Consider a "Disco Era" F-body!

 A lot of people think anything built after 1971 is not a real musclecar because of lower compression ratios, decreased horsepower ratings and ever-tightening emission controls. However there are two cars that kept the breed alive in the darkest days. If not for these vehichles, and their great sales success, there never would have been 5.0 Mustangs, Buick Grand Nationals, LT1 Impala SS's and there certainly wouldn't be 400 hp Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs available off the showroom floor today! I'm talking about late 1970's Pontiac Firebird Trans-Ams and Z/28 Camaros. By 1975 the Challenger and Cuda were history as was the Javelin. The "Charger" was a rebadged ( Yuk!) Chrysler Cordoba. The Mustang II was a rebodied Pinto. Chevy even killed the Z/28 for 2 years ( 1975 and 76 ).  Here's where Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler and AMC goofed big-time. Performance car buyers didn't all magically disappear after 1973, the automakers stopped making cars that they wanted to buy!!  Think about it- if you wanted a sporty rear-wheel drive car with a big V8, you had one choice- A Pontiac Trans-Am. Sure, the low-compression, catylitic converter choked 400s and 455s barely made 200 hp-a far cry from the 366 hp and 370 hp ratings of the RAIII and RAIV engines of 1970, and even paled when compared to the 300 hp 455 HO's and SD models of 1972-73. But, and it's a big "but" they were the coolest-looking and fastest new cars available AT THE TIME!  Sales doubled every year from 4800 units in 1973 to 10,000 in 1974, to 23,000 in 1975, to 46,000 in 1976!  "Smokey and the Bandit" wasn't released until 1977. That helped as T/A sales hit an all time high for the rest of the decade. Chevy realized their mistake and brought back the Z/28 in 1977. No, they didn't have fire-breathing LT-1s  anymore either. But you could a 350 4bbl with a 4-speed and a 3.73 geared posi rearend.  That was a helluva lot better than the 125 hp the 302 2V in the Mustang II offered, and way better than the 318s offered in the Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares that made Mopar fans wish they still made Dusters! And now, their still good buys, priced way less than the older models. And there a great base for a street machine. If you have a Camaro- GM Performance sells small-block "Turn-Key" crate engines with horsepower ratings from 290 to 425 hp that will literally bolt in. Edelbrock, Kauffman and Butler performance sell Aluminum heads, cams, intakes, stroker cranks and other parts for Pontiac engines. Building a 500 hp 455 Pontiac is easier than it's ever been in history. So stop searching the galaxy for a 1967-72 Camaro or Firebird, and "steal" one of the later ones while you still can! Mastermind    

Full-size drop-top cool!

Especially on nice spring or summer days we all sometimes think how nice it would be to have a nice, fast, comfortable convertible. If your over about 5'9" this pretty much eliminates old MGs and Triumphs, and even newer stuff like Mazda Miatas or Honda S2000s. And Musclecars? A well-maintained or restored GTO, 442, Mustang/Cougar, Camaro/Firebird, or Cuda/Challenger ragtop can be priced in the stratosphere. Ditto for base models-i.e.- non-SS Chevelle ragtops, Tempest/LeMans, Cutlass, Satellites,and Coronets can all be priced exorbitantly. However, the "Big Three"- GM, Ford and Chrysler, all produced a lot of "Big" cars with drop-tops that can be bought for a fraction of what their "Muscle" brothers can. Impala convertibles can be nice drivers, but 99% of them have small-block motivation. Look for Pontiacs, Buicks, and Oldsmobiles from 1965-75. Bonneville, Catalina and Grand Ville convertibles in this era will all have 389,400,428 or 455 power under the hood. Olds 88 and 98 drop-tops will have 425 or 455 cubes under their long hoods. Buick LeSabres, and Electras will have 430 or 455 cubes for power. Since these cars were considered top of the line and were fairly expensive when new, they'll have a ton of luxury options like factory air, tilt wheel, power windows, cruise control etc, that make them exceptionally nice drivers now, just as they did when new. The same for Fords. Look for Galaxies, LTDs, and Mercury Marquis models. Most will have 390 cubes under the hood, except for 72 and later models which will have 429s or 460s! Mopar guys can look for Chrysler Imperials, Dodge Monacos, and Plymouth Furys. Most will have 383 or 440 power and "Rich Corinthian Leather."  These cars won't be cheap, depending on condition, you'll probably have to spend anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 for a good one, but that's a helluva lot less than the $25-$100,000 that good traditional muscle car ragtops bring. Might be a nice way to enjoy spring fever!  Mastermind

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's cool!!

There's a reason that the popular muscle cars bring premium prices now, just like they did when they were new.  The reasons are they had awesome, unique styling, cool options, and performance to back up the image. Yet I see and talk to a lot of people who have no clue what is or isn't cool, and spend money restoring some undesirable car, and then try to explain to everyone else why it's cool. ( When they really aren't )  Some rampant examples- # 1 4-door 55-57 Chevys. The only people that wanted these new, were taxicab companies and people with lots of kids. The only thing their good for now is parts cars for people restoring 2 doors!!  Didn't any of you people see "American Graffiti?" The badass '55 driven by Harrison Ford was a 2 dr!!!  I don't care how fast it is, your still a dork in a 4 door Tri-5 Chevy, just like you would have been in say, 1959.  # 2  A 1965 Mustang is just as cool today as it was in 1965, maybe cooler. A 1965 Falcon is also exactly what it was in 1965. An ugly, ill-handling econobox that your grandfather would buy because it was cheap. They made good drag racers back in the day, because they were light, and you could swap in a 289 pretty easily. But if you want a cheap, light Ford drag racer, go buy a Fox-bodied 5.0 '80s or 90's Mustang for a couple grand and play with that. Because no one cares about them and haven't for 45 years, there's no parts available, so restoring a Falcon ( Why?!!! ) would cost almost as much as restoring a Mustang, yet the Mustang would have about 25 times the resale value, either junk or restored!!  # 3 Don't try to sell me on a "Wrong" year car, even a base model!! There's a reason that there so much cheaper than their more popular brothers.  Examples- a 1963 Pontiac Tempest, even to Die-hard Pontiac collectors is not worth anywhere near what a 1964 is.  A 1958 Ford Thunderbird is worth nowhere near what the 55-57's are! A 1973 Chevelle, be it small or big-block is not worth what the 1968-72 models are!  # 4 The 1968-74 Javelin/AMX is the only valuable musclecar produced by American Motors. The rest are just old "Ramblers". Sorry, Hurst/SC Rambler, and "Rebel Machine" owners, I don't set nationwide vintage car values, the buying public does, and the cold,hard fact is your cars aren't the equivalent of a Hurst/Olds or an LS6 Chevelle!!  # 5 There are no "Area 51" cars!!! By this I mean cars that idiots that don't know anything say exist, but no one has ever found one, and no factory rep has ever authenticated one!  A few Examples- There never was a GTO Station Wagon. In 1971-72, you could get the LeMans "Sport" endura front end on a wagon, and of course 400 and 455 engines were available. If you see one with GTO emblems or a Hood tach, it's because some moron installed them.  There were only 295 SD-455 Pontiac engines built in 1973, and they were all installed in Firebirds. 252 in Trans-Ams, and another 43 in Formulas. Early 1973 sales literature listed the engine as optional in the GTO, Gran Prix, Grand Am, and LeMans, as well, but emission and production problems limited them to being certified only in the F-bodys. Your 455 powered GP or Grand Am may be fast, but it has the L75 "station wagon" motor. Trust me. The Rallye 350 1970 Cutlass was not "Almost the 1970 Hurst/Olds". Hurst performance had nothing to do with their development, beyond the fact that 4-speed models may have had Hurst shifters. They are also not a "442" in any way, shape or form. All 1970 442s had 455 V8s standard. The W30 455 was an option. The "Rallye 350s" were built as an "Insurance Beater" on the base model Cutlass, just like the T-37 Pontiac Tempest is not a GTO. All 3,527 models had the generic 310hp 350 4bbl that was available in any Olds model. No one has ever documented one having the vaunted "W-31" 350. All of those were in installed F85 or Cutlass "S" models. The "Boss 351" Mustang was a one-year only package in 1971. They had solid-lifter cams, 11.3:1 compression, and were grossly under-rated at 330hp, and were only available with a 4-speed. In 1972 and 73, the top engine option was called either 351HO or 351CJ, ( meaning "High Output" or "Cobra-Jet") but they had 8:1 compression ratios, hydraulic cams, were rated at 266hp and could be had with a stick or automatic. There were no Hemi Cars built after 1971!! And I'm 99.9% sure that the same goes for 440 Six-Packs. The 440/Six-pack option was listed in early 1972 sales literature, but was ultimately cancelled because of problems passing emissions. I have heard rumors that a few very early productions Road Runners and Chargers ( less than 20 ) "Slipped" through, but I have never seen one, or seen one documented by a magazine or former Chrysler engineer.  Just had to vent. Mastermind                              

Insanity!

