The good old days, really?

[chromebumpers]

I had an opportunity today to drive a 100% restored 1967 Impala 396, 4 spd. with something close to a 3:73 rear. The performance wasn't what I expected. This car was done originally by Year One and a top builder in Messa, Az and finished in September this year. It won top honors in some Bow-tie show with 998 points out of 1000. I had high expectations and yet I believe my silverado, LBZ Duramax could beat that this car in the quarter mile and a rally race! The steering was too light to the touch and over-steer was too easy. The tires hardly gripped the road and when they did it felt like the road was snow covered. The seat reminded me of days long ago riding in the school bus seat only lower. On the road course I had the chance to get over 100 mph and I was actually scared that I would lose control (and I have taken serveral race school lessons). Brakes, what brakes? Even with stock 2 inch exhaust the 396 sounded great and I wish there was a car made today that could sound like a 60's Big block! Experiencing the BB sound, burning rubber, road noise and the sweat producing effort to stay straight or maintain control pulling through the twisted turns all make the feeling you are in a really fast car. An hour later I repeated the same track events driving this time a 2005 V-6 Mustang. The results: The bone stock Mustang almost 2 seconds faster in the 1/4 mile and nearly 35% faster on the 4 lap road course (in the Mustang).

 

[Indycars]

About a year ago I saw a 63 Nova for sale that looked really nice. Now granted it was just a 6 cyl, but it didn't handle anything like I remembered my 64 Nova. I thought maybe it was just that car and didn't give it much thought until I read your comments.

I often hear a comment like, "I don't know they made it without air conditioning". To me it's obvious, when you've never had better then you don't miss it. So the new cars are kinda like having air conditioning, you really miss it when you've had better.

I'm interested to know who would let someone else drive their car like you did on that race track, must be one hell of a good friend or you paid for the privilege.

The type of track and how much of it was straight-away would most definitely have an effect on which car turned better times. Speed thru the corners is not a function of horsepower. But I'm sure you new that and I'm not telling you anything new.

But it had to be fun, what kind of an event did you attend???

 

[grumpyvette]

just a few points, having worked on dozens of similar cars.....
the 1967 impala more than likely has a vastly inferior suspension, both traction and directional stability would make the cars handling far from ideal. and the original style tires are a joke for even the stock torque levels and the impala is likely to weight 500lbs-800lbs more than the mustang
the impala has 46 year old suspension technology
the 396 big block in stock form rarely exceeded 350 hp at the fly wheel, and while it has a great potential, the stock exhaust, cam and intake and heads all restrict power.
the original tires have very limited traction.
having worked rather extensively with big block chevy engines for the last 40 plus years I can assure you the stock configuration on most 366-427-454 car engines with only a few exceptions were restricted in power from what could rather easily be reached if your willing to do the required changes
adding an extra 100 hp or more with the addition of long tube headers, upgraded , low restriction 3" dual exhaust, a new more aggressive cam , intake and some head port work is very easily done

http://maliburacing.com/patrick_budd_article.htm

adding the correctly selected intake heads and cam, to a 396 with headers and a low restriction exhaust converts it to a totally different power level, and if you want to is also very simple to swap in a 4" or even a 4.25" stroker crank

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=2165

http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles ... 1/A-P1.htm

http://www.airflowresearch.com/index.php?cPath=68_111

http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0605c ... ewall.html

http://www.superchevy.com/tech/0102sc_3 ... ck_engine/

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/ ... ewall.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... ewall.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/11 ... ewall.html

http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles ... 7/A-P1.htm

 

[chromebumpers]

There is a recently closed Naval Air base near me, Willow Grove. Some oranization is using one of the runways for the 1/4 mile and the service roads around the base for a road course. It's something to do with a driving school sponsored by GM when you buy a new ZRI Corvette and a new ZL1 Camaro. The location is for the Regional GM dealers to bring the school to the North East instead of going to the West Coast schools. Funny, there are very few of the ZRs or the ZLs and the cars provided by the school are Mustangs, Vipers, Camaros. The Impala belongs to a Chevy dealer owner where I buy all my Chevys and who is also a close friend. He bought it from a very recent car auction and his plans are to recontruct this car to a "Restomod" for promotional display. I got into this closed course as an assistant to the Medi-Vac EM Doctor (my wife).