LESS HP wanted as I get older...anyone feel the same way?

[ChargerBill]

I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this themselves. I have noticed that my opinion or attitude about having 550 HP and being able to boil the tires on a street car have changed a bit over the way I used to feel a few years ago. I mean, the more I think about it, the less I really think I "need" or want a 550 HP, 8 mpg street car. If i were dragging it on weekends i'd feel differently, but as a weekend driver that is going to make 300 to 500 mile trips every once in a while I think I may just stay around 400 HP. My ego is probably one of the things that got in the way of this realization, but as I get older and mellow out a bit I don't really see the need or valid reason. Does this happen with age?...getting more reasonable and pragmatic? Whatever the reason, I'm glad I didn't have the engine built 5 years ago to 550 HP or 600 HP. Maybe if I had 3 or 4 cars to mess with I would WANT and HAVE my MONSTER HP car, but with one to choose from I'd rather have a well rounded ride than one that was a chore to drive and cost a fortune to fill up. I wonder how many guys build high perf motors and end up disappointed with how tempermental and impractical they are for weekend driving around town? Anyone have any input or similar experience?

[terrible one]

Bill,

A bit off topic, and not trying to hi-jack the thread, but what is your engine combo currently? Just would like some ideas...I'm still young 

[RD]

LESS HP wanted as I get older...anyone feel the same way?

naaaahhh......... its just you

[Telvis]

I agree to some extent. I want to be able to smoke the tires occasionally but I don't car how fast it does the quarter mile. I like the idea of a good well balanced car.

[TruckDriver]

LESS HP wanted as I get older...anyone feel the same way?

naaaahhh......... its just you

I agree. I never had a car with over 350HP, and I want one..................BAD!

[Danny Gutierrez]

  I was starting to think I was the only one who thought this way.  I love the feeling of owning a car with the "lumpy" idle and "sting your eyes" exhaust as much as the next guy, but in reality, I REALLY want better driveability!!!  Spending hours timing and tuning my carb is amusing as a time killer, but I'd rather spend my time driving my beast.  Besides, my car screams above 3500 RPM but how often do I get to run it at WOT?  It seems that every time I punch it for fun, the law comes calling to see what all the fuss and noise is!!!  I didn't realize just how many cops nowadays don't give a darn about how "cool" your car is.

[firefighter3931]

You can have your cake and eat it too....think stroker  It's pretty easy to build a 550hp combo that idles at 850 rpm with a little planning and execution.....mellow enough to run AC, PS and PB. 

I hear where you're coming from though. Just build it to suit your driving style and enjoy it.   

Ron

[MOPARHOUND!]

 

I resemble those remarks. 

Some days I like the exhaust loud, some days I wonder how much stock hemi mufflers would quiet it down though.

The next size smaller cam has been a surprise, more driveable, and since I rarely see above 5000 rpm, the larger cam in my application was overkill for what I do with the Charger.  Fun while it lasted though.

[2fast4u]

             your kidding!!!    right Bill???



     HELL NO!!!!       MORE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


   BLOWN AND BEAUTIFUL!!                             YEAH BABY!!!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I agree Bill.   My Charger and I have "evolved" over the years.....from a simple change from FlawBastards to stock Hemi mufflers, taking off my harsh riding KYB's and putting back a nice set of Monroe's to making the decision to build my 440 mildly.....I enjoy driving my car.
Not knocking the "louder the better" crowd, just my personal tastes.....

[limey]

Well, Bill, I've just turned thirty recently, and feel that I have changed my opinion too. I love the idea of  a 500hp motor, the burnouts the smoke, the whoops and hollers....but... when push comes to shove, I know that when I get my new charger it is going to be more of a boulevardier cruiser, I want the power to decimate everything on the motorway (freeway) on ramps, 
but I have seen too much bad stuff happen with overpowered out of control motors.
Of course it is a personal thing, and I'm not suggesting that any of you without my personal experience should change your views...Hell, a stock 440 is still a pretty damn potent machine in the world we live in today!!
Nick (limey)

[Plumcrazy]

I'm with Bill on this issue.

[BB1]

Me three Bill, I want reliability and just a smooth running car.
I just want a stock engine with a little lumpy cam, that's it.

HP is waisted on the youth. 

[rt green]

my solution was two cars. the 4 speed rt for cruising around and to work. and a gtx for block hopping. had two cars, and the gtx had the steep gears with a dana. seemed like the best way to go for me.  bruce 

[Shakey]

I look forward to getting my car on the road.  Sure, I'll be pleased knowing that I have a bunch of HP under the hood but I truly feel I'll enjoy the car most just cruising around town.  I think of Saturday and Sunday afternoons with the family but I think I'll look forward most to a Friday night, after the Wife and Child are in bed, cruising the streets not looking for trouble, just enjoying the car that I have built.

