Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to 10 Muscle Cars the USA Never Got.." video.

  1. The Valiant Charger was definitely a popular performance car in Australia. The model was also used by police especially the highway patrol in NSW. There they got a boosted performance engine, special 300 Kg lead weight in the boot to improve highspeed handling and improve traction under leadfoot power takeoff, for better pursuit. I in those days had a Suzuki LJ50 Jimny 4WD, a tiny 3 Cyl 540cc two stroke engine with around 33 hp, that sadly needed a repair needing parts from Japan, caused by the dealer workshop after some defective service repair work. I had to over two weeks drive my bosses wife's Ex-police pursuit model, Valiant Charger, all orange paint job, borrowed to keep me mobile while without my little Suzi. After driving this for two weeks, with ample ' kick in the pants' go power I picked up my now ready Suzuki. Letting the boss's wife drive off in her car, as mine was returned to me. On engaging 1st gear, and driving off, my first reaction was having missed being in gear. Engine reved up to say 7000 rpm, no sensation of acceleration, as the Suzi barely rolled away. After driving with heaps of tyre squealing power available for over two weeks, going to beyond 50 kph, before even bothering to up shift gears that free wheeling high performance 6 Cyl Hemi easily pushed power to high revs without any effort. By comparison the tiny 540cc Two Stroke low power, but with matching high ratio 1st gear, only accelerated you to a bit over 3 kph and high revs, before needing to up gear range, till top gear, 4th, allowed 80 kph at some 7500rpm and speedo red line indication. In reality you could push that three cylinder, glorified motor bike engine over 10,000 rpm and have speedo at end stop, with road speed at around 100 kph. No need to say in 1st gear, it was as if you had no gear engaged, compared to the punch of Charger takeoff. Case of big difference of performance car vs NO Performance 4WD. Just in 4WD the Suzuki would do far more than the Charger, which was impossible driving on even rough dirt roads, a number of police pursuits failed as the persued drivers took off into rougher unsealed side roads. Just poor ground clearance and suspension travel limits.
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  2. Sure missed several great performance cars from Australia. The many models released as specials, to get into Bathurst would one group. Monaro, which a South Africa variant mentioned, and above all Torana muscle car versions would on such list.
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