Corruption is a good thing. Our youth here in Southern California are bombarded with 'Green' messages by the media, school and even their parents! When I can, I partake in corruption of the youth to show just how much fun a real sports car is. Of course, I obey all speed limits and naturally, stay well within the limits of the car and conditions !

Case in point; pool party and I've got my nephew and his little buddy sitting on the wall and checking out my car, so I invite them to go ahead and both sit in it. They're about thirteen years old and boy, were they thrilled. Today's young'ns don't have the atmosphere I did, back in the day, when all over the San Fernando Valley, you could find some gear head working on a SS Chevelle, or a 64' Sports Fury, and can any of us forget, what it was like to have a ride in any of these?

Back to the kids. They were sitting deep in the 95' and loving the experience, so I asked if they wanted a ride 'around the block' and it didn't take much convincing. I'll leave out the details here, but the grins on their faces was well worth the short trip! I had a line of neighborhood kids when I pulled back up and I obliged a few of them. My nephews buddies, Dad had told him that when he gets older, he should get a 'Smart Car'. I think he has a slightly different perspective now....

 

it's a shame the kids today don't have the car experiences we did. You could take a plain jane car, put air shocks on it, some nice wheels, headers, a nice holley, and go cruising.

Example, the 55 to 57 chevy wasn't that much in stock form but you could dresss them up. The 65 impala SS, 64 ford galaxie or even the custom looked good and ran well enough for the day.

Haven't even gotten to the Camaros, the vettes, or the chevelles. They were a class all their own.

I can't think of one car today a person can dress up and go have fun in.

What a true shame.

 

My 10 year old Nephew and his friends love my 1988. They always are comparing it to a BMW or Infinity their parents drive.

Sometimes I wish I had a ZO6, but with all the C5's/C6's out there, our C4's are drifting further away from the kind of cars produced in today's market. 22 year old cars to a 10 year olds perspective is like a Model T to us.

 

I grew up with those good old cars. My girlfriend in high school had a 406 6 barrel (three two barrel) Galaxy that would lay rubber with half the neighborhood inside! But I think we're really living the muscle car age right now! Look at how much power the new cars have and what great mileage they get too. A Smartcar might be good for somebody that lives in Hong Kong but in the good ol' USA, I think it's a dangerous choice.

 

The ride - the first ride - is what does it. I was not "into" cars until about 16, when my buddy's older brother got a visit from one of HIS friends who had a '65 GTO. MY buddy got a ride and started raving about how cool it was etc, and I just shrugged. Then one night we went for ice cream or something and I went along. It was a convertible, top down, and the purr and power were intoxicating. Then he hit an open stretch, laid into the triples, and that was it, I was addicted!

You may have done more to save mankind than you planned - after a Corvette ride I bet the Dad has a big problem getting the kid into an Obamamobile!

 

They're too refined. What muscle cars do we have today?

We have the Mustang, the Camaro, the Vette and the Challenger. No matter how you dice it the Charger isn't a muscle car no matter how they try. It can run 150 MPH, so what!

And we have only had these cars for a couple years because the auto makers realized there was a market and the Mustang was eating their lunch.

They have a lot more HP sure, but HP wasn't the only determining factor of a car back then.

Today's cars have no soul. I'm not even that big a fan of the C5 or C6 as compared to actual muscle cars of the day.

You can't take an Impala SS and do anything with it except put big wheels on it and maybe some spinners. But you can take that 64 Impala SS and make it a beautiful car though.

JMO

 

You're right, you gotta have soul, most modern cars don't, they are just transportation.
And Detroit hasn't had an original idea in ages, even today's sporty cars are rehashes of 60s ideas, like Hollywood with it's endless remakes.

 

I just keep on thinking of the words to the song "Red Barchetta" by Rush.

I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car
A brilliant red Barchetta
From a better vanished time
I fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime

Will it come to this?

 

I agree, todays kids are not into cars or physical activity.

