Test drive if it is a V8, be it a big block

Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang and Plymouth Road Runner: Bravo Trio

What models would the heroes of the cult western "Rio Bravo" choose if they had to trade horses for cars? Options on offer here include the Plymouth Road Runner, Chevrolet Corvette, and Ford Mustang.

If you want a classic American sports car these days, you can choose from three formats: oil car, pony car, and Corvette. With them, you will get powerful enough cars - both for a smooth procession along your favorite boulevard, and for participating in the Liege-Rome veteran rally. But what are the differences and most importantly - how much fun on the road do three variations on the theme of a sports coupe offer? Chrysler - old, not real - sent us a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, a 7,2-liter butter churn. GM raced a 1968 Corvette with a 5,4L V8. And Ford is represented by perhaps the most coveted pony car of all time, the 302 Mustang Boss 1969 with a five-liter V6500 engine up to 8 rpm, of which only 1628 were made.

Plymouth Road Runner is a real oil car

The first - Road Runner - is the longest, widest and strongest of the participants in the meeting. Abundant 380 hp (SAE) accelerates the 5,18 m long and 1,7 tonne coupe to 100 km/h in less than seven seconds. The base-engined Corvette, the E-Type Jaguar and the Maserati Ghibli dory couldn't do better. This is the ultimate meaning of the oil car - when four buoyant college students in their Plymouth Road Runner crash a European supercar at a traffic light, costing the owner far more than a handful of dollars.

"Oil car" means huge power. Nothing more. To do this, the designers took a standard American middle-class coupe (Intermediate), which so far is much more than five meters, and implanted a tuned engine "large block" of the highest (Fullsize) class into it, which included large sedans and station wagons with a mass of their weight. about two tons and often more than five and a half meters long. At this, the oil machine was ready.

The Road Runner uses a manual Plymouth Belvedere (or upgraded Satellite) as its base model. The weakest version ("for secretaries") Belvedere with a 3,7-liter V6 developed a modest 147 hp. according to SAE, that is, with a fabulous 233 hp at that time. SAE less than our Road Runner with almost identical equipment. Can something like this give a good result?

Tic-Toc-Tach and pistol grip

In addition to the 7,2 liter engine, our Plymouth Road Runner also has a black dashboard called Rallye with six round controls. On the left is the enigmatic "Tic-Toc-Tach," a combination of a clock with hands and a tachometer, which in America is called a "tachometer" and enjoys almost mythical respect among drivers with sporting ambitions. Then comes the legendary shifter on the four-speed gearbox, as if it sprouted somewhere deep in the middle of the front, protruded far up and topped with a wooden "pistol" grip that should allow for quick gear changes.

In sharp contrast to this sporting paraphernalia, a wide sofa in front, on which more than two representatives of the golden youth could sit, if the formidable gear lever did not interfere with their legs. The combination of colors in the interior - green and gold - is also reminiscent of the glamorous decade of the sixties, when the interior of the car was not yet subject to the dictates of the disconsolate in its black "sporty style".

Full seat, rudder-like handlebar and pistol grip. To all this - a large block under a long front cover. However, you still don’t feel like a wolf dancer. The spirit of the secretary still prevails - despite the decorative tic-tac-toe under her nose. However, somewhere ahead, the engine rumbles dully, as if talking to itself, and the huge coupe trembles slightly. Pressing the protruding clutch pedal on the forehead kills the first drop of sweat. Soon, there are many more falls when, leaving the parking lot, we are forced to make several maneuvers, each time being afraid to bend the steering wheel. No servo! Each smooth turn, in which the body tilts incredibly, is perceived as a success. In dealing with the heavy travel of the indirect steering, you sometimes make the mistake of starting in third gear, but thankfully the seven-liter V8 doesn't impress.

Road Runner needs a strong but sensitive hand

On a free section of about 30 km / h, we decide to try to accelerate. “Roaaar” is heard, after which there is a feeling that someone pushed us from behind. We think, maybe what was this cruel push to downtime? But the navigator sitting on the right, the owner of the green Road Runner Jochen Grimm, reassures us: “At full throttle, the narrow original tires play the role of traction control. You have to react quickly and counterattack with the steering wheel even in third gear.”

Needless to say, the rugged Road Runner needs a strong yet sensitive hand to carry its incredible strength to the road – a road with fewer curves. The easy-shifting transmission, surprisingly reliable brakes and high torque will help you stay confident while sitting on the plush upholstery of the wide single seat. A car with a touching personality that John Wayne, who starred in Rio Bravo, would have liked. The great western hero also became fast only when it was really necessary.

Corvette - and nothing more

A Corvette is a Corvette. No competitors and even envious rivals. It has been that way since 1953. Only from 1956 to 1958 did Ford have a similar two-seat Thunderbird compact sports car in its lineup, which later evolved into a clunky luxury coupe. In the early XNUMXs, Ford decided to release the De Tomaso Pantera in the United States to challenge Chevrolet's dominance in the sports firmament. Prospectuses had already been printed in English, but bulk imports were thwarted by strict US regulations on collision resistance. To this day, the Corvette remains the only large-scale sports car in the US. There are many inspired fans of the Old Continent.

