Speed

[f6john]

Anyone here driven a 60’s or 70’s muscle car to an indicated 150+ mph?

[Oss]

only got to 135 in the 57 olds super 88  (That was pinned ) on NYS Thruway when I was young and stupid

Would a 73 Monte Carlo count?

[cookiedough]

not sure stock muscle cars from any era can do 150 mph?

135-140 is do-able, but 150?

why may I ask you wondering? 

[Bighead]

Well not a muscle car per se but got pulled over doing 137 in a 1973 ford Maverick it had more in it.  It was not the grabber package but had  a 302 and if it had wings I swear it would fly.
Oh forgot to mention I didnt get a ticket

[RainMaker]

I hit 152 mph in a Richard Petty Driving school car.  Does that count?

[NewValker]

140 in a 79 Trans-Am. The dotted lines were solid, not sure if that was because of the speed or the beer. Or both?
Craig

[Bighead]

I hit 152 mph in a Richard Petty Driving school car.  Does that count?

NO

[Hooter]

Was a walk in the park for my 70 Boss.

[Rams]

My BIL had a GTX, V8, six pack carbs, IIRC, it had a 440 in it.  He made the mistake of letting his 16-year-old brother-in-law (me) take it out for a drive, with him in it of course.  As I remember the speedometer went to 140 mph and I pushed it past that.   So, I can’t say I have but you can bet your bippy I got close.  . The fun ended when the left front tire’s tread came off.  Scared the poo out of both of us !

Rams  

[Bighead]

My BIL had a GTX, V8, sure six pack carbs, IIRC, it had a 440 in it.  He made the mistake of letting his 16-year-old brother-in-law (me) take it out for a drive, with him in it of course.  As I remember the speedometer went to 140 mph and I pushed it past that.   So, I can’t say I have but you can bet your bippy I got close.  . The fun ended when the left front tire’s tread came off.  Scared the poo out of both of us !

Rams 

Had a friend growing up (he was older than me) had a GTX and one night his brother who had a ‘68  camaro got challenged buy another friend with a vega that uad a 400 small block in it(wicked fast) so they get on the road and we flag them off and it is a close battle but the funny thing is the guy with the GTX lined up behind them and could have passed either one at any time it it were more than a two lane road. Don’t remember who who the race. Just remember the GTX

[Bigwolf]

I never owned a muscle car.  Does a mid 30s Chevy truck cab on a modified 57 frame with a 4ft bed and motorcycle fenders count?  Oh, and a warmed up overbored corvette engine.

I can tell you this,....at those speeds, it is important to have a more aerodynamic body style than an old phone booth looking truck cab.  My guardian angels needed a few Prozac and Zanex by the end of that day.

[sandy]

I was breaking in my built motor in my '65 Sunbeam Tiger. At 145 I pushed on the throttle and it took off. Slowed down after that but it probably had 160 top end.

[Crackerborn]

1968 Shelby GT500. 428 cubic inches bored .040 over, balanced and blueprinted, dual Offenhauser intake manifold with Holly 750s. Fuel cooler to stop pre-ignition and run av gas right out of the tanker at the airport. Somewhere along the way, a 350 pumpkin was dropped in and the 160 indicated MPH was pegged shifting to fourth. It would leave rubber in three gears with a 411 pumpkin.

I wish I had kept that car.

[Valker]

I had my 65 Corvette with 327/365hp to an indicated 155mph in Albuquerque back in 1975.

[DGS65]

Same as above 79 Camaro 140+ last since buried the speedometer that car was not meant to go that fast!
Today my C7 wouldn't be an issue at all but the faster I have gone is 120 on a track!
I'm smart enough not to try it on the streets like I did as a kid!

[f6john]

Reason for asking is I had been reading on another site and people were claiming all these crazy high speeds in their muscle cars. I questioned their memory and hurt some feelings. It takes huge horsepower to push a brick like those cars through the air at those speeds.

