Teens and muscle cars happened more in the early-mid 70's. Here's why.

[SteveSS]

In the late 60's very early 70's teens were driving the square Chevies from 61 to 64. Yes, there were muscle cars coming out but at least in my town teens couldn't afford them. I was in Senior High from the fall of '72 to the spring of '75. That's when guys my age could afford the used muscle cars we all lust after today. Cars from '67 to '71. There were a few gear heads in my HS that still clung to the boxy tri-five but not many.

 

[Gus chiggins]

My first muscle car was a 1961 olds 88 with a 394, with the speedo that went from green to yellow then red when you hit sixty mph....haha. actually my first muscle car was a 1970 Plymouth GTX, four speed, six barrel, pistol grip shifter, and air grabber vitamin c orange, or omaha orange ?with black stripes on the hood, and black vinyl top. I bought it with my combat arms enlistment bonus.

 

[64BEL]

I was in HS from '78-'81. Our parking lot was full of used muscle cars. My'70 GTX was an 11 year old used car when I bought it for $1700.

 

[dual fours]

There was an assortment of muscle cars in the HS parking lot, Class of '77.
I'd make a good guess 95% of them were 'day two' cars.

 

[Carcinogen]

Late 70's early 80' before prices started to rise and they were in the price range of Teens. I remember shopping around and finding Charger RTs, 69 Z-28s, Challengers and Cuda's at prices that can't be believed today as they were just old cars taking up space.

Did not know or think about how valuable they turned out or else I would not have thrashed them so hard and just got another when it was worn out. But I was a teen out having fun.

 

[dual fours]

Late 70's early 80' before prices started to rise and they were in the price range of Teens. I remember shopping around and finding Charger RTs, 69 Z-28s, Challengers and Cuda's at prices that can't be believed today as they were just old cars taking up space.

Did not know or think about how valuable they turned out or else I would not have thrashed them so hard and just got another when it was worn out. But I was a teen out having fun.

Back then I never dreamed I would see what these cars have come to in today's world. My Charger was just a 'tool' in the Mopar camp to go up against the other camps. Yes there were the internal camp tormenting also. It was a fun time to live in.
It is still clear in my minds eye, back a long time ago, maybe 43 years, I was in the wrong lane and I started to slide off the left shoulder sideways but I corrected very quickly and went off the shoulder and down over front bumper first.

 

[eldubb440]

Late 70's early 80' before prices started to rise and they were in the price range of Teens. I remember shopping around and finding Charger RTs, 69 Z-28s, Challengers and Cuda's at prices that can't be believed today as they were just old cars taking up space.

Did not know or think about how valuable they turned out or else I would not have thrashed them so hard and just got another when it was worn out. But I was a teen out having fun.

drove my GTX home for 900 bucks in 1985

 

[1STMP]

'68, '69, '70...
High-school years. My 'ol man was
hard core work for what you want.
I was lucky and found a part time
job for $3.00 an hour. Easy at that
time with no bills to pay, money to
burn on a hot rod.
I was also lucky that my uncle in
the same town, owned a speed shop.
Though he never gave me a discount,
I (with his help), built a 1964 Ford
Ranchero 260 V-8. I wish I had never
sold that car.
Pine green metal flake, black and
grey leather interior. Isky 3/4 cam,
offenhouser intake, headers,
torque thrust D wheels, red stripe
tires. She was gorgeous.
Had the world by the tail @ 16.

 

[Kern Dog]

Teens and muscle cars happened more in the early-mid 70's. Here's why.​

In the late 60's very early 70's teens were driving the square Chevies from 61 to 64. Yes, there were muscle cars coming out but at least in my town teens couldn't afford them. I was in Senior High from the fall of '72 to the spring of '75. That's when guys my age could afford the used muscle cars we all lust after today. Cars from '67 to '71. There were a few gear heads in my HS that still clung to the boxy tri-five but not many.
****************************************************************************************************************************
No, Steve. The people drove muscle cars MORE in the 70s because that was what was available to them.
People drive what is readily available to them today too.

There is nothing unusual or extraordinary about this.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

My last two years of high school, I drove: 1965 Coronet 500, 383 auto. 1966 Charger, 318 auto. 1965 Coronet 500, 383 4spd. 1970 Road Runner, 383 4spd, and 1965 New Yorker, 413 auto.
I wish I still had every one of them!

