Race Cars vs. Muscle Cars

[Greenday]

Which are better? Race cars, like a Civic with a turbocharged engine, NO2, etc. Or muscle cars, like Corvettes with 500 horsepower STOCK. Hell, the Corvette SS will have ~650 horsepower. Which one is better?

Personally, I think drag racing is much better than anything else, like drifting. And if it's drag racing, a car that weighs a lil over 3,100 lbs with 500 hp is going to rip any small race car to shreds.

Adding nitrous oxide to a car may give it a huge boost, but it freaking DESTROYS the engine. Not to mention the explosion factor if things go very wrong.

Any other opinions on this? I was watching those Corvette sucks videos off of youtube and they were saying the Porsche 911 and others are a lot better. I think that has to be a joke.

[rahmota]

I think its whatever the person can afford to loose if they are doing street racing....

But really if the person enjoys going fast in a straight line then set the car up for the ultimate drag machine can be done with either car. Some cars though are going to have a weee bit of a headstart in the power department.

As to which is the best I'll have to say the old iron. 69 charger, GTO, Barracuda. The stuff from the detroit glory days while maybe not as technologically fancy or quite as polished and comfy as the modern touring cars and such but what they lack in all that they make up for in style, sheer power, and general unmitigated coolness factor. Aint no replacement for displacement son.

And I personally like a nice well balanced car. Maybe not as capable in straight up drag but push a car too far for dragging and it'll suck for anythign else including general driving. Push a car too far towards any particular racing style and it'll decrease its usalbility for anythign else.

[protege]

I still can't see the point of dumping a buttload of cash into "fixing up" something like a Civic...when a Corvette (or Mustang, or Camaro, etc.) can be had for about the same cash. But, around here, at least...it's common for "fixed up" Civics to be all noise, and no balls. I've got a '59 Radio-Flyer wagon with a higher top end than some of those fools :p

I think the old school drag cars are better--things like GTOs, 'Cudas, etc. But, the ultimate have to be the sleepers. You know, cars that look like they can't go fast...but do. Locally, there's a Volvo 780 coupe, that someone's dropped a Mustang 5.0 V8 into. From the outside, the car looks completely stock. What would be better, is an old 240-series Volvo with the same treatment. Keep it some boring color, like beige...but with all the mechanical goodies :)

[Seshat]

... whichever one will take me and my family/close friends where I need to go.

(Okay, okay. Not the point of this thread. But :D anyway!)

[Boozy]

Only a bunch of men would think this is a hot topic.

;) (Love you guys...)

[AFPheonix]

Put your hands up for station wagons!


Oh wait....not sexy enough....

[Greenday]

Put your hands up for station wagons!

Drop a supercharged V8 in that mofo and it will be the definition of a sleeper car.

[AFPheonix]

I'm happy enough with the flat 6 in mine already ;)

[powerboy]

For me, it is muscle cars. And no, I do not drag race. It is just Muscle cars does look a lot better for me

[rahmota]

Yeah not only does the old muscle look better but they sound a lot better too. I mean there is no comparing the rumble of a big block V8 through a thrush muffler to the stupid whine of a little 4banger or the annoying fart can blarping blaps a lot fo the ricers put on their car.

[Dreamstalker]

I'd go for the original muscle cars, myself :D

But, around here, at least...it's common for "fixed up" Civics to be all noise, and no balls. I've got a '59 Radio-Flyer wagon with a higher top end than some of those fools :p
I can outwalk some of the ones I see around Cambridge.

[TennesseeWhiskey]

I'd go for the original muscle cars, myself :D


I can outwalk some of the ones I see around Cambridge.

Gotta love that old Detroit metal. I want to look at one of the new Camaros when they come out next year to see how they compare to the older ones.

Then too, you can have a killer engine and all the bells and whistles, but, if the person driving doesn't have the ability and testicular fortitude, hell, they might as well be on a Yugo. Skill as a driver means PLENTY. Ask the chick (me) who out ran a guy in a full-size Silverado pickup in a stock, 4-cylinder Toyota truck.:D;)

[Gawdzillers]

Actually, I think there are three types of sports cars.

1. Tuner: Usually Japanese imports that you dump NO2 and turbo into, used for drifting. Hondas, Mazdas, Nissans, Mitsubishis, etc.

2. Muscle: Any American-made muscle car, past and present: Mustangs, Challengers, Corvettes, Vipers, etc.

3. Supercars: Foreign luxury and/or sports cars, which may or may not be illegal in the US. Aston Martins, Porsches, Ferarris, Audis, BMWs, etc.

