What is it like driving '65 - '73 Mustang and how does it compare to a S550??

[Steve68Cougar]

I have had my Cougar since I was 15. I've also owned every generation of Mustang since the Fox bodies. There is definitely a jump in driving dynamics going from each generation. I still enjoy taking the old car out sometimes, but it's definitely a lot more work than the '08 or '18. It sounds fast, but it isn't. Last time I had it to the drag strip (early 2000's) it ran mid 14's. The '08 has run low 13's and I imagine my '18 will easily run 11's. The seats are actually surprisingly comfortable. No problem running for hours at a time. Lack of cruise control is the biggest down side. Steering just takes one finger and there's virtually no feedback. There's a reason people used to put spinners on their steering wheels. One thing all 3 of my cars have in common is that they're fun to drive. I smile every time I take one out.

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[XS]

My parents have had a '65, a '70, and a '73. The '65 and '70 were 302 cars. They weren't slow but they weren't fast either. Both were nimble and tossable. The '73 has been heavily modified but even in it's stock form it was a straight line beast. It ran low 13s totally stock (351C, 4 barrel, fmx auto). Now, it easily blows my doors off. Anyway, all those cars are just a totally different experience than an S550. You legitimately have to want that experience or you're going to hate them. You have to want the zero-feel steering, the non-existent brakes, the towering body roll... oh and the attention, good Lord the attention... Every, single, stop, anywhere, ever, takes twice as long because people are attracted to those cars like teenage boys to a pair of boobs. But it's also an experience that can't be beat by any modern car. You feel a sense of accomplishment driving this relic from the past, admiring its lines, sounds, materials, lack of nannies, etc etc.

 

[Coosawjack]

I had a 1967 HEMI Charger........scary to drive.......NO TRACTION on skinny PolyGlas Tires..........no parts available thanks to NASCAR peeps.........9 MPG and 200 miles per quart........only liked AMOCO WHITE GAS (100+ Octane).........BUT.......it was an attention getter!!

Kept it 2 years and wish I still had it for what it would be worth but my Mustang is waaaaaay faster and a MUCH BETTER VEHICLE!!

 

[RazzaRossa]

I had a '67 390 4spd, an ex dry lake flying mile car. 153 mph thru the traps with 3.00 gears. That was before I did my pseudo restoration. This car was an absolute beast. Yes, "only" a 390, but the internals and bore/stroke/crank/pistons were all 427 parts. Why you may ask do that to a 390? Cost, at the time there were not a lot of 427 s.o. blocks lying around, or any "new" castings. Talking about 4spds, this thing had 3/8" shift rods, and you could SLAM the gears in this. Shifted like butter and grabbed like a vise, but only 4 gears. I love my new GT, and technology-wise it's light years ahead of that car. But man-o-man, that car was bad a$$. Never ran it to see what she would do in a 1/4 mile pass, but mid 10's with the right tires would be a solid guess. Always drew a crowd with headers, 36" empty glass packs with turn downs, quite a voice when nailed. Had that cammed big block sound and had the bite to back it up. Anyhow, a few pics...

 

[saleen367]

The muscle cars of the 60's and early 70's don't compare to the muscle cars of today engineering wise.

However, the muscle cars of today don't compare to the muscle cars of the 60's and early 70's as being unique and full of character. The experience of owning something from the early muscle car era is tough to put into words. Its so distinctively different, its hard to understand unless you've been there.

Nothing was quite perfect but there was little chance of being stranded on the side of the road without a chance of fixing it yourself. You could work on the car without an education to do so. It was simple, easy to get to ... if you had fuel and spark, it ran.

Much like everything else in todays world, technology rules. If it works, you're golden, if it doesn't you're effed. We will get even more dependent going forward.

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