"Muscle Car Confidential: Confessions of a Muscle Car Test Driver" + other road tests

[2ndAmend]

My dad had 1 with the 360 lean burn.

I inherited my father's '79 Diplomat station wagon with a 318 Lean Burn. It ran like crap and no one would buy it. I donated it to the high school. POS!!!

 

[DavidKFla]

I inherited my father's '79 Diplomat station wagon with a 318 Lean Burn. It ran like crap and no one would buy it. I donated it to the high school. POS!!!

I remember his ended up on the hook a few times. I don't know how long they kept it but it seemed to run fine after the work around was done.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

They were slow. My Datsun 260Z laughed at them, Trans Ams and Corvettes.

The 260-Z's 17.8 @ 81 mph (below) doesn't best the above posted Z-28's 16.3 @ 83 mph or the T/A's 16.9 @ 82 mph.

And road test results from 1970's era Corvettes (bottom) from a forum post are even quicker at 14.9 sec - 16.1 sec.

1974 Datsun 260-Z


1975 L48 / 1976 L82 / 1976 L82

 

[DavidKFla]

The 260-Z's 17.8 @ 81 mph doesn't best the above posted Z-28's 16.3 @ 83 mph or the T/A's 16.9 @ 82 mph.

And road test results from 1970's era Corvettes (taken below from a forum post) are even quicker than the Z-28 and T/A (14.9 sec - 16.1 sec).

1974 Datsun 260-Z
View attachment 154775

1975 L48 / 1976 L82 / 1976 L82
View attachment 154776

mine had some goodies.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

mine had some goodies.

ahhhhhhh

Now it makes sense.

 

[DavidKFla]

ahhhhhhh

Now it makes sense.

tuned by a great Datsun guy with exhaust, air intake, etc. It woke it right up.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

tuned by a great Datsun guy with exhaust, air intake, etc. It woke it right up.

Running 17.8 quarters stock, besides the exhaust/air intake I'm more curious as to what the "etc." was. 😉

 

[DavidKFla]

Running 17.8 quarters stock, besides the exhaust/air intake I'm more curious as to what the "etc." was. 😉

it's been 40+ years and about that many cars ago. I know he reworked the carbs, the distributor and other stuff. Didn't take much to make it run really well.

 

[John G.]

I know it's apples to oranges, but it's interesting that my DSRT392 is faster, brakes better, corners better, has a higher top speed,
and costs ~same (adjusted for inflation) as the GNX. Just FYI ...

Yes, but it doesn't have that old school, big single turbo kick, like a jet fighter taking off. I still remember my test drive of a 1987 GN. It was the Hellcat of its day.

 

[Prange]

late 70's cars struggling for power is why the new 1982 157 hp Mustang GT was heralded as "the Boss is back" ...

1982 Mustang GT
(*note: this test was a pre-production version, actual 1982 GT's still ran a very fast for its time 8.0 sec 0-60)
View attachment 154748

View attachment 154749

They had an incredible amount of wheel-hop.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

Yes, but it doesn't have that old school, big single turbo kick, like a jet fighter taking off. I still remember my test drive of a 1987 GN. It was the Hellcat of its day.

Well, to me the "big single turbo kick" means the nasty lag you got in old school turbos. It was the "all or nothing" turbos of its day.

 

[SilverBillet]

Running 17.8 quarters stock, besides the exhaust/air intake I'm more curious as to what the "etc." was. 😉

My 1969 318 Dodge 15 passenger van with snow tires on the back ran 17’s!

 

[DavidKFla]

My 1969 318 Dodge 15 passenger van with snow tires on the back ran 17’s!

my 68 Lemans with a 350 and 2 speed automatic ran 16s stock.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

They had an incredible amount of wheel-hop.

Owned/raced 4 Fox bodies, don't recall excessive wheel hop issues drag racing the 1982 (it was stock).

Then got an 1983 GT where Ford tweaked the suspension (C&D test doesn't mention wheel hop).

After that had an 1985 GT where the Quad shock rear was introduced (more for handling than anything else).

 

[rookerrobert]

Another dog was the 77 road runner I had one it was just painted up Volare mine only had a 318 but some had 360 but I dont think either was quick

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

Another dog was the 77 road runner I had one it was just painted up Volare mine only had a 318 but some had 360 but I dont think either was quick

Maybe it wasn't fast, but I actually think it looks pretty good ...

"Parked In ’89! 1977 Plymouth Road Runner"
https://barnfinds.com/parked-89-1977-plymouth-road-runner/

 

[Prange]

Owned/raced 4 Fox bodies, don't recall excessive wheel hop issues drag racing the 1982 (it was stock).

Then got an 1983 GT where Ford tweaked the suspension (C&D test doesn't mention wheel hop).

After that had an 1985 GT where the Quad shock rear was introduced (more for handling than anything else).

View attachment 154781

View attachment 154790

View attachment 154794

The early ones were awful - (1979-1982). I had 1979 that I bought new.

 

[RetiredFirefighter]

The early ones were awful - (1979-1982). I had 1979 that I bought new.

Ok, so that was before Ford got focused on fixing the axle wind up.

Makes sense.