Hello. I couldn't really address all of that^ stuff, but the reasons that I drive what I drive is because A) I dearly love these cars and, B) see A. The 65/66 mustang is one of the prettiest cars ever built anywhere by anybody. They are astonishingly reliable. It never ceased to amaze me how screwed up some people would let their car get and it would still keep chugging down the road. A guy came up to where I used to work in a 66 convertible one time and was saying that it just seemed to be running a little tired. I heard him pull up and the car sounded ok. I listened to it a little more closely when we got it inside and heard a little bit of tick, pulled one of the valve covers off and this guy had somehow managed to knock three, count 'em, three rocker arms clean off. The tick I had heard was the push rods sort of rattling around. He had driven the car like that for about 50 miles to get it to us. You can't do that to an 07 Camry. One of my cars right now is a K code that has a 4.11 rear end in it that's putting out about 350 hp and it still gets better gas mileage than a new Tahoe. My convertible has never dumped me out on the side of the road, and it is a far prettier car than anything brand new that costs less than 100k. These are just some great looking, great running cars. My viewpoint could be a bit skewed since I've been crawling around underneath them as far back as I can remember and even farther according to reliable eyewitness testimony and photographic evidence. But the bottom line is that I drive my car because I love my car.
question is how many "thumbs ups" has anyone gotten from driving any car but a classic?
took the vert out for a cruise yesterday and it caused more whiplash from those who turned to look at her than the 911 that sidled up next to me. maybe i just crave attention. that's why i like its obnoxious sound and that infernal smell it emits. who could hate the v8 burble at the red light and roar on the straights?
am just addicted to the damn things i guess. and what breakdown? tinkering is way way much more fun than pulling out a laptop to re-set a rice rocket.
< Message edited by 65Vert -- 5/28/2007 5:23:42 AM >
I had a long talk with some people about the pyschological underpinnings of owning a 40 year old Mustang.
We all know we could have transporation that is cheaper and more reliable. Then why do we devote all this time, attention, and money to these machines?
One person suggested ownership was a way of overcompensating for a lack of self-worth
Another suggested that, for us middle aged guys, it signals an identity crisis. They "joked" about many Mustang owners being close to twice the age of their cars
One of the wives thought owning an "aged" car meant I couldn't let go of the past and it was sad attempt to be "cool" like Steve McQueen!
I simply said it was great fun and a very special conncetion with the past. And I do feel "oh-so-cool" when driving it!
Am I the only one that is surrounded by idiots (who dive new BMW/Lexus/Mercedes) who don't get it!!!
1. It isn't about transportation. 2. Over Compensation is what the BMW, M-B, Lexus boys are doing. 3. I'm only 15 years older than my 65. 4. Some things are NEVER old. And NOBODY will EVER be as cool as Steve and anybody who grew-up during his time knows this and would not attempt to equal his level of cool.....he didn't try to be cool.....he just was (unlike Mr. Newman...IMHO). 5. They have stood the test of time. 6. No, you are not. Sheep following the latest herd are everywhere.
I am very impressed by the depth of feelings expressed by our group of non-conformists.
I forgot to add that one woman in the group (with way too much Botox) suggested that only "trailor tash" and Mexicans drive muscle cars and complained about the noise and smoke these "old" cars make! I didn't even respond to such ignorance.
I think she needed a good romp in the back seat in one of these vintage cars to put a smile back on that prune face!
speaking from FIRST hand experience with your last sentence....you were much better-off putting the drivers seat all the way forward, the passenger seat all the way back, have something on the floor behind the drivers seat to level it with the tunnel and back seat of the 67 fastback and than you could have some real fun on the back row of the drive-in.
I hate to inform you Pammie, but you don't own a muscle car. You have a very nice looking pony car, but it is certainly not a muscle car.
And I hate to inform you -- again -- but I also own a 1965 GTO. I'd say that qualifies as a muscle car.
The FIRST muscle car. A muscle car being a mid-sized big motored straight-line beast. As a friend said about his 1966 396/375 chevelle: "this is a GO car, not a STOP car."
