How fast is your car?

At the risk of being cliche – some of us have a need for speed and some have an obsession.  So, just how far past the limit have you taken your street car - without endangering anyone? I would love to hear about your ride and the fun you had.

Just to get things rolling I owned a car, years ago, that was often above the century mark.  We timed it once, and it did 137; with a flying start through a measured mile… and it could stay at 120+ for hours.  On the down side the cops never really got used to it and they are notorious for not having a sense of humor.  

Mr Milt,
Neat idea and a great way to see what other people's rides are capable of. I have no idea what my Formula will top out at, here in Ontario (Canada) we have a "street racing" law that came into effect last year, get caught doing more than 50kmh over the posted limit or participating in a "speed contest" and you get an immediate 10 day license suspension, 10-day impounding and towing of your vehicle and fines of over $1000 bucks! It has been G-Tech tested in a safe place to 14.45 seconds at 100mph in the 1/4 mile. My 1980 Camaro used to be capable of identical 1/4 mile ET at a slightly slower 93mph, but it would top end at 135mph at 6000rpm with 245/60R15's and 3.42 gears (years before the new law!). I doubt the Formula will top out that fast due to the age of the old 350 and my self imposed 5000rpm redline (out of respect for the 34 year old long block!).
My fastest ride was in a 90(?) ZR1 Vette that was loaned to my buddy by his very trusting boss. We were cruising in 5th at 140mph with lots of throttle and one more gear to go!
Steve  
Trying to help... 'cause we don't all have to learn the hard way!

Also, in Ontario, if the Police feel that you have modified your car for the purpose of racing it is seized on the spot and crushed within days. Even if you have not raced the car, all that matters is that it has been modified. You do not even have to option to go to court to fight it.

Thank God I live in Alberta. The worst we get is towed home off the street with fines for having slicks.

Not to say of any crimes against the law I have committed, in Edmonton we have hundreds or cars on the street running 11's, and many street cars in the 10's, and even 9's such as mine. Cars far to powerful to race on the street anymore. Every month or so some one gets nailed doing over 140mph on the local freeway, but these are never serious race cars.  

When we were teenagers, buddies of mine Dad bought a new 1963 GranPrix. We used to get it once in while. This car was a 389 single four barrel 4 speed car and beautiful. We took it to the new, at the time, Denver-Boulder turnpike. Flip your quarter in the basket and you had 24 miles of new 4 lane concrete with little to no cops. We made the run in under 11 minutes on those nylon tires. Probably burned more than a bucks worth of premium 37 cents a gallon back then for 100 octane stuff. Other cool Pontiac iron in the neighborhood too. I think that maybe why Pontiac is still my favorite brand.  

Flynryan, are you serious!!

The police will actually do that to your car in Ontario? Tell me your just joking!
That's horrible - I can't imagine putting all that loving care into fixing up your machine and then having that happen! Oooooh!

Anyway,

My favorite car was indeed very fast, but suprisingly, I had way more fun with it going relativly slow. It was a Midnight Blue '79 Trans Am with a 455 HO and 4 speed.
I was in my late twenties during the early '80's and Westhiemer Rd was the main Las Vegas style cruising strip in Houston. Friday and Saturday nights were a blast in "Frankenstein." Just the sound of the exhaust with glass packs blocked out most challenges from other cars, and we loved to just cruise along at the speed limit.

The fun came when someone would be over aggressive, or shoot the bird and yell "Ahh you know it ain't got no motor!!" At which point my patience came to an end. I'd throw it down into first, stomp it, the back wheels would bounce all over the place (before I got the traction bars adjusted right), and if I had the timing advanced enough, the front end would lift off the ground and the other car in my rear view mirror, through the smoke, would always turn off at the nearest street.

Thanks Mr. Milt for giving us an excuse to brag!  

...that sends shivers down my spine too - I won't ever be able to go to Ontario.  

We have a modification law here too but it is mostly ignored and it is just a repair order if you do get stopped. Have you considered moving south?  