I read an article in an enthusiast mag about a guy who claimed to have $14,000 invested in the rear axle of a Yenko Camaro he restored to make sure it was "Absolutely Correct."  That's not a typo, I said $14,000, not $1,400!!  To put it in perspective, if you like motorcycles that's the price of a brand-new Harley Davidson Super Glide. If you want to buy a high-school or college-age kid a dependable, economical car, that's the price of a brand-new Hyundai Accent or Ford Ranger pickup. If you like modern muscle cars, that's the price of a low-mileage 2006 or 2007 Hemi Charger or Mustang GT in any state in the union.  And this guy spent that much on the rear end?!  If he had 14 grand in the rear end, what did he have in the whole car? 100 grand? 150? In any state but New York or California that's the price of a house! Muscle cars led hard lives. People raced, modified and wrecked them. Spare me the rhetoric about "Priceless" cars. Everything has a price, and that's what someone is willing to pay for it, million dollar Hemi Cudas during the craziness of a few years ago notwithstanding.  If  a Yenko Camaro could be documented to be an actual Yenko car, and had the original 427 in it, are you saying that if it had say,a brand-new replacement Moser 12-bolt housing, or one that came out of say, a 68 400 Firebird, the car would be worth 15 grand less on the auction or resale circuit?  Like Ditka says on Monday Night Football- "Come on, man!!" Just as in performance modifications, in "Originality", you hit a wall of diminishing returns. Let's not turn our hobby into another game that only the very rich can play in, like Yachting, or NASCAR racing.  Mastermind

Don't fall into "Gotta Haves"

 I talk to people all the time who spend unnecessary money on very expensive parts they don't need because they listened to some self-proclaimed "Expert".  Some examples. I have built, driven and raced small-block Chevys for over 30 years. Every time you read a magazine article about building one, they list a bunch of "Gotta Haves." "You gotta have a 4-bolt main block." "You Gotta Have a Forged Steel Crank." "You gotta have forged pistons." "You Gotta have screw-in studs in the heads." And a bunch more "Gotta haves" I can't remember.  Their half-right.  If your building a Nextel Cup NASCAR engine that has to turn 7,800 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona, yes, you need all the beef you can get. But, if your building a street machine, drag racer, or even a short-track roundy-rounder-i.e.- your tracks are 1/4 to 5/8 mile and your "Main events" are 35 or 50 laps, these "Experts" are full of crap. For drag racers-depending on class- your running hard for what- anywhere from 11 to 14 seconds? On a circle-track car on a typical 1/4 mile paved or dirt-track, even a 50 lap "Main Event" is only 12.5 miles. Two-bolt main blocks are fine for this kind of use. So are cast cranks, as long as revs don't go over 6,500 rpm. Cast pistons are fine. I've seen them last two whole seasons in an IMCA race car, so you should get plenty of wear in a street machine or "Hobby stock" racer. I would only recommend forged pistons if you were planning to run a blower or nitrous. And then my question is, if you have that much money and need to go that fast, obviously in some "unlimited" or "outlaw" class,  why aren't you building a 454 instead of a 350? In all my years of racing, I have never seen a stud pull out of a head, pressed in or screw-in. I have seen rocker arm failure, pushrod failure, valve spring failure, and timing chain failure, but I have never in 33 years seen a stud pull out of a head and cause someone to lose a race.  This extends to other parts and other makes. "You gotta have a 9 inch Ford Rearend."  "Their the toughest in the business." Again, in NASCAR going 200 mph for 500 miles, they don't want a bearing failure, or in a non-full-floater, an axle breakage at 200 mph that could wreck the car. However, in a drag race or circle track I've NEVER,EVER, seen anyone break a Chrysler 8 3/4 rear end.  Even with slicks and a manual trans, and popping the clutch on a 500 hp 440 a 4,500 rpm! But according to the "experts" that additional 1/4 inch on the ring gear makes a huge difference!!  Ditto for GM products. And I'm not talking the revered "12 Bolt" rear end.  I'm talking the 10 bolt that was in hundreds of thousands of GM cars from 1970-81. I have owned 400, 4-speed Trans-Ams and dropped the clutch at 3,500-4,000 rpm incessantly for five years and never broke the rear end. I've had 4-speed Z/28 Camaros, and rolled backward out of my driveway down a San Francisco hill, and while rolling backward, dropped the clutch at 4,000 rpm and smoked the tires all the way up the hill, every day for a year, without breaking the 10 bolt posi. Yes, if your running wrinklewall slicks with 10 psi of air in them bolted to the rims, and you have a 700hp big-block that your going to launch at 5,000 rpm either with a clutch or a trans-brake, then yes, you need a tough rear axle. But for 99.9% of the rest of us, it's overkill. Ditto for transmissions. "You gotta have a Turbo 400 automatic, or 727 Chrysler, or C6 Ford." Really? Because I know people who have raced Turbo 350s and C4s behind 500 hp motors for years with no problems. Again, if your running a 12:1 compression 572 Rat on Alchohol in a truck pull with 44 inch tires, yes, a race-prepped Turbo 400, if not an Allison, is a good Idea! But in a street/strip Camaro or Nova or Chevelle? Puhleeze.  So save your money, unless your building an absolute monster. Mastermind                  

Consider a "Muscle Truck".

Back in the dark days of the mid- late '70's If you wanted a big-block muscle car you had one choice- a Pontiac Trans-Am, and even then the strongest one put out 220 hp. The Road Runner, Charger, Cuda and Challenger, and Javelin were all gone by 1975. The Mustang II was more Pinto than Mustang, and the available V8 was a 302 2V that put out about 135 hp. No more Rat-motored Corvettes, a 350 was the largest engine available, and some years people in California couldn't even get a 4-speed. Even the Z/28 took a two-years hiatus ( 1975 and 76 ).  However because of  GVW ratings and different emissions rules for trucks, Right up until 1978, you could get a 454 with real dual exhausts ( No Catylitic Converters ) A Turbo 400 and a 3.73:1 Posi in a half-ton 2wd Chevy or GMC Pickup. Ditto for Mopar fans. A D150 with a 440, 727 and 3.55 or 4.10 geared Dana 60 could be bought off the showroom floor.  Ford guys weren't left out either, you could get a 460 with catlyst-free pipes and a C6 in an F150.  The trend was revived in the '90's by Chevy and Ford, at least. The original SS454 was a short-bed 2wd truck with a sinister black paint job, fat tires, a fuel-injected 454, a Turbo 400, ( Later models had 700R4's) and 3.73 or 4.10 gears. The early Lightnings had hotted-up 351s, lowered suspensions, fat tires, and cool interiors. Either truck could blast through the quarter in 15 flat, and still tow a 5,000 lb trailer. Later 98-03 Lightnings and "Harley Davidson" versions had Supercharged 5.4 liter mod motors putting out 380 hp, and lowered suspensions. GM didn't really have a "Sport Truck" option in these years, but you could get a half-ton with a tire frying 6.0 liter LS motor with 325 - 360 hp depending on year and model. Now you can get one with 403 hp 6.2 liter- basically the standard engine in the Corvette!  If you want something unique literally and figuratively "Hauls" this might be the way to go if you can't find or afford the classic Muscle machine  of your dreams. Mastermind.    

Obscure cars that are great buys!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I was out of town! There are a lot of very cool cars that people don't think of as a "Mainstream Musclecar" but have great potential. I'll list them in no particular order. #1 1973-75 Pontiac Grand Am, 1977 Pontiac Can-Am. When The Grand Am was introduced it was supposed to have "The luxury of a Gran Prix, the performance of a Trans-Am." It tanked, as luxury buyers bought Gran Prix's and performance buyers bought Firebird Trans-Ams. However for used car buyers they are a screaming bargain. 400 power standard all years, with the 455 optional. Most had the bulletproof Turbo 400 for a transmission, but there were Muncie four-speed versions built as well. Wrist-thick front and rear sway bars, ( "Radial Tuned Suspension" ) and front disc brakes, make these cars incredible handlers for such a big car. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle or Monte Carlo also fit these cars. Because of low sales, the model was dropped in 1976. Because of the phenomenal success of the Trans-Am, Pontiac tried again in 1977. The Can-Am was based on the A-body LeMans platform, and featured Radial Tuned Suspension, a 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds V8 ( Depending on whether you had Federal, California, or High-Altitude emissions ) and a Turbo 400 with a performance shift kit. The package also included a Trans-Am style "Shaker" hood, a unique rear spoiler, special graphics, and a Gran Prix dash. Their fairly rare, because Pontiac was selling so many Gran Prixs that there were production delays due to dash shortages. Then the molds for the spoiler broke, further delaying production. Pontiac collectors have driven the prices up some, but they are way cheaper than any GTO or even a restored same-year Trans-Am. It only lasted one year because in 1978, although the 400 cube motors were still available in the Firebird line, the GM A-bodies were greatly downsized, and renamed "G" bodies, and the largest engines available were 301 Pontiacs and 305 Chevys that put out about 145 hp. #2 1975-78 Plymouth Sport Fury/Dodge Monaco. They may have been emission-choked, but you could still get a 400 or 440 V8, a 727 Torqueflite, and an 8 3/4 rear end and sport suspension. "It's got a cop motor, cop tires, cop shocks, cop brakes..."  If you can find one, they are usually cheap, and have great performance potential. 2 dr models are actually pretty nice looking. # 3. 1974-76 AMC Matador 2 dr Coupe. The rounded, aerodynamic ( for the time ) fastback body actually had modest success in NASCAR, and you could still get a 360 or 401 V8 backed by a 727. # 4 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder. Because of the "Cult" following of the Impala SS, Ford came out with this model. Based on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, these cars had a 302 hp four cam V8 pirated from the Mustang Cobra, a high-stall converter in the four-speed automatic, a custom interior with Auto Meter guages, fat 18" tires and wheels and a sinister black paint job. For some reason, they weren't promoted by magazines, or Ford/Lincoln-Mercury dealers, and didn't sell well. But they are an awesome performance platform, and any blowers or speed parts designed for Mustangs or Lightning Trucks can easily be adapted to these cars. Dynamite!  Something to think about if you want something that not everyone else has!  Mastermind      

Want a bargain exotic? Consider a Corvette! Or a Pantera!

