The blog has reached 200 entries

[Robin in NC]

Hope you all don't mind me stopping by to remind you every so often. But a number of you have either contributed or commented, so I hope there's something there that's worthwhile. Now over 200 Great American Things...and lots more to come!

http://americanthings.wordpress.com

Thanks...
Robin

[djmom]

Congratulations!

I always enjoy seeing what you have chosen and I really enjoy your blog.

[promoguy]

Just popped in to read the blog, and must say very nice job.

[California Girl]

Congrats Robin! That's a lot of work, and I enjoy it!

[jmq]

Saw a very cool Chevelle SS the other day and thought of your blog. You might consider an entry on Muscle Cars, esp since what I think is credited as the first one was a GTO, and Pontiac will soon be no more. You could load that entry up with photos of Camaros, Shelby Mustangs, etc.

[California Girl]

Oohhh... I SO tried to talk my mom into getting me a '66 Chevy Malibu with side pipes (headers?) when I was 17. She wouldn't let me have it! (smart lady!)

[promoguy]

Not sure about that CG. I might have to question her parenting skills. Boy toys for girls are important too.

[California Girl]

I think it was the "boys" that "toy" would have attracted that she was worried about!

[Robin in NC]

Muscle cars...excellent idea! And Margo, it's funny how when you only "know" someone as an adult to think about them as teens. Did you grow up in California? Did your family travel a lot, giving you the bug?

[California Girl]

Yup, I'm one of the vanishing species known as a California Native! Born n' raised! Can't you just see me crusin' the beach in that Chevy Malibu? I think my mom had that pretty well figured out!

My dad was a teacher, so he always had summer vacations and we traveled a lot. Mostly car trips, but got to go to Hawaii a couple of times. It's all their fault I have island fever!

[promoguy]

Muscle cars...excellent idea! And Margo, it's funny how when you only "know" someone as an adult to think about them as teens. Did you grow up in California? Did your family travel a lot, giving you the bug?

Robin, out here in SoCal we have cruise nights, where a bunch of old farts like me come out and wish to have the toys we threw away a long time ago. The good old muscle cars days died when the government decided how big an engine could be. Damn, those days were great. Right????

[jmq]

Robin, out here in SoCal we have cruise nights, where a bunch of old farts like me come out and wish to have the toys we threw away a long time ago. The good old muscle cars days died when the government decided how big an engine could be. Damn, those days were great. Right????

The Clean Air Act of 1970 lowered octane ratings to 91 and started phasing out the use of tetraethyl lead as a valve lubricant, forcing the mfgs to reduce the engine compression ratios and hence horsepower that could be used. That, combined with the 1973 OPEC oil embargo (remember gas lines and rationing?) led to the decline of the muscle car.

In truth though, that straight ahead power was about all they had going for them, as they had marginal handling and braking capabilities. Think about the size of some of those engines – the Ford 427 cubic inch was a 7 liter engine.