Carrera muscle cars all jacked way up, raised in the rear why?

[SlotCat]

Carrera has produced and still does make some really nice looking American muscle cars, but why are they stinkbug raised in the rear? Their European Porsche and DTM cars are not jacked up like this, but even their 1960s NASCAR are too high in the rear, what's up with that?

The NASCARs are fixable as Harry has pointed out, but the muscle cars like the fastback Ford Mustang are much higher, is there a good way to fix this? Looks like rear wheel wells would need hogged out and/or rear track narrowed?

[4424ever]

I think it’s the Europeans interpretation of North American muscle cars ?
They must be looking at pics from the 70s
BUGS me too like their hot rods. What the hell

[Dave Kennedy]

"pix from the 70s"... you mean the photos from the cars at the time? I think you just answered the question.

[SlotCat]

Ya, Gotta agree with both of you.

[SlotCat]

I'm wondering too, yes could be 1970s got the Monroe HiJackers on the rear full of air lol! Is there a good fix for this?

[Model Murdering]

Yes. Stomp your right foot down!

[downtowndeco]

The worst is the Auto World HO drag cars. Both the back AND the front are raised. They look like off road 4x4s.

[Mark Thomas]

yea, I think once coil springs came into play on American cars, the hi jacked phase had mostly faded. I do remember though dad cruising Frisch's with our family, and all the kids had shackles on the rear getting their cars as high as possible.

[Wobble]

Long shackles on the rear and collapsed suspension up front. ... Aint goin' anywhere ... a big crowd looking on and a Traffic cop writing a ticket while waiting for a tow truck. ... Yeah, those were the days.

[SlotCat]

Forgot about the super long shackles lol.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I saw a 1960 Cadillac that had huge shackles. Ruined his shocks, so when he hit the least little bump in the road, the rear of the giant vehicle did a slow bounce up and down for blocks.

[oldskool62]

I am leaning towards they are making them look typical of the period right or wrong. For me I have always loved my cars lowered as I was never keen on the raised look even back in the day.

[SlotCat]

Yes, never liked mine raised up either, lowered slightly front an rear please!

[Dogsbody]

Some jacked theirs up for tire clearance when you went wider than stock (and nobody worried about the correct wheel offset back then) and the theory was also better weight transfer on launch though those who were serious about performance ran drag shocks (90/10s up front and 50/50s in the rear). Of course most did it just for looks (on stock wheels!) and some of those did it on a four door which looked even sillier. I was guilty (temporarily) of putting those twist in coil spacers to raise my front end for ground clearance because I ran a 9 quart oil pan on my BB in a '72 Nova. Here's the Nova before paint (some cars where in primer for years...) and me doing a peg leg burnout in my '71 Cyclone GT wearing the ubiquitous Hi Jackers. If memory serves, if you couldn't afford air shocks, I think there where extensions that you could screw on to the top of your stock shocks to make them taller? Ah, the good old days...

[SlotCat]

Sweet Nova, is that a Chrysler in front? Never used the coil spring spacers but remember seeing them at the auto parts store.

Yes 90/10 in front and 50/50 rear as you said!

[4424ever]

Some jacked theirs up for tire clearance when you went wider than stock (and nobody worried about the correct wheel offset back then) and the theory was also better weight transfer on launch though those who were serious about performance ran drag shocks (90/10s up front and 50/50s in the rear). Of course most did it just for looks (on stock wheels!) and some of those did it on a four door which looked even sillier. I was guilty (temporarily) of putting those twist in coil spacers to raise my front end for ground clearance because I ran a 9 quart oil pan on my BB in a '72 Nova. Here's the Nova before paint (some cars where in primer for years...) and me doing a peg leg burnout in my '71 Cyclone GT wearing the ubiquitous Hi Jackers. If memory serves, if you couldn't afford air shocks, I think there where extensions that you could screw on to the top of your stock shocks to make them taller? Ah, the good old days...

Believe it or not I still have a couple sets of those shock extensions
Mine was a 461 inch Cutlass 90/10s with wagon springs and 410s out back fun car I miss it

[SlotCat]

Oh yes, screw on shock extensions lol.

[noddaz]

A lot of cars on the streets were jacked up like that. That was pretty typical. It did nothing for handling... Hey, that makes the Carrera cars that mimic that perfect!

Scott

[HO RacePro]

The jacked-up rear was known as the "California Rake". Commonly seen on "Funny Car" dragsters. I know nothing official, but my guess is it was thought of as an aero treatment -- something to keep the front end of the car from lifting at high speed. Of course once it was seen on the race track wanna-be hot rodders adopted it for their street cars. Probably messed up the steering geometry a bit, but folks do make sacrifices to look cool.

Ed Bianchi

[SlotCat]

My older cousin had hotrod something back in the days, front end way up and rear air shocks, fast but rode and handled like crap. Also wore out front end parts on a regular basis lol.

[Dave Kennedy]

Because they are toys.
They are seen as "American models" and during the 60's an 70's a lot of street cars had jacked up back ends... air shocks, shackles, etc...

[SlotCat]

Yep, but wish they had slightly lowered stance front and rear.

[Dave Kennedy]

I couldn't agree more!

[SlotCat]

Just happened across your video on Sales vs Scale, covers a lot of this quite well, still wishing they made more cars like I want lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0DnRBaB_rg

[dge467]

Honestly, I like them. I have a few. Carrera also made them as showroom stock. I am just happy to have some American muscle cars. Plus I am guilty as charged! My first car in 1987. Those two are my friends in the picture.

[R/TRandy]

This is a great picture! '72 'Cuda

[SlotCat]

Agreed great picture and sweet Cuda!

[Model Murdering]

If ya didnt shackle up, ya couldnt have meats!

... unless you tubbed it

[SlotCat]

Yes, I’ll take tubbed with massaged fender lips or section the wheel opening, enlarge and weld back together.