VG Valiant 2 door

[superyob]

I was out and about in Browns Plains this morning when a metallic emerald green VG Valiant 2 door rumbled passed me. In total awe, I followed this beast for a few blocks and pulled up next to it at a set of lights so I could give the occupants the thumbs up. I then went about my business. Once I had finished my business in Browns Plains I headed home on the Mt Lindsay highway and drove past a line of what I assume to be Ford's latest and greatest. To me, although they were Fords, they might as well have been a queue of wardrobes for all the notice I took.

While this is not an interesting story in itself, I can make the following observations based on the roughly 130 mechanics students I teach in years 10 to 12, to back up my point of view. My students:will always argue about which latest and greatest is the fastest:choose a Nissan Skyline to race on Xbox: absolutely drool over old American or Aussie muscle.

I think the auto stylists of the late 50s to the early 70s got it right in a way that will never be repeated again...

[Morexbs]

Agreed-and you could tell them apart from a distance.
Now it's just black & silver look alikes.Take the badges off and they could be anything.

[Bearman]

Very true, back then cars had an individual look and style. Now they're all very generic.

[XP6]

Originally Posted by Morexbs

Agreed-and you could tell them apart from a distance.
Now it's just black & silver look alikes.Take the badges off and they could be anything.

Just like modern pop music...

[Trevor 57]

A bloke I know was a TAFE auto teacher (now this bloke owns and has restored a XY GT, a HK Monaro and a Bathurst Valiant Charger (not an actual Bathurst Charger, but the ones they raced there is its E39 or something)

Anyway when the XR6T's came out and all the young blokes were drooling about them Brian put up their quarter mile stats, they were all oohhh ahhhh, then he put up the stats for the Charger over a quarter mile and they were quicker, with no turbo, he laughed at the kids responses

[superyob]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

A bloke I know was a TAFE auto teacher (now this bloke owns and has restored a XY GT, a HK Monaro and a Bathurst Valiant Charger (not an actual Bathurst Charger, but the ones they raced there is its E39 or something)

Anyway when the XR6T's came out and all the young blokes were drooling about them Brian put up their quarter mile stats, they were all oohhh ahhhh, then he put up the stats for the Charger over a quarter mile and they were quicker, with no turbo, he laughed at the kids responses

Yes, I think there are many on this forum who boast about what their latest and greatest can do over the quarter mile when those times were being gained by factory cars, especially the American muscle, over 40 years ago...

[mik]

the old cars had a sense of style all their own, 50/60/70`s though some where just ahead of their time, i have a soft spot for the early 60`s valiants, they just had the wood on the ford and holden in that era imo, its a pity a lot of the young dudes on the forums have been for a drive or a ride in these old cars to see just how bloody good cars they where.

check out this old valiant, just super cool , some came with push button autos, bloody magnificent.
http://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/.../#.VT7c9iGqpBc

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by superyob

I think the auto stylists of the late 50s to the early 70s got it right in a way that will never be repeated again...

They got the OUTSIDE right .. and often the INSIDE right .. just the parts you can't normally see underneath that often leave much to be desired.

Don't get me wrong I'm a BIG fan - especially of the 60s stuff - but I've lived with these things for over 30 years (owned a '61 Studebaker when I was 15) and they are full of compromises for modern driving conditions.

[LG17]

I just drove my GT Corty into town to get some fuel.
While I was filling up I saw the lady attendant laughing her head off and couldn't figure out why. Seems there were some blokes in 2 cars on the road (no traffic!) trying to get themselves in the best position to take some photos of it. She asked why they just didn't get out of their cars!

[xisled]

But then there is people like myself who prefer the look of a newer car than an old classic.

Unfortunately classics do nothing for me. Give me a FPV any day.

[Chopped]

In 30-40 years, people will drool over BA, BF, FG GTs, F6s, Monaros, SS Commodores, Clubsports, GTSs etc as they roughly rumble along with a noise unmatched by the current bland electric (most likely self driven) vehicle.

They will think what a great era the 2000s were and how it will sadly be never repeated.

It just takes time.

[CoupeKing]

When I got my Coupe people were going mad for WRX's and Evo's. Some of my friends started calling me a wog,lol. I used to say '' that's alright ^%$#, don't ever let me see you eating a bowl of spaghetti'' Anyway I remember people calling it a barge, boat, rust-bucket, fuel-guzzler, piece of ^%$# and just about any other name they could think of. Now park a Coupe or any classic muscle next to their rides and you wouldn't even notice it if it was on fire.

Or they will try and compare their new car with mine and say ''what can that block of %$# do that mine can't?'' I point to the sunroof, then they say '' yeah but who needs a sunroof?'' my reply has been ''Well I do, and your mum. Where else am I gonna put her legs'' That's usually the game-changer.

But some people have the best of both worlds, new cars and classics. I could handle that. All you need to do to get that is have $$$ and an understanding misses, otherwise you're Doomed.

[Franco Cozzo]

I'm more keen on 1980s/1990s and upwards cars, not too keen on the older rides but I respect the work that goes into them.

I wouldn't mind an older ride in good condition but the first things that would be going in the bin are any box with less than 5 forward gears, the distributor and the carby.

I'm keen on old cars with modern driveline, even keep the old engine but modernise it with EFI in either batch fire or sequential, wasted spark or coil on plug ignition systems and a manual trans with 5 or 6 gears so you can run a fairly short diff ratio comfortably.

[dead_man00124]

Im relatively young myself (28) but grew up around a lot of older stuff. I appreciate all of them.

[Pis-ton broke]

i owned a 2 door val, i was great. it was "three on the tree" and a bench seat, that was good cause my girl friend could sit right next to me (i was 18).
i like how people get these old cars and keep the original patina. but go ahead and modify the mechanics to produce a modern performance and ride quality. J Leno and others are great ones for this.

