Idea of the muscle car is dead (Or, why Ford can't sell cars now)

The traditional idea of a muscle car was a stripped-down product, with power. In later years (1970-71) the muscle car version of a line became almost a luxury vehicle. Now, Ford only knows that kind. Check out the sticker on a convertible GT in Toronto, Canada.

$45k, plus $3000 insurance (way more if you are younger) and $3000/yr in gas means this car costs about the same as the mortgage to a medium- priced condo or a cheap house.

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Reply to
Rich
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Is there a point here? Are you somehow mad at Ford for not putting "muscle cars" in the hands of more young people?

I don't get it.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Don't take this as a negative directed at you, but how old are you?

The following is not to say how it was so good back in the day, but as an illustration of how similar it was. And cars of that era were rusting out, had lower mileage, less safety features, etc.

Being over 30+ (x2 :0) When I graduated high school in 1966, you could buy a brand new Mustang for under $3,000. At that time, incomes were a lot lower. As a Ranch Hand in Merced, CA, I made $76.10 per week working 5.5 days from sun up to sun down. As a Manager Trainee in a grocery store in 1966, I made $500 per month no matter how many hours I worked.

I gave that job up for one with better pay and better hours... the US Air Force (that or be drafted)... where my pay started (1967) at $96.90 per MONTH and all the hours they needed me to work. I should mention that the military was required to provide me with either 1 hour of sleep OR a hot meal each day. After a year, and two promotions, I was making $62.25 every two weeks. Needless to say, darn few of us could afford a car. Those that did have them always helped those who didn't in exchange for gas money when gas was about 29 cents per gallon and you could usually find gas stations dropping the price to attract customers.... mind you, that was FULL service, AND you got savings stamps AND usually, plates, silverware, glassware, towels or some other give away item. (Collect the Whole set!)

During that same era, my parents bought a 3 bedroom home in a very nice neighborhood. The cost? With financing on a 30 year mortgage... $12,500.

Insurance? With no tickets, driver training, a couple of years of driving experience, and being over 21, I was a rider on my parents' insurance because I couldn't afford insurance on my own. One of my running partners bought a new Firebird, 400 4 BBL (as I recall) [the one with the small scoops on the front of the hood, paid for with his re-enlistment bonus. His insurance was $1200 per year. Another, with a used 'vette but who had a violation on his record shelled out $1500 per year. He was paying for the car again about every 3.5 years.

Today, I am retired and on disability from Vietnam. My total income is under $2,000. My 3 bedroom home was $194,000. I drive (daily when I can afford the gas) a 1965 Mustang fastback that has cost me in the neighborhood of $40,000 to restore and lightly modify for safety and comfort.

As for Ford forgetting what a muscle car is.... like any other business, they have to go with what brings in the $$$, and meet government regulations, too. It wasn't that long ago, that Fords biggest selling muscle car was headed for extinction. And, if you go back in time (return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear....) the Mustang started out as a nothing little coupe for secretaries to run errands for the boss in. Essentially, a sporty Falcon.

So, times haven't really changed all that much. I marvel at the cars kids are driving today while working at McDucks for minimum wages. I marvel at the speed mods, and the mega stereos. Heck, the monthly payments advertised on the telly are scary! I watched Mustangs and Tbirds grow into monstereous hulks. Watched a public who wanted a sports car that could carry mom and a passle of kids to soccer practice yet impress the neighbors.

OK, for tomorrow, study Chapter 4, there will be a quiz, and don't forget your reports are due on my desk Friday by end of class.

Reply to
Spike

This guy resides in my kill file because he is a low grade troll. He posts the same worthless crap in the photography newsgroups and gets slapped around their too.

Reply to
Michael Johnson

Yes, thanks, I know. But a weakness of mine is in trying to understand what prompts this sort of post. And what the intended reaction was supposed to be...

:()

Reply to
dwight

Reply to
dwight

Reply to
Falcon Guy

Heh, here ya go gramps, take a look at this...

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Reply to
WindsorFo

Hah! Not just 25-cent milk shakes, but wonderful, real, full-of-ice-cream milk shakes. And comic books, 3-for-a-quarter.

