Just exactly how much is macho worth?

64 f100 · Post by **64 f100** » July 20, 2007, 5:52 am

Macho? Isn't that something you put on corn chips? I like my 390 in my 66, and I drive it every day, and only flinch at the gas pump. I've got cheaper rides as far as gas is concerned, and when I don't think I will haul anything, then I drive my 91 Capri, which is no slouch. I've had it to 130, and it had more. It's bone stock and drives like a dream. It is a little confusing, designed in Italy, assembled in Australia, has a Mazda drive train, and sold as an American car. A true bastard in every sence of the word. It does get 30 plus miles per gallon, and is a fun car to drive. Sticks to the road like glue.

Rich

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » July 20, 2007, 8:02 am

Yep, you can take your macho to McDonalds and get a cup of coffee with a buck.

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » July 20, 2007, 8:37 am

Found out yesterday that Macho leaks out of your system (like freon leaks out of an air conditioner) after 20 years of marriage.

Was driving the Bricklin down main drag Lethbridge, on my way home from work last night. Hear some girl yell something about a "Sexy bitch" over the sweet sound of the 351W I listen to, instead of a radio. So I looks over and here is a carload of 17-18 year old tweakers, really good looking, too good looking to be THE SAME AGE AS MY KIDS, and for me to notice. "Nice Car!" one of them yells over at a stoplight, and blows a kiss.

...........I was flabbergast.

Didn't know what to do or say, all I could think of was "Where's my 18 year old son. he should be here......"

All the macho has leaked out of my system.
Where do you get a recharge?

fmartin_gila · Post by **fmartin_gila** » July 20, 2007, 9:07 am

Johnny Canuck wrote:Found out yesterday that Macho leaks out of your system (like freon leaks out of an air conditioner) after 20 years of marriage.

Was driving the Bricklin down main drag Lethbridge, on my way home from work last night. Hear some girl yell something about a "Sexy bitch" over the sweet sound of the 351W I listen to, instead of a radio. So I looks over and here is a carload of 17-18 year old tweakers, really good looking, too good looking to be THE SAME AGE AS MY KIDS, and for me to notice. "Nice Car!" one of them yells over at a stoplight, and blows a kiss.

...........I was flabbergast. Didn't know what to do or say, all I could think of was "Where's my 18 year old son. he should be here......"

All the macho has leaked out of my system.
Where do you get a recharge?

If you got to ask, it's already too late.
Fred

BigTim · Post by **BigTim** » July 20, 2007, 10:06 am

Johnny Canuck wrote:
All the macho has leaked out of my system.
Where do you get a recharge?

Great story JC.

I think you can get a recharge of Macho with beer or whiskey. But it seems to wear of fairly quickly compared to the Macho we were equipped with in our late teens and twenties.

Johnny Canuck wrote:So I looks over and here is a carload of 17-18 year old tweakers, really good looking, too good looking

They will get over that good looking part if they keep tweakin.

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » July 20, 2007, 10:28 am

meant tweaking by definiition 7 (3) tim
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tweaker

Yeah a few beers and drag racing or dirt track racing is a short term puff of freon, but it leaks out the 20 year marriage hole in the condenser pretty fast, and you ain't cool no more.

a2z64 · Post by **a2z64** » July 20, 2007, 11:49 am

I've got a 390 in my slick and if you asked me what kind of mileage it gets I'd have to say "beats the heck out of me" never checked it and don't really care. It's not a daily driver and was never intended to get good mileage. When it gets low, I fill it up and move on. The enjoyment I get out of driving it is worth it to me. Just depends on what you want out of your truck.

dwbr · Post by **dwbr** » July 20, 2007, 12:13 pm

a2z64 wrote:I've got a 390 in my slick and if you asked me what kind of mileage it gets I'd have to say "beats the heck out of me" never checked it and don't really care.

I agree, i drive what i drive because thats what i WANT to drive, guys at werk allways saying i drive a honda cause it gets 30mpg, so i drive my superduty and i like it!! and i can blow them away in it, they wont even try me in my slick,
________
digital vaporizer

bigtrip460 · Post by **bigtrip460** » July 20, 2007, 1:09 pm

Johnny Canuck wrote: All the macho has leaked out of my system.
Where do you get a recharge?

18 to 25 y/o's blow it back in.

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » July 20, 2007, 3:29 pm

bigtrip460 wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote: All the macho has leaked out of my system.
Where do you get a recharge?

18 to 25 y/o's blow it back in.

Jarrod · Post by **Jarrod** » July 20, 2007, 6:03 pm

I have a few questions.

#1 Why are you driving a 40+ year old vehicle expecting to get good gas milage out of it? You will never get it. If you want efficientcy, by a toyota truck with the little 4 banger. It will go for ever and get you good milage. A 10 year old toyota is not expensive. You would be dollars ahead doing that.

#2 You keep bringing up Hondas and the like. If you like them so much why not go buy one. Sell the slick if you have to. If gas milage is such a major concern, get a vehicle that gets decent gas milage and be done with it.

#3 You get 25 mpg out of your truck right now. When calculating milage, why not calculate total cost of ownership? I would be willing to bet your costs are less with the 40 year old truck that is paid for and essentially runs for free, you can work on it and only have to pay for gas and very basic up keep than any new super high efficency vehicle. Remember that Prius vs Hummer article that Uncle Skip posted here a few months back?

#4 Bottom line is why can't you be happy with what you got? You save one more truck from the crusher. You get better milage than any new truck on the road. Remember you are driving a truck and not a sub compact. You can't compare the milage of something as aero dynamic as brick to a Honda civic. The laws of Physics will work against you every time.

