Ever been "Dusted?"

By the late sixties, the government safety Nazis and insurance companies were cracking down on high-performance vehichles. For drivers under 25, sometimes insurance premiums were more than the payments on the car! This obviously hurt musclecar sales, because it was primarily young males that wanted them. Mid-size cars with engines over 360 cubic inches were hit particularly hard. Well , that was just about every Musclecar built. In 1970 Chrysler came up with a brilliant "Insurance Beater".  They took the Valiant economy car, gave it a great-looking semi-fastback body and stuffed the hot 340 V8 in it. They re-named it the "Duster" and gave it a flat-black hood with a big "340" graphic on it. They also gave it a cool "Twister" stripe down the side- at the end of the stripe stood a little tornado with eyes-"A Duster." It was available in wild colors-Sub-lime, Plum Crazy, Panther Pink, Hemi Orange, etc. Since they only weighed about 2,900 lbs, they were fast. With a 4-speed or a Torqueflite, a 340 Duster could rip off low 14 second 1/4 mile times right off the showroom floor. With very litte tuning-i.e.-headers and stickier tires and traction bars or a pinion snubber-they could run low 13s and give big-block musclecar owners a lesson in power to weight ratio they'd not soon forget. Priced less than a Road Runner, and just as fast, they were an immediate sales hit. Although Dodge had 340 powered Darts since 1968, they never had the sales success of the Duster. For 1971 Dodge took their version of the Dart/Duster plaftorm and went even further. Besides swapping in the 340 V8, they put twin hood scoops on it, and a 'Cuda style "Go-Wing" spoiler on the decklid. They also put stripes on the hood and sides and a decal of a Devil holding a Pitchfork. Inside, it had a three-spoke "Tuff" steering wheel and Husrt shifter for 4-speed models, or a "Slap-Stick" console for automatics. They named it the "Demon." Get it-"Speed Demon?" When I was a kid, I thought the Demon was the coolest car around.  In 1972, Mr Norm of Grand Spaulding Dodge put a Paxton Supercharger on a Demon and called it the Demon GSS. These are quite rare today. Even in the '70's the ever-tightening emissions controls and political correctness was creeping in. The Demon name was dropped in 1973 and the "Dart Sport" moniker used again. Plymouth still had 340 Dusters, but the graphics were toned down.  In 1974 the 340 was dropped, and replaced with a 360 truck motor that although it may have had a similar horsepower rating- ( 245 hp ) it didn't have the performance that the high-winding 340 did.  By 1976  a 318 with a 2bbl was the largest engine available. By 1977 they were replaced with the ( Yuk! ) Plymouth Volare / Dodge Aspen platform. For a few years, the Duster and the Demon were great performance cars. Now they are starting to gain in popularity again, probably because people are finding the B and E bodies too expensive.  Even if you get a 318 version, they can be hopped up easily, or a fire-breathing Mopar Performance 390 hp 360 crate motor is a bolt-in swap. And Mopar Performance offers crossmembers to allow installation of the B / RB big-block engines.  If you want big performance for low bucks, just like when they were new, Dusters offer a lot of "Bang for the Buck".  Mastermind           

A lot of great raw material is still out there.......If you lower your sights a bit

I hear a lot of people whining that they can't find a musclecar to play with, and price isn't always the objection. "There just isn't anything out there."  I beg to differ. Yes, if you must have a 1969 SS396 Chevelle, then your options might be limited. Although only 86,000 SS396s were built in 1969, nearly 400,000 Chevelles and Malibus were built with V8 engines. Now some of those are obviously four-door sedans and wagons, but it also means that there are a good quarter-million plus 2-door Chevelles out there that can be bought reasonably and are just waiting to be restored, or turned into an SS clone. And that's if you absolutely, positively have to have a 1969 model!! If you can live a 1968, or 1970-72 model, there's literally millions more. This is not an isolated example. While GTOs and 442s command a king's ransom, 2-door Cutlasses and Tempest / LeMans models from 1964-77 are out there by the thousands.  Road Runners are scarce, but 2-door Satellites and Belvederes are plentiful. Ditto for 2-dr Coronets- ( Think "Instant Super Bee" ) .  Your not going to find a deal on a Shelby or a Boss 302, but there were literally millions of 289 or 302 Mustangs built from 1964-1970.  Trans-Ams and Z/28 Camaros might be pricey, but again, there are millions of 1970-81 Camaros and Firebirds out there, and there is probably more aftermarket speed equipment and restoration parts on the market for these cars than anything else on the planet.  You might have to do some work other than write a check, but you can build your car anyway you want. I may be too much of a gearhead, but I'd rather have $20,000 in a Malibu with a Fire-Breathing 500 hp 502 inch Rat motor, than the same amount in a numbers-matching SS 396 that still needs restoration. Mastermind         

Need to sell some stuff....

