Just a rant

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".....is overkill for the street in my opinion"
I see this comment over and over and it annoys the hell out of me! Hardly a soul on here builds their car for daily driving, so how is too much of a good thing overkill? If buddy wants to squeeze out every drop of hp he can for his $$$$, why is there always someone chiming in about overkill? Just because you'd rather be driving miss daisy then making Ford and Chevy boys cry doesn't mean lots of power is overkill for the next guy. The ONLY time it's overkill in my opinion is when your cooling system can't keep up, or you're not bright enough to upgrade the rest of the drivetrain to handle the power :p
The factory sells an under rated 707HP blown Gen3 Hemi, is that "overkill for the street"? I dare say, if anyone on here was handed the keys not a single person would refuse and say "Are you crazy? No thank you! That's overkill for the street!" Lol

Some of us have had Crazy cars we drove on the street. I probably would not go that far again. I opted for the 5.7 6 speed Challenger. I don't need any more than that. The kid that sold it to me told me I was Scary. As 67 'Cuda said everybody is different. Not much bothers me. If someone was to tell me one of my cars was overkill for the street, I'd probably smile and agree with them.
 
[QUOTE="stroked340, post: 1971372345, ] - farting around on the street with 13-15 second granny cars..[/QUOTE]
I like farting around in A 13 second car! Makes me really happy and appreciate the beast when I step into it.
 
I think "overkill" applies to the person.

The only time I use it is when someone who's never driven a 300/400 horse street car, then starts talking about building a 600/700/800 horse street car. Especially when it comes to our kind of cars. With no traction control. No driving aids. Sometimes no power brakes or power steering. 400 horse can be a lot to the wrong person. Then these guys wanna build some 800 horse small block. With power that comes on like a freight train all of a sudden at 3k+ RPM. Breaking the tires loose as they go around the corner and they wrap it around a pole. Or worse.

I can't tell you how many guys I've seen drop tens of thousands on a car. Built this spectacular engine. Then never drive the thing or sell it, cause they can't afford the diapers/brown pants they need. Specifically this guy back in high school. Get's his grandma to buy him a 69 Nova. Get's it all done. Built 454. Turbo 400. 4 something rear gears. Caged. Buckets. The whole nine yards. Engine makes 650-700 horse or something. It was a great car. Done very well. Really a beast. He drove it all of twice that I ever saw. Including once where he did a full 360 in an intersection just trying to make a left turn and show off. If I recall he didn't own it a year after it was done. That's the definition of overkill in my book.

My car makes about 400, maybe 420. And trust me. It's more than enough to make some of my buddies **** their pants. Just the other night I finally took them for a "real" ride in it. Shifting myself. Actually doing more than 1/2 throttle. Throwing the back end out around corners/coming out of parking lots. Leaving the street light in 1st and mashing it, lighting it up through the entire intersection before up shifting and laying another patch right into 3rd. They loved it. But both of em said "This thing is ******* scary sometimes" at the end of the ride.

So, in short, overkill is subjective.
 
I think "overkill" applies to the person.

The only time I use it is when someone who's never driven a 300/400 horse street car, then starts talking about building a 600/700/800 horse street car. Especially when it comes to our kind of cars. With no traction control. No driving aids. Sometimes no power brakes or power steering.


hey, when your driving a 600+ HP A-body with no powersteering, your right foot IS your powersteering
 
hey, when your driving a 600+ HP A-body with no powersteering, your right foot IS your powersteering
I don`t agree w/ the overkill thing all the way. it all depends on the driver. if you can`t handle it don`t do it. but don`t bad mouth those that can cause your jealous. that being said, there`s so much traffic anymore in most places around here we can`t use it . would it be better to drive a rice burner and act like a fool -trying to pass everybody on the hi-way ?? those are the ones that look stupid !
 
overkill-- the definition is personal really, and it is ridiculous that anyone would poop on another over their choice(s). For instance - some folks would be OK with driving an A-body with a 408 topped with a 950cfm race carb on a Super Victor and a 150 NOS shot on the street.. for me, it was overkill - in fact, the same 408 with a 750cfm race carb and an RPM Air Gap and no NOS is still a bit much-for the street, but I want to be able to run well if/when I make it to a race track so it is what it is..
 
hey, when your driving a 600+ HP A-body with no powersteering, your right foot IS your powersteering

Hahaha definitely. Torque steering I call it. I have a bit of a background in roundy round dirt track cars. Mostly sprints/late models/wissotas. So I know much better than the average guy what the application of torque does for direction. But it amazes me how many people don't know how to throttle their way out of a situation. Heck, go on youtube and watch some of those mustang videos. Almost always a recoverable situation where it plows into something or someone cause a guy can't handle his car.

