CRG Discussion Forum
Camaro Research Group Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: lakeholme on September 30, 2007, 02:04:36 AM
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Simple question... How fast do you drive?
You checked in all directions and no cops around... ;) ;) ;)
But you love your First Gen Camaro and wouldn't want to do her any harm... ;D ;D ;D
Where do you ease off the gas? ??? ??? ???
Vote... and post if you've got a good story!
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I had a 68 SS in high school. It had a 283 in it but was hopped-up a bit. I took it out on a deserted highway at night and opened her up. I will just say that I heard, and then experienced, that the rear spoiler would kick in around 70 mph. It does really work.
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A 283 68 SS???
Interesting about the spoiler... How fast did you go?
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Not really sure. The speedo only went to 120 and I had it pegged for a while before it topped out. Right at about 70, the car started to squat down in the rear. At first I was a little startled as to what it was, but I remembered reading an old Hod Rod or something that said they started to kick in about 70.
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Not really sure. The speedo only went to 120 and I had it pegged for a while before it topped out. Right at about 70, the car started to squat down in the rear. At first I was a little startled as to what it was, but I remembered reading an old Hod Rod or something that said they started to kick in about 70.
I experienced the same effect in a 67 I had that had a spoiler on the rear deck. I know they aren't supposed to come this way, but when I bought the car in 78 it was there (it was an 06D car with original Marina Blue paint and white stripe on the nose - dealer install maybe?). At about 75 or 80 you could feel the car squat in the rear. The car had a highly modified 327 with a TH350 tranny (I know, not original - I built the engine and put the TH350 in it) and the original 2.73 gears. I had 14 x 6 Cragar S/S's with 245 wide BFG Radial T/A's. The car topped out way north of the speedo reading (I know cuz I tried - didn't want to lose to a Porsche). But at around 75 or 80 the spoiler pretty much glued the tail to the road. Top speed? Well I used a calculation that a friend had that used final drive ratio, tire height, engine rpm (I took it to 6K rpm for awhile) and a few other factors to determine "how fast" and it was around 150 or so. This was when I was racing the Porsche.
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Sometimes faster than I want to go...
example... coming back from my brothers shop on Saturday. He pulls up beside me at at a red light, in his 05 Mustang GT and does not look around. A cop is hanging back watching. He does a smoking burnout and the cop pulls him over.
The officer was watching our two cars all lined up thought it made a pretty nice site. Complimented my bro with " that was something"... anyway let him off with a warning.
Me, I just zipped by and continued on to the bar... deserted him and thought... that's what happens when you do not look around...
Later that evening I am driving up our highway.... everyone drives real fast... about 140 km/hr (80mph?) and dammed if I was going to let the little ricer riding my ass push me. Next thing it is reading 90+ mph and it felt just like the good old days. Runs pretty good except the vibration from the bias tires and bent 38 year old rims!
They just passed a law here this week... 50 km over the limit and they impound your car for a week and suspend your licence immediately. Guys that is just 30 mph over. Easy to do when conditions are right.
not condoning street racing... but sometimes driving fast is the right thing at the time..
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Anyone else got a story? At least vote...
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My Z10 has a zz4 crate motor in it with the original on a stand in the garage. I mention this so all of don't think I'm nuts for trying to find out what the top end is on the car. I've also installaled a speedometer spliter at the transmission which cut's in half my speedometer reading.
I live in West Texas where the roads are great and straight for miles and miles, so it's not really to difficult to find a place to make a late night run. My buddy also has a 69 with a highly modified zz4 engine which he drag races occasiounally. So, what do two 50 year old boys do on a Saturday night? We head out of town and find our top speed at WOT.
Since the speedometer in my car is reading half of the true speed, I found the rear does start to squat around 80 and the nose, with a front airdam starts to left about 130. At an indicated 70mph (140 actual) I got spooked and shut it down. The car gets really light in the front end. The car has a 331 gear in the rear and I'm sure I had another 10mph left it.
Ya'll come join us in West Texas.
Kris
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How far did it take to get up to speed? 1 mile, 2 mile, .......
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Quite frankly I don't remember, but it could not have been more than a couple of miles. I wasn't looking concerned with time but speed.
