The Cars! Your automobile / vehicle / wheels

[RealRam]

Alright Rambeaus and Rambinas, as we've all noticed -- sort of, ey? -- we're smack in the middle of OFF SEASON. No kidding.

The threads are, well, mostly and r-e-a-l-l-y off NFL rapport and topic. But I'm not complaining! This is one of the portals I most enjoy anywhere in the Internet (consider the millions of sites).

THIS IS RAM COUNTRY. And proud of it.

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For each and every Gearhead, SPEED Channel / HorsePower enthusiast and car collector / car crazy person that either, a. loses sleep over a car, b. is working on one or c. just downright hates and despises a particular automobile, let's hear it!

Yours truly? Well *ehem, ehem*...

'Been working on our 71 Chevelle Street Machine for about 7 years now. Tranny has been rebuilt and a 350 cid, .060 bore over with a PERFORMANCE output of 400HP on a 9.3:1 compression ratio / pump gas has been achieve via...

FlowTech headers,
MSD HEI distributor,
Proform roller rockers,
Dart Iron Eagle heads,
Rebuilt stock crankshaft,
Royal Purple multi-grade oil,
MSD 8.5 mm spark plug wires,
Child's & Albert main bearings,
Comp Cams Magnum camshaft,
Lucas Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer,
SpeedPro forged pistons, light & rods,
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold,
Edelbrock Thunder Series AVS 650 cfm carburetor,
'75 Sellected Chevy 350 block, 4 blt. main, professionally treated,
...and, you got it, much TLC!

Next in line for this project: a new Strange Engineering D60 complete rearend unit, 4:10 gears.

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Cars I despise with a passion (no offense, please): Hyundai, Mitsubishi, DaeWood, Izusu, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Toyota, KIA.

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Cars I am seriously fond of: Performance GM from late 60s-1972 including an '87 Grand National GNX; Stock Buicks from 50s-70s, 95 to date, and the like. ...Tiger Woods is my buddy.

13s, 12s, 11s on a Quarter mile would be S'WEET! Vrrrrooooom!


Tell us of your dreams or nightmares on wheels. It's the off season...

[RealRam]

Forgot to mention: once all the main mechanical moves are in place (including power windows), a good measure of professional body work and paint are in order. My wife is to make final decision on color.

We have also chosen a very nice upholstery shop for the interior -- again, wifey selects fabric and vynil.

Tires in mind are Firestone Firehawks, 7X15. Chrome wheels already rolling.

Insurance will probably be through Grundy. This is not a show car. It is one of my hobbies.

[RealRam]

Come on now, does everybody in ClanRam ride the bus? :O No, I do not believe it.

There MUST be a cherished Hardley-Davidson out there, a dear Corvette or a new Ford Mustang or old Maverick to share here.

Start your engines people. We need a ride.

[psycho9985]

Originally Posted by RealRam

Forgot to mention: once all the main mechanical moves are in place (including power windows), a good measure of professional body work and paint are in order. My wife is to make final decision on color.

We have also chosen a very nice upholstery shop for the interior -- again, wifey selects fabric and vynil.

Tires in mind are Firestone Firehawks, 7X15. Chrome wheels already rolling.

Insurance will probably be through Grundy. This is not a show car. It is one of my hobbies.

Better hope she doesnt pick pink and white

[cowboyhater]

Well, I am a rear wheel drive man myself. Unfortunately so much salt is used around here (Rockford, IL) that I rarely take out my 1965 gold Chrysler 300. (Rather pedestrian, stock 383 with a Carter 4 barrel, stock dual exhaust, only upgrades are alloy wheels and the Chrysler electronic ignition upgrade) It needs some work to bring it back to form.

So, I get by with an '89 Chrysler Fifth Avenue (the last RWD V-8 Chrysler made until this year). It is a mid-size masquerading as a full-size luxury car. The missus drives a '91 Ford Aerostar extended length. (No power, but quite reliable, though a bit tired at 190,000 miles)

[psycho9985]

I restored a 1972 chevy fleetside,loved that truck.Put about 6k into it.when I bought the basket case for $600 in 89 it was about three different vehicles.I think it came from Oklahoma.anyway. I put a stock rear end in it new sway bar coil springs drive line tranney,Had the motor rebuilt (350)got the body straightened out.new tranney lasted about two weeks.I hate 350 turbos,so I got a 400 gas eating tow package tranney tough s.o.b.Put alot of chrome on it.had a rare transparent distributor cap accell plug wires.Edelbrock highrise intake manifold dual exhaust, headers illegal as hell in ca.bought eveything stock except the starter I bought an after market starter while I was waiting for a chromed delco.Something went wrong way wrong< all I can think of that happened was i got polarity reversed from the starter or it manufactured on an assemblyline with pot heads.anyway My truck caught fire one day burned it bad.I parted it out got maybe 1200 back,but when it ran it ran 15s in the quarter 650 holley dual feed helped.Got beat only once by a 1970 roadrunner.Havent had the heart to start again after the fire.

[gap]

Originally Posted by cowboyhater

Well, I am a rear wheel drive man myself. Unfortunately so much salt is used around here (Rockford, IL) that I rarely take out my 1965 gold Chrysler 300. (Rather pedestrian, stock 383 with a Carter 4 barrel, stock dual exhaust, only upgrades are alloy wheels and the Chrysler electronic ignition upgrade) It needs some work to bring it back to form.

Drooling as I say, thay aint nottin pedestrian about a MOPAR 383. Especially in a '65 300.

Have you considered having someone "Hemi" the head for ya? There used to be a guy in CA that did that. Of course, that was 20 years ago. Probably a lot of people that do that now.

