Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Dale: The Camaro is dead. Long live the Mustang.
As the proud once-owner of a midnight green '78 Camaro, I can sadly say I'm going to miss the model. A lot. Mine had an in-line six cylinder engine, which meant it had the pick up of a K-Car, but once you got rolling, it held the speed quite nicely. I remember getting it up to 105 mph on one of the paved roads outside of town, and the engine just purred. It was almost like the car preferred high speeds. [Obligatory disclaimer: Teenage boys, don't do this. Even for chicks. It's dangerous. While you are at it, stay in school, don't do drugs, and eat your greens.]
I customized it somewhat: I had turbo-style aluminum wheels and Eagle ST tires. Add in the Kraco cassette deck and speakers, and I was king of the road. Not that it was a perfect car model of course. In a Michigan winter, it handled like a skate. Plus, the seating: "2+2." Yeah, sure. Two medium sized adults in front, and 2 extras from the cast of "The Terror of Tiny Town" in the back.
And don't forget the cost of no-fault insurance. For a teenage boy....My dad couldn't have gotten a higher rate if he said he was going to use the vehicle as a car bomb. A practical vehicle, it was not. But it was a hell of a lot of fun. It died a tragic death my sophomore year of college: while innocently parked on a street corner, a drunk "re-parked" it at approximately 35 miles per hour. It was totalled, and it still stings a little to think about it. I got a Mercury Capri with the insurance money, but it wasn't the same.
It's clear that an era has truly come to an end. Except for the Mustang, the muscle car is now dead. A moment of silence, please.
As the proud once-owner of a midnight green '78 Camaro, I can sadly say I'm going to miss the model. A lot. Mine had an in-line six cylinder engine, which meant it had the pick up of a K-Car, but once you got rolling, it held the speed quite nicely. I remember getting it up to 105 mph on one of the paved roads outside of town, and the engine just purred. It was almost like the car preferred high speeds. [Obligatory disclaimer: Teenage boys, don't do this. Even for chicks. It's dangerous. While you are at it, stay in school, don't do drugs, and eat your greens.]
I customized it somewhat: I had turbo-style aluminum wheels and Eagle ST tires. Add in the Kraco cassette deck and speakers, and I was king of the road. Not that it was a perfect car model of course. In a Michigan winter, it handled like a skate. Plus, the seating: "2+2." Yeah, sure. Two medium sized adults in front, and 2 extras from the cast of "The Terror of Tiny Town" in the back.
And don't forget the cost of no-fault insurance. For a teenage boy....My dad couldn't have gotten a higher rate if he said he was going to use the vehicle as a car bomb. A practical vehicle, it was not. But it was a hell of a lot of fun. It died a tragic death my sophomore year of college: while innocently parked on a street corner, a drunk "re-parked" it at approximately 35 miles per hour. It was totalled, and it still stings a little to think about it. I got a Mercury Capri with the insurance money, but it wasn't the same.
It's clear that an era has truly come to an end. Except for the Mustang, the muscle car is now dead. A moment of silence, please.
