Hey guys I just wanted to pick a few brains and maybe hear some stories from back in the muscle car era.

I am in my 20's and missed they amazing muscle car era. I'd really like to hear some stories or what it was like. Or maybe about the fastest car on the street, or maybe about that one time your buddy let you drive his super bird etc...

you guys got any good ones? :D

This should be interesting... You won't be hearing about street racing or other illegal activities but maybe some will have some great track stories and other memories...

I was driving by 1972 and when I got my '69 Camaro my friends and I would pile into it and drive 90 miles from Santa Barbara to Orange County for the funny car drags. I'd get off work at 3:00pm on Saturday, pick everyone up and I would not be home and have everyone dropped off until after 2:00am, work started at 5:00am on Sunday. We did that many times, the most impressive automotive noise I have ever heard was 64 funny cars being fired off at the same time... They lined the 1/4 mile track after dark, shut the lights off and tried to have all 64 light at once.

At a younger age I remember seeing a GTX being off loaded at a dealership and fell in love with American performance. My slot cars were all Corvette Stingrays and I had one Ford GT.

The thing to remember was when these cars were brand new they were mostly transportation. Americans were in love with the muscle cars and powerful V8 Luxury in the same way they seem to be with SUV's and trucks today.

First of all I in no way endorse street racing, its stupid and dangerous, and is not something we talk about on this site. But this is a memory of which I had no control; Dennis, feel free to delete this is you need to...
I was only about 11 years or so when I really first got interested in cars, It was 1969, My older brother, used to have all his buddies hang out after school and on Sat, tuning and tweeking their cars for racing later that night on the Great Highway, (HWY 1, near old playland at the beach) and Brotherhood Way, in SF. Like I said, In no way do I recommend street racing... There always was a 69 roadrunner, 63 Vette, 57 Chevy Belair, 67 GTO, or an Dodge, I think Polara, in the driveway, with them reving their engines, and Bench racing out front. For a 11 year old kid, it was quite a site. I sometimes got to go to the races, (when my bro was stuck with babysitting duties) He always let me stay fairly close to the action, but not too close, (and told me that if I told Dad he would beat me to a pulp), and I would watch them run...Man, that made a lasting impression for a 11 year old, I couldn't wait to get my own muscle car... I wish I had a camcorder "back in the day", nothing comes close to that now but, when I jump into the 69, I remember the good old times with my brother and his buddies, heading out to Brotherhood way...Mike :D

I started driving in 1968. My first car was a 61 Chevy. Then I had a 69 Dart Swinger 340. Used to cruise Belmont Ave. here in Fresno. I remember we would to go the wrecking yard and buy the old Chrysler/Dodge windshield washer pumps and nozzles. Rig them up on the front of our cars and they would squirt over the car ahead of us on to the windshield. They would wonder "what the heck?" I know, it sounds dumb, but it was fun. No drugs, no drinking just dumb fun.:disco:

I grew up in the late 60's and early 70's with two older brothers. One brother had a cool '69 AMX Javelin. The funny thing is that I think that most of us had no idea that we were driving what would be known as the muscle cars we know of them today. Don't get me wrong they were great but alot of the guys and some gals drove the crap out them as daily drivers and never thought twice about it. I was the last of the boys and my brothers and thier freinds left an impression with me with the cool cars they all had. When I was in High School back in '79 all the kids had them in the lot, heck they were less than tens years old and could be bought for next to nothing. My most fondest memory was Mr. Hjeltness, the father to my best freind, taking his '70 Hemi Cuda up and own our street. One day he took me to the Stop and Go market and he drove it like he stole it! My best freinds including me had Z's, Cudas, and you name it. Great time to grow up as a kid IMO.

My first vehicle was a late 69 chevy p/u. In high school a bunch of us, only 12 in the entire class, small school, always had something fast...there was this kid in a 69 ford shortbed with a 390 interceptor he was always changing things on this motor and would try and out run me every morning before school.....needless to say that ford had no chance.....We didnt street race then...we went to the old airstrip:yes: surrounded by a plowed wheat field...

I frown upon street racing. It is not cool. Got a fast car? prove it at the track. you can prove nothing to me on the highway at 70.
I was NOT alive in the 'Muscle car' era...but still had fun with the cars...

Hey guys I just wanted to pick a few brains and maybe hear some stories from back in the muscle car era.

