my old man's 69 pontiac grand prix (450 something, v-8, no smog...factory
auto)...
0-60 in under 6 sec.....top speed...we had it up around 150 (indicated)...
-----Original Message-----
From: Shane F. Ingate <ingate@shiseis.com>
To: KC3565L@sprintmail.com <KC3565L@sprintmail.com>;
RICHARD.JACKSON@NENE.AC.UK <RICHARD.JACKSON@NENE.AC.UK>
Cc: triumphs@autox.team.net <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, November 21, 1997 11:40 AM
Subject: Worlds fastest 4-door [np LBC content]
>Richard Jackson wrote:
> > Can't say as I've heard of that, give us some details, I know at one
> > point the 3.8 Mk2 Jag had the title!
>
>Dave Fain wrote:
> > the Mercedes Benz 450SE 6.9
> > claimed to be "the world's fastest production sedan"
> > in the 70's. 140mph top speed, 0-60 in 7.4 seconds.
>
>Richard Jackson wrote:
> > but in the 60's wasn't the Pontiac GTO real quick
>
>Richard, Dave,
>
> Sorry guys, these cars are not even in the same class
>as the Ford GTHO (the Pontiac GTO was a 2-door, and still slower).
>
> In the last 1960s/early 1970s, Ford/GM (Holden)/Chrysler
>in Australia were locked in a battle to win the annual Bathurst
>500 race, and endurance race of 500 miles on a public road
>circuit, 3.7 miles long with an elevation change of over 1000 feet.
>Homologation rules were enforced, and the cars had to be completely
>stock (except for the roll cage). This was a time when many cars
>were driven to the track, and if they survived, were driven home.
>
> Ford developed a GT car, based on the 4-door Falcon (looking
>a little like the American Falcon of the mid-60s), and it reached
>its peak of development in 1971 with the Cleveland 351 ci V8
>powered GTHO, Phase 3. This car was readily available to the Australian
>public, and right out of the showroom, was capable of over
>150mph, and a 1/4 mile in 14.0 sec. The only factory option
>was a 36 gallon fuel tank, instead of the stock 18 gallon.
>
> There is a memorable picture in the leading Australian
>magazine "Wheels" of the car tester driving the car on a narrow
>2-lane road and the speedo is reading 150mph....
>
> Nearly 2000 of these care were produced. However, the Govt.
>stepped in to halt the production of these cars fearing that they
>were too fast. There were similar "stock-race-cars", albeit
>6-cylinders, from Holden, a 202 ci triple-Stromberg fed and a 265 ci
>triple-Weber fed hemi from Chrysler. The reason for the 6s rather
>than a V8 was for fuel and brake economy in "The Great Race").
>The Chrysler 6 had the distinction of being the fastest 6 in the
>world (it would smoke Porsches and BMWs) and was for a short time
>used by Aston Martin for the DB6.
>
> The decendents of these cars provided the adrenaline in the
>Mad Max films.
>
> The same Ford V8 powers my Pantera. There is a connection
>here...
>
> Shane Ingate in San Diego
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