Muscle Car Wars Circa 1985
05-20-2012, 01:33 PM
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Muscle Car Wars Circa 1985 
Cheesy as **** and completely sad that they were talking up such weak sauce cars. 
05-20-2012, 09:34 PM
#6
We were thrilled to see those cars show up. You have to realize that just 3 years before that all of them were sub 180hp I think. 1985 was the beginning of the return of decent muscle cars.
05-20-2012, 09:36 PM
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They weren't weak at the time. In that era people were still arguing that carbs were better and that fuel injection was a step back. They also thought that V8s were the only way to go for drag racing. That is until the Buick turbos got potent for 1986 and 1987 and started clowning on everything.
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05-20-2012, 09:53 PM
#9
Outstanding video! I love when old comparo's like this are posted, thanks! 
Also, **** the haters. Iroc-Z's are awesome, and are STILL the best handling production Camaro's.
The TPI motor set the foundation for modern day fuel injected cars, IMO.
Also, **** the haters. Iroc-Z's are awesome, and are STILL the best handling production Camaro's.
The TPI motor set the foundation for modern day fuel injected cars, IMO.
05-20-2012, 09:57 PM
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actually, 1979 was the beginning. if ford hadn't introduced the fox bodied gt, i don't think chevy would've done anything with the camaro.........and may even have discontinued it much sooner than they did..........
05-20-2012, 10:36 PM
#12
One of those three clowns was Craig Singhaus, I believe he is STILL with Motorweek Television to this day and is still a Mustang guy (his older Mustang with an exhaust leak was even used to close the TV show for many years). 
True, I remember that era very well.
I had wanted an '85 IROC Z 5.0L TPI so badly but my parents wouldn't let me get it (even though it was with my own money LOL). But finally in 1987 as I was graduating college I got to order my new IROC Z28 5.7L (glad I'd waited to get the bigger motor (the mighty B2L which was almost identical to the Corvette's L98).
Fun car.
They weren't weak at the time. In that era people were still arguing that carbs were better and that fuel injection was a step back. They also thought that V8s were the only way to go for drag racing. That is until the Buick turbos got potent for 1986 and 1987 and started clowning on everything.
I had wanted an '85 IROC Z 5.0L TPI so badly but my parents wouldn't let me get it (even though it was with my own money LOL). But finally in 1987 as I was graduating college I got to order my new IROC Z28 5.7L (glad I'd waited to get the bigger motor (the mighty B2L which was almost identical to the Corvette's L98).
Fun car.
05-20-2012, 10:47 PM
#13
In my opinion, it was actually 1982.
That was the year that the 'modern era' Mustang GT 5.0L first came out, yes it was only 157hp with a 2 barrel carburetor but it was also light.
That was also the very first year of the 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird with their 'mighty' 145hp (carb) and 165hp (TBI) 5.0s as well.
A friend of a friend of mine had a brand new black Mustang GT back then and I clearly remember cruising around in it (had to be January/February 1982) and I had no idea what the car even was yet and certainly no knowledge of the historical significance and major influence on future fast cars (domestic and import) it would someday hold (again, in my opinion).
I truly believe that car has direct ties to what we're experiencing from GM, Ford and Chrysler/SRT today.
05-21-2012, 08:29 AM
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Well, it could've been both 1979 and 1985...or it might've even been neither LOL.
In my opinion, it was actually 1982.
That was the year that the 'modern era' Mustang GT 5.0L first came out, yes it was only 157hp with a 2 barrel carburetor but it was also light.
That was also the very first year of the 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird with their 'mighty' 145hp (carb) and 165hp (TBI) 5.0s as well.
A friend of a friend of mine had a brand new black Mustang GT back then and I clearly remember cruising around in it (had to be January/February 1982) and I had no idea what the car even was yet and certainly no knowledge of the historical significance and major influence on future fast cars (domestic and import) it would someday hold (again, in my opinion).
I truly believe that car has direct ties to what we're experiencing from GM, Ford and Chrysler/SRT today.
In my opinion, it was actually 1982.
That was the year that the 'modern era' Mustang GT 5.0L first came out, yes it was only 157hp with a 2 barrel carburetor but it was also light.
That was also the very first year of the 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird with their 'mighty' 145hp (carb) and 165hp (TBI) 5.0s as well.
A friend of a friend of mine had a brand new black Mustang GT back then and I clearly remember cruising around in it (had to be January/February 1982) and I had no idea what the car even was yet and certainly no knowledge of the historical significance and major influence on future fast cars (domestic and import) it would someday hold (again, in my opinion).
I truly believe that car has direct ties to what we're experiencing from GM, Ford and Chrysler/SRT today.
05-21-2012, 10:27 AM
#16
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I get what you're saying there, it makes sense, but I feel the Trans Am was still hanging on to the original muscle car ear until 1979. For 78-79 the Pontiac 400 was actually rated at 220hp, up from 200 for 1977.
05-21-2012, 11:03 AM
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yea, they were, but they were still really nothing to write home about.....not compared to the next gen fbodys, or the fox bodys.......
05-21-2012, 11:27 AM
#18
Douchebag On The Tree
After brushing up on my Mustang history I'm gonna agree with someone earlier posting 1982 as the revival. For 80 and 81 Ford took away the 5.0 available in 79 and replaced it with an anemic 4.2 making a whopping 120hp because of the secondary oil crisis in 79.
Last edited by justin455; 05-21-2012 at 11:33 AM.
05-21-2012, 11:46 AM
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I don't remember ever seeing a carb'ed stock mustang in that era run a 14. The ones I was in/around I remember being turdy before FI came for them. Fox body's handled awful......what a heap of **** in the turns.....lol That thing was everywhere.
Dad has a pristine 85 IROC TPI car that he bought with only 2,000 miles and has only about 25k on it now. He never would take it to the track but it had no problems with the Mustangs of that era. It ran really good for then.
Dad has a pristine 85 IROC TPI car that he bought with only 2,000 miles and has only about 25k on it now. He never would take it to the track but it had no problems with the Mustangs of that era. It ran really good for then.