I am in my 20's and missed they amazing muscle car era. I'd really like to hear some stories or what it was like. Or maybe about the fastest car on the street, or maybe about that one time your buddy let you drive his super bird etc...

you guys got any good ones? :D

I had a 1957 Chevy 2 door hardtop with a "375" hp, 396 in it in 1971. The car had a close ratio Muncie, a 4.88 Olds rear in it and ran cheater slicks. Back then the only headers available for a big block in a shoebox Chevy had two of the 2.25" tubes running around the frame, out through the fender wells, behind the tires and then back to the collectors.

During the summer of '71, I worked in the Arco refinery in Philadelphia. At that time they were developing an industrial park near the refinery. All the streets were in, but none of the buildings were up yet. Picture a six lane road, arrow straight, three quarters of a mile long, in the middle of what was basically an empty field well away from any residential areas. Street racer city!

I was heading to work at about 11:30 pm one evening (midnight to 8 shift) during the summer, when I stumbled on a bunch of street racers.

As I innocently entered one end of the road on my way to work, I slowed to take a look at all the cars. A guy in a GTO heading the other way (who had just won a race) stopped next to me and asked me if I was willing to go. I did the "aw shucks, I'm just on my way to work" bit, but we agreed on $50 (real money back in 1971). I sat there as he pulled past me to line up for the race.

Well, as he turned around, his headlights swept over the cheater slicks, then the BIG pumpkin for the Olds rear, then as he pulled next to me his passenger hopped out and saw the two big header tubes running down through the driver's side fender well. After a brief consultation between the driver and his passenger which involved a lot of arm waving in the direction of my car, it developed that the GTO had "engine problems" and wasn't able to go.

Oh, well, I wasn't really a street racer anyway . . .

I had a 1957 Chevy 2 door hardtop with a "375" hp, 396 in it in 1971. The car had a close ratio Muncie, a 4.88 Olds rear in it and ran cheater slicks. Back then the only headers available for a big block in a shoebox Chevy had two of the 2.25" tubes running around the frame, out through the fender wells, behind the tires and then back to the collectors.

During the summer of '71, I worked in the Arco refinery in Philadelphia. At that time they were developing an industrial park near the refinery. All the streets were in, but none of the buildings were up yet. Picture a six lane road, arrow straight, three quarters of a mile long, in the middle of what was basically an empty field well away from any residential areas. Street racer city!

I was heading to work at about 11:30 pm one evening (midnight to 8 shift) during the summer, when I stumbled on a bunch of street racers.

As I innocently entered one end of the road on my way to work, I slowed to take a look at all the cars. A guy in a GTO heading the other way (who had just won a race) stopped next to me and asked me if I was willing to go. I did the "aw shucks, I'm just on my way to work" bit, but we agreed on $50 (real money back in 1971). I sat there as he pulled past me to line up for the race.

Well, as he turned around, his headlights swept over the cheater slicks, then the BIG pumpkin for the Olds rear, then as he pulled next to me his passenger hopped out and saw the two big header tubes running down through the driver's side fender well. After a brief consultation between the driver and his passenger which involved a lot of arm waving in the direction of my car, it developed that the GTO had "engine problems" and wasn't able to go.

Oh, well, I wasn't really a street racer anyway . . .

Nice. Very Nice. LMAO.

I wasn't alive in the heyday, (just missed it) but as a kid in the 70's, especially with the gas crunch, you could pick up a real hot car for nothing. My Dad sold our 70 Charger R/T 440 4 bbl, 727 auto, 3.90 sure grip rear, factory A/c etc, etc. for $400! It was just a little rusty in the lower 1/4's. This was when gas flew up to $1.26 for regular! That would be about $4.00 today. Who wanted to put gas in a big block? I remember my Dad parked the Charger in our back yard for 6 months until he found someone willing to pay the $400 for it. That was about 1977 I guess. All I drove as a tennager was muscle cars. I got a nice 69 Chevelle I used for a driver for $250. I got another one for my then-wife, now-ex, for $350. She may even still have that one. They were both nicer then the one I just spent $5000 on earlier in the year. I've owned over 70 cars so far. About 80% were muscle cars. The world may change, But I refuse.

Hey Mkelcy, been to front street a few times my self.(just to watch, never raced. I saw enough watching to know I'll NEVER street race)

Sorry this is going nowhere... Bad idea to think this wouldn't turn into Street racing storys... Moderating this would be a full time job so lets just say good night! :pout: