Well spoken. Ford's, Plymouth, Dodge some of GM's and my particular favorite even though it only turned in a low 15 in the quarter mile, the Olds Hurst.
At Christmas time while in Vietnam I ordered a new 1969 Dodge GTS 383 in B7 blue, white interior, black vinyl top and 4 speed manual. What a wonderful time in automotive history. 🇺🇸👍
As a 19 year old in 1969, I bought my first new car, a '69 Mustang Mach One with 428 Cobra Jet and a four speed. Paid $4200 for it. It was an amazing time. You could walk into a Ford dealership and drive out with what was literally a race car. Got about 10 mpg at best, but gasoline was .20 cents a gallon, so who cared. Late one night I raced a 69' Dodge Charger with 440 six pack between two rural Texas towns. It was 30 miles between towns, and we made the run in 17 minutes. Ah, the immortality of youth. Thanks for the look back at the good old days of muscle cars.
@@unclecreepy4324 In those days out of high school at first job with contacts the payments would be easy to make. I was thinking about how to buy this cool old Rolls Royce not in 1969 but when young. In the military again easy to get the loan but were to park it when sent overseas! Parents were buying these cars for their children when even in high school. Cops made lots of cash for towns just watching the high schools.
You were paying only 20 cents a gallon in 1969? Where did you live? I had to pay about 40 cents back then for high test. That was $3.29 in today's dollars.
Fuel cost then vs now. Take a ratio of the minimum wage then and the price per gallon/litre then do the same now. Where I live the difference in the ratio from then to now is Very significant. Meaning fuel as a part of life was less of a drain on a person's/families resources then.
Looking back, I wonder how we got this old. All that Horse Power and them brakes. I used to buy drums, rotors and pads in bulk. One time I did a complete brake job first thing in the morning, and again that afternoon after couple of races. I know what burning money smells like. _Very similar to burning brakes._
In the late 1960's I started selling new cars at a Pontiac dealership. GTOs, Firebirds, Grand Prixs. Believe me, we knew we had something special. The best thing was, you also got to drive one of these rockets as a company car. The new cars literally sold themselves. It was a gold mine until it all came crashing back to earth in the mid '70s. The oil industry and the insurance companies ended the muscle car era. I am 75 yrs old and still own a 415 hp Chevy SS. My summer driver. Happy motoring.
My dad was a salesman at a Chevy dealership in Norfolk, Va. in the late '60s, and owned his own AMC/Jeep/Honda, and Boat dealerships in the early '70s. After the early '70s oil embargo, he went in to wholesaling cars. While at the dealerships, some of the 'demos' he and his wife drove were quite nice. And, the boats were quite nice. Donzi, Wellcraft, Excalibur, etc. In the late '70s, I worked for him as a detailer, and had pretty much my pick of which of those cars I'd drive until it sold. He did, unfortunately buy a few 'sleds' during that time. I remember a car that blew the engine while going through the downtown tunnel (Norfolk to Portsmouth), and another one (a Monte Carlo) that blew its engine while driving it from the auto auction in Harrisonburg, Va. back to Va. Beach. But, who could resist, as a 17 year old, driving a Pantera for a week. Or a '69 Z28 for a month. A Cadillac convertible to take a girl on a date? Life was good.
Got married in 77, had a 70 SS chevelle. The insurance on it was ridiculous , so it sat and just looked pretty. New wife made me sell it, should have kept it and got rid of the wife!
When my Dad got back from Vietnam he bought a brand new 69 GTX 440. He died in 1985,and gave it to me. I still have it and it's still 🍒, 59,826 miles. The only parts I have changed are wearable parts.
The Super Bee I ordered in October 1968 [not 1969 as I originally typed when I first posted this comment] didn't have the Hemi, only the little 383 magnum with Sure Grip and a 4-speed. But, it hauled and I still have it today--53 years and we're both going strong. $3300 well spent.
That is a great car and I am very envious. I graduated from High School way back in 1970. A friend of mine had one of these and let me drive it once in a while. Awesome ride.
Dusty, you are definitely NOT nuts! Good for you! I remember seeing one at a mall, brand new. Wish I could have bought it then, but I was only 16 and worked at McDonald's.
I was in high school from 68-72, and saw all these cars in high school parking lots and at football games and parties. Amazing. A friend of on the swim team, got a Plymouth GTX 440 six pack convertible for a graduation present in 1970 from his father, but his younger sister totaled it a couple years later. Unbelievable time in history.
I graduated high school in ‘69 and those muscle cars were the “thing”, especially the Chevelle 396. I had a ‘61 Pontiac Ventura 389 tri-power! Gas was 28cents, 32cents for Amoco hi-test. Of course, minimum wage was $1.60😕 I paid $200 for the car and insurance was $168 a year. Those were the days my friend……
@@Dstrbrdgrnd - So, you bought a high performance muscle car for 2,720 (adjusted)? Man, those WERE the days!!! I came out when the chevette was the hubub, missed out on that one!!
I was 18 when I purchased my Mach 1 off the showroom floor. Best friend had a 69 ss 396 chevelle, girlfriend a 69 camero rally, gas attendant (who later became the porshe east coast mucky muck...he had an orange road runner...I can still hear Big Brother and the holding company (Janis Joplin) screaming a whole 24 watts of power from his aftermarket 8 track in one of our shop's bays. 'nother dude had a 68 ss camero, an olds 442 was in the neighborhood...man it was just commonplace. My sounds? after a Craig power play 8 track I had a quadraphonic 4 channel 8 track lol thanks for the fun video!
This video has the most "good time, fun-to-read comments. No arguing. No disrespect. Just good comments. That's rare these days. They all bring back good memories. Have fun and read these memories. I appreciate every one.
I am a 68 year old from L.A. and had a '67 GTO in high school and I had friends with some of these cars. Most of the wining in a quarter mile has to do with the driver. All of these cars do it at 103 to 109 mph. The driver on the line is most often the determining factor in a race. The real winner is the Judge when you get your ticket !
A friend had a fuelie dragster his brother was the mechanic & he was the driver Anyway his wife drove it once on ladies day & turned in better times than her husband Needless to say she now became the driver & he became the sponsor Your absolutely correct it depends on the driver
Amen to that brother, especially when Men had Sideburns, girls wore beautiful sweaters that made em so cute, and the muscle cars that looked so beautiful and good looking.
Can you imagine where this trend could have gone? What would it be like to walk into your dealer today and buy a brand new 807 HP supercharged tire shredder - with a warranty.... uh, oh - yeah - never mind.....
Back in 1969 the local Ford dealer had a new Boss 429 Mustang on the showroom floor. As a 16 year old high school kid, I would go there whenever I could just to sit in it and drool. The salesman would politely chase me off if I spent more than a minute fantasizing in the car. I read every road test in every magazine I could find. I knew every spec that was ever published about that Mustang. The few times I saw one on the street I almost passed out with excitement.
I graduated from HS in 1974. All these cars were easily affordable even to a high school student. For some reason State Farm did not charge a premium for insurance if they were 5 years old. My 1969 400 4spd Firebird with 40K miles was $1400. Roadrunners, GTOs, 428 Stangs were common in the HS parking lot. Surprised any of us survived.
I graduated High School in 1973 and there was no way me or any of my friends could afford to buy a new or used Muscle Car at the part time jobs we had which usually paid minimum wage. 3 of my friends owned Customized Harley Davidson Sportsters and 1 owned a 69 Camaro and a Sportster in High School. For the most part, we didn't have a lot of money. I say we couldn't afford Cars and then give examples of how some did.
Well I left High school in 1985 and the 1979 Firebird Pace Car was the car to have. Wasn't fast but sure stylish. Just that one a 84 5.0 Mustang were the top dogs in the parking lot.
I graduated 2021 and most people couldn't even afford a CAR, we were all hard working fellas but the only people with wheels at all had rich parents willing to buy them one. Times have changed, and not for the better 😔
I had a 1970 roadrunner in high school 1972 /75 , these cars were everywhere in this area , and cheap except for the hemi cars , hemi cuda would-set you back about $2500.00 or more .
Back I 1999, the average GMC Denali on our lot was $38+K. Cost $12K to manufacture. Now a comparable SUV costs $65K, but only $22K to produce. Nobody screws over Americans quite like Americans.
Try looking at the balance sheet of the parent company; just because you see all that "gross profit" means it turns into "profit". It is STAGGERING how much overhead an American manufacturer is on the hook for above and beyond the actual "unit cost" of what they produce. Fixed, variable expenses, long term debt, short term debt, TAXES (local, state, federal), govt regulations, UNIONs, imbedded healthcare costs of pensioners AND employees... add it up, some is left over but not nearly as much you probably think.
@@MechanicalTrader HEALTHCARE is a ginormous cost for GM. A recent GM CEO is said to have uttered on his first week on the job "I didn't know I was going to run a healthcare company."
I’m not as old as most of you but I remember these cars as a kid and I fell in love! Didn’t have the $ back in the day but I vowed one day I’d get my share. The last 10 yrs I’ve been collecting. 68 Roadrunner 440 6 pack, 68&69 442’s, 71 Corvette,(2) 67 GTO’s, 64 Catalina 421, 73 Firebird Formula, 66 GTO 389 Tri power, 66 Riviera GS and having a Fing blast. It’s like dating a SUPER MODEL every weekend.
@@adrianlouviere7650 I have to admit, its quite fantastic to drive old muscle cars all the time. I build them rather than buy them, so three of my GTOs aren't on the road, but the 65 GTO is and so is the 70 Cuda. Something about a 455 with 13:1 compression, driving around on E85 or home made $1 a gallon vodka.. life is too short to drive boring shi*. Haven't decided if the 79 Formula with its 400 block stroked to 461 or the 68 LeMans with its IAII aftermarket block with 505 cubes and heavily worked Edelbrock heads will get the 6-71, but right now the 505 has the tunnel ram on it. Like I said, I build them because I am not a wealthy man.
Thanks for the ride back to memory lane. I was 18 and these cars made you melt whenever you saw one. They were everywhere. I finally got a 68 383 charger in 72 that was my baby. L60 15 Pro Trac “boots” lol, on the back just fit with arced springs. I put over 100,000 miles on it travelling across Canada and from Winnipeg to Los Angeles 4 times taking different routes along the coast and through Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona. Still one of the best times in our lives. The music of 69 made it that much greater. That meep meep roadrunner was just the coolest thing Plymouth did too ... and then came the 70s …WOW! Great video!
Being born in 1969 I was too young to appreciate these cars at the time but I really love cars from the muscle car era late 60s early 70s, true classics.
I was 20 in 1969 and I remember how huge MOPAR was back then. I came back from 'Nam and used my $500 savings bonds from the army to put down on a 1070 Plymouth Duster. The sister car to the Dodge Demon. Bad ass 340 engine in a little body. Good times (after Vietnam) fine girls, and great music. The 1970s will forever be my favorite decade! Anyone remember the Plymouth Barracuda? I saw the 'Hemi Under Glass' 'Cuda at New Hampshire's Epping Speedway on 'Grand National Day' in August of 1971. 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits was there, along with Sox & Martin and their Pro-Stock 1970 Plymouth Duster. They also had a 1/4 mile drag between two motorcycles. One with a V-8 Chevy engine, and one with a V-8 Ford engine. Man, good times!
My junior year of high school I had an opportunity to buy a 69 Chevelle SS 396. The car was straight, no rust, but interior needed work. Motor was in process of being rebuilt and was in pieces but all new parts were there and machine work was done. Guy wanted $800 and I can't for the life of me remember why I didn't buy it, maybe trying not too. Anyway, I've kicked myself in the ass ever since. Would have loved that car!!!
@@johnulmer6715 In 1977 I was a junior in HS. I bought a 69 Chevelle SS 396. I believe I paid 875 $ for it. Dark green metallic with the thin dual white pinstripe. I still think that was one of the most attractive paint schemes of all the muscle cars, nothing over the top, but just NICE! It was my daily driver for about 3 years, Then my friends and I would buy a 200 dollar winter beater to get us through the salt season here in Michigan, and we could give our nice rides a break for the winter. I had the car for a total of about 6 years then sold it. I was not in the position to keep it and buy another decent car for everyday use.
Awe, we all have ones we wish we still had. Graduated HS in '72 and in college had a '65 vette roadster, 327/365, rock crusher, tarantula manifold, holley carb, when I bought it the steering wheel had some old crappy cover on it, cut it off and found a teak wheel underneath, fire engine red, white rag top, black leather interior, a lot of fun and would like to cry when I see what they go for. Still drive a vette but much newer, lol
Growing up I had a 68 GTX a 69 roadrunner and a 67 Mustang fastback. Paid $695.00 for the roadrunner in 1971 with low miles. Paid $595.00 for the GTX and $600.00 for the Mustang. I wish I still had them.
I bought a 1969 Olds 442 convertible in 1980, black with red interior, paid $1,600 for it. I dropped a rebuilt 455 in it, new top and paint so I had $4K into it. I ended up selling it a few years later.
My Dad rolled into the driveway in '69 with a Charger R/T SE 440/4speed in Red with a black top and black interior and black stripes. EVERY time we drove it together it was a Burn-out fest! Dad was cool!
Graduated in 69 and bought a 69 AMX 390 4 speed for 3k. It was a 2 seater and they cranked all the way back, great for the ladies. It would pull mid 13s in the qtr.
Sigh, I built a newer AMX '71 and went hog wild on it. I left in the highway gears (I'm a road race guy) got clocked on radar at 4AM coming back from a night out. I heard later from friends I was doing about 295kph on the police radar. That's over 180 miles an hour. I wish I had that car now...................................sigh I loved the muscle car era, there'll never, ever be another like it
First car I owned was a 1969 Dodge Super Bee with a stock 383 in 1976 and paid $1,000.00. In early 1977 I bought my second car, a 1969 RS convertible Camaro with a 4 bolt 350 V8, 11:1 Arias pistons, solid lifters, Borg Warner T10 transmission, Hurst vertical gate shifter, Edelbrock Tunnel Ram with 2 Holley 550 carbs, 4:11 12 bolt rear end , ladder bars, Sun gauges & Moroso valve covers. I was a senior in high school & loved the car.
While I didn't have any on this list, in 1973 I owned a 1968 1/2 Mustang fastback, with 390 police interceptor engine, sure wish I had kept it. But I guess a lot of people were wishing the same thing about their autos.
I graduated high school in’84. My good friend came by to show us the Beautiful Blue 1969 Dodge Charger 440/6pack 3speed auto his dad got him for a graduation present. It only had 1,700 miles on the clock, clean as a whistle too, no rust(rare for upstate New York) and only needed a new fan belt. Driving a steady 55, he got about 14 mpg. But when he stomped on it, you could practically see the gas gauge move😳😵. He sold it to buy a house years later.
I bought a 426 Hemi Cuda in 1968 for $4900. I got $3000 of tickets in the first year and burned up a set of rear tires in 2500 miles. Man I loved that car.
I graduated high school in 1977 and in 1975 7677 many of the gas-guzzling muscle cars were sold for for way under $1,000. I bought a 68 GTS convertible for $850, which I believe cost about four thousand brand new. Nobody wanted a car that got 10 miles to the gallon in those days, but I did not care
The great muscle cars of those days were like time machines. It was a different world. Fun, racing, admiring your dream race car on a showroom floor. I spent all my time working on my car and drag racing. Those were the most awesome days.
I remember being almost 17. I worked two months that summer for my dad. He said after we finished a job at my high school "let's go find you a car". There was a 1969 Road Runner, 383, Automatic in B5 Blue, bench seat, AM radio, power bulge hood for sale. $400 bucks.....and I thought I was king of the hill. Like a moron I sold it for $425.00 bucks to my buddy. Had I kept it, in the same condition I bought it, it would get about $40-50K. That would have paid off my house....DUH.....(Should have kept the 1972 Cuda too, I loved that car).
My cousin and I graduated high school i 1977. He had a yellow 69 Roadrunner with a 383 4sp. I loved that car. It was an absolute street monster. Wicked fast.
I was also class of 77 and had a buddy with a 69 Roadrunner with the 383 . The car had 140 on the speedometer and I saw him peg the needle . Sadly a few weeks later he lost control and rolled it 5 times . It was such a tank he crawled out of it without a scratch .
I miss my 1969 mustang coupe. 302 4barrel 4speed. I sold it for $800 in 1982. I also sold a 1969 Dodge coronet for $1,500 in the early 90’s. It looked like a charger. You couldn’t give them away back in the 80’s and early 90’s. If I only knew the future. I also had a 74 AMC Javelin. 304 engine. Purple and funky purple interior. I totaled it in 81.
When I came home from Vietnam in 1968,I bought a 1969 Mustang with a 302 v-8 and 4 speed.put it this way,I had a lot more friends after I bought that car then I did before. Cost $2800.
While I had a '67 Barracuda Fastback with a highly modified '68 340 engine from a Dart, my wife's first car when we got married in 1969 was a '69 Dodge Dart GTS. With a 4-spd, no A/C or power steering using power and the optional 3.91 rear she was as quick as almost any of the big block muscle cars. A lot less weight and better front/rear weight distribution made her car handle well as well as being quick off the line. But time moves on. My 2022 5 series BMW sedan is 2 seconds faster in the 1/4 mile than any of those old cars, and it's no match for an M5.
When I got back from Vietnam in 1970, I bought a 1970 GTO right off the showroom floor then 2 weeks later drove it from Pittsburgh to the west coast. Needless to say, along the way I broke the 100 mph barrier
I couldnt drive my 69 GTO convertible slow. Just letting the clutch out easy was hard to do without chirping the tires. I bought it in Toronto and drove it to Thunderbay at the top of Lake Superior. Picked up a hitch-hinking old woman going to WaWa and gave her an education on muscle car tripping. She dug it and she was in her 60s at least. No cops so always over a hundred. Great effing ride. Wonder what it would go for now. I'm getting excited thinking about it
Had a 1969 Olds 442, black paint, black vinyl roof and black interior. It had a 400cid engine, 3 speed automatic. The car met its end while settings at a traffic light and a drunk driver in a pickup rear ended it. My replacement vehicle, 1973 Hurst/Olds. Black paint, gold strips, black vinyl roof and white interior. I still have this baby!
I was 16 years old and bought my first car, the 440 6-Pack Roadrunner for $1,500 in 1970. At the time I had no idea what it really was, or what it could be worth. It came from the factory orange, but was metallic blue with a vinyl roof when I bought it. I sold it a year later for $1,800. Next to it was a Superbird with front nose extension and the high wing, going for $2,200, and next to that was a 1970 340 Challenger going for $2,500. Those were the days!!! The RR got about 4 MPG before a tune up, 6 after the tune up around town and 10 on the highway if I didn't open up the other 2 carbs. Ate spark plugs in about a month, points every 2, but damn it was a lot of fun, and the girls loved it.
the muscle cars were popular BECAUSE they got the girls, right? you did the right thing, dude. i did the wrong thing and bought a '69 red VW Beatle...33 mpg...boring.
I graduated in '69, so I spent a lot of time, in my H.S. library, drooling over all these beauties, in automotive magazines! I love them all! Couldn't afford one then but, I was able to pick up a '69 Dodge Coronet R/T with 440 magnum 4-spd and Dana rear axle, back in the late 1980's, before the prices went crazy! It needed lots of work, but was well worth all the time and effort! The young and old both love Detroit iron!
When I was in the Army (draftee) I bought a 1969 Dodge Dart GTS with a 383 and hurst 4 speed. I put headers on it and it was mean. My dad sold it when I got sent to Germany and I've never seen another one since. Doesn't make any lists, either.
While I was at work in1969 My husband bought A brand new Dodge R\T in blue. And yes he took it to the drag strip "Dragway 42" here in Ohio. We also had 55-56-57-58 Chevrolet, 56Ford, and a few "hot rods"...'32 Ford 5 window Coupe with a 327 engine with 3 duces...'29 Ford hot rod and a Corvette. I miss those days and my sweetheart.
I had a showroom stock new SS396 Chevelle in the spring of '69 Sticker price about $3100. It had 3 miles on the odo, 36 miles when I first put my foot into the gas pedal.. It jumped forward and I was hooked. IT WAS FAST! I ran a 12.9 at Detroit Dragway (best, usually lowm13's). I raced on Telegraph Road in Northwest Detroit, lost only 4 races. One to a 440 GTX, one to a 426 Hemi (both 69's} one to a 427 Vette and 0ne to a ''67 Chevy Nova 327 w/ a big cam and headers .Never lost to a Ford. GM rated the 396/350 at 350 but GM was underrating their HP because of Govt scrutiny.. The 396/350 was actually more than 400 hp and the 396/375 was more than 425hp
In the late '70's I was in the military. My first car was a '70 Plymouth Roadrunner, 383HP (335 Horse) with Air Grabber, A-727B auto trans and 4.10 Dana rear end. My roommate in the dorm had a '70 Plymouth Cuda, 4-speed, 440-pack. I paid $1,500 for my Roadrunner. My roommate decided to separate after his four year term of duty and offered to sell me his Cuda for $1,500. I couldn't afford a second car at that time. To this day looking back I should have bought his car and kept both. UGH! I had built my Runner up under the Direct Connection catalog for 11 sec bracket racer. It was a daily driver. I had tons of fun street racing. The meanest car I came up against was a friends '68 Mustang 428SCJ 4-speed. He could not beat me. My car would hook right up out of the hole and launch with no massive burnout. I was lucky as a I drove his car a few times and the factory cam in it was very lumpy... that car just sounded mean as hell. "MOPAR or NO CAR."
I graduated hs in 1970. In 1971 the AMC dealer where my mom bought her 69 plain Jane Ambassador had a 69 black AMX 390 4bbl and Hurst(?) 4 speed for $2900. I called our family's insurance agent. He shot down my pipe dream saying, "Rich, your monthly car insurance on that AMX would be bigger than the car note." God, that was a beautiful car though.
@@richstanton8545 The factory started installing Hurst shifters at some point in '69. Mine originally had the Ford-style shifter, which was swapped out for an aftermarket Hurst shifter. I found a rebuilt factory Hurst and put it in along with new shift rods, hardened steel bushings and heavy-duty spring clips - and a new boot.
I enjoyed this. In 1969 my cousin bought a new Plymouth Roadrunner, Blue with a 383 automatic. He sold it to me in 1973 and I had it for 10 years. Wish I still had it.
God I loved my 69 Roadrunner, bolted a set of headers, changed to electronic ignition and a set of American mags. It was a four speed 383 and when I brew it up I bolted in a 440. Fun times I will always remember.
I had a 69 Roadrunner that I bought from a mechanic who put some high performance stuff under the hood. I owned it my senior year in hs,1978. It seems like I was doing close to 110 mph at the 1/4 mike mark. I had so much fun in that car. Wish I still had it. I sold it when I went off to college and tried to buy it back a year later,but the kid I sold it to totaled it. He was lucky to survive the accident. Some guys can handle the power, some can't. This video really brought back some good memories. MIKEY
I actually drove a Mach 1 428 on a long trip during a summer vacation in 1974 when I was in 12th. grade. It belonged to my best friend's father. It was fast!
I bought a 68 GTO in 1968, the sticker price was about $4000, I paid $3350 for it. It was a freak, it may have had the 428 in it. Two friends of mine had 68 GTO's with the 400, one was an automatic, the other was a 4 speed and mine would out run both of them easily. It could out run the 440 6 pack like it was nothing and a 396 Chevelle, 428 Mustang. The only one of the muscle car it did not beat was a 427 Corvette. I found out later after I no longer had it, the only difference between the 400 and the 428 was the crank. When I punched it from a standing start and the tires put our so much smoke, I saw nothing but smoke in the rear view mirror. I was 19 years old then and that scared me so much I stopped and got out to see if the tires were on fire. Sure was hard on the tires, but back in the late 60's you could by a great tire for under $40 bucks. Which I had to do after about six months. That GTO never had any big problems either. That is one care I should have tried to keep. But it was so easy to trade them off for something else then.
My first real true muscle car was a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT 500, 390 ci , 4 speed with a 4:10 Detroit locker. I worked in a machine shop in 1983 and bought the car for $1500, it ran but was in rough condition. I spent $7000 on the engine, Trans, and chassis. Another $2500 on body and paint and ended up with a really sweet ride that would run 11: 15 121mph at Thunder Valley dragway in Bristol, Tennessee . I ran from the law in it 7 months after I got it on the road, a rookie cop crashed chasing me and was hurt pretty bad, when the dust all settled I had to go in the Marine Corp for 4 years and couldn't drive the car more than a couple of miles from my house without the cops pulling me over. Live and learn.
The first car given the status name of “muscle car” was the 1966 pontiac gto. I had one in high school and yes because of the 70s gas crisis i had to part with it for a vw bug. However in 1995 my son bought a fixer upper 66 pontiac tempest. I taught him everything mechanical and we got that car back on the road. 6 months after we got his drivable i bought a rebuildable 66 gto. This car is a head turner and a first place winner every car show i have entered it. Still have this beauty for the past 22 years. Great vid and stories.
I met Ronnie Sox as a ten year old at the 1968 Rod and Custom show at Chicago's International Amphitheatre. I got a large promotional card hand signed by the quickest man with a four speed and fell in love with the Roadrunner. I bought my first one in 1979 and still have it AND that autographed card. By then, I had already been building Revelle models for several years by this time, but my first love for full size cars, hot rods and specifically MOPARS was solidified on that day, long, long ago.
Had a '68 Dodge Super Bee, race green. four gear standard, 383 block, dual quad carburator, glass pak muffler, rear jack. I loved MOPAR Bought her for $600 cash in '71 when I was in the Navy. Great car but ya had to turn off the engine gassin up or get sucked into the gas tank. :)
$5,000 in 1969 is worth $40,437.06 today. So these cars were a steal back then. My ‘69 Cougar with factory electric sunroof, AC, PDB, AM/FM stereo, Decor interior came in at about $3000.00, or about $24,300 today.
My first car was a 67 Cougar, bought it in 1982 when I was 13.. yeah, I was born in 1969. I've owned a vehicle from every year between 1963 and 1984 except for 1969 until last year when I dragged a very rusty 1969 GTO home. Its actually worse than the not even a good parts car 1965 GTO I rebuilt 2009-2011 that is now my summer daily when I am not driving the 70 Cuda. I still have the Cougar and most the other cars I bought over the last 40 years. Haven't driven the Cougar since 1987.. its on the short list to go in my shop.
The cars were a great value- the whole point! On the other hand, they lacked great brakes and handling so they were a real handful to operate at the limit! Not insurable ultimately, it seemed. Today's more expensive horsepower is better off for all the technology, thus are insurable. Amen.
I have a 1968 ford torano 428 car 4 -,speed one of only of ten with 428 coba jet with 4-speed that is a rare car I like some one to restore if you know any one interested
@@SweatyFatGuy We’re the same age. My first car was at 19 - a ‘68 standard Cougar. Owned 4 other ‘67-70 Cougars after that, plus a ‘72 Pontiac Luxury LeMans. Recession of 08-09 put an end to my run of classic cars. You’ve owned some really desirable rides!
I priced a new Camaro with a 396 375 hp engine in 1969. The monthly insurance payment was as much as the car payment. Insurance was the deal killer back then.
All of these beautiful sweeties are worthy. The list just isn't long enough. There were some pretty quick Chevelles, GTO's, Firebird Trans Am, Olds 442's. We had a wide range of great cars to choose from back then. They each had their own unique look and design. Those days will never be repeated. Thanks for the reminiscent video. Great job!
I got my driver's license in December of '73, just in time for the first gas crisis. People were dumping these beasts for pennies on the dollar. Us young kids were snatching up muscle cars that we never would have been able to afford only a couple of years earlier. You had to wait hours in line to buy gas at a whopping 42 cents per gallon, but that night of burning rubber and street racing made it all worthwhile!
I've owned two Mustangs, a Charger, a Ford Torino convertible, a Road Runner, a Malibu SS, a Cadillac Fleetwood 85, a Chevy Nova, and an Impala, all from 1969... years ago, of course. I used to swap cars very often.
GREAT video! I was a Detroit Native, and graduated in 1972, so saw LOT's of these cars cruising Woodward Ave, and many of my high-school classmates had these classics IN HIGH SCHOOL! My father, who worked for Lincoln/Mercury had a 1968 Cougar XR-7 GT with the 390 when I was in 9th Grade. I couldn't drive it then, but sure wish I had it today. I also wish I still had the 1972 BMW 2002 tii I owned in 1982!!
Tried to get my parents to let me buy a year old 1968 Roadrunner. It would be my first car. Then mom said no only a four cylinder and it had to be a manual transmission. The dealer said he might have just the thing and asked my parents if they would let me drive it a bit to see if he could convince to go for a economy car. After the test drive I agreed it was fun enough I would agree to the compromise. That's how my first car turned out to be a 1966 Lotus Cortina GT Mk2. Wish I still had it!
I wanted to buy an opal gt, without a working reverse, for $100. It was so small I told my dad that I could push it out of any parking space. He said it would just give me a lot of trouble. So, I didn't buy it. That was in 73 or 74. Then my dad bought a 68 Cadillac Eldorado. That was the biggest POS car ever.
I loved my 69 Camaro with the 350 engine me & my best friend put in it. Bought it for $300.00 in 1976. The back seat was too small for me & my girlfriend so I got a big 68 Pontiac Bonneville with a 400 engine. Those were much better days.
I had a 68 396/375 Chevelle when I was 17 in high school. These cars were everywhere. Crossbay boulevard, connecting highway, Clearview expressway every Friday and Saturday it was race day. God I miss those days.
The good old day's for sure. In '72 my brother bought a new '72 340 Duster, and my other brother owned two '67 Barracuda notchback's, and in the late seventies snagged an incredible '70 Dart Swinger 340. Loved those Mopar's. In the mid--seventies when I was in high school, my best friend drove a '70 383 Road Runner. It took me some time, but I finally got into the game in '83 with a '71 340 Challenger convertible. I am a Mopar fan all the way and I still have my '71. She need's some TLC, but still a real head turner. I love that car and so thankful I never sold her. I must say that as I age, I have started to appreciate the other make's. I can see my adding a '63 Avanti, 68 AMX, '65 Comet Cyclone, or maybe a '65 GTO next to my '09 Challenger RT or '71 Challenger, but not enough time left or money. Then there is 'Cuda's, GTX's, Charger RT's, 426 wedge Sport Fury and on and on. Nice to dream!
Liked this video, I was 16 in 1969, I owned all of these cars by 1972 and many others. Brings back a lot of great memories, I still own my 69 GTX 426 HEMI, 4 speed posi, and every option that was available. Thanks-
Not sure how much of a muscle car the 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was, but it was one of my favorite cool cars from that era. Went to high school in the early 70's.
I had a 1969 Cutlass Supreme in navy blue with a black vinyl roof. It had a Rocket 350 and a 3spd automatic which put out 310 hp before I did some mods. What a great car. And the girls liked it too. A few years later I was lucky enough to find a 69 Cutlass S convertible also with a 350 and 3spd automatic on the floor. Another beauty. I wish I could buy that back now 😢
I got my mom's 69 Cutlass SS when I turned 16 in 1975. It was a bright orange. I was one of a very few 10th graders who drove to school in their own car. After graduation, I began working at a chemical company and in less than 6 months, I bought a 79 Dodge Magnum for $7800.
Bought a 1968 Dodge Dart GTS with the 340 4 bbl and Torqueflite transmission for $1600 as my first car in 1971. It was a fun little car with a great sound. But the muscle cars of the 60s can't compare with what's out there now. I have a 2021 BMW X3M Competition that has AWD so it can handle any weather and was clocked by Car and Driver at 3.3 seconds for the 0-60 and 11.6 seconds at 119 mph in the quarter mile. Braking distance from 70 mph is an amazing 146 feet and it pulls 0.97 Gs on a skid pad. Plus, it gets 25-26 mpg on the highway at 75 mph. Super comfortable and luxurious with tons of leg and head room and loads of room for cargo. And the sound emanating from the tail pipe is glorious. Simply an amazing vehicle.
I was in the Army in 1969/70 and remember some of our NCOs buying these muscle cars when they would get reenlistment bonuses. I buy that $10 per gallon Sunoco SS100 race fuel now for my Nissan 370Z and blend it with the 91 octane pump gas(1:2 ratio) we get in California to get 94 octane, which is what my engine was dyno tuned to run on. It's worth it for the 376 crank peak horsepower that my 3.7 liter V-6 engine develops.
I bought a 69 Road Runner off the lot in Oct of 68 a few days after I got home from the army. It had the 383 with magnum heads painted red with the big valves. Every once in awhile you hear of a car that is just way quicker than other identical cars. I lucked out. After it had about 1,000 miles on it, I took it to a tuner to have it gone over because occasionally it would pop through the carb. He pulled the distributor out and put it on a Sun machine. He was pleased to learn it had dual points! he put different weights and springs in it. Put it back in the car and timed it. Didn't like the response. he changed the jets in the carb and told me to take it for a ride. If I didn't like it I didn't have to pay! Wow, it felt like it had an extra 40 horse! Paid the bill and gave him a generous tip. After that, the runner was hot! He warned me to only use high test gas or it would ping. I was running away from the three other road runners in town. I even waxed a GTX 440. To be fair, the GTX was about 300 pounds heavier and it was an automatic. My runner was a 4 speed with a 3:23 sure grip. I learned to be easy on the gas till I was moving, then mash the gas so I beat him off the line and was walking away for half of the 1/4 mile but then I saw in the mirror he was starting to gain. He did not catch me at the 1/4 mark. We raced two more times but he could not catch me. He swore I had a different cam or headers. Had to show him the factory engine with cast iron exhaust manifold. If I kept the gas pedal on the floor and did a power shift from first gear to second by sliding my foot off the clutch, there was a loud bang as if a car hit me from behind and it would lay down about ten feet of rubber with both tires. Never tried it with third gear, didn't want to risk over reving in case I missed a gear LOL. If I remember correctly it would do 45 in first, 75 in second and 95 in third. Fourth gear, I don't know, the speedo needle was down below the cluster where I couldn't see it. I took it to Byron raceway and just ran it in the time trials. It had rained the night before and the track was slippery. I could not mash the gas until I was in second gear or it would just spin the tires like crazy. After three tries I figured out go easy in first with about half the throttle, hit second at 45 and mash the gas. I managed a 15.0 second run but at 105 mph! That was with a lame start by dogging it in first gear! So it really WAS quicker than the average bird. I sure wish it had been dry that day so I could have hammered it all the way. That car was a blast. Should have kept it. But my wife couldn't push the clutch, it was really stiff. I was fortunate to see a red 68 Charger with black vinyl roof and automatic trans on the lot so I managed to trade the runner for the charger. It was quick with the standard 383 blue heads but not nearly as fast as the runner. The charger was the better car all around. Loved that car, should NOT have traded it in when gas got so expensive. Ended up with a Plymouth duster manual trans. It was lame compared to the Charger but damn it got good gas mileage. Drove that duster for 15 years. It got so rusty I was afraid the seat would drop through the floor. Wisconsin winters are terrible on cars. My vehicle now is a Jeep Liberty with the diesel engine. Needed a 4x4 where I live. That thing can push through snow up to the headlights with good tires. The factory tires would never have done that. The new 1969 runner had a sticker of $3600. Used my employee discount and paid $3150 after taxes. Can't believe what it would be worth now. The Charger I traded for is now worth way more than I paid. Seems like I had to offer $550 plus the runner to trade. Those were great times to be alive. Thanks for this review, it was a good one.
Thanks for the nice story. I had a 68 440 auto clone RR in high school. It was a blast. Still have a 69 440 4 spd clone in my backyard that needs restoration, lol.
I had a black 69 RR with a 383 and the Coyote Duster system, 4 speed, 3:91 rear end, air shocks in back with oversized tires. I will confess now that I'm 70 that I street drag raced. No one ever beat me off the line and I lost only a couple races. It seemed like once you beat one guy there'd be someone else who wanted to try me. I ended up selling it for a Chevy Nova due to marriage and raising a family.
My ex wife's dad had an emerald green '69 ZL1 Camaro with the all aluminum 427. He told me it took 4 tanks of gas to drive it from N Hollywood to San Diego where he moved to. He passed not long after I met him and some lucky guy got the car and his tools (he was a professional mechanic) for about $100k in 2008. The car was straight, complete, no rust and it ran. Just needed a little freshening up..
I can't decide, guess I'll have to get one of each and switch cars everyday. But seriously, John Wick's '69 Mustang Boss is one of the most beautiful vehicles I've ever seen. The owner wouldn't let them use it in a lot of the driving scenes so it had five '69 Mach 1s as stunt doubles.
My dad worked at a Chevrolet dealership and they had one of the COPO Camaro’s with the special engine option. It was black with orange rally stripes. They had to open up the wheel wells to fit racing slicks and with headers it ran the quarter mile at 12.5 seconds
Found my older brother a deal in 1973 from a friend for $2100! 1970 Road Runner very low mi. 440 6 Pk. He tuned it and used to beat Buick GS 455's, 427 Vettes and whatever. My 67 SS Chevelle dead even with a 440 4brl Dodge Coronet. It was a wonderful time to be alive! Now it's Whipples and TT's. I miss all those and others too.
When I was 18 I bought a 67 Firebird 400 convertible. The only 2 cars I could not blow off the road were a Charger 440 Hemi and a Pontiac GTO, I was racing a GTO coming back from Birmingham one night about 10:30 PM and threw a rod at 112 miles per hour. Cried for a week 😢. Car never was the same and leaked about a quart of oil a month. Sold it a few months later.
As I recall, the Charger 500 was built in limited numbers (500) in order to qualify as a NASCAR racer. Yes, they actually drove REAL stock cars back then. Plain on the outside. A monster on the inside.
That was a Charger Daytona, with a nose and a wing like they put on the Road Runner to create the Super Bird. The Charger 500 was NOT the Daytona. And yes, they build 500 Datonas to qualify as a NASCAR racer.
Some of the old footage from the Mach 1 was taken on the road where that old lady lived. It was a 4 mile long straight as an arrow road. Lots of magazines would go out there to test all the new hot rods. There was no speed limit on that road being that it was a private road. Anyone remember the name of the road. It was named after that lady. She would hold motocross events on her property also.
Who knew in 1970 this was a big decision for me. I was going to college in Co and I wanted a car that would last the next four years. I am restoring my 69 Shelby GT 350 back to its glorious state.
These are the reasons the millennials hate us. We had fast cars and even faster women that didn't hate us.
Well spoken. Ford's, Plymouth, Dodge some of GM's and my particular favorite even though it only turned in a low 15 in the quarter mile, the Olds Hurst.
I meant Chrysler 300 Hurst, 1970. Some reports have it in the low 12's.
Always tell her 🎉🎉🎉🎉69 baby 69 😂😂😮
wish i had a time machine and a bag of cash to buy all these cars
At Christmas time while in Vietnam I ordered a new 1969 Dodge GTS 383 in B7 blue, white interior, black vinyl top and 4 speed manual. What a wonderful time in automotive history. 🇺🇸👍
As a 19 year old in 1969, I bought my first new car, a '69 Mustang Mach One with 428 Cobra Jet and a four speed. Paid $4200 for it. It was an amazing time. You could walk into a Ford dealership and drive out with what was literally a race car. Got about 10 mpg at best, but gasoline was .20 cents a gallon, so who cared.
Late one night I raced a 69' Dodge Charger with 440 six pack between two rural Texas towns. It was 30 miles between towns, and we made the run in 17 minutes. Ah, the immortality of youth.
Thanks for the look back at the good old days of muscle cars.
Where the hell did you get $4200 as a 19 year old?
@@unclecreepy4324 In those days out of high school at first job with contacts the payments would be easy to make. I was thinking about how to buy this cool old Rolls Royce not in 1969 but when young. In the military again easy to get the loan but were to park it when sent overseas! Parents were buying these cars for their children when even in high school. Cops made lots of cash for towns just watching the high schools.
You were paying only 20 cents a gallon in 1969? Where did you live? I had to pay about 40 cents back then for high test. That was $3.29 in today's dollars.
Fuel cost then vs now.
Take a ratio of the minimum wage then and the price per gallon/litre
then do the same now. Where I live the difference in the ratio from then to now is Very significant.
Meaning fuel as a part of life was less of a drain on a person's/families resources then.
Looking back, I wonder how we got this old. All that Horse Power and them brakes. I used to buy drums, rotors and pads in bulk. One time I did a complete brake job first thing in the morning, and again that afternoon after couple of races. I know what burning money smells like. _Very similar to burning brakes._
In the late 1960's I started selling new cars at a Pontiac dealership. GTOs, Firebirds, Grand Prixs. Believe me, we knew we had something special. The best thing was, you also got to drive one of these rockets as a company car. The new cars literally sold themselves. It was a gold mine until it all came crashing back to earth in the mid '70s. The oil industry and the insurance companies ended the muscle car era. I am 75 yrs old and still own a 415 hp Chevy SS. My summer driver. Happy motoring.
My dad was a salesman at a Chevy dealership in Norfolk, Va. in the late '60s, and owned his own AMC/Jeep/Honda, and Boat dealerships in the early '70s. After the early '70s oil embargo, he went in to wholesaling cars. While at the dealerships, some of the 'demos' he and his wife drove were quite nice. And, the boats were quite nice. Donzi, Wellcraft, Excalibur, etc. In the late '70s, I worked for him as a detailer, and had pretty much my pick of which of those cars I'd drive until it sold. He did, unfortunately buy a few 'sleds' during that time. I remember a car that blew the engine while going through the downtown tunnel (Norfolk to Portsmouth), and another one (a Monte Carlo) that blew its engine while driving it from the auto auction in Harrisonburg, Va. back to Va. Beach. But, who could resist, as a 17 year old, driving a Pantera for a week. Or a '69 Z28 for a month. A Cadillac convertible to take a girl on a date? Life was good.
Did u ever get to drive a 426 hemi Phil?
Got married in 77, had a 70 SS chevelle. The insurance on it was ridiculous , so it sat and just looked pretty. New wife made me sell it, should have kept it and got rid of the wife!
Been there, yeh keep your toys !
Yep always get rid of any partner that makes you do that crap!
When my Dad got back from Vietnam he bought a brand new 69 GTX 440. He died in 1985,and gave it to me. I still have it and it's still 🍒, 59,826 miles. The only parts I have changed are wearable parts.
The Super Bee I ordered in October 1968 [not 1969 as I originally typed when I first posted this comment] didn't have the Hemi, only the little 383 magnum with Sure Grip and a 4-speed. But, it hauled and I still have it today--53 years and we're both going strong. $3300 well spent.
Awesome...well spent indeed!
you live in southern California
That is a great car and I am very envious. I graduated from High School way back in 1970. A friend of mine had one of these and let me drive it once in a while. Awesome ride.
Dude I would love to see a picture of her man I bet she's just as beautiful as the day you bought her I have a 67 Chevelle super sport
All I can speak of is my late Cousin's 1968 Chrysler Newport with a 383.
I bought a 69, Boss 429 used during the gas crunch….. my friends thought I was nuts…. Lucky I have kept it all these years
Dusty, you are definitely NOT nuts! Good for you! I remember seeing one at a mall, brand new. Wish I could have bought it then, but I was only 16 and worked at McDonald's.
What's it worth today?
@@sanfranciscobay I have been offered 40000 it needs paint and stuff like that,,, it’s basically just a old car. Perfect for a professional to resort
@@stilz0 I couldn’t even drive in 1969.
Where you at Dusty. I’ll give you 50000
I graduated high school in 1970, what great time, American muscle card, the music,... It lives on
I was in high school from 68-72, and saw all these cars in high school parking lots and at football games and parties. Amazing. A friend of on the swim team, got a Plymouth GTX 440 six pack convertible for a graduation present in 1970 from his father, but his younger sister totaled it a couple years later. Unbelievable time in history.
I wish I was in the old times😢
I graduated high school in ‘69 and those muscle cars were the “thing”, especially the Chevelle 396. I had a ‘61 Pontiac Ventura 389 tri-power! Gas was 28cents, 32cents for Amoco hi-test. Of course, minimum wage was $1.60😕 I paid $200 for the car and insurance was $168 a year. Those were the days my friend……
Sisters!!
@@Dstrbrdgrnd - So, you bought a high performance muscle car for 2,720 (adjusted)? Man, those WERE the days!!! I came out when the chevette was the hubub, missed out on that one!!
@@Dstrbrdgrnd Any MOPAR would spank a oil burning Chevy pop's and a HEMI was a man's car
Bought my 1969 GTO in 1980 at the tender age of 16....I still have it today and I am almost 59......
Imagine the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times if they had modern tires😮
I was 18 when I purchased my Mach 1 off the showroom floor. Best friend had a 69 ss 396 chevelle, girlfriend a 69 camero rally, gas attendant (who later became the porshe east coast mucky muck...he had an orange road runner...I can still hear Big Brother and the holding company (Janis Joplin) screaming a whole 24 watts of power from his aftermarket 8 track in one of our shop's bays. 'nother dude had a 68 ss camero, an olds 442 was in the neighborhood...man it was just commonplace. My sounds? after a Craig power play 8 track I had a quadraphonic 4 channel 8 track lol thanks for the fun video!
I graduated from HS in 1972. I had a bulletproof maroon 1966 dodge dart GT 2-door hardtop with a 225 cu. inch slant six.
The old slant 6 "Sidehill Hemi" !! Wish I still had mine. 👍
I had a white one! 6cyl. 4speed. What the hell made them so fast for a 6 ?
This video has the most "good time, fun-to-read comments. No arguing. No disrespect. Just good comments. That's rare these days. They all bring back good memories. Have fun and read these memories. I appreciate every one.
I graduated HS in 78' had a 68' GTO with a big sig erson cam, a holley carb and some headers. Had a lot of fun in that car.
I am a 68 year old from L.A. and had a '67 GTO in high school and I had friends with some of these cars. Most of the wining in a quarter mile has to do with the driver. All of these cars do it at 103 to 109 mph. The driver on the line is most often the determining factor in a race. The real winner is the Judge when you get your ticket !
A friend had a fuelie dragster his brother was the mechanic & he was the driver
Anyway his wife drove it once on ladies day & turned in better times than her husband Needless to say she now became the driver & he became the sponsor
Your absolutely correct it depends on the driver
Most definitely!
take me back to 1969! the modern world is complete living hell
Seriously
WELL SAID!!!
Amen to that brother, especially when Men had Sideburns, girls wore beautiful sweaters that made em so cute, and the muscle cars that looked so beautiful and good looking.
👍
Can you imagine where this trend could have gone? What would it be like to walk into your dealer today and buy a brand new 807 HP supercharged tire shredder - with a warranty.... uh, oh - yeah - never mind.....
Back in 1969 the local Ford dealer had a new Boss 429 Mustang on the showroom floor. As a 16 year old high school kid, I would go there whenever I could just to sit in it and drool. The salesman would politely chase me off if I spent more than a minute fantasizing in the car. I read every road test in every magazine I could find. I knew every spec that was ever published about that Mustang. The few times I saw one on the street I almost passed out with excitement.
I graduated from HS in 1974. All these cars were easily affordable even to a high school student. For some reason State Farm did not charge a premium for insurance if they were 5 years old. My 1969 400 4spd Firebird with 40K miles was $1400. Roadrunners, GTOs, 428 Stangs were common in the HS parking lot. Surprised any of us survived.
I graduated High School in 1973 and there was no way me or any of my friends could afford to buy a new or used Muscle Car at the part time jobs we had which usually paid minimum wage. 3 of my friends owned Customized Harley Davidson Sportsters and 1 owned a 69 Camaro and a Sportster in High School. For the most part, we didn't have a lot of money. I say we couldn't afford Cars and then give examples of how some did.
I'm a '75-er myself.
Well I left High school in 1985 and the 1979 Firebird Pace Car was the car to have. Wasn't fast but sure stylish. Just that one a 84 5.0 Mustang were the top dogs in the parking lot.
I graduated 2021 and most people couldn't even afford a CAR, we were all hard working fellas but the only people with wheels at all had rich parents willing to buy them one. Times have changed, and not for the better 😔
I had a 1970 roadrunner in high school 1972 /75 , these cars were everywhere in this area , and cheap except for the hemi cars , hemi cuda would-set you back about $2500.00 or more .
If ONLY we knew then, what we know today ! 👍✌
Back I 1999, the average GMC Denali on our lot was $38+K. Cost $12K to manufacture.
Now a comparable SUV costs $65K, but only $22K to produce.
Nobody screws over Americans quite like Americans.
Try looking at the balance sheet of the parent company; just because you see all that "gross profit" means it turns into "profit". It is STAGGERING how much overhead an American manufacturer is on the hook for above and beyond the actual "unit cost" of what they produce. Fixed, variable expenses, long term debt, short term debt, TAXES (local, state, federal), govt regulations, UNIONs, imbedded healthcare costs of pensioners AND employees... add it up, some is left over but not nearly as much you probably think.
@@MechanicalTrader HEALTHCARE is a ginormous cost for GM. A recent GM CEO is said to have uttered on his first week on the job "I didn't know I was going to run a healthcare company."
1969 Javelin SST 390 , Best ride ever.....Untill I rolled it!
RIP!
I graduated high school in 1973, we did love our fast cars!
I’m not as old as most of you but I remember these cars as a kid and I fell in love! Didn’t have the $ back in the day but I vowed one day I’d get my share. The last 10 yrs I’ve been collecting. 68 Roadrunner 440 6 pack, 68&69 442’s, 71 Corvette,(2) 67 GTO’s, 64 Catalina 421, 73 Firebird Formula, 66 GTO 389 Tri power, 66 Riviera GS and having a Fing blast. It’s like dating a SUPER MODEL every weekend.
Great for you. Must be wonderful.
@@adrianlouviere7650 I have to admit, its quite fantastic to drive old muscle cars all the time. I build them rather than buy them, so three of my GTOs aren't on the road, but the 65 GTO is and so is the 70 Cuda. Something about a 455 with 13:1 compression, driving around on E85 or home made $1 a gallon vodka.. life is too short to drive boring shi*. Haven't decided if the 79 Formula with its 400 block stroked to 461 or the 68 LeMans with its IAII aftermarket block with 505 cubes and heavily worked Edelbrock heads will get the 6-71, but right now the 505 has the tunnel ram on it.
Like I said, I build them because I am not a wealthy man.
people like you should be jailed hogging up all those cars just kidding i think
Brother, you have some of the best rides ever made ! 👍😁
Thanks for the ride back to memory lane. I was 18 and these cars made you melt whenever you saw one. They were everywhere. I finally got a 68 383 charger in 72 that was my baby. L60 15 Pro Trac “boots” lol, on the back just fit with arced springs. I put over 100,000 miles on it travelling across Canada and from Winnipeg to Los Angeles 4 times taking different routes along the coast and through Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona. Still one of the best times in our lives. The music of 69 made it that much greater. That meep meep roadrunner was just the coolest thing Plymouth did too ... and then came the 70s …WOW! Great video!
I remember going out cruising in my dad's 67 GT 350. Not the fastest Cobra, but what a beautiful car. And the girls were crazy for it. Good times.
Being born in 1969 I was too young to appreciate these cars at the time but I really love cars from the muscle car era late 60s early 70s, true classics.
