[Supercamaro64]

Im gonna go ahead and say that i like the 80s cars... While obviously many of them lacked power, i dont get how anyone can say they didnt look good. Even if you dont like them now, they looked good back then, which is why the 3rd generation camaro was around for 10 years. My first car was an 86 camaro, and i love that thing (still have it). My favorite time for cars was probably late 60s-70s, but the 80s arent far behind. I think the 90s kinda sucked (except for a few, such as the vette and camaro). Ill be buying a late 70s camaro this coming spring, not because i dislike the 3rd gens, but i already have one of those. I gotta expand the fleet!

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Cheveey57

My fun car and collectible cars mileage doesn't matter.

Not everybody has the luxury of being able to completely separate the fun cars from the dailys. Some (like me) flat out don't want to. Life's too short to drive some boring little econobox most of the time so that you can drive the fun car once in a while. Buy the car with fun to drive near the top of your list of priorities, then drive it so you get to enjoy it as much as possible.

Granted that that's easier to pull off with some occupations than others, but I still wouldn't want to have to own a vehicle that I wouldn't actively want to drive. Penalty boxes are for hockey players.


Norm

[Cheveey57]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Not everybody has the luxury of being able to completely separate the fun cars from the dailys. Some (like me) flat out don't want to. Life's too short to drive some boring little econobox most of the time so that you can drive the fun car once in a while. Buy the car with fun to drive near the top of your list of priorities, then drive it so you get to enjoy it as much as possible.

Granted that that's easier to pull off with some occupations than others, but I still wouldn't want to have to own a vehicle that I wouldn't actively want to drive. Penalty boxes are for hockey players.


Norm

I hear ya Norm and unfortunately for me I need a "work car" i carry lots of tools and parts and sometimes I'm in pretty bad neighborhoods.

[gajagfan]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Not everybody has the luxury of being able to completely separate the fun cars from the dailys. Some (like me) flat out don't want to. Life's too short to drive some boring little econobox most of the time so that you can drive the fun car once in a while. Buy the car with fun to drive near the top of your list of priorities, then drive it so you get to enjoy it as much as possible.

Granted that that's easier to pull off with some occupations than others, but I still wouldn't want to have to own a vehicle that I wouldn't actively want to drive. Penalty boxes are for hockey players.


Norm

I agree! '93 Z/28 replaced by a '01 WS6 replaced by a '13 1LE. While all that was going on, the BBC '69 Camaro sat in the garage being driven on occasion and raced. I agree with driving your favorite toy as often as possible but beware of that fine line that makes it run that much better but also all but eliminates the drive-ability. If you really start to make them run right at the track, start to think about something else as a daily driver because often reliability and drive-ability will suffer. Missing work because your car runs great is very seldom an excusable absence! OH, and this new Camaro is 10 times the car the '69 ever was in stock trim. Technology rules!

[el ess A]

As far as the best of every world, THIS generation is the best in HP and handling. But if you're an old-schooler, I advise you to buy soon. It WILL NOT LAST. Unless you think 4-cylinders are cool. And they're not. But there will be some to try to convince you they are. Don't take that bait.

But it doesn't have to be all about HP. Back in the 80s, you mainly had looks and a tad bit of handling as HP continued to suck for the most part. So I bought this 1985 Olds 442 new, and still keep it as original as I can 60K miles later. It's one of the best cruising cars I've ever owned.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by gajagfan

because often reliability and drive-ability will suffer.

I can't help but chuckle over that . . . remembering a couple of times in the mid-1970's when my wife and I had to go grocery shopping on my 350cc sport bike after the timing belt on the 8000-rpm capable 4 cylinder in our only car (her DD at the time) broke for the second or maybe it was the third time. Must have been a sight to see. Thanks for prodding the memory.


Norm

[wakespeak]

Wow the nostalgia for the 70s and 80s? This was the bottom for the domestics IMO. 90% of the cars were under powered, low quality, low tech, styled for Detroit, and with suspensions that made them dangerous to drive over 70 mph. I just started buying domestic cars with the Camaro for the first time since getting my license in 1982.

