What stole your attention from HiFi?

Slappy,

I'm proud of you for keeping V8 American iron in the forefront. (Green One, you are forgiven) My advice at this time is to stop with the horsepower, concentrate on handling and looks and stay in audio. The way gas prices are going it will be nice to enjoy staying home. I just sold my '67 Nova last week. No, I didn't have to and really didn't want to. I just can't use it anymore for health reasons. I'm not going to look back though.

Here's some advice if you must go faster. Do nitrous. While I don't personally respect it because it's too easy it is cheap and the engine you have will take the abuse pretty well. Next, don't get hung up on hooking up. You'll start breaking drive train components. Let your tires break with the pavement before a ring and pinion goes. Last, never, ever give some rice burner the priveledge of your attention. Those cars will long ago be recycled while your Stang is being restored for the upteenth time. Your in coolville. Stay there.

Autio and others,

You and loving cars! Ah, the American male. Slappy's keeping it alive.

My Nova ran mid tens at 5500 feet corrected elevation. Small block, one carb, pump gas, through the mufflers on street tires. Oh yeah, a stick too. No nitrous or forced air induction. I did it the hard way. I do not respect nitrous in most applications at all. It's almost like cheating. What I was saying to Slappy is that if he MUST go faster, nitrous is way cheap compared to a great valve train/cylinder head package and all the bits to make it work right. That isn't easy.

Also, I'm openly admitted that I don't like import hotrods. It just doesn't seem natural. Call me pig headed or any other insult. It's okay, I admit it, I am. I realize that some of these front wheel drive cars can turn an eight second quarter mile and provide the crowds with all kinds of thrills while they try to keep it between the gaurdrails. I don't much like the culture either. These guys cheat, street race and play nasty games at the track. It's kind of like what rap is to music, muscle imports are to hotrodding.

Slappy wouldn't listen to my real advice so I chose to give him some that he might listen to. The real advice is to quit doing anything to the car. Pay it off, take good care of it and keep it a lifetime. Go out and upgrade your audio system and stay home more. Find a permanent woman to enhance your life, learn to cook and cultivate lasting friends for your mature social needs of the future. That's where happiness lies, IMO. YMMV

Autio says, "Oh ya and on my deathbed I will recieve total consciousness which is nice." Please send me a private email about this. I'd appreciate it.

Fatparrot,

You know not what you're talking about. 406, Brodex -8's flowed by AFR, mechanical roller cam, steel crank, six inch rods, 950 holley, BG fuel system. Over 520 engine dyno horses, 459 rear wheel horse, tubbed, certified to ten flat. Internally balanced, 11.02 to one, blah, blah. Doug Nash, Mcleod clutch. I built the car myself damnit. Any amount of money you want to bet as to it's existence and performance, anytime. Photos? Got em. Me in it? Got em. Time slips? Got em. Audiogon member who's seen it? Try Vetterone. Yeah, you rubbed me the wrong way pal. And, did I mention I built it myself? Photos of that too.

Pardon me about exploding. I'm sorry. The thing is I just sold it last week and the reason for parting with it sucks. Guys, this was the real deal. Drove it a lot and it was very dependable. As far as hooking up goes I just recreated a Chrysler super stock rear spring leaf and custom made my own invisible traction bars. Used Rancho motorhome six way adjustable shocks for different conditions. Rear tires were Mickey Thompson ET streets 28.5 x 10.5; essentially slicks with two small grooves. I tried four whiz bang carbs on the dyno with a BG being one of them. The 950 HP series Holley tweaked by myself made as much hp but didn't have quite as smooth a torque curve. Not really much less smooth. I owned the Holley, the BG was on loan for the pulls. I couldn't justify spending a couple of grand for maybe .15 seconds with one of the exotic race carbs. Besides, I drove the car and streetability is an issue with real race carbs. If I wanted to get kicked off the track for doing under ten seconds all I had to do was drive to a sea level track in Washington or Oregon and bust into the high 9's on a nice day. I haven't checked for a very long time but at firebirdonline (local track) I should be listed in the 100 mph club when I went out on actual street tires (N50x15)and did, I think 121 or so spinning them the entire length of the quarter. Change tires, front shocks, center section and put on the front roll bar and it was legal for the Nevada road races in the 180 mph class. I think it would likely have done an honest 170 with the aerodynamics of a brick. It drove like a dialed in Camaro in street attire.