[Mesa]

I had a VF 2 door in the eighties. Slant six, three on the tree and bench seat. Nice cruiser and really big. Loads of fun!!! Wish I kept it. I read somewhere the Yanks used to call the 'compacts'.

[2011G6E]

Older cars stir the soul...and as good as new cars are (and they're dynamically better, safer, more economical, quieter, and more comfortable than ever), they will never do it the same way...




Even...and I still can't believe I'm saying this...a nicely modded 120Y coupe...

[66FAIRLANE]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Even...and I still can't believe I'm saying this...a nicely modded 120Y coupe...

Yes.... you need therapy.

[66FAIRLANE]

When I drive my classics I occasionally get from people (read arseclowns) the old "but a WRX (as example) goes better than your old V8 goes with less cubic inches and more economy"

My standard answer is this. I like to use my FE as an example.

My engine was designed in the mid fifties. It debuted in 1958 and its truck version, the FT, finished up in 1978. It has powered everything from pony cars, mid size and full size. It has also powered irrigation pumps, air raid sirens, cruising boats , power boats and trucks. It won LeMans, many NASCAR races, sports car races, many drag racing titles, off road racing titles, formed the basis of the first top fuel motors, won powerboat championships. It still hold records in some drag classes today. It is equally at home carting 4 adults and a couple of kids across continents in a full size Galaxie towing a horse float, boat or race car if you will. A fresh standardish one with tall gears and a stock converter will yield quite impressive economy. If it breaks down it can be fixed on the road side with a spoon. Driven kindly and serviced regularly it is not uncommon for them to go half a million miles plus. 40 years after it finished as a passenger car engine I can still buy better new parts than ever.

What were you saying about that POS in a WRX?

I own a couple of old classics along with a BA Fairmont and a VW Turbo diesel. I feel so much better driving the classics. If it wasn't for the wife having to drive it occasionally I would have an old 60's car as a daily. Albeit with air and simple efi. Most people think old cars drive like crap because that's what they have driven, old cars. They are worn out when they drive them. Driven a high kays EA or XF lately? Put fresh OEM style parts through an old 60's car and the gap aint that big.

FTW old cars rock!

[2011G6E]

Holy crap...what a car...


Not just cars either...adverts used to be more fun in the good old days...

[superyob]

66 Fairlane, that is one beautiful trouser straining car. Is that yours? I would rather one of them to any three or four of the latest things...

And the point about keeping older cars maintained is very valid. Those older Fords were very comfortable cars, moreso than many modern cars...

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by XP6

Just like modern pop music...

Mate take a good look at music from the past, and every decade has generic pop tunes that mimic the properly good tracks (set in that periods most popular genre)

Same goes for cars. I like stuff from the 60s and 70s but the popular/overly milked styling cues are all there (the same as MY15 cars) the difference is many of the posters in this thread love those cues and can't get enough of them (just like the teenagers on iTunes downloading the latest Ariana Grande track)

Every decade has instant or unrealized (until much later) classics, and every decade has 'generic rubbish' be it cars, music, movies, fashion etc etc (IMO)

[ford71V8]

Was always a Ford fan but a mate owned a Chrysler by Chrysler, had a 440 Magnum and sat on thin jellybean mags. That thing used to spit fire!

Man I love that shape.

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

Every decade has instant or unrealized (until much later) classics, and every decade has 'generic rubbish' be it cars, music, movies, fashion etc etc (IMO)

I agree, but the ratios are what sets the eras apart

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by superyob

I think the auto stylists of the late 50s to the early 70s got it right in a way that will never be repeated again...

I agree. Car companies at that time were not constrained by any issues and had free reign. Nader in the 60s and the fuel crisis in the 70s changed the game forever.

[snopony]

I have a feeling when my ten yr old run of the mill soccer mum suv finally dies it won't be replaced with another generic plastic quiet economical car. My xb can have another stablemate from the same era.

[Dauphin]

Was always a Ford fan but a mate owned a Chrysler by Chrysler, had a 440 Magnum and sat on thin jellybean mags. That thing used to spit fire!

Love the CH coupes, they are so sexy!

[supershifty]

I've never owned a muscle classic, but there's something about driving a 3 speed column shift dash-basher, an M20/21 that skips 2nd gate outta first and down changing a top loader into grind reverse from 3rd peg. All part of the fun.

They were raw and powerful cars with their idiosyncrasies, I love the looks of those cars. Yes guys modern cars are so smooth and forgiving to drive, but I'd put up with the old school stuff anyday.

You could look in your rear view mirror at night and know what car was behind you - now I sit in traffic during daylight wondering WTF sort of car is that!

Cheers!

Edit: My fist car was a VG Valiant 4 door that I bought off a girlfriends old man for $75. 215cu auto - that thing did excellent line locks.

[2011G6E]

Those big Valiant coupes are actually harder to find now than Chargers are...and the coupe used to be seen as the "ugly ducking" of the lineup and no one seemed to want them for the longest time. Actually, it's probably easier to find an R or S series for sale than one of them...

Different now, unfortunately. They're worth real money IF you can find one.

[Sioso]

And a 2 door VG Pacer just came up for sale, might be a sign.............

http://australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle/130017

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by FGX310

And a 2 door VG Pacer just came up for sale, might be a sign.............

http://australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle/130017

Do it.
Do it do it do it do it.
After all, what would $35,000 buy you new that was interesting? "Just another" XR6 on sale, exactly like dozens of others you see in average traffic every day of the week? A nice little Mazda? A pleasant every day SUV?

I know what I'd rather drop the money on...

Or if thirty five large is too much...there's some other interesting stuff there on that site...look what you could get for under ten grand...
http://australianmusclecarsales.com....nt-ghia-351-v8