Recently there have been a lot of articles with headline quotes such as “V8 On The Way Out” “Big blocks doomed” “Muscle cars a thing of the past” and so on. Yeah sure, and I have some beach front property in Iowa I will make you a great deal on too. This is simply a trend of the times not all all unlike those hard times with high fuel cost and gas lines back in the 70’s. I should know, I was there and I owned three service stations at the time.
Some more recent quotes have been made by Bob Lutz who has been a vocal opponent of the regulations which he believes will harm the U.S. auto industry. Lutz said, “This is going to be a net average of cost of $6,000 per vehicle which will have to be passed onto the consumer. CNN reports, “Newer luxury cars are shifting toward smaller, more sophisticated engines for power.” and Chrysler says, “The Hemi in not the powertrain of the future.”
During the 70’s the oil companies began talking about the shortage of fuel and the price of gas began to climb. In realty a shortage was far from the truth and some of the best road trips I ever took were during those same gas shortages and fuel could be found everywhere especially as you got farther away from major cities. This was the beginning of escalating sales of many imports not to mention small American cars like Pintos and so on. Even then there was talk that there would be no more V8’s in our future but as soon as people began forking out for the increased cost of fuel the V8’s came back. What a surprise. The only difference between those days and today is simply that the oil companies have learned they don’t have to use those old fashioned scare tactics to get customers to pay more at the pumps… they simply say take it or leave it.
Sure, the government will get involved and try to convince the public they are here to help us and these things always conveniently happen during an election year. In the mean time they will put pressure on the auto makers to build cars that will get 35mpg and run on water and air until everyone stops complaining about the high cost of fuel. Then we will begin to see the V8’s make a come back right on cue as they did in the 80’s. In fact there will be many good things come out of all this. The car manufactures will indeed improve mileage in the same way they did during the transition from the 70’s to the 80’s when they fine tuned electronics and fuel injection and got away from antiquated carburetors and so on with the help of constantly improving technology. History proves that until we face such challenges like the ones put on us as in this case or another fuel shortage, we will never force ourselves to improve. But as soon as the public tires of seeing someone else go down the freeway faster than them, the need for speed will once again take over and so will the demand for the good old American V8.
17 comments ↓
Hey Gary…I appreciate your post and I definitely get your PoV. Ask GG how heavy my right foot can be.
However, I think that this time ’round it’s different. This time, it’s about the global warming issue (let’s not go down there, that’s a different thread). We all know that the notion of a fuel shortage is a steaming hot pile of propaganda. This generation is more concerned with what we as a people are doing with our “tools” (read: cars, gas fireplaces, etc. etc. etc.) to our planet. A big block V8 (mmm…rumble) does more to damage our air, and ultimately climate, than a hybrid or driving to a park’n'ride and taking a bus. Or, riding a bus the whole way. Or working from home via VPN and video conference. Whatever.
My point here is Gary, that until we see the big blocks that can get 40+ mpg, they’re dead. Sorry. And I’m a really serious closet performance enthusiast.
Gary, I feel it. I do. I look forward to continuing thread.
Jouni (yup, my real name)
The hand writing was on the wall for quite some time that for the past few years we have been experiencing a “golden age” of horsepower that was going to come to an end in one form or another.
Global warming / climate change are a catalyst to effect change in what we use to commute. I agree that some of the opinions are over reactions, and in some ways its similar to the early 70’s.
In the early 70’s the biggest customer for fossil fuels was North America and especially the USA, its not the case anymore with the advent of Chindia (China/India).
There is a generation that was brought up with V8’s and there is another generation that is content with a 4 or 6 cyl, these folks have a different perspective / opinion of V8’s.
Its time to get the 600HP car and keep it, it will become the “musclecar of the millenium” in 30 years, like the muscle cars of late 60’s early 70’s.
Lets hope the Volt and other electric cars become a reality, that most folks use these cars to commute and multitask while they are stuck in traffic.
The V8 will return to the realm of the “gearheads”, most manufacturers have through the years democratised horsepower and tacitly agreed that if in 1970 most V8 were packing an advertised 425HP, today the ceiling seems to be 600HP.
The V8 will endure, just like the V Twin endures.
Out of curiosity the Ford engine with dual quads in the photo is a what?
Some people are versed in other V8’s than Fords
Jouni,
The first thing we should all do is figure out how to fix that name of yours. (Just kidding)
While I will agree there are great concerns with respect to global warming, air pollution and more I have the ability to drive with my eyes wide open. I also contend that until people get smart with the way they use automobiles they are continuing to take giant steps backwards. I’ll try and explain what I see… When I moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1970, most three lane freeways were uncrowded as witnessed by anyone who wanted to drive as fast as they wanted and congested freeways were all but unheard of. For the most part cars were big V8’s and having grown up during the muscle car era I can also tell you by today’s standards almost everything on the road was some sort of big block. With respect to smog in those days it was not bad at all as compared to today.
Now fast forward to today… The freeways are 4 and 5 lanes wide and it now uncommon for a freeway to NOT be congested and you can never go fast like we did back then. (Interesting side note.. back then there were CHP everywhere and these days they are far and few between. No need for them since you can’t find a place to speed.) In general, today the cars are primarily smaller imports with much smaller displacement engines however now we have so many of them on the highways that the quality of our air as a result of smog is horrendous. For every V8 it seems as if there are 5 imports replacing it. Speaking of hybrids, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have to laugh when I get passed by a hybrid doing over 85 miles per hour. It happens every day here and I have to ask myself how much is that person saving?
If you drive with your eyes open it is easy to see the main problem and it’s not V8’s. The big problem is clear to see as you sit on the freeway looking around… ONE person in almost every car. ONE! The commuter lanes sit almost empty while millions of cars with one driver in them sit stopped in gridlock traffic. What difference does taking a V8 off the road if you replace it with 5 imports?