Every car buff lusts after Ferraris,Porsches, Lamorghinis, and Maseratis, but 99% of us will never be able to afford one, new or used. However, "America's Sports Car" can be a good substitute for a fraction of the price. Restored 427 Stingrays can bring six-figures, but small-block C3 and C4 versions are an incredible steal. I have seen 70's models on used car lots and on the internet for as low as $2,500. Four-speed and L82 models will be more expensive than that, but you can still find a nice one for under 10 grand. There is more speed equipment available for the 350 Chevy than any other engine in history, or you could swap in an aluminum-headed big-block easily. These cars also had 4-wheel disc brakes, and except for WS6 T/A's no other car of the '70's could come close in terms of handling. There are a myriad of suspension upgrades available from the aftermarket. The 1985-91 models are a quantum leap up in handling and braking, and were great performers at the time. I have seen these cars for sale as low as $3,500!  Corvette collectors snub these cars in favor of later LT1 or LS1 models, but they are a screaming bargain. 1984 Cross-Fire Injected models are kind of a pariah. They can be made to run but in order to do that most people replace it with a carburator or an aftermarket injection system. The 1985-91 Tuned Port Injected models are the bargains. Edelbrock and Accel offer ported manifolds and larger runners, and throttle bodies that work in conjunction with the factory systems, as well as Vortec and aftermarket heads. There are also cams, headers, computer chips, even blowers available for these cars that would easily make them show their taillights to those smug LS-motored later model owners. As for Panteras, they are often called the "Poor man's Lamborghini" by the automotive press. There were "Gray-Market" versions sold until about 1990, but the ones to look for are the 1971-74 models. They had the Ferarri-like styling of a Lamborghini Miuria or DeTomaso Mangusta, 351CJ Ford "Cleveland" motors mounted mid-engine, hooked up to a five-speed ZF transaxle, and four-wheel disc brakes. They are more expensive than the "Vettes- usually between $15-35K. But considering that a new Toyota Camry or Honda Accord is over $30,000, there still a great deal. Check for rust issues on the frames, but otherwise their pretty solid. There is a ton of speed equipment available for 351C Fords, and because the 351C has the same bellhousing pattern as the 429/460 family, you could swap in a 600hp 514 inch Ford SVT built stroker pretty easily. Any of these 3 cars offer great fun, still-cool head-turning styling huge "Bang for the Buck" and you don't have to be a movie star or NBA draft pick to afford one! Mastermind      

Alternative bodystyles that are way cool

Everyone wants a 64-72 GTO, SS Chevelle, 442, or 68-70 Charger or Road Runner or 64-70 Mustang. However, there are many cool cars out there that are undiscovered gems, that can be bought dirt-cheap. I'll list them in no particular order. # 1 1966-69 Buick Riviera. These cars had the swoopy, fastback,hidden headlight styling of the revolutionary Olds Toronado, but were still rear-wheel drive. With 430 cubic inches under that long hood, they moved pretty good too. Edelbrock and TA Performance make heads, cams, intakes, etc, for the Big Buicks, or ( Hey, your not cutting up a Hemi Cuda here ) you could swap in a snarling 572 inch 620 hp Chevy Rat. All you'd need is a Chevy bolt-pattern Turbo 400 and some Chevy motor mounts-practically a bolt-in. # 2 1969-76 Pontiac Gran Prix. 400 power standard all years, and a fair number of 70-76 "SJ" models had 455s!. My sister had a 72 GP in high school. That car had power everything and it felt like a GTO! She showed her taillights to many supposedly "fast" Camaros and Mustangs. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle also fit these cars.  # 3 1969-72 Plymouth Sport Fury. I remember Peter Graves driving one on "Mission Impossible." Most had 383 or 440 power, and a ton of luxury options. # 4 1970-77 Chevy Monte Carlo. These cars were the scourge of NASCAR in the '70's. Small-block Montes make nice drivers, but for real street cred, you have to swap in a Rat. Not a problem. Again, any aftermarket brake or suspension upgrades that fit a Chevelle also fit these cars. # 5 1967-71 Ford Thunderbird. 390. 428 or 429 cubes for power,racy, Nascar-inspired styling and cool interiors make these cars awesome. 1972 and later models had 460s, but they were low-compression, and were based on the much heavier and uglier Lincoln Mark IV platform. # 6 1967-73 Mercury Cougar. Cougars of this vintage are usually a lot less expensive than a same-year Mustang, yet usually have way more good factory options-i.e. front disc brakes, factory air, upgraded interiors, and bigger motors. 67-70 models had 289,302, 351Ws or 390s in them. ( Forget 428 Eliminators, their so pricey you might as well be looking for a Boss 302 ) 1971-73 models had the venerable 351 Cleveland. The 1974-76 models had 460s, but again, they were based on the huge Thunderbird/ Lincoln MK IV platform and are way too heavy to be considered a muscle car.  Something to think about if you want to be different and save money. Mastermind    

Watch out for "Special Editions" that aren't special!

 We all lust after Shelby Mustangs, Superbirds, Judges, etc. Everyone wants a unique car. However, salespeople or just an individual selling a car try to tell buyers their looking at something really special. Here's some good advice to avoid paying way too much for a car that is neither rare, nor special. A few examples- Someone is selling a really nice 1967 Impala SS. It has bucket seats, full guages, tilt wheel, and the numbers match on the 327. That's great. However, Chevrolet produced 75,600 Impala SS models in 1967! Not exactly a moon rock. Now, if it was an original 427 version, of which they only built 2,124, and it had the original engine intact, that would be worth major bucks. But the small-block version? Uh-uh. Especially since the 1968 models were virtually identical and Chevrolet built another 38,210 that year! Another is black and gold "Special Edition" 1977-79 Pontiac Trans-Ams. Pontiac built over 250,000 T/A's in these three years, and largely because of "Smokey and the Bandit" thousands upon thousands had this color scheme. Of the 68,000 T/A's built in '77 alone, Over 15,000 were Black and Gold "SE's". Except for the paint job, and the gold dash panel, nothing is different from a regular T/A! Ditto for "Silver Anniversary" 1978 Corvettes. Thousands were built with the two-tone paint and silver leather interior. Otherwise, they are just a regular 'Vette. No special engine or anything. Another is the "Starsky and Hutch" Torinos. Because of the popularity of that T.V. show, Ford Dealers across the country painted 74-76 2dr Gran Torinos red with the big white stripe and put slot mags on them and sold them for exorbitant prices, but there was never an official version released from Ford!  The bottom line is, do your research and know what your looking at before you pull out your checkbook. Mastermind  

Just because it's rare, doesn't mean it's worth big bucks!

The title to this post says it all. We all want a unique car, but don't fall into the trap of paying ultra-premium prices for cars that are somewhat rare, and "Almost" special. Some were factory "Budget" or "Insurance Beater" models, some were regional or "Dealer" specials. Every manufacturer had at least one, some had several. Allow me to explain the difference between something that's worth the price of a nice house anywhere except New York or California, and something that's only worth a tiny bit more than a base model. I'll try to include all the examples. If I miss a couple, forgive me, or feel free to write in your candidates. A "California Special" Mustang is not worth anywhere near the price of a Shelby GT 350 or Boss 302. A "Rallye 350" Cutlass is not a Hurst/Olds. A "Heavy Chevy" Malibu is not an LS6 SS454. A T-37 Tempest is not a GTO "Judge." A "Rally Nova" is not a Yenko "Deuce." A Javelin SST is not an AMX. A "Macho T/A" is not an SD-455 or Ram Air IV T/A or Formula. A "Sport Satellite" Or "Satellite Sebring"  is not a Six-pack Road Runner or GTX.  Also beware of later models that were the "Wrong" bodystyle with anemic engines that tried to capitialize on a classic name to sell a car that's performance and value wasn't even close to it's namesake when new, and certainly isn't now. Some examples. The last "Real" Hurst/Olds was built in 1975. That's the last one built on the GM A-body platform, and the last one available with a 455 V8. The one offered in 1979 was based on the downsized G-body platform and was only available with a 350 Olds engine that put out about 170 hp!. The 1983-84 versions were built on the same G-body platform, but had even more anemic 307 inch Olds motors!  The last "Real" Pontiac GTO was built in 1973. This was the last year they were based on the A-body LeMans platform, and the last year you could get a 400 or 455. The 1974 model was based on the X-body-( Read Chevy Nova ) platform, and could only be had with 350 Pontiac V8 . The last "Real" Road Runner was built in 1974, on the B-body platform, and you could still get a 400 or 440 V8. In 77 or 78, they marketed a "Road Runner" that was based on the Plymouth Volare, and was only available with a 318 or 360 that made 150 and 175 hp, respectively. The last "Real" i.e- Javelin-based AMX was built in 1974, and you could still get a 401 V8. In 78-79 AMC marketed an AMX, but it was based on the econobox Hornet/Spirit platform, and the only engine available was a 304 V8 with a two-barrel carb. The last thing to look out for is "Special Editions" that aren't really special or rare. A few examples-1978 "Silver Anniversary" Corvettes. There were thousands of these cars built with the two-tone paint and silver leather interior. That's the only thing different from a regular 1978 Corvette. Black And Gold "Special Edition" 1977-79 Pontiac Trans-Ams. After "Smokey and the Bandit" there were literally thousands upon thousands of these cars built. And again, except for the paint job and gold dash panel, their just a regular T/A, no special engines or anything else. "Starsky and Hutch" Torinos. Because of the popularity of that T.V. show, many Ford Dealers across the country painted 2-door 1974-76 Gran Torinos Red with a White stripe, and put slot mags on them, and sold them for over sticker, but there was never an official version released from Ford. Hope this helps everyone out! Mastermind            

"Fast and Furious?" Well, Maybe!!