I am building my truck my way because I can. I have other vehicles to drive if I need economy.
If you have to ask the value of Macho then you just don't understand. Wiskey and Bear don't help you get macho. They just give you courage. Its a fine line. If you have lost your machoness, an 18-24 y/o is the only way to get it back

Post by **Greg D** » July 20, 2007, 8:15 pm

Doc Pepper wrote:OK, this thread is getting way out of hand.

Come on Doc, you have been around here long enough to know what is gonna happen when you post a topic titled like that here, lol.
Seriously, if you think about it while reading even the smart arse comments your question is being answered. The price is not about dollars and cents, it's about NOT sitting around grumbling about how old we feel. Such things are a labor of love, you should know this better than any of us. You restored the same car more than once. The financial issue does play a part in the how and what but not the why. I am a perfect example of that. I have dipped into Fox Mustang collecting. "Fox bodies????", they are collectable and not out of my financial reach like a 65 GT 350 at 100K +. At 23K the silver one wouldn't be here either if not for 1 thing; automotive financing, if I'd had to write 1 check for it I'd be SOL.

Jarrod · Post by **Jarrod** » July 20, 2007, 8:18 pm

I have no problems trying to improve with what you have. Hell we all are in our own way. I think that its great. I totally agree with you about cars being over engineered, overpriced etc. Thats why I have my truck. I can work on it. I up grade the breaks for safety. I have blown wheel cylinders and lost all my breaks on 3 different occations. Scared the shit out of me. I almost killed a 9 year old boy one time. It had a profound affect on me.
I disagree with you saying its me who is disatisfied with my truck. WHile yes I want to improve upon it, aren't you on the endless quest to improve upon it. Didn't you want to crack open your transmission and change out gears? How many times have you switched your rear end ratio. You are just like me. Trying to improve a cool old truck. I would say you are just as disatified with your old truck as you say I am with mine. Thats fine.
Can you acheive higher MPG? Yes you probably can. But by doing so, you will probably make the truck more complex and harder to work on. I think you have maxed out your current configuration. Hot Rod Mag a few months back in one of their colums brought up the idea of a building "commuter hot rods" . THe idea was building a small cubic inch v8 ie 289 ford and put an overdrive trans on it and through it in an old small car like an old falcon. Its cooler than the old econoboxes today and you could achieve similar miles to the gallon. I think it would be cool to take a 62 falcon and take the 4 banger out of a pinto and put a turbo on it from a mid 80s thundebird. I could have all the power I wanted and still be efficient. It would also be cool as hell.
Bottom line you will keep improving on your concept until you get it the way you want it, and I will do the same. Because at the end of the day, we are the same. Just trying to improve a cool design

I want to see that Packard get 30+ mpg.

Post by **Greg D** » July 20, 2007, 8:24 pm

Jarrod wrote: I think it would be cool to take a 62 falcon and take the 4 banger out of a pinto and put a turbo on it from a mid 80s thundebird. I could have all the power I wanted and still be efficient. It would also be cool as hell.

Cool idea Jarrod but snatch the whole Turbo 2.3 setup. You can't turbo a normally aspirated 2.3, engine can't handle it.

Jarrod · Post by **Jarrod** » July 20, 2007, 8:26 pm

Doc one last thing,

Yes I could go buy a brand new truck. Or I could take the money I would use to buy a new truck and build my old slick. That way, I get what I really want, and is a hell of a lot cooler.

BigTim · Post by **BigTim** » July 20, 2007, 10:51 pm

Johnny Canuck wrote:meant tweaking by definiition 7 (3) tim
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tweaker

Yeah a few beers and drag racing or dirt track racing is a short term puff of freon, but it leaks out the 20 year marriage hole in the condenser pretty fast, and you ain't cool no more.

Great dictionary.

Funny way of putting it,......aint cool no more.

BigTim · Post by **BigTim** » July 20, 2007, 10:56 pm

Jarrod wrote: If you have lost your machoness, an 18-24 y/o is the only way to get it back

That is really going to piss my wife off. Should I dare even tell her.

BigTim · Post by **BigTim** » July 20, 2007, 11:09 pm

Doc I applaude what you are doing, I hope you get it up to 35 MPG.

For me at this point MPG is not a major concern for the Slick.

Doc, now about setting on the fence, I am in the Lions Club, maybe I could get you some glasses.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » July 20, 2007, 11:12 pm

would a fuel injected 300 not get you close to the 30mpg mark? especially with an over drive tranny and 2 something gear?

bigtrip460 · Post by **bigtrip460** » July 21, 2007, 11:44 am

Doc Pepper wrote: What physical characteristic of a man becomes destroyed at the thought of 30 MPG in a classic truck?

my grin. power needs fuel. power is fun. power makes me smile. I drove my beast all over town last week. actually cruising it for the first time in two years! after swaps and repair after repair. between the feeling of accomplishment and power it has I was grinning for days. Hell! I'm grinning now.

And, finally, as I have been a member of this group for a while now, I have noticed that it is not me who is dissatisfied with my slick but you. You seem to have to upgrade the brakes, or the front suspension, or the engine, or the electronics, or .... whatever. And I have ABSOLUTELY NO UNDERSTANDING WHY! My truck is simple, simple, simple (did I mention simple). Surely, if you want a 500 HP pickup, you could save a great deal of money just buying a new one. What I am trying to do is improve my little slick within a very strict set of guidelines, basically 'no money but infinite hope'

after that Tbird you had, you still dont get it? its the basics of hotrodding. bigger, faster, stronger, turns on a hairpin and stops on a dime.
I dont have tons of cash laying around but I do what I can to add some "cool" here and there.