Kris
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Hey I admit I do not get on mine Z too much, and from what I know of its history, it has probably never seen the drag strip. Which is probably why it still has all the original drive train. Just run through the gears occasionally to test my arthritis!. When I am talking to someone about how it has survived without too much hot rod abuse, I like to point to the original chrome ball on the shifter (it actually only has chrome left on the bottom near the tapped mounting hole). That ball was usually the first thing removed and replace with a Hurst Tee handle!! Supposedly my car was originally purchased and drive by a salesman who made calls with it. That lasted until the gas price crunch, when it got parked.
Jimmy V.
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Obviously, my question is drawing out the hot rodder in all of us, and the poll so far reflects that.
Thanks for telling the other side Jimmy V. What do the rest of you have to say? And vote...
"carpe iter itineris" ;)
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Anybody...?
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Whatever I can get away with I'll do on the street, did get busted before for "illegal race event" for a little drag race from a red light against a T/A not to mention a few other tickets. My 69 Z has a 396 (.030 over, some other mods) out of a Chevelle as my 302 has been M.I.A. for over 23 years that I can date back. There is a nice curvy expressway that I have ran as fast as I can downshifting on sharp curves and holding to the floor on exiting them. Did ya ever glance over at the expression on the passenger's face? :o
There is no better feeling then having power to use yet while going 80-90 mph. Have pegged the speedometer a bunch of times but gearing and rpm's remind me that it is not a road course car, wish I had the 302. Burnouts are whole different story, can't beat a decent big block. My attitude is to do what them what they were envisioned to do. I have toned it down a bit now as the cars are becoming to valuable to wreck them like what happened to many of them back in the day.
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Well, we Camaro owners aren't just cruisers or show hounds...?
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Depends who's looking....
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Tom,
I read your post five minutes ago and I'm still laughing! How true...!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;)
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Well as some of you know I have rebuilt my 350 and pwrglide tranny this year. After getting it broke in I wanted to see just how much "crusing"power it had. I have a neighbor who is a State Patrol Sgt who was more than willing to take me out on the freeway and shall we say, get my car up to speed. So one fine Saturday morning we took off, me in my 67, he in his Squad Car. We got on a stretch of the interstate that was pretty straight,flat and long and very little traffic. With his lights on and me behind him we drove off. I looked down at the speedo when it read 95 and then once more when it read 105! After that I backed off because my heart was pounding. I still had pedal left but the front end started feeling really light. Once we got off the interstate he stated that top speed he read was 109. And to think and one time, 100 was nothing to do! 70 is just fine by me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dab67
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Great story, Dave! Now, somewhere in Wisconsin there's a guy going round saying, "Don't mess with those Camaro owners! I saw one the other day trying to pass a State Patrol car!"
But you actually raise another --perhaps better-- question. Straight from the factory in 67, 68 or 69, with everything set right for street use (tires speed balanced, etc), what would have been the "best" highway crusing speed for an SS or a Z. (Got a feeling they would be different). I've never heard anyone say... Does anyone know?
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The SS I had, had 3.33s I think. I'm still trying to find any info I may have lying around. That was perfect for the engine it had at the time and would top out at 140 at 6500. My Z has 3.73s and I just rebuilt it so top speed isn't on the menu yet. But it probably won't go that fast unless you take it to 8k.
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My plain 307 glide came with one of the long rears, a previous owner claims to have been over 110 with it. That wouldn't suprise me, in younger years 100 plus was not unheard of (also not smart on public roads). Looking back, I'm amazed how many of us survived our youth.
Tom
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My 67 has a 2:73 gear and it feels strong at around 70 mph @ 2700 rpm. To me that is the best crusing speed for the 67 350V8. If you want to pass someone it only takes a slight depress on the gas and it steps out.
dab67
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Any more comments?
Otherwise going to let this one fade...
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I will probably get shot for admitting this ..... I have driven every 69 I have ever built the same way since the first one back in the early 1970's ..... speedo pegged when the mood strikes. And I have built each one with the same stance as well, jack the ass end up, drop the front end in the weeds, Cragars all around with 50's in the rear....... Just can't help it. ::)
I just squirted my other Garnet Red SS, had PPG mix me up some factory lacquer. I would submit a pic for the main page but I doubt it would ever get used because of the way she looks, but that's ok ........ I like em like this so that's all that matters.
