Where did all the Muscle Cars go?

[2FastLX]

We went out on the town last night after FINALLY getting my Stang back on the road to try to find some Muscle Car guys to hang out with, only to find nothing but ricers. Now don't get me wrong, there were some cool ricers out there for being ricers, but we only saw a couple Mustangs and a few Camaros and none of them even acknowledged us as though they were car guys with a similar interest. What has happened to today's kids? When I was in school if you owned a ricer you were considered a geek. I used to drive out to our local cruise strip and park when I had my 65 Mustang, and within a few minutes 4 or 5 more Mustangs would pull up and hang out even if none of them knew each other. We had 17 Mustangs in one small lot one time ranging from my 65 to a 67 GT Fastback and even a couple newer ones. You don't see this anymore other than in organized shows and ricer collectives (at least not around here).

I'm calling on all Mustangers to band together anywhere you can and hang out. If you see a Mustang cruising down the local strip don't turn your nose up thinking you have a faster car. Give them a thumbs up and show your appreciation for having a similar admiration. Show your respect, be friendly, and above all don't be bashful when someone says "Light em up!"

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Too much to list. Best ET on the car so far with stock 2.73 gears - 13.73@102mph

Indiana Stangers Association
Buy your parts here
ICQ# 42269241

[slowride90]

In my town its just me and my friends with the fastest cars. I have to drive 30 miles to hang out with all the other gear heads. Its getting to wear if you don't have a car that gets 36 miles to the gallon nobody will hang with you.

[Unit 5302]

Well, I could look back at the late 80's and early 90's and tell you what they had to offer for quick production cars on my fingers.

The 5.0 was the only option above the sick *** 2.3L rated at 88 or 110hp, depending on year. Many people got the 5.0 just because they wanted a Mustang that actually moved. That translates to a ton of V-8 stangs for us younger gen people. The market was flooded with the solid performing Mustangs at a good price. If you look at what an excellent condition 87GT will bring now vs 5 years ago, you may be shocked to see no difference in price. They have all stayed pretty high. The market isn't flooded with these cars anymore, and newer cars offer decent performing V=6's in place of the sorry 4 banger. That means the sales of the V-8 is going to drop. You don't really NEED the V-8 when you have a 190+hp V-6 standard. A V-6 that will tangle head to head with the 96-98GT's no less. Add in the fact the starting price for a V-8 Mustang has risen from about $12k in 1987 to $23k today, and you see why there are less of the fun loving V-8 Stangers out there.

As far as the Camaro goes, the Fbody has been riddled by poor quality, now they are in the limelight of their lives, quality reputations have been one of many major factors leading to horribly slumping sales. That and a significantly superior Mustang has fueled the disappearance of these cars.

Now parents who are cosigning for their kid's cars are all driving imports. They are down on domestic cars because of cars such as the Tempo, Cavalier, Shadow, and Neon. Rear wheel drive has practically been labeled as a death machine because people don't know how to drive. You say V-8 and parents think of their V-8 musclecars in the past, getting 15 on the hiway, and they tell their kids there is no way they are going to be driving a pile of **** , 15mpg, rear wheel drive death machine, costing 23k. Or an old piece of **** 87GT costing 5k for that matter.

Lies and misleading's around the performance of the domestic V-8 cars such as the Mustang and Camaro also abound. The import guys ask what a stock 87 Mustang GT runs. They get an answer back on average, stock, about a 14.5. Then their buddy says he knows this guy, who knows this guy, who once saw a stock Civic Si (Special K) run a 15.28. (I can't bring myself to believe it, though.) There is always the guy with the Integra that eat's 5.0's too. So they use the fastest stock import as the performance figure. Hell, there are 13sec stock 87GT's out there. Do we quote them as 13 sec cars? Hell no. Are they? Honestly, driven like a bat outta hell off the showroom floor, damn close. With under $500 in mods, hell yeah. Do we quote that? No. Why? Because most people cannot drive like that. Hell, I can't even drive like that. My best is a 14.19, I am terribly out of tune, but I wasn't happy at all with my launches. My Z spec T-5 may have been hurting me, but I either bogged, spun a little then bogged, or spun to 30mph. I was launching WAY harder with the 3.35 ratio I had in the old tranny, I know that for a fact. Would my car run a mid/high 13 with the old tranny and tuned up? I'm betting it would.

Bottom line, there just aren't as many V-8 guys out there.

