2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

[Administrator]

For those of us of a certain age, just looking at the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is like taking a trip back in time. You see, back in the late '60s and early '70s when "American Iron" ruled the roads, and "muscle car" meant rip-snorting horsepower, I was graduating from high school and starting my time in college.

While I didn't personally own any of the hot cars of the day, many of my friends who were members of the lucky gene pool club were affluent enough to own them, and I got to drive some of the best of the best. There were Boss 302 Mustangs, and later Mustang Mach 1s, and Oldsmobile Cutlass 442s, Pontiac GTOs, Chevy Camaro Z28s, a Buick Grand National, and of course the hot Mopar cars. There was the 440 cubic-inch Plymouth Barracuda, and one of my fraternity brothers at the University of Iowa had a beautiful 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible finished in Plum Crazy purple, with Bumble Bee stripes, a 426 cubic-inch Hemi V-8 with 425 horsepower, the optional "shaker" hood, and a custom 8-track stereo system. Man, that puppy could lay down some rubber and tear down a deserted two-lane country road like a rocket! It was a time for long hair, cold beer, and hot chicks.

More: 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 on AutoGuide.com

[NOTSURE]

Those were the days!!

[bigdawg]

Born and raised in Iowa. I sat and drove the Challenger in the 70's. Been down those ole country rocky roads with beer and hot chicks. Wow, what a memory.

[BZak]

You guys are making me wish I had been born sooner, (I was but a wee tike in 1970)

Say..I got an suggestion...

I think it's very important to maybe get all the "old timers" (sorry) to collect up all the great stories
about thier early muscle car experiences to help us "youngsters" re-live and keep alive those glory days.
You know... to help us be... "hip to the scene,man!"
Sort of an oral history.. preserved on this forum.( perhaps a sticky,somwhere)

Is that a groovy idea?

[fullmonte]

Yea, I kinda like the idea actually. I always love hear about the days when gas was cheap and sex was clean

[6.14me]

Originally Posted by fullmonte

Yea, I kinda like the idea actually. I always love hear about the days when gas was cheap and sex was clean

sex used to be clean??

[2007HemiCuda]

Originally Posted by BZak

You guys are making me wish I had been born sooner, (I was but a wee tike in 1970)

I was a wee tike as well but I did get to live the glory days of the 1980's when I was young and muscle cars where cheap. Finding an 1986 IROC-Z to embarrass with a big block '73 Roadrunner was easy.

[bigdawg]

[quote=fullmonte;165808]Yea, I kinda like the idea actually. I always love hear about the days when gas was cheap and sex was clean[/quote

Sex was clean. That farmer is dead today,I'm sure, but I ran down many corn rows in the night with my ride in his field, with my gal.Sounded like a 1000 trees popp'n. You had to go forward as if you back up your muffler system was ripped off.The rest you figure out. You didn't have to worry about HIV. Never heard of it. Most ebarrassment was when you Mom washed your clothes and found the protection agent in your pocket you forgot to remove. Gas was 17 cents a gallon. LEAD of course.If your exhaust was gray, your motor was running fine.You pumped your gas in a glass with gallon measurements using a handle.Some stations had electric pumps. Had to use a church key to open your oil. Oil was 52 cents a quart.The cans were metal, some paper. Synthectic oil was never heard of. Minimum wage was $1.87. Most of all "STIMULUS" was NEVER heard of. YOU worked or starved. You were raised strict.That simple.I payed room and board to my folks. NO hand outs like at present. Got your butt whipped HARD when needed. No HRS to throw you in jail for a bruise, like today. The GOOD OLE DAYS.The year was 1966. And you know what. I'm still working my a%& off in 2009. So, whoever isn't, sitt'n on the porch wait'n for that welfare check from OSAMA, that is why we are in the predicament were in today..My advice to those lazy A&%$#. Get off you A&% and go to work and help this nation. GOD HELP US.

[jara97]

Grew up on a farm in southeast missouri and never could afford the muscle cars of the days. First car was an old Cutlass with a mighty 260 V8. Dang thing would do 85 downhill but I loved it just the same. My buddy has a Dodge Demon with a 340 and we did things in it that were pretty scary. Loved the old muscle cars and always wanted one.

I was on the fence between the new Challenger and an old musclecar but while I was home on leave after seeing the new Challenger I knew I had to have one. I plan on keeping this car forever and it has brought back alot of old memories of a time where things were slower and in alot of ways better in my opinion.

James

[DanDanthedrummerman]

My first challenger was 73 318 petty blue with a white top and seats. It was 1978 and I was a senior in high school. worked hard in the summers and added headers with chrome side pipes, Keystone klassics with L60s on the back, air shocks, a kraco 40 watt power booster and of course fun fur in the back speaker area. she would go 114 on the flat and a little faster down hill, I beat alot of cars with that little 318. we would go to the drive-in movie theater with a case of beer in the trunk....got thrown out of there more than once. We would go to the roller rink ( roller skating was big back then ) play foose-ball and talk to the pretty girls. Met my wife there. All thats left are the memorys and the big burn scar on all my friends right leg from my side pipes