When you look at the silver C3 of 1968 - the year when the third generation Corvette debuts, you involuntarily recall the powerful curves of Serena Williams' figure. Finally, forget the comparison with a bottle of Coca-Cola! After moving from a huge Road Runner limousine to a low compact Corvette, the direct comparison makes you feel like Sebastian Vettel in his Formula 1 car. The Corvette envelops the driver almost like a Gemini spaceship capsule. If a short driver is behind the wheel of a Corvette, only the chin and possibly sideburns are visible - unless he removed the two movable halves of the roof, along with the rear window, and stowed them in the trunk behind the seats. Because the C3 has a targa roof as standard.

Probably the longest car facade in the world

Another difference from the spacious Road Runner is that in the 4,62m long Corvette you sit almost on the rear axle. As a result, perhaps the longest car front in the world stretched in front of the windshield to the tip of an arrow. Unfortunately, with the exception of the curves of the two fenders, it remains invisible to the driver. On the plus side, it has a full range of controls and a perfectly placed four-speed shifter.

Base 1,5-liter V5,4 with 8 hp. enough for a not too heavy Grand Tourism car weighing 304 tons. s. according to SAE, move with the proper dynamics. In addition, abandoning the glorious seven-liter cars was rewarded with savings of 81 kilograms in weight. This is why the Corvette shoots around corners with an accuracy unknown to any American or European. With the engine positioned low in the chassis and far back, cornering is also kept within tight limits.

Smart actor Dean Martin, who plays a drunken dude just like in real life, would probably choose this Corvette. If only because the girls would quickly and unmistakably recognize him in the saloon with the targa roof down.

Racial mustang

Not only Bruce Springsteen earned the right to be called the Boss - this privilege is also enjoyed by connoisseurs of the sports version of the 1969/70 Ford Mustang. Pony car 1967 release. From the outset, the typical Mustang styling of the slanted headlights has been further enhanced here. In addition, with the help of a second side window, the designers managed to better integrate the sloping roof (fastback) into the overall silhouette of the body. Thanks to this, they can now dispense with the side cooling fins at the base of the roof. Thus, the 1965 Mustang SportsRoof (the name Fastback was dropped) became a Mustang racehorse, perhaps even the most beautiful pony car of all time.

The term "pony car" originated with the first Ford Mustang, whose success spawned an entire generation of cheap sports coupes: the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Evasion Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and AMC Javelin. These compact and lightweight American models, whose base six-cylinder versions weigh only about 1,3 tons, can optionally be equipped with large six-cylinder and seven-liter V8 engines, which, however, most often makes them ruthlessly over-motorized. In addition, in the American automotive world, these "pony cars" with powerful engines are not always classified as "muscle cars" (see the Definitions section of the Muscle Car History at www.classicmusclecars.com).

Ready to Race Trans Am

In 1969, the Mustang Boss 302, along with the recently debuted Mach 1, was definitely the more athletic stallion in the brand's stable. With an air vent that only runs on the Cobra Jet engine (428cc, 340hp) and front hinge safety pins, the Mach 1 looks more impressive than a Boss in front of a diner or home garage. But even then, connoisseurs know that the Boss 302 is a real racing Mustang. With it, you can train on the track in the morning, and calmly return home for lunch at twelve.

With the Boss 302, Ford designers create a Mustang adapted to the Trans Am racing series. Displacement is limited to five liters, so the increase in power comes primarily from higher speeds, sharper camshaft cams and larger valves. So 220 horsepower (SAE) in a regular five-liter V8 is bumped up to 290 for the Boss, where it's available at 5800 rpm. Added to this is a largely redesigned sports chassis and a four-speed transmission with stiffer gears.

Even the provocative, nasal voice of the little Boss V8, whose idle speed is higher than the Road Runner and Corvette, sounds threatening. A similar impression is produced by the long clutch travel, which puts a lot of stress on the driver's legs. It is only in the last centimeters that the clutch engages with the force of a bear trap. After launch, we initially lack traction at low revs. In turn, at over 3500 rpm, the wild stallion appears to be standing on its hind legs, pressing its solid rear axle against the asphalt with a wide track, reaching surprisingly high speed in turns and, if necessary, can darken the life of even such an athlete as Corvette.

The young Rio Bravo star, singer Ricky Nelson, would probably choose the Boss 302. Eighteen people still dream big - like winning a Mustang in a car race.

TECHNICAL DATA

Plymouth Road Runner 440 (1970)

ENGINE Water-cooled, eight-cylinder, four-stroke V8 engine, gray cast iron crankcase and cylinder heads, crankshaft with five main bearings, center camshaft, two combustion chamber valves driven by a timing chain. Diam. cylinder x stroke 109,7 x 95,3 mm, displacement 7206 cm3, compression ratio 6,5: 1, maximum power 380 hp SAE at 4600 rpm, max. torque 652 Nm SAE @ 3200 rpm. Mixing: Carter four-chamber carburetor; Ignition: battery / coil Features: hydraulic valve lifters, twin-pipe exhaust.

