Cars have come a long way in 43 years

[chiph]

1968 Shelby GT500KR, with a 428ci V8.

0-60: 6.2 sec, compare to a 2011 V6 Mustang at ~5.1 sec.

Chip H.

[Eric]

1968 Shelby GT500KR, with a 428ci V8.

0-60: 6.2 sec, compare to a 2011 V6 Mustang at ~5.1 sec.

Chip H.

Yep!

Two points:

First, the advertised horsepower ratings of '60s-era muscle cars was often way optimistic. 305 hp (the 2011 Mustang V-6's rated output) back in 1969 would have been more like 250 honest hp today.

Reason? Back in the '60s, the automakers used "SAE gross" numbers - which were often based on a "tuned up" engine on a dyno stand with no power-sapping accessories such as a full production exhaust system. In 1972, "SAE net" standards went into effect. Horsepower was measured with the engine installed in the car with all production accessories and in factory tune.

Second, even the genuinely powerful muscle cars of the '60s were traction limited as far as their ability to accelerate rapidly. Imagine a 6 or 7 liter V-8 producing 300-plus hp and 400 lbs.-ft. of torque.... working through 15x7 (let alone 14x7) wheels/tires...

A 2011 Nissan Versa has a bigger footprint than most '60s-era muscle cars.

If you go back and check old magazine reports, you'll find that when equipped with drag slicks and other traction aids, the times of the typical muscle car dropped significantly.

[chiph]

Watching him smoke the tires when coming to a stop was amusing, too. One thing all the C&T testers have in common is their lack of knowledge of threshold braking -- they just slammed the pedal to the floor and let'em lock up.

Chip H.

[Ken]

Watching him smoke the tires when coming to a stop was amusing, too. One thing all the C&T testers have in common is their lack of knowledge of threshold braking -- they just slammed the pedal to the floor and let'em lock up.

Chip H.

Yep, that made me chuckle too. The energency braking technique I was taught (by my Dad) was 'Cadence Braking'. This is now done automatically, but not so effectively, by an electronic interference system known as ABS.

Ken.

[Eric]

Watching him smoke the tires when coming to a stop was amusing, too. One thing all the C&T testers have in common is their lack of knowledge of threshold braking -- they just slammed the pedal to the floor and let'em lock up.

Chip H.

It didn't seem to launch very hard.

In my '76 Trans-Am 455, if you stomp on the gas from a standstill, the whole back end of the car will jerk left, then right - brutally smoking the tires all the while. To get the best 1/4 mile time, you roll it out about 10 yards as you progressively floor it. It will still spin the tires hard, even so.

I've never dyno'd it but I think it probably produces about 350 honest (by today's standard) horsepower and round 500 lbs.-ft. of torque.

[chiph]

Yep, that made me chuckle too. The energency braking technique I was taught (by my Dad) was 'Cadence Braking'. This is now done automatically, but not so effectively, by an electronic interference system known as ABS.

Ken.

Did you see that body roll? It leans like a bike, only in the opposite direction.

Chip H.

[dom]

This is now done automatically, but not so effectively, by an electronic interference system known as ABS.

Nice, I didn't know there was a more proper term for it.

EIS

_ _ _ _ _ _ _


"Hey it's happy time" -doh

This is the first time I've seen a Shelby take two trips to haul ass!

The last cornering shots are freaking awesome.

[Eric]

Did you see that body roll? It leans like a bike, only in the opposite direction.

Chip H.

Typical!

All the classic era muscle cars handled atrociously by modern standards.
A few (the '70-era Trans-Am was one) were decent for the era, but none can even approach the grip thresholds of modern performance cars. Their brakes were even worse. Almost all of them had disc/drum brakes that were typically identical to the basic passenger car stuff. A few had drum/drum brakes. Only a very small handful had (or could be fitted with factory-offered) four-wheel disc brakes.

Shitty shocks. Leaf-spring/solid axle rear ends mot much different than what you'd find under a pick-up truck. A 1960s-era pick-up truck. Novocaine steering. Too nose heavy and ass-light.

This made them dangerous - and fun, too. In a slightly demented, daredevil sort of way. You literally took your life in your hands when you drove one at a speedy clip. It was easy to get into big trouble - and there were no electronic safety aids to pull you out of it, or air bags to save your ass if you went sideways off the road into a big oak tree.

There will never be anything like that again.

The element of risk - and challenge - is what's missing from modern performance cars.

It's like the difference between an amusement park ride (mostly safe and controlled) and building some crazy unregulated contraption in your backyard...