1971 'cuda. Rocketman
My '72 TR6 is my escape vehicle. Had this car longer than the wife (and has been more fun than her too.) Easy to work on, which is frequently but sounds wonderful, takes off like a shot, driving with the top down makes all the crap life throws at you go away. Other great one was a 1966 Falcon. Had more fun in that car than I dare talk about.
Is that the one that would do 160? NO, it just came to me, that was the Avanti. I had a buddy in the Army in Ft. Lewis in 1964 who had one. When he was bringing it out from the East Coast, somewhere in the open areas, he came close to that speed.
I have written about my 'death wish" car. That is the car you drive when everyone wonders when, not if, you are going to buy the farm.
It was a 1953 Chevrolet. I bought it, I think in 1962 for $250. I ripped off the air cleaner. I took off the fan blades. Then, I loosened the distributor so I could turn it for maximum rpm at idle. I used to park it on a hill so I could coast it to start, due to the advanced timing.
But, it would run 35 in low; 65 or more in second, and once on a long downhill stretch I hit 96 indicated, which was clearly way high for actual speed, but I assume it was at least 85 actual.
When I went in the Army in 1964, it used a quart of oil every 30 miles, though it never missed a beat. I came home from the Army and put in a rebuilt motor and transmission, and in 1966 I drove it back across the mountains the morning after a major snowstorm. The Interstate for miles was a trough between 20 or 30 feet tall mounds of snow, and the exits were blocked.
In December 1966,I bought a new Chevy II and gave it to my older brother, who drove it for a year or two.
But, though I have memories of that '53 Chevrolet, my favorite car is my 2002 Sienna. 145,600 miles. Load it with two desktop computers, enough luggage to last a month, an electronic cooler, and take off for a 1500 mile trip in two days. Mile after mile on cruise control, 24 mpg at 70 mph.
It has crossed Mexico quite a few times. Once, three or four years ago, I went for floor tile in Mexico. My builder way underestimated the weight, so I drove home on narrow twisting mountain roads at speeds up to 70mph, accelerating full throttle between curves, then braking heavily for the next curve. When we got home, I weighed the tiles, and that Sienna had nearly 1500 pounds of tile in it, plus two adult men. I thought, “Omigod, I’ve murdered it.” Thank God for heavy duty towing package.
After all the ‘steam engines’ I’ve driven in my lifetime, I really love that cooling system. It doesn’t care if it’s 20 below zero or 105 and climbing in the Texas Hill
Country that heat gauge does not move once it’s warmed up.
Part of our view of cars is personality based, so what I like most of you wouldn’t. But, to me that Sienna is the finest vehicle I have ever owned or expect to own.
I remember these! My brother had a set and it was a load of fun.