Well i thought because of the nice little thread in photos section. I would ask every one to do something that kid could never remember. What where the original hot rods? What motors were in the original "cool" cars? Makes you think don't it. Post your classic/hot rod/ tuner that got you started. This is not a who has the most horse power who you think looks best. This is remember as Americans we have had a hundred years of auto history. What can you remember about it. I'll start first.
Corvette early ones had 4 cylinder motors and you can't say you don't drool when their around.
Canadians can join to. I will not discriminate. They have some great jbody pioneers up their. Plus the cars that got them started are basically the same as American version..
4 banger corvette???
Like the 1st gens in the late 50s?
How many steps to heaven, Doc?
...Ah, metaphysics.
yep theri was also a 4 banger turbo mustang that was a nasty car.The car that actualy got me started was my buddy's 89 2 dor rs cavalier. damn that thing took a beating.I've had 7 cars in 3 yearsand my favorate to this day was my orig 89 4 door. Parents made me get rid of it.
1st gen F-bodies.. Still love them. First one I worked on was my brother's 69 rs/ss.. Mostly just handing him tools as I was 10 years old.
By the time I was 12 he had moved on to a 67 Firebird. By the time I was 16 that 67 was built into a 10 sec. drag car with a little help from me. At that time I fell in love with the Chevy SB, mostly the 327, but I like them all (except the 305, it's a dog without tons of work).
At 17 I bought my first.. A 68 RS that I lovingly built back to original over the course of 2.5 years, every weekend. It was gogeous the day that the girl in the 1982 town and country wagon ran the red and did it in. Sold the carcass to a collector and didn't even drive for 2 years. That's when I figured out that falling in love with a car is not a good idea.
I also loved the early 60s vettes, all of them... In fact, I like every vette made from 60 to 69 and some of the 70s ones.
Then I discovered the DSMs and found that an I4 turbo can be a lot of fun, fuel injection isn't a bad thing and Japanese engines can be quite good. It was a revelation for me. I never thought much of them before that first Talon. I changed my mind after driving one once.
Now, I am once again back to sanity regarding cars. The last Talon is for sale (to the right buyer) and I drive a PT.
I bought a sportbike and it made my obsession with tuning a 4 banger look silly. All that power I'm making with that DSM is nothing compaired to the bike in stock form.. I just ride the bike when I want something quick, and is it ever. 10.5xx out of the box, faster with a little work. Hardly worth build cars anymore, to me...
Yup, I'm a bit older than most here. Pre 1975 Chevy SB(s) are still the best V8 to tune in my opinion, just simply strong and simple. Easy to get power from with normal every day tools, gotta love them. Sure the modern engines are good, but they are not as easy to mess with. They are still fun, but you have to read books
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
Oh, the first tuner cars ever? Likely flathead Fords... Or in Europe, Flat 4 porche engines I'm guessing.
Heck, I bet those old horizontal single piston engines used in industry way back (the very first gasoline engines) had an entusiast crowd. It's in our nature to try to make things faster and more powerful.. It's what we do.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
I claim BS on the 4 banger Vettes.
The first ones were produced with inline sixes, a few were even fuel injected. But, they didn't like the fuel injection back then so they got rid of it.
After a few years they started putting V8's into the Corvettes because of the Thunderbird.. and the whole battle ensued.
1983 Camaro Z28
I may be off but i remember seeing and add for an old vette motor back when they were roadsters it was a 2.2 with a carb. Ling 427 you probably know allot more than i but. neither one can disprove it yet. I am looking for proof.
And so i ask what got you started?
The first vette spec'd
here
Other interesting Vette trivia
here
I don't see any 4 bangers.. They were the first (production) car to have 1HP per cubic inch in 1957 with the 283.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
I was wrong thank you for the info hahahaha. i saw in an ad and thought it was odd.
I'd have to say...the older Fords with the flathead V8s. My dad has a '40 Ford pickup that he's been looking for a matching '40 flathead, currently has a '49 in it. Mom used to have a '35 5 window coupe but sold it. Then you hit the '50s with the Mercuries and Bel-Airs for the hot-rod styling. Give me anything from '30-'57 and you can get a pretty good hot-rod.
*****************************************************
*
* Student of the University of Oklahoma. Go Sooners!
*
*****************************************************
1990 Corsica!
All-American muscle baby!
I love the 5 window coups. I have always wanted a 32 5 window.. No it won't win a race, no it won't win a show.. But it's got that "look" that I like in a hot rod. Yup, just like in American Graffiti.
