Things that make you say "Huh?"

dacap06 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-20-2010

On the way home tonight, I found myself in stop-and-go traffic next to a throwback - a muscle car. I'm sure you know the type. It was a sports car with a loud engine, wide tires, a manual transmission, and a young driver. A low-slung beast, it stood a good foot shorter than my staid old Mercury sedan.

We paced each other for about 10 minutes. He had clearly made some changes under the hood and to the exhaust. It reeked of power as it sat there idling with a deep, throaty, vibrating rumble - blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blum. It was loud, too. You could feel the vibrations in your chest, and the notes of the exhaust were noticeable over the classical music station I was playing.

The driver showed remarkable patience for his age and type of car. Traffic moved like an inchworm. With each advance, he was easy on the throttle and clutch, moving forward gently so that the burbling exhaust didn't change very much: blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blumblumblumblumblumblumblumblumblum .. blum .. blum .. blum.

A lot of thoughts rambled through my mind as we paced each other.

Fond memories of my teen years in the late '60s and early '70s when gasoline was cheap and that kind of car was the dream of every young man.
What a waste of today's horsepower and gasoline.
I wonder what his mileage is and how he pays his gas bill?
How that driver must long to find open road and wind it up.
Perhaps the car was a statement of his manhood, or the fulfillment of a dream, or just a hobby
How much the driver must want to attract attention to himself - lookatme! lookatme! lookatme!

Finally, we reached my exit and I turned away. But what left me bemused enough to write about this atavistic, attention-grabbing machine was the make and model -- a Dodge Stealth! i had no idea anyone in Detroit still has such a fine a sense of humor.

jackdale · #2 (**permalink**) 12-20-2010

Ahh another great oxymoron.

bljones · #3 (**permalink**) 12-20-2010

My new ladder, which the lawyers say i cannot use:

bljones · #4 (**permalink**) 12-20-2010

The store i bought it from:

erps · #5 (**permalink**) 12-20-2010

Nancy Pelosi

Quote:

“We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.”

Huh?

kd3pc · #6 (**permalink**) 12-21-2010

"I wonder what his mileage is and how he pays his gas bill?"

Actually, my 1969 440, 4 spd roadrunner, used and in 1972 easily got 20 mpg, if I drived like I had to pay for gas and tires, which I did..My next car, a 6 banger dart, 4 speed - easily got 25 mpg on the road

and the sad reality is that many cars TODAY can not do better than 20mpg, even with all the technology

AboardIndigo · #7 (**permalink**) 12-21-2010

It sounds like what Dodge produced (Stealth) is far different from what you encountered (heavily-modified Stealth). That's like suggesting that a Honda Civic wasn't really, when some punk bolts a 50 shot NOS kit and fart-can muffler onto it.

merc2dogs · #8 (**permalink**) 12-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by kd3pc

"I wonder what his mileage is and how he pays his gas bill?"

Actually, my 1969 440, 4 spd roadrunner, used and in 1972 easily got 20 mpg, if I drived like I had to pay for gas and tires, which I did..My next car, a 6 banger dart, 4 speed - easily got 25 mpg on the road

and the sad reality is that many cars TODAY can not do better than 20mpg, even with all the technology

Years ago I built an old mustang up, 351 windsor 4v carb upped the compression,opened up and polished the ports manual trans, locker in rear.
Was a real mean ride, and had a reputation in three cities.
The amazing thing about it was that it would easily get 28 mpg on the highway and could cruise all day on a tank of gas.

Attributed it to the transmission I decided to use, which was the old style "RUG" top loader 4spd with the overdrive installed (made it a 3spd with overdrive) and the gear ratio I went with. I actually chose the trans because it had the lowest 1st gear I could find, and it just happened to work out that at 70mph in OD the engine was running at 1600 rpm.
City traffic I was lucky to get 14mpg though, in stop and go traffic I'd leave it in second and just work the clutch.

Most impressive thing is that between 55 and 70, I could drop her into 3rd gear wind her up and smoke the tires, popped a lot of eyeballs doing that. Most people thought I ran nitrous

Never did find top end on that car, 6 grand tach and 120mph speedo, could bury both of them.

Current car gets the same 28 mph highway, but is an overweight pig all around.

Memories

Bene505 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by dacap06

It reeked of power as it sat there idling with a deep, throaty, vibrating rumble - blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blum .. blum. It was loud, too. You could feel the vibrations in your chest...

Someone once said to get a big-engined Harley Davidson motorcycle, because your lady friend will REALLY like riding on it. Just saying...

Regards,
Brad

jackdale · #10 (**permalink**) 12-21-2010

OK, fine.

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