I was 20 in 1969 and I remember how huge MOPAR was back then. I came back from 'Nam and used my $500 savings bonds from the army to put down on a 1070 Plymouth Duster. The sister car to the Dodge Demon. Bad ass 340 engine in a little body. Good times (after Vietnam) fine girls, and great music. The 1970s will forever be my favorite decade! Anyone remember the Plymouth Barracuda? I saw the 'Hemi Under Glass' 'Cuda at New Hampshire's Epping Speedway on 'Grand National Day' in August of 1971. 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits was there, along with Sox & Martin and their Pro-Stock 1970 Plymouth Duster. They also had a 1/4 mile drag between two motorcycles. One with a V-8 Chevy engine, and one with a V-8 Ford engine. Man, good times!
Yes,my man any time was a good time after 'nam.'67-68,in country.
I bought a 69 Chevelle SS two years ago. Absolutely love this car!!! Turns heads all day!!
My junior year of high school I had an opportunity to buy a 69 Chevelle SS 396. The car was straight, no rust, but interior needed work. Motor was in process of being rebuilt and was in pieces but all new parts were there and machine work was done. Guy wanted $800 and I can't for the life of me remember why I didn't buy it, maybe trying not too. Anyway, I've kicked myself in the ass ever since. Would have loved that car!!!
@@johnulmer6715 In 1977 I was a junior in HS. I bought a 69 Chevelle SS 396. I believe I paid 875 $ for it. Dark green metallic with the thin dual white pinstripe. I still think that was one of the most attractive paint schemes of all the muscle cars, nothing over the top, but just NICE! It was my daily driver for about 3 years, Then my friends and I would buy a 200 dollar winter beater to get us through the salt season here in Michigan, and we could give our nice rides a break for the winter. I had the car for a total of about 6 years then sold it. I was not in the position to keep it and buy another decent car for everyday use.
Awe, we all have ones we wish we still had. Graduated HS in '72 and in college had a '65 vette roadster, 327/365, rock crusher, tarantula manifold, holley carb, when I bought it the steering wheel had some old crappy cover on it, cut it off and found a teak wheel underneath, fire engine red, white rag top, black leather interior, a lot of fun and would like to cry when I see what they go for. Still drive a vette but much newer, lol
Growing up I had a 68 GTX a 69 roadrunner and a 67 Mustang fastback. Paid $695.00 for the roadrunner in 1971 with low miles. Paid $595.00 for the GTX and $600.00 for the Mustang. I wish I still had them.
I bought a 1969 Olds 442 convertible in 1980, black with red interior, paid $1,600 for it. I dropped a rebuilt 455 in it, new top and paint so I had $4K into it. I ended up selling it a few years later.
My Dad rolled into the driveway in '69 with a Charger R/T SE 440/4speed in Red with a black top and black interior and black stripes. EVERY time we drove it together it was a Burn-out fest! Dad was cool!
You dad was mad as mate
Graduated in 69 and bought a 69 AMX 390 4 speed for 3k. It was a 2 seater and they cranked all the way back, great for the ladies. It would pull mid 13s in the qtr.
Javelins' cousin ?
Love these, and our family has a 70 ram air go big blue 390 package with less than 63k on it. Epic fast and often forgotten special car imho.
Sigh, I built a newer AMX '71 and went hog wild on it. I left in the highway gears (I'm a road race guy) got clocked on radar at 4AM coming back from a night out. I heard later from friends I was doing about 295kph on the police radar. That's over 180 miles an hour. I wish I had that car now...................................sigh I loved the muscle car era, there'll never, ever be another like it
First car I owned was a 1969 Dodge Super Bee with a stock 383 in 1976 and paid $1,000.00. In early 1977 I bought my second car, a 1969 RS convertible Camaro with a 4 bolt 350 V8, 11:1 Arias pistons, solid lifters, Borg Warner T10 transmission, Hurst vertical gate shifter, Edelbrock Tunnel Ram with 2 Holley 550 carbs, 4:11 12 bolt rear end , ladder bars, Sun gauges & Moroso valve covers. I was a senior in high school & loved the car.
While I didn't have any on this list, in 1973 I owned a 1968 1/2 Mustang fastback, with 390 police interceptor engine, sure wish I had kept it. But I guess a lot of people were wishing the same thing about their autos.
Poor coyote, could not catch Road Runner. My Dad had their cousin the Plymouth Satellite. Great car. Thank you, Plymouth Chrysler.
whoever dreamed they’d have the values they have today!?
I graduated high school in’84. My good friend came by to show us the Beautiful Blue 1969 Dodge Charger 440/6pack 3speed auto his dad got him for a graduation present. It only had 1,700 miles on the clock, clean as a whistle too, no rust(rare for upstate New York) and only needed a new fan belt. Driving a steady 55, he got about 14 mpg. But when he stomped on it, you could practically see the gas gauge move😳😵. He sold it to buy a house years later.
I bought a 426 Hemi Cuda in 1968 for $4900. I got $3000 of tickets in the first year and burned up a set of rear tires in 2500 miles. Man I loved that car.
Those were supposed to be super stock drag race only cars but Chrysler still had to make them street legal. Same with the Hemi darts...
Today you can't buy a golf cart for less than 5000.00. America's glory days are long gone.
I graduated high school in 1977 and in 1975 7677 many of the gas-guzzling muscle cars were sold for for way under $1,000. I bought a 68 GTS convertible for $850, which I believe cost about four thousand brand new. Nobody wanted a car that got 10 miles to the gallon in those days, but I did not care
The great muscle cars of those days were like time machines.
It was a different world.
Fun, racing, admiring your dream race car on a showroom floor.
I spent all my time working on my car and drag racing.
Those were the most awesome days.
I remember being almost 17. I worked two months that summer for my dad. He said after we finished a job at my high school "let's go find you a car". There was a 1969 Road Runner, 383, Automatic in B5 Blue, bench seat, AM radio, power bulge hood for sale. $400 bucks.....and I thought I was king of the hill. Like a moron I sold it for $425.00 bucks to my buddy. Had I kept it, in the same condition I bought it, it would get about $40-50K. That would have paid off my house....DUH.....(Should have kept the 1972 Cuda too, I loved that car).
My cousin and I graduated high school i 1977. He had a yellow 69 Roadrunner with a 383 4sp. I loved that car. It was an absolute street monster. Wicked fast.
I was also class of 77 and had a buddy with a 69 Roadrunner with the 383 . The car had 140 on the speedometer and I saw him peg the needle . Sadly a few weeks later he lost control and rolled it 5 times . It was such a tank he crawled out of it without a scratch .
I miss my 1969 mustang coupe. 302 4barrel 4speed. I sold it for $800 in 1982. I also sold a 1969 Dodge coronet for $1,500 in the early 90’s. It looked like a charger. You couldn’t give them away back in the 80’s and early 90’s. If I only knew the future. I also had a 74 AMC Javelin. 304 engine. Purple and funky purple interior. I totaled it in 81.
When I came home from Vietnam in 1968,I bought a 1969 Mustang with a 302 v-8 and 4 speed.put it this way,I had a lot more friends after I bought that car then I did before. Cost $2800.
While I had a '67 Barracuda Fastback with a highly modified '68 340 engine from a Dart, my wife's first car when we got married in 1969 was a '69 Dodge Dart GTS. With a 4-spd, no A/C or power steering using power and the optional 3.91 rear she was as quick as almost any of the big block muscle cars. A lot less weight and better front/rear weight distribution made her car handle well as well as being quick off the line.
But time moves on. My 2022 5 series BMW sedan is 2 seconds faster in the 1/4 mile than any of those old cars, and it's no match for an M5.
When I got back from Vietnam in 1970, I bought a 1970 GTO right off the showroom floor then 2 weeks later drove it from Pittsburgh to the west coast. Needless to say, along the way I broke the 100 mph barrier
I couldnt drive my 69 GTO convertible slow. Just letting the clutch out easy was hard to do without chirping the tires. I bought it in Toronto and drove it to Thunderbay at the top of Lake Superior. Picked up a hitch-hinking old woman going to WaWa and gave her an education on muscle car tripping. She dug it and she was in her 60s at least. No cops so always over a hundred. Great effing ride. Wonder what it would go for now. I'm getting excited thinking about it
Had a 1969 Olds 442, black paint, black vinyl roof and black interior. It had a 400cid engine, 3 speed automatic. The car met its end while settings at a traffic light and a drunk driver in a pickup rear ended it. My replacement vehicle, 1973 Hurst/Olds. Black paint, gold strips, black vinyl roof and white interior. I still have this baby!
I had a 68 442 that car would fly. A friend had a challenger and I ate him up.
I was 16 years old and bought my first car, the 440 6-Pack Roadrunner for $1,500 in 1970. At the time I had no idea what it really was, or what it could be worth. It came from the factory orange, but was metallic blue with a vinyl roof when I bought it. I sold it a year later for $1,800. Next to it was a Superbird with front nose extension and the high wing, going for $2,200, and next to that was a 1970 340 Challenger going for $2,500. Those were the days!!! The RR got about 4 MPG before a tune up, 6 after the tune up around town and 10 on the highway if I didn't open up the other 2 carbs. Ate spark plugs in about a month, points every 2, but damn it was a lot of fun, and the girls loved it.
the muscle cars were popular BECAUSE they got the girls, right? you did the right thing, dude. i did the wrong thing and bought a '69 red VW Beatle...33 mpg...boring.
Wow I was born in 1970 and I am a classic too
I graduated in '69, so I spent a lot of time, in my H.S. library, drooling over all these beauties, in automotive magazines! I love them all!
Couldn't afford one then but, I was able to pick up a '69 Dodge Coronet R/T with 440 magnum 4-spd and Dana rear axle, back in the late 1980's,
before the prices went crazy! It needed lots of work, but was well worth all the time and effort! The young and old both love Detroit iron!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I was 16 that year, and drooled over every one of those rides.
Wow those classic cars are so beautiful I love them too bad they don't make them like that anymore.
Love this video. The Road Runner was a monster
When I was in the Army (draftee) I bought a 1969 Dodge Dart GTS with a 383 and hurst 4 speed. I put headers on it and it was mean. My dad sold it when I got sent to Germany and I've never seen another one since. Doesn't make any lists, either.
While I was at work in1969 My husband bought A brand new Dodge R\T in blue. And yes he took it to the drag strip "Dragway 42" here in Ohio. We also had 55-56-57-58 Chevrolet, 56Ford, and a few "hot rods"...'32 Ford 5 window Coupe with a 327 engine with 3 duces...'29 Ford hot rod and a Corvette. I miss those days and my sweetheart.