By the time the car is finished I will have spent more than I should have and I can't see my Wife being too pleased with me buying new tires every year.

Yes, I'll most likely leave some rubber on the road at certain traffic lights, but that won't be at all of them.

[6pkrunner]

Certainly true. As one gets older they calm down quite an extent. You're not roasting off every stop sign or read light or racing every car in the next lane to you - which is what we did as kids. So you're not singing off the redline constantly. Therefore no need for 600 hp on tap all the time.
I've gone to the even further remote next step in which there is more fun building them than taking them out into that demolition derby called the roadways.
But yes as a 17 or 18 year old a toggle switch would have replaced the throttle. The car was at redline or shut off. now things are a tad bit more laid back and I do not need to be on the far side of 100mph everyday.

[Old Moparz]

                                                Bill's just being a pansy.

[AKcharger]

Well one thing that I've found about horse power is it's inversely proportional to reliability...the farther you get from stock the more likely it is to break. Sure there are a few cars that can make killer power AND complete a cross country drive but think about it, when they do there is a whole magazine article dedicated to the feat!! kind of tells 'ya something.

Plus there is ALWAYS someone out there faster, usually in a Chevy  Heresy you say? No economics; for every $1 we put in our engines a Chevy guy can put the equivalent of $5 in his...we all know this to be true.

Finally drivabilty Is your wife and kids going to want to travel 3000 miles in a loud, slow (at highway speeds) slow car for hours on end..maybe once. I think it's nice to know I can jump in my Charger and drive it accross the country without a second thought

[Todd Wilson]

I still havent had the 550hp car yet in my life.  Hopefully someday that will happen but with the way gas prices are going these days I am happy I have 318's in my Chargers.  I think these 318 cars will really start to shine in the coming years. I really have no desire to top end my Chargers anymore. I been there and done that long ago.  I'd like to have 2 more toys before its over with and thats a Dart which could end up being my 550hp car  and an old slow Power Wagon.


I really enjoy cruising around with the windows down and the stereo up going up and down the main street and then get out on the highway for a drive.  Heck last fall I went to 2 different car shows and put over 100 miles on my 71 and enjoyed it a lot. Didnt have to worry about over heating or expensive fuel. I went to one show and decided what the heck lets go to another town to another show and took off and drove!



Todd

[Brock Samson]

I agree.

  In my case i'm driving less "stop light to stoplight, & innercity hill climbing"  (what I built my car to do),  and much more freeway cruising... that's where the S.S. Springs are a liability, so these days im more concerned with "Freeway Ride"... I'm wanting to soften the ride these days and add some sound deadining and something quieter then my Flow Masters... then maybe i could try having a stereo... 

  I just went from poly bushings in front to rubber which has somewhat changed the balance of my R/T now I want the Heavy Duty rear springs to replace the S.S. springs,..  which are perfect for launching and that's about it...   
Then i can lower the car...

I'm happy with the motors' power. 

[bull]

I agree too. I like short bursts of speed from time to time but I rarely push it like I used to. I'm sure having two little girls and a wife in the car most of the time has something to do with it. I used to play around with people going faster than me, as in they come screaming up behind me and I would gun it to outrun them before they got to me and then do a little tag. Now I just let them go and figure they are doing me the service of clearing out any cop cars waiting ahead. I think that's why I'm perfectly happy with owning a 383 car. The 383 I had in my '70 was plenty fast for an 18-year-old so I'm figuring it will be more than enough in a '68 for a 39-year-old.

[Charger_Croatia]

I'm thinking about 350 HP which should be more than enough for local "heroes" around here. And she would be used more often than I thought (probably).

So, one more with Bill.

[Charger_Fan]

Pertaining to my Charger, I'll admit that I've been thinking the same kind of thing...especially with the price of gas these days. I'd like to be able to drive it wherever I wanted, so I think I'd even be pretty happy with a stout, yet streetable small block under the hood...or better yet, a late model style injected 360, as long as the rest of the car looked great.

However, I'd love to drive a ground-pounding animal too & haven't completely grown out of that yet. I'd like to build a monster engine & slap it in a 1/4 mile car, just so I could go flatten my eyeballs now & then.

[NYCMille]

As long as you can smoke the tires at will, I have no problem with anyone's engine combination. A Dodge Charger of any year that cannot ROAST THE HIDES needs MORE POWER!

