Back in my younger days.

[Black02Silverado]

This was back in Dec of 1982. My senior year in HS. If you look closely I had on my Genesse Beer can knitted hat on. LOL This was my 68 Impala Custom with a 225hp 327 and turbo 400. I paid $400 for it in 1976. I wanted to get a motorcycle but mom and dad said no to that, but I could get a car. Got it from the original owner with 77k miles on it. The original owner ran nothing but Quaker State Deluxe in it. When I tore it apart to rebuild it, it was super clean inside. Had the engine rebuilt at 100k due to popping up through the carb at high RPM, cause was the typical rounded cam lobs that they had. So I rebuild it back with a blue printed Crane Cams 300hp cam. Later on at 180k miles the lifters went bad and so I replaced them and added "double hump" 300hp heads. From that day on I couldn't use regular or it would ping like crazy. Sadly it fell to the PA salt and the trunk rusted pretty bad and I sold it. If I knew then what I know now I would have kept it and fixed it.

 

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Edited February 13, 2023 by Black02Silverado

[KARNUT]

I had a 68 fastback with a 307 power glide. My wife had a 69 regular impala custom. It had 327 power glide. Both bought used low mileage. Mine had a 4 barrel, dual exhaust. The 69 was stock. It had torque straps on it. The air cleaner had a factory sticker on it that said 275 hp. It was much quicker stock than the 68 307 with the 4 barrel dual exhaust. Mine after a few years and 100K miles was sold and I bought my first truck. The 69 was traded in on a 74 nova custom. 350-350 4 barrel duals. A tire smoking ( nope) 165HP. The first thing I did was a B&M shift kit. I massage it over time.

[garagerog]

Stan, that 275 hp 327 was a good performer. My folks had a 66 4 door Impala hardtop with that motor. Pretty sure that motor had a 10.75:1 compression ratio which was pretty stout for a stock family car engine in those days. Back on the farm we had 3 bulk fuel tanks, diesel, a tank for regular gas for farm trucks, and a tank for premium for Dad's cars. Back then octane was only a measure of research octane, not the average of research and motor that you see today. The premium gas we got then was rated at 100+ research octane and had so much tetra-ethyl lead in it, it was almost a purplish color. That version of the 327 liked it.

[KARNUT]

12 minutes ago, garagerog said:

Stan, that 275 hp 327 was a good performer. My folks had a 66 4 door Impala hardtop with that motor. Pretty sure that motor had a 10.75:1 compression ratio which was pretty stout for a stock family car engine in those days. Back on the farm we had 3 bulk fuel tanks, diesel, a tank for regular gas for farm trucks, and a tank for premium for Dad's cars. Back then octane was only a measure of research octane, not the average of research and motor that you see today. The premium gas we got then was rated at 100+ research octane and had so much tetra-ethyl lead in it, it was almost a purplish color. That version of the 327 liked it.

My wife was driving the 69. I told her just to 60. I’m power braking and get the leave. She with no experience had me by two lengths at 60. 

[Black02Silverado]

16 hours ago, KARNUT said:

I had a 68 fastback with a 307 power glide. My wife had a 69 regular impala custom. It had 327 power glide. Both bought used low mileage. Mine had a 4 barrel, dual exhaust. The 69 was stock. It had torque straps on it. The air cleaner had a factory sticker on it that said 275 hp. It was much quicker stock than the 68 307 with the 4 barrel dual exhaust. Mine after a few years and 100K miles was sold and I bought my first truck. The 69 was traded in on a 74 nova custom. 350-350 4 barrel duals. A tire smoking ( nope) 165HP. The first thing I did was a B&M shift kit. I massage it over time.

Yeah,  I put a B&M shift kit in this turbo 400.  Super easy. 

[richard wysong]

I also had a 68 Impala custom, 307 PG, bought it for $100 cuz of noisy valve train. Adjust the valves quieted it right down. I had to part it out after getting away in a police chase the second time for dumb traffic stuff. The first chase started because the car had fat bias ply tires on it and after a rain shower I was going around a cloverleaf a little too fast and the ass broke loose and it did a perfect 360 without even touching the curb and kept going the same direction, I was impressed but I don't think the state cop behind me was. I think my license was suspended at the time so I got far enough in front of him that I was able to pull in my garage without him seeing me. Second chase was bad so we won't go there. I guess I was a little crazy back in the day, I was never able to renew my license until my late 40s as they always took it away before it expired

[KARNUT]

New Jersey had a very strict point system. My first two weeks I had 10 points. 12 was the limit. Then it’s 3 years to clean the slate. Then I got a too fast for conditions ticket doing the 50 mph speed limit in the rain. That’s right it was pretty tough. I went to court on that one. The judge said tough noggies 60 days. The fact it was almost 3 years later than the first two and I was married and had a kid. That I brought to court didn’t faze the judge. I drove anyway to work, had to make a living. I’ve only had one since.

Edited February 15, 2023 by KARNUT

[diyer2]

Bought a 70 Nova SS for $1500 in 72. Motor work, drive line work, trans work, suspension work. High 11"s second 1/4 mile street car. Did all the work myself except the trans. 

I would love to have a muscle car but living on dirt roads doesn't work for me.

[richard wysong]

I had a 75 Nova SS that I bought for $300 because it needed a pilot bearing, 350 4bbl ,4 speed. I turned it into a circle track car, when I showed up at the track with it ppl told me I was nuts for ruining such a nice car. It was a GREAT race car, it handled great with the suspension mods but was underpowered. Eventually the stock 350 blew, put still ran, When I started it to drive it on to the trailer it blew a piston out the side of the block, it kept running but the piston was laying on the ground still smoking. I was surprised it was only a 2 bolt main engine when I pulled it. I put a well built 355 in and raced it for a couple more years winning  a few races and many heats

[richard wysong]

If we still had some of the muscle cars we grew up with we would be rich, just a few of mine were a 65 GTO ragtop, 66 Chevelle SS 396, 55 Chevy 2 door wagon 327 ,4speed

[KARNUT]

18 minutes ago, richard wysong said:

If we still had some of the muscle cars we grew up with we would be rich, just a few of mine were a 65 GTO ragtop, 66 Chevelle SS 396, 55 Chevy 2 door wagon 327 ,4speed

Nomad, I remember those. Between me and my family I experienced them all even a couple Shelby’s. My wife was the only one that kept a collector. My attitude was so many choices too little time.

[Donstar]

Memories of past vehicles leaves me with a couple of favorites.   I know that if money and space were not an issue, I'd have a '69 F100 and a '64 Galaxie 500 XL in my garage.  I think if my current '15 Sierra had 50+ years to simmer in my mind it would achieve top billing.  It helps ease the pain of not owning a classic by imagining I'm driving a future coveted motor vehicle!

[KARNUT]

I was lucky enough to experience what people call classic these days. My last was a 64 el Camino 327-250 close ratio 4 speed with factory air. Black on black. Just a few years ago. I was great to look at. Drove like a school bus. Large steering wheel, lousy brakes. If it wasn’t original I would have modernized most everything. The one that checks my box is the Trailblazer SS. Price performance a corvette utility vehicle. I wish GM would get creative again. The last SS was an over priced luxury vehicle. The first SS I passed on.