Guys, I've lived here my whole life and I've never heard that one! There have been cases in the City of Toronto where the local cops have bylaws allowing them to seize and/or crush any vehicle involved in illegal street racing, modified or not. The bigger cities have the same rice burner issues as most American cities, with crime tied into the race scene, but I've never seen or heard of a car seized just for being modified. In my area, the Ministry of Environment (think EPA or CARB) have teamed up with local police to enforce emissions compliance and cut down on noise pollution. They run spot checks looking for cars with catalytic converters/ A.I.R pumps and EGR valves removed and they seem mainly interested in the Cavaliers with two different color fenders and one different door with a chrome coffee can hanging off the back or the other local trend of anything 4WD and V8 powered with an exhaust system that sounds like Sunday at Daytona Speedway. These guys get a fine and a warning to get it fixed. Folks with real classic iron and respectable sounding exhaust get the nod and wave thru as do most family cars. So basically the "squirrels" get harassed just like they have since the first rodder opened his lake pipes on the street. We have lots of heavily modified iron on the streets and nobody's classics are getting crushed. If that were the case we wouldn't have cruise nights (six nights a week within an hour of my home!) and shows almost weekly within two hours. Cops could just sit at the gates and impound anything that didn't come on a trailer. Trust me it isn't happening!
Steve  
Trying to help... 'cause we don't all have to learn the hard way!

Ya I found that hard to believe but I'm in the U.S so it did not worry me.  
professional hi-performance engine builder

Horsepower sells engines and torque wins races

I had 1966 GTO ht 4barrel 4 speed 355 gears at 5200 rpms 120 mph. It would go to 6700rpms but speedo only went to 120. Then had 71 grand Prix with 455 speedo went to 140,was on Interstate 80 from Peoria,Il. to Cheyenne,Wy. turned 137 with air condition on. Two of the fast Pontiacs that I have owned. Pontiac's is only cars I have owned. Both of these cars I bought brand new. Still have the GTO.  

Yes the law exists. I saved the news paper articles. Not sure if it has been overturned?

“If we can establish someone has parts and they’re juicing up their car — obviously for the purpose of street racing — then we can seize those vehicles,” Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant said Wednesday, according to the Canadian Press.

“We will seize it and you will never see it again. We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.”


http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2006/06/15/c9498.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html

http://www.leftlanenews.com/canadian-province-claims-power-to-seize-destroy-modified-cars.html  

In Edmonton it is illegal to modify a car in any way from factory. This includes ride height. This is a general law set so cops could fine cruisers who frequent popular cruising streets like White Ave. Cops also use it when they have issue with you, but you have not broken any laws. My buddy got a $200 fine and his car towed for having a clear license plate cover and stopping at a 7-11 for a soda.

Also we have a new excessive noise law. There is no specific DB level to breaking the law. Just the officers opinion that your vehicle is loud gets you a $400 fine that cannot be fought. City buses are exempt from the law.  

Yes, now that I've read the articles, I remember this load of crap. But like the first article states, it must be proven that the vehicles were engaged in criminal/illegal activities, unlike the second article which quotes the guy who drafted the law as saying they can be seized before they hit the streets. This is still a free country and they have to prove you are acting illegally to seize anything permanantly. His other "pitbull" law has proven to not holdup in court too.
Steve

PS: bummer about your noise laws, I always get a kick out of the big push for everyone to use public transportation to save the environment. The vast majority of city buses are still using old, obsolete Detroit 2 stroke diesels which are noisier than most hotrods and spew vast plumes of black smoke. Some way to save the environment!  
Trying to help... 'cause we don't all have to learn the hard way!

I wish they would enforce the noise laws in Houston, it's impossible to hear if my timing and mixture are right while setting next to 120 decibels of bass.  

The thread went a bit off the mark of my original question although it has been interesting and prophetic since I just got a violation for having a "Junk" car in my driveway.  

I have been ordered to remove it immediately or the city will remove it and crush it. The car is 70% restored; and I have thousands of dollars in it;not to mention the hundreds of hours, and they call it "Junk".

Apparently; anything that not a 2009 and/or an SUV is considered "Junk" (BTW none of my neighbors care if I have the car is in the drive way they understand it is a work in progress)  

I still like the Batmobile, we looked at it's underneath at a Houston Autorama. It was still unpainted since 1966. Evidently it shoots little bat missles too.

I've turned my self built home into an Alamo because of something called the "Hone owmers assacination" who also thinks a car covered with a hunk of cloth is "junk."

I'm presently working on my own bat missles. (Those folks liked my flowers last year though, and liked my big Halloween spider). I won yard of the hour or something.

This week: Floor pans, jute, carpet,(recently got'em all). Rebuilt 400 which already severly smiles which gives one incentive to move forward.

Brazil




http://www.1966batmobile.com/spec.htm

brazil