Even before the F&F movies came out, I couldn't understand people putting thousands of dollars into Honda Civics or Nissan Sentras -basically econoboxes, and trying to make them fast. Like I always say-If you want to go fast, buy something that goes fast. I have nothing against Import cars. I love the Nissan 370Z, and my buddys Subaru WRX is an absolute blast to drive. The new Hyundai Genesis Coupe that rips to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds is way cool too. But back to the subject at hand. The economy car into musclecar build might be the ticket for a lot of people. Here's why.  Not everyone can afford a GTO or 396 Chevelle or Road Runner, Charger etc. American car makers made a lot of compact cars that can go very fast with very little work and are dirt cheap. #1 1974-79 Chevy Nova. The 68-73 models have kind of a "cult" following, but the later ones are a steal. They all had front disc brakes, weigh 4-500 lbs less than a 70's Camaro, and a lot of them had 350s under the hood. Your not limited to just building a drag racer either. A lot of factory and aftermarket suspension parts that fit a Camaro also fit these cars, so they can be made to handle, too. In kind of a sub-heading, you have to include 1971-77 Pontiac Venturas. Basically a Nova clone, and a lot of them had six-cylinder or 307,305, or 350 Chevy engines in them. This is not a bad thing, as there are more speed parts for the small-block Chevy than anything else in the world. The real sleepers however, have 350 Pontiacs in them. They really wake up with a 4bbl carb and intake, exhaust work and and axle-ratio change. However if you want to be a real badass, a 400 or 455 Pontiac will bolt right in place of the 350 Poncho!  #3 1970-76 Plymouth Duster/ Dodge Dart. 700 lbs lighter than the B-bodys, these are great sleepers. 340 versions can be expensive, but 318 models are the proverbial dime-a-dozen. They can be hopped up easily, and a 360 or even a 410 inch stroker ( based on a 360 ) will drop right in. There are also kits to install B and RB engines-i.e.-a 383, 400 or 440!  #4 1970-77 Ford Maverick. A lot of these had sixes, but look for 302 versions. These cars are light ( under 3,200 lbs ) the 8 inch rearend is tough, and there are a zillion ways to build power into a 302 Ford. Or you could swap in a 351W or 351W-based 392 or 427 stroker!. #5 1975-80 Chevy Monza. Forget the 4 cylinder and V6 models. The V8s are dirt-cheap. Called the "Factory V8 Vega". Most had 305s, but-a 350 or 400 will bolt right in. Look for 75-76 "California" models-they had 350s stock! They never caught on and were labeled dogs because they had 2-bbl carburation, single exhaust, and salt-flats gearing like 2.29:1. But with a little work these ultralight cars-about 2,800 lbs- can be wicked fast. #6 1972-77 AMC Gremlin. Go ahead laugh. Forget the 4 and 6 cylinder models, look for a "X" version with the 304 V8. With a curb weight just over 2,600 lbs, they can go very fast with not too much work. With their short wheelbase and good weight distribution, they actually make good drag racers! However, like Pontiacs, AMC V8s are all externally identical. Which means a 360 or 401 will bolt right in!  A buddy had a 304 Gremlin in high school that he and his dad stuffed a 401 out of a Matador Police car into. He blew the doors off many Chevelles, Camaros and Mustangs that were supposedly "Bad". #7 1975-78 Mustang II. Again, go ahead and laugh. Forget the 4 banger and V6 versions. A fair number had 302 V8s! Like the Chevy Monza, they were derided as lousy performers, for the same reason-2bbl carburation, single exhaust, and 2.41 gears. However, these cars don't weigh much more than a Pinto, and with a 4 bbl carb and intake, dual exhaust and some 3.55 gears, you could give those smug later model 5.0 owners a surprise they'd never forget. Or think of this-How badass would one be with a 351W or 392 stroker?  Don't under-estimate a low-buck hot rod!! Mastermind    

Low-Buck Modern Muscle!

Lately, even "Entry-level" musclecars-i.e 383 Road Runners, 400 GTOs ( Excluding Judge, RAIII, RAIV or 455HO models ) 396 Chevelles, ( Not L78s or L89s) 289 or 351 64-70 Mustangs ( Excluding Shelbys, Boss 302s, and 428 Mach 1s )  etc can fetch 15 or 20 or 25 thousand dollars if their nicely restored. That's beyond a lot of people's budgets for a second or third car. ( Assuming they have a daily driver and their spouse does too.) However, people on a limited budget can still enjoy a high-performance american muscle car, they'll just have buy something newer. This isn't a bad thing. There are a number of cars out there dirt-cheap that have tremendous potential. #1 1979-93 Ford "5.0" Mustang. The fuel-injected 87-93 models are the best performers and most reliable. Big fun stock, and there is a ton of factory and aftermarket speed equipment available for these cars. I have seen rough, but running examples as low as $800 and anything over $2,000 is usually pretty nice. #2 1982-92 Camaro/Firebird. The downside is most models had underpowered 305 Chevys under the hood. The upside is a stout 350, 383 or 400 small-block is a bolt-in. # 3 1985-91 Chevrolet Corvette. Corvette collectors snub these cars while chasing the later LT1, and LS1, LS2 and LS3 models. These cars are a screaming bargain. I have seen decent examples on used car lots for as low as $3,000! The TPI 350 made 250 hp and 330 lbs ft of torque stock, and is easy to work on. With very little work you can up both those figures by 100. Or you could swap in a killer 383. Either way, you could give those smug later model owners a run for their money they won't soon forget!  #4 1993-2002 Z/28 Camaro/ Firebird Formula and Trans-Am. I have seen these cars for as low as $3,000 as well. The LT1 and LS1 motors have about 300 hp stock, and again, you can up that by 100 or 150 amazingly easy. #5 2005 and later Hemi Charger/ Chrysler 300C. These cars are under $10,000 in any state in the union. Most have leather, CD player, and a ton of luxury options. The 5.7 Hemi has 340 hp stock, and there is a ton of aftermarket equipment available. #6 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO  I have seen these cars as low as $8200 at auctions. Yet they feature the LS1/LS2 heart of a Vette. 350 hp from the 5.7L 2004 models, and 400 ponies from the 6.0L 2005-2006 models. Something to think about if you don't major bucks for your '60's or 70's dream car, but still want some all-American muscle under your right foot. Mastermind    

If it's not original, it might as well be wicked fast

 A lot of us have musclecars that may be very nice, but don't have the original numbers-matching engine. Unless your a concours show enthusiast restoring a car to the nth degree, I wouldn't mess with trying to chase one down. Even if your car isn't something ultra-rare-i.e. a Boss 302, SD-455 T/A, Hemi Cuda, etc, finding an original engine can be a virtually impossible task. If you have say, a 66 GTO-where are you going to find a 389 Pontiac with late 1965 or early 1966 date codes?  Or a 1963 327 to put in your Impala SS? Certainly not in your local junkyard.  Even later stuff is getting hard to find. Where are you going to find a 1972 340 to put in your Duster or Challenger? If you do, the seller is going to know what he has and it's going to be very expensive even for a rusted, locked up one that's going to need a complete rebuild. Since the engine you have or practically any one you buy isn't going to be numbers-matching, you might as well have one with awesome, greater than stock performance. Can't find a 340 for that Duster, Demon or Cuda? How about a Mopar performance 360 crate motor with 380 hp? Can't find a 440 for your Road Runner? MP has 500 hp, 505 inch strokers based on a 440 wedge. No 396 for that SS Chevelle? GMPP has rat motors from 454 to 572 cubes, with horsepower ratings from 425 to 720! No 327 or 350 for your Nova SS? How about a 383 stroker from GMPP or Blueprint engines? Can't find a hi-po 289 for your Mustang? How about a 347 stroker from Ford Racing?  You have a 68 GTO and a 400 block out of a 76 Gran Prix? Put a stroker crank in it and make it a 455. Add some Edelbrock or Kauffman aluminum heads, and your rockin'. Can't find a 330 for your 64 442? I bet you could find a 403. Besides being used in hundreds of thousands of California and high-altitude Pontiac Firebirds and Trans-Ams from 77-79, they were also used in thousands of Buick,Olds and Pontiac station wagons, Electras,Rivieras, Bonnevilles, and Catalinas. Besides the 73 extra cubes, you could add Edelbrock heads, cam and intake and have way more grunt than even the revered and rare "W-31" 350 Olds engines. Since it's not original, who cares if it's modified? And you can race it, and not live in fear of throwing a rod out the side of a numbers-matching block. I'd sure do that rather than searching the galaxy for an overpriced core with a certain date stamped on it!  Mastermind    

