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What Decade Has Been The Best For Cars?

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Hard to say - all had their moments
50's big engines, chrome, tail fins
60's - early 70's - Muscle car era - cheap gas
70's - early 80's... Gas crisis...lousy cars, lousy performance - Indeed an automotive dark age, yet even here there is some light - the advent of the small engined, well-build Japanese compacts
80's - Supercars!, fuel-injection, multi-valve engines, turbo and supercharged pocket rockets,...Buick Grand National....etc.
90's - Supra/300Z/GT3000/RX-8...Cobra Mustangs, LS1's...ZR1 'vettes, etc.
2000 - resurgence of Muscle cars....even family sedans with more than 250HP...only negative side...lots of bland looking cookie cutter designs.

I'd say 2000 so far the best...look at how much horsepower/torque we are getting with small block engines...and a lot of 300+ HP cars are getting 25 MPG or better. Not to mention the handling of all cars are light years ahead of anything from the 60's.
 
Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander
Hard to say - all had their moments
50's big engines, chrome, tail fins
60's - early 70's - Muscle car era - cheap gas
70's - early 80's... Gas crisis...lousy cars, lousy performance - Indeed an automotive dark age, yet even here there is some light - the advent of the small engined, well-build Japanese compacts
80's - Supercars!, fuel-injection, multi-valve engines, turbo and supercharged pocket rockets,...Buick Grand National....etc.
90's - Supra/300Z/GT3000/RX-8...Cobra Mustangs, LS1's...ZR1 'vettes, etc.
2000 - resurgence of Muscle cars....even family sedans with more than 250HP...only negative side...lots of bland looking cookie cutter designs.

I'd say 2000 so far the best...look at how much horsepower/torque we are getting with small block engines...and a lot of 300+ HP cars are getting 25 MPG or better. Not to mention the handling of all cars are light years ahead of anything from the 60's.
Click to expand...


Look up Cosworth Vega.
 
Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander
Hard to say - all had their moments
50's big engines, chrome, tail fins
60's - early 70's - Muscle car era - cheap gas
70's - early 80's... Gas crisis...lousy cars, lousy performance - Indeed an automotive dark age, yet even here there is some light - the advent of the small engined, well-build Japanese compacts
80's - Supercars!, fuel-injection, multi-valve engines, turbo and supercharged pocket rockets,...Buick Grand National....etc.
90's - Supra/300Z/GT3000/RX-8...Cobra Mustangs, LS1's...ZR1 'vettes, etc.
2000 - resurgence of Muscle cars....even family sedans with more than 250HP...only negative side...lots of bland looking cookie cutter designs.

I'd say 2000 so far the best...look at how much horsepower/torque we are getting with small block engines...and a lot of 300+ HP cars are getting 25 MPG or better. Not to mention the handling of all cars are light years ahead of anything from the 60's.
Click to expand...


Look up Cosworth Vega.
Click to expand...

Ok I realize that mutli-valve engines werent developed in the 1980's...in fact I think they pre-date WWI, but I remember that quite a few of the manufacturers were making it more
common place in the 80's...I remember Oldsmobiles "Quad 4", 16v Golf GTI's, in fact it was sort of a big deal to have "16v" badges on a car. Nowadays, it's pretty much taken for granted.

BTW...growing up, my dad had a Vega...boy did that thing suck....damn aluminum engine leaked so badly, my dad had to take a quart of oil with him to work to make sure he could
drive back home.
 
Originally posted by: JImmyK
Originally posted by: digiram
It's a toss up between the 60's and 90's. Since I didn't live in the 60's, I voted for 90's. Love the 94 Supra, RX-7, 300zx.
Click to expand...

The 90s BY FAAAR

Supra TT
300ZX TT
3000GT TT
RX-7 Wankel Turbo

Landcruiser/LX450 Stock SFA (Solid Front Axel) with rear/front differential locks from factory

3rd Gen 4runner 99 model - 9 inches of ground clearance stock! with rear diff locker! Toob ad she is IFS but still amazing truck
Click to expand...

While the 90s were known for their FI, we now have NA cars that put out nearly the same HP. ie G35
 
current.
old cars are sh*t with sh*t safety features. consider all old cars beta designs for current ones with horrible mistakes to be corrected later on after accidents.
 
My personal bias would be towards the 1960's since that was when I grew up.
For me:

1950's = Fins and chrome. I still love some of those cars
1960's = Muscle all the way
1970's = Shelf like 5 MPH bumpers and seat belt ignition cutoff switches.
1980's = Boring econoboxes and the emergence of Japanese cars.
1990's = Styling and performance re-emerge and cars become vastly more reliable than ever.
2000's = So far the rise (and maybe fall) of the SUV
 
...Lasting, 50's or 70's

Man, I think newer cars suck for many reasons, but not because they don't last! Only reason you won't see them in future Car Cruises, is because the computer controlled crap will be to expensive to bother with.
 
