Remember when? Now those were the days.

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I think the Ram Air 400's would run high 13's totally stock with the tires they had back in the day. When I said high 12's basically stock I mean't basically stock heads and cam but with exhaust and induction induction work and of course gearing and suspension set up. So I guess not really stock.

But a lot of the restos aren't running the good factory high compression heads and big solid lifter cam on top of not being tuned and running right, so they are slower than the originals.

I don't think 350 HP gross is necessarily 250 HP net or will 25O hp net necessarily get you 350 HP gross. But I think 370 HP 450 lbs ft of torque gross can get you into the high 12's if all you are doing is running an alternator and low restriction dual exhaust and the car is set up right.



http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/pontiac-firebird/pontiac-firebird-history-1.shtml

According to that, 1969:

Quote:
Performance:
400/335 (RA IV): 0-60 in 6.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.1 sec @ 101 mph.


Bottom 14's at 101, that Mph makes it a 13 second car on a tire.

Another source:

http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscle-cars/1969-pontiac-firebird-trans-am.htm

States:

Quote:
Displacement, cid: 400
Fuel system: 1 x 4bbl.
Compression ratio: 10.75:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 345 @ 5500
Torque @ rpm: 440 @ 3400
Representative Performance
0-60 mph, sec: 6.5
1/4 mile, sec. @ mph: 14.3 @ 101


Same Mph, but slower ET.

I'm seeing a curb weight between 3,500-3,700lbs.

Now, (predictable reference point) my old '87 T-top was ~3,400lbs and with an electric fan, would cut 101Mph. This is a 225HP (NET) car. Maybe 230HP with the electric fan? And this is pretending it was still making stock power levels at 280,000Km's......

So, if the Firebird is an extra 200lbs or so, I'm thinking my 250HP is pretty close to the mark there.

Again, talking completely stock power figures of course. The things you mentioned, yeah, the car is no longer stock at that point

Mph is always the teller and it doesn't care about what you cut for a 60ft time.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Bravo for touting trap speed over ET. Trap never lies. My car actually traps FASTER if I muff the launch and get a bad ET.

I am a real Pontiac man, had me a bunch. Firebirds are capable of being quite quick but rarely are. Poncho motors can't use much cam unless you have Ram Air III/IV heads or an extremely rare set of Super Duty heads.

In my experience the old SAE gross HP numbers are usually about 20-25 percent higher than equivalent SAE net HP. So even a 370 HP Ram Air IV model is really more like 277-296 hp in todays numbers.

Pontiac actually made one of their best in 1973. The SD455 could run a low 13 out of the box and ran on unleaded!!!

The bottom line is most old cars are not nearly as fast as their memories!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Note: a bias ply will usually launch BETTER than a street radial. The F.A.S.T. guys can usr radials...but all of them choose a Polyglas or something similar instead.

Also note: Lane Carey's 1971 Mustang & Dave Dudek's 1969 Road Runner run 9's on 6" bias plys!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Gawd, the tires we used to drive on are positively scary!

I really should not be here, as I've been way too fast on really poor tires in the "old daze".

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: postjeeprcr
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
http://whoartnow.hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-Muscle-Cars----Examples-Of-Why-Hybrids-Are-Wussies

Give me anyone of these over the new cars.

Right.
While you're getting 15mpg on premium fuel during an awful, down economy, I'll mosey on by in my little wussy hybrid getting 60-65mpg, consistently! on standard puke 87 octane gas, and the money i save is money that keeps me that much farther away from being homeless.


As well as girlfriend less......

Not really.
If you have good looks and are in good shape, you'll attract women with little effort.
If you have charm, you'll attract women with little effort.
If you have both, you'll attract women with no effort at all.
I pity anyone who needs a car to attract female attention.
Anyway, any car is fun to drive.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: postjeeprcr
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
http://whoartnow.hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-Muscle-Cars----Examples-Of-Why-Hybrids-Are-Wussies

Give me anyone of these over the new cars.

Right.
While you're getting 15mpg on premium fuel during an awful, down economy, I'll mosey on by in my little wussy hybrid getting 60-65mpg, consistently! on standard puke 87 octane gas, and the money i save is money that keeps me that much farther away from being homeless.


As well as girlfriend less......

Not really.
If you have good looks and are in good shape, you'll attract women with little effort.
If you have charm, you'll attract women with little effort.
If you have both, you'll attract women with no effort at all.
I pity anyone who needs a car to attract female attention.
Anyway, any car is fun to drive.


True enough but is there enough really attractive girls to go around for every goodlooking charming guy when the best looking and charming guy gets them all like any good capitalist would lol? Sometimes wealth is a deciding factor. A guy that has all three, and no other guys stand a chance

. Besides you can't buy looks and charm but you can buy flashy cars and you know...that's my theories and observations of the modern dating world.

 

[morris]

mpvue is right that article should NEVER have been printed. that is what happens when you let kids do things. and as all ways NOTHING was said about the 1968 HEMI CUDA, the only stock car to go 10.s from the factory.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I pity anyone who needs a car to attract female attention.


I pity the poor girl who is so shallow!

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
FEAR NOT! All is well. My car is generally a 'sleeper' in that no one notices it much.

I've always liked that the best. If you could just see the look on the old guys face in his STS-V caddy as I pull past him at very high speed...


Exactly why I love my Jeep. It drives a little like an old muscle car, gets about the same gas mileage, drinks 93 only, and doesn't stand out much, other than being a little noisy. Yet, it's respectably quick (although not fast), and anyone who rides in it always comments on it being comfy. Plus, nobody ever guesses it's as old as it really is.

 

[thr_wedge]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g

 

[jcwit]

Well that sure made a point about the "Good O'l Days".

 

[Racerjk]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I pity anyone who needs a car to attract female attention.


I pity the poor girl who is so shallow!



Unfortunately, most of them are IMO. It's amazing how much more attractive you are depending on what you drive. That was my experience many moons ago,and I know things haven't changed that much.

 

[CourierDriver]

Yep there is something maybe to having a nice ride and a pretty girl, so here is my old story----Had a 1962 ford falcon stationwagon, 3 speed on the column-- I know I would need prayer today, but back then it was my ride and yes I got dates and it was ok. Mercy IM old...........lol.