The Point of Diminishing Returns

As I have touched on before I have a GMPP ZZ4 Chevy crate engine in my Hurst/Olds. I love it, because on street tires, through the mufflers, at my local strip which is at an altitude of 5,200 feet, it runs consistent 13.9s. Corrected for altitude, that would be more like 13.40's. It idles at 750 rpm, has 17 inches of vacuum at idle, pulls hard to 6,000 rpm, and gets 16 mpg even with 4.10 gears in the rearend. It's so smooth, that if the engine didn't have headers on it, you wouldn't be able to hear it run. Driving it, it feels like any other exceptionally well-maintained 70's Cutlass, until you hit the loud pedal, at which point Dr. Jekyll definitely turns into Mr. Hyde! Being the most popular crate engine in history, just about every enthusiast mag on the market has a ZZ4 powered project car, or runs dyno tests on how to get even more power out of one. A buddy showed me one recently and suggested I make those changes to my car. If you don't know, the ZZ4 is pretty hopped up in the first place. 10:1 compression, aluminum heads, roller cam with .474/510 lift, aluminum Z/28/LT-1 style intake, performance curved HEI distributor, etc. The factory rating is 355 hp and 405 lbs ft of torque. What makes them such an awesome STREET engine-not race motor-is the torque curve. According to the dyno sheet, it makes more than 350 lbs of torque from 1800 to 5200 rpm! In this article the magazine got 117 more hp by adding a different carb and intake, larger aftermarket aluminum heads, and a bigger cam. If it's a drag racer or circle-track racer, by all means this is great, because every last ounce counts. But if the car is a daily driver, or weekend cruiser, not a "trailer queen." then you hit the point of diminishing returns. Here's why: In the dyno test, they swapped the stock intake and vacuum-secondary 770 Holley carb for an "Air-Gap" Performer RPM and a mechanical secondary 750 Holley double-pumper. This was worth 28 hp. However, after this article came out, a bunch of readers from mid-western and rocky mountain states wrote in complaining that in cold weather-5 or 6 months out of the year-the "Air-Gap" manifold caused carburator icing! The car either wouldn't start at all, or needed to run for 10 or 15 minutes, before it would make it out of the driveway without the engine dying! Yes, those mechanical secondaries and double accelerator pumps will cover any "bog" you might have, especially in a low-geared car with a stick, or an auto with a high-stall converter, but every time you look at the throttle it's like flushing a toilet-instead of 16 mpg, you get more like 9-11 mpg, and if you have an automatic with a stock-type converter they don't launch nearly as cleanly as a vacuum secondary carb. At this point, when your late for work, that 28 hp doesn't seem so attractive! The bigger cam was worth 55 more hp, but now the engine only had 12 inches of vacuum, and a noiticeably rougher idle, which in reality, would probably need a higher-stall converter, which would hurt driveability and gas mileage even more. Plus, with street tires, the bigger converter would just blow the tires off. I know, as my car is quicker with a stock converter than it was with a "Streetfighter". Doubtless, with slicks or drag radials, the car would be quicker in the 1/4 mile, but how nice is it to drive now?  The bigger heads were worth another 40 hp, but in a 1,400 rpm window- from 4,700 to 6,100 rpm. And they cost $1,400!! Further, the "antiquated " L98 heads that came on the engine were equal to or within 5 hp and 5 lbs ft of torque at every rpm up to 4600! At some speeds there was no difference, or only a gain of 1-2 hp and lbs ft of torque. If you drive the car at all, honestly-how often are you above 4,700 rpm?  That's what I told my pal. Yes the car woukl be way faster, probably even dipping into the 12's, but it wouldn't be nearly as nice to drive, or be as much of a "Sleeper" as it is. So think twice before you decide to put that 720 hp 572 in your Chevelle or that 610 hp 528 Hemi in your Charger. Before you send the nasty letters calling me a candy-ass, yes, anything is drivable, depending on what the driver is willing to tolerate. If you want a race car with liscence plates, build one. A buddy of mine bought a Cobra replica kit car a few years back. It had a blown 514 inch Ford in it. Was it fast? It was ungodly fast-he ran something like 9.90 on his first pass down the strip and then got kicked out for not having the proper safety equipment. ( Anything that runs faster than 11.50 has to have an 8-point roll cage and a driveshaft safety loop )  Did he drive it on the street? Of course he did. Was it pleasant to drive, even around the block? Not only no, but Hell no!!  You had to crane your neck to the left to see around the blower to drive, it had no power steering, no power brakes, no heater, no radio, no roof, no side windows, it needed two cans of octane booster per tankful while getting 5-8 mpg, if it idled for more than a minute and a half, it got hot, which turned the cramped cockpit into a sauna even in the winter, drivers and passengers alike constantly banged their heads on the shorty rollbar and burned their legs on the sidepipes, and about every 6th time he got on it, it would spit a half-shaft out the Jag rear end and have to be towed home! A beefed-up Mustang 8.8 rear solved that problem, but it still had all the others! Did he love it? Of course he did. But he sold it in a year because after the initial "Oh, my god, I've never driven anything this fucking fast" rush wore off, it was more trouble than it was worth to even try to drive to the local Cobra clubs "Show and Shines" or "Cruise-ins".  Not trying to tell anyone what to do, but like the old saying- "Beware of what you want, because you might get it."  Mastermind            

Consider a Base Model

We all love SS Chevelles, GTOs. 442s, Road Runners, Super Bees, Mach 1 Mustangs, AMX's, Z/28s, Trans-Ams, and other muscle machines. The sad truth is, for a lot of people, these cool cars are out of their financial reach. However, the good new is, they were based on models that are plentiful and can be bought reasonably. During the craziness of a few years ago, a lot of Tempests were made into GTO clones, and a lot of 318 Cudas and Challengers had bib-blocks swapped into them by money hungry investors, but the bottom line is, there is still a tremendous supply of raw material out there. Small-block non-SS Chevelles are plentiful as are Tempests, LeMans, and non-442 Cutlass models. The good thing about these, is you can "Clone" your dream car if you want, or you can build it any other way you want-Pro Street, Pro-Touring, Nascar Tribute, Trans-Am racing tribute. People will call you vile names if you put a modern ZO6 Vette motor and a Hotchkiss suspension and 20 inch wheels on a 69 442. Do it to a generic 69 Cutlass, and people will say "How Cool is that!" Take a 73 Firebird and make it look like an IROC racer or Nascar racer, even if it's got a small-block Chevy in it, and it's cool. Do that to a 1973 Trans-Am and the townspeople will storm your house with torches. Coronets and Satellites are way cheaper than their premium counterparts. Base model Camaros are the proverbial dime a dozen, as are non Mach 1 Mustangs, and non Trans-Am Firebirds. Something to think about if your on a limited budget. Mastermind    

Musclecars in Movies...And the screw-ups!

We all enjoy seeing musclecars on film, but sometimes I wonder what the producers, directors and stunt coordinators are thinking. In the new revenge flick "Faster" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, he drives an SS396 Chevelle. It's apparently supposed to be a '70 model, as that's the front end it has. However it has the round taillights and rear bumper of a 71-72 model!! This is a big-budget film. I figure the stunt crew took a beater 71-72 Malibu and tried to trick it up. What irks me is-Just make it a 71-72 SS454 clone. Or if your going to to put the '70 nose on it, they couldn't afford another 300 bucks for the correct '70 rear bumper? "Fast and Furious 4" starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker went with mostly musclecars this time out instead of imports. Sorry Mopar fans, only the "Show" Charger-i.e. the one at movie premieres and photo ops had the blown 528 Hemi. All the other stunt Chargers used in the movie had-Gasp!- GMPP 350 Chevy crate motors, Turbo 400 automatics, and 9 inch Ford rearends. The blowers were fakes that were bolted to the hood. The stunt crew said they did this for reliability and parts interchangeability reasons. I've been playing with cars for 30 years, and I don't know anyone who's ever broken a Chrysler 8 3/4 or Dana 60 rearend! Reliability reasons? The 350 Chevy/Turbo 400 combo is that much tougher than MP 360 Crate motors and 727 Torqueflites?  At least the 70 Chevelle that Diesel did the wheelie in had a 502 rat motor, Turbo 400 and a 4.88 posi. It also had 300 pounds of lead in the bumper to make it pull the wheels easier. This is not a new phenemonon-Hollywood has been screwing up for many years. In "Smokey and the Bandit" sometimes the Trans-Am is a four-speed; the camera shows the clutch pedal and Burt Reynolds shifting it. Other times, the camera clearly shows the automatic shifter sticking out of the console. In Burt's other classic "White Lightning" regarding the 72 LTD he does his "Whiskey Runnin'" in-when the ATF mechanic shows him the chromed out engine Burt says-"Nice 429, dual quad carburators.." Yet the camera clearly shows one Holley four-barrel under a Weiand Lynx air cleaner. Later, again, in some scenes it's a four-speed-they show the T-handled Hurst shifter, and him shifting it. In two other scenes one where he visits his mother-he clearly puts the automatic column shifter in park. In the other, Jennifer Billingsly drives the wounded Burt to safety. She starts the car, and pulls a column shifter into drive before taking off.  In "Vanishing Point" if you look closely, the car that explodes at the end is a Camaro, not a Challenger. Stunt coordinator Carey Loftin freely admitted this in a later interview. "We took a beater 1967 Camaro, pulled the engine, and filled the engine compartment with explosives and an impact-sensitive switch." "I used a quick-release tow bar and towed it toward the bulldozers,released the cable and pulled over." "That's how we made it look like Barry Newman actually drove into the bulldozers." My question is this- The movie was made in 1970 and released in 1971. The cars were brand-new. Chrysler supplied them with five Challengers-four 440/4-speeds and one 383/automatic. They couldn't blow up one of those? They couldn't ask Chrysler for one more, even a strippy slant-six model to blow up?  In 1970, a 67 Camaro was still a pretty new car: that would be like blowing up a 2007 model of anything now. I doubt they got the car for nothing. So why use a Camaro instead of a Challenger, and hope no one notices? On a movie that had a budget of a few million 1970 dollars, what did they save? 3 grand?  In the all-time king- Bullitt-the Charger loses eight hubcaps in the chase, they pass the same VW several times, and the gas station explodes BEFORE the Charger hits the pumps. I know nobody's perfect, but this wasn't the "Jackass" crew with a video camera, these were major Hollywood releases. Like Ditka says on Monday Night Football- "Come on, Man!!"  Mastermind                  

Save The Manuals!!

