World's Biggest...Muscle Car? (^-^)

[trey]

Would you say the 7th gen T-Bird, was perhaps the biggest muscle car of all time?

1972-76 Thunderbird

Just always had this thought seeing Jack Cassidy chasing Clint Eastwood in The Eiger Sanction (1975) movie, lol.

 

[harshness]

The sixth (not 7th as you said) generation T-bird certainly had the exterior dimensions (although I'll argue the 10-12" added by the 5mph bumpers don't really count) and curb weight (4,800lbs with the 460). That said, by 1976, the 460 was putting out just over 200hp which is a long away from "muscle". The '59 with the 430 Marauder engine was cranking out around 350hp.

The Mark IV of the same vintage was 3" longer and little wider yet but neither were designed to be "muscle" cars in the classic sense. They are in the "personal luxury coupe" (even the four door models?) class.

If you want to see something really imposing, check out the 1960 Chrysler 300F and the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.

 

[stardust3]

Looks like a sailboat.

 

[jayn_j]

That was my impression as well. My mother's husband owned one (76), and it just felt like an overweight car with no real power. Didn't handle, and didn't feel as quick as my new then 83 GTI.

 

[harshness]

Didn't handle, and didn't feel as quick as my new then 83 GTI.

Somehow it isn't hard to imagine that an under 1,800lb fuel injected speed demon is going to out-accelerate an almost 5,000lb sedan. Having 2-1/2 times the horsepower and torque just can't make up the difference. That said, when the GTI ran out of poop at 110mph, the T-Bird was still pulling. The quarter mile times were fairly close.

There's something to be said for smooth power delivery.

 

[trey]

The Big Bird T-bird has the short rear deck, long hood proportions that are associated with muscle cars. Later Thunderbirds were too sedan like in shape. Put a blower and some Cragars on that large T-bird and it might make it. Swap the 460's cast iron take manifold for an aluminum unit and you save 100lbs!