POWER TRANSMISSION. Rear-wheel drive, fully synchronized four-speed manual transmission with mid-car shift lever or three-speed automatic single disc dry clutch. Gear ratio 2,44: 1; 1,93: 1; 1,39: 1; 1: 1. Main gear 3,54: 1 or 4,10: 1

BODY AND LIFT Self-supporting steel body, coupé with two doors and five seats. Front suspension: independent with triangular struts, transverse struts, torsion springs, stabilizer; rear suspension: rigid axle with leaf springs; telescopic shock absorbers front and rear. Drum brakes, optional front disc brakes. Ball screw steering system. Wheels 14, optional 15 inches; tires F70-14, optional F60-15.

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT Wheelbase 2950 mm, track front / rear 1520/1490 mm, length x width x height 5180 x 1940 x 1350 mm, net weight 1670 kg.

DYNAMIC INDICATORS AND CONSUMPTION Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 6,8 seconds, max. speed 180 – 225 km / h. Fuel consumption approx. 22 l / 100 km.

TERM OF PRODUCTION AND CIRCULATION From 1967 to 1980, for 1970 - 15 coupes, 716 Hardtop Coupes (without middle column), 24 convertibles.

Chevrolet Corvette (1968)

ENGINE Water-cooled eight-cylinder, four-stroke V8 engine, gray cast iron crankcase and cylinder heads, five main bearing crankshaft, two timing chain-driven combustion chamber valves, center camshaft, dia. cylinder x stroke 101,6 x 82,6 mm, displacement 5354 cc, compression ratio 3: 10. Maximum power 1 hp according to SAE at 304 rpm, max. torque 5000 Nm SAE @ 488 rpm. Mixing: Rochester four-barrel carburetor; Ignition: battery / coil Features: hydraulic valve lifters, twin-pipe exhaust.

POWER TRANSMISSION Rear-wheel drive, fully synchronized four-speed manual transmission, optional three-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission, single-plate dry clutch. Gear ratio 2,52: 1; 1,88: 1; 1,46: 1; 1: 1. Final drive 3,54: 1 or 4,10: 1. Features: optional self-locking differential.

BODY AND LIFT Support frame made of closed profiles with crossbeams, double plastic body, roof with two movable parts. Front suspension: independent with pairs of triangular struts, coil springs, stabilizer. Rear suspension: independent with longitudinal and transverse struts, transverse spring. Telescopic shock absorbers and disc brakes on all four wheels, ball screw steering system. 15-inch front and rear wheels, tires 7.75-15, optional F70-15.

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT Wheelbase 2490 mm, track front / rear 1480/1500 mm, length x width x height 4625 x 1760 x 1215 mm, net weight 1480 kg.

DYNAMICS AND FLOWS Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 7,6 seconds, max. speed up to 205 km / h. Fuel consumption about 18 l / 100 km.

PRODUCTION AND HANDLING TIME Chevrolet Corvette C3, from 1968 to 1982, about 543 copies. (all options).

Ford Mustang Boss 302 (1969)

ENGINE Water-cooled, eight-cylinder, four-stroke V8 engine, gray cast iron crankcase and cylinder heads, five main bearing crankshaft, two combustion chamber valves, timing chain driven central camshaft. Diam. 101,6 x 76,2 mm cylinder x stroke, 4942 cc displacement, 3: 10,5 compression ratio, 1 hp max. according to SAE at 290 rpm, max. torque 5800 Nm SAE @ 393 rpm. Mixing: Autolite four-chamber carburetor, ignition: battery / coil. Features: Basic motor for racing models with larger valves, speed limiter, etc.

POWER TRANSMISSION Rear-wheel drive, fully synchronized four-speed manual transmission, single-plate dry clutch. Final drive 4,91: 1, limited slip differential.

BODY AND LIFT Self-supporting steel body, two-door coupe, four seats. Front suspension: independent with triangular struts, transverse struts, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer. Rear suspension: rigid axle with leaf springs, one telescopic shock absorber per wheel in front of and behind the axle. Disc / drum brakes, ball screw. Wheels 15 inches front and rear, rubber F60 x 15. Features: reinforcing elements on the body.

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT Wheelbase 2745 mm, track front / rear 1520/1490 mm, length x width x height 4760 x 1810 x 1280 mm, net weight 1375 kg.

DYNAM. INDICATORS AND FLOWS Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 7,5 seconds, max. speed up to 205 km / h. Fuel consumption about 20 l / 100 km.

TERM OF PRODUCTION AND DISPOSAL Ford Mustang Boss 302: 1969 - 1628 units, 1970 - 6318 units. (no middle column), 824 convertibles.

Text: Frank-Peter Hudek

Photo: Arturo Rivas