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best handling muscle car

Started by miller, October 11, 2007, 08:35:15 PM

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Nacho-RT74

Quote from: Ghoste on October 14, 2007, 04:06:55 AM
Sorry, but I don't consider ANY Mercedes a "Musclecar".

I can agree with you somehow, but wasn't me who included the Gullwing on the musclecar category... I think I heard from discovery channel the Gullwing was considered a muscle car and the first one ever made.

Now beside if Gullwing is muscle or not, I bet any European "musclecar" if you think does exist, like maybe a 600 SEL  ( 12V engine and sedan, so not sport category ) will be better handling than any USA car made anytime. Being owner of one ( same age of my Charger ) and have driven several I give the better handling as a fact even without drove yet.

and I'm agree we can not include Sportiers or Super cars on same list, like Vettes, Porsches, Ferraris etc... They are very diff characteristic on body etc...

However I would include some Masseratti on list to the evaluation
Venezuelan RT 74 400 4bbl, 727, 8.75 3.23 open. Now stroked with 440 crank and 3.55 SG. Here is the History and how is actually: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,7603.0/all.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,25060.0.html

Mike DC

A lot of the 1970s muscle cars could handle better than the late '60s versions.  When the gas crisis & insurance rates killed the huge horsepower wars, the OEMs decided that bigger sway bars & wider tires could make a sellable "performance car" out of their ponycar models w/o the drawbacks of the big blocks.  See late '70s Trans Ams, the smaller Mustangs from the mid-70s well into the 80s, etc. 

One more case where it's REALLY too bad that the Mopar E-bodies were killed after 1974.  It turned out to be a pretty bad move in retrospect. 


C_stripes

Quote from: Nacho-RT74 on October 13, 2007, 05:48:45 PM
Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing" is considered the first muscle car made and still with the best handling. Doesn't mean the more comfortable or powerfull, but is a fact the best handling one.
NO WAY. NOT A MUSCLE CAR!!!!  That is a sports car. Plain and simple. I would say the defanition of a muscle car would be an American made 2dr mid size car from 65-73.  Corvettes are also sports cars. As for the best handling muscle car.  The Trans am is probably the best. But Mopar cant be perfect. So GM has ONE on us. But I have been told that the 72-74 Rally Challengers with front and rear sway bars are pretty good.  Never driven one though. So I cant be shore
I'm smarter than I act, But I don't act smarter than I am.

Nacho-RT74

Quote from: C_stripes on October 14, 2007, 09:53:03 AM
Quote from: Nacho-RT74 on October 13, 2007, 05:48:45 PM
Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing" is considered the first muscle car made and still with the best handling. Doesn't mean the more comfortable or powerfull, but is a fact the best handling one.
NO WAY. NOT A MUSCLE CAR!!!!  That is a sports car. Plain and simple. I would say the defanition of a muscle car would be an American made 2dr mid size car from 65-73.  Corvettes are also sports cars. As for the best handling muscle car.  The Trans am is probably the best. But Mopar cant be perfect. So GM has ONE on us. But I have been told that the 72-74 Rally Challengers with front and rear sway bars are pretty good.  Never driven one though. So I cant be shore

why not 74s ? :P ;D
Venezuelan RT 74 400 4bbl, 727, 8.75 3.23 open. Now stroked with 440 crank and 3.55 SG. Here is the History and how is actually: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,7603.0/all.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,25060.0.html

gordo1968charger

changing the subject completely,when people tell me american cars are only good in a straight line,i say "no,its just you,you can t drive" :lol:
68 charger+4 kids=2 jobs

dkn1997

Trans Am, far and away.  a friends brother had a 2nd gen t/a, 77 I think, but architecture was not changed too much since 70 and that thing handled like it was on rails.  kept up with my buddies 87 GTA and that was certianly a decent handling car. 

But...is a 2nd gen camaro or t/a a muscle car?  have to define what that is before any discussion can be meaningful.  not defining it for the ages because that will start a post war, but define it for the purposes of this thread. so before we go any further, Miller should set the defination for this discussion since he started the thread, give info like:

year
US or foreign?
Body platform

maybe somehing like 66-72  GM A bodies, Mopar B bodies, Ford midsize....etc..
RECHRGED

miller

well i just like watching you guys go because of all the choices i don't think of... i hate limiting you  :2thumbs:,

but what i was really looking for as the intermediate bodys, chevelle, charger, gtx, GTO, olds 442 buick GS... i dunno whatever ford made.. gran torino?...

as for the charger vs chevelle... theres a little back story on that... but basically I've been having my friend get info on it, i know it has a crate motor 402 thats about 420 horsepower... however the kid knows nothing about the gears or anything to do with the supension.. let alone the tires.. lets just say his daddys been building his car.. its more of a pride thing i guess, he took my girl... ill take his street cred

i know i could never win in a drag race, no matter how bad of a driver he is my tired 318 with 2.76 gears couldn't win against a fresh 402 big block, but i thought take it to an autocross, where there will actually be some skill involved and i might stand a chance...

at least mine looks cooler

2005 Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster Custom - Maggie
2012 370Z NISMO - Courtney
1979 Corvette L-82 - Lilly
1969 Dodge Charger R/T Clone - Vanessa

mikesbbody

Quote from: Ghoste on October 14, 2007, 04:06:55 AM
Sorry, but I don't consider ANY Mercedes a "Musclecar".  I don't consider Stingrays or AC Cobras or any other two passenger sports car to be musclecars either.  It's a question of definition for each person as an individual but when I think of a musclecar, I think of American two door, four passenger cars with higher output V-8's and marketed with a performance image (whether that image is through race wins like a Max Wedge car or perception like a striped up GTO).