I have a 99 Corvette and saw 140 mph at 6000 rpm in 4th gear which is one to one in the 6 speed and a 3:42 rear end. Thing is I was on a dyno at the time so no air resistance to over come. The late model Corvettes have the lowest drag coefficient of any cars out there but not the cars of the 60’s.  With enough road and enough horsepower I guess anything is possible.

The stories also reminded me of one of my nephews who never drove anything that he couldn’t squeeze out unbelievable top speeds.

[Jess from VA]

No.

But over in Turkey I took my SS 350 El Camino on an extended 120mph run for some 2-3 hours across desolate territory.  It was often mostly flatland and rolling hills, but the roads were mostly unreliable and you could run right out of pavement and be on bumpy dirt and gravel then back to pavement, and that could get pretty exciting at that speed.  The cops in the back country were military militia with machine guns, but on foot with no patrolling cars (outside of towns), and more importantly, no radios.  I passed two of them on foot holding up hand held stop signs, at 120, and never stopped.  They appeared to be pretty upset at this, and threw down and stomped on their hats.  But no shooting.  

Some years later, in the same car, I did the same thing coming across desolate territory out of El Paso TX (remarkably similar desolation to Turkey).  I got about 100 miles before a good old boy in some NASCAR PD unit and big stetson hat came up on 120mph like a UFO.  I figured I better stop for him.  He was a bit irritated until he discovered I was active military with a wife aboard.  I asked him if he'd show me his car, thumping away with some huge cam and headers, and he proudly did so.   So I only got a performance award for 80.

No cop in VA has any sense of humor about that behavior at all, so I never do it anymore.  Over 80, they can take you to jail in cuffs (at their discretion) and tow you to impound.  At 120-150 I think you're going to jail.

In my 66 years, I've been in many lockups and a couple prisons, but only as some other guy's lawyer.  It never once seemed like a place you wanted to live for an extended period.  (And the only times I was ever afraid for my safety was in the women's lockups)

 

[Wizzard]

I had a 68 olds 442 W30 when I was in high school. We had an 8 mile stretch of recently paved road that had no curves. Took it to 150 one night and all of a sudden sparks come flying out from under the car and the speedo dropped to zero. Turns out the speedometer adapter gearbox that was on the side of the transmission exploded. Had to replace it.

[F6Dave]

Speedometers back then were often wildly optimistic. The bikes were really bad, and many of mine were off by 5 MPH or more at 60.  From what I've read it wasn't unusual for a car to read 130 when in fact it was barely running at 120.

Many people weren't aware of these errors back then unless they read car magazines, or calibrated their speedo with a watch and highway mileposts.  Today you can do it with a phone and a GPS app.

[MAD6Gun]

 I took my 70 Bonneville with a 455HO and a 3:23 gear and topped it out one night. Now those Pontiac speedo's are long. 0 to 120 in about 18 inches. After 120 the needle disappears. The needle was gone and my tach said 4 grand. I still had pedal to go but decided that's fast enough. I estimate it was close to 140 or just a little less. This car is about as aerodynamic as a brick wall and weighs 4600 pounds so it takes a lot to get it to that speed.

 I still own this car (36 years and counting) and drive it occasionally but I don't top it out anymore. Zero to 60 or 70 is just  fine.

[henry 008]

i got to 150 in my '79 280ZX, had 1000 rpm more to red line, but the car felt like it was floating so i backed off.

[..]

XJS V12 count?

[0leman]

I had a stock '69 Camaro with 350/300 hp engine.  Took her more than once over 130 mph.  At 135 her front would start raising off the ground.  She had lots of engine left at 135, needed add "wing" to back to hold her down.   Would regularly drive over 90 mph when just cruising.   Had a beefed up suspension, and would corner really good. 

Where I was living, had a friend with a '68 Firebird, slightly modified (full race condition).  I was with him one night when were being harassed by a young guy in a Mustang.  Friend let the horses loose, was shoved butt into the seat (we were doing 90 mph at the time).  We topped out at 165 according to gauge.  I have not gone that fast in a machine other than a plane taking off. 

