Thread: Fastest 4 seater in 1975 America?

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With stats of 120 mph + and 0-60 mph in under 9 seconds I was thinking it might be the 455 HO T/A, but what others can you think off?



Firebird T/A

I only have a Motor Trend 1974 report on a Torino Brougham 4 door 460 doing 0-60 mph in 8.3 seconds. But would have to think a tighter controlled 1975 Gran Torino 460 could still break 9 seconds, and do 120 mph.



Gran Tomato

About the only thing I'd admit to wanting from 1975..

I would have thought there would be a Mopar Hemi in there somewhere ?????

"......I would have thought there would be a Mopar Hemi in there somewhere ?????...."

Not in 75 mellow, they were all gone by then.


34_40 this is likely the only time I think I'd disagree with you. We had one of those we used to work on at a shop I was at. A dirty rotten ***** to work on, cramped and pretty temperamental motor and transaxel.


The mid 70's was a pretty dismal era for factory performance....it says something when the quickest 0-100 MPH in 76 was a 360 powered Dodge pickup.

A lot of us who were still into street/strip racing at the time were stuffing V8s into Pintos and Vegas and keeping the late 60s muscle cars running by then.

.

What about a 1975 Plymouth Duster?

I would have to say the Ford Maverick would probably be one of the fastest with the 302 in it.
If you went back to the 60's probably the Ford Falcon coupe running 12's out of the box.
Both are light cars with the good 302 motor's.
Kurt

My brother had a 76 Trans Am same color as the photo above.
He had the big block that had been worked over really good to.
Though it was fast I really doubt it turned better then 12's in the 1/4.
I know it never beat my 71 Charger in a strait line and I was turning 12's with that.
Kurt

The 1973 oil embargo pushed Detroit into panic mode trying to conserve fuel without sacrificing size, and then the 1975 Energy Policy Conservation Act established the first CAFE standards driving overall fleet fuel efficiency. There wasn't much in the mid-70's that was worth much in the performance arena. That's why so many shows say 1972 and older for participation. The muscle car era ended in 1973, and everything after that was nothing like the older stuff for too many years.

My little bro had a mid to late 70s (I think) Jimmy PU with a 454 and 2-4s that would scoot that horse trailer down the highway with two 1200+ lb horses in it like it wasn't even back there. That was back when we were making one roping during the Rodeo and 2 slack ropings after the show in 3 different towns in one night. "poor horses" and "lucky us" - no hijack intended

Originally Posted by Mike P

".....34_40 this is likely the only time I think I'd disagree with you. We had one of those we used to work on at a shop I was at. A dirty rotten ***** to work on, cramped and pretty temperamental motor and transaxel..

You don't have to disagree with me Mike, we're on the same page.. I've ridden in a couple and been around them enough to know that I don't want to work on it!

But if I have to pick something from 1975.... it certainly won't be a thunderchicken!

I'm amazed that anyone is impressed with a 0 to 60mph time ".... in under 9 seconds." I think Fred Flinstone's 0 to 60 was quicker than that

Now now Roger, that came with alot of shoe leather! Seriously the Mopar had a 360 for that year with around 220 hp?

My new '74 Z28 sure wasn't fast. IIRC, it was rated at 240 hp. I don't think that it would even break the rear tires loose. On top of that it would get 12 mpg, driving at 60 mph on the highway. I once drove it 90 miles around my small home town and burned up 15 gallons - that's 6 mpg. I sold it quickly and got a new '75 El Camino with a 350 2-barrel that I believe was rated at 170 hp. It would get 15 mpg, city or highway.

Compare that to my 2014 Corvette. 455 hp and it gets 20 mpg around town. It's rated for a lot better mileage on the highway.

I had a Pantera back then with the black extended bumpers (was it a 74?) any way pretty worked over to about what was 351 boss specs-high coression, solids, holley 4 barrel(had several that I was constantly switching-------------


I don't seem to remember that it was hard to work on---the trunk floor lifted right out giving easy access to that area plus panel came out between/behind the seats gave EASY ACCESS TI FRONT OF ENGINE sorry about caps lock------


you did need 3 lanes of interstate to go above 170 as it got pretty light and loose----didn't have them body work kits then----

I seem to remember that it was a 1973-----and I drove it to the court house to get married---but in wasn't a 4 passenger so it don't count????????
and it was RED also--------

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

I had a Pantera back then with the black extended bumpers (was it a 74?) any way pretty worked over to about what was 351 boss specs-high coression, solids, holley 4 barrel(had several that I was constantly switching-------------


I don't seem to remember that it was hard to work on---the trunk floor lifted right out giving easy access to that area plus panel came out between/behind the seats gave EASY ACCESS TI FRONT OF ENGINE sorry about caps lock------


you did need 3 lanes of interstate to go above 170 as it got pretty light and loose----didn't have them body work kits then----

I seem to remember that it was a 1973-----and I drove it to the court house to get married---but in wasn't a 4 passenger so it don't count????????
and it was RED also--------

I believe 1974 was the last year for Pantera in America, which explains the extended bumpers. It had the 351 in common with Torino and other Fords, but it depends which state of tune 351 you have. In Europe with no pollution controls the Pantera was still on sale in the mid '80s doing 160 mph. But yeah, only full 4 seaters apply here.

Sub 9 seconds was impressive when you consider some 350 diesel Caddies (and to think folks payed extra for that Olds 350 diesel) from just a few years later had trouble doing 0-60 in under 20 seconds! The reason why today's cars are so much faster is because of fuel injection and a 3 way catalytic converter. Early emission controls really choked motors.



As this info shows the 220 horse Dodge Dart even outshone the Corvette of the day!

From 2gta.com: the April 1976 issue of Car & Driver discovered accelerating from 0-60 took 7.0 seconds, while an additional 8.6 seconds were needed to produce a speed of 90.3 mph in completing the quarter mile. Winding the big inch engine to 4850 rpm, 350 rpm beyond the maximum recommended engine speed, gear produced a top speed of 118 mph in fourth gear. In 1976 these were big numbers, however, our beloved bird did not fare so well. The Corvette was .3 seconds quicker in the 1/4-mile time and went 6.5 mph faster on the top end, benefiting from less frontal area. The worst news of the article was a bias-ply tired 360 cubic inch Dodge Dart didn't quit going any faster until it's 220 horsepower propelled it to nearly 122 mph.