[matthew9440]

The cars today are better than they have ever been. IMO

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by wakespeak

Wow the nostalgia for the 70s and 80s? This was the bottom for the domestics IMO. 90% of the cars were under powered, low quality, low tech, styled for Detroit, and with suspensions that made them dangerous to drive over 70 mph.

As they came off the production line, you aren't all that far off the mark. But at least nobody else's car was enough better to put you at much disadvantage.

As owner-modified for both chassis and powertrain improvements, well, I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. Both cars were viewed as blank canvasses for modification even before stepping into the dealerships to talk about buying them.

1972, as of about 1977




1979, as of 2004-ish. ell ess - this one started out as mostly the same chassis as your 442, just with different sheetmetal and an original 4-speed manual.





Norm

[wakespeak]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

As they came off the production line, you aren't all that far off the mark. But at least nobody else's car was enough better to put you at much disadvantage.

As owner-modified for both chassis and powertrain improvements, well, I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. Both cars were viewed as blank canvasses for modification even before stepping into the dealerships to talk about buying them.

1972, as of about 1977




1979, as of 2004-ish. ell ess - this one started out as mostly the same chassis as your 442, just with different sheetmetal and an original 4-speed manual.





Norm

The Olds Cutlass above was another example. My girlfriend in college got one new in 1985. A nice car for the era and looked great in white, but the suspension was so soft it would bounce for 1/2 a mile after hitting a dip in the freeway. I had to install Bilstein's which essentially fixed it. Should have come that way from the factory.

Today's GM (Ford, and Chrysler) are just completely different companies now.

[Silverlsinva]

Im slightly confused at what the OP is trying to say does he mean the cars or the car culture and people? But im only going to talk about the cars in general. Todays cars are built better ride better are faster and way more reliable than anything from the 50's and 60's/early 70's. But todays cars most of them don't have the flair or style of those early years cause todays cars have to be built with a lot of safety features which limit they designs they can have. So I prefer the 50's to 60'/early 70's just on looks alone cause not all good looking cars from that era were muscle cars lol.

[Yendor]

As far as the car culture, how often were people around the world connected on a daily basis to share ideas on how to modify and enjoy their cars in the '60's in groups of thousands? None? My point is the fact that we can have this conversation and conversations like this are happening around the interwebz right now brings the car culture together more than it ever has been. 3 guys working on a heavy chevy in someones garage isn't the same as what is happening here.

You old timers, remember the great 90 day/4,000 mile warranty you'd get on a 1955 Chevrolet? Ahh the good old days.

[SS 376]

Originally Posted by Trob85

Ok let me clarify I was born in 85 and the 80s had some of the worst cars period EPA rules the design of both import and domestic everything just lacked power, performance and wow factor. Domestic I believe really began a comback with the ls1 corvette and has been improving since I love the technology and performance of our cars. Knowing cruises car meets and other things of the car culture have took a turn for the worse, I.e fast and furious and the lack of interest, for my area at least. Would you consider the 60s and 70s a better car era because the popularity and participation or nowadays because of the performance, technology and power that can easly be made.

I think the 60s and 70s were better. What we've gained in performance (and we have gained a LOT) we have lost in variety and affordability.

Back then, you had a lot more choices that have since disappeared: the Gran Torino, Chevelle, Hemi Cuda, Trans Am, Cutlass, etc. All those cars are gone, probably forever. Half the time when they get resurrected, they're an abomination of the original (See Charger, Dart).

I also think it's less affordable to really get involved nowadays. That's why I think there's less interest in young people in cars. I think back in the 60s and 70s it was conceivable that a middle class or working class guy could have a Chevelle or something like that. I think that's not as true anymore, mostly b/c of the sh*tty economy.

[LostPony]

I like the flexibility you had in picking your options back in the '60's and '70's, but realistically, those cars were just as expensive as todays cars. Minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60, and average income was about $7,500 a year. The SS 454 was about $4,800 new. With interest rates in the low teens, and car notes only 3 years max, that would have been a tough nut to crack for most buyers, and explains why so few were really sold. Yes, anyone could buy a Chevelle, but most bought something far less than a SS454. And if you think a new car spanks the old LS6, it makes the entry level cars of 1970 look positively anemic.