Comparing trends in the 80s to now

[tankclare]

This afternoon I managed to get my hands on a box full of mid 1980s to late 1990s car magazines. Everything from street machine to street custom and the like with a few of the summernats years. I love looking through the old mags and seeing what was considered fast, special, new and of top notch show quality back in the day. Goes to show how much street machining trends have changed. From what I can see it was all about monster rubber, raked looks, letter box style bonnet scoops, tunnel rams and graphics. Awesome if you ask me. Things are so much different now. A top show quality car in the old mags is like a street car compared to what we see today. Some of the chops and crazy modifications back then would never see the light of day today. Another thing that I spotted was a competition
to win a genuine XY Phase III GTHO. I could imagine the people crowding into news agents today trying to enter lol

Just thought I'd see what peoples opinions are on todays street machines compared to yester years tough muscle cars.

[Scott]

Personally not a fan of the move away from "street machines". As a young tacker, I vividly remember asking Howard Astill if his coupe would ever see a track, he just looked at me like a dh (seemed harsh at the time lol) and said something along the lines of "I didn't build it to drive it".

I obviously know much better now but I worried a lot back then that the street machine scene would just turn into what it was in the US at the time... unusable, ridiculous, OTT trailer queens that no-one really got to enjoy.

[leadfoot]

I miss the decked out panel vans...although they were probably more a 70s thing.But I think nowadays it is a bit more diverse and imaginative, especially with the Japanese cars being so popular.I also love some of the engine swaps that are happening out there.

[Arkturus]

Originally Posted by GTP006

Personally not a fan of the move away from "street machines".
unusable, ridiculous, OTT trailer queens that no-one really got to enjoy.

Agree with this.
Read a letter in the sept 09 street machine, and the bloke said street machines these days is about who has the most money, and can pay the best workshop to build the car.
Think he hit the nail on the head.

[Raptor]

I've seen it all, the only constant is change.

From 12-slotters with flares, to pro-street rubber and centrelines then large diameter billet wheels with low profile rubber, murals to graphics to mono-tone pastels and then back to chrome and large flake metallics like in the 60's. This hobby/sport/pastime is as much a slave to fashion as those that watch the catwalk models strut the latest trends.

I personally look forward fondly to a time when we look back on these ridiculous 20"+ chrome rims with their rubber band tyres and laugh our heads off

The latest Ratrod trend is a cure for the billet and bling sickness IMHO.
no paint, no chrome = no worries :

[gcg2503]

The 80s were a bad time for the X series GTs that for sure!

All the wild violet / wild plum cars were changed to red pepper. White interiors converted to black and engine bays were fully dolled up with chrome.

Thank God those days are over and Wild Violet cars are roaming the streets (well car shows anyway!) once again

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

The 80s were a bad time for the X series GTs that for sure!

All the wild violet / wild plum cars were changed to red pepper. White interiors converted to black and engine bays were fully dolled up with chrome.

Thank God those days are over and Wild Violet cars are roaming the streets (well car shows anyway!) once again

+1 for that...

[Paull]

I think tastes and 'what's popular' has changed. I stopped reading Street Machine many moons ago as the shift from a 'machine for the street' (read - normal car with some nice work done to it) to the so called 'Street Machine' completely lost sight of the everyday car enthusiast and what they would/could do with their car/s. That is, SM moved from a large target audience to a much smaller one, IMO anyway.

Street Ford & Performance Ford seem to have kept the 'standard with some changes' theme alive so I have read them on and off over the years. Obviously Aussie Muscle Car mag made for a nice change. What's also nice to read is "the new stuff from Ford' which SM never had,

[trippytaka]

3 things I DON'T miss

1) Fibreglass flare kits on everything
2) Bright pink graphics (like a pulse, or lightning bolt) down the side of the car
3) Dodgy sunroofs

[gcg2503]

Originally Posted by trippytaka

3) Dodgy sunroofs

I always cursed those sunroofs, even during the 80s!

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Raptor

The latest Ratrod trend is a cure for the billet and bling sickness IMHO.
no paint, no chrome = no worries :

i can't stand the latest rat rods, especially the big dollar ones. a rat rod was done like that not because of choice or style but rather lack of funds (spent all my doh on go-fast bits). west coast customs building a rat rod is like the queen going skateboarding. everyone wants to see it, but it's just wrong :togo:

[XRGREIGHT]

Saw some ratrods at the goldcoast v8 round. Thought they looked awesome. Certainly were creating some interest. Wonder if in 20 years time if everyone will look back on now as the pinnacle of auto heaven. :

[pottery beige]

I'm still running a letter box bonnet scoop............

[TUF_302]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

I'm still running a letter box bonnet scoop............

Living in the past then lol! :

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by TUF_302

Living in the past then lol! :

Been a while since we've had a track, but this is the way we roll...



If your out of fashion long enough.... one day you'll be back in fashion.... :

[calais]

I think there is much more of an awareness now of the scarcity of classics. As a result, a fewer number of rare vehicles are likely to get butchered. If anything, the current classic modified car scene would be more likely to modify a car in way that could be returned to Stock without significant hardship.

Such an example is the way HDT owners shelve and preserve the OEM engine and driveline, and stuff a metal mountain in where Brock's handiwork once lived. It makes sense when most classic vehicle enthusiasts would prefer to buy a factory original or period modified example of a specific model.

