Here is an interesting article on the 1/4 mile times of the 60's and 70's.. It's from the June 1984 Hot Rod magazine.

pg 4,5&6

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That is some cool information. Thanks!

In the Feb. 1985 popular Hot Rodding they tested a 85 IROC and it posted a 14.94 @ 92.60 and a TA that posted a 15.02 @ 91.09. I have seen a 14.7 for a 85 IROC. That is faster then a lot of the stock muscle cars.

Didn't see any mention of the 70 Buick GS Stage 1. 455 w/ 510 lbs or torque stock. Cool list though

Any of the old school guys that argue that a 3rd gen is not a "muscle car" would cringe at these numbers. I mentioned a story before about a guy saying my IROC-Z is an abomination to the Z28 moniker that it wears. The guy had a 69 Z28 and said that his car was a real Z28. We raced that day and I taught him to respect the "newer" Z28s as I just proved to him that his car was no faster. He was very humbled after that.

Outstanding article -- definitely some good information there.

Having owned both old and new muscle cars over the years, I can say that the article is spot on. Memories and colorful stories are one thing, but numerical facts tell the true story.

The older muscle cars are very stylish and cool, and I love them. I will own more of them in the future. But in stock form, they are wildly overrated in acceleration, and markedly poor in most other performance aspects. Most of the test cars from back then were ringers (as the article states).

Our "slow" stock thirdgens fall right into the midst of the older cars' ETs. And the most recent couple generations of muscle cars are hands-down among the fastest ever built. My bone-stock '99 LS1 Z28 (automatic, loaded, non-SS), with paper air filter and all-season radials, ran a faster ET than all but three cars on that list, and had a faster trap speed than all but six -- with my mediocre driving.

And yet, the old muscle are considered the "legendary" performers, unaffordable to all but a few...while clean LT1 or LS1 Z28s and Firebirds can be picked up for less than the price of a used Corolla.

Guys, the glory days of performance are now!!!

I think this gives rise to the idea that many people thought that they accidentally got a 350 instead of a lowly 305 in 1985 when they got the TPI... I know of people that bought a T/A or IROC, that were so convinced that they were given a 350 in 1985, only to find out when they tore the engine apart that it was really a 305...

I think the thing that really killed the perception LB9/A4 was the 1986 - 1989 version of that engine, I even drove a 1991 convertible Trans Am that I really thought was a dog... So impressions really give way here.

very useful scans! thanks.

2 thumbs up!!!!!!!!! When I got my low mileage 85 TPI with 3:42's from the original owner, people would look at me sideways when I told them it was a 305, like it was a sled. Yet, when bone stock with only K&N's and gutted airbox, it would easily keep up with and sometimes pull on my buddys 89 Formula 350 TPI with 3:27's....go figure

Nice! Who actually won? You should have taken him for a ride to show him how a real Z28 handles and brakes too LOL. Light years better than his that's for sure. When the public realizes just how much better overall Thirds are than Firsts from a technical standpoint, it's gonna get more interesting.

I don't know. Since I won't drag race for long, I let off. Neither of us moved from each other until I let off. His car had the 4.10 gears and mine has the 3.27, so I was impressed with the IROC-Z that day. And yes, on a twisty road, I would have had to wait for him to catch up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RoT9wDQ8-k

check out that vid of a stock 3rd gen vs a stock mopar big block car!

I can compare to this as owning both a 67 charger with a 440 and 3 3rd gens. (91 RS 305 tbi, 92 z28 L98 G92 and a 85 z28 with a LG4)

Yes the older cars look cool but my charger weighing over 4000 pounds and the 3rd gen in the low to mid 3000 pound range.

Yes, the older cars did not have the great suspensions and brakes plus Torqueflight 3 speed auto tranny's. Great tranny for drag racing but crusing at over 3000 rpms at 65 mph does not help.

Son and I took the 85 Z to a car show today and the car ran smooth.

the Charger runs rough and like a tank but is a great car.

Best of Both Worlds IMO!!

Pretty cool post