The 'Cuda ain't no sports car...
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The 'Cuda ain't no sports car...
Had me a lil' case of Mississippi leg-hound this morning, so at lunch I went out and chased some chickens in the country with the 'Cuda. 
Of course, the cell-phone's battery was dead so I was unable to snag some pics of my drive (I'll do that tomorrow or next week sometime). Came back, charged up the phone and snagged some pics:
Look at that grille -- that snout is lethal! [>:]
Don't know why the lil' cam is so blurry, I cleaned off the lens as best I could. Hmm. [&:]
Ah, as you can see, the sidewall -- not real stiff. With a 60/40 weight distribution, 30-year-old bushings on a suspension meant for a slant-six, all riding on 14" rims, you can imagine how she takes the twisties.
Yes, I work at the Superfriends' Hall of Justice. What of it? [&:]
About five miles southwest of where I work, there are some steep, densely wooded farmhills with ribbons of country road running through them. Now, carving your way through them in a 30+ year old muscle car that is, I daresay, one of the *worst* handling cars on this board at least, if not just about all street legal vehicles, period, isn't necessarily something that most enthusiasts dream off.
But it sure is fun. [>:]
Much of the hills and rolling hillsides seem to be largely downhill when driving away from here. The shabby, thin 9" drum brakes (with siezed and irregularly set proportioning valves) don't really take too kindly to this endeavor. As a result, there is a lot of 2nd gear downshifting (tired automatic tranny, remember) and pushing through the corners. I'm sorry, did I say pushing? I mean floating past, through corners and out the other side, across the lane and with a bit of a wiggle with the rear to keep her out of the ditches that line the road! Power-on oversteer is the only real option; she understeers like a carrier at full tilt, pushing large and wide through the turns. Nimble, she is not.
Of course, ***-happy driving is its own reward; driving and flowing through long S-curves, under leafy green canopies of both bush and tree, the roar of the big block thundering off of the high ditch walls, counterpointed by the racking of the pipes as I let off the gas and let the engine speed and drivetrain slow her down, it all blends together to create a wonderfully addicting symphony and experience. Plus, this is largely between the speeds of 30 to 60 mph! [:'(] Don't have to go insano fast before you're overdriving the suspension, the brakes, or the road (and again, don't forget that the dead spot in the steering is no less than at least 3" of play in the huge 20" wide pencil-thin steering wheel [&:]). Driving excitement? I gots plenty.
One thing about torque -- it doesn't really change the speed at which you decend or climb. Leaving her in 2nd through most of this driving, she just rumbles up curving roads and elbow-bends in hillsides without much effort at all. The drive back really lets me lean into the gas (going uphill, I can let her romp without worring about the brakes. Much. [&:]). I pass a few bikers in spandex and logos; they eye me through blank Oakleys while I coast past them. When they're safely out of range, again with the loud pedal.
By the time I get back, I'm sweating, I reek of gasoline fumes, the 'Cuda's creaking, the rear-end is whining and the brakes are baked and chattering whenever I breath on the pedal. Whoo! Just in time for a break...
- novicius -
Of course, the cell-phone's battery was dead so I was unable to snag some pics of my drive (I'll do that tomorrow or next week sometime). Came back, charged up the phone and snagged some pics:Look at that grille -- that snout is lethal! [>:]
Don't know why the lil' cam is so blurry, I cleaned off the lens as best I could. Hmm. [&:]
Ah, as you can see, the sidewall -- not real stiff. With a 60/40 weight distribution, 30-year-old bushings on a suspension meant for a slant-six, all riding on 14" rims, you can imagine how she takes the twisties.
Yes, I work at the Superfriends' Hall of Justice. What of it? [&:]
About five miles southwest of where I work, there are some steep, densely wooded farmhills with ribbons of country road running through them. Now, carving your way through them in a 30+ year old muscle car that is, I daresay, one of the *worst* handling cars on this board at least, if not just about all street legal vehicles, period, isn't necessarily something that most enthusiasts dream off.
But it sure is fun. [>:]
Much of the hills and rolling hillsides seem to be largely downhill when driving away from here. The shabby, thin 9" drum brakes (with siezed and irregularly set proportioning valves) don't really take too kindly to this endeavor. As a result, there is a lot of 2nd gear downshifting (tired automatic tranny, remember) and pushing through the corners. I'm sorry, did I say pushing? I mean floating past, through corners and out the other side, across the lane and with a bit of a wiggle with the rear to keep her out of the ditches that line the road! Power-on oversteer is the only real option; she understeers like a carrier at full tilt, pushing large and wide through the turns. Nimble, she is not.
Of course, ***-happy driving is its own reward; driving and flowing through long S-curves, under leafy green canopies of both bush and tree, the roar of the big block thundering off of the high ditch walls, counterpointed by the racking of the pipes as I let off the gas and let the engine speed and drivetrain slow her down, it all blends together to create a wonderfully addicting symphony and experience. Plus, this is largely between the speeds of 30 to 60 mph! [:'(] Don't have to go insano fast before you're overdriving the suspension, the brakes, or the road (and again, don't forget that the dead spot in the steering is no less than at least 3" of play in the huge 20" wide pencil-thin steering wheel [&:]). Driving excitement? I gots plenty.
One thing about torque -- it doesn't really change the speed at which you decend or climb. Leaving her in 2nd through most of this driving, she just rumbles up curving roads and elbow-bends in hillsides without much effort at all. The drive back really lets me lean into the gas (going uphill, I can let her romp without worring about the brakes. Much. [&:]). I pass a few bikers in spandex and logos; they eye me through blank Oakleys while I coast past them. When they're safely out of range, again with the loud pedal.
By the time I get back, I'm sweating, I reek of gasoline fumes, the 'Cuda's creaking, the rear-end is whining and the brakes are baked and chattering whenever I breath on the pedal. Whoo! Just in time for a break...
- novicius -
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RE: The 'Cuda ain't no sports car...
Yes, but it looks great and your enjoying it all the same. And to think, they use to use the Cuda's and the Challenger's for the road racing back in the day with the AAR Cuda and the T/A Challengers.[sm=smiley3.gif]
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Joined: Apr 2004
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RE: The 'Cuda ain't no sports car...
Yeah, but with a much lighter engine and much beefier suspension components and brakes. [8D]
I'm interested in making a sharp handling Mopar, but ultimately she will be a long-distance-capable streetlight-to-streetlight hammer. Cruise, A/C, CD and leather interior, with a torquemonster of a Wedge, backed by the venerable A727 and Gear Vendor OD.
Maybe a companion A-body might scratch my road-racing itch -- but not for a looong time. I'll be road racing and autocrossing my Neon for years to come...
- novicius -
I'm interested in making a sharp handling Mopar, but ultimately she will be a long-distance-capable streetlight-to-streetlight hammer. Cruise, A/C, CD and leather interior, with a torquemonster of a Wedge, backed by the venerable A727 and Gear Vendor OD.
Maybe a companion A-body might scratch my road-racing itch -- but not for a looong time. I'll be road racing and autocrossing my Neon for years to come...
- novicius -