It used to turn my stomach to see Valiant Hardtops turned into convertibles and when beautiful cars like Falcon Coupes and Monaros got notched and half-chassis conversions and the like.

That's just my view on the current scene

[last fairlane]

Well from my reading of car mags for the last 40 years
nuthing much has changed
just about every write up about a street machine
you seem to get the same interviews all the time
I did it all myself but I would like to thank
Bill the panel beater
Fred the spray painter
Charlie the engine builder
an Ace/top/best custom upholsterers
in other words they did virtually nothing
except put their hand in their pocket
and paid for everything
thats the way I read it

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

All the wild violet / wild plum cars were changed to red pepper. White interiors converted to black and engine bays were fully dolled up with chrome.

what about a mushroom beige fairmont resprayed in pepper red :
at least i kept the chocolate brown interior. i hated the brown when i got the car, but in reality i doubt i would ever change the colour now, no matter how much money i had

[bernadette86]

i wasnt born in the 80's i love 80's falcons. i had a 82 xe i loved that car unconditionally. how many cars can you buy for $300 dollars spend very little on work on easily and have it blow away late model commodores.
mods were re jetted weber. ported head. extractors. straight through exhaust with one resonator. front rear sway bars and lsd and arabic pattern gearbox(h pattern in the past.)
easy to modify found a wreck xd with a 2'' flare kit fixed the fibre glass flares and tail painted it black bolted it on looked absolutely stunning. love them getting another one.

[Mercury 8]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Been a while since we've had a track, but this is the way we roll...



If your out of fashion long enough.... one day you'll be back in fashion.... :

LOL. That will never be out of fashion!

[noosacuda]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

i can't stand the latest rat rods, especially the big dollar ones. a rat rod was done like that not because of choice or style but rather lack of funds (spent all my doh on go-fast bits). west coast customs building a rat rod is like the queen going skateboarding. everyone wants to see it, but it's just wrong :togo:

I just don't get spending sooo much money to make your car / rod look like a shyte box!

[gcg2503]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

what about a mushroom beige fairmont resprayed in pepper red :
at least i kept the chocolate brown interior. i hated the brown when i got the car, but in reality i doubt i would ever change the colour now, no matter how much money i had

You are talking to a bloke whose first car was a mint XA Falcon 500 in Pottery Beige. I should scan some pics of her!

Take it back to factory specs

How good is Pottery Beiges launching pic!!!!!!!!!!! XAGT in Pottery Beige. Loads of win right there my friends

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

Take it back to factory specs

never!!!!!!!!!

it was the original owners fault for putting a brown interior into it. otherwise it would have been apollo blue

it would be good to see the pics though

[Mutley]

For me growing up in the 80's included:
8" 12 slotters
265 TA's
TQ 30 cams
302 heads on 351's bored 30 thou
750 Double Pump Holleys
Pacemaker extractors
Mallory twin points
ripped front seats (most people seamed to have this)
Clarion stereo's.

Some of the bits you needed to finish off a faker were not available except from wreckers "in the know". Hot items included GT dashes and guages, 4V heads and 3.25 or 3.5 ratio 9" diffs.

I'm still a fan of 12 slots and TA's

[onfire]

Originally Posted by Arkturus

Agree with this.
Read a letter in the sept 09 street machine, and the bloke said street machines these days is about who has the most money, and can pay the best workshop to build the car.
Think he hit the nail on the head.

Even as back in the early 1990s when I was growing up, the iconic street car meant the factory daily driven sedan modded and sup'd up. For a kid seeing a beefed up car coming down the street was a thing of myth.. you'd run and tell the kid down the street, and if you were fast enough you'd catch the car on your bikes as it was pulling up in it's drive way. Today half the crowd under 25 have 90% of their year's salary invested into a show pony. Modern street cars just don't have that aura about them any more.

[Zedjay]

who remember's those Crane Cams sticker's on everyone's rear screen!!!

bring back drop tank's and those chev drop tail pipes (think thats what we called them) lol

[tankclare]

Originally Posted by Zedjay

who remember's those Crane Cams sticker's on everyone's rear screen!!!

bring back drop tank's and those chev drop tail pipes (think thats what we called them) lol

Any tough car looks good with a fat drop tank under the bumb.. And do you mean having the pipes dump behind the rear wheels? Fat as well

[ratter]

Originally Posted by Zedjay

who remember's those Crane Cams sticker's on everyone's rear screen!!!

bring back drop tank's and those chev drop tail pipes (think thats what we called them) lol

and holley stickers either on the back window or on the back of the tramp rods
I actually ran around for a few years with ford badges on the back of my tramp rods (years ago)

I have had my fairlane for 27 years, I have been through many of the phases infact it still has the aluminium drop tank and roll cage in it, the tank has to stay as a standard tank does not fit in there anymore with the mini tubes etc.

[gcg2503]

Originally Posted by ratter

I actually ran around for a few years with ford badges on the back of my tramp rods (years ago)

There was a mint dark blue (with light blue vinyl roof) Fairlane Marquis 351 with Ford stickers on its tramp rods

This used to scream around in my area 20-25 yrs ago

It had dragways and radial TAs on it too

That was one mean sounding machine

[buggerlugs]

Pump up shockies on the rear of HQ's....................used to crack me up .....