I have a complete "Turn-Key" i.e.-distributor, carburator, water pump, fuel pump, serpentine belt drive system with alternator, p/s pump and a/c compressor included GM Performance Parts ZZ4 crate engine for sale. It has less than 500 miles on it. It is still in a car, so potential buyers can hear it run or drive the car. To refresh your memories, the ZZ4 is a 350 Chevy with a 4-bolt main block, a steel crank, "Pink" rods, 10:1 compression Keith Black Hypereutic pistons, a cam with 279/290 duration and .474/510 lift, L98 aluminum heads, an aluminum Z/28/LT1 high-rise manifold and 770 cfm Holley carb. They are rated at 355 hp and 405 lbs ft of torque. Summit Racing sells these "Turn-key" engines for $5295. I will sell mine for $3795, cash only. I also have an Olds 455 engine with a Lunati Bracket Master cam with 298/304 duration and .496/520 lift in it, chrome moly rod bolts, TRW forged flat-top pistons and an Edelbrock Torker intake. It is also complete from distributor to oil pan. It is on an engine stand, and has a spun main bearing. I will sell this engine for $1500 cash only. I also have a Chevy bolt pattern Turbo 400 and a BOP bolt pattern Turbo 400 that I will sell for $400 and $250 respectively. I also may be interested in selling my one of 1,097 made, 1973 Hurst/Olds 442. Price negotiable. Interested parties can comment on this post, leave your email or phone number with area code and I will get back to you. Mastermind

How it all started.....