[98'MustangGT]

Yeah, I see what you guys are sayin. I am 16 and I only know one kid my age with a 87' Camaro. All the other kids are getting front wheel drive 4 bangers. Its kinda sad. I remember about a year and a half ago when my dad first brought up a Mustang as a car for me. Back then, I was like, ugh, a Ford product? I hate Ford! I was just brainwashed by my community into hating domestic products. Little did I know, Fords, Chevy, and Mopars are some of my favorite cars. There are some muscle cars in my town, but are all driven by 40 year olds and up. @$$holes and their mid-life crisis! Oh well, I'll carry on the tradition!!

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1998 Mustang GT with a 4.6 liter V8, Black

Yup,it's the same way where I'm at also.You see other people drivin Stang's,but once you come up on them they don't wave,they don't smile,they just simply drive on by.Have a hard time figuring it out..

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Paxton Blown 87GT
ICQ#91504337

[2FastLX]

I'm not a 40 year old mid life crisis type of guy yet but I'm getting closer at 30 years young now. I'll still be driving my Stang when I'm 40 though, but I may opt to turn it into a serious drag car by then.

slowride90 - That's just what I'm talking about. Nobody came over and parked with us but then again, most of the people we saw were like 16 years old and probably figured it was a waste of time to go hang with a couple "old guys". Not that I haven't grown out of cruising... I actually had for a long time. But, I still like to go out there every now and then to see what's changed. Too bad it's changed for the worse for the Stangers around here.

Like I said, some of those ricers I see around town have really been done up right and I respect them for taking pride in their cars no matter how messed up that pride may be. Some of them even commented on my car at the stop lights so it wasn't all that bad. One guy came up to my car at a red light and asked me how fast it was and I told him a modest number of 13.5 which I know is a lot slower than what it actually is now with the new gears and such. He then asked me if I would show him what she had when the light turned green and so I did. When the light turned green I let her go in 1st gear then gave them a 2nd gear sound off and to my surprise I heard the cheering over my exhaust which made it all good.

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Too much to list. Best ET on the car so far with stock 2.73 gears - 13.73@102mph

Indiana Stangers Association
Buy your parts here
ICQ# 42269241

[dinomite]

You got it right on unit. Beyond that, there are a few people at my high school who have mustangs and camaros, but they all just bought them already "built", but not really so (like gears and pulleys) and then they say its the fastest thing out there, just like ricers. I've talked about one guy previously on the board who thinks his 91LX runs mid 12s, all he has are pulleys, 3.73s, and exhaust. He didn't do anything himself and isn't going to do anything. The car is capable of running mid 13s, but i've raced him, and he couldn't drive better than a mid 14. Just like unit said, noone can drive.

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

in my little Pa. town its kinda split down the middle ...mustangs are really popular here..still see tons of them..most of em owned by guys in mid 30s but there are a few kids with mustangs mostly foxes .there are alot of imports some of em are pretty fast but most of em are status symbles.it seems to be common knowlege who's fast though.most kids respect the power in the big v8 but like status that comes with tiny tires and shopping cart wings. but not all the kids.i bought my car off a 19 year old who is in the process af building a capprice police cruiser anto a rod and i brought a set of tailpipes of a young kid who is driving an old v8 falcon.most of the kids i've met on the cruising strip around here are actually pretty cool ...thats how i got my handle ...when im asked what'll it do i tell them im just an old guy with a mustang,its not really that fast.the'll usually laugh because they know the old v8s will still compete.most of em wont try to play when there next to me because they dont want to run the risk of getting smoked in front of there friends....all in all its about half n half around here with the young kids.half of em drive old muscle half of em drive imports.half of em are rich kid snobs (wont give you time of day and think there the **** because the have a shift light and a wing)and half of them are cool(will come up and ask about mods and want you to do a burn out)so its all good...............................p.sim not really that old (28)

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

hey 2fast.glad to hear you got your car off the blocks.good luck with dealing with that old shop.till then just dont down shift

[2FastLX]

Thanks for caring old guy

It's great to be back behind the wheel again. I got the car all polished up today with some Meguire's Classic Gold (Great stuff!) and it looks better than ever now. It still has some idle and driving issues that need to be worked out but that'll get tended to in time. Now maybe I can get my interior put back together.

