Death of the musclecar

[SuperBuickGuy]

I keep hearing that it's dead, and I think there is a great deal of exaggeration because there's millions of speed demons who keep missing that memo.

HOWEVER

Sometimes I wonder if the death of our sport won't be the Naderites, but rather the fact that you can get speed so readily.

Discuss

[jcharliem]

How could the hobby/sport be dead when there are hotrods to be found everywhere, and a zillion speed parts available to the masses? Today's high school parking lot may look nothing like it did in the late 60s and through the 70s. But yet... there are cars rolling out of the showroom today that can run circles around the finest from the late 60s and very early 70s.

IMO, muscle cars aren't dead... some are just a bit different.

[rastiss]

times change. most younger folk have the mindset to NOT get their hands dirty, but would rather screw with an i-phone. why mess with a real car when you can build a virtual car. technolgy allows them to build a subaru that will outrun a funny car. it's in the game so it must be true!

[TheSilverBuick]

I haven't been to a test and tune that wasn't packed. Sure there the muscle cars are getting rarer, but that's expected considering even my Skylark is well over 30 years old, let alone the generally accepted muscle car era cars. Point is, people ARE taking cars and making them faster than stock. As used car prices drop with age, new cars of today will be the wrenched on cars of tomorrow. I don't doubt if these tiny euro and japanese box cars were available in large supply back in the 50's and 60's that people would of been racing them too (though likely with the biggest engine they could find).

[Barry Donovan]

times change. most younger folk have the mindset to NOT get their hands dirty, but would rather screw with an i-phone. why mess with a real car when you can build a virtual car. technolgy allows them to build a subaru that will outrun a funny car. it's in the game so it must be true!

that is very sad. I restored one with 90hp. sprites of muscle might happen, but never american ironed version in longevity. Same for any japanese.

the only death I saw local in relation to real muscle.. is a result of auto inspectors.
I suppose that is the "naderites" stuff the op refers to...and illegal. I don't mean the car dammit.

A real fired v8 has a 3 inch pipe and neighbors windows shaking...with a muffler on.

today is faked numbers, I am too old to get lied to.

[Stich496]

muscle cars are dead, just not extinct...
new cars are not muscle cars, they are faster and handle better but just don't have that raw bully like power/feel to them..
the cars that are muscle cars are nuetered because 98% of their owners are p*ssies and drive them like grandma going to sunday mass..
extinct no. dead yes

[DanStokes]

Having worked for a Government regulator for over 30 years I can assure you that the only way we'll be "dead" is if we allow ourselves to become invisible. SUPPORT SANE/SEMA!!!!! They are working to do for us what the NRA (love 'em or hate 'em, they're good at what they do) is doing for gun folks. They need both our $$ and our vocal support. There are significant factions in the Gov (at least in the EPA and I'll wager in other organizations as well) who simply don't think we represent a significant segment of the population. Your legislators are your way into this system. If you make it clear that you care and you vote - and you WON'T vote for the incumbent if s/he fails to support us - they WILL listen.

It's ours to lose -
Dan

[Monk]

Just when I think I've built my ultimate ride........I'm already
thinking about the next project........572 ci hemi in a 68 Dart.

Like Dan said.......it's ours to lose
I like that

[antmnte]

Not dead and when this crap economy comes back to life in 2 or 3 years they will be flourishing again too. The track is packed too, I was at a big show a few weeks ago and it as well was packed to the gills and most cars there were 60's-70's cars and lots of younger people around too.

[Schtauffer]

All the government needs to do to ensure that muscle cars will live forever is to try outlaw them. People do not like being told what to do, and the masses would rise up if muscle cars were legislated against. When the current president was elected, gun sales went through the roof. The Prohibition was repealed because the government realized it was more of a problem for alchohol to be illegal. And so on...

[1931s/x]

sort of but not really. i havent been to the track in a whilei used to go a lot, the muscle car specific events, the numbers are way down. especially the brand specific muscle car days. they are like a lost cause. yet evo vw and sti days are still packing them in. maybe its an age group thing. is there a certain average age of racers? cruise nights are full of muscle cars. think of anything pre musclcar, start with the 30s cars, think how many times the "traditional" hot rods have been out dont by a car off the showroom floor. there are cars that can give me a run for my money or even kick my but at the strip, but i cant afford them. my neighbor went and bought a zo6 when they really stepped things up, he ordered it, when was it 07? that thing is a beast. look at a lot fo the new stuff, good power numbers, they just dont do it for me. sure they can be fun, but what makes an srt8 challenger charger or 300 any mroe fun than some kind of subaru with a big turbo? what makes one of the new hot rod camaros any more fun than the 300hp hyundai genesis? gm is putting out some fast stuff for sure, but like i said the new stuff just doesnt do it for me. i love the fact that i can build what i want, drive it in progress, finish it if it want, or just keep tweaking it. its fun. i had such a blast taking my duster i threw together right before the pt, on a 3000 mile road trip to the pt kickoff. while i did that with my family and with creature comforts, no ac, no tilt wheel, no cruise control, no navigation, nothing fancy. no frills. thats what made it fun. thats what i like. i was a little dissapointed with the amount of cars that showed up that were less than 10 years old. i couldnt believe the amount of cars that were less than 5 years old. i had fun but i wont be driving that far to go for a ride with a bunch of late model cars, i can drive my car to work and do that. a lot of the muscle car guys are definitely going in a different direction, but there are still young kids getting into the hobby. hopefully they will keep it alive.