The antidote to the state of things is – for me – going for a drive in my Orange Barchetta (riffing here on the Rush anthem about that better, vanished time). It salves my nerves to pump the gas pedal – does anyone remember? –Â and turn the key, rather than push a button – and hear the Orange Barchetta’s four hundred fifty-five cubic inch (it feels good saying it this way) V8 fire to life. After about a minute, the engine has warmed up enough for me to stab the gas pedal quickly to release the choke. Does anyone remember? The big – the huge – V8 settles into a nice lopey idle. The kind of idle nothing made for the past 40 years at least has.
I depress the clutch pedal – which has a direct feel that’s been absent from cars for the past 40 years, at least – because since that time cars with manuals have been fitted with hydraulically assisted clutch pedals. This makes pushing down on the clutch physically easier but it also eliminates the direct and connected (in a good way) feel that attends a purely mechanical apparatus.
The shifter for the Super T10 four speed vibrates charmingly in my right hand. I ease the clutch out, engaging the motive force of the 455. The shaker scoop torques a little to the left as the Orange Barchetta moves out. It snaps back to center in between each gear change, the flapper door opening and gulping air as when I push down on the gas pedal as if the thing were alive and breathing, which it very much seems to be. It is such a contrast to the dead things I must drive each week and find something about them to write about.
I doubt I could muster the energy if I didn’t get some recharge time – some therapy – behind the airbag-free Formula wheel of the Orange Barchetta!
. . .
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I envy your cool view of the shaker scoop of the T/A. Mine being a Formula doesn’t have it, but it does have the rare Formula hood with the 2 (fake) scoops. I’m seriously considering making my view much more interesting by plopping down a high rise dual carb setup with velocity stacks sticking up through a hole in the hood! Always liked that look.
Hi Philo!
You gotsta have enough engine under the dual carbs – otherwise, it’ll run awful. Why not just get a TA hood and shaker? Both are – surprisingly – not expensive. You probably know the ’73-’74 Formula SD-455 came with a shaker!
I hear you Eric. Edelbrock has a dual carb setup for a SBC with dual 500 CFM carbs that would work well for my hot 383. Don’t forget, the engineers at Dodge put a 3×2 setup on a mild 340!
I have access to an old school carb tuner near me. Although he is usually backed up with a 6 month waiting list, because he’s the one everyone uses.
And it would be easy to go back if I don’t like it. Except for the hole in the hood…
https://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/2025/10002/-1
Yep! Even an hour backroads putt on the Harley gets me in a better frame of mind.
The perfect rides are great memories – central WA to Orofino ID by myself one September to meet friends for a couple nights stay. A six hour ride in perfect weather and no traffic, at all, for the best sections of the trip. 82 degree afternoon, mild breeze. Pure riding bliss.
I had a blast in the nineties riding Harleys, driving Jeeps and sports cars, listening to great music (live and otherwise), chasing interesting women, working hard making money, and most of all believing in the future.
Do young men feel the same way in the 2020s? The nineties might have been peak America.
Same thing when I ride my carbureted 2000 Dyna Glide with drag pipes. Erases the “6th Sorrowful Mystery” – otherwise known as my commute !
Let’s enjoy these things now while we still can Eric, because just ike a slow-motion wreck.. it seems everything you and I once knew and loved is rapidly coming to an end.
2030.. apparently it’s not just a number.
Nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care. -GC
Hell yeah! Enjoy your freedoms while you still have some.