A "Sister" car can be a great deal!

Like I talked about a Cougar being a great, lower priced alternative to a Mustang, GM guys have a lot of choices. For example, if you can't find a good deal on a Chevelle, you might consider a Monte Carlo. They share the same chassis as the A-body Chevelle, so any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades will fit. And, compared to non-SS Chevelles, Monte Carlos from 1970-77 are especially good deals. This bodystyle dominated NASCAR in the '70's. The Montes generally have more cool options like cruise control,factory A/C, and upgraded interiors. Most Monte Carlos have 350 power under the hood, and we all know there is more speed equipment on the market for the small-block Chevy than anything else on the planet. 402 and 454 versions can be bought substantially cheaper than a same-year big-block SS Chevelle. Or you could swap in the Rat Motor of your choice-a GMPP 502 crate motor for example-very easily. Or an even better deal is a Pontiac Gran Prix. Gran Prix's from 1969-76 are awesome buys even if your not a Pontiac collector. 400 4bbl power standard all years, and a fair number of 70-76 "SJ" models had 455s! I've said it before, but my sister had a 1972 SJ in high school. This car had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. If you want a big-block Camaro, it might behoove you to consider a Firebird. 99% of Camaros have 350s under the hood. Rat-motored Camaro SS models were only produced in small numbers from 1967-72, and are thus pricey. By contrast, you could get a 400 in a Firebird Formula or Trans-Am right up until 1979. There are hundreds of thousands of them around. If you can't find a good deal on a 400 Firebird, you aren't looking past the end of your nose. The same applies to early and mid-60's full-size muscle cars.  Most Impalas, Bel-Airs, and Biscaynes built from 1960-68 have either six-cylinder or 283 or 327 small-block motivation. That's why 396,409, and 427 versions bring a King's ransom. However, Pontiac Catalinas, Bonnevilles, and Gran Prix's of this vintage all had the venerable 389 as standard equipment, and a few had 421s or 428s! My mom had a 376 hp Tri-power 421 1965 Catalina 2+2 when I was in high school. I had a GTO Judge. When people challenged me to a race, I used to say- "I don't need the Judge to beat you." "I'll beat you with my mother's car."  Quite a few Camaros, Mustangs, and Chevelles accepted this challenge, and were utterly shocked when this "Big" car blew their doors off. One of the best races I ever had in that car was with a wise-ass from another school who was doing the same thing in his dad's 1967 385 hp 427 Impala SS. It was too close to call, and we were both suprised that neither of us could pull away. If your a Nova fan, and can't find a good deal, I'd check out a Pontiac Ventura. This was Pontiac's version of the Nova from 1971-77.  A lot had six-cylinder Chevy engines in them, and some had small-block Chevys, but the ones to look for are the 350 Pontiac versions. With very little work they can really haul ass, and if you want a Super "Sleeper" a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. 99% of people will think your driving a small-block Nova, and that there going to blow your doors off. Imagine their surprise when all they see is taillights! And, since the Nova / Ventura shares the same basic subframe as the Camaro / Firebird- ( Any factory or aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro will fit these cars ) they aren't just drag racers, they can be made to handle like a BMW.  Something to think about.  Mastermind