If I knew how to post a pic I would just show her here ........ ???
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If I knew how to post a pic I would just show her here ........ ???
Just click on "Additional Options" and go from there. We'd love to see a photo! :)
Paul
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Yes, post us a picture... 8)
And you have to tell us your top speed! ;D ??? 8)
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ok, I will go see if I can figure it out ........... If so, the next post should be very Red ;D
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Here she is (I hope) It's how I build every one, blacked out trim and rear bumper, get rid of gills and all sheet metal emblems, Cragars with fattys on the back, drop front ...... well hopefully you will see for yourself ::)
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Hey, it worked ! Thank You.
That pic was taken right before I did the interior (I HATE hog rings) ;D
Will have to add a pic of my handiwork inside in a minute after I scan a pic.
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Here is a pic of the inside after I got done.
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8) 8) 8) 8) 8) NICE CAR ;D
Ditto on the hog rings!
And you have to tell us your top speed! ;D ??? 8)
??? ??? ???
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Thank you, since I'm getting old that one took me a while.
Top speed ? , after a Speedo gets pegged it's anyone's guess, and I have never done it at a place I could be clocked..
I am putting dual quads and nitrous on her this winter. Just found my old Offy intake again and I can't resist two 4's ......
Never used nitrous before, so maybe you can teach old dog new tricks. ::)
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I can remember one time about 15 years ago there was a late 70's 400 Trans Am I was racing at about 110 we were pretty much neck and neck until a light turned yellow about a 1/2 mile down the road. I remember stepping on the brakes and nothing really happened! I was literally standing on the brake and downshifting at 80 MPH. I finally got it shut down in the middle of the intersection right before a car came through. A big billowing cloud of smoke came drifting across the car of burning brake pads. That is when I realized it was time to replace the drums with some front discs.
Much later after replacing my muncie with a TKO I got a wild hair up my toosh and hit about 130 MPH. After being there for about 3 seconds I started thinking of who rebuilt this thing (yours truly) and how old the tires were (about 15 years old) That sufficiently freaked me out and I promptly slowed her down. Handled surprisingly well though....
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Many years ago, late night freeway, gave it a quick wot squirt to valve float @ about 6500, which with the 3.55 rear is about 130mph, more than double the speed limit.
As soon as I felt the valve float I shut down the throttle letting the engine pull the knots off. Then, my heart stops as I see blue lights in the rear view!
"I am sooo dead, they're going to lock me and the car up and throw the key away! How the hell did I miss them!!!"
Cop walks up to the window and says, "Do you realise you were doing 80mph just back there". My heart restarts as I splutter back "Oh really" [choke] "80...wow...sorry about that, don't drive this car much, kinda gets away on you".
I then realise that he has come onto the freeway via the overpass I had just gone under and missed me hitting 130.
I behaved myself for a looong time after that! :P
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Hey, Rob, love that story...
I got pulled over in the 61 Impala I used to have, doing a good 30 mph over the speed limit. The trooper got out... walked all the way around the car looking... walked up to my window... and said, "I used to have one just like this, same color and everything! Now, slow down and get out of here. Next time you won't be so lucky!"
Did you --or Armstrong6-- experience any of the front end lift that others have mentioned?
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Hey Phil, lucky break for you too I see :)
Your question is testing my memory, it seemed ok at the time, maybe a little lighter feeling. But it's a fairly smooth bit of road which didn't ask much of the suspension, plus it was all over in a matter of seconds so not much time to think about anything :P
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True --about not much time to think!
There is a restorer who puts new Vette front ends on 1st Gen Camaros in my area (lots of NASCAR folks with lots of money). He let me drive one a while back. Ran great, but it was almost too responsive (if there is such a thing for many of us). It just didn't feel like a Camaro... As a result, I didn't take it above 60... Would hate to wreck somebody else's car!
