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Thread: Supercars Annual '71

  1. #1
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    Supercars Annual '71

    After finding and buying the "Supercars Annual '69" magazine from eBay, I was hoping another year would show up. And one did! This time the '71 edition.

    Some cars lost power for '71 due to the lower compression ratio and even more strict emissions equipment but some did quite well.

    First, a photo of the cover. The second image is of the fastest test car, a Phase III SS-454 Camaro. With the 4-speed manual transmission and deep 4.88 gears, it runs 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and an impressive 11.60 @ 117 mph 1/4 mile. This car had available overdrive with reduced the 4.88 gears to 3.42.

    I'll make some scans later, but here are some specs for now. I also have a Supercars Annual '72 and as mentioned above, some cars really dropped in performance.

    For example, the 454 Chevelle...

    ----------------------------- '71 Chevelle SS454----- '72 Chevelle SS454
    Engine/hp-------------------- 454/425 (gross)-------- 454/270 (net)
    Torque----------------------- 475 (gross)------------ N.A.
    Transmission------------------ Automatic------------- Automatic
    Axle ratio--------------------- 4.10:1---------------- 3.31:1
    Weight----------------------- 3,680 lbs-------------- 3,680 lbs

    0-60 mph--------------------- 6.8 secs-------------- 8.0 secs
    1/4 mile----------------------- 13.65 @ 102 mph----- 15.70 @ 93
    Fuel mileage------------------- 7-13 mpg------------- 9-14 mpg

    How the mighty have fallen! Of course the '71 has much lower gearing, but still, look at the huge difference in the 1/4 mile.

    Some of the Fords ran very impressive times.

    Like these:

    ----------------------- Mustang 351--- Mustang 429--- Torino 429
    Horsepower------------ 330------------ 370------------ 375
    Torque----------------- 370------------ 450----------- 450
    Transmission------------ Manual--------- Auto--------- Manual
    Axle ratio--------------- 3.91:1--------- 4.11:1-------- 4.30:1
    Weight----------------- 3,300 lbs------- 3,440--------- 3,745

    0-60 mph--------------- 5.4 secs------- 5.4----------- 5.8
    1/4 mile---------------- 13.5 @ 103---- 13.4 @ 105---- 13.3 @ 106
    Fuel mileage------------ 6-11 mpg------ 5-10---------- 5-10

    All three would almost certainly run high-12s with some sticky, wider tires. A very good showing for Ford.

    Not to leave out Mopar, a '71 Plymouth Road Runner with 426-Hemi engine, 4.10 gears, automatic transmission and weighing 3,795 lbs ran 13.5 @ 106.5 mph 1/4 mile.

    If a Supercars Annual '70 shows up, I will certainly bid on it!
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    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  2. #2
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    Cool stuff, Fleet. Do you have any other pictures of that weird 'Vette on the cover?
    The Chevelle's times didn't suffer that much from the emissions equipment, reminding me just how overinflated gross power and torque were!
    What sort of rpm would the Phase III Camaro or the 4.30-equipped Torino be pulling on the highway?
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  3. #3
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    Yes, I do find the test data very interesting, hellcat.

    There are a few more photos of the 'Vette. I'll post those soon. There is a test 'Vette test results, a 350-cu-in Corvette rated at 330 hp. With 4-speed manual, 4.56 gears and weighing 3,475 lbs, it runs 0-60 mph 5.8 seconds and the 1/4 mile is 14.04 @ 102.5 mph. 7-10 mpg.

    The '71 454 Chevelle had a 425 hp rating and the '70 LS6 454 had a 450 hp rating. The '71 has only a 9.0:1 compression ratio and the '70 had a much higher 11.25:1 compression ratio. I have road test of 1970 454 Chevelles but with higher gears (3.31 and 3.73) and those ran 1/4 mile from 13.5-13.8 seconds.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

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    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Cool stuff, Fleet. Do you have any other pictures of that weird 'Vette on the cover?
    That 'Vette was known as the "Maco Shark." I remember reading about it in the mid-'70s. Here are some more photos of it...
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    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  5. #5
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    Thanks, Fleet. Good luck finding Supercars '70!
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Thanks, Fleet. Good luck finding Supercars '70!
    Yes, the '70 issue would be interesting. With test data of cars like the LS6 454 Chevelle, Buick GS 455 Stage 1 and the (first year for) Plymouth Hemi-'cuda.

    Here are scans of the Fords I mentioned...
    '71 Ford Mustang 351, Ford Mustang 429 and Ford Torino 429 Cobra-Jet.
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    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  7. #7
    Nice info Fleet. Thanks.

