Come on guys, get off the nostalgia wagon here. I loved the Tri Fives when they first came out and the 60s & 70s muscle cars when they first came out too. Factory ordered a brand new '69 340 Dodge Dart Swinger set up for drag racing. I thought it was a rocket! But time and technology have passed those antique designs by. Have any of you recently driven a factory spec, fully restored 1964-1975 muscle car? Antique suspension design, drum brakes, crummy steering, terrible transmissions, intake / carburetor / fuel management that sucked causing lousy throttle response, poor performance, massive pollution, and terrible gas mileage. Compared to the steering, suspension, braking, and performance of a modern standard sedan, those muscle cars are downright scary to drive. How we managed to not kill ourselves in them is a miracle.
I'm restomoding a 1970 El Camino a friend and I first built into a custom some 35+ years ago. New modern suspension, large disk brakes, power rack and pinion steering, 460ci big block with sequential fuel injection, bluetooth sound system, navigation system, backup camera as well as front mounted camera, both recording continuously. All in a stock bodied El Camino that now, with the same 460ci big block, produces more hp and torque, significantly better throttle response, and gets double the fuel economy than when it was carbureted.
I'm as nostalgic as the next person when talking about the 60s and 70s muscle car era, however, as one who's actually driven a restored stock version and compared it to the restomod, I can tell you unequivocally that today's suspension, braking, steering, fuel management, shifting, and situational awareness technology included in the simplest of cars makes them light years better than their predecessors. My 2016 Chevy Tahoe is so much more advanced, quieter, more powerful, averaging 6mpg higher fuel economy, and is significantly safer with it lane cameras, front warning radar, and 8" display allowing free navigation with the Android Auto app on my phone as well as other technological enhancements than my 2002 Chevy Tahoe it replaced it's hard to believe.
I've taken it on trips to Montana, Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, and a couple of trips to New Orleans and I think its the best distance vehicle I've ever had. So comfortable, quiet, powerful, and well appointed that even in my 70s, I can drive it for 10-12 hrs day after day and not feel worn out. My 2016 Tahoe is hands down the best vehicle I've every owned.