A lot of people will tell you that the 1964 Pontiac GTO started the musclecar craze, but they don't know the reasons why.  Here's how it all started. Way back in 1956 Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen took over Pontiac, which was in sixth place in sales. Pontiac had a staid image of big sedans-i.e.- your grand father's car. Knudsen's motto was "You can sell a young man's car to an old man, but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man."  He told his engineers to build sporty, fast, good looking cars. Fortunately, in 1955 both Chevrolet and Pontiac introduced modern V8s. By modern I mean OHV design, not flatheads like Ford had used since the '30's, and with free-breathing combustion chambers, not like the "Nailhead" V8 that Buick was using or the "Rocket" Oldsmobiles that dated back to 1949.  The Chevys were 265 cubic inches and the Pontiacs were 287. We all know the small-block Chevy is still in use to this day, and that the Pontiac design lasted until 1979. Anyway, Pontiac increased the displacement every year to 317 inches in '56, and to 347 in 1957. Chevrolet only increased theirs to 283 inches in '57 Corvettes and Impalas and Bel Airs.  The Fuel-Injected 1957 Bonneville that paced the Daytona 500 was Knudsen's first great achievement. In 1958 Pontiac bumped displacement to 370 inches and introduced Tri-Power- 3-2bbl carbs on one manifold. In 1959 they stepped up to 389 Cubic inches, and Smokey Yunick and Fireball Roberts won a bunch of NASCAR races. In this time, Pontiac had climbed from sixth to third in U.S. Auto sales. This is where the motto "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" came from. Chevrolet and Ford and Chrysler competed too. A guy named Lee Petty  and his son Richard won a bunch of races in Chryslers. Mickey Thompson, and Arnie Beswick ran stock class drag racers successfully. Chevrolet hot-rodded their truck motor and the famous "409" was born. Chrysler bumped displacement of their big V8 to from 361 to 413 cubic inches. Ford dropped the ancient 292 and 312 "Y-Block" design and introduced the 352, the 390 and the 406 inch "FE" series of V8 engines. Not to be outdone, Pontiac bumped displacement again to 421 cubic inches and offered single 4bbl, 3-2bbl, and 2-4bbl induction systems on the "Super Duty" 389 and 421 engines. Mickey Thompson and driver Hayden Proffit blew everyone away at the 1961 NHRA drag championships in a 421 Catalina. The Pettys were still winning in Nascar with Dodge, and the Wood Brothers and the Allison brothers had some success for Ford, and a guy named Junior Johnson had some success for Chevrolet, but Smokey Yunick and Fireball Roberts were virtually unstoppable in their fire-breathing Pontiacs. Roberts won 22 races in 1961 and 1962. In 1963, Chrysler increased displacement to 426 cubic engines. Chevrolet introduced the 427 inch "Daytona Mystery motor" which we all know became the legendary big-block Chevy that's still in use today. The cars that these legendary motors were raced in were full-size cars. Impalas, Catalinas, Ford Galaxies, Plymouth Belvederes. Then 4 things happened. GM sent down their famous ban on racing in late 1963. Not even "back door" help to NASCAR teams, no more racing period. However, Ford and Chrysler had no such ban. Chrysler was developing the 426 Hemi and Ford was working on a semi-hemi 427 to race NASCAR and be drag-raced.  GM brass knew that without winning a lot races, they's lose performance car buyers to Ford and Chrysler. Knudsen got promoted to President of Chevrolet. His replacement was John DeLorean. DeLorean did not want to lose Pontiac's number three sales position behind Chevrolet and Ford. He knew the performance image was a big part of that. He asked his top engineer Pete Estes, "What if we didn't build a race car, what if we built a high-performance street car?"  "A Factory Hot Rod."  The new A-body intermediates were being introduced for 1964-the Pontiac Lemans, the Chevy Chevelle, the Buick Skylark and the Olds Cutlass. GM said none of these cars could have a standard engine over 330 cubic inches. That was the unwritten rule-big cars got big engines, small cars got small engines. Olds engineers angered DelOrean by putting the "Little Car" 330 V8 in the Delta 88 and lowering the price-this car was a direct competitor of the Pontiac Catalina and the Chevrolet Impala. Estes said-"What if we took a 389 out of the Catalina / Bonneville line, and put it in the LeMans?"  Delorean cited GMs rule. Estes replied-"It says no STANDARD engine over 330 inches." "We make the 389 an OPTIONAL package."  Delorean liked the idea. They hpoed to sell 10,000 units. The GTO sold 32,450 units as a mid-year option package, and the buff magazines raved about it's blistering performance. Olds quickly released the 442 package on the Cutlass. The 442 moniker stood for "4 barrel carb, 4-speed trans, and dual exhaust. Even though it came out later than the GTO, and only had the 330 inch V8 the first year, the 442 sold well. The other GM divisions, especially Chevrolet, cried foul, and demanded the Pontiac and Olds models be scrapped. In 1965, Pontiac sold 75,000 GTOs. Oldsmobile upped the ante by offering the big 400 cube V8 in the 442 to compete with the GTO. GM didn't argue with sales success and said the GTO and 442 were here to stay. Chevrolet quickly built some 396 Chevelles in 1965, but only 201 were made. In 1966, the SS396 package was introduced. However, even though Chevrolet had a dealer network twice the size of Pontiacs, they only sold 77,000 SS396 Chevelles, while Pontiac sold nearly 100,000 GTOs. After the phenomenal success of the Mustang, GM introduced the Camaro and Firebird for 1967. And you could get a Camaro with a 396 or a Firebird with a 400. The largest engine available in a Mustang was a 289. Ford quickly shoehorned the 390 into the Mustang to combat this. Even though the Plymouth GTX and the Dodge Charger could be had with the new for 1967 440 V8, they were still full-size cars. Chrysler had to do something about this or just let GM and Ford own the performance car market. Thus the Barracuda was given a much swoopier body and the 340 and 383 V8s were available, and the Road Runner and the Super Bee were launched in 1968. They also wanted a "Camaro fighter" for 1969, but the new E-bodies ( Challenger / Cuda ) didn't make production until August 1969 as 1970 Models. The rest-the Judge, the Hurst / Olds, LS6 Chevelles, Hemi Cudas, is history.  Mastermind    