There has been a renaissance in car design the last several years. Not only that, but now we're getting all kinds of cars, from ultra-green hybrids that get great gas mileage, to uber sportscars that are remarkable not only for their looks and performance but for their drivability. Cars for the most part are looking better, offering more variety, better quality, and many other things. Not only that, but today, you can get your car however you want it. You want bling? You got it. You want a home theater in your car? You got it.

There have been many great decades in the automobile world, however, I can't think of one thats compares to all of what we're seeing in today's cars.
 
Originally posted by: Ornery

  1. So, now safety is the overriding criteria, eh? When did this finally happen?
Click to expand...
Safety is a key factor in performance. This is the hidden secret why the old 60s muscle cars sucked. Not only could they not turn, they couldn't stop either. Slam the brakes at a mere 60mph and you'll be lucky to hold it on the road, much less stop within 200 feet. And of course, safety goes beyond that to all factors of performance. In general, the safer the car, the faster you can safely drive it.


The first multi-valve engine production car sold in the US was the 1928 Duesenberg Model J.
 
You're preachin' to the choir. You won't see my family in an econobox deathtrap! I was among the first to buy radials for the exact reasons you mentioned. Safety has always been top of my list. These screwballs just jump on that band wagon when it suits 'em.
 
Originally posted by: Ornery
...Lasting, 50's or 70's

Man, I think newer cars suck for many reasons, but not because they don't last! Only reason you won't see them in future Car Cruises, is because the computer controlled crap will be to expensive to bother with.
Click to expand...

Sorry I have to disagree with you on this and I love those old big cars. I used to get in my 1990 Subaru with 180,000 and not think twice about it not getting me from A to B. At that mileage the plugs had been changed maybe 3 times and no points/rotor/condensor to worry about every 3000 miles. Heck even the makers didn't expect them to hit 100,000 miles, the odometers flipped back to 00,000 then. That was a milestone event that you made sure to watch for.
 
Originally posted by: Linflas
Originally posted by: Ornery
...Lasting, 50's or 70's

Man, I think newer cars suck for many reasons, but not because they don't last! Only reason you won't see them in future Car Cruises, is because the computer controlled crap will be to expensive to bother with.
Click to expand...
Sorry I have to disagree with you on this and I love those old big cars. I used to get in my 1990 Subaru with 180,000 and not think twice about it not getting me from A to B. At that mileage the plugs had been changed maybe 3 times and no points/rotor/condensor to worry about every 3000 miles. Heck even the makers didn't expect them to hit 100,000 miles, the odometers flipped back to 00,000 then. That was a milestone event that you made sure to watch for.
Click to expand...
You have NOTHING to disagree with! I LOVE FI and the long spans between tune-ups. I LOVE how long the bodies hold up. BUT, there are many things I don't care for. One of those things is going to be the death of those cars for future restorers. That's emmision crap and so many computer control sending units and what-not. It just won't be worth troubleshooting, and findiing replacement parts for in the future. It would be like buying parts for an 8088 today!
 
Computer-controlled engines are the bomb. Ignition timing can be tuned at any rpm and throttle position by as little as 1 degree. And there will be no problems with them in the future, the technology will only get more advanced. Someday, they'll look back on mechanical distributor cars the way we look back on magneto-driven ignition cars today.
 
...there will be no problems with them in the future...

There will be HUGE problems with fixing "old ones" in the future.

Say you're first car was a 1970 Nova, and for the hell of it, you want to build one as a project to take to the local Car Cruise on Friday nights. You buy a used one, and maybe a donor vehicle or two, and slap it together over winter, ready for the spring car meets. You'll be out of pocket, maybe $7,500.00 if you do an awesome job.

Now, suppose it's 2030, and your first car was a 2005 Accord. It's not likely, but you decide you want to restore one. You buy a used one and a couple donors and then the fun begins. Where the fvck are you going to get the myriad sending units, fuel injectors, computer engine control(s) and other miscellaneous electronic crap? Who will have diagnostic equipment to get it running? I'm guessing 9 times out of 10, it won't be worth the trouble to anybody. For example, how many old Civics do you see getting restored, compared to the same vintage Chevys? Now, throw all kinds of electrical/computer stumbling blocks in the mix, and you'll see why nobody will bother in the future either.
 
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