A Drive Down Memory Lane (the "good ol' days")

[SnowStorm]

Just came across a June 1961 Science and Mechanics magazine (35 cents!) with an article "How Economical IS the Rambler American?"  It had the 196 cu. in. flat head 6 with 3 speed manual (didn't have the overdrive option).  The fine print test data filled an entire page!  Some highlights:

• General road and weather: "Portland concrete, generally smooth and level", dry, 25 to 45F
• Regular gas, SAE 20 oil, 2560 curb weight, 24 psi in tires, spark at 4* BTC @ 500 rpm!
• "True MPG" at 40F, 75% humidity, 29.4 in Hg, 500 pounds "carried weight":
  30.7 (20mph), 32.1 (30mph), 28.8 (40mph), 25.4 (50mph), 21.8 (60mph), 17.8 (70mph)
  They also give "True Ton MPG" figures which are 1.53 times the above ones!  Rather bizarre!
      The ratio obviously comes from the cars total weight (2560+500) divided by 1 ton.
      Seems quite worthless to me, especially for steady state driving!
• "Traffic Fuel Consumption" of 17.8 MPG @ average speed of 21.8 MPH
• "City-County Fuel Consumption" of 24.4 MPG @ average speed of 32.7 MPH
• Overall mileage was 18.3 MPG and oil consumption was 4000 MPQ!
     (That compare to our C-Max at 47+ MPG and maybe 100,000 MPQ!)
• Acceleration was 17.3 sec 0-60 and 20.8 sec 20-60 in 3rd gear!
     (I think I'll take the C-Max!)
• Quarter Mile: 65.0 mph, 20.9 sec.
• Best acceleration 0-60 with driver alone, premium fuel and best spark setting was 15.1 sec!
     (Sorry Paul, but they were doing this kind of thing 57 years ago!)
• At 65 mph speedometer read 70 mph!  (Holds down on speeding tickets!)
• Then a bunch of stuff about Lateral Sway, Cornering, Brake Fade, Longitudinal Dip and Parking Brake tests.
• "Chassis Dynamometer Horsepower": 49 HP @ 65.6 mph, 2900 rpm
• A bunch of other wild stuff like "Average piston speed" and "Power performance factor".

Other specifications:

• 90 HP @ 3800 rpm, 160 ft-lbs @ 1600 rpm
• Compression 8.0 to 1
• Minimum road clearance: 7.5" at differential (Isn't that SUV class?)
• Highest curb doors will clear: 12.9"
• Highest curb bumper will clear: 9.8" (What's the C-Max? 4 inches?)
• 20 gal gas tank (You'll have to hold it to about 35 mph to get that 600 mile tank!)
• 17.5 cu ft luggage space
• Other standard dimensions and things I've never seen before like windshield and rear window area and "Driver's eye-to-road distance"!

Comments from the review:

• At $1845 (2 door) it was the "lowest of any U.S.-made sedan."  (With inflation, this would (supposedly) be $15,550 today.)
• "King-size wing vent windows"
• Almost an entire paragraph praising the ashtray!  "The ashtray in the American is a masterpiece,"
• "Almost complete absence of gear noise"
• Limited back seat hiproom; "Makes two in back company, but three a crowd."
• The engine "has an 8.0:1 compression ratio that should tolerate Regular gasoline most anywhere in this country"

Now SnowStorm's first car was a 1964 Rambler American with that same lousy "flat-head" 6 (but I had Overdrive!).  Before overhaul, there was so much blow-by that under heavy load the smoke from the oil filler tube would drift up the steering column and come out around the steering wheel!  Now you know why I say the C-Max is the best car I've ever had! :lol: So, the "good ol' days" weren't all that good after all.