I can sure argue alot of that.
Oil is better? Yup but i still remember buying my first mobil 1 synthetic for my new then 79 chev 350 4x4. It had 10 k on it then. I filled it with 10/30. checked it at 1200 miles and there was 2 quarts of oil left in it. Those motors were just to loose and thin oil would leak and blow right through them. I had to go back to my old 10/40 havoline. At least that would only use a quart in a 3000 mile oil change. Todays motors are much better. There built with alot tighter tolerances. Plugs last longer mostly because with fuel injection your dont get rich mixtures that foul them and lean mixtures that burn and melt them. Fuel is not weaker. Matter of fact your 105 octane example has less heat production capability then 87 octane sold at the pump today. Octane slows burning it does not produce more power. Put it in a low compression motor that doesnt need it and it will make less power. The way octane adds to power is it allows for leaner mixtures and more advanced timing. It was a balancing act in the 60s because we had to listen for spark knock and by then it was proabably to late. todays computers sense knock before you can even hear it and adjust timing an fuel to keep it from beating up your motor.
If going from 10 to 1 to 8 to 1 reduced stress why then are the motors from the 80s just as crappy as the ones from the 60s? Todays motors routinely run 10 to 1 and some motors even more and some supercharged motors can run compression as high as 10 to 1. Something that was unheard of back in the 60s and 70s and even the 80s. Why? again because detonation can be controlled so precisely. Bottom line is compression ratios in even toyotas are higher today then a muscle car of the 60s.
Never heard of a 300 hp 300 cu ford motor. But thats apples to oranges. My 2017 silverado got 2 mpg better them my 2020 ram hemi does. Different motors, different rear end gears different transmission gearing. But at least your not trying to compare a carbed 350 to your fuel injected ford. I had enough 350 4 barrel chevs to know that if you got 12mpg in a half ton with an automatic you were doing good with that fire breathing 180 hp boat anchor.
Overdrive transmissions?? Cant argue that one. It definitely plays a role in it. My ls6 chevelle with 373s turned about 3500 rpm at 60. My challenger with 390s turns 2k at 90!
I dont like fords but bashing one motor is kind of silly. Overall ford makes motors just as good, just as reliable and just as long lasting as anyone else. Have they made mistakes? Sure they have. Heck look back in the 80s at the 305 chev the 307 chev of the 70s. Pontiacs overhead cam 6 cyl. CHEVY VEGA heard of that one?? Chrysler made that *** 4.7 v8 right along side of the hemi and it was a terrible motor. Heck lets look back at the old muscle cars. My ls6 454 was a potent motor in its day. 450hp. They have been dyno'd in recent times and put down about 370 to the wheels stock. Back then it was common knowlege that at about 60k (if you didnt beat on it to much) they needed rings bearings and a valve job. Buddys boss 302 about the same. Both were lucky to get 10mpg. My challenger put down 428 hp to the wheels stock. Gets 25mpg and will easily go 200k before needing a rebuild. Heck if you had a 67 impala with a 327 2 barrel you that put probably a 125 hp to the wheels you were lucky to get 16 mpg and if you got over a 100k out of it you were bragging and they sure didnt have 10 to 1 compression.
Maybe your ford or some other overhead cam motor is hard to rebuild and expensive but a LS chev motor or a Hemi dodge is no more expensive to rebuild then an old school 350 chev or 351 ford. Then add to that your going to get twice the mileage before you have to open up your wallet and to build a old school v8 to put out the power a newer motor with there much better flowing heads, fuel injection ect (that bolts right back on after you build it) to the same power level as a 475 hp hemi or a 455 hp camaro motor would cost you ALOT more then rebuilding those motors stock and show me a built small block first gen chev that puts out 475 hp even with todays better parts thats going to last a 150k let alone a 100. Then like Mary alluded to.
Rebuild that boss 302 and go out cruising and have a suburu turbo or heck probably even some mini vans embarrass you at the stop light. Heck an eco boost v6 puts more hp to the rear wheels then ANY small block v8 ford ever sold at a dealership does. Marys little 4 cyl eco boost makes more then 90 percent of them and would scare the crap out of many muscle cars back in the 60s. Take a look here at what a 4 cyl will do
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ormance-drive/ For any of you that are looking through rose colored glass a sub 14 second off the showroom floor car in the 60s and 70s was rare. It definitely took a big block to get you there. A sub 14 second quarter mile car that will get 30mpg and proabably last 200k. Now im a v8 guy all the way but that right there is amazing. I drove one of the 4 cyl turbo silverado. Again not for me but i will say it sure impressed me and i dont think a single person in a million that didnt know would think it was a 4cyl and the guy who owns it is a friend and an honest man and said he just got back from green bay and got 27mpg driving back. Bottom line is the 60s werent what we remember. the mid 70s through the 80s brought us the worse cars and trucks America ever made. THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF CARS and especially muscle cars. You can buy a toyota corolla that will woop a 389gto in the quarter mile. A hellcat or gt500 mustang that will run with a 60s pro stock racer and drive home with the ac on. It boggles my mind that some cant accept the fact that your money buys you more today then it ever did in the history of cars.