The dark ages of performance

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Gryzynx

Gryzynx

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I'm one of those lucky enough to remember all the great performance cars of the 60's and early 70's. It all ended with the introduction of the '73 models. 5 mph bumpers, the gas crunch, insurance industry out to eradicate the muscle car. Long, heavy sigh right about here.

Mopar lost the E bodies, the Hemi and the 340. We were left with 360 equipped A and f bodies as well as the Lil' Red Express, but even these were gone by the end of the 70's The 440 was relegated to pulling around motor homes and finally disappeared.

I'd like to know what cars you feel kept the performance car alive thru the 70's and 80's. Non Mopars can fit the bill here as well. After all, it wouldn't be any fun if the competition was not around so we could trash talk them.

I'll give the Mustang due credit. The Mustang II showed up in '74 without a V8, but Ford rectified that mistake quickly in '75. Much maligned car, but it fixed the bloat problem that had set in with the Mustang and the Fox body introduced in '79 has become a mainstay of performance.

Any others?
 
I had a 76 Mustang Cobra II with the 302 and the Pinto rear end, what a turd!! I traded it in on a 79 LRE. Sold it to a buddy so I could go away to college and he trashed it.

My buddy had a AWL Eagle Talon, that would surprise you how quick it got off the line!! Another buddy had a Shelby Charger that he did some work to, would put you back in the seat pretty good. There are others.
 
I would say that the Trans Am did its part to keep the muscle car alive. But even it was neutered so bad that the 6.6 was rated at only 180hp. To compare my 1997 Camaro V6 is rated at 200hp. Sad times indeed for Detroit.
 
Off the top of my head I would have to say Camaros and Corvettes helped the cause.

I had a late model 2nd gen Z28 many, many years ago. Not exacty up to par with a '69 Charger with a big block, but it had a 350/4-barrel that was rated at slighty more horse power than the standard 350. It was really more looks than performance that set it apart from a 'standard' Crapmaro.

Grand National pops into my head as a muscle car of it's day...

I also owned a '86 Charger. I'm not sure I would have called that a muscle car, but was still a Charger!

Red
 
People are always looking for some kind of performance car, no matter how lame the times are. I think the tape stripe muscle cars such as the Aspen R/T, Volare Road Runner, Z/28, Trans Am and Cobra Mustangs of the late 70's did a good job of holding on to the spirit of the muscle cars until the 80's when turbo Buicks and Mopars starting adding a little punch to the line up. I'd like to have a V8 Cobra Mustang II or a Trans Am myself. The Buick GN was the most sinister car of the 80's IMO. I'd take one of those too.
 
This is a tuff quest, to find a performance car of the late 70's and all the 80's since the ever tightening regulations of what came out the tail pipe.

The Poncho's Trans Am with a bit of movie help.
The Camaro sold well.
The Stang's didn't do much until the Fox body platform came around.

MoPar didn't have anything of note for awhile. The Apsen R/T and such rides were far worse offerings with poor taste buds designing them. The GHL & GHLS were interesting packages NOT calling to any passed buyers of MoPar cars at all. The Charger with the turbo's had some good pep and I have ridden in a few with the upgraded MoPar packages. While it was a serious upgrade note worthy, IMO, the body was still bad. I did like the "Shelby" addition Daytonas.

However, by the time they were out, Chevy had a nice looking S/S Monte and the Stangs Fox body was out making the reare wheel drive crowd happy... to a point.
 
It's a long shot but we had a 78 Magnum with a factory 400 4bbl and she would scream. Don't know if it was called muscle or not but she was definitly quick.
 
A few years back I had 71 Charger w/440-727-D60 410, It would melt rear tires!!!! and would HUMMMMMMMMMMM to 130 no problem. That was my muscle car, satble too!.
 
the diplomat AHB's (police package) kept mopar alive from the late 70's thru to 89 with the half decent working enigne that wasent choked with smog gear
 
I owned this King Cobra five years ago. Not "muscle car fast" by any means but at least cars like this kept the muscle car image alive through the awkward years until technology caught up.

IMG00019.jpg
 
Sadly the American car makers steadfastly refused to innovate and adapt to the rapidly changing market. Surprising that they made it another 35 years really. The Europeans at least adopted electronic fuel injection and made an attempt to keep their cars from getting too heavy.

In the mid 70's, the Porsche 911 was one of the few cars that actually got better.
 
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