I started to rebuild a 58 Buick Special years ago, but a loss of a job forced my dad to sell it. Although, he did keep his 54 New Yorker Deluxe with a 331 Hemi. Nice ride.

My first car was a '68 Plymouth Fury III two-door hard top. Only had a 2 barrel 318 in it, but it beat a lot of 327s and twobolt 350s.

Hates? The GM corp.

Wants? A Viper, Prowler, Crossfire, 99-01 Miata (with side-pipes=Poor mans mini Viper), or 1967 Plymouth Fury 2d HT

Not working on any yet.

gap

[Ferter]

Ok I must admit, I have been a gearhead since I was a teen. Not so much anymore, but I have been there.


My first love was a '69 mustang fastback. Had her for many years. Restored to near perfection and then sold in the late 80's. Very sexy looking car, but it drove like a tank.

I had a pinto and a 68 F-100 at one time - enough said.......:tongue:

I also owned a 68 Chevy Suburban. What a ride she was. Took her to Alaska and back. Sold her to another family member and she has now been put out to pasture.

I still own a 1971 Chevy Cheyene. It is a rocket ship for an old pick-up. Lots of mods and three engines over the years with her. My favorite of those engines was a small block 400, ported and polished heads, 9:1 pistons, Edelbrock performer intake, numerous carbs, the best being the 800 cfm quadrajet, and a mildly over-stock cam. It has the turbo 350 (BTW - never had a problem with them psycho). I'm thinking of selling the truck - anymore it is just old junk to me. Guess my '03 Silverado has spoiled me.

My baby is a 1995 torch-red Chevy Corvette. She is all stock with very low miles and mostly sits covered in the garage. I still love to take her out now and then and twist her tail. I have had her up to 150 mph (which is illegal as hell in all states, including CA) and she handled flawlessly at that speed.

P.S.
(RealRam) - 400 hp from a fully aspirated Chevy 350 with 9.3:1 pistons - hmmm - good job.

(psycho) - I have seen the positive polarity cable that runs from your battery to the starter get worn spots in the insulation, thereby going to ground and becoming so hot they start a fire.

[theodus69]

AHHHHHH. The Shelby Cobra! Never had one and probably never will but damn I love that car! Oh and there ain't nothing wrong with a Honda. The way the gas prices in California are. :tongue:

[RealRam]

Good stories. One's wheels need not always be for racing. But if they're there, spin'em!

Psycho, no, no. We're looking at metallic light greens or a Forrest Green among top five colors. My wife knows better than a pinky Chevelle. Hee-hee. Almost not even funny...

Ferter, I did not build the small block, rather a local master mechanic did. He has a nice shop and was himself a Hot Camaro Racer (2 cars) for several years around here in Oregon.

He's one of those very smart engine designers, extremely careful in selecting/combining the vital organs and in putting them together with much skill and experience. The Dart heads were not even ported.

The rebuilt transmission, BTY, is the good'ol TH350 but we got a B&M 2800 stall converter in it, necessary for the hot camshaft. Forgot to mention this important component on my list.

Hye, HEMI's are gooood too! I like the TV commercials on that.

PS: my very first car was a '65 Mustang 289, automatic. Smooth and peppy.

[RealRam]

Theodus! As you can see, I posted the same time you did about the Shelby.

My first car love was exactly that. I remember seeing as a youngster a new, red GT500KR.

The lines. The 428 Jet. Mercy! :O

Time turned me into a GM man and have never looked back. But the Shelby's 350GT and 500GT fastbacks hold a special place in my heart. How about Steve McQueen's mean 67(?) Mustang in Bullitt...


Anyone into MGs or Triumphs?

My jaw-dropping admiration also goes to those beautiful prototype monster cars that became legends in LeMans in the late 60s and into the 70s: Ford's GT40. Porsche, Lola.

[theodus69]

I saw a glimpse of the new Charger. Looked pretty *****in!

[Scidog68]

1967 Mercury Cougar XR7...... 302 bored .030 over, 351W heads w/ a 3 angle valve grind. Stainless valves. Comp Cams 520. TRW 10:1 comp. pistons w/ Venolia rods and ARP bolts. FoMoCo Blue crank. Ford Cobra dual-plane alum. intake w/ Holley 750 DP (rebuilt by me). B & M C4 tranny. 9- bolt rearend w/ Strange Limited-slip pumpkin. Factory leather inside.




Blew a power steering hose on the road one day. Fire. Never was the same. Traded it for two kids, a wife and a mortgage. I LOVED that car but it was the best trade I ever made. :upset:

[theodus69]

Sixty-five Ford Falcon. Diamond tuck app, Root beer Brown, custom wheels, looked sharp. Did 0-60 in about 10 minutes. Got me to school late every day! :tongue:

[RealRam]

Theodus, BTW, that GT500KR I referred to was a 68 (I prefer over the 67).

Ferter, 400 HP is in theory, that is, strictly going by the math in the parts. I kept insisting to Mike, Mr. Master Mechanic if, based on said calculations, the engine would reach 375 -- not at the wheels. He says, "I wish you would dyno it. It should be around 400."

Once the 3700 lb. Chevelle is completed I'll certainly look into that test. Sure, even dyno's can be somewhat off but if should yield a good, reliable baseline of stallions.

I often read magazines such as Chevy High Performance, Car Craft, Super Chevy, etc. It is amazing how technology has vastly improved the manufacturing quality of the American aftermarket parts!

Even for normally aspirated motors under 10:1 CR. Provided they're put together right.

American Muscle Cars. They've made such a come back. Baby boomers...