OK, everyone knows that muscle cars are cool, right? Look at the Charger in Fast and the Furious, the Trans Am of Smokey and the Bandit, and the Shelby GT500E of Gone In Sixty Seconds. Hollywood has long since used them to instill onto the audience that this is one mean car. Me and my family have long been hooked on them since I was a little kid. My first car was a 1975 Plymouth Duster. I know the name does not provoke instant awe, but trust me it was a cool car. I am currently looking for previous pix to post later. Anyway, the point is, these cars of the late sixties and early to mid seventies have left a definite impression on America. Yes they use a lot of gas, they are supposed to. Yes they are loud, oh yeah they are and we love them for it. But the real issue with some people is how fast are they? Now this is where these cars get interesting… I mean you take a 3000 plus pound car, cram a huge motor in it, and drive the wee out of it… all the while feeling your pulse quicken with every shift and your breathing hasten as the RPM’s rev higher and higher and higher. Catch your breath, grab the next gear and repeat. Meanwhile, you feel the seat pressing harder and harder against your back, as you slowly sink into the leather (Man! G-Forces rock). The whole experience is orgasmic. It is like your own personal roller coaster as long as the “men in blue” don’t show up.
The simplicity of these automobiles pleases the shade-tree mechanic and keeps them well within reach of the do-it-yourselfer. The aesthetics please everyone from the finicky to the grungy guy down the street. I mean how many Lamborghini Diablo's look good in primer. But, take a junkyard 1969 Dodge Charger, install a massive 426 Hemi, and buy 10 cans of Wal-Mart primer and, viola, you have one tough car. Which brings me to my next point which is purely relative. Line up two cars, one 2000 Ford Mustang and one 1971 Pontiac GTO. As the bragging begins about time slips and wheel size, eventually someone is going to ask “So, what does it have in it?” The Mustang guy says “5.0”. While the GTO guy responds with “455” or “400” or “350”. Sure all you car guys are screaming right now…hey 5.0 could be 351 or bigger. Geez, I know this, but like I said, this is relative. The Pontiac GTO’s specs just sound more daunting at this point. Yea this comes back to a guy’s thought of size matters, but we are talking about a world that used to be entirely driven by petroleum and testosterone. The likes of Danika Patrick and other females have proven their worth in this environment, all the while stomping some overly swelled egos.
Why have I ranted on about this? The answer is because I am going to show some detail of the vehicles I have posted in the past. All of the cars posted before will get angle to angle coverage with some of their unique history and importance to myself and others. I am hoping to also include cars that some of my friends have, providing I can catch up with them. I hope you enjoy the pix and short histories. For those that bore of this “stuff”, you probably quit reading LONG ago. Hope you enjoy your hybrid.