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From: dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Muscle_car != Sport_car
Message-ID: <638@pyuxhh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-May-84 10:51:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxhh.638
Posted: Tue May 29 10:51:02 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 06:49:49 EDT
References: <468@hou2h.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 45

-->I am getting tired of people proclaiming Detroit muscle cars to be
-->great sport cars.   Those cars are good at one thing and one thing
-->only: going fast in a straight line.   That's fine -- there's
-->nothing wrong with neck-snapping acceleration, just don't try to
-->tell me that blinding straightaway speed is all there is to a
-->well-rounded sports car!
-->
-->	Au
  
  I have to disagree with Au in that all Detroit muscle cars are good
for is "going fast in a straight line".Going fast in a straight line
encompasses several points in performance driving :

   1. Acceleration from a standing start (What most people think of when
                                          talking about Detroit iron).
   2. Passing acceleration               (One of the best points for D.i.).

   3. Capacity for excellent braking     (Not always a standard feature).
   4. Excellent for high speed cruising  (What 55 mph sign officer). 


   One must bear the last point in mind when talking about the pros & cons
of D.i. as most of them were designed when 55mph had no significance to
99% of americans.Some of these cars early - mid sixties are probably
rare enough to be declared "classics" pretty soon.Most of them that are
worth preserving only see limited usage ,weekends ,special events etc.
   I prefer to drive my Z28 when I'm going to be driving quite a distance
say over 200 miles but get immense pleasure from stealing my wifes fiat
X1/9 and zapping around country roads.
   I think that there are still very valid reasons for owning a nice 
piece of D.i. if you have the room to use it,however as the north-east
(where I presently live) get more and more crowded there will come a 
time (I'd guess 5 years) when I'll have to put the Z28 out to pasture 
or relegate it to pure weekend driving away from the crowds.

   Sounds to me like the end of an era,
     sounds like the mid-west calling me back to them wide open roads.



    Bye for now,

    Dave Peak(pyuxhh!dxp)