Vintage Fords, Lincolns, and Mercurys!!

^^That is a BIG convertible!
I miss my old Mustang. Not my wife's old 2004 convert with the 3.8L V-6, but my old 1985 5.0HO GT convert. Loved zipping out the back window and driving around with the top up, all the windows down, when it was too hot for the top to go down too.
Actually that car is being auctioned as we speak and was formerly owned by Joey Buttafuco . I have no connection .
 
David Person's 69 sloped nose Cyclone. Banned in 70!
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They didn't ban the body, they changed the engine specs. They would have to have banned the Superbirds and Daytona Chargers, too. They were even more aerodynamic.

Back when they could run 426 Hemis and Boss 429s, they were breaking 200 mph on the straights. That's with late 60's early 70's technology. Scary!

Cale Yarborough drove a Cyclone in 1970 and qualified at 194+ mph at Daytona.

Also in 1970 Buddy Baker broke 200 mph average speed for qualifying at Talladega in a Daytona Charger.

In 1971 they limited the "special cars" to 305 in^3 (Superbirds, Daytona Chargers, Mercury Cyclone, and Ford Talladega) and their speeds fell 12 mph or so.

I believe in 1974 they limited all engines to 358 in^3 ending the era of the "big block" and restrictor plates were in common use by 1988 at the superspeedways.

Some of the details may be off a year or two but you get the gist.
 
They didn't ban the body, they changed the engine specs. They would have to have banned the Superbirds and Daytona Chargers, too. They were even more aerodynamic.

Back when they could run 426 Hemis and Boss 429s, they were breaking 200 mph on the straights. That's with late 60's early 70's technology. Scary!

Cale Yarborough drove a Cyclone in 1970 and qualified at 194+ mph at Daytona.

Also in 1970 Buddy Baker broke 200 mph average speed for qualifying at Talladega in a Daytona Charger.

In 1971 they limited the "special cars" to 305 in^3 (Superbirds, Daytona Chargers, Mercury Cyclone, and Ford Talladega) and their speeds fell 12 mph or so.

I believe in 1974 they limited all engines to 358 in^3 ending the era of the "big block" and restrictor plates were in common use by 1988 at the superspeedways.

Some of the details may be off a year or two but you get the gist.

Great info. I watch a lot of NASCAR on wide world of sports back then. I thought NASCAR had an issue with the bodywork. Buddy Baker was fearless. I remember a 500 where he averaged close to 200mph in an Oldsmobile. 70's racing was way better than now. Even early plate racing.
 
Great info. I watch a lot of NASCAR on wide world of sports back then. I thought NASCAR had an issue with the bodywork. Buddy Baker was fearless. I remember a 500 where he averaged close to 200mph in an Oldsmobile. 70's racing was way better than now. Even early plate racing.

Certainly more "character", or should I say characters, back then. The spirit was still of the moonshiners running from the law.

Cale Yarborough was my favorite back in the day. Junior Johnson was always getting busted for "secret" fuel tanks or some other skirting of the rules.

Oh, and you could actually tell a Ford from a Chevy from Dodge, too.

I haven't watched a NASCAR race in years, or any other form of racing other than motorcycles, and that's a rare event.
 
Certainly more "character", or should I say characters, back then. The spirit was still of the moonshiners running from the law.

Cale Yarborough was my favorite back in the day. Junior Johnson was always getting busted for "secret" fuel tanks or some other skirting of the rules.

Oh, and you could actually tell a Ford from a Chevy from Dodge, too.

I haven't watched a NASCAR race in years, or any other form of racing other than motorcycles, and that's a rare event.

Me either, Since Earnhardt was killed. Everything looks the same. Watch a lot of NHRA.
 
Some of you might remember the Capri which was a German Ford sold by Mercury dealers. Mine was a 1973 2600cc 4 speed and it was one of the first if not the first V-6 powered cars sold in the US.

It was my first good handling car and I recall having to replace the clutch within the first year. Too many tire chirps. :oops:

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Buick had the 231 V6 (later became the 3.8, 3800, 3800 Series II) long before the Capri was sold in the USA from the early 1960's.. I still love that Capri, er sexy European import. One of the nicest looking cars then or now.
 
Buick had the 231 V6 (later became the 3.8, 3800, 3800 Series II) long before the Capri was sold in the USA from the early 1960's.. I still love that Capri, er sexy European import. One of the nicest looking cars then or now.

One of the first V-6's sold in quantity in the US. A fantastic handling car it was a very successful rally car in 70's Europe.
 
P.S. While not vintage, I drive a Ford, a 1999 Taurus SE Station Wagon (Il Toro Spazzo). My first Ford, I've loved them but never owned one for many years. I like my car. Some of the quietest and best riding cars I've ever been in have been Fords. And well built overall.
 
My brother-in-law had a 5 speed SHO with the Yamaha heads. Really quick but the crappy take up on the clutch made a smooth shift difficult.

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Saw "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" last night for the first time in many years. I'd forgotten that they trashed a sweet little '69 Cougar convertible in that movie. No call-outs, but judging by the hood scoop it could have been a CJ428.
 
Nice. I always liked the '69s a little better, though. Didn't like the big honker on the '70 so much. Was yours an Eliminator?
 
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