[ QUOTE ]
Please Dont make me Scan copies of my automobile performance Magazine collection from the early 1970's that point clearly to the advent of Emission controls and unleded Gas with the production effect of lowered compression ratios and loss of HP.
[/ QUOTE ]
Please don't scan your old car magazines! Don't!
Once again, you're only looking at what you want to look at. Insurance was the beginning of the end. By 1970, consumers were being penalized by the insurance industry for having a
4-speed tranny, never mind that it was behind a 318 Barracuda! And all you have to do is look at the sales of many musclecars from 1970 and see how they fell drastically from 1969 . . . the Road Runner fell by more than half. The GTO probably fell 40%. Yet we consider 1970 the high point? That ball was already rolling by the time all manufacturers lowered their compression in 1972. Plus, if you look at some cars from 1971-2, you'll see that the Chevelle SS included small blocks, the GS became one model line, the 4-4-2 downgraded to a base 350, the Road Runner offered a small block for the first time . . . hell, the standard 'Cuda engine was a 318! These moves were done to increase the appeal of cars that had a strong image but owners were not willing to pay severe surcharges by the insurance industry.
Suggesting emissions is the real reason is really not telling the whole story . . . and if you know anything about Pontiacs, emissions was a poor excuse not to drop into the 13s from the showroom floor.
[ QUOTE ]
The zenith was reached in late '74 for the 1975 models with the Catalytic converter which caused GM to decide to drop the Z/28. Not a darn thing to do with insurance rates as the cars were selling strong in 1974.
[/ QUOTE ]
You're TOTALLY wrong.
For one thing, you're making it seem that cleaner air is such a bad thing. The problem with the regulation was that it didn't give the engineers enough time to develop the equipment without hurting performance so much.
But, by 1974, many performance cars were not selling as well as before. The Barracuda/Challenger and Javelin died after 1974. But the Camaro Z/28? Sales were poor in 1972 (partly due to a strike) but production increased through 1974 after the LT-1 was banished. If the demise of the Z is due to emissions, how do you explain the continuation of the 400 and 455 Firebirds, Plymouth Road Runners, Corvettes, and 360 Dusters?
So, in other words, no need to get out your magazines . . . all you need is this site.
