It's NOT the same

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Joined
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Messages
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I drove a new sublime green challenger today and the dealer man tells me sit in it.
The seats actually felt hard but very crisp and new with a new smell.

He throws me the key, "start her up" the key was so smooth and it fired right up without hesitation.

The second it starts, all the gauges come to life and this stereo comes on loud paying some Boston in concert sound with rich bass and crystal clear lyrics.

The engine made a nice rumble "DUGA DUGA DUGA"

The seat is power so i adjusted it to a good piloting position.

Dealer man says "take it for a spin" .....but instead i shut it back off and got out.

My cousin bought it but wanted me to go with her for the purchase and try it out.

It is nice and new and i could afford one with my new job.......but it will NEVER be the same as a classic.

Then when i returned home, i got in my 68 dart.....the vinyl on the seat is hard from age and has a few cracks. I turn the key and it takes some effort to start, finally the slant comes alive with an old familiar lifter "tick". "Tick tick tick" i look over the steering wheel with the old familiar crack at 12 o clock. There is no radio, all i hear is the humble tick of the slant. Everything around me is spacious and metal.

I think to myself while listening to the slant six run and the noisy throw out bearing....

"This is home"
 
67Dart273 said:
Well that's been around since the 1950's LOL
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Sure..... and strangely enough, I don't like all the power accessories on my old stuff. Both my Dusters came with power steering and one with power brakes, and now both have manual steering and manual brakes. I just like as much room for ease as I can get in classics. And I enjoy the nostalgic feel....
But I could drive a new Challenger with no problem :thumbsup:
 
I felt the same after test driving a 6-speed Challenger R/T.
Tight, smooth, no rattles or vibrations. I went through a couple gears... I looked down and saw I was doing 75mph, and thought "How did I get here?"
I was disappointed, it kinda seemed boring to me.
Plus it felt HUGE! I felt like a little boy in a claw-foot bathtub.The young kid salesman ( I'm 43 , he was MAYBE 21 ) seemed to enjoy the ride more than I did.
He couldn't understand why I wasn't reaching for my wallet, or even remotely interested in going back inside. I was a little confused too. I thought I would be in love by then.

I got back in the Duster, and after pulling out onto the empty access road and getting it straight, I nailed it and didn't let up 'till I was pretty sure I would go to jail if caught....and all was right with the world again.
Home, indeed.
 
I will certainly admit that it is quite different. Being the owner of a new style one myself, nowhere near the same. Driving the old cars seems cooler, gets way more comments, louder, etc. On the flip side though, my 6'6" frame is quite compacted in the old ones, where in my new one, I could drive cross country. Yes, it barely fits between my garage door frame, but I am quite happy with it. So, why not have both
 
Moparman1806 said:
I will certainly admit that it is quite different. Being the owner of a new style one myself, nowhere near the same. Driving the old cars seems cooler, gets way more comments, louder, etc. On the flip side though, my 6'6" frame is quite compacted in the old ones, where in my new one, I could drive cross country. Yes, it barely fits between my garage door frame, but I am quite happy with it. So, why not have both
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Air bags kinda scare me even though I know the technology has changed. When I drive I have to move up closer to the steering wheel because I am a 4' 8" female, and I have heard stories of the air bags being a hazard to smaller people like me. I have a small wooden block attached to my clutch pedal in the old Dart just to make sure I get all the clutch in that I can. I think being too tall is just as problematic as being too short. At least you can reach the top shelves at the grocery stores LOL ....sometimes I end up gazing at items I want on the top shelves that I cant reach and good luck finding any workers to help at most grocery stores, or any store these days.
 
For me, one thing is the noise. My friend has a 71 GTX 440 6 Barrel California car and it's QUIET! Got up to 100 and it was weird. When an engine is revving up and I can hear it, it seems more exciting. I know my Polara isn't the fastest, but when I run it out, it sure is fun listening to it singing it her song.
 
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The new cars do nothing for me at all. Zero. Zip. Nada.

It is sad to see people bring their new car to shows & leave the old car at home.

If people want to see bright, shiny new cars, they can just go to a dealership.
 
I was down in Palm Bay Florida last week checking out the construction of our new house. I saw that one of my future neighbors has a new Challenger. I wonder what he will say when the auto hauler shows up to drop off my 73 Gold Duster slant in three weeks.

Dennis
 
I love my '06 SRT Charger every bit as much as I love my '69 GTS. No, they are not the same...and I love them each for different reasons.

They are both serious Mopar muscle machines built nearly 40 years apart. Of course they are different, they should be...but I can feel the shared heritage when I drive each.
 