Car and Driver magazine is starting a campaign called "Save the Manuals". They did this because most modern cars are automatics, and don't even have a stick-shift option. This has spread to Audis, and even Ferarris. It's relevant here, because stick-shift musclecars are getting rarer than they were originally, and it's musclecar enthusiasts who are committing this genocide! Popular Hot Rodding featured a 1969 SS396 Chevelle on the cover. In the article it said-the car was a numbers-matching 4-speed model. It now has a Turbo 400 Automatic, and a gear vendors overdrive. Car Craft had a "Classic Muscle " Shootout a while back. They rounded up 4 people who owned an LS6 Chevelle, a 440/Six-Pack Road Runner, a Ram Air IV GTO and a 428 CJ Mustang, and were willing to let the magazine drag-test them. The GTO was originally a 4-speed car, but the owner "Restored it the way he would have ordered it." With an automatic!. Muscle Car Reviews Pure Stock Drag Champion a few years ago was a 1969 SS396 Nova with a Turbo 400, that was-You guessed it, originally a 4-speed model!! The jerk converted it, because the auto would be easier to launch at the drags with street tires! Mopar owners are not immune. Mopar Muscle magazine featured a 1970 440/4-speed GTX that they were putting a four-speed automatic overdrive in. In the same issue, they featured a 73 340 Duster "that was originally a four-speed car" Is this getting old yet?- That the owner had swapped in a 408 stroker and a 727 Torqueflite. You want to talk real blasphemy? Another mag featured a 70 340 Challenger that they not only converted to a slushbox, they used a GM 4L60E! I don't understand this at all. If you want a musclecar with an automatic, then buy one. They are certainly more plentiful and therefore, usually substantially cheaper than their manual counterparts. I know that automatics make better drag racers. Again, then buy a car factory equipped with one. Or if you must build one, then surely you can find a Non-SS Chevelle, or Nova, or a Tempest/ Lemans or Satellite or Duster/Dart or whatever that has an automatic in it to begin with. Swap in a 500 inch stroker with Nitrous, a modern Fuel-injected motor, whatever you want, because no one cares about it anyway. But don't take a rare ultra-desirable car and make it less desirable!!  That's like the old racist Italian joke- An Italian kid won a Gold Medal at the Olympics, and his father was so proud that he had it Bronzed!!  Please, join me and Car and Driver, and stop this horrific slaughter!!  Mastermind            

But it's a Classic! It's Priceless! No, it isn't!!

I talk to people all the time who have over-invested in and over-restored their cars, and are shocked when they try to sell them and find they can't begin to recoup even half their investment. Here's some good tips so you don't fall into this trap. #1 If it isn't broke, don't fix it. I know a guy who didn't follow this rule. I don't begrudge him wanting to rebuild the engine on his car. But he replaced the power steering pump, even though it worked perfectly, didn't make any noise, and didn't leak. He also replaced the alternator and starter, even though they worked perfectly and bench-tested fine. He replaced the radiator, even though the stock one didn't leak, wasn't clogged up, and cooled the old engine just fine, even in 95 degree weather. I could go on, but you get the drift. He spent a lot of money unnecessarily, that drove his restoration cost way up, but didn't increase the value of the car one ounce. #2 A deal isn't always a deal. Sometimes your better off spending more money and just buying a better car. Especially if the car your looking at is missing important and expensive parts, or needs work beyond your capabilities-i.e. a bent frame, or a car with water or fire damage. #3 A Musclecar is a toy, not a retirement plan. There are only a handful of cars that are worth restoring from a "basket case" or that you could actually make money on. Here's the list- in no particular order. #1 Any 1966-71 Hemi powered Chrysler vehicle. #2 Any "Boss" 302 or Boss 429 Mustang. #3 Any 1965-70 "Shelby" Mustang. #4 Any 1969-70 Dodge Charger Daytona or Plymouth Superbird. #5 Any Z16, LS6 or Yenko Chevelle. #6 Any Ram Air IV or Ram Air V Pontiac GTO or Firebird. #7 Any L88 Corvette. #8 Any 1973-74 SD-455 Pontiac Trans-Am or Formula Firebird. #9 Any 1968-69 Hurst/Olds. #10 Any 427  Ford Fairlane or Galaxie. #11 Any 1969-71 Pontiac GTO "Judge". #12 Any 1967-69 Z/28 or Yenko Camaro. #13 Any 1970 Buick "GSX". That's a baker's dozen, and that's about it for cars that are "Investments". The reason being, is a few years ago at the height of the craziness people were paying insane money for clones. Everyone was turning clunker Tempests and Le Mans models into GTOs, small-block two-door Malibus into SS396 and SS454 clones, two-door Satellites and Coronets into Super Bee and Road Runner/GTX's. Numbers matching or not, theres a lot of everything else on the market. No matter how nice it is, you are not going to pay off your house by selling your 340 Road Runner. #4 I just listed most of the desirable super-rare cars. Two-speed automatics, three-speed sticks, four-speed bench seat or column-shifted automatic bucket seat cars, radio or heater-delete cars, two-barrel engines, and so on, aren't collectible, their just weird, and no one but you thinks their cool. #5 A super-rare car missing a critical component-i.e. a Hemi car without the Hemi engine for example, or a Boss 429 without the Boss 429 engine, is not a deal no matter how cheap it is, because the cost and time an trouble involved in procuring a usable original engine and all the brackets, tin, and accesories,-if you could find one for sale at any price-would be just about impossible. #6 Unless you have a lot of money, and want to race it at the Monterey Historics or on the vintage racing circuit, old race cars are a horrible investment. So you find one of the "B.F. Goodrich Tirebirds campaigned in the 1970 Trans-Am series. It's still a gutted 1970 Firebird Race Car. The ultra rare- Ram Air IV Headed 303 Pontiac engines proved unreliable so it won't have that in it. It probably won't have one of the 485 hp 302 Chevys that most of them were campaigned with. Doubtless someone in the past took that to restore a 67-69 Z/28. It'll probably have a junk 350 Chevy or junk 350 or 400 Pontiac in it, if it has an engine at all. The made in england ultra-rare,ultra expensive mini-lite wheels will be long gone. So what are you going to do with it? You can't race it in any modern class, and the cost of returning it to street trim would be so prohibitive, you'd just be better off buying an already restored "Regular" T/A. Hope this helps everyone out. Mastermind      

Can't find your Dream Chevy? Consider a Pontiac!

Can't find the Chevy musclecar of your dreams? Consider a Pontiac. I know GTO's command just as high a price as SS Chevelles. However, every other model is substantially cheaper than the Chevrolet counterpart. Here's some examples supported by auction results and newspaper, internet, and Hemmings motor news listings. Want a big-block Camaro? At the last "Hot August Nights" auction in Reno, Nevada, a nicely restored 1969 SS396 Camaro sold for $15,000. At the very same auction a 1967 400 Firebird in great condition sold for $8,500. For second-generation models ( 1970-81 ) the gap really widens. A big-block was only available in the Camaro until 1972, and were produced in very limited numbers. By contrast, you could get a 400 in a Firebird Esprit, Formula or Trans-Am right up until 1979, and the 455 was available until 1976. Want a Rat-motored Monte Carlo? The Gran Prix is to the Monte Carlo what the Firebird is to the Camaro,-the better buy of the two. For the same reason. Big-block Montes built from 1970-75 are quite rare, and thus priced accordingly. Gran Prix's  from 1969-76 are the exact opposite. 400 power standard all years, and a good number of  "SJ" models had 455s! My sister had a 72 SJ in high school. That car had power everything, and it felt like a GTO! She showed her taillights to quite a few Camaros and Mustangs. The same goes for 1960-68 Full-size models. People fight with machetes to pay blood and a first-born child for 396,409, or 427 Impalas, Caprices, and Biscaynes. Meanwhile Pontiacs, be they Catalinas, Bonnevilles, or Gran Prix, can be bought for 1/3 to half the price. The reason is, most Chevys of this vintage have six-cylinder, or 283 or 327 small-block motivation. By contrast, practically every Pontiac built in this era had the venerable 389 as standard equipment, and a few had 421s. All 1967 and 68 models had 400s or 428s. Ditto for '70's full-size models. 402s and 454s were optional in Impalas and Caprices, but 90% of them had 350 small-block motivation. '70's Catalinas and Bonnevilles on the other hand, had 400 power as standard equipment and a good number had 455s. All through the years the Pontiacs had upgraded interiors and luxury options standard, that are sometimes rare on the Chevys.  I have nothing against Chevys, but the bottom line is they are generally more expensive than their Pontiac cousins.  Something to think about if your looking for a bargain. Mastermind    