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Too much to list. Best ET on the car so far with stock 2.73 gears - 13.73@102mph

Indiana Stangers Association
Buy your parts here
ICQ# 42269241

[tireburner163]

I know what you mean most people at my high school drive imports and think they a hot
sh&t.(there is actully a guy who thinks his 1998 toyoda truck with a 4 banger a striaght pipes is the fastest truck in the parking lot)

I go to a small school so I give you the run down on the cooler cars.

Theres Matt H.:1982 S-10 with a 350

Matt B.: 1986 Z28 with a 4" cowl 350 coming this summer

Stevin: 1979 nova with a hot 350

Jay: a snot a$$ prick who got a 1995 Z28

Amber: her dad is really cool and owns a hot rod shop. She has a 1992 GT vert but doesn't apreciat it and can't drive worth
sh%t

Thats it, but I hope to add a 1992 GT to that list if I can talk my dad into it

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1990 Dodge Dynasty with 275,000 miles. Mods:chiped paint, CD player. Sucks but it was free. Praying for a stang.
The "Guetto Glider"


P.S. watch out cobra owners it's a freak

[tireburner163]

but cruising in my town is pretty good. When crusing with Matt B. the other night a spoted a AC Cobra, a 1972 Mustang Vert with a 351C, a typoon, a 1993 Cobra with a Vortech, and a sh$t load of new GTs.

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1990 Dodge Dynasty with 275,000 miles. Mods:chiped paint, CD player. Sucks but it was free. Praying for a stang.
The "Guetto Glider"


P.S. watch out cobra owners it's a freak

[DemonGT]

this might be off subject but..in my town not only are there not meny stang ppl but the stangs that are in town are mostly v6 stangs...theres a sweet 99 GT down the road but some old fart owns it and only has it for looks not performance...there are a far share of muscle cars but there only sunday drivers and they baby them...the other day a guy reved his 69 roadrunner up but when i got next to him he ignored me and didnt do s**t...there is a guy in town with a early 90's camaro that thinks he has something special..everytime he sees me he peels out and smokes the tires....dosnt impress me at all..only as a sorry 305...my best freind used to have a 90 mustang 4 banger and he could even smokem..dosnt take to much..BUT again..i get next to him and he wont race..WHATS THE DEAL..the only stangers are me and a buddy of mine and a guy from a town close by..guy in town has a 88 gt with a 347 and the guy from the other town has a 89 lx coupe with a 306 AFR's,edrock intake,custom grind cam..all the other goodies..mm actually out of the three im the slowest..dang!!

anyway..my freind that helps me work on my car said mabe its my exhaust..just sounds so mean no one wonts to mess with me...who knows..but its geting pretty pothetic around here...i cruised around saturday amost all damn day and the only person that tryed anything with me was some old beat up truck with wide tires in back?? WTF

seen a sweet fox gt the other day..aaaaalll black..looked nice..but i was geting gas and after that i couldnt find him...rrrrr

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'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Mac long tubes,Cat-back,off road H,FMS 9mm wires,Competition gauges,C&L 76mm MAF

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,accufab 70mm tb,TFS heads,TFS stage 1 cam,lakewood struts/shocks,nitto DR's,four cylinder springs up front
ICQ#35670781

[Try Me]

This makes me sad

I'm 24, and don't feel the solidarity with other hot rodder's as i once did, because you're only cool now if you drive a turbo'd 4-banger. This makes me feel old.

Maybe in a few years i'll have to trade my out dated Stang for a 400HP Integra?

[2FastLX]

Never give and and sell the Stang just to buy a ricer. I know I never will. Although, I would like to have one for a daily driver with all these high gas prices, but if I do have to go that route it will more than likely be a Ford Focus. I can see it now... I'll probably get into modding it and turning it into an SVT

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Too much to list. Best ET on the car so far with stock 2.73 gears - 13.73@102mph

Indiana Stangers Association
Buy your parts here
ICQ# 42269241

[camaroboy]

Originally posted by Unit 5302:
[B]
As far as the Camaro goes, the Fbody has been riddled by poor quality, now they are in the limelight of their lives, quality reputations have been one of many major factors leading to horribly slumping sales. That and a significantly superior Mustang has fueled the disappearance of these cars.

B]

AHAHAHHA!!!! What kinda crack you been smokin there bud? The new Camaro's have not stopped production because of a Mustang!!!!!!
The new Mustangs CANNOT and DO NOT compete with the LS1 in stock to stock form and neither car is superior. The idiots at GM have just decided that the sales were not high enough (because of the huge price tag)
and that they would put more into the Vette.
But don't you guys worry, we got a few suprises in store for you


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'81 Z-28, 383 Stroker, 11.5:1, Dart Sportsman Angle Plug heads, Weiand Team G, Holley 750 dbl pump, Comp XE-284H, TCI glide w/ 3500 stall, 4:10 posi, B&M Megashifter, MT Indy Profile S/S, and nothin left for the gas tank

[This message has been edited by camaroboy (edited 05-22-2001).]

