Old Meets New or The Value of Tribal Knowledge

     ^{I must admit - I'm starting to get annoyed. As I write this, it's 6am in the morning, it's raining for the 5th straight day, and the weather geeks who have predicted incorrectly for at least half the week, say it's going to rain for another day... if not two. Replacing the head gaskets (and all the other ones as well) on my 87 Mustang 5.0 is taking longer than I thought. Also adding insult to injury is the fact I can't wait to drive the car again and truly bang-shift some gears.}      
     However, this down time has given me a chance to check out some other aspects of the performance world. I’m not sure what drugs Ford is on, but they must be damn good. I receive a Mustang publication on a monthly

basis and in the June issue, it highlighted the 2013 Shelby Mustang Super Snake. Ford has blessed this rig with two power options, one with over 850 rear wheel horsepower. With the proper traction & gearing, as well as some practice time behind the wheel, this car has the capability of running high 9’s and almost 150mph in the quarter mile… and it runs on pump gas. I’ve owned cars that have gone that quick and I’ll tell you first hand - that’s cookin’ no matter what you’re driving. Alright, when all is said & done with the cost of the car plus options costs around $95,000 - but when you‘re running that quick, it’s going to run some serious coin to begin with. By the way, this car is already being built.

     Now, if that weren’t enough, in the July issue I received, Ford teamed up with Shelby Enterprises yet again and proceeded not only to turn up the wick, but basically torched everything else in it’s path. For an additional $45,000 or so, (hey - who’s counting right?) and to be built in limited numbers (the exact figure hasn‘t been determined yet) , is the Shelby Super Snake 1000... with 1200 rear wheel horsepower. Again, this ride cruises (if it’s capable of even doing that) on pump gas. That’s not just fast, that’s freakin’ sick. If I win the Powerball this week, I’m placing my order for one. Screw conventionalism.

     Before you send off a flaming diatribe, I’m not a Ford fan by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I’ve owned the fewest of them (a total of 3) when compared to Mopar or GM… and I’ve owned over two dozen antique, classic, and/or muscle cars in my 30 year automotive… umm… sickness. In fact, more than half my rides have been either Dodge’s or Plymouths. 

I’ve also haven’t forgotten that Chevy is releasing a Z/28 option on the Camaro for 2014. It will be the 1st Z/28 option since 1970 and unlike the small block V-8’s it was blessed with back then, will have a 7-litre 427 LS7 under the hood, with 505 horsepower - which is still nothing to sneeze at. The car will also have some unique styling cues that will differentiate it from a "regular" Camaro. I’ll shoot myself now by saying that GM has always had a distinctive way of inserting their feet into their mouths. Now you can send off the flaming diatribe…

      The bottom line here is I’m glad the manufacturers are not turning away performance in a corporate, robotic way, even during difficult economic times. If you look closely, a number of manufacturers still have their performance irons in the fire, domestic as well as foreign, to some degree. And that’s a good thing.
And while all this modern coolness is good for the psyche & soul, there is nothing like tribal knowledge. Say what? A college professor of mine once said, "You can’t appreciate the present unless you respect the past." As I grow older - never mind how old I am - this statement rings more true than ever before. I’ve heard some people in the automotive journalism profession state that they have grown tired of the "retro" styling of numerous performance vehicles. As for myself, I’m glad some of the auto manufacturers are still paying respectable homage to the muscle cars of yesteryear (the Dodge Dart not withstanding).

     I’ve come to grips that we are a country that no longer has a sense of history, or tribal knowledge. Corporate buyouts, budget cutbacks, layoffs, and downsizing (or "consolidation" as it’s now termed), all take a toll on tribal knowledge. Taking that a step further, when all this negativism slides down from the top, it also starts to erode things like ingenuity, taking risks, fresh ideas, and innovation. While some people say, "you can’t live in the past", I also mention that you can’t shut the door on it either. That’s one reason why I still love old vehicles, remembering back when I was a kid riding shotgun in my cousins GTO, and staring in awe of my neighbors Hemi Plymouth Roadrunner.

     Like anything, old cars as well as performance in general is more than just a business or a hobby. It can be good times & memories that can be shared and passed down through your kids & grandkids. We all know change is inevitable. In the automotive world, this should be part of the mission statement. However, we can be open to the gamut of performance, the marriage of new into old (think rat rods), while appreciating the present and respecting the past. Change, like life, is like an ocean wave. If we resist it, we’ll just get knocked on our ass. If we dive into it, we can go through it much easier.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave