[garfield]

Hey everybody, Normally I don't do things like this, but the other day I was browsing thru the TEAM CHEVELLE site and came up on a topic that I really thought was the coolest topic that I have ever read "on either one of these sites". A guy over there named canadiancarnut396ci had asked all of the true muscle car guys that lived in that era "what it was like back then", and man, you should read some of the responses he got. For those of you who are not registered to team chevelle, I thought I would borrow this topic and place it over here for all of us Camaro guys. How many of you guys (and gals) were around back in the actual muscle car days and what was life really like back then? Please share all of your experiences with us both good and bad with the rest of us. Since a lot of us either were not born yet, or were still babies and were too young to participate in any of that era's events,(like myself) please feel free to fill us all in and let us know what we missed

[Geezer]

I have some fond memories of 1967-1970 (My pubescent years when I started noticing girls and cars). My neighbor had a 65 GTO with 3 deuces, his & hers shifter Mickey Thomsons 50’s on chrome reverse rimes with baby moons. I remember one time hearing him and his wife having a loud argument out one day, the wife came out jumped in the GTO and blazed the tires for two blocks. They also had a speed boat ( before jet boats)With a big block Ford and 3 deuces also. A friend of theirs came over once in a 67 or 68 400 Firebird, first one I ever saw, and it really looked cool! A kid I went to school with had a big brother with a 66 or 67 Nova that made the ground vibrate, he was working on it one day when the kid told me his brother had just put an L88 in it, I had no clue… Another friend’s mother worked for the Mercury dealership and always drove new demo Cougars. I remember riding in a convertible with some sort of hood scoop, power windows, and white leather interior once. A girl I use to play with had a big brother that drove a 67 Cougar. One time I was walking out of the corner store when my demure lady teacher pulled up in a new 428 Cobra jet Torino, white with black stripes and hood scoop. My other neighbor, (a geek dentist) bought a new Mach 1 Mustang, dark green with a shaker hood scoop in 69 or 70. I went for a ride once, he was either afraid of it or just couldn’t drive it. This was in a small town in southern Oregon population around 15000. To top it off and I suppose why I hang around here and own early Camaros, on November 13, 1967 my father traded in his old Corvair and came home with a brand new 1968 Camaro! Forward a couple of years to the year or so before I got my license somewhere between 1970-1972: I moved to Texas and was hanging around guys a couple of years older that had their own cars. One good friend talked his mother into cosigning for a 69 Charger RT SE 440 with a Dana posi and 4 speed. Some of the other cars the circle of friends had were an early 383 I think? Road Runner, a 71? Mustang 351 Cleveland, a T bucket, a 68 440 Charger, and the guy that worked nights at the Mobile station with access to the Sun analyzer had a 69 Z28, dark green with black stripes, gauges on the console but I think it had a flat hood. I spent many nights helping tweak that RT/SE Charger trying to get it fast enough to beat that Z28. We just couldn’t get the Charger to hook up, it would sit there blazing the tires through 2nd and the Z would launch like a rabbet.

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Geezer

[This message has been edited by Geezer (edited 07-26-2002).]

[bspears]

I was 12 in 1972 and I remember going down the dodge car dealership and looking at the roadrunners chargers and cudas. They looked like a bunch of brightly colored lollipops on the lot. The salesman would let us get in and sit behind the wheel. Man o man did I want that roadrunner. Gas was cheap and all the bigboys had cool cars.

life was good

bob spears

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69mscle

[This message has been edited by bspears (edited 07-26-2002).]

[navlone]

Well, I missed the 60's being I was born in 69. My dad was into cars big time. I only saw pictures and heard stories about all the 50's cars he had and the 63 Impala SS 409 he used to race at the local air strip.

Then he and my mom bought a new 68 Chevelle. One day while down at Pismo Beach with his water pumper buggy, a friend drove his velle down to the beach to meet him and parked it close to the water on the hard pack sand. They returned from the dunes to find waves crashing into the velle in high tide

They took the car down to his mechanic friend, cleaned it up, replaced the passenger window and traded it in for a new 68 RS 327 Camaro. This would be the car I remeber most. I remember the 15 mile drive to work with my mom during the summer months, seeing only a handful of cars most of them being todays classic muscle.

Now that same drive is nearly bumper to bumper.

Our bikes were bannana seats and ape hanger bars. Catarmaraning Skateboards (that were no wider than 5 inches, the same width of the big fat simms wheels) down hills. Sexwax shirts were banned at all schools. Dirtbikes had less than 2 inches of suspension travel. I could make a fortune on ebay if I'd only saved my entire wardrobe. Gass shoes, OP pants, shirts and shorts were the coolist. You didn't know music unless you owned every Kiss album.

T.V. shows couldn't use the words damn, arse and few other choice words I won't mention.

If you got in trouble the police would take you home and let your parents deal with you.

Life just seemed innocent and laid back compared to now.