[73rallye440magnum]

When the guy I bought my car from built my engine he basically went stock for 73. He did a little bit of headwork and put in a stock cam. It has factory exhaust manifolds and turbo mufflers. I think it sounds great and I know it will roast the tires all day. So I'm guessing 300 horse and 400 torque at the rear wheels. That will be plenty for me as I just really want to drive more then anything. I'm sure I'll have a little fun but I have friends with smallblocks that will bounce of 8 grand and run high 11's low 12's. This doensn't mean that I don't want a 500+ horse engine but I'm just fine now with what I've got. I just can't wait to drive it! I think cruising will be a little more fun then beating the crap out of it. I've put too much time in it to wreck it. 

[wetfeetmi]

Maybe the ricers are on to something!  20+ mpg and moderate h.p.

[sixty6charger]

When it comes right down to it, I need to feel the power so I like my car but... I also would like a car that has some get up and go but enjoyable to drive around town without a screaming muffler, lumpy cam, high rpm's and able to listen to the radio.

So, I'm hoping to inherite my father's '68 Buick. It has a small block engine but drives like a dream. It only produces 230 hp but looks cooler and bad as heck If I get it I'll build it up to about 330 hp so I'll get the umph without the typical annoyances that come with a muscle ground beater... so the family can enjoy a ride in it, unlike the Charger.

[bull]

Maybe the ricers are on to something!  20+ mpg and moderate h.p.

I would not say such things if I were you!

[dkn1997]

I built my car starting in my late 20's.   decently quick (13 flat in the 1/4) obnoxiousely loud,3.91's/auto,  manual steering, kyb shocks, headers, sheet metal valve covers, etc..

I am now 36, my wife and kids are afraid of the car and I get to sit in it alone, not much fun.

I am just finishing up putting manifolds back, stock air cleaner/valve covers, firm feel box.

next on the list is to get a set of monroe's, maybe some 3.55's.....

but in the future I want the best of both worlds.  I want to duplicate what a member at moparts did where he used ported E heads w/manifolds and made 500hp.  did not have to use a really wild cam either.

so I am with you on wanting more of a driver, but I still want to go fast...

[69chargeryeehaa]

you know your getting old when........................................... 

i'm 31, married, 1 girl 20mths old, she says "let's go in the zoom-zoom" (69 charger), when i punch the 440, she screams "weeeeeeeeee, weeeeeeeee".  although i can say i'm much more responsible, like only punching it where safe, but i still wanna go fast, the faster the better.!!!!

i guess i'm not even close to getting old, allways want more power, my daily driver is a 2002 Mustang GT, it's too slow, but it'll do for now!!!!

what's all this crazy talk about "oh, i'mmmmm so old, i'm scarred, i want a slower car, hey......seen the new hundai's thery're sweet" lol, please, i could picture myself down the road, being 60, just means i'll have more money to make everything faster!!!!  realiable can be fast too.

[tipopiola]

Theres definitely something to be said for being able to fill up with pump gas and being able to drive without going deaf, but I'm 28 and I'd still like to be able to chirp the tires in as many gears as I can.  I don't plan on racing or making a habit of 100 mph, but I would like to break the rear rubber loose at 45 mph.  I'm goin' with firefighter on this one.......STROKER!  I'll rebuild the original 440, but I've got plans for a BB stroker someday.  Driveability, speed, and plenty of stoplight to stoplight torque.  Tipopiola

[volk68]

I'm 31 with a wife and 2 kids, and I still want more power.  I have never wanted a mean drag car or anything like that, but I want a tire smoking, high velocity beast.  That said, it is also important that my car remain fully streetable, because I really want to drive it.  This is why turbocharging/procharging are so appealing to me.  As most of you know by now, I live at high altitude, and at the very least I will need a pretty big stroker to get respectable power output.  For me, a very modest build with forced induction seems to give the best of both worlds...reasonable reliability, strong power, and perfect street manners.  Some disc brakes, a firm feel steering box, and a Gear Vendors unit would complete the package.  That's my dream car in a nutshell 

[6pkrunner]

All this said, and not driving like I used to with WFO 24/7 I fully intend for the '71 ragtop cuda I have to get a seriously stroked hemi when I finally get to restoring it. I know full well it'll only be a once a month type of car so it will be on the ragged edge of streetability. No highways nor any trips further than 15 miles or so.  But for tooling around I like the Chatger with the 3.55s and the warmed over 440. The 496 8 bbl in the runner  with 3.91s is a lot of fun but not for a straight 4-5 hours cruise.

[Silver R/T]

I wouldnt mind one, and as I get older Id probably still would enjoy it

[rt green]

best of both worlds, like i said have 2 mopars. one wild, one mild.

[Old Moparz]

All this said, and not driving like I used to with WFO 24/7 I fully intend for the '71 ragtop cuda I have to get a seriously stroked hemi when I finally get to restoring it. I know full well it'll only be a once a month type of car so it will be on the ragged edge of streetability. No highways nor any trips further than 15 miles or so.  But for tooling around I like the Chatger with the 3.55s and the warmed over 440. The 496 8 bbl in the runner  with 3.91s is a lot of fun but not for a straight 4-5 hours cruise.