I don`t agree w/ the overkill thing all the way. it all depends on the driver. if you can`t handle it don`t do it. but don`t bad mouth those that can cause your jealous. that being said, there`s so much traffic anymore in most places around here we can`t use it . would it be better to drive a rice burner and act like a fool -trying to pass everybody on the hi-way ?? those are the ones that look stupid !

But that's kinda my point. Guys think they can handle it. But can't. Then they do it anyways! Putting not just themselves but others at risk. That's the biggest thing about driving. If you make a mistake, it's not always only you that pays for it! To me driving is something everyone should be allowed to do. Until they lose the right because they screwed it up too many times. When you're driving. It's not just you out there. We have to be responsible for the 3000+ pound vehicles we are in. And part of that is admitting when something is out of your league. If you've never hauled a trailer before, you don't start with a 53' dry trailer do you? So why if you've never driven a classic car, would you start with the 600+ horse muscle? And in the end. Not everyone is capable of doing it. Just like not everyone is capable of driving. Some people just honestly lack the basic coordination and skill it takes to drive. Period. We've all seen them or known someone like that. They have their yearly, or heaven forbid more often, accident. Their car is covered in scrapes, bumps, dents from the various things they hit on a near daily basis. They lack either the hand/foot coordination, or hand/eye coordination, they have a hard time with depth, judging speed, whatever it is! They simply can't combine the required tasks to drive. And there's no shame in that! I can't draw, so I don't. If you can't drive, then don't. Not everyone can do everything. And part of life is realizing that fact and being adult enough to admit it.

My biggest problem is when guys get behind the wheel. Think they can do it when they can't. Then plow their car into whatever or whomever. Once again making the public go "OH look at those muscle car jackasses, out on the street again, causing trouble, causing accidents, wrecking stuff, hurting people" etc etc. Exactly like how we look at ricers "Oh look at him weaving in and out of traffic, with his fart can, and etc etc" would we think that way if it wasn't a stereotype? No. But we have our own stereotype. It's because of those actions and stunts that we now have that stereotype. Every guy who does that, does damage to our reputation as a whole! And we can only overcome it by teaching people how to build and handle their cars. And also by educating the public on why we love our vehicles. Why we work so hard and long on them. And to try and get others involved. So it's no longer a "Oh look at that gearhead idiot, why's he drive that thing, it's so god awful loud, why can't he just buy a normal car like everyone else" it should become "Oh wow, that's a beautiful car, he put a lot of work into it, I can't wait till MY car is done". We need to get the public back on our side, back at the track and back supporting our hobbies.

Rant over.
 
I had a guy tell me there's no point in having my 64 Sport Fury running low 12s. And what do I want, luxury or speed. Also he said all 340 cars run 13s. This from a guy that has a 6 pack on a 71 Duster. I explained that I have cars more for cruising, but I like to go fast. So that's why the SF is modified. I also told him that just cause you think a car runs 13s, doesn't mean it will. So in one breath, he's telling me my car is over kill, and the next he's telling me his car runs 13s. He finally walked away. Thank goodness.
 
You can buy a 700+ horse mopar off the showroom floor.

Guys on a car forum saying a car is overkill makes my head hurt.
 
Liking all the feedback. I'd say most of us graduated through the years to higher HP and if lucky enough to enjoy it, didn't just hop into 600+ HP in a street car. That's only Mustang guys, for whatever reason they buy New Cobras and wrap them around poles as quick as they can, maybe they are magnetized,,lol. We don't need to turn this into a driving etiquette thread, we can just assume that whatever the power level we can handle it fine and aren't dumb enough to race around in traffic, it's just about "overkill" and that fact there is really none in my eyes(well, maybe if you take a promod out street racing, that's overkill). The ability to handle any power level should be left to common sense and whether a guy has any. Don't be that Cobra driving douche bag. I want more power already, lots more! Anyone here followed Duster DJs Purpose built drag week Duster, now with a monster hemi and I think it still has twin pro chargers, 2500-3000 hp range? I'd drive that on the street, happily. Would be scarey knowing all that power was on tap, but an exciting good kind of scarey! My next build will likely have hair dryers :) and a goal of 1000 street able horsepower out of a 6.1 Gen 3 Hemi. Overkill?!?!
 
Liking all the feedback. I'd say most of us graduated through the years to higher HP and if lucky enough to enjoy it, didn't just hop into 600+ HP in a street car. That's only Mustang guys, for whatever reason they buy New Cobras and wrap them around poles as quick as they can, maybe they are magnetized,,lol. We don't need to turn this into a driving etiquette thread, we can just assume that whatever the power level we can handle it fine and aren't dumb enough to race around in traffic, it's just about "overkill" and that fact there is really none in my eyes(well, maybe if you take a promod out street racing, that's overkill). The ability to handle any power level should be left to common sense and whether a guy has any. Don't be that Cobra driving douche bag. I want more power already, lots more! Anyone here followed Duster DJs Purpose built drag week Duster, now with a monster hemi and I think it still has twin pro chargers, 2500-3000 hp range? I'd drive that on the street, happily. Would be scarey knowing all that power was on tap, but an exciting good kind of scarey! My next build will likely have hair dryers :) and a goal of 1000 street able horsepower out of a 6.1 Gen 3 Hemi. Overkill?!?!