[protege]

*wonders where the MG fits into those groups* Shortly before it came home from California, it was clocked at 120mph in the desert. Keep in mind that was with a knackered engine.

I had fun with a Mustang driver while in the Tercel some years back. This fool had been on my tail for miles, until the road started to twist a bit. I dropped down a gear, put my foot down, and pulled away from him. The look on his face when I pulled away was great :D Turns out the Tercel's previous owner did a little work to it. It had been lowered a bit, work done to the engine, and bigger brakes from a Corolla. Other than that, it was basically stock. Just the thing for annoying Cavaliers (or 4-cylinder Mustangs) in traffic ;) Even though it was only a 1.5-liter four-cylinder (90 horses), it pulled like a train in 3rd gear. Gotta love those light cars :)

[Hemily]

the ultimate have to be the sleepers. You know, cars that look like they can't go fast...but do. Locally, there's a Volvo 780 coupe, that someone's dropped a Mustang 5.0 V8 into. From the outside, the car looks completely stock. What would be better, is an old 240-series Volvo with the same treatment. Keep it some boring color, like beige...but with all the mechanical goodies :)

sorry to bump a thread that seems a bit older, but i felt like contributing to this thread :p


Sleepers are awesome! i'm building one myself.. a 1980 Buick Century Estate Wagon, with a Camaro V8 engine, only 300hp so far, but i have to do up the suspension, brakes and such, before doing more to it.

As for V8 Volvo's, they're fairly common here, usually in a 240 or a 740, even 940, but Ford engine's the first time i've heard, it's usually Chevy engines, 305, 327 and 350, i know a local 240 wagon, nicknamed Chevolvo, has a Corvette engine, and a manual transmission, it was a bit strange to be passed by it :p

[Greenday]

I always wanted to put a V8 with a supercharger under my Cavalier's hood. People would look at it and say, "Oh, look, a riced out Cavalier...wait, where the hell did it go?" That'd be a hell of a surprise on the track to go up against a car that should be a 4-banger but has a V8 instead.

[protege]

Sleepers are awesome! i'm building one myself.. a 1980 Buick Century Estate Wagon, with a Camaro V8 engine, only 300hp so far, but i have to do up the suspension, brakes and such, before doing more to it.

Yep, I like the sleepers. One of my long-term model projects...was to drop a V10 from a Dodge Ram pickup, into a little Dodge D50. This one I'd actually like to do full-size. The V10 will fit, but it's a seriously tight squeeze--both inner fenders need modified, and at least one chassis cross-member had to be moved. Another fun project, was stuffing a Chevy V8 into a Datsun 510. Thank God it's a model--the 510's engine compartment is tiny. Just modifying the firewall meant that the footwells would have been seriously cramped...enough to make the car uncomfortable.

As for V8 Volvo's, they're fairly common here, usually in a 240 or a 740, even 940, but Ford engine's the first time i've heard, it's usually Chevy engines

Chevy engines are pretty common in street rods. Apparently, the 5.0 came out of a Mustang that was written off. Again, pretty common...considering that kids buy those cars and can't handle them.

[Hemily]

the 5.0 came out of a Mustang that was written off. Again, pretty common...considering that kids buy those cars and can't handle them.

Mustangs are that hard to handle? o.O

i used to have a V6 version of a '78 Mustang II, that car actually handled... just had crap tires, right now, i'm restoring a V6 '79 Mustang Ghia (foxbody) it'll be getting a 302 (5.0 litre) with injection, and maybe turbo eventually, this one has even more potential to be grippy than the Mustang II.

I've only tried the 5.0 in my dad's '90 Bronco, ain't that fast... but it's a 4x4 :p

[protege]

It's not that they're hard to handle...but if a newly-licensed driver gets one, it usually gets wrecked. Too much power, not enough experience...not all of them of course, but locally, many Mustang owners drive like idiots :)

I'm not really a fan of the newer ones--give me a 1964 1/2 to 1967 with the 289, and I'd be happy :)

[AFPheonix]

It's just like the dumb kids who get their motorcycle endorsement and their first bike out is a 800cc race bike or some such instead of a smarter, smaller one. They roll on the throttle, get scared of how fast it goes, curl into the fetal position (which only rolls the throttle more), and end up in the side of a building. I see it pretty often, really.