It's not original Part Two

I've always been a "Whatever floats your boat" kind of guy, but I get sick of concours enthusiasts turning up their noses at other people's cars that are quite nice, but aren't "Just as it left the factory." I'll say again, for the cheap seats, -THESE WERE CARS PEOPLE! That people used for daily transportation. No one knew that 40 years in the future their would be a "cult-like" following and buying frenzy. If you had a new Mustang GT right now, would you keep it totally stock for the next 30 years?  Chances are you'd add a Hurst shifter, a K&N air filter, a cat-back flowmaster exhaust, or maybe some aftermarket tires and wheels. Even if you didn't modify it, it wouldn't be totally original. Here's a scenario-even brand-new cars have items that aren't covered under warranty. Let's say your Mustang blows a radiator hose on Friday night. Are you going to go to your local Autozone or Pep Boys store and get a replacement, or would you park the car until Monday and go to the dealer and get a genuine Motorcraft hose and clamps?  The battery goes dead the 3rd winter you have it. Are you going to buy a "Die Hard" battery for $89 or go to the dealer and pay $180 for a genuine Motorcraft one? When you get your oil changed at Jiffy Lube or Les Schwab tire, guess what? They use Purolator or Fram or Pennzoil oil filters, not Motorcraft. They use Pennzoil or Chevron, or whoever supplies them with oil, not Motorcraft brand oil. This is what the original owners of these cars did in the '60's and '70's. When the car was out of warranty and something broke, they went got a cheap replacement part. If a guy had say a 68 383 Road Runner in 1975, and the engine spun a main bearing, or threw a rod, chances are the owner wouldn't go to the dealer and demand an absolute factory rebuild. He'd go to a junkyard and buy a used 383 or maybe even a 400 or 440 out of a wrecked Dodge Polara or Chrysler Imperial or other "big" car that no one cared about. 30 years hence, in 2005, some collector is pissed because this otherwise great car doesn't have the original engine. Like I said before anyone who even thinks of cutting up the trunk of a Hemi "Cuda for wheel tubs needs to be summarily executed. On the other hand, An SS396 Chevelle is not "Ruined" because it has halogen headlights, radial tires, an HEI distributor, and an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and matching carb. I'm all for the preservation of the breed, but when I'm checking the oil on my car at a gas station I don't need some jerk telling me I have the wrong kind of hose clamps!!!  Mastermind        

Your Car isn't as fast as you think it is....or was!

Supercars-every manufacturer had at least one, some had more than one. A car that could lay down 13 second quarters right off the showroom floor, and with maybe just headers and slicks could break into the 12's. LS6 Chevelles, Hemi 'Cudas, 428CJ Mustangs, Ram Air IV GTOs, Hurst/Olds 442s, Buick GSX's and a couple others I probably missed. The truth of the matter is that most of us whether we owned them or rode in our friends or relatives cars, most of our "Musclecar Memories" revolve around what we would now call "Entry Level" musclecars-i.e-389 GTOs, SS396 Chevelles, 383 Road Runners, or "Mini-Musclecars" like 327 Novas or 340 Dusters. Tales of third-gear rubber and being pushed back in the seat seem silly when someone pulls out a yellowed, dog-eared, copy of Car Life, or Motor Trend, and we find that the machine in question ran in the 14.60's. Gearheads love to quote magazine test results, but they don't always take every factor into the equation. Enthusiast mags, especially Hot Rod, or High Performance Cars, or Popular Hot Rodding, would sometimes recurve the distributors, re-jet the carbs, or even add slicks, headers, and traction bars. Not exactly "stock" performance. Pontiac was the master of this Royal Pontiac in Michigan would rejet the carbs, recurve distributors, even mill the heads. Jim Wangers finally admitted some 40 odd years later in his autobiography what everyone else already knew. The GTO than ran a 4.6 second 0-60 time, and a 13.1 second quarter in Car and Driver's May 1964 issue was a ringer. The 389 had been pulled by Royal Pontiac and replaced with a blueprinted 421. I experienced this in high school. I had a Ram Air III, 4-speed, 4.33 geared 69 GTO Judge. ( What were my parents thinking? ) A buddy had a 1969 440 Six-Pack Super Bee. He challenged me and the Judge, swearing on a stack of bibles that his car ran "Very Low 13s or Very high 12s." He gleaned this information from an old Car Life road test where Chrysler engineers had Pro Stock Champion Ronnie Sox pilot a prototype Six-pack Road Runner to a string of 13.0 and 12.9's in the quarter. They wouldn't admit that it had been blueprinted, but said it had been brought to "The top of Specifications." It also was equipped with a 4-speed, 4.30 gears and slicks. My friend, only being 17 years old, would not listen to what I thought were two very important facts. #1- He didn't posess Ronnie Sox's driving skill, and #2- His car, which hadn't had a tune-up or even an oil change in god-knows-when, sporting 3.23 gears, a Torqueflite, and street tires, would probably run substantially slower than the Dyno-tuned, 4-speed, 4.30 geared, drag-slicked test mule. In addition to the mechanical advantage my GTO had-i.e. the four-speed and 4.33 gears,-my father was an expert Pontiac mechanic, and my car was perfectly tuned. My pal was totally shocked when I beat him in a street race. I experienced this twice more, in later years. I had a 403 Olds engined 77 Pontiac Trans-Am. I know they were considered "smog-dogs" that ran 16.3s, but mine had headers and real dual exhausts, a Holley Street Dominator intake manifold, and a TransGo shift kit. It wasn't a rocket, but it ran a best of 14.82, and it would run 14.9's all day, in 90 degree weather. A buddy had a new ( In 1985 ) 5.0 Mustang.  All the road tests I have read on stock 5.0 Mustangs between 1984 and 1993 vary slightly- the slowest was a 15.29, the quickest a 14.72. My buddy was sure his car ran "14 flat" because of a Car Craft road test. Their "Basically Stock" car did run a string of 14.05's,14.03,s and 14.01's, after they swapped the stock 2.73 rear end gears for 3.73s, added a K&N Airbox and air filter, and swapped the 225/60VR15 street radials for some bias-ply, 235/60/15 M&H "DOT Legal" Drag tires. My pal was shocked beyond recognition when my "Slug" T/A gave him a race that was too close to call 3 times in a row. Later, after I bought my 73 Hurst/Olds and "Restified/ Butchered" it -that's another story for another time-i.e.-a ZZ4 GM crate motor, B&M Turbo 400, and swapping the stock 3.08 gears for 4.10s-and running consistent mid to high 13s at my local strip, I was challenged by a neighbor with an all-wheel-drive Turbocharged Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4. I told him that I liked the cars, but every one I had ever seen ran about 14.5 in the quarter. He was adamant he could beat me, or at least give me a hell of a race, producing factory literature. It said in the brochure that the Mitsubishi test car ran a 13.7 Quarter, with a "Professional driver on a closed course, under controlled conditions." After I blew his doors off, he went on the internet to get the "Controlled Conditions." The Mitsu engineers disabled the knock sensor, disabled the rev limiter, filled the tank with 104 octane gas, lowered the tire pressure to 15 psi in all four tires, and had the "Professional Driver" drop the clutch at 6,200 rpm and shift at 7,000. This netted them the blistering 1/4 mile time they were after, but after three runs, also grenaded the $5749 transaxle! I didn't have to say it-my friend did. "How many people run around with 100 octane gas in the tank, the knock sensor disabled, 15 psi in the tires, and are willing to drop the clutch at 6,200 to jump some punk in a 5.0 Mustang or Screaming-Chicken Firebird from a red light?"  I love muscle machines, but we need to be realistic about what they were and are capable of!!  Mastermind              

Why the rest of the world doesn't understand!

A friend has a 1969 L88 Corvette. That car is an absolute blast to drive. The feeling of power in every gear is unbelievable. I know that a modern Z06 or even a current base model Vette will run off and leave the old Stingray in a drag race or in the twisties. I've driven them too. But the fun factor? Not even close. If I was going to spend 60 grand on a Vette, it would be a restored 427 Stingray, not a new one!!  Ditto for the "Ponycars." I know that a 2010 V6 Camaro or a 2011 V6 Mustang will outrun a 69 Z/28 or 69 Boss 302 in a drag race. But nothing compares to the feeling of running a high-compression, solid-lifter small-block through the gears at full wail. The new Camaro is a great car. But it feels like exactly what it is- a Cadillac CTS with a cool body. Hemi Chargers feel like a BMW 740i. Fast, and more nimble handling than any 4,000 lb car has a right to. That's because their based on the previous generation Mercedes E55-a benefit of the merger with Daimler-Benz. Ditto for the Challenger. They don't make me feel like Bo Duke, or Kowalski on his last ride through the Nevada desert. My Buddy's 70 440 Road Runner does. The 2006 GTO I drove didn't give me the rush my Judge did, even though it was probably faster. It's. like the Harley riders say- If I have to explain it, you won't understand.

It's not original? Say it isn't so!!