[old2soon]

I had a stock '69 Camaro with 350/300 hp engine.  Took her more than once over 130 mph.  At 135 her front would start raising off the ground.  She had lots of engine left at 135, needed add "wing" to back to hold her down.   Would regularly drive over 90 mph when just cruising.   Had a beefed up suspension, and would corner really good. 

Where I was living, had a friend with a '68 Firebird, slightly modified (full race condition).  I was with him one night when were being harassed by a young guy in a Mustang.  Friend let the horses loose, was shoved butt into the seat (we were doing 90 mph at the time).  We topped out at 165 according to gauge.  I have not gone that fast in a machine other than a plane taking off. 

       Friend of mine got out of The USMC just before I got out of The USN. This was Feb of 1968 or so. He bought a 68 Firebird with all the aero stuff on it. About 85-90 MPH the front end would start to float off the road. With the wide tires he had on it turning the wheel just changed the airflow a bit to get movement one way or another. When I drove it I stayed Below 80!  Car wuz scary as hell to drive at speed. AND I wuz a Lot younger then. RIDE SAFE.

[Westernbiker]

My '76' Trans Am with a 455HO Super Duty ran past that mark. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I had a stock '69 Camaro with 350/300 hp engine.  Took her more than once over 130 mph.  At 135 her front would start raising off the ground.  She had lots of engine left at 135, needed add "wing" to back to hold her down.   Would regularly drive over 90 mph when just cruising.   Had a beefed up suspension, and would corner really good. 

Where I was living, had a friend with a '68 Firebird, slightly modified (full race condition).  I was with him one night when were being harassed by a young guy in a Mustang.  Friend let the horses loose, was shoved butt into the seat (we were doing 90 mph at the time).  We topped out at 165 according to gauge.  I have not gone that fast in a machine other than a plane taking off. 

       Friend of mine got out of The USMC just before I got out of The USN. This was Feb of 1968 or so. He bought a 68 Firebird with all the aero stuff on it. About 85-90 MPH the front end would start to float off the road. With the wide tires he had on it turning the wheel just changed the airflow a bit to get movement one way or another. When I drove it I stayed Below 80!  Car wuz scary as hell to drive at speed. AND I wuz a Lot younger then. RIDE SAFE.

Never really had a “muscle car”. Probably the fastest car I had was a ‘69 Caprice. I was 17 with some disposable income. Had it mildly built. It would cruise at 110 effortlessly. I don’t remember how fast I got it. Maybe 130, but it kept the front end planted pretty well. My RD350 was a different story. Even tucked in as far forward over the tank, it would start to float at 105. There probably wasn’t much more after that anyway. But even for a 17 year old light bars at that speed is a little disconcerting.

[f6john]

I never knew that the cars of our youth were so damn fast! I guess the reason I was so doubtful was there wasn’t a straight stretch of road long enough to get anything I had going that fast and that may have saved my life.

[Oldfishguy]

I’ve owned since 1977.  1966 Impala SS, original 396, 4 speed, etc. Speedometer only goes to 120 but would peg it . . . just don’t do any cornering with it, even at moderate speeds.

When restoring the car 20 years ago I found a factory in dash tach for it and just replaced the entire dash cluster with the tach.  I still have the entire old dash cluster mounted to my shop wall and I stuck an unnoticeable pin in the cluster so the speedo is stuck at 120mph.  Then I set the clock to 2:15 (am), as when this typically occurred.  Nobody notices but me, but I smile every time I notice it.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I’ve owned since 1977.  1966 Impala SS, original 396, 4 speed, etc. Speedometer only goes to 120 but would peg it . . . just don’t do any cornering with it, even at moderate speeds.