Regarding the words, “Affordable” and “Economy” when it comes to the automotive world also adds to it’s share of the problems. As a shop owner one thing that I see with regularity are cars that have been purchased simply because they were “cheap”. As many of us know, a lot of these types of import cars will run 300,000 miles which in reality is a good thing. The downside to that is many of the older beaters which have been purchased for $500 to $800 while still running have many pollution problems. One un tuned car let alone one with rings and valve problems can pollute more than 100 well tuned full size automobiles.
The bottom line is, even if we built a car tomorrow that could get 100mpg, unless we start putting fewer of them on the roads at a time our needs for more fuel will never end.
Have you ridden a bus or train in the United States lately? What a joke when compared to Europe. It’s no wonder people ride them in Europe. There beautiful and comfortable and simply a great way to travel. Generally speaking that can’t be said for the busses or trains here. I will say I do see lots of improvement but the general public needs to be educated and convinced how to make change. After all, this whole problem is one of making change. Speaking of change… Instead of Jouni, how about Paris?
The Colonel,
That is a Boss 302.
Some people are versed in other V8’s than Fords but that’s ok because most of them don’t like going fast.
Gary F,
Its so bad that some people don’t even drive cars with that Boss V8, the thought doesn’t even cross their mind. These are the folks of the Bowtie persuation.
On a serious note every major metro area in North America has the same situation, one person per vehicle, too many vehicles trying to commute at the same time, passable public transit at best, crumbling infrastructures. With politicians navigating these waters to garner votes.
I like Paris, but the connotations are nothing but negative. I don’t have the day planner to live up to that.
I think we’re speaking the same language, but coming at it from different sides. Definitely, transit is a joke here. Europe is light years ahead of us in this regard (as well as in many other areas).
And yes, I’m guilty of being alone in my car on the commute as so many others are. Personally, I’m trying to change that, but for me it’s a bit difficult - generally, my commute involves driving to the airport and flying. The hour at which I travel means I *have* to drive, as no shuttles operate. Believe me, I’ve tried. I think that you’re right though…the real problem is just too many vehicles on the road and inappropriate behaviour when we operate them. I laugh at the guy flogging his Prius at 85 too. It just makes you shake your head.
Jouni & Colonel,
I am no different than anyone else in that I am spoiled. With regards to commuting with three others in my car I don’t want to have to wait for someone else to get off work or have to swing out of my way to drop someone off at his or her workplace every morning and so on. Bob works two miles from me, George always spills coffee and donuts all over the car, Jim is always a few minutes late and God forbid the car won’t start one day. The list is endless and to make things worse it seems nobody has developed a simple way to find others who have similar commutes with respect to days and times, location of both work place and home, etc. The bottom line is, we all tend to say the hell with it.
Until we force ourselves to stop saying to hell with it and start making sacrifices the commute lane will always remain empty and the other with stop and go traffic. On the other hand if you had no car at all and were forced to do it, I bet you could find a way to get to the airport the same way that many others could learn to make changes.
When I was a boy I had an accident and became blind for almost 5 years and was told I would never see again. I was “forced” to deal with a situation that otherwise would have never changed. The end result was that I overcame so much adversity that it was amazing. I am from the belief that we can do a lot more that we realize we can when faced with adversity. The big problem with the crisis we are talking about is nobody realizes how really serious the situation really is and until something catastrophic happens a cure may never be realized. Just imagine what would happen if all of a sudden we had no gas.
By the way, my home is less than a mile from my office but even then I am required to drive many places during the day.
What can I say Gary, but that you’re right…interesting how your post caused us to deviate from its original intent. Who would have thought…tangential thought and intelligent discourse. Perhaps there’s hope when gearheads can get there, huh? ;D
BTW, this is why I love the Garage.
Jouni,
I agree… The Garage is a great place and keeping on topic is always a big plus. So tell me, what are you wearing right now. (LOL)
The need for speed won’t die, it will just get expensive to feed the need. It’s all in how CAFE works. To sell gas hogs, you have to offset with many more fuel efficient vehicles. Reduce supply, demand is stable, prices go up.
Durty old man!
Must work in the car business
DOM… A badge my wife says I wear proudly. At my age there are only three things left, Cars, Gals and…. what in the hell was that other thing? LOL.
Smokey Yunick certainly had a need for speed. However, his second career exploring for oil, gold and diamonds in South and Central America developed his strong conservation philosophy.
Yunick wrote in his book “Best Damn Garage In Town”:
“My 33 years in the jungle was ’bout like a 30-year college course about the mysteries, power, and wonders of planet earth. …This jungle course taught me that the world’s population better start doing a much better job of using this earth’s resources. I do not believe any of it is infinite. I’m convinced we can abuse nature to the point it’s check and balance system could be forced to eliminate civilization and life for a “Let’s start over from ground zero movie.” Simply put - man may be the next dinosaur.”
“I’ll never forget in the late sixties, Indians asking if we knew what was turning the snow black. Yup, it was the prevailing winds that send some of our pollution across the Andes, all the way down to Chile. Next time you fly over it, if its not cloudy, look and see it for yourself.”
“In the 33 years I attended jungle university I learned something every day. My appreciation for water and natural resources constantly increased. At the same time I slowly became more and more hostile towards those who unnecessarily or selfishly violated ’bout every natural function that nature had provided for the continuation of animal, plant, and human existence.”
Smokey Yunick left the jungles in 1993, long before global warming made the front pages. He was always fascinated by how things work, and of course, how to make an engine perform. Then, he learned first-hand how the earth works. Somehow, Smokey’s warnings carry more weight with me than those of PhD scientists.
Larry,
Sounds like a great book, something I would really enjoy. I better go pick that one up.
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