What Is The Best Car You've Ever Rode In On The Street?

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Tough to pick just one. The first time I remember being in fast car that was driven hard was my friend's older brother's '69 Firebird 400. I was probably about 8, maybe 9 years old, that was around 1971 or 72, and I can still remember being pinned in the seat, smelling tire smoke. A couple years later, my asshole brother bought a 1971 Mach 1 Mustang drag pack car. Had a 429 Super Cobra Jet, toploader 4 speed, and a 4.11 geared Detroit locker for gears. Had lots of fun rides in that car. Some cousins were into cars too, one had an AAR Cuda, another had a 70 Chevelle SS454, etc. Never got a ride in the Chevelle then, however my brother has one now, and I have driven it, one badass car. Also had a few rides in a 69 Charger Daytona that belonged to a friend of my brother.
I've had some fast cars over the years, too many to mention, but the ride in that 69 Firebird is what got me hooked.
 
Kind of a loaded question, but cars that impressed me:
'69 383/4sp road runner. Belonged to a guy I worked with when I was 17. Just a quick run across the mall parking lot, but I was impressed.
'70 440+6/4sp 'cuda. Belonged to a buddy of mine (since passed away). We were cruising down the road at 35-40 in 4th. He just hit the throttle a bit and set me back in the seat.
'69 Swinger 340/AT. Broken motor mounts, but from a roll nailed the throttle. When it hit second the back end just slid a few inches to the side. This was the first car I test drove with my future wife with me. She went with it and about a year and a half later she was daily driving a 340 Dart. A good friend of mine bought the '69. After fixing the mounts it would light 'em up when it hit second.
'69 GTX convertible 440/4sp/3.54. While driving us away from our wedding Jeff had to lay some stripes down (did I mention that I must have married the right woman?).

These cars were all completely stock.

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The wheels on the GTX were gone two weeks later in favor of factory road wheels.
 
We lived about 2 miles out of town when I was growing up. The summer of 1975 I was 12. I used to tow an old lawnmower that my dad helped me get running into town with my bike to mow lawns for extra money. Next door to one of my regular customers was a guy in his 20's with a silver '68 Super Bee with "Bad Company" painted between the taillights. *** high with wide slots on the back. It had a 426 max wedge with a crossram, velocity stacks and no hood. He was always in the driveway working on it and drinking beer, I don't know that he had real job. He would let me hang around and watch between my lawn mowing jobs. One day he told me that it was running good and he was going to take it for a test drive and asked if I wanted to go. I'm pretty sure that the car was sideways more than straight on that ride. I don't know if it was the best car I ever rode in on the street but is one of my most memorable rides.
 
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Very subjective and so many memories.
It started with the fm3 70 383 roadrunner my parents ordered new and brought me home from the hospital in.
At that time my uncle had a 69 383 4 speed burnt orange roadrunner.
I remember being like 3 years old standing in the front seat riding in it.
He tells a story of out running the cops with me in the car.
He had slotted mags and when we got home one tire only had 3 lugnuts.
Then around that time my dad had a 52 Ford pickup with a 283 it was an auto.
Then it was a 65 c10 carryall that he put a 300 hp 327 with a Muncie 4speed out of a wrecked camaro.
Something about 4 speeds.
I remember watching my dad's hands banging gears and was always exciting !
Later he had a 65 Malibu that he put a rocket Olds 300 hp 350 and a mucie 4speed in.
Once again watching dad's hands bang gears !
Then in 84 my uncle got a 70 340 3speed duster with 42,000 original miles.
He rebuilt the motor stainless valves, forged pistons 030 284, 484 cam , 4 speed and 4:56 gears.
That car was pretty insane from 0-100
I bought the car in 92 and sold it in 2010 with 66,000 original miles.
I added a 750 carb, rpm intake and electronic ignition.
Ironically the car ended up here on this site later.
I have not heard from the guy in years ?
Hope he is alive still ?
In that time there was so many cars in my family and circle.
Another was my dad's 55 chevy truck with a 283 2.02 heads mild cam and Muncie 4 speed.
I sure miss watching my dads hands power shift !
I had a 73 duster with a bb 400 727 3.91 gears mild cam and intake that was pretty crazy for a 19 year old kid.
One of the funest cars to drive was my brother's 69 1/2 6 pack superbee 4 speed.
Great post by the way !
 
It was my Dad's 65 Barracuda 273 Commando 4 speed I grew up in. The sound of that car wide open throttle and Dad banging gears hooked me for life.

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1984 I rode in a built 69 Boss 429 Mustang that the owner wound out to 7500 rpms every shift. I could have bought that car for $10,000 then and had the money, but bought a house instead
Bummer. Should have bought both! My good friend is into Mustangs big time. Those things bring big money now. Had a 1970 Mustang 351 cleveland with a 4 speed. That car was quick as hell. A 429 had to be a monster!
 
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Ohhh, I'm gonna get flamed for this.

"Best" meaning the fastest car I have ever experienced / driven is a Tesla Model 3 Performance. Utterly unlike any other car I have ever driven.

To be clear, I'm not an EV fanboy. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have an EV, but I prefer analog cars and I don't want all the extra bullshit (technology). If I could get an EV with dual motors, a monster battery pack, and THAT'S IT - maybe then I would buy one. OK, for a commuter car I'd also like to have power windows, AC, and a stereo, but that's really all I need. They can keep the 24 inch TV on the dash, proximity sensors, cameras, wifi, bluetooth, GPS, and all the rest of that nonsense.
 
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I have driven them too. Those things are crazy quick! But no one will be rebuilding them in 50 years.
 