[Tanasi]

I'm not really a fan of the newer ones--give me a 1964 1/2 to 1967 with the 289, and I'd be happy :)

I have a 66 Fastback with a 289HP.


My opinion in the matter is: You can have horsepower in the thousands but it doesn't mean squat if you can't put it to the ground. You might look cool setting there and spinning your tires but unless you're moving forwards you're going to loose that race.

[protege]

I still don't see why you'd *need* that much horsepower. Unless you're running a locomotive or something...all it does is give bragging rights. Locally, cops just *love* nailing high-powered cars--you might as well paint a bullseye on it :p

[Greenday]

So what does that make a supercharged Z06 Corvette?

Speaking of people who buy high powered motorcycles without know what they are doing, I saw some moron crash on not too long ago. He was just make a left turn and cranked the throttle up really high mid-turn. Totally wiped out. Gotta learn how to ride before getting on the big-kid vehicles.

[Tanasi]

I still don't see why you'd *need* that much horsepower. Unless you're running a locomotive or something...all it does is give bragging rights. Locally, cops just *love* nailing high-powered cars--you might as well paint a bullseye on it :p

Since when did *need* have anything to do with it, my flatbed truck isn't fast, drinks lots of fuel but it also has lots of horse power will pull the hinges of of hadesl. It mostly has to do with how the vehicle is geared, I have a friend that has a bug-eyed Sprite that will run circles around most other cars but the way it's geared you couldn't drag a greasy string with it.
I have a 1971 Ford Ranchero with a Super Cobra Jet 460ci of rip roaring hell raising fury. As I got it, it would produce around 590+ hp now that I've completely rebuilt and balanced it, it produces around 700hp and when I added the super charger I'm getting aroun 900+. Danged thing about it, it the rear end doesn't weight anything so I can't transfer the power from the rear tires to the ground and I just set there and spin, but when I four-linked the rear end and added about 300# of weight, oh boy you better have your mouth closed when you launch.
I've always liked fast cars and I think the biggest reason muscle cars were so popular was that they were cheap. Sports cars are expensive and bubbas don't look right in one. I guess that's why the Good Lord makes all kinds of different cars no two persons are alike.

[protege]

I've always liked fast cars and I think the biggest reason muscle cars were so popular was that they were cheap.

That...and they were readily accessible at any dealership. Around here though, the vast majority of people who own current muscle cars...are posers. They'll rev their engines at every stop sign and traffic light, yet stall out when they attempt to chirp the tires. They don't realize that all they're doing is drawing attention to themselves...which isn't lost on the police. They just *love* busting people for that :p

That's why I like sleepers. You never know what's under the hood--all of those idiots with the riced-out Cavaliers, Hondas, and other economy cars are missing the point. Besides, we already know that they don't have balls, so why try to deny it with a massive Type-R sticker on your vehicle?

[Greenday]

That's why I like sleepers. You never know what's under the hood--all of those idiots with the riced-out Cavaliers, Hondas, and other economy cars are missing the point. Besides, we already know that they don't have balls, so why try to deny it with a massive Type-R sticker on your vehicle?

Hey! Don't knock my Cavvy that has its Z24 sticker on the front window where the tint to block out the sun is! At least you didn't mention the whaletail...

Seriously though, I'd like to swap out the 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine (the biggest a Z24 Cavalier comes with) for a bigger 6-cylinder engine. Maybe add a turbocharger and a couple other accessories...

[protege]

Here's something else I've noticed. Locally,plenty of idiots are buying cars from the junkyard, and attempting to "fix them up." What's funny, is that the rims on those heaps cost multiple times what the car did. No matter what they do to it, it's still a piece of shit :p

[Greenday]

Here's something else I've noticed. Locally,plenty of idiots are buying cars from the junkyard, and attempting to "fix them up." What's funny, is that the rims on those heaps cost multiple times what the car did. No matter what they do to it, it's still a piece of shit :p

I HATE seeing POS cars with spinners and crap like that. It DOESN'T make your car any cooler.

[protege]

...but now instead of being a $200 piece of shit.... it's now a $200 piece of shit with $5,000 rims on it :D

I never understood that line of thinking. Why would someone do that? Wouldn't it be better to buy a better car for that $5,200, or at least do some engine mods to it?

I can't really dis "unrestored" cars though. At the recent Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, there were a few still in "as found" condition. That is, they were running, but rough. I like looking at cars like this, mainly because they haven't been "over-restored" or otherwise messed with. It's easier, to see how the car *should* be, rather than how someone did it.