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40 years ago today


\GoBillsInDallas/

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So many comments to make...

The cars were closer to stock, unlike the specialized race cars of today

They didn’t throw a caution for the crash on the last lap and go into “nascar overtime”

The drivers had personalities

Nascar was in its heyday, and now it’s fading (a lesson other major sports should learn from)

I’m sure there is more to say, but it’s early

 

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Back when I was a gear head, we had drivers like Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, et al.

 

The cars were fairly stock - by rule, they had to be.  Plymouth even produced a limited number of Petty’s 426-HEMI powered Superbirds (the ones with the aerodynamic nose and huge rear wing) that you could order from a dealer, just to skirt the rules about the car being “stock”.  

 

I watched a bit of the Daytona 500 yesterday, and found myself asking, WTF is this Stage 1, Stage2,  Stage3 stuff all about?  Used to be, you got points for winning the race.

 

Makes no sense to me.

.

 

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23 minutes ago, Pete said:

A $60,000 car 

Considering... My father in 1977 bought his first brand new ordered vehicle, fully loaded for: Just under $6,000.00.  A 1977 Caprice Classic Wagon.  Order from the factory with the Olds 350 in it.  Again... Every option available.

 

That's... 1/10.  Say a car like similar today, $45k? $50k.  1/10 is $450,000.

 

Sure... Mercedes were going $24k Used back in 1979...LoL...

 

6 year old Caddy... $6,000... If the movie is accurate, which it kinda is... LMAO

 

 

 

How much does a stockcar go today?

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10 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Considering... My father in 1977 bought his first brand new ordered vehicle, fully loaded for: Just under $6,000.00.  A 1977 Caprice Classic Wagon.  Order from the factory with the Olds 350 in it.  Again... Every option available.

 

That's... 1/10.  Say a car like similar today, $45k? $50k.  1/10 is $450,000.

 

Sure... Mercedes were going $24k Used back in 1979...LoL...

 

6 year old Caddy... $6,000... If the movie is accurate, which it kinda is... LMAO

 

 

 

How much does a stockcar go today?

Was that wagon used in the movie Vacation?

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1 minute ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Was that wagon used in the movie Vacation?

LoL...

 

No.  But, I think the Caprice was MotorTrend car of the Year  or was that award 1978??

 

I know, I know... But this almost exact:

 

clean-1984-chevrolet-caprice-classic-est

 

No different than your run of the mill family truckster SUV now???  Not sure if the thing had posi rear end... But it was after the ice storm in 1976 and he still got stuck under the viaduct on Union and Broadway during Blizzard and had to stay almost a week at Fork's... He claims he would have made it home... But a lady stopped under viaduct and blocked his out!  LMAO... But a limited slip rear diff would have helped.  He did run snows.

 

 

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19 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

No different than your run of the mill family truckster SUV now???  Not sure if the thing had posi rear end... But it was after the ice storm in 1976 and he still got stuck under the viaduct on Union and Broadway during Blizzard and had to stay almost a week at Fork's... He claims he would have made it home... But a lady stopped under viaduct and blocked his out!  LMAO... But a limited slip rear diff would have helped.  He did run snows.

Those old station wagons were bigger than a lot of SUVs these days. They could handle a 4x8 sheet easily. You have to get a huge modern SUV to do that. I would get nervous driving something that big. Roads and parking lots aren’t built for those vehicles anymore. 

The type of car I took my driver’s license test in... a 1969 Ford full size wagon

wagon1.jpg

 

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58 minutes ago, Gray Beard said:

Those old station wagons were bigger than a lot of SUVs these days. They could handle a 4x8 sheet easily. You have to get a huge modern SUV to do that. I would get nervous driving something that big. Roads and parking lots aren’t built for those vehicles anymore. 

The type of car I took my driver’s license test in... a 1969 Ford full size wagon

wagon1.jpg

 

9 passengers baby!

 

LoL... Figure the Brady Bunch "took a trip to the Grand Canyon" in one those bad boys!

 

LMAO... Of course I jest.  But rolling death if it ever left the road... Let alone if middle front passenger accidentally hit the accelerator and caused mass confusion... But I suppose modern full size pick-ups have folding front bench... Like when @BringBackFergy brings his boyfriends along riding in his full size Manly Toyota Tundra.  They draw straws to sit in middle no doubt.  Not that there is anything wrong with that! LoL... 

 

^^^ Sorry... I just had to add that edit ^^^

 

Anyway... Average cars are heavier now.  More stocky and wider axle spread... But built compact... Not floating land yachts.

 

Think how small the old Bugs were.  Early Civics.  13" wheels... Vehicles on road today are generally bigger, heavier... But bigger means higher, wider axle... But compact body.

 

Oh... I learned on the '77 Caprice... But took road test in '83 Dodge POS Gran Turismo.  I gamed the test... Just to be safe... In small compact.

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
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37 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

9 passengers baby!

 

LoL... Figure the Brady Bunch "took a trip to the Grand Canyon" in one those bad boys!

 

LMAO... Of course I jest.  But rolling death if it ever left the road... Let alone if middle front passenger accidentally hit the accelerator and caused mass confusion... But I suppose modern full size pick-ups have folding front bench... Like when @BringBackFergy brings his boyfriends along riding in his full size Manly Toyota Tundra.  They draw straws to sit in middle no doubt.  Not that there is anything wrong with that! LoL... 

 

^^^ Sorry... I just had to add that edit ^^^

 

Anyway... Average cars are heavier now.  More stocky and wider axle spread... But built compact... Not floating land yachts.

 

Think how small the old Bugs were.  Early Civics.  13" wheels... Vehicles on road today are generally bigger, heavier... But bigger means higher, wider axle... But compact body.

 

Oh... I learned on the '77 Caprice... But took road test in '83 Dodge POS Gran Turismo.  I gamed the test... Just to be safe... In small compact.

There were five kids in my family. I am the youngest. I rode in the “way back”. We took two week long family Truckster vacations every  summer. My dad was constantly worried about rear end collisions.

 

Since everyone else had moved out and my parents didn’t need a wagon any more, I took that baby to college my senior year. My buddies called it the War Wagon whenever we went anywhere in it. 

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