When restoring the car 20 years ago I found a factory in dash tach for it and just replaced the entire dash cluster with the tach.  I still have the entire old dash cluster mounted to my shop wall and I stuck an unnoticeable pin in the cluster so the speedo is stuck at 120mph.  Then I set the clock to 2:15 (am), as when this typically occurred.  Nobody notices but me, but I smile every time I notice it.

great story, and a great looking car ! My Dad was always a Chevy guy, and I have been mostly one all these years also. I have always thought the 396 along with the 283 were their best engines.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Reason for asking is I had been reading on another site and people were claiming all these crazy high speeds in their muscle cars. I questioned their memory and hurt some feelings. It takes huge horsepower to push a brick like those cars through the air at those speeds.

I have a 99 Corvette and saw 140 mph at 6000 rpm in 4th gear which is one to one in the 6 speed and a 3:42 rear end. Thing is I was on a dyno at the time so no air resistance to over come. The late model Corvettes have the lowest drag coefficient of any cars out there but not the cars of the 60’s.  With enough road and enough horsepower I guess anything is possible.

The stories also reminded me of one of my nephews who never drove anything that he couldn’t squeeze out unbelievable top speeds.

Lots of memories from the past posted. I don't think other than maybe one listed above had a speedometer that went past 120!

I had a 69 Coronet 500 with a 426 Hemi. Think Grandpa's all electric windowed AC'd power cruiser car. It's speedo only went to 120 and I'd guess it would hit 125-130 and no more. I wrecked it in under 3 months and all I have left are the 426 Hemi side badges as proof I had a Hemi..

I lived in the flat straight roads of Kansas a long time. My ST1300 is the first vehicle I ever owned that I didn't take to full speed (only 135).

Want to know how fast a Tourer will go downwind on a windy Kansas day? Well at least what the speedo will read....(136).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRen2uxX3Ic

[rocketray]

nowa days Camrys and Accords will do it....and stop and turn too

[f6john]

Check this out.

https://youtu.be/_DDswtLUhdM

[F6Dave]

nowa days Camrys and Accords will do it....and stop and turn too

And also get 30 MPG!

We are truly living in a golden age of motoring.  I was at a Ford dealer last week for some warranty work.  A new GT-350 was sitting in the showroom.  550 HP from a normally aspirated 5.2 liter V8!  32 valves, 4 cams, a flat plane crank, Brembo brakes, and IRS!  The sales lady said it had been sitting there for a few weeks and they'd sell it at a discount.  I used to look back at the 60s and think those times were gone forever.  Well they're back, and the cars today are vastly better.  We'd better appreciate these times before they disappear again.

Come to think of it, with all the political protesting this does feel reminiscent of the 60s!

[John Schmidt]

You ain't seen nuthin 'til you see me rippin' past you in my old 48 Dodge w/flat head 6 & fluid drive.  One of my first projects in high school, I could easily bust 110 in that old tank by the time I was done with it ...much to my dad's dismay. My best bud's dad was a captain on the local force, I didn't see him one night but he clocked me well past 100 and then called dad. Time to pump up the bicycle tires, or so I thought. Dad had different ideas....when he said "you're walking for a month" he really meant walking. No car, no bike...walking to/from school, football practice, etc. Kinda worked in my favor, my lover du jour had a car and since dad didn't expect me home real early from practice since I was "walking" it gave me extra time with "whomever."  I just had her drop me off a couple blocks from the house. High school was a fun time. 

Funny how my girls could never figure out how I knew what they were up to. And I know this post is a little off the subject title, but since others were reminiscing....    I did have a '49 98 Olds fastback for a time, my second project. Bored a bit w/full balance, solid lifters with a nice cam, home built log manifold holding enough carbs to run an Allison it seemed, modified Hydramatic with Buick dynaflow plates(really grabbed). Only had it up to 135 once and decided no more, didn't take long to get there though....much to the dismay of a local Henry J owner. I let him keep his title, just wanted to shut him up. The J's with a six in it could be set up to run with the best in their class.