My old man claims this......
 

So my old man claims that the vehicles in his day would run the 1/4 faster than todays vehicles. Of course IM talking modded gt's and so on. He claims that his GTO would be much quicker than my vehicle which has a supercharger and gears. I think the only thing he ever talked about doing to his car was exhaust, 4 barrel carb, then of course the gear sequence in an H patern. I just cant imagine that a car like that would be able to beat a car like mine in the 1/4. Of course you have the drive mod but it sure would be interesting to see.

So back in the 60's and 70's what was considered a fast 1/4. My dad only street raced and never went to the track so he doesnt really know what he ran. I was just wondering what ur thoughts are on this subject. I have heard that if a guy ran 13 then that was considered fast during those times where I believe a fast street car now days is 11 second range.

Whats ur thoughts

You may have your souped up small blocks, but he has 454s and 426 hemi's...

Theres a reason that a lot of the cars you see doing major wheelies are classics.

I'd bet money he'll kick your rear all the way back to the garage.

"In a 15 year bloom, before tightening emission regulations and rocketing gas prices stamped extinct on an entire breed of cars in the '70s, America's automobile industry produced the most memorable cars built anywhere, anytime: "The American Muscle Car." While today's modern squeaky clean cars may approach the performance numbers put up 35 years ago, they will never duplicate the rush generated by 400-plus cubic inches fighting for tracion through period bias-ply tires. Pity today's car enthusiasts who think variable valve timing is the hot setup."
-Bruce Armstrong

Ahh shucks.. he's an old man... let him have this argument. :)

Don

your pops is on crack & I mean that in a joking manner! lol.. Seriously though most of the muscle cars back then ran 13s & were considered quick. There were some cars like the 426 hemi cuda, the yenko 427 camaro & the 429Cobra jET Fast backs that were in the bottom 12s to high 11s depending on driver mod. However those cars were highly rare to see on the streets just like the KR GT500 Super Snake is or the Viper srt 10 or a ZR1 Corvette. Get the picture Im painting? Todays Mustangs are mid 12 cars to bottom 13s if your not a decent driver. Your Pops is just reliving his glory days. Nothing wrong with that. lol

Without a time slip or having run it at the track he will never know. Perceptions change over time and what was medicore or fast compared to 30+ years ago could be average or slow by today's standards.

Yes ther are some fast Factory classics that could trap 110+ and under 12.6 in the quarter but they were rare.

Mods didn't make nearly the hp they do these days because it was all "by the seat of your pants" and analog guage tuning.

There can be no doubt that today's muscle cars will absolutely outperform the muscle cars of the 60's and 70's. I'm old enough to remember those days fondly. In every aspect of modern car design there has been a quantum leap in technology in engines, suspension, tires and weight reduction. Also consider the fact that back then there was no set standard for measuring horsepower and torque. Various manufacturers used different methods, some were accurate while others were not. This often led to exaggerated claims of horsepower levels. Now that being said the "good old days" were still a fun time. Things were a lot simpler back then and the average guy could work and tinker with his car without needing a degree in rocker science. When push comes to shove though I'll take the modern muscle car.

Cars back then also had ****ty tires compared to today's standards. But I still think today's 'muscle pony cars' would be quicker.

I recently sold a '66 Mustang Coupe, 289 bored .30 over, pretty decent cam (forgot the specs but serious lope), electronic ign., auto with shift kit, and 3:55's out the back, long tube headers and turbo mufflers. Stock body and interior. It would just sneak into the high 12's on a good day. It could do low 13's on a regular basis. Everything done to that car was old school stuff just like the old days.....

ANd that is what im talking about common sports cars of the 60s and 70s and the common sports car now days. I have had this converstion with mechanics and there are some that say that todays cars would cream cars back then when comparing normal sports cars of those days and now days. And then of course some would dissagree. I think its fun to give each other rash of **** and then move on.

Im thinking todays technology just out wieghs the performance of yester years.

I mean when u think of farm equipment- the power of tractors much greater
same with excavating equipment - more power

if an engineer built a 454 with todays technology then im sure that 454 of yester years would not come close. thats with both cars getting power to the pavement.

TIRES....TIRES.... TIRES....

That is the big difference. Cars back in the late 60's and early 70's where very fast. A lot of them with 450 actual crank hp and over 500lbft tq. But poly glass tires stood no chance to hooking them up.

I have a friend that has a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 that he bought brand new. He used to run it at the strip all the time and used to run low 12's with drag slicks. Im not so sure he didnt get into the 11's with is cam. (He still has this car, and yes i drool everytime i see it)


Regardless
Cars today are very very fast in stock form compared to back then, but in my honest opinion its the tires that make the cars today a sure bet.