  8. #8
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    Great Buy, Fleet 500! I look forward to wrapping with you on this thread and others. Check out your other thread 40-60 mph: '67 Ferrari VS '64 Cadillac and my latest Post #42 in dealing with road tests.

    After looking over your scans, I can't help but notice that the published test weights do not reflect real world weights for many of the cars, especially, the Fords. I will deal with this more thoroughly in a later post, but this is in no reflection on you.

    Let’s take the Mustang first. I have many tests of Mustangs straight through from 1964 -to the present time. As you may know total test weight including driver on the V8 1965-66 Stangs tended to average around 3150-3250 lbs. I will post a bunch if you like.

    With the new body style in 1967, the average weight went up from 90-110 pounds according to Ford, at the time of introduction. That would put the small blocks up to a minimum of at least 3240 lbs.

    Small Block 289s weighted around 475 lbs. not including flywheel assemblies. Big block Ford FEs weighted approximately 780 lbs., with the cast iron intake manifold. 780 - 475 = 305 lbs., right? So the big blocks had to weight that much more than a small block. Yet, Ford literature and various mags have held that the big 390 put out an extra 250 lbs. over the front wheels. Ok, fine. Add 250 to 3240 and we get 3490, right? So that means that a 1967 small block would weigh at least 3240 and the big block 3490. But, there is more than meets the eye to this story.

    Big blocks also carried more fluids than small blocks did in their water systems. Add more weight. Big block automatic transmissions (C6) weighted at least 60 lbs. more than the puny (C4) and the (FMX) still outweighed the (C4) by 45 lbs. More weight...

    Then came 1969 and a newer, longer, wider, and heavier body style than the 1967-68s. Add another 130-150 lbs. Once again, I will post scans to back up what I am saying.

    So now a small block should weight about 3370 and a big block roughly 3640. All with manual transmissions of course. These weights apply to each body style by the way. Coupes or Notchbacks as they were officially named in 1969 are lightest. Fastbacks or Sportsroofs are next with the convertible being the heaviest. Sportsroofs were actually about 30 lbs. heavier than the Notchbacks. So then a small block should weight about 3410 with a 302, since 289s were phased out in 1968, except in Canada where a few were actually installed in very, very early model year vehicles including Mustangs.

    Boss 302s weighted approximately 500 lbs. So a Boss 302 would be about 3435 lbs.
    Boss 429s weighted about the same as the 428 CJ, perhaps a shade less even though they had aluminum intakes and heads. Regular 429 engines weighted about 830-850 lbs. or at least 60 lbs. more than the 390-428 FE due to stouter block reinforcements. Now, a Sportsroof big block should weigh at least 3670 lbs.

    1971 Mustangs were larger in every dimension and the weight went up more another 150 - 175 lbs. So now a Sportsroof small block should weigh in at a minimum of at least 3560 lbs.

    Big blocks being heavier should be around 3820 lbs. Wow! Intermediate sized pony cars!

    Add an automatic and a few options and you are over 3900 lbs. It was obvious to everyone in 1971 that Mustang weights went up over 600 lbs. since the 1965 pony car was introduced in the spring of 1964.

    Summary curb weight (no driver)

    1965 - 3150 lbs.

    1967-68 - 3240 (small block)
    3490 (big block)

    1969-70 - 3410 (small block)
    3670 (big block)

    1971-73 - 3560 (small block)
    3820 (big block)

    You can see that adding a driver bring the weights up at least another, say, 145 lbs., for an average person. Go figure!

    So, now you can see why I say that the weights are not accurate. That 351 Boss Mustang should weigh in at least 3560 lbs. without a driver. Factor the driver into the equation and you get at least 3700 lbs. Right? Heavy, man heavy!

    That Torino Cobra should be heavier also. I figure 3900-4000 lbs. without driver.

    If someone were to factor in gross or net hp figures using Hales formula wth these inaccurate weights, the hp would naturally be way down. This only bolsters our arguments that many musclecars had decent net hp to weight ratios in the original musclecar wars of the 60s and 70s. Agreed?
    Terry
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    You know that you have it made, when you want for nothing, ask for everything, and receive exactly what you "deserve".

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by kylawills View Post
    Nice info Fleet. Thanks.
    Thanks, kylawills. I do find it very interesting.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  10. #10
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    dog ear, regarding weights, I have had all my cars weighed and I've found that the figure I get is usually more than the weight listed in magazines. A few examples:

    1966 Plymouth Fury VIP (383-4 bbl)
    Car Life curb weight: 4,327; my car's actual weight: 4,330 lbs

    1969 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
    Actual weight: 5,060 lbs (No magazine tests; usually listed in "new car issues" at about 4,900 lbs.

