Thread: World's Biggest Muscle Car? (^-^)

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Would you say the 7th gen T-Bird, was perhaps the biggest muscle car of all time?

1972-76 Thunderbird

Just always had this thought seeing Jack Cassidy chasing Clint Eastwood in The Eiger Sanction (1975) movie, lol.

I don't see how anyone could consider ANY Thunderbird to be a Muscle Car! By the Gen VII they were a Luxury Car Wanna Be, and definitely had zero muscle, IMO.

IIRC they had a bit of front end float with all that hood and a 429 stuffed inside..

Muscle car: One of those most misused phrases in the English language. Tbirds, Camaros, Mustangs, Vettes, Cudas and Challengers, to name a few, are not and never were true Muscle Cars and if you weren't there in the 60's then everything you have is second hand.

Originally Posted by DennyW

with a little work, you could bury the speedo.

As long as you kept in a straight line! LOL

Muscle cars are generally considered to end in 1972, supposedly started with the 1964 GTO, it was considered a medium size car with a large motor from the factory. Most models changed in '73 and thats why they ended that year, though some carried on the date of 1972 is still cosidred the cutoff year, emissions and power ratings took hold in '72 but they still grab that year. Though I don't know if I agree or not the Mustang and Camaro are technically considreed "Pony Cars" because the mustang started the small car stature with performance motor. so that name is used for those I have never heard a Thunderbird to even be considered a muscle car, but to each their own!

Definitely not a slalom ride!

We always called'em grandpa's ride. Definitely NOT cool. Unless you were trying to impress some chick...

That 'bird is a turd...

Originally Posted by techinspector1

That 'bird is a turd...

C'mon Tech, tell us what you really think!!!

0-60 mph in 10.2 seconds and quarter mile time of 18 seconds - not a lot of muscle there.. My father had an 1967 Oldsmobile 88 that was faster than the T-bird.. Just sayin'

You guys remember those cars of post '72 a lot differently than I do. The '73's had miles of vacuum lines, with all kinds of pneumatic switches to do weird things trying to control emissions while increasing efficiency; the '74's were worse and they kept it up for about ten years. EGR systems were a really neat idea, weren't they? Using exhaust gas to slow down the flame path in the cylinders to prevent knock - what a great idea! And as bad as they were you couldn't change things without violating Federal rules, with fines in five figures for shops that knowingly defeated the OEM package. Yeah, it was a grand time in US automotive history - NOT.

Originally Posted by rspears

You guys remember those cars of post '72 a lot differently than I do. The '73's had miles of vacuum lines, with all kinds of pneumatic switches to do weird things trying to control emissions while increasing efficiency; the '74's were worse and they kept it up for about ten years. EGR systems were a really neat idea, weren't they? Using exhaust gas to slow down the flame path in the cylinders to prevent knock - what a great idea! And as bad as they were you couldn't change things without violating Federal rules, with fines in five figures for shops that knowingly defeated the OEM package. Yeah, it was a grand time in US automotive history - NOT.

Don't worry, they're not as concerned with gas engines right now. They've been beating on the diesels since a little before 08. The EPA is doing everything they can do to have the internal combustion process happen externally of the engine for the next emissions laws. But none of the engine manufacturers have developed the technology yet.

The late 70's were the dark ages. Air injection reactos, overly retarded timing, low compression ratios, etc....................a sad time in automotive history.

the smog vettes . those turds are still hard to deal with. if you want a driver they are in that rocking chair of price.