                                          At least you aren't a pansy.

[BigBlockSam]

best of both worlds, like i said have 2 mopars. one wild, one mild.     

[limey]

best of both worlds, like i said have 2 mopars. one wild, one mild.     

I wouldn't mind having Mopars like my  mother has shoes....one for every occasion...(at least 20!)
Nick

[John_Kunkel]

The original poster mentioned "having 550 HP and being able to boil the tires on a street car" as though they were synonymous.

I don't care to boil the tires (since just about any POS rice grinder can boil the tires right down to the rim) but I still crave brute acceleration and hope to feel that way until death.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I know where ur coming from and im only 19...    swapped out the purple shaft and went more mild, making mild numbers,  just in it for cruising....     if i wanted some bad ass street car i would get a duster and drop a 440 into that

[Mike DC]

     
I just want my Charger to be 100% fun for ME  to drive, all the time.  I don't care what the teenage kid in the next lane or the snooty "expert" at the car show thinks should be done differently.

I want it comfortable too.  Insualtion & A/C & windhsield wipers that actually do the job.  Electrical wiring & cooling systems that don't give me any sh*t whenever I try to drive it more than 30 miles.

     

[HeavyFuel]

I thank the stars that outlooks and attitudes do change in people as they get older.  Could you imagine what it would be like if everyone had the driving disposition of the typical 20-25 year old?  Not good.  No offense intended to that age range, but I look back at the way I drove back then (I'm 44 now), and it is a good thing I didn't have a warmed up 68 R/t.  I'd be dead, or someone else might be.

I had my #'s 440 built to stock specs with above average quality components last year.  The car has been mine for 14 years, and it has only had about 200 miles put on it in that time.  When it's done, it'll have all of the mojo that I need at this point in my life.

[73dodge]

Naw not me

I am 41 going on 42 and I want a car that I'm afraid to drive.

 

[Old Moparz]

Naw not me

I am 41 going on 42 and I want a car that I'm afraid to drive.

 

Same here, I'm 43 & haven't had a scary car to drive in a long time. The ones with no brakes & other major problems don't count.     I'm looking forward to getting the '70 Road Runner up & running, I never owned a 4 speed muscle car before. It's got a few HP parts in the motor that are a step up from what I've been used to, so it should be interesting. I can't recall what was on the engine rebuild receipt, but I do remember it has 11:1 pistons, a bigger cam, 8 quart oil pan & was a '69 HP motor. I think the rear is a 3:55, but not quite sure.

The 440 I have for the Charger may get the same kind of treatment when I'm ready for it, but that's a ways off right now. If I get the RR on the road & s**t my pants, I may think about it differently, or just buy a box of depends & deal with it. 

[694spdRT]

I have to agree that more and more I want something to drive and enjoy on a fairly regular basis. I don't care or plan to be the fastest around anyway as there are street driven Turbo Grand Nationals and 600 horse Camaro's turning mid 10's in my town anyway. 

I am strongly considering a mild 318 for the Challenger. If you would have asked me ten years ago I would have told you a 318 was good for nothing but weight in back of my big block plow truck.   

[Charger_Fan]

best of both worlds, like i said have 2 mopars. one wild, one mild.     

[Charger Aficionado]

  I've had alot of "slowing down".  When I got home from the Military I was an idiot.  I drove my '69 from Merced to Sacramento a few times at around 120-130mph range.  I was an idiot since that thing had a moderate braking system...  That car was phenominal with it's 383.  The engine was pro built by some guy who had a MoPar resto shop in Bakersfield Ca, and it was the HOTTEST 383 I've ever had/seen...

  Now I have the R/T SE, and I'd like to MILK some serious HP out of it!  Talking to Chryco yesterday about it.  IN PERSON THIS TIME!!!  I don't think I'll ever loose the NEED FOR SPEED, ever.  But I will be more discriminating when I use it... 
 
  On a side note; my yellow R/T was owned by a guy in his '60s and this dude raced it, and matter of fact BOILED his tires with a line-lock system.  I have 3 inches of pure rubber undercoat on the bottom of that car, no kidding...

[Headrope]

I still want as much HP as possible - in my Charger. I have a '90 Ram pickup to drive when I want to be comfortable or make long trips.
Things have changed for me as I've aged, though. Granted I'm only 31, but 90 miles-per-hour on the street scares me now. The speed doesn't. The what-if does. I have a wife, kid, dog, co-workers, etc. It's not just my life anymore to risk.

[Mike DC]

   
Being landlocked into miles of suburban roads (traffic-jammed full of dumbasses) really takes all the fun out of driving fast.