When cruising in your Charger...

[69Charger_440]

how many of you see other guys/gals cruising in their respective "classic" muscle cars, and have you ever been challenged in a friendly manner?  If so, did you win, lose, turn the other way?  What kind of car was it?  I figured I would ask since it is kinda slow today where I'm at, and I have nothing to do right now  . 

Fernando

[moparguy01]

most of us here will plead the 5th. apparently im just the first.

[GTX]

I found a long time ago that it's not really worth it to try.

Aside from the safety, tickets, insurance issues etc, if you win then everyone else wants to run you after hearing all sorts of stories and if you lose then word gets around in an equally exaggerated story. It's like being a fast gun in the old west.
I prefer to keep people wondering. It's amazing how myth grows about you. I used to hear stories that we had a Hemi, could pull the wheels off the ground and all sorts of other silly stuff.  I thought it was really hilarious. The fact was that I really wasn't all that fast in that car. Faster than some and slower than probably many but the myths did more than I could have ever done if I won every time.


I just smile and wave and keep on cruising.........

[ChargerSG]

Once I was challenged by a Transam(i was testing my old crappy looking 69 some) and when my 440 Magnum got grip he was left behind The guy ended up buying my old 69 Charger 6 months later

[JR]

For me it was never anyone elese in classic cars that tried to race. They are smart enough not to risk their cars in an improv drag race. It was always the white trash in beat up Camaros, dummy kids in hacked up Hondas, and rednecks in beat trucks, and mostly other idiots with little wee-wees and something to prove. In my younger days I would race anyone for any reason. Now, its much more fun to let them play their game, whille I cruise and laugh. That gets them more riled up than playing with them.

My daily driver is an 03 Mustang with a blacked out tailpanel and the old cobra look a like wheels. It's only a V6 and I just bought it to cruise in, and because women like it Anyway, I get those same idiots messing with me in that. Especially when my girlfriend is riding with me. I have guys, mostly young and stupid, pull up beside me, rev it, and try to get me to race. I even had a load of idiots in a beat 4 door cutlass speed up around me after a redlight and get infront of me just to try and piss me off. 

All you can do is let the idiots play and the Darwin theory will continue to weed out the stupid ones.  Maybe I got off topic...

[Silver R/T]

If I see someone else in mopar we usually just wave at each other or cruise side-by-side

[learical1]

I was driving my brother's hemi Challenger with good friend riding shotgun.  It was a pleasant Phoenix day, and we were riding with the windows down.  We pull up to a light, first in line, with a Trans Am already stopped to our right. The guy in the Trash Can starts revving up his engine.  My friend starts laughing, extremely loud!  The guy in the Firebird has his windows down, and obviously heard my friend.  The guy turns his head and gives us a 'death stare.'  Out of the corner of his eye, he must have seen the shaker hood, 'cause his head slowly turns towards the front of the Challenger, and his eyes get really big!  Suddenly, his engine is no longer revving, but just sitting at idle.  My friend finally stops laughing, and the light turns green.  I wait to see what the Firebird's gonna do, and the guy just sits there.  I give it about a 10 count, and he hasn't moved! There are cars behind us,so I just idle across the intersection, with the Firebird staying a respectful distance behind.

[learical1]

BTW, this was probably 1980 or so.

[70charginglizard]

Most of my classic car passings are in opposites dirrections on a long sretch of highway.
Most of those go wih a sraight up peace sign in the air with a rev of the big block 440.
Have yet to see an obvious challange from a fellow side by side muscle car guy. Most of these encounters have been just little rice burner punks that I won't even bother with the time of day let alone risking my 30 grand plus classic muscle car over. They are no worth my time. 
I would be more than happy to take a challenge from a fellow muscle car in a side by side position but a las. I have yet to find the situaion presenting itself. If I did, it would definaely be a fun little play of power, thats for sure. Especially against a nice big 60/70 year series buick, chevy or ford classic. 
Again...nothin else is worth my time or effort or interest. 

[Brock Samson]

 last sat i cruised the road runner out on the open freeway to blow the soot out cause it was idlein a little rough...
I love the way the Mopars part traffic like when Charlston Heston was waving his staff over the Red Sea...

just getting on the onramp with a short burst to 80 MPH was enuff to do the trick, but everyone in the other five lanes was hanging back respectfully...
I guess they thought i was gonna keep accelerating but when i mellowed it out and stayed the slow right lane all these other sedans like an acura TSX, Civic, and a ten year old Rustang zoomed up to take a closer look, i got honks and thumbs up except from the lone two door Civic with the blue head lights and a whale tail who followed closely in my wake.

so few folks have seen an original '71 Plymouth Road Runner it kind'a like being a movie star...

  kind'a...