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Like armstrong6 I re-evaluated my driving habits after racing someone on the highway in my first 68 many years ago. We were both doing around 100 and came up quickly on slower traffic. I hit the brakes -manual drums all around- and waited for the car to slow down. Which it didn't seem to want to do. After nearly pooping my pants trying to avoid rear-ending the truck in front of me :o I decided that stock 68 vehicles weren't necessarily made for that kind of driving. My current 68 also has manual drums all around so I mostly drive it like an old lady, though I would like to test that rear squat at 70mph effect caused by the rear spoiler. Wouldn't that also contribute to the front end lift?
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I was on a long country road straight away with a crouch rocket behind me on my butt so I aired out my Z10 my speedo said 137,started to run out of road so I shut it down pulled into a side road and he pulled in behind me. I ask him how fast he was going and he said his speedo said 147. I was running tall tire on rear so I guess my speedo is a little.The Z10 has a bb 427 with Tremic 5 speed & 342 gear in the 12 bolt rear end. My tach was sitting on 3850 rpm and I shift @ 6000 rpm so she had more in her but it starts to feel a little loose at that speed and I start to run out of gonads.
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How did it handle?
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'69 Z, 302, M20, 410 gears: I've had her over 70 MPH, but only briefly. With 410 gears, it's screaming! After all, you have to blow them out occasionally, don't you? That's waht they were built for...
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Phil...I have enough miles on my '68 now that I can play with it, and it's a lot of fun. The engine laughs at my Mickey Thompson L60-14 street tires, and the first time I stalled the converter up with the Hoosier street slicks on it I went for a ride! She went sideways to the left then hooked. I turned it 6500 in 1st, 6500 in 2nd and by the time I let out of it in high the speedometer needle was down among the idiot lights...chuckle. Geez, what a rush! Maybe the question isn't how fast do you drive, but where can I find a place to turn this thing loose? I can't wait to get it painted, put the interior back in it, and hit Piedmont Dragway!
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Hotrod, sounds great! I'm glad to know you've got it out and running.
Are you coming to the Charlotte Autofair in April? We're already working on it.
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Yep, she's up and running and all systems are go...chuckle. I'm going to try and make Charlotte next year. it's been a few years since I've gone, but I hear it's expanded to unreal proportions from my buds. That's wild to me, because the last time I went you could talk all day in the infield and not see everything!
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We're taking the AACA show outside the track (It is a national show in April, so it has to be free!), so that should leave even more room inside for (hopefullly) good stuff.
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Hey Newbies, vote and post your story... ;D
How fast do you drive? Or for that matter, how slow do you drive? I'm trying to get a picture of our driving "style"...
You checked in all directions and no cops around... ;)
But you love your First Gen Camaro and wouldn't want to do her any harm... :)
Where do you ease off the gas?
??? ??? ???
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Right now - I"m going nowhere fast -My baby is on blocks with the entire front clip off and most of the interior removed
Back in the day (1994) - I drove her hard -I had modified the cam, intake, exhaust, carb and was running a HEI setup. On a lonely night I drove towards Vegas and found there is no pin at the end of the speedo only one at the beginning - she was pegged
;D Took her to the long lost Carlsbad Speedway and would bracket race. My reaction time was really bad as I had to keep a foot on the gas and on the brake to keep her from stalling.
Stopped driving her in 96 due to CA emission regulations. She sat in a yard until 2003 when I bought a house.
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Hey, we all got stories. My first camaro was a 68 350 auto with 373 rearend. Gas cost 79cents a gal. Hell, I was on it all the time! One late nite after swing shift I was tired and onery and came off the light smokin rubber L60 15s through 1st and 2nd screamin 6500-6800 rpm let up about 1/8 mile saw the flashing lights and said !(*^%$#$%! The officer stated " Decided to let all your ponies gallup at once eh?" I said yeah you got me, rough nite tonite. He noticed my address was 2 blocks away and said " Take em on home and put em away." Cool cop, I watched it a bit closer after that nite. My latest purchase is a 69 SS X55 Convertible. No plans to light em up, just do some topless cruisin.
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In 1969 I was still buying premium gas for 25 cents. Of course the value of my car then has gone up over ten-fold... :o
Chris, mine is sitting and slowly... getting body work done. I feel your "pain"... ;)
69houdini, love that butternut vert! ;D
Vote and post!
