On Topic? Cars, anyway: 55 MPH speed limit...

Wow. Is that to save electricity? That's the only reason I can think of for not using blinkers.

I do 5...by that time I'm in the lane I want to be in. If not, I do a few more.

I want people around me to KNOW what my intentions are! That way, if they dent my car, THEY have to pay for repairs!

I'm not aware of any state in which signaling when changing lanes isn't required. I'm also not aware of any state where this law is regularly enforced.

nate

I lived in Memphis, Tennessee for about 4 years quite a while ago. There used to be a saying that some of the guys in the office told me about.

"Never let any other driver on the road know what you intend to do."

If you signaled a lane change on the Interstate, the drivers in the other lane will close up any openings to keep you from changing lanes. If you are going to make a left turn on a city street, the on-coming drivers will close up any spaces to keep you from making the turn. I never did understand their reasoning.

'Southern Hospitality' may exist but I never encountered any on the highway.

Jack

That's OK! A fairly low-mileage 930 would still fit the bill, unless you can get me a 1972 Ferrari Dino GTS...

Red is preferred, but black is OK, too...

No, it was indeed 70.

Try 110-150 for the average full-size big-block car. The '69 Polara police model held the top speed in both of the controlled highway patrol test processes (Michigan and California) at a tick over 150 mph until the LT-1 powered 9C1 Caprice finally matched it in the early 1990s. The only difference between it and a "civilian" Polara was

ANY self-respecting 60s car (other than a compact like a Falcon/Mustang) would cruise an interstate at 90 as well or better than many of today's cars. Carving switchbacks- different story. But for straight and level high-speed cruising, give me a '65 Imperial any day.

Absolutely! I had a '60 Imperial. At idle you could look at the engine, watch the fan go around and not hear it, put your hand on it and not feel anything and at 120 on the speedometer it was at half throttle. God what a car!

I was told by an Indiana State Police patrolman that Studebaker took some State Police big-wigs to a race track (don't know which one). They were invited to bring their fastest patrol cars along. Dodge's were the fastest at about 140, followed closely by Ford and then Chevy. Studebaker had a little Lark with an Avanti engine (supercharged). It did an honest 160 mph.

Jack

What's really sad is when I put on my blinkers and they don't even pay attention. I guess they think I think it's Xmas or something?

I drive with my headlights on all the time anymore, started doing that when Tennessee passed a law that all emergency vehicles had to have their headlights on at all times while moving. Through an odd quirk, amateur radio operator's cars are considered emergency vehicles in Tennessee, and I was up there quite a bit, so I just learned to turn on my headlights when I pulled away from the curb back in 1985, been doing it ever since. (Some Tennessee ham plates even say EMERGENCY at the bottom.)

Charles the Curmudgeon.

My brother got the chance to drive an early whale-tale with limited slip once. Stood on the throttle, and the tires went chirp and then he got slammed into the seat.

Charles

Depends on what state you were in. Illinois was 70 on interstates but 65 on all other highways.

Our little Corvair probably had trouble getting over 65. I don't know, we sold it before the first full summer I had my driver's license. Speed limit had been cut down to 55 by then, and the Corvair had 80 horses and 2 speed Powerglide (2 speeds were slow and stop, BTW.)

Charles the Curmudgeon.

I believe that the Stude no doubt made a respectable showing, but I believe that the R2 "Super Lark" topped out at 132 MPH according to the Bonneville equipment (and that was the number used in the print ads of the time.) There was only one "R3" (Granatelli-built 304 engine) Lark made and it wasn't a police car demonstrator. Where the Stude undoubtedly would have shone was in handling and braking, being lighter and equipped with Dunlop front discs.

Oddly enough, I have a friend that has a '64 Stude police car, and IIRC it *was* a demonstrator. He's also from Indiana... I drove the car a few years ago at a meet, and it's a nice little ride. It may or may not be the car from your story above, but his is an "R1" (high compression, no supercharger) so either it's not the same car or it didn't even go as fast as I stated above.

nate

Nate, you may very well be right about where the Super Lark topped out. All I know is what I remember the State Police Patrolman telling me. We were sitting at the counter inside of Kelly's Drive-In in Mooresville, Indiana around 1961 or 1962. I had just gotten my drivers license and a bunch of us were celebrating with coffee at Kelly's. I had dad's old '55 Plymouth. I do remember that he said they bought a bunch of them. They were having trouble catching kids in the new, what would later be called Muscle Cars. Those old big-block V8s could really haul-ass.

Jack

My 1964 Mustang V8 convertible has an indicated top speed of 120 MPH. My

2009 V8 Mustang Convertible has an indicated top speed of 150 MPH. The difference is the '64 runs at 3900 RPMs at 70 MPH and the '09 runs at only 2000 RPMs at 70 MPH, gets better gas mileage and handles far better as well ;)

You do realize that that means that your fictional 'stang engine would be turning around 6800 RPMS at your claimed top speed, right?

nate

Mike hunt wrote:

I won't give it to you, but I can show you where there's one for sale!

And, I'll take the Porsche 930, thanks!

That's what I'm talking about!!

Like how about when you move into the left lane to let someone on, and the jerks fly past you on the right, and won't let you back over. Tony