More overlooked musclecars

The buying public is fickle, and as such there are still some great cars that be bought at great prices, simply because they are a different year.  Here's the expanded list in no particular order. #1 1971-72 Pontiac GTO. You can buy these cars for way less than the 1968-70 models, and I really don't know why. The bodystyle is basically the same, the venerable 400 4bbl was still the standard engine, and although the Ram Air III and Ram Air IV 400s were gone after 1970, they were replaced by the awesome 455 HO, which had the RAIV heads, intake and exhaust, coupled with the "068" cam to make a torque monster that could run with anything.  #2 1971-73 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Same deal-people pay double the price for 69-70 models, but these are treated like Rodney Dangerfield. Most have the 351C for power and the bodystyle is still cool today.  #3 1971-72 Chevelle SS. I know horsepower and compression dropped off after 1970, but the bodystyle was basically the same, and the 402 and 454 big-blocks were still available., as was the famed "Cowl Induction" hood, and the famous "Horshoe" console shifter for automatics. The '70's have such a cult following that people buy these cars and put the '70 front end on them. If you'll consider a 350 version, you can find some real bargains. #4 1972-74 Dodge Challenger / Plymouth Barracuda. 1970 and 71 models bring blood and a first-born child, because of the availability of the 383, 440 and Hemi engines. However, the 72-74 models share the same bodystyle, and 340 and 360 versions are good performers. #5 1971-72 Olds 442. Just like the Chevelle and the GTO, people pay insane money for a 1970 model, yet won't even look at these. Yet, again, the bodystyle is the same, and although compression was down the 455 still made over 300 net hp. Some 1972 models had 350 V8s as the standard engine with the 455 optional. These can be real bargains, because just like Chevelles, everybody wants the big-blocks. #6 1971-74 AMC Javelin / AMX.  Same story-1968-70 models bring way more money. However, I think the 71-74 model has a way more muscular look, better handling and the 360 and 401 V8s are torquey.  If you buy one of the cars on this list you'll have something you don't see everyday and you may save some money. Mastermind

Cool Muscle Machines that are overlooked

There are many great musclecars that are overlooked by the buying public, which makes them great deals for the smart shopper. Ill list them in no particular order.  #1 1967 Pontiac GTO. People fight with machetes for 1964-66 models, and for 1968-70 models, but this one year can be bought for substantially less than the others, and I don't know why. The styling is cleaner than the '66 model, Disc brakes were optional for the first time, and automatics were Turbo 400s which is a quantum leap up in performance from the two-speed Super Turbine 300s ( Read Powerglide ) used in 64-66 models. The Hurst Dual/Gate shifter was an option too. The 400 V8 was rated at 350 hp, 360 for Ram Air models, and a 4-speed was standard. 81,000 were built, so you should be able to find one. #2 1967 Chevelle SS396. Same as the GTO-people give blood and a first-born child for 65-66 models or 68-70s, but these are not as sought after by buyers. Maybe it's the grille which looks like an Impala. Still they had 396s rated at 325 and 350 hp, a Muncie 4-speed or Turbo 400 for trannys, and they were strong runners, as their lighter than the later models. #3 1972 Plymouth Road Runner. The 68-70s are treated like the holy grail, and 71s have quite a following as that's the last year for the Hemi and the 440 Six-Pack. However, even though the bodystyle is identical to the '71, the 72 models are treated like Rodney Dangerfield. ( "No Respect" ). Although lowered compression ratios and lower net horspower ratings might be a factor, I think they get a bad rap. The 400 V8 ( A bored-out 383 ) was the standard engine. The 340 and the 440 were optional, and electronic ignition debuted this year. For whatever reason, you can buy them way cheaper than the 1968-71 models. #4 1975-76 Pontiac Trans-Am. Whether Super Duty powered or not, the 73-74 models bring way more money, as do the 77-79 "Smokey and the Bandit" era models. However these cars are a screaming bargain. They all have "Real" 400 Pontiac engines-( A lot of 77-79 models had 403 Olds engines.)  and the 455 was still optional. With very little work- intake,exhaust and an axle-ratio change these cars can really run. Dynamite. #5 1969-70 Shelby GT 350 Mustang. That's not a typo. These cars have the 290 hp 351W for power with either a 4-speed or an automatic for trannys. I have seen great examples in Hemmings Motor News or at auctions for $40-45,000.  Not cheap, but try to find any other 1965-70 Shelby Mustang for under 100 grand. #6 1974 Pontiac GTO  The best Nova money can buy. When Pontiac changed the Goat from being based on the A-body LeMans to the X-body ( read Nova ) platform enthusiasts howled. Snubbed by Pontiac enthusiasts, these cars are a steal, and make a great hot rod. (It's not like your messing up a Judge, right? ). Here's why-the only powerplant was a 350 Pontiac rated at 200 hp. Transmissions were a Turbo 350 or a 4-speed, and the rear end was a 10 bolt posi with a 3.08 axle ratio. Even with 5 mph bumpers, these cars only weighed about 3,200 lbs,-about 600 lbs less than a Trans-Am.  Here's the fun part-Pontiac engines are externally identical from a 326 to a 455, which means a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. Any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro, Firebird or Nova will interchange. Only 7,058 were built, so their fairly rare, but still cheaper than a same-year Firebird, or even their Nova SS cousins.  Mastermind       

The "Other" Road Runner! And it's competitors.....