My best Bud's Dad had the ultimate sleeper. Keep in mind Mr B was almost 70 when we were 16. '69 Roadrunner, that cream yellow color, bench seat, column shift, hub caps, dual quad Hemi. He never drove it to it's limits, at least with us in the car. Lord knows he wasn't going to let us drive it :lol: He sold it when gas was approaching $.50/gal :lol: "Mr B how much did you sell it for?". "$1500 Alex". "And you didn't tell me you were thinking about selling it? I have that much in my bank account!". "I know." :rofl: He found himself a more door '72 Dart to drive /6 powered. That one he would let my homie drive. :lol:
 
Well I had recently bought my 69 Charger and thought it was cool. Passed a guy's house and he and his 70 Coronet RT were in the yard. Stood on the loud pedal thinking I was hot stuff. 2 days later, this guy flags me down in town on a Friday night with the RT. Took me for a ride...that 440 laid 2 black marks for as long as he stayed in it. I was hooked!!

Fast forward about 6 years...had just bought my 71 Demon 340. Took it to the Mopar Nats in Indy. (Got to take a lap with it on the brickyard track!) That evening, a buddy of my Coronet friend took me for a ride in his 68 or 69 Barracuda...with a Hemi he had stuffed in it! It was loud, raucous, and everything else a car shouldn't be - like FAST!!! Went on the interstate that circles Indy...don't want to know the speed we hit as i was busy hanging onto the roll bar!! Good times!!
 
A Pantera in about 1982ish? Scared the living *&$*# out of me. Felt like the car was glued to the ground and my butt was inches from pavement. First time I ever felt like I was part of the car not just along for the ride. My buddy was laughing like a hyena and in my mind I was wondering what the tires were rated at when we hit 135!
 
A Pantera in about 1982ish? Scared the living *&$*# out of me. Felt like the car was glued to the ground and my butt was inches from pavement. First time I ever felt like I was part of the car not just along for the ride. My buddy was laughing like a hyena and in my mind I was wondering what the tires were rated at when we hit 135!
Light weight, aerodynamics, and a 351C came together in perty good fashion in that case :steering:
 
I worked on a Pantera back in the day. I took it out for a test drive and I can tell you that car did scare the hell out of me. I sure didn't want to wreck a customers car. That one was nuts.... but damn!!!!
 
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I worked on a Pantera back in the day. I took it out for a test drive and I can tell you that car did scare the hell out of me. I sure didn't want to wreck a customers car. They one a only but damn!!!!
Just for grins I just googled panteras for sale, they start at 150,000 and go straight up. Holy smokes what a car! Apologies OP did not mean to derail!
 
'70 Ram Air IV GTO 4 spd. I tuned it up for a friend's young employee. Very impressive. I took it back to him after burning countless miles off the drive tires :rolleyes: .
"Alex! What did you do to that thing? It's scarey!" "That's the way it's supposed to run."
 
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Not sure it was the best car I ever rode in but the first one that got me hooked on muscle was a 1970 Pontiac Trans Am with the 455. My buddy bought it in 1976. It was a ground pounding, tire shredding, kick *** car and I still remember 43 years later how it thrilled me.
 
340 TA Challenger. Quickest factory SB powered car i encountered.
Same friend later acquired a Hemi Challenger :steering: Helped him put a Keith Black short block in it and assemble it from there.
It was tired when he got it KB refreshed it. KB was just over the hill from us, so why not? I was putting the top end together, had the first 2 cyls ready, go to turn it to the next pair and CLUNK :wtf: Checked out my work, should have been fine. Took and looked down #1 and the piston wasn't where it should have been by the timing marks. He calls KB on the phone "Didn't we tell ya? The keyway on the crank was AFU so we cut you a new one 180° out." :BangHead::rofl: Went together fine after that wee bit of knowledge, REAL fine :D "Yowee! This is what Mr B's Roadrunner would have been like!"
 
My buddy Louis had a 68 Charger 383 4 spd 3.55 8.75 OMG ! The car came from Michigan and he was told it had a high compression engine. But thinking back I can't say it wasn't actually a 440. I had a nitrous 360 71 Dart at the time and I wasn't familiar with B and RB engines then. This was 1981...RIP Louis
 
Best has so many meanings.

The most fun? Well, for a combination of factors I'd have to say my '78 Trans Am. Worked Ram Air III, Super T-10, 3.42 Saf-T-Track. It wasn't rusty, but it looked clapped out: at least four different colors, broken wheel spats, sagging springs, and no front or rear spoiler. It ran 12.90s, which was hustlin' in '90-'91 for a daily driver. Plus, I didn't look old enough to drive until I was in my mid-20s. That car, being driven by what looked like a 13-year-old kid? A lot of people felt they should teach me a lesson--and got schooled for their efforts. My favorite was an IROC-Z, 350 TPI auto on giggle gas. He promised "no nitrous" but after being holeshot badly and quickly being two cars down, he hit it anyhow. The gap was increasing less quickly but I was still pulling away. When I stopped to collect my $50 he came out of the car swinging. Big dude. We weren't, so we high-tailed. He chased us all over greater GB until I got bored. I made him small for good westbound on 172. I assume he went home and ordered bigger jets.
 
Best? As NoCar340 said... These cars were not mine, but left an impression on me.
Fastest daily driver with quiet exhaust, an old friend's '67 GTO, 4spd crate BB Chev L88 he blueprinted before he installed.
Quickest showroom stock, my uncle's friend's one week old '69 Z-28 4pd 302 w/4.56 rear gears.
First fast Mopar, can't remember whose car, perhaps a friend of friend, 440 six pac 4 spd Cuda.
 
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