:iagree: with ghoste 100%! also, that so called aussie charger can f... ... straight 6 hemi? give me a break! 

70charger_boy

Quote from: greatwn73 on October 14, 2007, 08:18:52 AM
I may be biased but for a regular car you could buy at the dealership the Pontiac Trans Am could out handle my charger all day long.

:yesnod:

69bronzeT5

Hey man, how does your 76 T/A handle?? My mom had a silver 76 T/A back in there 80s. She said that thing handled like magic :icon_smile_wink:
Feature Editor for Mopar Connection Magazine
http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/



1969 Charger: T5 Copper 383 Automatic
1970 Challenger R/T: FC7 Plum Crazy 440 Automatic
1970 GTO: Black 400 Ram Air III 4-Speed
1971 Charger Super Bee: GY3 Citron Yella 440 4-Speed
1972 Charger: FE5 Red 360 Automatic
1973 Charger Rallye: FY1 Top Banana 440 Automatic
1973 Plymouth Road Runner: FE5 Red 440 Automatic
1973 Plymouth Duster: FC7 Plum Crazy 318 Automatic

70charger_boy

Quote from: 69bronzeT5 on October 14, 2007, 10:17:04 PM
Hey man, how does your 76 T/A handle?? My mom had a silver 76 T/A back in there 80s. She said that thing handled like magic :icon_smile_wink:

Actually, mine is a '75.  The car handles really well.  The only thing that is scary about it is when you stomp on the throttle on wet pavement the car fishtails.  If you don't know what you are doing you can lose it real quick.
.
Now, as far as the Musclecar classification goes.  The 75 and later T/A's are not considered Musclecars, but rather sports cars

greatwn73


70charger_boy


JT01


Joshua


hutch

Mustangs.  Sad to say, but true.

In the words of Colonel Sanders,,,   "I'm too drunk,,, to taste this chicken"

greatwn73

No just a 400 but a one owner 25,000 mile never been outside overnight , no rain , no snow all original (I even have the tires) Trans Am. I'll drive it someday I just hate red.

70charger_boy

Quote from: greatwn73 on October 15, 2007, 12:47:40 PM
No just a 400 but a one owner 25,000 mile never been outside overnight , no rain , no snow all original (I even have the tires) Trans Am. I'll drive it someday I just hate red.

Nice ride.   :2thumbs:

learical1

OK, excluding 'pony cars',  what's the best handling North American muscle car? :scratchchin:  As I recall, the 442 was the 1st muscle car with a rear sway bar.  I remember all the car magazines loved the way they handled.  I never drove one, couldn't say.  :shruggy:
Bruce

Joshua

Quote from: learical1 on October 15, 2007, 06:02:32 PM
OK, excluding 'pony cars',  what's the best handling North American muscle car? :scratchchin:  As I recall, the 442 was the 1st muscle car with a rear sway bar.  I remember all the car magazines loved the way they handled.  I never drove one, couldn't say.  :shruggy:

I had a '66 442, plain jane, but 4 speed and 3.91's.....they handle OK, I guess....no better than a Charger really.....

Ghoste


70charger_boy

Quote from: Ghoste on October 18, 2007, 06:38:49 PM
What about the 302 Boss cars?

Absolutely one of the best!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lowprofile

I've owned quite a few cars over the years, and I have to say the best handling cars I've owned were my 69' Camaro's. With very little tweeking, they handle like slot cars. The small blocks are much better "balanced" packages then the nose heavy big-block cars. [I've owned both]

Just my :Twocents: :cheers: :icon_smile_wink:
"Its better to live one day as a Lion than a Lifetime as a Lamb".

      "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and will to carry on."

Proud Owner of:
1970 Dodge Charger R/T
1993 Dodge Ram Charger
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440fan

I own a 69 original unrestored stock 27k mile Dodge Coronet R/T, 1967 GTO and a 1970 mint original Boss 302. Driven many cars out of the 60's and 70's and the 70 Boss 302 is the best handling car of that era hands down... Great engine but also a fantastic handling car stock off the showroom floor.

70charger_boy

Quote from: 440fan on October 19, 2007, 10:20:20 PM
I own a 69 original unrestored stock 27k mile Dodge Coronet R/T, 1967 GTO and a 1970 mint original Boss 302. Driven many cars out of the 60's and 70's and the 70 Boss 302 is the best handling car of that era hands down... Great engine but also a fantastic handling car stock off the showroom floor.

You have any pics of your '67 Goat?  I have a 66 Tempest