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My only pain - is the cash needed to replace parts - the majority of the front end was damaged. I am restoring her to a #s matching original (with the dealer added stripe). I have most of the original parts. I got a big boost over the weekend when I found and verified the trans vin stamping.
One of my neighbors also has a 69 camaro, he is going the complete opposite route. Big HP. We both have a goal as to when we want to be done. I would like to be done by 2013 - I still want to be young enough to enjoy the beautiful blue smoke that comes off of a pair of polyglas tires
As for gas I remeber buying super for less than $1 and only being able to fill the tank 3/4 of the way due to a crack in the gas tank at the filler neck.
I could spend all night reminscing
Chris
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I had a '68 RS 327 in high school and college. It never saw past 85mph; that was just me. I liked going 0-60 much more than seeing how fast it would go. I do have one of those dumb-S%^ stories, though:
One Friday night, myself and a few other motorheads were loitering in the Univerity Mall parking lot in Fairfax, VA. Smoking cigarettes, blaring music, couple of girlfriends - good times. So this idiot in a car I don't remember, comes ripping around the corner and almost hits us. Of course 17-year old testosterone kicked-in, and we took off after the guy. It had rained, so the roads were slick...
I'm in the lead, and have caught up to him on this windy road. I had skinnier tires on the front, and I looked down for just a second and when I looked back at the road, the right front tire had gone off of the pavement and onto the shoulder (which is a joke in VA, as they don't have shoulders, they have ditches). When I went to correct back to the road, I over-compensated, and all 4 tires broke traction, as I went into a diagonal slide going up around a curve. On pure instinct or luck, I felt I was about ready to plow into the berm on the other side of the road, so I whipped the steering wheel around, and ended up doing a 180. In the span of 5 seconds I guess, I was going the opposite direction. My buddies passed me in their cars about 2 seconds after that....Later on, they were like "how the heck did you turn around so fast!?" One of my friends who had been riding shotgun (and had had a few beers), thought I had done it on purpose. He was like "YA, that was great!!!" I almost crapped my pants !
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OK, you win the best story yet award! Being in school, I'll bet you told everyone, "Oh yes, I meant to do that! Teach that guy to mess with us..."
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OK, you win the best story yet award! Being in school, I'll bet you told everyone, "Oh yes, I meant to do that! Teach that guy to mess with us..."
Being a knuckle-head, I probably did play it cool and say "ya, no biggie". My wife (then girlfriend at the time) was reminding me the other day of when the windshield wipers gave out while going down the highway. Totally obscured vision, so I rolled the window down, stuck my head out the window, and kept on driving! A lot of good times with that car :) Hey, I just clicked on your photo link, and your '68 is beautiful! Really really nice looking. It has really got me wanting another '68 again. If I can sell my '70 Corvette for a decent price, I'll be back in the game with a '68 RS.
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Thanks!, Seeburg220. Nice to have another 68 fan in the forum. If I can ever get the work done, I hope to drive it to my high school reunion this Fall.
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I also did the head out the window thing when the wiper motor failed in a snow storm.
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I once drove my 68 SS home from college in a snow storm. The windshield didn't clear up for about 30 miles. I had asmall hole about the size of a hand that I was looking through to drive and it was on semi packed snow. I think I was levitating on the seat or sucking the vinyl off it. I look over to see how nervous my room mate was and he was asleep. Go figure.
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Anyway, the question is "How fast do you drive?" --Trying to find out "how" we drive...
Vote and post...
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IMHO, I Think that Cam drivers tend to drive just a little more within the confines of the posted speeds as we have more to lose...but there are those straight stretches that we know radar can't be set up, and we... tend to push it, right? Nothing like listening to the roar of that V-8 as you bury the needle! But, in Canada, they call it stunting/racing and they impound your car on the spot for a week, and you face a huge fine (if 50KM=30 mph, over the limit). Welcome to the mellineum.
CanCam68
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ive gotten my 427 to a quick 100 and it was tight, didnt feel spooked about bein light in rear end at all. even at 100 she was pulling like holly monkey! no mods either, no subframes no special shockes. just good ol camaro engineering. dont get me wrong, that 427 with an M21 and 410s wants to tweak and twist the nose off for sure! and when it cracked my windshield doing that, it all made sense!!