Fairmonts & Zephyrs

Non-biased? No love for Fords there.

 

Andy, which company had that slogan "Ask the man who owns one." I can't recall, but I think it was Buick or Olds. Buddy, we know we've got great cars.:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Saw a documentary about "Detroit" and the car industry, once or twice.It explained,that if the shift started at 8 am,lunch was at noon and work resumed at 1 pm.At 5 pm,the crew clocked off,if they weren't working overtime.The documentary had several experts explain that;the best engines and cars were built between 9 and 11:30 am and 1:30 and 4:30 pm...If the workers had drunk some beer during lunch,part of the union contract,then it was between 2 and 4:30 pm...So,an 8:15 426 Hemi might have only 426 hp---a 10:30 426 Hemi could have close to 500 hp,that's why it''s said 426 hemi's AVERAGE aroound 477 hp,because---depending on the time of day it was made,the better or worse it was made.

 

Yeah, but even at 477 HP, you still needed an adult diaper.

I worked as a lot boy in 1968 for a Dodge dealer during the summer. We had one Hemi-Charger on the lot, and only the head mechanic had the keys. A distinguished gent came in looking at a nice New Yorker 4 dr HT, black, loaded, vinyl roof, etc. In his early 50's.

He spotted the Hemi Charger! The salesrep told him the mechanic had the keys. So they walked to the shop. We could get 40 odd cars in there, and park 15 end-to-end. It was Friday evening and the shop was emptying out. The mechanic asks this gent if he'd like a demonstration. Sure, why not? He walks out to the lot, cranks up the Hemi and let's her warm up a bit, then rumbles to the shop door. No cars in front, leading to the other open garage door at the far end. The mechanic tells him to climb in and buckle up. The Hemi is vibrating at idle. dual fours. The customer figures they're gonna back up and go on the street.

Nope! Straight ahead, pops a wheelie and never gets to second gear. The guy screamed to get out and bought the New Yorker on the spot!

 

Now that's a good story!..And there's nothing wrong with a New Yorker...And even if it's only 426 hp,,,MBZ's bragging about their AMG's now having the most hp they've ever had,and it's in the mid 300's...Gimme a break fellas!Even the New Yorker probably had more than that!!!

 

Yeah, I think they were around 310 or so. Comfy too.

Do you remember when EPA got into it about the Hemi? They didn't want MOPAR to advertise more than 1:1 HP per CI?

Up here the official statement was 425 HP. Grossly understated.

Standing next to it with your hand on the hood was intimiditating enough. The car would throb from side-to-side!

And the New Yorker was only a few hundred more!

 

mmmm.....yeah....special purpose ls6 (engine from the new vette zr2) in the tikki wagon!

oh wait ... you said high mpg....ok how bout a duramax powered buick roadmaster!

 

i'm getting about 25 mpg in my roadie the fairmont is about the same.

 

25 MPG must be nice!

Winter 8-12 city 12-15 hwy.
Summer 12-15 city 15-20 hwy.

 

Yup...First the EPA,and then the Car Insurance Industry...All of Detroits 420-something engines(and there were a bunch of them!)were "officially rated" at 425 hp,as if that's all the better that could be accomplished.And because(1)higher compression engines and(2) Hemis,make a different kind of smog(they burned more of the fuel,so the composition of the exhaust fumes was different)the EPA had to stop that out too...The car insurance industry started charging more for cars that got over 400 hp and/or had engines over 400 cid.Pretty much killing that part of the market.The 420-somethings virtually disappeared.The 440,454 and 460 became woosily tame and went away too,after a while.The 350,351 and 360 became "the big engines" you could still get.And even they were tuned way down.. A good thing that came out of this was;in the early Seventies,you could get your Corvette with a Tri-Power 327,rated at 395 hp and at least as much torque, if not more so.Less than 400 in both departments,it was the powerplant to get,if you wanted the Racerboy Vette.Chevy didn't offer a 350 that even came close.

 

CE, do you have a heavy foot? that seems a little low ...or do you have a lot of hills where you are at? i have the LT1 which is a 350, and hills really affect my mpg. i get 20 hwy but when things flatten out (i.e I-95 south of I-26) i got up to 27.

 

Here in LA,the hills can affect your mpg's,for sure...But the worst thing is to get stuck in traffic.On my Colony Park,the mpgs are supposed to be 17 and 23,but this is at 35 and 55 mph...As you asserted,if he's leadfooting it,that will change his mpg's.If he's getting stuck in traffic,he could end up getting gpm's(gallons per mile).Got stuck in an LA traffic jam last week,and going twenty-two miles used up a quarter tank.

 

If any of my friends heard you ask me if I had a heavy foot, they'd laugh out loud. I get called 'grandpa' in reference to my driving. It's very hilly and a lot of stop and go traffic. I probably spend 10 to 15 minutes of a half hour drive at stop lights.

 

Somebody lend him a Hemi for about 5 miles against a Vette! The poor guy needs a spike in his heart rate!

You live a sheltered life my son.

Rent that movie, Paint Your Wagon. Watch the scene where Van Cleef tells the gal: "I give you the boy, give me the man." Thinking about driving over 180 MPH! That won't prove that you've got a 'need for speed', but you'll KNOW how fast your heart rate can handle.

Nowadays, I pass 'backwards'. I slow down and get the puck out of the way, for the rice-rockets, but I know I drive like the wind, (given a different engine of course. )

In Driver's Ed, they wouldn't let us drive in a real car (and niether would my dad) until we did 30 hours of classroom simulator time.

The first time I drove over 30 MPH, I thought I'd die for sure. No Kidding! After the 30 hours in the real Driver's Ed car (1966 Malibu), I was fine. After that I took Ford's Skid-Skool (Winter driving - Crashing to save kids playing road hockey.)

Then my dad decided our scrapyard should have a Drag car in the races, to promote the business, right) I had to pass more tests. Driving over 200 MPH in a Fueller is AWESOME! But it makes you appreciate your life a whole lot more! Then I drove rally races in University. OMG!

I think you gain mastery of the machine, when you know that the nut behind the wheel of your car, can make it dance to your rythym. IMHO.

God help me if I get you addicted to street-racing. That's not my mission. Just to encourage you to develop an affinity between the rig you drive (yours or some other vehicle) and what you bring to it. Kind of like a Horse Whisperer, only with vehicles.

 

a new TV show?

The Hemi Whisperer...Oh wait,Hemis are supposed to thunder.