# how fast do you think i was really going?



## harp (Jun 22, 2009)

when i was about 15 with a learners permit, i borrowed moms [later to be mine] stock 69 lemans. 350 2 barrel 2.56 rear powerglide. loaded up 2 friends, 1 little brother, 1 bystander and a dog. headed north out of dodge city on a two laner and took the speedo all the way around past 120 past the brake indicator light and back past 0 almost to 10. what i remember most was the telephone poles whizzing past at such a clip, and the car almost lifting off the ground as we crested a hill! thats when i shut her down, made u turn and headed home. the car was covered with bugs as if we'd been cross country but was only gone 20 minutes. the only mod to the car was a flipped upsidedown aircleaner lid which made a cool sound!!! how fast do you think i was really going? i've always considered it to be about 140. do you guys think thats possible? i'll try to add an old photo of the lemans after i got done customizing. my current baby is a stock low miles 69 gto. i've only got it to 90, too scary now. harp


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

had the speedo in my 350 69' firebird wrapped around once. With the freeway gear it probably cruised along at 65 at around 1700 RPM with enough blacktop 130+ is doable, but like you said aerodynamics comes into play


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I had my old '66 GTO up to 130 plus one time, for about 20 miles straight. The windshield wipers were blown up vertical and the front end was floating....real scary. These cars lift at 125 + pretty bad. The '68-up body style is a bit more aerodynamic, way better at the back window, so I bet it would do a bit better at warp speed. When I was done, my alternator belt was about as thin as spaghetti. I swapped in a 2.56 gear recently on my '67 GTO ragtop, and did the math: at 158mph, it's at 5000 rpm: still short of redline, if it will pull it. I DO know it shifts into third gear at 105mph at WOT. To answer your question, I would say you easily could have been doing 130-140mph.....Those gears are Bonneville Salt Flat spec!!!


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## fasterfiero (Sep 6, 2011)

Not sure how fast you were going......but we used to tease/ bash/ rag-on anybody that put a Ford scoop on a GM......... cool looking car though


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## harp (Jun 22, 2009)

fasterfiero said:


> Not sure how fast you were going......but we used to tease/ bash/ rag-on anybody that put a Ford scoop on a GM......... cool looking car though


i'll have you know thats a j.c.whitney scoop !later that scoop took a poop and was replaced with a 73 trans am shaker hood molded flush. sorry no photos of that


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## harp (Jun 22, 2009)

any more high speed comments?


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

No, but I love the look of that car in the old photo. Pure late 70's funky. 

I like it with the Ford scoop too btw, prolly gave it 3 mph on the top end. :lol:


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

"Pure late '70's Funky".....that sure brings it back!! I was recently looking at an old '65 that's been off the road for about 30 years, and it had a "disco sucks" sticker on the glovebox door. My own '65 had a "Happiness is Coming" sticker on its glovebox door when I got it in '82, a Harley sticker in the rear window, and a "Powered by Coors" license plate frame.... In '79, my jacked up (hi-jacker air shocks) slot- magged silver '66 GTO had a WFO sticker on the back window, along with a few required "performance" items: barefoot dimmer pedal, Sun tach on the column, Lakewood slapper bars, etc. I think it would be a lot of fun to build a "Day Two" car....a'60's Ponitac restored to look like it was a 1979 restoration....like my first car!!!!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

GeeTee, when i started my build my plan was to do it how i would have done it at the age of 16 (if i would have had 15K in 1981 dollars....:lol. Being a Tempest it gave me the latitude to make the mods without destroying the integrity of a GTO And i did have Hi-jackers on my 69' bird to fit the 50's.... but my common sense and 46 year old back ruled out the "Joe Dirt" look....:rofl:
still looking for "cash, grass, or ass, no one rides free!" sticker, wife will love that one....:cool


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

"Joe Dirt look" Man, if _that_ doesn't tell it like it is, I don't know what does!! X2 on cars that don't ride like a buckboard. Too old for that crap. Hilarious!! Have a great Christmas.


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

Amazon.com: Bumper Sticker Clear Gas Grass or Ass No One Rides For Free - Harley Davidson Gear: Everything Else

merry christmas!:cheers


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

In highschool, I had a 66 Tempest with a 73 455, manual drum brakes, 2.56 gear. Had the speedo back around on zero the second time around, I figured 150 mph, probably lower, but all was good til I needed to stop and the non finned 4 wheel drums faided immediatelly.. I got it stopped, but wow.. I swapped the rear for a 70 3.55 Posi and was the king in highschool, car was quick. Luckilly the car was so rusted out it was really light.:cheers


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## kilkm68 (May 5, 2011)

One of the dumbest things I've done, shortly after coming home from the army in 1978 I bought a '70 400 speed GTO. Had a couple of buddies in it one night about 4am and decided to see why they put 140 mph speedometers in these cars. On a long straight stretch of highway with no other traffic I put it to the floor for about 7 miles. Speedometer needle was about an inch past 140, my cocky friends were silent and white as ghosts! if the cops had caught me I'd probably be still in jail! (Had just a little bit to drink also!) The next morning when I looked at the car my front license plate was bent straight down from the wind coming up from the spoiler.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Just did some quick math.....if my car ever gets done, 6605 RPMs in OD would be 200mph..... Eric


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

kilkm68 said:


> One of the dumbest things I've done, shortly after coming home from the army in 1978 I bought a '70 400 speed GTO. Had a couple of buddies in it one night about 4am and decided to see why they put 140 mph speedometers in these cars. On a long straight stretch of highway with no other traffic I put it to the floor for about 7 miles. Speedometer needle was about an inch past 140, my cocky friends were silent and white as ghosts! if the cops had caught me I'd probably be still in jail! (Had just a little bit to drink also!)* The next morning when I looked at the car my front license plate was bent straight down from the wind coming up from the spoiler.*





Awsome right there.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Eric Animal said:


> Just did some quick math.....if my car ever gets done, 660*5* RPMs in OD would be 200mph..... Eric


More Awsomeness. Gotta get that last 5 rpm in there.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

thats a Hard Redline....:rofl: without the 5rpm it would only be 199.2 and you better stay in the righthand lane....


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

....and that's just in the first block!!


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Here ya go E- East Coast Timing Association


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

If Uncle Eric can keep it on the ground, with the HP he'll be making, I have zero doubt. Just hard to find enough room on the streets of New York!! Agreed, Kilkm68's post really "puts you there"!!!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

There's a road here on Long Island named Ocean Pkwy........... Personally, I don't think the aerodynamics will allow the car to be controlled, but there is only 2 ways to find out, and I don't have a wind tunnel.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Had my GTP to 145 on a GPS. I'd love to do 200, but not in my GTO, It'd have to be something latemodel and def more arrow. No question Eric or I have enough power to do it but the aero on these cars is terrible.

They're beautiful cars, but designed before wind tunnels and the government took the character out of cars.


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