    1966 Dodge Dart GT V-8
    Motor Trend test: 3,060 lbs; my car's actual weight: 3,180 lbs

    1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine
    Shipping weight in brochure: 5,889 lbs; my car's actual weight: 6,040 lbs with bicycle and floor jack in trunk. Without those items, about 5,980 lbs.

    As you said, a big-block engine in a car like a Mustang or Camaro can add several hundred pounds to the vehicle weight.

    Your last paragraph, yes I definitely agree. Some of the old muscle cars had 1/4 mile trap speeds of 100-105 mph (and even higher) even with low 3-series gearing and 4,000+ lb curb weight. And some engines really weren't radical... for instance, the Mopar 440 did not have a wild cam, the compression ratio was only 10.1:1 and the carburetor was not all that big in cfm.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  11. #11
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    Here are my scans regarding weights for the 65-73 Mustangs. I also will post some quick road test figures, as well of all of the engines that were available for all models during those years. I have taken these figures from the Illustrated High-Performance Mustang Buyers Guide printed in 1983, and authored by Peter C. Sessler.

    In my opinion, this was a very good book on Mustangs; well laid out and very informative. I am aware that there were more reasons prints, most likely with updated info on Mustangs after 1973, leading up to the present time, but this particular book is for the first gen Stangs.
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    Terry
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    You know that you have it made, when you want for nothing, ask for everything, and receive exactly what you "deserve".

  12. #12
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    ...and here is the last scan for the 65-73 Mustang engines.
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    Terry
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    You know that you have it made, when you want for nothing, ask for everything, and receive exactly what you "deserve".

  13. #13
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    As the Mustang fans already know, they did put on a lot of weight (some would say "fat") in the early-'70s compared to the '64-'66.
    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

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    Here are another 3 scans...

    455 Firebird Trans-Am. Very low compression ratio (8.4:1)... even my '76 emission-equipped Cadillac Limousine has higher compression (8.5) as did my former Dodge Dart GT V-8 (8.8). Still runs well into the 13s, though.

    A 'Vette with "only" a 350 but with deep gears (4.56). Almost went into the 13s but the trap speed easily topped 100 mph.

    And a 440-6 bbl Dodge Challenger. Still had high-compression (10.3:1); the last year for that, though. As expected it runs deep into the 13s. There really was a good choice of 13-second cars in the 1969-'71 period... if you knew how to order it (engine and axle ratio).
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    '76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.

  15. #15
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    Very nice Fleet!

    I drove in each one of those cars (as a passenger) when they were new. Very exciting! A few years later, I actually drove them myself. I would be hard pressed to pick just one to drive today.

    IMHO, the 'best' road car of the three is the T/A. 'Vettes had a better sitting position but rode more harshly. They certainly handled better than the T/A, but, then again they should have considering that they were in fact, a sports car. Thing was; the T/A was very good in that department also. I think that the T/A was the more comfortable cruiser.

    Six Pack Challengers were not as svelte athletes like the GM duo but who cares? They made you aware that you were driving a musclecar. You felt the whole car quiver and rumble - very macho and vibrant.

    I read an article a long time ago whereby the author said that driving late 60s / early 70s Dodge and Plymouth musclecars made you feel kind of small. As you hung unto the wheel and looked over the dashes of these beasts, and dared to tramp them to the floor, you kind of had to hang on for dear life and brace yourself.

    He mentioned the pop art ads of the time where you saw a wild-assed Road Runner or ‘Cuda menacingly raised up on its haunches with front wheels dangling in the air. Behind the wheel clung a spooky-looking fellow with clinched fingers tightly wrapped around the skinny steering wheel, as the car leaped out of the hole.

    Picture a pair of ‘Bid Daddy’ Ed Roth’s ‘flying eyeballs’ zinging out of your sockets, and flesh peeling back from your forehead, and you will get what that long forgotten author was trying to express.

    Top performing Mopars conveyed that feeling of raw psychodrama where you felt every nuance rippling through your veins. They exuded a presence of adrenaline-pumping mechanical bliss that was muted in other cars of the same caliber. For those reasons I would be tempted to relive my youth for another day in the sun.
    Terry
    _______________________________________________________________________
    You know that you have it made, when you want for nothing, ask for everything, and receive exactly what you "deserve".

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