Originally Posted by: HK1837 
I meant to add, while it would be nice to have had this stuff in Australia we didn’t have the fuel for it. It would have been nice to get ‘66 to ‘68 Impalas here with L72 engines, but we didn’t have the fuel or the roads for them. An L72 427 was only rated at 425hp (which was a joke as the L78 396 with same heads, same 11:1 compression and same solid cam was rated at 425hp). An 11:1 solid cam 427 would have struggled badly on Aussie 1965-6 fuel. I remember reading about a stock L72 Impala with factory 2.75 rear end pulling near 170mph - we certainly didn’t have the roads for that! I reckon Ford pretty much got it right with the 351 Windsor in the late 60’s Fairlane. GMH could have given us a lower compression 396 like the L35 which was 325hp and 10.25:1, or the 390hp L36 427 with 10.25:1. But if they had wanted a more powerful engine for the ‘67-‘68 Impala/Parisienne than the 240hp (‘67) or 250hp (‘68) 327 they could have simply fitted the 275hp L30 327 in either year. Same engine but with fuelie heads. Would have still been Powerglide though, the TH350 didn’t appear until 1969 in Chevrolet driveline (which includes the Parisienne). Only big block Chevrolet got the 3spd TH400 between 1965-1968.
What I have seen of all the Muscle cars in the USA is that they all seem to have real stupid low ratio diffs with big block V8's.
I don't think that they had tyres for 170mph let alone the drum brakes, no wonder so many got killed back then in such cars.
I was looking into what cars I would of liked to own back in the days in USA, so at least to get a guide line on the reality of such years as to what was truly what, I was sadly disappointed, the gear box combinations were crap be the auto or manual and diff ratios to high or to low.
The USA cars that I thought was the ants pants were not what I would of truly would of wanted.
So lets say you went back in time and what was new at the time, I have no regard to idolise GM or Chrysler or Ford etc, as certain cars cut it with me or they don't. they don't have to be the quickest as I will give merit as to what the car is, be it station wagon or ute, Datsun 1600 you name it, They have something or they don't.
Best looking or classy Australian made car in 1964 Pontiac 4 door Hardtop I believe, next could be the compact Fairlane with the big 260 V8.
When looking at the history of cars progression, one can see with the thought process that leads to the next models, look at the long tail end on the 1964-5 Pontiac and Impala and you can see why the HK-T-G Brougham long rear end came into being, I don't think that a longer wheel base HK-T-G would of cut it and they banked on the long tail end to add it class. but Ford got it right with the ZA Fairlane on and then it came to that the ZF Fairlane could be had with more luxury than the Last 1972 Galaxie. and the Last of our Pontiac and Impala could not cut it with the HT Brougham, not to mention with price that the numbers just don't stack up.