Glen, Not all Pontiacs were muscle cars and not all Mustangs were either. In general, Pontiacs were a family car (seats six), with a couple of exceptions. Mustangs were a 'Sporty' car, with a couple of exceptions - well, actually a lot more exceptions. So Pam, welcome to the world of Mustang Muscle. Jim (Chicopee High)
Jim- Pam's 65 GTO is considered to be one of the first true muscle cars. If it was a 64 then it would be the first.
"Jim- Pam's 65 GTO is considered to be one of the first true muscle cars. If it was a 64 then it would be the first."
I think most people define muscle car as a car with a hiperformance engine and marketed toward youth. In other words affordable. The GTO gets credit for that.
I think the the 1955 Chrysler 300 might have been the first if not for the price tag. The Ford high riser 1964 Galaxies, T-bolt Fairlanes, 1963 superstock Dodge and Plymouths and 62-64 409 Impala's are muscle cars to me also.
Mikethebike mentioned drive-in theaters. I grew up in the midwest and have amazing memories of these magical evenings with me, my girl of the week, and my ram air GTO!
Alas, there are no more drive-in's in LA (and if there were the character of them would surely not be the same).
Do any of you still have drive in's? And if you do, do you ever take you beloved Mustangs to them? How I envy those of you that still get to experience this. My kids have no idea what I am taking about when I tell them about wathcing movies outdoors (altough I rarely watched a WHOLE movie in my car!)
Oh... do any of you remember those God-awful speakers you used to hang from the window? Or the crappy consession stand in which you used to pig out? Or being afraid you'd be caught with your pants down?
Some of the best times of my life were at drive-in's!
Does this mean that a 1964 Ford Fairlane SportsCoupe with a 289 HP engine (plus some trick stuff) was not a 'Goat Killer', was not a 'muscle' car? And I guess it means that I got to go back to Massachusetts and apologize to the 'Goats' I whupped on, both on the street and strip. Do the owners of 65 and 66 GT-350's need to hang their heads in shame because they are 'strong no more'? And my 66 'K' car is now classified as a 'former muscle' car by you? Shame, Glen, shame, hang your head in shame. Jim
Hi again. A person might be able to argue that a hipo Fairlane isn't truly a muscle car without sounding stupid, but I just don't see how that would be the case for a t-bolt or a 63 1/2 R code galaxie 500. Or a 64 hemi belvedere, or any of the stage III max wedge cars, or a 62/63 408 tri-power, or.........
"Jim- Pam's 65 GTO is considered to be one of the first true muscle cars. If it was a 64 then it would be the first."
I think most people define muscle car as a car with a hiperformance engine and marketed toward youth. In other words affordable. The GTO gets credit for that.
I think the the 1955 Chrysler 300 might have been the first if not for the price tag. The Ford high riser 1964 Galaxies, T-bolt Fairlanes, 1963 superstock Dodge and Plymouths and 62-64 409 Impala's are muscle cars to me also.
Nope, a 'muscle' car HAS to be a mid-sized big-block. Period.
I imagine that the reasons for owning a classic mustang can be as varied as the people who own them. For me, these are the cars I had when I was young, my first being a 68 289 sports sprint coupe. I can still remember the feeling of freedom I had when I turned that key in the ignition and heard the glasspacks roar. Most of my friends had other brands, but they were all muscle and pony cars. I have been faithful to the mustang brand for 30+ years and have owned many, including some rare ones; two 68 1/2 R-code Cobra Jet GT's, a 69 Shelby GT500, 67 Shelby GT500, and now a new '07 GT500 shares garage space with my project 68 fastback 427. As much as I love my new Shelby, there's a feeling that can't be matched when driving a classic mustang, kind of a seat of the pants connection with the road. These cars have always been a special part of my life, and they always will be.
_____________________________
Doug '07 Shelby GT500 68 fastback 427 Tunnel Port, 4 speed, Super Snake tribute 68 coupe 95 SVT Cobra 77 Cobra II drag car
question is how many "thumbs ups" has anyone gotten from driving any car but a classic?
took the vert out for a cruise yesterday and it caused more whiplash from those who turned to look at her than the 911 that sidled up next to me. maybe i just crave attention. that's why i like its obnoxious sound and that infernal smell it emits. who could hate the v8 burble at the red light and roar on the straights?
am just addicted to the damn things i guess. and what breakdown? tinkering is way way much more fun than pulling out a laptop to re-set a rice rocket.
