Did you ever own a muscle car in the 60s or early 70s and what was it?

[Hammer]

I served 4 years in the Navy from November 5, 1965 until October 2, 1969. When I got out I got a job as a telephone installer for Illinois Bell. After that I ordered a brand new '70 Chevelle SS 396ci and 350hp in late April or early May of 1970. Actually the cubic inches were more like 402 but General Motors fudged on the numbers so guys that were under 25 years old could buy the Chevelle SS and not pay large fees for car insurance. Cubic inches of 400 or more had higher insurance rates for guys that were under 25 and not married. That car was a blast to drive. Just think of a car with that much power and no computer crap to control it. It was like driving a go cart without a governor on it to control speed. As soon as you hit the gas you were off and running. Just think of what it was like to be out on the road after supper with a car like this and you are surrounded on main drags by cars like early Camaros, Super Bees, GTOs, Challengers, Road Runners with the six pack setup, early Firebirds, Cudas, Olds 442s, Mustangs, Cougers, Dodge Demons and Chargers, and Buick GSXs. It was hard to avoid a challenge when you were out for the night with all of this iron around. Can't forget the Corvettes from the 60s and early 70s. What fun all of this was. I am glad that I was old enough to take part in all of this muscular iron delight. Pulling into the local burger joints on a Saturday night was like a car show with everyone showing off what they had. On those nights you made sure your ride was spotless. Don't forget you were showing her off to a lot of folks. Those days are stored in my memory banks for future review and what memories they are. Anyone else here have this kind of fun? :cool:

[The German Shepherd]

I had a Plymouth Fury with the 383 in it. That car would chirp the tires in every gear as you accelerated down the highway...

[J Anderson]

By the time I started buying cars in the early 80s, most of the muscle cars around hear were either wrecks, rust buckets, or had very tired engines. One of the few that wasn't in bad shape was a 69 boss 302 bought new by my cousin Carl who still owns it.

[got_a_300]

Oh yeah I owned several muscle cars back in the 60's and 70's I guess
the list of muscle cars that I owned would go something like this but I'm
probably forgetting a few in between I guess old age catching up with me. LOL!!!!!

1.st was a 1962 Ford Galaxy 500 with the 406 tri-power engine and a
4 speed trans in the floor

2nd. was a 1963 Ford Galaxy 500 with a high performance 427 engine
with dual 4bbl carbs and 4 speed trans in the floor

3rd. was a 1965 Dodge Cornet 500 with a high performance 426 cross-ram
dual 4bbl carbs wedge engine not the Hemi engine and 4 speed trans in the
floor.

4th. was a 1970 Plymouth Cuda' with the 426 Hemi engine and dual 4bbl
carbs and a 4 speed trans in the floor and a Dana 60 rear end with a 410
gear. I wish that I still owned this one as it is worth well over something
like $100,000.00 - $125.000.00 or more now days

5th. would be a 1972 Chevy Chevelle SS with a 454 engine single 4bbl carb
and 4 speed trans in the floor

6th. I guess would be a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T with the 440 Magnum engine
built to have about 650 horse power and an automatic trans in the floor.

7th. I guess what would be my last true muscle car that I owned and sold about
20 years ago would have to be the all factory original 1969 Plymouth Road Runner
with the 440 Six Pack engine and 4 speed in the floor with the Dana 60 rear end.
Same as with the 1970 Hemi Cuda' wish I still owned this one too as it's worth
a lot of money now days also.

[billf]

I was born in '68. Being a mechanic though I have owned and worked on many of the above mentioned cars before. I had to laugh reading Bill's post with standard trans "on the floor" thinking how the young guys wouldn't know why he would even say that. I kept reading hoping for one "on the tree". That would have really tripped them up.

Anyway, I restored and modified a '68 El Camino. Not a true muscle car but with the 454 bored .060 over, roller lifters, roller cam (I don't remember the lift or duration), deep forged pistons, etc., etc. The wheelie bars were ordered after the first road test. Trans was a turbo 350 with the first gear from a turbo 400, heavy duty discs and clutches. The car took me four years start to finish with a lot of help from the body shop at work and two techs from the service dept. The owner liked me and let me run a tab until it was done. When I went to pay it he asked to see my report card from school. He looked and said that my money wasn't any good there as long as I continued to work full time and get straight A's. I had roughly 10k just in the engine so it was a hell of a bonus.