I had a showroom stock new SS396 Chevelle in the spring of '69 Sticker price about $3100. It had 3 miles on the odo, 36 miles when I first put my foot into the gas pedal.. It jumped forward and I was hooked. IT WAS FAST! I ran a 12.9 at Detroit Dragway (best, usually lowm13's). I raced on Telegraph Road in Northwest Detroit, lost only 4 races. One to a 440 GTX, one to a 426 Hemi (both 69's} one to a 427 Vette and 0ne to a ''67 Chevy Nova 327 w/ a big cam and headers .Never lost to a Ford. GM rated the 396/350 at 350 but GM was underrating their HP because of Govt scrutiny.. The 396/350 was actually more than 400 hp and the 396/375 was more than 425hp
In the late '70's I was in the military. My first car was a '70 Plymouth Roadrunner, 383HP (335 Horse) with Air Grabber, A-727B auto trans and 4.10 Dana rear end. My roommate in the dorm had a '70 Plymouth Cuda, 4-speed, 440-pack. I paid $1,500 for my Roadrunner. My roommate decided to separate after his four year term of duty and offered to sell me his Cuda for $1,500. I couldn't afford a second car at that time. To this day looking back I should have bought his car and kept both. UGH! I had built my Runner up under the Direct Connection catalog for 11 sec bracket racer. It was a daily driver. I had tons of fun street racing. The meanest car I came up against was a friends '68 Mustang 428SCJ 4-speed. He could not beat me. My car would hook right up out of the hole and launch with no massive burnout. I was lucky as a I drove his car a few times and the factory cam in it was very lumpy... that car just sounded mean as hell. "MOPAR or NO CAR."
I have a '69 AMX myself.
I still have a '68 390.
My brother had one. 390 ci. Fast car!!!
That's what mine has. 4-speed, go-pack.
I graduated hs in 1970. In 1971 the AMC dealer where my mom bought her 69 plain Jane Ambassador had a 69 black AMX 390 4bbl and Hurst(?) 4 speed for $2900. I called our family's insurance agent. He shot down my pipe dream saying, "Rich, your monthly car insurance on that AMX would be bigger than the car note."
God, that was a beautiful car though.
@@richstanton8545 The factory started installing Hurst shifters at some point in '69. Mine originally had the Ford-style shifter, which was swapped out for an aftermarket Hurst shifter. I found a rebuilt factory Hurst and put it in along with new shift rods, hardened steel bushings and heavy-duty spring clips - and a new boot.
I enjoyed this. In 1969 my cousin bought a new Plymouth Roadrunner, Blue with a 383 automatic. He sold it to me in 1973 and I had it for 10 years. Wish I still had it.
God I loved my 69 Roadrunner, bolted a set of headers, changed to electronic ignition and a set of American mags. It was a four speed 383 and when I brew it up I bolted in a 440. Fun times I will always remember.
I had a 69 Roadrunner that I bought from a mechanic who put some high performance stuff under the hood. I owned it my senior year in hs,1978. It seems like I was doing close to 110 mph at the 1/4 mike mark. I had so much fun in that car. Wish I still had it. I sold it when I went off to college and tried to buy it back a year later,but the kid I sold it to totaled it. He was lucky to survive the accident. Some guys can handle the power, some can't. This video really brought back some good memories. MIKEY
I actually drove a Mach 1 428 on a long trip during a summer vacation in 1974 when I was in 12th. grade. It belonged to my best friend's father. It was fast!
Amazing cars, brings back a lot of memories.
I bought a 68 GTO in 1968, the sticker price was about $4000, I paid $3350 for it. It was a freak, it may have had the 428 in it. Two friends of mine had 68 GTO's with the 400, one was an automatic, the other was a 4 speed and mine would out run both of them easily. It could out run the 440 6 pack like it was nothing and a 396 Chevelle, 428 Mustang. The only one of the muscle car it did not beat was a 427 Corvette. I found out later after I no longer had it, the only difference between the 400 and the 428 was the crank.
When I punched it from a standing start and the tires put our so much smoke, I saw nothing but smoke in the rear view mirror. I was 19 years old then and that scared me so much I stopped and got out to see if the tires were on fire. Sure was hard on the tires, but back in the late 60's you could by a great tire for under $40 bucks. Which I had to do after about six months. That GTO never had any big problems either. That is one care I should have tried to keep. But it was so easy to trade them off for something else then.
I was a 22 year old vet with a ‘67 Chevelle Supersport. Damn that was a beautiful car.
My first real true muscle car was a 1966 Ford Fairlane GT 500, 390 ci , 4 speed with a 4:10 Detroit locker. I worked in a machine shop in 1983 and bought the car for $1500, it ran but was in rough condition. I spent $7000 on the engine, Trans, and chassis. Another $2500 on body and paint and ended up with a really sweet ride that would run 11: 15 121mph at Thunder Valley dragway in Bristol, Tennessee . I ran from the law in it 7 months after I got it on the road, a rookie cop crashed chasing me and was hurt pretty bad, when the dust all settled I had to go in the Marine Corp for 4 years and couldn't drive the car more than a couple of miles from my house without the cops pulling me over. Live and learn.
The first car given the status name of “muscle car” was the 1966 pontiac gto. I had one in high school and yes because of the 70s gas crisis i had to part with it for a vw bug. However in 1995 my son bought a fixer upper 66 pontiac tempest. I taught him everything mechanical and we got that car back on the road. 6 months after we got his drivable i bought a rebuildable 66 gto. This car is a head turner and a first place winner every car show i have entered it. Still have this beauty for the past 22 years. Great vid and stories.
I met Ronnie Sox as a ten year old at the 1968 Rod and Custom show at Chicago's International Amphitheatre. I got a large promotional card hand signed by the quickest man with a four speed and fell in love with the Roadrunner. I bought my first one in 1979 and still have it AND that autographed card. By then, I had already been building Revelle models for several years by this time, but my first love for full size cars, hot rods and specifically MOPARS was solidified on that day, long, long ago.
Had a '68 Dodge Super Bee, race green. four gear standard, 383 block, dual quad carburator, glass pak muffler, rear jack.
I loved MOPAR
Bought her for $600 cash in '71 when I was in the Navy.
Great car but ya had to turn off the engine gassin up or get sucked into the gas tank. :)
$5,000 in 1969 is worth $40,437.06 today. So these cars were a steal back then. My ‘69 Cougar with factory electric sunroof, AC, PDB, AM/FM stereo, Decor interior came in at about $3000.00, or about $24,300 today.
My best friend back in the day had a 1969 Cougar back in the day. We dragged the 'vard in it for years. It was a cool car.
My first car was a 67 Cougar, bought it in 1982 when I was 13.. yeah, I was born in 1969. I've owned a vehicle from every year between 1963 and 1984 except for 1969 until last year when I dragged a very rusty 1969 GTO home. Its actually worse than the not even a good parts car 1965 GTO I rebuilt 2009-2011 that is now my summer daily when I am not driving the 70 Cuda. I still have the Cougar and most the other cars I bought over the last 40 years. Haven't driven the Cougar since 1987.. its on the short list to go in my shop.
The cars were a great value- the whole point! On the other hand, they lacked great brakes and handling so they were a real handful to operate at the limit! Not insurable ultimately, it seemed. Today's more expensive horsepower is better off for all the technology, thus are insurable. Amen.
I have a 1968 ford torano 428 car 4 -,speed one of only of ten with 428 coba jet with 4-speed that is a rare car I like some one to restore if you know any one interested
@@SweatyFatGuy We’re the same age. My first car was at 19 - a ‘68 standard Cougar. Owned 4 other ‘67-70 Cougars after that, plus a ‘72 Pontiac Luxury LeMans. Recession of 08-09 put an end to my run of classic cars. You’ve owned some really desirable rides!
I've seen Boss 429's go for $1,000,000+ on Mecum Auctions.
And I saw one sell off the showroom floor of the small town Ford dealer where I lived, probably for a bit off MSRP.
Hemi cuda's...3 mill plus
@@Welcometofacsistube Your a bit high... hemi cuda CONVERTIBLES can sell for that much..
I checked Mecum Sold Auction Cars and it shows about 12 at $400,000-550,000 and more lower priced.
I priced a new Camaro with a 396 375 hp engine in 1969. The monthly insurance payment was as much as the car payment. Insurance was the deal killer back then.
Is that why you had to hi-jack the plane
@@tedoverton8199 Yeah, where's the money now?
I should not have sold mine.
All of these beautiful sweeties are worthy. The list just isn't long enough. There were some pretty quick Chevelles, GTO's, Firebird Trans Am, Olds 442's. We had a wide range of great cars to choose from back then. They each had their own unique look and design. Those days will never be repeated. Thanks for the reminiscent video. Great job!
So cool. All of those cars and others were just driving around on the streets when I was a kid.
I am 14 years old and I am so sad that I missed These pretty cars 😥 they are stunning
I got my driver's license in December of '73, just in time for the first gas crisis. People were dumping these beasts for pennies on the dollar. Us young kids were snatching up muscle cars that we never would have been able to afford only a couple of years earlier.
You had to wait hours in line to buy gas at a whopping 42 cents per gallon, but that night of burning rubber and street racing made it all worthwhile!
1969 was a real sweet spot year for muscle cars.
And then Washington DC ruined it with their silly smog laws, and then the '73 Arab oil Embargo killed it. Good old politicians - same now as then!
I've owned two Mustangs, a Charger, a Ford Torino convertible, a Road Runner, a Malibu SS, a Cadillac Fleetwood 85, a Chevy Nova, and an Impala, all from 1969... years ago, of course. I used to swap cars very often.
Born in 1970 I seen a lot of these beauty when I was young, haven't been lucky enough to buy one, but love these old cars no matter what flavor ! 😂👍
GREAT video! I was a Detroit Native, and graduated in 1972, so saw LOT's of these cars cruising Woodward Ave, and many of my high-school classmates had these classics IN HIGH SCHOOL! My father, who worked for Lincoln/Mercury had a 1968 Cougar XR-7 GT with the 390 when I was in 9th Grade. I couldn't drive it then, but sure wish I had it today.
I also wish I still had the 1972 BMW 2002 tii I owned in 1982!!
Tried to get my parents to let me buy a year old 1968 Roadrunner. It would be my first car. Then mom said no only a four cylinder and it had to be a manual transmission. The dealer said he might have just the thing and asked my parents if they would let me drive it a bit to see if he could convince to go for a economy car. After the test drive I agreed it was fun enough I would agree to the compromise. That's how my first car turned out to be a 1966 Lotus Cortina GT Mk2. Wish I still had it!