[The70RT]

When i got my Charger in 78 I did it all the time....to many tickets. Parked it in 80 that's why I still got it. Just now redoing it. I got a 70 Cutlass 350 respectable power. Just got it done last year and a Ford Lightning truck kept gassing it behind me, then letting off then slamming the brakes almost ramming me in the ass several times. He eventually got beside me at a red light. He had an automatic and was reving in neutral. The light turned green and he was looking over at me and I jumped the gas a little and he dropped it in drive like he didn't give a crap about his truck. I just took a right turn. 

[GTX]

I love the way the Mopars part traffic like when Charlston Heston was waving his staff over the Red Sea...

I love that!   

[LargerCharger383]

if anyone pulls up next to me I usually get a thumbs up and a smile....  today I passed a friend from out of town in my charger and he was driving his '94 camaro, he turned around and followed me to the school parking lot and drooled over my car for 5 minutes until I had to go to class.  I asked how he liked his camaro so far (its new) he replied "Whatever, so what'd you all do to this thing over the winter? sounds @&#^%&^& awesome!"  His car has enrolled in NFA (Neglected F-bodies Anynomous) and is showing no signs of improvement. 

[Zentelis]

On the way home from buying my Charger, I was challenged (on an open highway) by a late '60's Camaro. He revved and revved and revved, but I didn't bite..mostly because I didn't know how stable my engine was at that point and I did NOT want to risk blowing something up.
So, I just waved.. he floored it and took off.

I thought to myself "yeah, well, in a couple weeks I won't back down"..that was 3 years ago *sigh*

[2Gunz]

Ive raced a few imports and its the same story.

I dont hook so good and they get the jump, but soon as I hit second then I walk right passed em.

I

[2Gunz]

Ive raced a few imports and its the same story.

I dont hook so good and they get the jump, but soon as I hit second then I walk right passed em.

Ive tried to race some vettes and exotics just for the hell of it.  But they wont do it.

The only taker was a Viper but there was no room to run, we just took turns flooring it and letting off the pedal.

BTW, my cars not that fast. rebuild mostly stock 440.


Anyway I havent tried to race it in a bit. Not worth it and besides the cars that would be fun to beat wont do it.

All the Imports want some action.... but its not really fun beating a lawn mower.

[Musicman]

It's very rare for me to see another classic in my area, but when I do it's always the same story... Big Smiles and Mutual Admiration.
Those folks who want to race you... Well, I don't get that very often either, but when I do it's almost always a subcompact or one of those new Mustangs. I don't punch it, I let the tone of the engine say it all, one good burst of growling acceleration is all that's required... They can tell by the sound of the engine that I am not running flat out, and they give up... usually after the first 10 or 20 yards.

[RECHRGD]

I won't engage any of the little ricers that seem to come out of the woodwork when I take the charger out.  It is irritating when they get on your rear bumper like they're drafting or something, but as others have stated; ignoring them is the best reaction.  If you acknowlege their presence they'll think they have a real car.   When I do encounter other classics it's always a thumbs up and 'nice car' deal.  Now back in the sixties it was a whole different story.  I remember every stoplight on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, calif. was basically a christmas tree.
Maybe when I feel like typing more I'll start a thread for us old guys.  We can shed some light on what the streets were like on a friday night back when the real american muscle roamed the streets.    Bob

[charger490]

when out with the charger i get a few that want to race but i just sit there and make the tires squak and offthey go and i just drive off nice and easy.than i go to the race track every wed night to race don

[Nacho-RT74]

It's very rare for me to see another classic in my area, but when I do it's always the same story... Big Smiles and Mutual Admiration.
Those folks who want to race you... Well, I don't get that very often either, but when I do it's almost always a subcompact or one of those new Mustangs. I don't punch it, I let the tone of the engine say it all, one good burst of growling acceleration is all that's required... They can tell by the sound of the engine that I am not running flat out, and they give up... usually after the first 10 or 20 yards.

really love 67s with vinyl top... in fact really love also any vinyl top

back to topic.

Is not common be challenged on streets. I think instead geting race challenge what I get is lots of headaches when I want to move on traffic and I can't becasue somebody is freezed up watching my Charger, getting stuck the traffic around. Tipical case: when I want to change the avenue or highway channel and somebody just pass me but keeps on my fender corner watching my car, in some cases TURNING THEIR HEADS WHILE DRIVING, instead throught mirror AND I NEED BADLY CHANGE THE CHANNEL BECAUSE NEEDS TO LEFT THE HIGHWAY ON NEXT EXIT.