[got_a_300]

I had to laugh reading Bill's post with standard trans "on the floor" thinking how the young guys wouldn't know why he would even say that. I kept reading hoping for one "on the tree". That would have really tripped them up.

I had roughly 10k just in the engine so it was a hell of a bonus.
I've only had if I can remember it right was 3 cars that had the 3 on the tree and they were a
1954 Chevy BelAir 2 door hardtop with the old straight six engine and a 1963 olds cutlass F85
the little Olds station wagon that had the all aluminum 8 cylinder engine block and heads.

The last one I can remember having was a 1967 Ford Fairlane 500 with the 289 engine with........

three on the tree and most of the time a six pack under the seat. LOL!!!!!!!!!

Yes bill you got one heck of a bonus on that deal.

[Hammer]

I've only had if I can remember it right was 3 cars that had the 3 on the tree and they were a
1954 Chevy BelAir 2 door hardtop with the old straight six engine and a 1963 olds cutlass F85
the little Olds station wagon that had the all aluminum 8 cylinder engine block and heads.

The last one I can remember having was a 1967 Ford Fairlane 500 with the 289 engine with........

three on the tree and most of the time a six pack under the seat. LOL!!!!!!!!!

Yes bill you got one heck of a bonus on that deal.

HOLY COW! I had a '54 Chevy Belair 2 door with the straight six and three on the tree. Mine was baby blue and the chrome accent on the rear quarter panels had a white or cream color in there. I had this car when I was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas in the middle to late 60s. It was a real nice car that I bought from a friend of mine that was in my squadron. It wasn't a rusted piece of junk. The body and chrome were in great shape. I really liked that car and had a ball with it. Three on the tree forever. Plus cars I drove with four on the floor were great also. After the '54 Chevy I got a '63 Pontiac Bonneville drop top with a 389 four barrel and factory three speed on the floor. At that time I lived off base with a friend that had a '64 Chevy Impala SS with four on the floor. We used to trade cars sometimes because he would like to use my drop top on a hot date and I liked cruising around town in his Impala SS. Those were great times and great cars. I miss those days. :cool:

[Stormed1]

I had a 63 421 super duty Pontiac Catalina, A 64 Gran PRIX WITH A 0.60 OVER BUILT 389 AND A 71 mUSTANG FASTBACK WITH A 351 CLEVELAND. i ALSO HAD A 62 cOUGAR WITH A BUILT 302

[J Anderson]

I had a 63 421 super duty Pontiac Catalina, A 64 Gran PRIX WITH A 0.60 OVER BUILT 389 AND A 71 mUSTANG FASTBACK WITH A 351 CLEVELAND. i ALSO HAD A 62 cOUGAR WITH A BUILT 302

I didn't think cougars were made until after the ford mustang debuted in 1964.

[billf]

My boss still has his first car, 1964 Barracuda he bought brand new. It's currently at the body shop getting new quarters put on. He co-owns the shop with his son who has a 69 Charger "General Lee", 68 Mustang, 68 Cougar, 69 Camaro, 68? Super Bird (my favorite car ever) and a few others. They are in various shapes and stages of restoration.

[Slabo]

I had a 65 Mustang that we stuffed a 351 Winsor in with a C-4 and a 9 inch rear and the car had the original pony interior !! Then I cot a 69 Grande mustang and now I still have a 66 mustang coupe with a 302

[got_a_300]

HOLY COW! I had a '54 Chevy BelAir 2 door with the straight six and three on the tree. Mine was baby blue and the chrome accent on the rear quarter panels had a white or cream color in there.
My 54 Chevy BelAir was I guess you could call it kind of a root beer brown
color with a cream colored top when I first got it.

I was way into the color of orange back then so I painted it orange with dark
blue tinted windows all around even the windshield was tinted.

When it rained you could hardly see over the end of the hood with the tint on
the windshield so I had to take it back off.

It had a solid body on it no rust anywhere and ran like a brand new car and I
only paid $25.00 for it because back then in 1967 you could buy a 4 or 5 year
old car for anywhere from a few hundred dollars to maybe a thousand or so.

Man I miss those days of buying cheap cars and even cheaper gas.