Reasonably quick, but would have embarrassed those muscle cars at the first sign of a corner !!
I wanted to buy an opal gt, without a working reverse, for $100. It was so small I told my dad that I could push it out of any parking space. He said it would just give me a lot of trouble. So, I didn't buy it. That was in 73 or 74. Then my dad bought a 68 Cadillac Eldorado. That was the biggest POS car ever.
What a story!
I loved my 69 Camaro with the 350 engine me & my best friend put in it.
Bought it for $300.00 in 1976.
The back seat was too small for me & my girlfriend so I got a big 68 Pontiac Bonneville with a 400 engine.
Those were much better days.
I had a 68 396/375 Chevelle when I was 17 in high school. These cars were everywhere. Crossbay boulevard, connecting highway, Clearview expressway every Friday and Saturday it was race day.
God I miss those days.
The good old day's for sure. In '72 my brother bought a new '72 340 Duster, and my other brother owned two '67 Barracuda notchback's, and in the late seventies snagged an incredible '70 Dart Swinger 340. Loved those Mopar's. In the mid--seventies when I was in high school, my best friend drove a '70 383 Road Runner. It took me some time, but I finally got into the game in '83 with a '71 340 Challenger convertible. I am a Mopar fan all the way and I still have my '71. She need's some TLC, but still a real head turner. I love that car and so thankful I never sold her. I must say that as I age, I have started to appreciate the other make's. I can see my adding a '63 Avanti, 68 AMX, '65 Comet Cyclone, or maybe a '65 GTO next to my '09 Challenger RT or '71 Challenger, but not enough time left or money. Then there is 'Cuda's, GTX's, Charger RT's, 426 wedge Sport Fury and on and on. Nice to dream!
Liked this video, I was 16 in 1969, I owned all of these cars by 1972 and many others. Brings back a lot of great memories, I still own my 69 GTX 426 HEMI, 4 speed posi, and every option that was available. Thanks-
Sounds like money in the bank for your heirs!!
Not sure how much of a muscle car the 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was, but it was one of my favorite cool cars from that era. Went to high school in the early 70's.
Mine was a 70 Cutless w/350 rocket, nice car. The year was 1976..my 1st car
I had a 1969 Cutlass Supreme in navy blue with a black vinyl roof. It had a Rocket 350 and a 3spd automatic which put out 310 hp before I did some mods. What a great car. And the girls liked it too.
A few years later I was lucky enough to find a 69 Cutlass S convertible also with a 350 and 3spd automatic on the floor. Another beauty. I wish I could buy that back now 😢
I got my mom's 69 Cutlass SS when I turned 16 in 1975. It was a bright orange. I was one of a very few 10th graders who drove to school in their own car. After graduation, I began working at a chemical company and in less than 6 months, I bought a 79 Dodge Magnum for $7800.
My first was a 73' Olds Cutlass Supreme which I loved.
Bought a 1968 Dodge Dart GTS with the 340 4 bbl and Torqueflite transmission for $1600 as my first car in 1971. It was a fun little car with a great sound. But the muscle cars of the 60s can't compare with what's out there now. I have a 2021 BMW X3M Competition that has AWD so it can handle any weather and was clocked by Car and Driver at 3.3 seconds for the 0-60 and 11.6 seconds at 119 mph in the quarter mile. Braking distance from 70 mph is an amazing 146 feet and it pulls 0.97 Gs on a skid pad. Plus, it gets 25-26 mpg on the highway at 75 mph. Super comfortable and luxurious with tons of leg and head room and loads of room for cargo. And the sound emanating from the tail pipe is glorious. Simply an amazing vehicle.
I was in the Army in 1969/70 and remember some of our NCOs buying these muscle cars when they would get reenlistment bonuses.
I buy that $10 per gallon Sunoco SS100 race fuel now for my Nissan 370Z and blend it with the 91 octane pump gas(1:2 ratio) we get in California to get 94 octane, which is what my engine was dyno tuned to run on. It's worth it for the 376 crank peak horsepower that my 3.7 liter V-6 engine develops.
I bought a 69 Road Runner off the lot in Oct of 68 a few days after I got home from the army.
It had the 383 with magnum heads painted red with the big valves. Every once in awhile you hear of a car that is just way quicker than other identical cars. I lucked out.
After it had about 1,000 miles on it, I took it to a tuner to have it gone over because occasionally it would pop through the carb.
He pulled the distributor out and put it on a Sun machine. He was pleased to learn it had dual points! he put different weights and springs in it. Put it back in the car and timed it. Didn't like the response. he changed the jets in the carb and told me to take it for a ride. If I didn't like it I didn't have to pay! Wow, it felt like it had an extra 40 horse! Paid the bill and gave him a generous tip.
After that, the runner was hot! He warned me to only use high test gas or it would ping. I was running away from the three other road runners in town. I even waxed a GTX 440. To be fair, the GTX was about 300 pounds heavier and it was an automatic. My runner was a 4 speed with a 3:23 sure grip. I learned to be easy on the gas till I was moving, then mash the gas so I beat him off the line and was walking away for half of the 1/4 mile but then I saw in the mirror he was starting to gain. He did not catch me at the 1/4 mark. We raced two more times but he could not catch me. He swore I had a different cam or headers. Had to show him the factory engine with cast iron exhaust manifold.
If I kept the gas pedal on the floor and did a power shift from first gear to second by sliding my foot off the clutch, there was a loud bang as if a car hit me from behind and it would lay down about ten feet of rubber with both tires. Never tried it with third gear, didn't want to risk over reving in case I missed a gear LOL. If I remember correctly it would do 45 in first, 75 in second and 95 in third. Fourth gear, I don't know, the speedo needle was down below the cluster where I couldn't see it. I took it to Byron raceway and just ran it in the time trials. It had rained the night before and the track was slippery. I could not mash the gas until I was in second gear or it would just spin the tires like crazy. After three tries I figured out go easy in first with about half the throttle, hit second at 45 and mash the gas. I managed a 15.0 second run but at 105 mph! That was with a lame start by dogging it in first gear! So it really WAS quicker than the average bird. I sure wish it had been dry that day so I could have hammered it all the way.
That car was a blast. Should have kept it. But my wife couldn't push the clutch, it was really stiff.
I was fortunate to see a red 68 Charger with black vinyl roof and automatic trans on the lot so I managed to trade the runner for the charger. It was quick with the standard 383 blue heads but not nearly as fast as the runner.
The charger was the better car all around. Loved that car, should NOT have traded it in when gas got so expensive. Ended up with a Plymouth duster manual trans. It was lame compared to the Charger but damn it got good gas mileage. Drove that duster for 15 years. It got so rusty I was afraid the seat would drop through the floor. Wisconsin winters are terrible on cars.
My vehicle now is a Jeep Liberty with the diesel engine. Needed a 4x4 where I live. That thing can push through snow up to the headlights with good tires. The factory tires would never have done that.
The new 1969 runner had a sticker of $3600. Used my employee discount and paid $3150 after taxes. Can't believe what it would be worth now. The Charger I traded for is now worth way more than I paid.
Seems like I had to offer $550 plus the runner to trade. Those were great times to be alive.
Thanks for this review, it was a good one.
Thanks for the nice story. I had a 68 440 auto clone RR in high school. It was a blast. Still have a 69 440 4 spd clone in my backyard that needs restoration, lol.
You should have put a 4.10 rearend in it. Did you ever run any 440 six packs, or Hemi darts?
I had a black 69 RR with a 383 and the Coyote Duster system, 4 speed, 3:91 rear end, air shocks in back with oversized tires. I will confess now that I'm 70 that I street drag raced. No one ever beat me off the line and I lost only a couple races. It seemed like once you beat one guy there'd be someone else who wanted to try me. I ended up selling it for a Chevy Nova due to marriage and raising a family.
I had a 69 Camaro. The fastest thing on it was th gas needle but I loved it. Very cool car!
My ex wife's dad had an emerald green '69 ZL1 Camaro with the all aluminum 427. He told me it took 4 tanks of gas to drive it from N Hollywood to San Diego where he moved to. He passed not long after I met him and some lucky guy got the car and his tools (he was a professional mechanic) for about $100k in 2008. The car was straight, complete, no rust and it ran. Just needed a little freshening up..
I can't decide, guess I'll have to get one of each and switch cars everyday. But seriously, John Wick's '69 Mustang Boss is one of the most beautiful vehicles I've ever seen. The owner wouldn't let them use it in a lot of the driving scenes so it had five '69 Mach 1s as stunt doubles.
lol...they wouldn't let Steve McQueen drive his '69 green Mustang hardtop in "Bullet" either.
My dad worked at a Chevrolet dealership and they had one of the COPO Camaro’s with the special engine option. It was black with orange rally stripes. They had to open up the wheel wells to fit racing slicks and with headers it ran the quarter mile at 12.5 seconds
Found my older brother a deal in 1973 from a friend for $2100! 1970 Road Runner very low mi. 440 6 Pk. He tuned it and used to beat Buick GS 455's, 427 Vettes and whatever. My 67 SS Chevelle dead even with a 440 4brl Dodge Coronet. It was a wonderful time to be alive! Now it's Whipples and TT's. I miss all those and others too.
When I was 18 I bought a 67 Firebird 400 convertible. The only 2 cars I could not blow off the road were a Charger 440 Hemi and a Pontiac GTO, I was racing a GTO coming back from Birmingham one night about 10:30 PM and threw a rod at 112 miles per hour. Cried for a week 😢. Car never was the same and leaked about a quart of oil a month. Sold it a few months later.
As I recall, the Charger 500 was built in limited numbers (500) in order to qualify as a NASCAR racer. Yes, they actually drove REAL stock cars back then. Plain on the outside. A monster on the inside.
yep and didnt have hide away headlights
That was a Charger Daytona, with a nose and a wing like they put on the Road Runner to create the Super Bird. The Charger 500 was NOT the Daytona. And yes, they build 500 Datonas to qualify as a NASCAR racer.
Some of the old footage from the Mach 1 was taken on the road where that old lady lived. It was a 4 mile long straight as an arrow road. Lots of magazines would go out there to test all the new hot rods. There was no speed limit on that road being that it was a private road. Anyone remember the name of the road. It was named after that lady. She would hold motocross events on her property also.
Who knew in 1970 this was a big decision for me. I was going to college in Co and I wanted a car that would last the next four years. I am restoring my 69 Shelby GT 350 back to its glorious state.