[Winch]

In 1962-64 I was in Jr high that was across the street from a Shell station where the owner bought I new Vette every year. I'll never forget that split window 63. I was hooked on bowties from then on.
I had a neighbor that worked on the Vette line back then. He used to bring home stuff for me like decals and I put them all over my notebook.
Those were the days alright. Cruisin and street racing every friday and saturday night. I only wished I had been born a few years earlier. Then I would have had some $ for muscle before I did. I couldn't afford much in high school but I did get at 350 hp 327 67 Vette when I got out of the army in 70.

[DjD]

Here's the Chevelle thread...
www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/011848.html

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...Dennis
"The '69, the '96 & the club"

[click]

Ahhh the 60's - 70's
Those were the times when kids respected everyone's parents and teachers. You were home before the street lights went on. You never talked back to an adult. At school if you messed up you got whacked then when you got home you got whacked again. ACLU was not present to mess up things. Men were going to the moon, what an awesome sight to see them land on the moon LIVE.
The corvair was a fun car to drive, GTO's, chevelles and of course camaros and mustangs were the hot cars. Barracuda's, GTX's, Hemi's, pumped up rear ends, and loud.
every little town had a drag strip nearby
there were auto parts stores everywhere.
Everyone went to church on sunday,
I sold gas at a station for 16 cents a gallon. Man that would be so nice today.
There's a few things to think about.
click
graduated high school in 69, thats why I drive a 69 Camaro.



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69RS 350/255 LM1,TH350,Dover White,Blue Vinyl top
F&R spoilers,pdb,Close ratio ps,am/fm,3.08 Posi.,A/C,
fold down rear seat.
My RS www.brainerd.net/~knudsen/69RS

[newport30]

The 60's and 70's were a whole differrent era. It was a very tumultuous time with the body counts beind aired on the news every night and the rioting and protesting. Throw in the hippie movement, equal rights and the SLA and there was really a lot going on.

I think Muscle cars may have gained popularity as a result of the diversion that they created from every day life. They helped to bring fathers and sons together in a time when sons were coming home in body bags. I remember when I was about 13 my dad bought a brand new 71 Camaro. I was hooked.

I spent the summer of 73 roofing houses for minimum wage and somehow managed to save $700.00 to buy my first car. I wanted a first generation Camaro but they were running around $900.00 used so I had to settle for a 66 GTO that I paid $675.00 for.
Ah, those were the days. I never lost the desire to own a Camaro and 25 years later when the opportunity presented itself I bought my 67 SS.

I had a lot of fun with the GTO as a teenager. It had some problem that caused the back tires to wear a lot faster than the front ones. I never did figure that one out. I really got to know my dad a lot better when I bought the car. He would go out of his way to find things to work on with me.

I get a little melancholy when I look back on those times. There was a lot of sadness in America and yet you could tell that the world was changing for the better. Prejudices were falling, the war was winding down, sexual freedom was being born and life in general was starting to get better.

The muscle car era was about all of this stuff that was going on in 60's and early 70's, not just about the cars. Maybe that's part of the reason it died in the early 70's. Maybe it just didn't need to go on anymore. Of course, it never died in the hearts of those that lived it.

Scott.

[Codi]

Lets see....the 60's and 70's.....I remember my fist car, a 63 Impaqla SS, 327 4 speed, posi. Cool car. Girlfriend (now 1st ex) loved the car. Sold it for a 67 Camaro. Built a 327 for it. Great car. I also recall a low lottery number (draft), basic training, instant worldwide travel, but ended up in one place. Lots of trees, rain, humidity, people trying to kill me, my buddies. Sorry. I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now. They were great years. Muscle cars (before the EPA) were awesome. Just think, for teh right amount of money, you could walk into any showroom and order a ZL-1 Camaro, Boss 302, Hemi Cuda. Damn! those were the years. Think of the car parts you threw away and what they are worth now.

[67killerb]

In high school in 67, it was a blast. A couple of guys (brothers) owned a 65 Mustang convertible with Cragar mags on it. Was the best looking car in the lot at school. My cousin had a couple of buddies that had muscle cars. 390 Javlin that was driven by a guy about 6' 3" and 350lbs. Strong as an ox that guy was. Too bad he didn't know how to drive. Another guy had a Yellow 69 Z28 with a 396 he bought brand new. Took out the 396 to do some work on it and when he put it back in, dropped it on the front upper valence and dinged it pretty good. This same guy had a 66 Chevelle, red with a 396 4 speed. Those days you could fry the tires in front of your buddies house and the neighbors just laughed and thought you were a goofy kid, wasting his money on tires. Today, you'll get hauled off or ticketed. Everyone today is too up-tight and worried about someone getting hurt, making too much noise with their car. Not the thumper sound systems but the tire screeching and loud engines. A guy my cousin dated in high school totaled about 3 cars in high school, finally settled on a 66 Chevelle, was hell on wheels, married my cousin and became a Cop. Go figure! Another cousin had a very nice Ford Fairlane and we had many a discussion about Fords vs Chevy's. Another cousin bought a 67 Chevy Impala w/396 4 speed new, for something like $3400-$3700 if I remember right. We could go fill the tank for .25 a gallon and cruise all night. Today, we have ordinances where the cops will ticket you if they see you cruseing up and down one stretch of road more than once in an hour. I don't understand that one at all. The good old days. If I only had had the brains to buy one or two of those cars and keep them.

