1967 LeMans

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Was at one of my vendors last week and found this, the shop foreman's car. He's of course a serious car guy and we talked for about a half hour about it, an amazing machine. Interior was original and looked like maybe wear and tear you'd see in 1972. Will get to go for a ride next time I'm out. 600 hp he says.

[Chocaholic]

Beautiful car...but that hood scoop, well.

[JackDidley]

Very cool car. I love old cars with big power.

[Steve Carlton]

[RKDinOKC]

The only problem I have with old cars like that...They typically ride and drive like old cars.

[Don Ro]

^^^
I agree...but it's best to take them on their own terms...then they can be enjoyable.

[manbridge 74]

Coolest thing about this car is that he kept the engine Pontiac and not some other GM offering. Notice the air gap under the manifold, a Pontiac thing. Pontiac blocks were all "big" blocks too. Even the 350ci. Heavy so you up the HP to get good snap. They respond well to compression increase.

[RANDY P]

that's beautiful. Beats the crap out of my 70. Not gonna lie.

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

^^^
I agree...but it's best to take them on their own terms...then they can be enjoyable.

They're comfortable for just driving around town, soft, low effort. If you're trying to set lap times you're screwed (unless you're Kaisen, then bolt on some aftermarket crap and it'll kill a lotus ) . I actually like 'em for cruising.

rjp

[RANDY P]

PS with a 455 and some aftermarket heads and a roller hyd cam 600HP on pump gas is common. 500 with flat tappet hyd. cam and low octane gas, all day long. The recipes for both are very well known.

rjp

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

The only problem I have with old cars like that...They typically ride and drive like old cars.

I think that is part of the allure from taking you back to a different time to personal preference to getting away from a Camry.

I've had 3 Carreras and all of them left me disappointed compared with my 69 and 73, even as daily drivers. They were not nearly as fun, or interesting to drive. Same goes for my friend's 2001 996 TT. Fastest Camry on the planet. No thanks. But a friend's lightened SC with a twin plug 3.4 and MAF. Can't get enough of that car.

A car like this LeMans, if not driven daily, is like a mini drivable vacation in time travel.

[RANDY P]

Time travel, exactly what it is. You nailed it well Shaun.

Those old cars are an era, a point in time- No point in having an old car just to bolt in all modern stuff, just start with a newer car. I spent nearly as much on my Qjet getting one custom built as I would have on entry level EFI just to preserve the character of the car and increase power and reliability.

I believe modern trends like pro-touring will be the "corvette summer" and disco van of the 21st century in a decade or so, not to mention in most cases the current fads (poly bushings and billet suspension this and that, coilovers) make the cars nasty to drive and unlikable and in the future, worthless.

But they sure look cool..
rjp

[Por_sha911]

I agree with folks here that the beauty of the older cars are appreciating what they were "back in the day". I had a `67 Chevelle SS with a monster 396/75 solid lifter cam motor with all the trimmings. The rough idle and glass packs on the big block raised your testosterone by 10 points every time you started it up BUT, it couldn't take a turn worth a flip. Just a great street rod. Likewise, I love my air cooled `87 Carrera. Way ahead of its time back then but now a classic. I don't want to modernize it.

Oh BTW, your thread title made me think you were talking about this:

[RANDY P]

LS Swap and tubular poly this and billet that. Rubber band tires.

Ruin it.

(I do approve of upgraded braking technology tho....)