Is everyone as sick as I am of so-called "experts" poo-poohing otherwise excellent cars because, even being 40 or 50 years old, they don't have the original engine, transmission, carburator or distributor?  Musclecars led hard lives. People drove them on a daily basis and wrecked and abused them just like you do your 99 Honda Civic or 97 Ford truck. If you find a 67 GTO with a 400 out of a 73 Catalina, don't panic. In high school a friend had a 440/Six-pack 69 Super Bee. He blew the original motor all to hell one night after missing a shift. I mean, rods out the side of the block, grenaded. We went to a junkyard and got a 440 out of a wrecked Chrysler Imperial. The only reason he didn't accept a free 383 from a buddy was that "B" and "RB" engines have a different deck height and the intake manifolds don't interchange, and he wanted to keep the tri-power on it. He drove the car another 3 years with the "unoriginal" engine before he sold it. I had a 68 SS396 El Camino, that blew up. I was short on money and the car was my only transportation. My cousin offered me the 327 out of my aunt's wrecked Impala for $100! The 275hp 327 ran like the proverbial scalded cat, got better gas mileage, spun the wheels less, and the car handled better because of less weight on the front end. I drove it another year before I sold it. Here's another scenario- Grandma buys a 1970 Pontiac Formula 400 Firebird because she wants a "Sports car." She only drives it about 5,000 miles a year. In 1978, even though it only has 45,000 miles on it, it starts running crappy, gets lousy gas mileage and is hard to start. She takes it to her trusted mechanic. He tells her it needs a new carburator. She says fix it. He buys a rebuilt Q-jet from Pep Boys, or Checker, or Napa, or whoever he buys parts from and turns in the numbers-matching carb for a $20 core charge. The car runs good again and granny's happy, not knowing that 30 years hence, when grandma's kids sell the car after she dies, some asshole who wants a concours show car is going to be miffed because not only is the carb wrong, the mechanic 30 years ago used the wrong kind of hose clamps!! Get over yourselves people!! Your Coker tire replacement Firestone Wide Ovals aren't original and neither are your Legendary Interior seat covers or the Autolite battery cover on the Exide or Die Hard battery!. Mastermind

Improving the breed? I don't think so!

Is everyone as sick as I am of every enthusiast magazine on the market featuring vintage GM iron with Chevy LS motors, Vintage Mopars with modern 5.7 or 6.1 liter Hemis or vintage Mustangs and other Fords with fuel-injected 5.0 or 4.6/5.4 liter modular motors? What's cool about an old car is it's different from what's new! I hear the arguments-the modern fuelie motors make more power than the old musclecars, get better gas mileage, have easier cold starting, yadda,yadda,yadda. If you want an LS3 engined Camaro, SRT8 Hemi Challenger, or Supercharged Shelby Mustang, then run down to your local Chevy, Dodge or Ford dealer and buy one!  If you were a gun collector and bought a WWII vintage Colt .45 would you put laser sights on it? If you were a motorcycle enthusiast and bought a 1965 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, would you swap in a fuel-injected 96 inch Twin-Cam engine and six-speed tranny out of an '09 Softail? Probably not. What drives me insane is the people with more money than brains. I wouldn't care if somebody put a Z06 Vette motor in a 78 Camaro or a 5.7 Hemi in a 72 Duster. No, they have to desecrate priceless muscle. Here's a few examples. Hot Rod magazine ran an article in 2008 called "Crate Motor Shootout." They took 8 GM crate motors-4 small blocks,two LS motors and two big-blocks, and swapped them into the same car and drag-tested them, "Apples to Apples" so to speak. Cool. Except, as they freely admitted in the article-"The car was a for real, numbers-matching, four-speed 68 SS 396." They proceeded to gut the car and install a 10 point roll cage and fiberglass racing seats, Wildwood four-wheel disc brakes, and a Chassisworks four-link rear suspension with a 9 inch Ford rearend. In all of Southern California,they couldn't find a clapped-out, small-block two-door Chevelle or Malibu to butcher? It had to be "A for real, numbers matching, four-speed SS396?" Popular Hot Rodding is even worse. They featured a 69 440 Charger R/T that some idiot had put $180,000 into- that's not a typo-a hundred and eighty grand, in all kinds of "Upgrades". They also featured a guy who destroyed one of the 1,286 1972 Pontiac Trans-Ams ever built. In the article it says the guy bought the car as a pristine "Show car" and then put a late-model LS engine and 4L80E tranny in it, an aftermarket front subframe and Ford 9 inch rearend in it. Another asshole did the same to a 1970 GTO Judge! You can't bastardize one of the millions of non-SS Chevelles and Malibus, Cutlasses, or Tempests and LeMans, no it has to be a pristine, numbers matching Judge!! AAAUUUGGHHH!!!   A few years ago a guy named Rod Saboury was featured in Car Craft. He bought, again, a pristine, completely restored, 1963 Split-window, fuel-injected, four speed Corvette and "Pro-Streeted" it!! I mean, gutted it, and installed a 700hp 454 stroker with nitrous, turbo 400 with five grand converter and a trans-brake, the whole nine yards. And Car Craft raved about how cool it was!!! He couldn't butcher one of the hundreds of thousands of 68-82 Vettes, or buy one of the "Kit Car" 65 Corvette fiberglass bodies on the market, no, he had to destroy a fuel-injected, original 1963 split-window Stingray!!!  Too many assholes with too much money!!  I'm not one of those "Just as it left the factory" Nazis. A 68 GTO with headers, an Edelbrock P4B manifold, and Cragar S/S mags is just as cool now as it was in 1969. But a 69 Camaro with a drive by wire L99,4L80E trans, and 20 inch wheels is not only a sacrilege, it's a waste of vintage iron that someone else might enjoy!  Keep the mods "Period Correct." As long as they don't destroy the value of the car. Halogen headlights aren't a sin. Anyone who even thinks of cutting up the trunk of a Hemi 'Cuda for wheel tubs need to be dragged out into the street and shot, or my personal favorite, entrails cut out and burned.  See what I'm saying?  Mastermind

This Site is brand new!

I just put this site up on Nov 24 so I'm sorry theirs not a ton of content yet. However I will be updating it two or three times a week and responding to posters two or three times a week. So be patient, their will be tons of information posted! Thanks, Mastermind

How to Buy a Musclecar Cheap

I have some advice for people who are having trouble finding their dream car without winning the lottery or selling their house. #1. Lower your sights. Is your dream car a 1970 LS6 Chevelle? You and about 10 million others. Since Chevrolet only built 4,478, finding one for sale, at any price, can be a problem. However, Chevrolet also built 49,826 SS396 models in 1970. Except for the engine, they are the exact same car. This is not an Isolated example. Is a 69 GTO Judge your passion? Of the 72,225 69 GTO's built, only 6,833 were Judge models. Want a Boss 302 Mustang? Good luck, as Ford only built 1,603 69's and 7,113 70 models. However, Ford produced more than 70,000 fastback Mustangs in 1969 alone, most of them with 351W power, which, if your going to drive the car at all, is a much better street engine. By considering less than the ultimate model, you increase your chances of finding a car tenfold, and that's if your stuck on a one or two year model. Which brings up the next point. #2 Consider different model years of the same car. If our Chevelle enthusiast could live with a 68 SS396 (58,000 built) or a 69 model (86,000 built) he just increased his chances of finding a car by 144,000 examples. Ditto for the Pontiac fan. Pontiac built 87,000 GTO"s in 1968 and another 40,000 in 1970. Want a 1970-73 Trans-Am? That's going to be tough because Pontiac only built about 11,000 Trans-Ams in those four years. Partly because of the hit movie Smokey and the Bandit, Pontiac built 269,000 Trans-Ams between 1977-1979. Altogether, Pontiac built more than 350,000 T/A's from 1974-1979. With very little work,-i.e-intake,exhaust,and an axle ratio change, these cars can equal or surpass the performance of the earlier, more sought after models. #3 Consider a base model of the same car. Of the 243,000 1969 Camaros built, only 19,000 were Z/28 models. Most of the rest had 250hp or 300hp 350s in them. These make nice drivers, and since their not rare, people don't feel bad about modifying them-i.e.-putting a 400hp crate engine in them. The same goes for non-SS Chevelles and Malibus, Mustangs that aren't Mach 1s, and 318 Cudas, Challengers and Chargers. #4 Clone it. Purists are reaching for oxygen,but hear me out. Most of us will never be able to afford an original Shelby Mustang. However, with the help of the aftermarket,you could turn a simple 289 Fastback Mustang into a G.T. 350 pretty easily at about a fifth of the price. Ditto for turning a base-model Firebird into a Trans-Am,a Camaro into a Z/28, or a Cutlass into a Hurst/Olds. As long as you don't try to pass it off as original, no harm done. #5 Lower your sights a tad bit more. I know many people who have passed on very cool cars in good condition at fair prices, because they weren't "Exactly what I was looking for." Idiot #1 wanted a 70-72 Z/28 Camaro. He passed up an unrestored, but exceptionally well-maintained 70 model because it was an automatic. He also passed on a gorgeous four-speed 72 model because "It wasn't original." (It had headers on it, and a 750 double-pumper Holley carb instead of the original 780) Idiot number 2 wanted a 68-70 GTO with the 400/4-speed combo. He passed on a gorgeous 68 model because it didn't have the hood tach or disc brakes. He also passed on an utterly immaculate 400/4-speed, 71 LeMans Sport Convertible that was made to look like a Judge, because "It's a fake." When someone whines that he's been looking for a car for three years and hasn't found one, it's because he's too picky.