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67 Coupe
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>ZZ4
<LI>12 Bolt Auburn Posi
<LI>4-Spd
<LI>reassembling it now[/list]

[camarodave]

We were and still are a F@&% family so most of my memories are of those cars. In 1967, I was 10 yrs old, my Dad's first lease car was a '67 Ford XL500 convert. with a big block in it. After that his lease cars were, '68 GT500 Shelby,'69GT500 Shelby,'70 Torino Cobra 429SCJ,'71 Mustang GT 351C. The Shelbys and Mustang were all Converts. A coworker friend of his had a '66 GT40 street car that he would trade to my dad oaccasionally when he needed a 4 seater. This same guy also had a '71 Pantera. My Grandpa had a '66 Mustang GT 289 hipo convert. My uncle had a '70 or'71 340 Duster. I have a Camaro because when I saw my first Camaro comercial on TV in '67, I had to have one.

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camarodave
'69Z 23,000 orig. miles
Rallye Green/White stripes

[Chris Davis]

What a cool topic, especially for us who grew up in that time frame.

I got my driver's license in 69 and graduated from a small town mid western high school in 72. EVERYONE had a muscle car of some sort. All we did was ride up and down the main drag all night, every night. During the evenings muscle cars were the only things on the road. We would probably run 10 times a night from a stop light for a block or so. The police basically looked the other way. There was a piece of pavement on the edge of town we would race on. It was a lot like some of the movies I have seen. You might have half a dozen drag races during an evening with 50 cars and 100 spectators watching.

It was usually the farmers against the city boys. There were two different speed shops, one that catered to each group. I drove a 69 Camaro Convertible, 69 Mercury Merauder, 69 Dart Swinger and a 65 Corvair Corsa during those years. I hate to admit it but the Mopar kicked ass.

It always seemed like the best running car was the one with no hood, owned by the guy with a bad reputation that never combed his hair or washed his hands. We had little respect for the guy who's wealthy daddy bought him a car. We ALL took the Vocational Autos class at the high school. The turn arounds at each end of town were the Dog & Suds and the A & W. We went to the drive in movie and the local drag strip every weekend.

I want to go back there again!… Those were the best times of my life. I suppose that is why we build these cars today, to try to resurrect some of the best years of our lives.

[choptop]

Unfortunately I was not nearly old enough to drive or work on cars in the '60s. I do, however, remember seeing lots of really cool cars. There was a guy on the end of my block who had a Hugger orange '69 Camaro. My memory is so foggy that I can't recall if it was a Z or SS but I know it had black stripes and was loud. My dad used to shake his fist at the guy when he was rippin' it down the street. I just stood there and gawked as he sped by.

What I remember most about that time was the feeling of well being and comfort. Just seems like things were more simple and better back then (even considering the Nam and the hippies). Maybe it was just being a kid at the right time...

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See my '68 RS/ZZ4

[This message has been edited by choptop (edited 07-26-2002).]

[68Baldwin]

Better then now,no greedy CEO's just plenty of HP

[pete b]

I was born in 62, so I was a little kid in the 60's and 70's muscle car era, but I was in love with those cars. What made it interesting, and aggravating, for me was that my dad worked for Johns-Manville and we lived everywhere but the U.S. When I was 1 we moved to Puerto Rico, then St. Croix, St. John, and Venezuela. The people in the Carribean are avid followers of sports car and motorcycle racing, so I was exposed to that and loved it. Muscle cars were indeed a rarity, although in 69 there were lots of RS Camaros in Venezuela. My dad travelled all over the place, and everytime he went somewhere I begged him to bring me back musclecar magazines. Most of my toy cars and models were sports cars, so everytime he went back to the U.S. he would bring back treasures like the Ramchargers dragster model or the Snake and Mongoose funny cars.
The news media down there was riveted by the war obviously, and the space program, but didn't cover all the war protests and rioting as much. When we went to the States for Christmas with my grandparents I remember being surprised at how much unrest there was here. The common misconception in Latin America was that all Americans were rich and happy and led Ozzie and Harriet type lives. There was always unrest going on somewhere in Venezuela, and you got used to coup attempts and bombings.
The other thing I was starved for was rock and roll. In between mariachi songs you had the ocassional Beatles or Rolling Stones song if you were lucky. I would record hours of radio on reel to reel tapes down in my grandfathers basement on this ancient tape recorder he gave me and listen to them till they wore out back home. My dad was into The Mamas and The Papas and Simon and Garfunkel, my mom was into opera and flamenco, and I wanted Led Zeppelin.
Wow, stuff I haven't thought of in 30 years...good post. Thanks Garfield.

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68 Camaro 355", TH-400, 3.73 10 bolt, Rally rims.
69 Nova 355" TH-350, 4.88 12 bolt, 150 shot...click here to see it.
And a garage full of vintage bmx bikes.