I have both, new cars are just appliances, my 2012 challenger only has 17,000 miles, I just drive it to work and back.
I just do not drive it.

Old cars have a soul, little vibrations, noises let you know what is going on.
I just prefer the older cars / trucks / Jeeps.
 
Keep in mind, at one time Dusters, GTX's, RR's and the such were all new, and a bunch of guys had no use for the "new" junk. I'll tell ya, I wouldn't want a new Challenger if it didn't handle better, and was as noisy as the "good ole' cars". Like posted above, you have to love them for what they are, 40 years apart in technology.
 
Old cars are just more interesting and fun. They've all got stories and quirks that modern cars just don't have. They sound different, feel different, and it's a different experience driving them.

But modern cars have their place. Took my 2014 Camaro to Dallas on Thursday (probably 600 miles round trip). Air conditioning, great radio, 6 speed manual, and still got 26ish mpg at 80 mph. Cruise control is nice too. Seeing out of it is almost impossible, it's not easy to get in/out of, and it's kind of loud on the highway. But I enjoy driving it because it's rather fun to drive and is reliable. I don't have to worry about overheating or breaking down a long ways from home.

Getting in my Dart and firing up the 340 just feels much more special though. The Hurst competition plus shifter with a pistol grip is not easy to shift when compared to the Hurst in my Camaro. But it's more rewarding to shift. Then there's the way it sounds. An old angry V8 with a nice cam and headers just sounds so epic. I like that I built the motor myself, installed it myself, swapped the transmission myself, and it was built just the way I wanted it. Nobody knows the quirks of the car like I do and somebody that's unfamiliar with the car couldn't just hop in and drive it safely. It takes skill to operate this machine.

At the end of the day nothing makes me feel cooler than cruising down the road in my Dart. Would I want to daily drive a 44 year old muscle car? No, but I wouldn't give up owning one for anything. Old cars are awesome and fun around town. For daily driving and long trips, I do love my much more modern Camaro.

To each their own. I can totally understand somebody that thinks modern cars are boring and lifeless. I think most of them are awful but certain ones are a lot of fun.
 
My SC400 is the same. Ultra flat torque curve: mash it and the traction control stops the wheel spin and it just plants you and keeps a steady pull to the next shift and then starts over again. No engine whine (barely perceptible) no theatrics or drama and all of a sudden your doing 90...boring! Give me some feedback, car! I just saw a youtube trailer about the new Dodge Demon, 830HP, like 770 ft/lbs of torque: line lock and drag radials...stock! pulled a 9.650 in the quarter and NHRA said it was 'not legal' as it was too fast for their sanctioning of street cars or something to that effect. I think its 130K....$$$
 
Just a couple of weeks ago drove the Dart back to Arkansas from Oklahoma, 400 plus mile with the A/C on. Just a little over 6 1/2 hour drive. Was really nice out on the highway, at a little over 70 mph at about 3200 rpm wasn't to bad on mileage, about 16 mpg. Best part was when I hit rt 7 south back to Hot Springs, a lot of curves and hills, opened it up and it handles the curves very well and the 11 7/8 disc's come in handy also. Could not see myself buying a newer muscle car, when getting fuel and just cruising, thumbs up and the smiles from people. I also let others drive it, especially if they show an interest in old cars, show them it is not as bad as some think. Just have to tell them about carbs and non hydraulic clutch! So if you are ever in the neighborhood Rani, let me know.:D
 
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pishta said:
I just saw a youtube trailer about the new Dodge Demon, 830HP, like 770 ft/lbs of torque: line lock and drag radials...stock! pulled a 9.650 in the quarter and NHRA said it was 'not legal' as it was too fast for their sanctioning of street cars or something to that effect. I think its 130K....$$$
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Needs a roll cage and stuff to be legal for racing. MSRP on a Demon is about $85k. Some options (like the rear and passenger seats) are $1.

But that's a car that'll run mid 9's stock, will lift the front tires off the ground, and has a warranty. $85k is a lot but I bet that car would be a ton of fun to drive. I can't imagine it being even remotely boring.
 
My, how the cup holder has changed over the years! Now it's a science to build them in, and if you ride in say a 98 Sebring, you quickly realize how inept the cup holder designers were back then!!!
 
dash cup holder on SC400 was a Japan offered only. its a vertical mount that folds down then rotates 90. My 65 "S" had power steering and brakes. I kinda liked it like that... with its old bias ply tires. sure kept you awake with its loose steering gear 20 degrees of 'dead zone'
 
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