Pale Roader -- Thanks for the compliment on my T/A... the costs involved to build/develop/setup my car were done in the late 70s into and throughout the 80s, a little more in the 90s... costs for all types of parts (suspension, body, etc) were far less back then and "kits" weren't available as they are today... the car was purpose-built for pylon autocrossing on a national-level of competition.. it did pretty well.. and the "nut-behind-the-wheel" wasn't too bad, either. AND... all the modifications to the car followed the allowable SCCA Solo II rules (from F/Stock.. into E/Street Prepared)... many of the mods available and advertised today fro different companies are not legal in those SCCA classes.. some of the newer mods of today would place the car into tougher classes that = yet more $$ to spend and the results may not be worth it, pending other types of cars within those classes.

Back then, as is now, there was/is no need to have an overdrive transmission for a pylon course... In fact, on most road courses (in my midwest area here, there isn't even any need for O/D tranny, except, say, for Road America.. and that can simply be rear geared at 3.2, 2.9 or 2.7.

I drive my car easy, any time, on the highway at a steady 2700~3200 rpm around upper 60s-low 70s... ~12-14 at best mpg on the hwy.... but mpg doesn't matter to me.. I used to trailer it all the time on the wknds, and I may eventually be trailering if I get back into "competition". To preserve it (any type of possible damage and wear/tear, etc), I don't drive it everyday.. so, again, its a purpose built car... for fun... not economy.

If I had loads of extra cash, I'd have something more exotic, say, at the levels of a Z06/ZR1 Vette or Viper GTS.... maybe someday I'll own a car like that (and I'd never buy "a brand-new toy car" as its far too expensive.. used cars save you a ton of $$.. IMO).. but for now and the distant future, my old car is very satisfying. Pretty much anywhere I go with it, its one of the more appealing cars present (shows, races, street/hwy, etc)... the new cars (Mustangs, Camaros, Vettes, Challengers, etc) are everywhere... routine, same thing again and again... then there's the classic older cars.. and they grab the most attention.