Can't tell you how many times somthing like that has happened when I'm a passenger in my dads vettes. I've had people driving on the freeway drive up roll down their window and say they love it. One of my favorite was when a guy in a brand new Mercedes Sports Car Convertible (don't know what type) drove past our car when it was parked, he was smiling up to the car, then once he saw it his smile was gone and he gunned it. Like he was trying to race a parked car.
Psychologists are in the business of solving personal problems. There are many that do just that, actually help people overcome their problems which enables them to have fuller lives. Then there are those that are very astute at creating problems. If everyone's problems were solved, there wouldn't be any problems and no income stream. Yikes, can't have that. It's funny there were no responses from our esteemed clinicians like, wanting to own and drive a classic is a healthy way of fulfilling a dream. It's really no different than wanting to own a 2007 model. It does the same thing, fulfillls one's dreams and desires, mechanically speaking. Many of these therapists actually have more emotional problems than their patients. I think a lot of people choose this occupation to help them solve their own problems. Problem is it doesn't help because they are too busy listening to and sustaining their client's problems. You can put a supposedly unhealthy psychological slant on anything, therefore keeping in tact the honorable and helpful science or art of psychotherapy. Hey... it's living! In closing, I wonder how these professionals would analyze some guy or girl who is gaga for a 2007 Shelby GT 500, directly created from a 1967 model. Hum, if my math is right that's forty years ago. To me, it just shows how good and endearing the auto designs were the from the 60's and 70's. It's kind'a like Beatle's or Stone's music, which gets recreated all the time. These car designs were powerful then, are powerful now and will be into eternity. ceswert
Don't you know that with 2-625 cfm carbs on those motors that they will run like crap, not have good throttle response and use too much gas?
I think that might be why Ford started making buyers sign a disclaimer in 67 acknowledging that they knew about the poor fuel economy, excessive oil consumption, objectionable noise levels and rough idle.
Glen, Not all Pontiacs were muscle cars and not all Mustangs were either. In general, Pontiacs were a family car (seats six), with a couple of exceptions. Mustangs were a 'Sporty' car, with a couple of exceptions - well, actually a lot more exceptions. So Pam, welcome to the world of Mustang Muscle. Jim (Chicopee High)
I'm used to it -- people with a 289 look down on my car for being a 200 i6 but I love her, she has a lot of get up and go!
My GTO is a V8 with a 389 and that's enough muscle for me until the next purchase.
Bought a 1968 Firebird but it fell through, and have 2 others I'm about to look at purchasing.
Besides, a lot of people consider any Mustang a "muscle" car by definition no matter what engine it has.
Printable Version
RE: A Psychological Assessment of Classic Mustang Owners - 
I couldn't really address all of that^ stuff, but the reasons that I drive what I drive is because A) I dearly love these cars and, B) see A. The 65/66 mustang is one of the prettiest cars ever built anywhere by anybody. They are astonishingly reliable. It never ceased to amaze me how screwed up some people would let their car get and it would still keep chugging down the road. A guy came up to where I used to work in a 66 convertible one time and was saying that it just seemed to be running a little tired. I heard him pull up and the car sounded ok. I listened to it a little more closely when we got it inside and heard a little bit of tick, pulled one of the valve covers off and this guy had somehow managed to knock three, count 'em, three rocker arms clean off. The tick I had heard was the push rods sort of rattling around. He had driven the car like that for about 50 miles to get it to us. You can't do that to an 07 Camry. One of my cars right now is a K code that has a 4.11 rear end in it that's putting out about 350 hp and it still gets better gas mileage than a new Tahoe. My convertible has never dumped me out on the side of the road, and it is a far prettier car than anything brand new that costs less than 100k. These are just some great looking, great running cars. My viewpoint could be a bit skewed since I've been crawling around underneath them as far back as I can remember and even farther according to reliable eyewitness testimony and photographic evidence. But the bottom line is that I drive my car because I love my car.
RE: A Psychological Assessment of Classic Mustang Owners - 