 

[Outlawd]

My high school parking lot was a mixed bag of goodies from early 80's economy cars to 70's pickups with gun racks in the back window to 60's and 70's muscle cars. Us muscle car guys had our own separate parking lot which you could see out the windows of the high school wing of the building. Lots of jacked up wide tired Cragar mags lined up outside and lots of thrash talk in the hallways about who's car is faster. Fun days back then for sure!

 

[moparwacko]

drove my GTX home for 900 bucks in 1985

Back up about 10 years or so....
Mustangs and Camaros were $600 and that was for the V-8's, they were everywhere.
Top Dog Muscle cars were 1k, my first car was a 69 Mach 1 CJ. Drove it off the Dealer lot for $950.
It really was a magical time for a young guy with a lead foot.

 

[bearman]

Could go to any wrecking yard and pick up anything you wanted for pennies.

 

[mrhemi]

My first car (1977 and it parked in the HS lot) was a 1968 Dodge Coronet 500, factory 383, 4spd. Essentially a Superbee with a nicer interior. I traded my Yamaha dirt bike, even for it (1975 YZ 400).

 

[67SniperHockey]

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era - graduated in 2001, haha. Although, my dad has some funny stories about him and his buddies stealing each other's muscle cars during school to go out for lunch. Says they would be in shop class, which had windows - and they would take a buddy's muscle car and wave at him in class as they would peel out of the parking lot to go get lunch - apparently was a daily occurrence.

 

[SlingLow]

This is me and my 1st high-school ride in my high school parking lot, circa 1977 (class of 78). I snagged this 69 Chevelle SS 396 4-speed for $800. The 396 was already gone and it had a healthy Corvette 327 in it. Good enough for plenty of trouble. I also had a 68 LeMans 350, 4-speed that I also paid $800 for. I almost bought a 70 Cuda 440 six-pack for $1,000 but the kid selling it mentioned that he filled it up before driving it to meet me and had to fill it again before returning home. He lived about 10 miles away. He had a spare tire behind the driver's seat to support it since the bolts were ripped out of the floor. I wish now that I'd bought it but I'da killed it like all the others. They were cheap and we gave them no respect. Good times!

Before you pick on my hair (and jeans), I did say it was 1977, right? I was in a rock and roll band that played for my own Junior and Senior proms, and I was VERY cool!

 

[#41]

I'd say the late 70's into early 80's had even more emphasis on teens driving muscle. The cars were even cheaper due to them reaching end of life (10+/- years, 100,000 +/-), and by then the impact of several years of the gas crunch. Also as mentioned, this was the peak time that the scrap yards were full of inexpensive used muscle car parts so teens could afford to keep the old jalopies going.

 

[Ron H]

As posted, I agree, it what was readily available and affordable back when I was in HS. As large as the school I attended was, there were maybe 20 guys with ‘muscle’ cars and many more driving older cars 10+ years old that were cheaper family cars. This would be late 50’s early 60’s cars. Some parents wouldn’t let their kids buy a fast ride.

Drove my folk’s cars for a brief period as my mother rode to work with her close friend. ’63 Grand Prix 389 tri-power and ’66 T-Bird. My elder brother was a GTO fan and gave me the bug to get one. First car I purchased junior year with my parents co-signing, was a sweet 67 GTO vert. Had parked alongside it at mac’s and asked the guy if I could gawk at it. He says for a grand it’s yours. I had been ready to buy one at a dealership not as nice for $1500! Next ride was a ’70 Cuda vert I eventually traded in for a demo ’73 340 Challenger…and so it went

 

[68BabyBlue]

My friend Bob, who sold me Baby Blue in 1983, for $1800, thought he'd done the deal of a lifetime. He bought the GTX in 1974, the year he got his driver's license. He had paid the original owner $600, for a garaged, mint condition, never abused 60,000 mile car. Timing is everything. Decades later, after a standing offer to sell the car back to him for $20,000, he couldn't afford it.

I was a nerd in high school, and didn't own a car. I'm four years older than Bob, and when I got my driver's license, my current GTX was a new car with window sticker of nearly $5000. So I didn't own one until I was 24, and earning a decent living, but I only paid $1500 for GTX number one, also an adult owned original car. Neither Bob nor I trashed our cars, because we couldn't afford to, and neither one of us could afford after market parts, so they stayed stock.

Bob on the left, me on the right, in 2013, when I bought the car back, after selling it in 1991 to buy my first of four red '69 GTXs. It took me a while, but I knew what I wanted at 16, even though I couldn't afford it.

 

[Rick@Laysons]

If I would've known then what I know now........

I would've never sold any of the cars I picked up for dirt cheap.

Hindsight is always 20-20......