[MustangHunting]

Here in Colorado there is no shortage of hangouts or people with something to prove.
I drive a peice of crap but well running stock civic ex. Ill race anything and its an automatic! I dont care if i lose because i know i will, i just like to see fast cars rodding like hell all over the road. The sick thing is most people hear my peice of crap ram air and think im packing some juice, PLEASE! Ill race a mustang, a civic, or anything. Its just fun to get an idea of how people drive at speed and how their vehicles perform. All i can say is there are not many imports that are quick, atleast not here. Most look fast but other then that are all looks. Could be that were 5280 ft above sea level....hahahah.

Any way, if your in colorado and see a red 4door civic next to you, ill race you, and youll beat me...but ill be back next time and by then ill have my stang....hahaha...Hopefully

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93 Honda Civic EX SOHC V-TEC, Ram Air, Auto. Tranny overheats, has a hole in exhaust pipe for that added thrust. No fart cans or 500psi super turbo's. would gladly crash into a brick wall for a Stang, any takers?

[The Fireman]

Camaroboy needs to shut his mouth before some MUSTANGMEN shut it up for him. The price, and the quality of the Camaro are not the only reasons that it's sales went south. People just found a better car, and it's name is Mustang. You just want to get away form the reality that more people like the Mustang than the Camaro, and say that the only reason GM is killing of the F-body is because of the price. The Mustang is a part of America it's like apple pie, baseball, and NASA. It has the title of America's favorite car, and when you're in the same class as something that grand it's no wonder that the Mustang sells more cars than Camaro and Firebird combined. The Camaro is just a wanna be, and all you fools out there who love that car so much should love the Mustang even more, because without it the Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, all the other pony cars would've never been made. The Mustang was the first pony car, and it looks like it's gonna be the last. It came in as the favorite, and it's gonna out the same d*** way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DemonGT]

camaroboy...my dad raised me as a chevy boy...my dad hates fords..and i DO like chevy..so dont get me wrong iv always wanted one of those firebirds with the ram air..BLACK..there awsome..but about your comment about a surprise in store for us..i think the surprise is in store for you when the 2003 stang GT's come out factory with 290 HP!!

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'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Mac long tubes,Cat-back,off road H,FMS 9mm wires,Competition gauges,C&L 76mm MAF

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,accufab 70mm tb,TFS heads,TFS stage 1 cam,lakewood struts/shocks,nitto DR's,four cylinder springs up front
ICQ#35670781

[camaroboy]

Originally posted by The Fireman:
Camaroboy needs to shut his mouth before some MUSTANGMEN shut it up for him. The price, and the quality of the Camaro are not the only reasons that it's sales went south. People just found a better car, and it's name is Mustang. You just want to get away form the reality that more people like the Mustang than the Camaro, and say that the only reason GM is killing of the F-body is because of the price. The Mustang is a part of America it's like apple pie, baseball, and NASA. It has the title of America's favorite car, and when you're in the same class as something that grand it's no wonder that the Mustang sells more cars than Camaro and Firebird combined. The Camaro is just a wanna be, and all you fools out there who love that car so much should love the Mustang even more, because without it the Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, all the other pony cars would've never been made. The Mustang was the first pony car, and it looks like it's gonna be the last. It came in as the favorite, and it's gonna out the same d*** way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one ever said you couldn't dream. When was the last time a Mustang outperformed a Camaro out of the factory? Yea, that's what I thought. As far as Mustangs being all that, they are but 1 thing, cheap! Very in-expensive car. That is THE ONLY reason Camaro cannot compete. Because we all know at the track, Mustang finishes 2nd, not 1st.
Good luck & long live the Mustang, the only Muscle car Ford ever made Just remember, our Vette is still with us. And like I said, we have a surprise for you Ford boys



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'81 Z-28, 383 Stroker, 11.5:1, Dart Sportsman Angle Plug heads, Weiand Team G, Holley 750 dbl pump, Comp XE-284H, TCI glide w/ 3500 stall, 4:10 posi, B&M Megashifter, MT Indy Profile S/S, and nothin left for the gas tank