not equal the aural masterpiece sounds
of eight barrels sucking air and 426 cubic
inches blasting spent fuel out the exhaust
pipes. A car that created lifetime memories
and enduring satisfaction, if for only a brief,
memorable time.
Jack Speedy
SanAntonio,TexasCompare,Contrast,
andConsider
IenjoyedthecomparisonstoryontheGS
and4-4-2(“ClassTransit,”HMM#191).
Couldyoudoafuturecompareandcontrast
ofother 1970 carsliketheTorinoCobraand
MercuryCyclone,theGTOandChevelle,
theChargerandRoadRunner,TheMa-
chine,andanyofthesamegroupofcarsI
mayhavemissed?Iamthinkingofthings
likesalesnumbers,reliability,power,style,
drivability,includingfromtheCaliforniaheat
tothewintersofWisconsinandthetraffic
jamsofNewYorkCity,fromtheraising
offamilieswiththesecarstothe“trailer
queens”oftoday.Takeusbackto 1970 and
throughto 2020 withhowthelast 50 years
weregoodandbadforthesecars.Treatit
likeaflashbackintime,a“before/during/
after”reviewinthelifeofeachofthese
cars.Storiesoftheglorydaystodailydriv-
ers,“beaterswithheaters”tothestarsof
thecarshowstoday.
JimSommerfeld
SomewhereinWisconsin
Thanksfortheinput,Jim.Welikeyour
ideasaboutconsideringthewaythesecars
wereusedwhennewversushowwesee
themtoday.We’llprobablydomorecom-
parisonstoriesasrelevantpairingsmake
themselvesavailable—they’realways
interesting.CheapmusCle
Cheap muscle, like the cars referenced
in Terry McGean’s June column, (“Cheap
Speed,” HMM #190) got me my “car life”
back. I am a 76-year-old semi-retired car
guy who, over the years, let go of my ’
GTO, ’68 four-speed Catalina (after taking
two years to perfect a conversion from an
automatic), 952-point ’71 4-4-2 convert-
ible (still a patched-together car after it
was restored at great cost, suffering poor
workmanship), a perfect 1996 Mustang GT
convertible (traded for a driveway!)... You
get the idea—they all slipped through my
fingers.I’ve been a subscriber for years, suffering
each month as I was regaled with stories of
guys who made better car decisions than
I did. Finally, I sort of got back in the game
with the pictured five-speed 2008 Mustang
GT-SC convertible.
I was able to look over the entire U.S.
thanks to various websites, but found it
right down I-95. It had been traded in with
35,000 babied miles by a retired Navy chief
at the Jacksonville, Florida, dealer that
sold it new. The Roush air filter system and
aftermarket exhaust produce a symphony
when I step on it.
Life is good! Thank you cheap muscle!
Fred Cummings
Sun City, Hilton Head, South CarolinaFourth-Gen Fun
I just read Terry McGean’s “Cheap Speed”
editorial. I was the very proud owner of a
1997 Pontiac Formula with the LT1—pur-
chased new in December of 1996 (my first
new car at 22 years of age). I traded in my
1985 Trans Am that had been thoroughly
abused and had an exhausted 305. I was
absolutely elated the first time I planted
my foot to the floor of the ’97 Formula. At
just $24,700, it was the definition of cheap
speed. Mine was Red Orange Metallic with
T-tops (of course). It had the 10-speaker
Monsoon stereo that was deafening and the
3.23 rear end that would lay rubber shifting
into second (I had the four-speed auto). I
absolutely loved this car, and for the eight
years I owned it, it defined me in many ways.
The T-tops were off from April through
October, even if it meant I had to run the
heat during Chicago’s cooler months. Mötley
Crüe was constantly screaming from the
stereo. In many ways I was a cliché.
The biggest compliment I received was
from Mustang owners. While I still owned
my ’85 Trans Am, they never passed up the
opportunity to race, and to remind me their
cars were faster. When I bought the ’
Formula, interest in racing from Mustang
owners deteriorated.14 HeMMINGSMUSCLeMACHINeS