Once I was on street on heavy traffic and driver ask me if I can keep stopped on street to get room with car in front of me for a while he was taking pictures with his cell camera.

Only "Challenge" I took once was with another two Chargers from buddies'  mine ( one 71 440 and one 73 400 ) to make a small race from traffic light to traffic light . That was about 4 times, untill we entered on gas station at the same time and fill our gast tanks at the same time. Was funny see everybody faces when they saw 3 Chargers at the same time lined up filling gas tanks. And gas station was FULL of ppl.

Another situation, on highway is when ANY KIND of car, from Ricers and once or twice a Classic Mustang, mostly driven by kids catch me. For a while they are passing me, press gas pedal MORE and VROOOOM... I just let them go...

[dodgecharger-fan]

When I towed the shell of my 69 to the shop that was going to do the heavy metal work - a 500 mile trip - I got some honks and apparently some thumbs up while we travelled along the highway.

However, it was the first time I'd ever towed anything. So, I was a little uptight and it was dark.

My response to all that attention: "What the F*&^%ck are you honkin' at!?!?" while checkin my speed and lane position...

My brother pointed out, quietly, "I think they're giving ya a thumbs up."

"Oh" 

[mikepmcs]

Well, I get looks obviously because I have a GL but mostly a lot of thumbs up and a lot of requests to roast them.  I will most definitely be able to oblige them in a month or so but I really didn't get this car for that. Most of the challenges at lights, come from pickups believe it or not, I just smile and let em go. Occasional tuners will rev it up at the light but my car is so loud and lumpy one good crack of the throttle is usually enough to quiet them down.  Little do they know they could most likely get me off the line and maintain for a little bit til I walk right by them.   Like I said, I have this car for my personal enjoyment and not to impress others. 

It isn't worth the idea of possibly hurting my car or the tickets/insurance repercussions.

I have one story back in 92 when i had a 91 vette and I was on the 5 in Waldorf Maryland going back to Andrews AFB.  This blacked out Saleen pulls up along side and we are doing about 50 I guess and he is just doing the typical challenge stuff jumping back and forth trying to get me to go.  I looked at my buddy Rob and he's like whatever.  So, I said why the hell not, I let him get back even and then put my foot as far as I could(almost through the firewall).  I'll never forget looking in my rear view and watching that mustang get ever so smaller.  I hit well over 100 and backed off cause my turn was coming up.  He of course came by me pretty quickly and gave a honk on his way by.

If i want to race from now on I'll just take it to the track, mostly because I'm curious to see what the time would be for myself, not so much to beat another driver.  I will never have the money to build a true bracket racer but I just want to squeeze as much power as I can afford with what I have to work with.

On the other hand, not too many people on the street challenge me when I'm in this.

v/r
Mike

[Brock Samson]

  Here in the city of Saint Francis,..  there's an industrial two land Blvd. called 3rd street. and the lights are timed for 35 MPH, it's two lanes and weaves around the inside of the bay, so i do approx 70 and catch all the lights, quite the awsome adrenalin rush, which i do usually in Early hours of the morning, and yeah, I've been pulled over a few times, after i waited for the cops to catch up, I guess because i don't run they are cool to me when they do finally catch up... anyhow, Once i was being challenged by a late model 5.0, which i had no trouble dusting in the first city block, eventually caught behind another vehicle he rolled up along side and with eyes as big as saucers rolled down his window and asked..  "What the Hell Ya' Got in that Thing?!"   

to which I replied... "7.4"

[69Charger_440]

Cool stories!  So by the sounds of it, there aren't a lot of people out there with old school cars.  It seems more of the newer model stuff and ricers.

Fernando 

[Charger1973]

I got my fill of that back when I was about 18 with my old Charger.  The tires were always spinning.  Almost lost my license many times and had to go to drivers school because of it.  Thankfully I grew out of that.  Now I just cruise, and let others be the dumbasses.  I agree with what was said above, beat up trucks, ricers, and POS 80s camaros are the ones that always try and prove something.  I think they feel that if they pass you on the highway they must be fast, so they do whatever it takes to go faster than I am.  I like to let them think that.   

I try to stick within 10 miles of the speed limit in my daily driver, in the Charger I stick to the limit.  Its a cop magnet as it is, and I dont need a bad reputation with them.  Its one of those cars they dont forget.