Slow cars!?

[Turbo Zach]

I have been waiting all winter to drive my Monte again. The salt is off the roads pretty much now and the temperature is in the 60's. So I took my car out of the shop for a cruise around town with trunk lid off. I forgot how much my car is a slow turd! I have a 3.8 turbo with 175 horsepower. I am pretty bored with the engine in this car. All my previous and current cars, except this one have nuts and are fast. I plan on repowering the car with a 3800 engine with a turbo. I have several engines, parts, and a 4L80e transmission. I bought a skid loader with a bad engine so my repower project got put on hold until I get the skid loader engine overhauled. Hopefully I can regear the rearend this summer and make the car a little more fun to drive. I am curious how many people have slow cars and are proud of them. All you ever hear about are high horsepower engines and high end builds. I know I like reading about them too! Just like to hear of some low horsepower cars too. Trying to make my self feal better about my car I guess. At least mine looks fast!

 

[pontiacgp]

with a slow car you get to listen to more music and you see more of the scenery but then again the fast cars have the same speed limit slow cars have.

 

[lilbowtie]

Your car is just fine the way it is and kinda a rare car that will be worth more in the long run. I enjoy my 84 Mustang GT turbo convertible. Like yours it's not a power house but fun to get out in and gas isn't a problem since I get close to 30 mpg on the highway. I love HP and restrict it to the race track - HP on the street = trouble.

 

[King_V]

Well, it was fast for its time, but by modern standards, yeah, slow.

That said, I've always liked how the low-horsepower, "slow" engines of the day had the low RPM peak torque, and made tip-in feel awesome.

ie: having driven a 205 hp 3800 V6 in a Regal or a LeSabre, while it's got kick, tip in is smooth, but doesn't feel as abrupt, sort of as if it had to build up a little bit.

The "lame" 140 hp 301 2-bbl in The Blue Rajah, (1978 LeSabre), desipte the 2.41 gears and tallish "big car" tires always felt like it had a particular kick when I simply cracked open the throttle slightly. Of course, if push came to shove, it was not going to win any races whatsoever, but that feeling of getting almost all the torque from a stop with just a touch on the gas has a different kind of satisfaction in a way.

 

[MrSony]

1970 Thunderbird sedan 429 only has a 16.5 second 1/4, but it's 4500lbs.

 

[theoldsone]

Before I tore down my Cutlass and drove it it was a mule with the highway gears, it was like a 2.3???:1 remind you a stock Vin 9 307cid. I swapped the gears out for a 3.73 boy did it pick up but not like a WOW more like a wow. Lol any who rear gears helped and gas mileage was up surprisingly. Slow cars are more like cruisers that look good. Don't drive like your fast or that cammed 5.0 Fox body that drives around town will shame you lol wait until you get that power house installed.

 

[pontiacgp]

I drive a 4 litre Jeep in the winter and it's my summer back up so if want to talk slow I bet I can lose to you in a 1/4 mile drag...

 

[lilbowtie]

I drive a 4 litre Jeep in the winter and it's my summer back up so if want to talk slow I bet I can lose to you in a 1/4 mile drag...

Maybe not - check the window.

 

[pontiacgp]

Maybe not - check the window.

View attachment 49822

I can't tell you what the timing board said, the timer ran out before I got there...

 

[olds307 and 403]

I picked up a 1970 Cutlass S, instead of the nice high compression 310 HP 350, it has the 105 HP Olds 260 in it's place. It at least has the dual exhaust option, meaning I now have probably 120 HP/220 TQ. For what it is and considering the 2.78 gears it is actually acceptable just not fun and won't race anyone. It will be getting an upgrade.