No sweat on the Vette stuff, I was curious so I looked it up. My Dad was great friends with a guy who owned "Corvette Corners" He had a 53 and 2 54s in his personal collection. Cool cars even if they were steel
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
the car that got me started actually was jason (aplusperformance) and his cavalier
Except he's dreaming about cumulative HP adds. It doesn't work that way.
How it really works... Let's say an intake can add 5HP and an exhaust can add 15 HP... Together you are likely to get 16 or 17HP increase, not 20. His 300HP cav is likely closer to 200 and a bit HP.. Oh ya.. since when do motor mounts add HP... That's just silly. They will help get you launched, put the power down but they do NOT add power.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
i know lol your like the 3rd person to comment on my sig. i was using it to make fun of whoever said it
Silly me for falling for it.. Silly them for saying it in the first place...
So many cool old cars.. What started it all?? Some cave man with his first wheel... They likely raced logs down hill and this cave-dude (or dudette) comes along with a wheel and blows them all away..
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
All i can say is.. '67 Corvette... Bad A-S-S ... that 427 throws down some power
When I step on the gas, I want people to think the world is coming to an end! - Homer J. Simpson
keep them coming were just a few pages short of a good subject
The 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP was the first car that I dreamed about, followed shortly by an Acura Integra, and then in 1999, Pontiac Grand Am GT. Some may say lame choices, but so what.
Have you ever seen a Corvette use the Grand National's Turbo V6?
Well, yep this one did.
Corvette GTP IMSA car
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
I can only remember helping my dad work on his half-ton Chevy with the 305. our neighbor had a 1979 (I think that was the year) Toyota 4wd with the 20R that was indestructible. I always loved that truck.
I can't remember what car got me into "cars" though.
Desert Tuners
“When you come across a big kettle of crazy, it’s best not to stir it.”
To be completely honest...it was the RX-7 off of F&F...
Granted...I think I was like 14 or 15 at the time the movie came out...but I've always seen 3rd gen camaro's around my town and kind of liked them...but yeah...it was the fast and the furious...I'm almost ashamed to say that...almost
i grew up with the dukes of hazzard, so the dodge charger was "MY car" ever since i was a kid. a year out of HS i was lucky enough to find a 1974 Charger SE with a 400 4bbl for $300 locally. the body was straignt w/very little rust and the price was magical, so i snapped it up. got a 1977 cordoba with the 400 4bbl to steal the engine out of (it ran great!). but of course i had never even changed oil back then, so i didnt really know what i was doing. i was trying to save some $$ to fix it when i wrecked my DD (93 POS festiva) and was forced to get a hefty loan on a new car--my cavi.
after more than a year of the charger sitting w/o being worked on, and the idea that i would never be able to pay for a new car AND mod one at the same time, i decided it was in my best interest to let her go. so i sold her to an enthusiast. afterwards i found the .org and found out that you COULD mod a cav, even on a budget. so i loaded up the CCs and eventually started my online biz and the cav became a substitute for the charger with my modding passion.
for the past 6 years i have missed my charger and i WILL buy another one as soon as i get a good job. i am graduating with my BA now, so i am hoping that i will finally have some extra money soon. a 71-72 Charger, preferably an RT, Rallye, or base model---NOT the SE (i hate the rear 1/4 windows on them)---will be my car of choice. i plan on doing a black on black color with a resto-mod theme (very mild mods such as shaved doors, dump offs, hidden headlights, and rims) and swapping in either a 383, 426, or 440. it makes me glad to think that i am finally close to getting my first dream car again.
pic of the OG that started it all........
When I was growing up it seemed liek my dad always had health problems, when i was small he had cancer, messed up his knee preaty bad resulting in a few surgeries, a couple back surgeries, sholder surgeries, his hand went through a table saw etc.. etc.. it was one thing after another. He worked doing physical labor and would kill himself for work to make money and always come home limping or barely able to move, it wasn't uncommon for him to be on bed rest a few days at a time form throwing out his back etc.. so long story short, he could never play catch or basketball in the driveway or anything liek that, the only time we ever really spent time together was when he would take me to car related stuff. He would tkae me to muscle car car shows, every year all the men of the fmaily would go to Indy for the INdy 500, we used to go see dirt track racing out by my grandpa, etc.. but the only time we ever really spent together was always related to cars.
The first cars I remeber specifically was my grandpas neighbors race car. It was a 95 LT1 style Impala that was a purpose built drag car and he took me for a ride, and since then I've been hooked on cars LOL. Since then there were a couple other key cars... 71 cuda, it was love at first site. And after that in highschool our buddy got a mint condition 85? Trans Am with a 350 and that was really the first time me and my friends got into cars and modifying them etc..
But yeah thats pretay much how I got started.
