mickey (04/17/83)
I might as well get my comments in on a bunch of different topics.... 1. Citroens...I stand corrected. The reason that the Citroen is no longer sold in the US is much more complicated than I made it out to be. One factor was that the manufacturer did not want to produce an engine that would have to be modified to meet future federal emmisions guidelines. But there were two more immediate reasons. One, because of the variable height suspension, the car could not meet the 5 MPH bumper test. Second, the market was not significant enough to warrant any major expense to make it meet our Government standards (too bad!). 2. Bridgestone tires...I second the motion to avoid them. The top of line tires that Lee Trovino pushes may be worthwhile, but the tires that come on all Hondas and some Toyotas are definitly average at best. My original equipment tires on my Honda don't give me much feel in turns with only 32,000 on them. My next purchase is to get something better! If you are driving a car that takes small tires (145, 155 SR 13's) the pickings are not great, but you're better off with something like Michelins or Klebers or even Kelly or Goodyear or Goodrich domestic tires designed for imports. 3. Muscle Cars...How about a seperate sub group for you folks? I thought muscle cars were the cat's meow when I was back in high school, but a MGTD, '62 Midget and a '64 XKE convinced me that going fast in a straight line is NOT what driving is all about. I'm am much more impressed with today's "muscle cars" than I ever was with those old heaps. At least we now get 3.0 to 5.0 liter engines with aerodynamic bodies and some concern for turning a corner at the end of the straightaway. For those of you who are not sports car buffs from the 50's and 60's, go back and look at the stats for Jags, Porsches, BMWs, Volvos and even the earliest Japanese cars like the Datsun 1600. These were the cars that were winning any race that had a turn in it (other than oval track racing). Besides, when one of you come up next to me in your Firebird or GTO, I know my Civic is not going to beat you off the line, but I laugh all the way past the gas pump knowing I'm getting 30+ mpg and your getting 10. Mickey Levine decvax!cca!mickey
rs55611 (04/20/83)
I'd like to take some mild exception to the statement that the road races in the 50's and 60's were all being won by Jags, Porsches, etc. A look at the SCCA championship results for the late 50's and 60's shows that Corvettes were perreniel winners in C-prod. (1956, 265 in. engine), B-prod. (1957-1960, all with the 283, 3 different drivers as champs), and B-prod., again (1962-1965, with 327). Oops, I forgot 1961, which was also a winning year. There were also many A and B-prod. winners in thhe 70's, too. In the late 50's and early 60's, the Vette's big competition was the Mercedes 300SL, which was often as fast, if not faster, but just not as common on the track. The Jag XK-140's and -150's of the era were usually blown off by both the Vettes and the Benz's. I've got a great old photo of a '57 Vette being pursued around a corner at Riverside by two 300SL Gullwings. Of course, you had to get the right factory options from GM to be competitive, but that's only fair, isn't it? Oh well, just trying to add some fuel to the discussion. Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611