In other words, the numbers may have changed, but the relativity hasn't.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Speak for yourself, Dwight! I AIN'T old. My father IS old! His first pet was primordial ooze! At least I had a brontosaurus. Seriously, I didn't mean to sound preachy :0) Just wanted to point out that the more things change, the more they remain the same... or similar.LOL Now, if you remember this.... you ARE old :0)

(Oop-oop, oop, oop-oop) (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop)

There's a man in the funny papers we all know (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) He lived 'way back a long time ago (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) He don't eat nothin' but a bear cat stew (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Well, this cat's name is-a Alley Oop (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop)

(Alley Oop) He's the toughest man there is alive (Alley Oop) Wearin' clothes from a wildcat's hide (Alley Oop) He's the king of the jungle jive (Look at that cave man go!!) (SCREAM)

(Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) He got a chauffeur that's a genuwine dinosawruh (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) And he can knuckle your head before you count to fawruh (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) He got a big ugly club and a head fulla hairuh (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Like great big lions and grizzly bearuhs (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop)

(Alley Oop) He's the toughest man there is alive (Alley Oop) Wearin' clothes from a wildcat's hide (Alley Oop) He's the king of the jungle jive (Look at that cave man go!!) (SCREAM)

(Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) He rides thru the jungle tearin' limbs offa trees (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Knockin' great big monstahs dead on their knees (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) The cats don't bug him cuz they know bettah (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Cuz he's a mean motah scootah and a bad go-gettah (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop)

(Alley Oop) He's the toughest man there is alive (Alley Oop) Wearin' clothes from a wildcat's hide (Alley Oop) He's the hullie-gullie king of jive (Look at that cave man go!!) (SCREAM)

Thair he goes (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Look at that cave man go (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Ride, Daddy, ride (Alley Oop, oop, oop, oop-oop) Hi-yo dinosawruh -The Hollywood Argyles (later redone by The Beachboys)

Reply to
Spike

Saw that one a few weeks ago and told the friend who sent it to look close and she'd notice that a burger and fries isn't even on the menu. :0)

Reply to
Spike

By the way, when my dad was flying Air Sea Rescue missions out of Scotland in 1959, he bought a VW bug straight from the factory for $1212 fully equipped. He traded it in on a Ford SW in 1963 and got $1260. The SW went through 3 engines in the first 6 months.

Reply to
Spike

Dang! I think you have finally found proof of Eisensteen's Theory of Relativity. All this time and I still though the proof was in how many unknown relatives showed up for the reading of the will.

Reply to
Spike

What? Toronto doesn't have any slums? :0) LOL

Reply to
Spike

We have a local place that was an Independent Rexall Drug store since the 50's with a lunch counter. Dearman's Drugs, the couple retired and after being screwed up by a poor 2nd owner has reopened as "Dearman's" and is just a lunch spot with the food as close to original as can be. But stuff is excellent, but the burgers are more than 40 cents and the shakes are NOT a quarter.

Reply to
WindsorFo

Were there any chains in the 50's? I can't remember (because I was 6 in

1960). In my memory, the drug store was a place that had a counter with stools, where you could sit down and get a cherry cola for a dime. And the counterperson had to mix the cola with cherry syrup for you - it wasn't prepackaged that way.

We used to go into downtown Philadelphia once in a while, and a great time was feeding nickles into the slots for your choice of a la carte lunch at Horn and Hardart. Everything from sandwiches to pies was behind glass, and you'd put in your 15cents to 50cents, one nickle at a time, to get what you wanted.

:()

Reply to
dwight

There WERE chains in the 1950s. F. W. Woolworths (which became WoolCo) had soda fountains. The Creamery.

It's a fog, but my memory is that A&W existed.

Giant Orange for sure. All their stands were shaped like a giant orange. Go figure. There were a bunch of those throughout California along the main highways.

And what about Howard Johnsons? Or Stukeys souvenier stands along the interstate?

Reply to
Spike
.

$45,000. In 1988, $16,500 for an LX 5.0 or less. 240,000 sold in

1988. 2008....? Case closed.
Reply to
Rich

$250,000 mortgage at 7.5% for the condo.

Reply to
Rich
.

Hyundai just announced a 360hp V8. Wonder what it'll cost? Pontiac's G8, what does it cost?

Reply to
Rich

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