some splits in it.
Front seats are coming apart at the stitching.
Gear shifter is cracked.
2 sets of rear tires.
It was the early 1990's and my buddy's dad had the Barracuda parked outside his garage one morning. Her light blue paint was sparkling in the sun with white stripes down the side. The Rallye 2 scoop hood looking like big nostrils enjoying the cool morning air. It was at that moment that I fell in love for the first time. The engine was tuned, and when he pushed on the accelerator, the engine sang the most beautiful song you could imagine with the Holley double pumper dumping gas in each barrel like a garden hose each time she took a breath. I didn't even need a ride in her to know she was the one.
It would take the next 7 long years for the time to come for us to say I do. That day I showed up at my buddy's dad's work with a blank check in hand was one of the happiest days of my life. I said "how would you like to sell your Cuda today Dave" and he said with a smile "today would be as good a day as any" and with that said he closed for the day and we left for his place. Upon arrival I spotted her right off the bat and began making my way over, noticing as I got closer that she had aged in those 7 years, but she still had her figure. I could still see that sparkling paint in my minds eye. Once we straightened out the paper work and shook hands, I got the hell out of there because I didn't want him to change his mind on the $3,250 we agreed upon.
Oh that first set of tires was but a speck on a very short time line. My little buddy had no idea what he was in store for sitting in the back all nonchalant as we rolled into a dead end street. I just have to turn around I told him, hang on; With that said I pushed the throttle down to the floor board and proceeded to lay some killer nuts down on the cul-de-sac. When I looked in the mirror I could see his face with a huge smile from ear to ear pasted into the rear seat. Every time I see him he says "where is the powerful car?".
1966 B 383 335hp factory rating. 700 HDP with a trick kit.
727 torque Flite with stage 2 kit.
3.91 geared rear with sure grip.
Decent torque and HP for a smaller BB.
Revs good, but not a very good highway car. I'm looking at removing the tail shaft and installing a gearvendor overdrive.
Between the stop lights, I've only ever lost 2 races. #1 70 Big Block Chevelle done to the nuts, probably 600+ HP. #2 351 Saleen Mustang; I was stopped and he was rolling when the light turned green. If it were heads up, it would have been a good race.
Anyone with a gearvendor OD post a comment. Pros vs Cons. It would be nice to hear what people who have one think before I spend the better part of $4,000 to find out its not what I'm looking for.
Future projects include a full resto. I've got the car stripped now and it's ready for body and paint, then I'll rework the engine and have the tranny rebuilt. Anybody know a good place to have the dash redone?
P.S. It's going to be more like 435 HP when she comes out of my garage and resumes her luster.
Racing on public streets is both foolish and dangerous. If you have no consideration for your own life, please have consideration for everybody else's.
How would you feel if you ended up being responsible for the death of a child or a family because of immature racing between stoplights?
If it were up to me, anybody caught street racing would forfeit their driving privileges for life.
Please stop before you hurt or kill someone.
Thank You.
" street racing is both foolish and dangerous "
Racing on public streets is dangerous, but so is just driving down the street normally, even without the idiot drivers that think they own the road. You asked me how I would feel if I caused the death of someone's child or family. I would be devastated; not unlike the victims family. I'm really getting tired of people that portray muscle car enthusiasts and people that enjoy the occasional burst up to the speed limit as mindless, desensitized, testosterone spewing freaks.
There is a big difference between standing on the gas pedal around every corner, and down every straightaway trying to get the best time for a given distance or having someone pull up beside you and exchange thumbs up for your respective rides, then proceed to discuss the good old days for the rest of the light. Flooring the car on the green light until you hit the speed limit is not illegal yet and GOD forbid the day that our cars are so slow and so unresponsive that people walking on the sidewalk are passing you at full throttle. I hope we as people don't attempt to take the fun out of everything before we die.
I find the question about the killing someones child or family particularly contrived and unrealistic. You are probably another one of these people who goes around enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive on Monday morning and wonders why other humans in other vehicles are trying to get past and then fingering them when they finally succeed. The worst is the people who preach about how they would do anything to protect their children then strap them into a car seat and use the baby on board window sticker as an excuse to drive like a jerk and purposely aggravate other motorists. The last time I checked, the roads and highways were public property; making them just as much mine as they are yours and if the Government spent OUR tax money properly instead of wasting it on post offence fines and suspensions, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
With the amount of money we pay in taxes, there should be a drag strip in every city and a roundy round track too.
P.S. The cul-de-sac I was referring to in the review was in the middle of nowhere with no buildings or structures within the better part of a mile, on top of that I made sure the area was clear before proceeding. It's not like I just drive around in school zones all day looking for people to race!
I don't think that tracks should be paid for by tax payers, I meant that our tax money gets abused. Roads are not my personal amusement park and I apologize for the comments getting personal, it's just I have never even had an accident and have not had a speeding ticket in several years. I've grown up long ago and am just trying to enjoy my car for what it was designed to do, but with all the Ralph Nader wannabes out there, its becoming pretty hard to do.
P.S.S. My car originally housed a 318 2bbl with single exaust. The 145 bhp figure being a disgrace to the Barracuda name.
What was the original engine for your Barracuda? I'm a big fan of the early 1970s Challenger/Barracuda's.
14:50
The fact that you believe that public streets are there for your personal amusement and you go on to justify those drag races to the "speed limit" indicates to me that you really do not have any regard for public safety.
If you want to race your "muscle car" - please find a track to do it on, and NO - the drag strips and tracks should not be paid for by the public. Apparently we do need to spend more money on driver education though.
By the way, I'm not anything like the driver you contend that I am - I've owned muscle cars, sports cars and ride motorcycles - but I do so responsibly. I don't believe I need to prove anything to anybody, and certainly not by showing off how fast my car or bike can go. I grew up a long time ago, and I've lost friends and relatives to people who thought that public roads were their personal playground.
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steven@carsurvey.org
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OK, everyone's said their piece on this, and things are getting rather too personal, so I'm going to lock this review to further comments before things get out of hand.
Steven Jackson
CSDO Media Limited.