Horsepower for performance enthusiasts is a lot like the analogy of the frog in a pot of warm water. You don't even notice the increases when they're gradual. 500+ HP in my Barracuda and Duster feels really tame to me.
 
Horsepower for performance enthusiasts is a lot like the analogy of the frog in a pot of warm water. You don't even notice the increases when they're gradual. 500+ HP in my Barracuda and Duster feels really tame to me.

Very true sir,,,my 600HP is very predictable now and although it's lots, why wouldn't I want more :O
So much fun, I get a 100 smiles per hour every time I drive it :)
 
my 600HP is very predictable now and although it's lots, why wouldn't I want more :O
So much fun, I get a 100 smiles per hour every time I drive it :)

So you're saying I'll still be bored with 600? LOL. :poke:
 
Bored?! LOL. Definitely not, but once you've go used to it, you'd be "more please" :)
We are junkies who need a bigger "fix" over time to get the same high ;)
 
There is no over kill for the street. At any time you could catch yourself in a drifting situation, You'll need the extra rpms and power to safely throttle out of it. All the while having a **** load of fun "safely". At 61 years old I just hope for others in my way that the thrill don't kill me.

My dad started me out at 17 in a 69 corronet r/t 4sp. 100's of Cars since. I found through the years there is nothing like a very high reving small block in a short wheel base A-body Valiant, Cuda, Duster, Demon, for fun on the streets. SB. Less nose weight and 3 inch less wheel base then a Dart ,Scamp. I like the feel of being in a wingless dirt car.

Did any one ever drift a entrance ramp and come out onto four laner at over 100 mph with the tires lit in 3rd and pull 4th to keep her off the center guardrail. If over kill was real how would we be able to have this kind of fun.
 
it appears I need another one (A-body) - or more more more modifications to the one I have... so I can do some of this cornering you speak of...
 
Just cause hardly a sole on here builds their car to be a daily driver, there are plenty of us who don't drag race, and just want a quick street car that has manners.
 
".....is overkill for the street in my opinion"
I see this comment over and over and it annoys the hell out of me! Hardly a soul on here builds their car for daily driving, so how is too much of a good thing overkill? If buddy wants to squeeze out every drop of hp he can for his $$$$, why is there always someone chiming in about overkill? Just because you'd rather be driving miss daisy then making Ford and Chevy boys cry doesn't mean lots of power is overkill for the next guy. The ONLY time it's overkill in my opinion is when your cooling system can't keep up, or you're not bright enough to upgrade the rest of the drivetrain to handle the power :p
The factory sells an under rated 707HP blown Gen3 Hemi, is that "overkill for the street"? I dare say, if anyone on here was handed the keys not a single person would refuse and say "Are you crazy? No thank you! That's overkill for the street!" Lol
Amen brother!!!! I am right with you on exactly what your saying.........I do question some on here lately, lol, I mean the driving miss daisy quote is more than appropriate for a few, lol.
 
Passed by a group of kids today
They were walking on the sidewalk as I passed in the duster when one of them yelled "do a burnout"

Sure wasn't overkill to put a smile on thier faces and leave them choking on tire smoke
 
Just cause hardly a sole on here builds their car to be a daily driver, there are plenty of us who don't drag race, and just want a quick street car that has manners.
Nothing wrong with that,,,its the guys who want that and come over to other threads and chime in about whats "too much for the street" and make me want to :BangHead:. When they really have no clue. My car for instance, handles like a modern sports car, stays at 180deg in stop and go traffic on hot days, idles at 800rpm, power brakes & steering. Quite frankly it has tons of manners and is a pleasure to drive. But is an asphalt tearing beast when I want it to be :)
 
Passed by a group of kids today
They were walking on the sidewalk as I passed in the duster when one of them yelled "do a burnout"

Sure wasn't overkill to put a smile on thier faces and leave them choking on tire smoke
LOL....I did the same thing a couple days ago for construction workers at their request. I was rolling by at 30mph and they all look over, then start yelling out for some tire smoke. Street was empty, how could I say no. One rolling burnout for the road crew :)
 
Passed by a group of kids today
They were walking on the sidewalk as I passed in the duster when one of them yelled "do a burnout"

I get that a lot in my Cuda. Young folks mostly, but some old farts will do it also. It seems that they always request me to "get on it" when we are stuck in traffic. I want to honor their request, but alas, there is nowhere to go in the traffic... LoL...
 
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