By reading the earlier posts I can tell you guys are older than me and I wish I could hang out with the 60s and early 70s muscle cars. That would have been a time to remember. In the 80s there were the Camaros Mustangs 5.0 and I experience many moments racing and hanging out with them and I had a blast. I dont think it was not close to what you guys did.

At least the new Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers brought back some of the lust feeling.

my two cents

 

F22's story brings me back to my own "corruption". Although I'm a child of the sixties my muscle car interests were more in the way of Mattel Hot Wheels.

At least until my 11th year (IIRC), I had summer camp with a neighborhood friend, Ritchie. Ritchie's dad would pick us up in the morning in his sweet silver (C3) coupe. Both of us would squeeze in the passenger's seat. My minds eye recalls the metallic silver and chrome bumpers, I think there was even a Big Block hood bulge but that could be my imagination.

It had quite an effect on this young boy.

 

I remember riding to school in 1970 in my older brother's 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT. 390 with 3 bbl (remember them)? and a 4 speed. Blue with white stripe on the rocker and tons of torque. 8 track tape player hidden in the glove box with "Bloodrock II" playing....blasting out the tunes....all 4 watts per channel of it.

I was a goner from then on.

He got a little invitation to Southeast Asia courtesy of Uncle Sam that fall, and his evil future (and then ex) wife destroyed the car.....long story.

But you're right....I don't think kids these days grow up with these same impressions in their formative years like we did.

 

You hit it right on the head. I went to this cruise-in a few weeks back and said the same thing - why can't they bend sheet metal, or whatever they're making today's jellybeans out of nowadays, to have some character? And quit slathering plastic covers all over the engine, too

http://bradprestonmusic.com/Photos/H...710/index.html

 

Thanks all! I wanted to share this, because whenever we have the chance, we should share the experience. Change one young mind out there and instead of the silly I-phony, 3G network, you've got them thinking of the real 3G network! God, Guns and Gasoline!

 

There's no doubt today's C6's and their technology would take most of those 60's muscle cars for a walk. But today's cars sound too smooth. There was something awesome about the sound of a GTO, Chevelle, or whatever with an aftermarket cam and who knows what else...the car would shake and quiver, the motor would go "gar-UMPA, gar-UMPA" and sound like it was on its last legs - except you knew it was just not comfortable at an idle and would scream when fed a full dose of right foot.

Of course a lot of guys ran loud exhaust but no actual performance, and an experienced ear would tell the difference between something really tough and a wanna-be - kind of like today's ricers with a fart can but no actual talent under the hood, trying to make you think they're the quicker type of ricers. (If that last sentence sounds lame, it's because I know there ARE some imports which are pretty quick these days but I don't know one from another)

Had a friend who had a '68 Nova with a 350, who put "305" stickers on the front by the lights. Caught a lot of people off guard!

 

My nieces and nephew were introduced to the first two by their Dad. I introduced them to Corvettes. They live up north on a gravel road, so the Vert stays at home when we visit them. But, they get their ride when they come down here.

Now the nieces have gotten their permits

 

Funny, there is a drag car (Mercury Comet Cyclone) with a massive cowl hood at a local track, and it is so awesome looking to me. It is very different than everyone else's nova and crap.

 

GJ

 

with ALL the above! I grew up in a car culture(class of '63), and almost every weekend was rebuilding something in my heap(stude lowboy), or upgrading and experimenting. Nothing compared with the maiden test drive of a new rebuild and the animal came to life in an atmosphere of healthy exhaust and the intoxicating smell of heated Permatex! Only after the test drive did the hood get put back on!

At night when the cooler air carried the sounds, you could almost pick out the sound of Chevys and Fords as the local hot rodders would cruise the boulevard. YES, those cars had souls! They could move us deeply as we watched and imagined the thrill of driving those incredible machines. Modern cars are about as thrilling as a checker cab. No style-they're all shoe-shaped! No soul..... Kids got cheated in these later generations. Utilitarian engineered ugliness that inspires little if any dreams!

 

what more could you ask for??????????

 

Grew up in the SFV in the 70s and 80s and remember tagging along at the Van Nuys blvd cruises before they were shut down.
Lots of late night street fun in the 80s...those were the days.