A while back I wrote about how the success of the Road Runner led to the production of the GTO Judge. It also led to the production of several other cool musclecars.  One in particular came from Dodge. In 1968, They really stepped in it. They didn't think the Road Runner would be a success. When they saw Plymouth selling Road Runners like hot cakes, Dodge engineers quickly came out with a Road Runner clone.  They took a base model Coronet 2 door, and added the 383 Magnum engine from the Charger. The standard transmission was a 3-speed manual, with a 4-speed manual or a 727 Torqueflite optional. The other engine choice was the mighty 426 Hemi. Graphics included the famous "Bumblebee" stripe and the Bee with the helmet and goggles and smoking slicks for a lower body. They called it the "Super Bee."  While Plymouth sold 45,000 Road Runners that year, Dodge's late-to the party Super Bee sold 15,000.  In 1969 Dodge was not going to be left out. The Super Bee debuted for 1969 and besides the 383 and the Hemi, they offered the 440 Six-Pack. A 440 Magnum with a hotter cam, and 3 Holley 2bbls on an aluminum Edelbrock manifold. It also had a lift-off fiberglass hood held on by four hood pins, with a huge scoop, painted flat black. It looked mean, and with 390 hp, it WAS mean.  While Pontiac decided to go up with the Judge, other divisions also came out with Road Runner/Super Bee fighters. While the 442 had mighty street cred, they were often more expensive than a GTO or an SS Chevelle or a Plymouth GTX.  To fight the bargain-priced Road Runners and Super Bees, Oldsmobile engineers took the original Idea that Pontiac had for the "E.T " Tempest. They took a Base-model F85/Cutlass with a 350 V8. The added freer-breathing heads, a hot cam with 308 degrees duration and .474 lift, a high-rise intake and special quadrajet carb. The were only available with a 4 speed and 3.90 or 4.33 gears. Grossly underrated at 325 hp, ( The standard 350 was rated at 310 ) these terrors were named "W31". The stripped down badass F85s were as quick as the heavier and more expensive 400 powered 442s. Ford jumped on the bandwagon offering 390 and 428 engines in the stripped-down Fairlane 2 dr. Pontiac did eventually offer a 350 HO package on Tempest and Firebird models. These were also rated at 325 hp.  The car with the "Beep-Beep" horn obviously had quite an impact on the musclecar era. Mastermind           

If it ain't broke.......Part 2

I don't understand why people think "restoration" means replacing everything on the car whether it needs it or not.  I sold a 1966 Mustang to a guy a few years ago. Mind you, the 225 hp 289 had good oil pressure, good compression on all cylinders, didn't smoke an ounce, didn't use or leak a drop of oil, and ran like the proverbial scalded cat.  The C4 tranny didn't leak, didn't slip, shifted glass-smooth at part throttle, and would bark the tires into second at full throttle. The front disc brakes would stop the car on a dime, and the car handled great. It did need a paint job, and the buckets seats needed recovering, but otherwise the car was a diamond. The body was remarkabley rust-free, and all the chrome was intact. I saw the guy a year later and the car looked great. It had a new paint job, and American Racing Torq-thrust wheels on it. I said hello to the guy and said how nice the car looked, and said "See-I told you it wouldn' take much to make that car really nice."  "What are you talking about?" The guy responded. "I've got over $10,000 invested in this over and above the price I paid you."  "How?" I asked, incredulous. "You spent ten grand on a paint job, seat covers and wheels?"  "No, I had the engine and tranny rebuilt first."  "Why?" I asked. "The car ran like a champ."  "I also completely re-did the brakes and suspension." "New rotors, drums, calipers, wheel cylinders, hoses, master cylinder, everything." "Why?" "There was nothing wrong with the brakes."  "I could understand maybe some KYB or Monroe shocks, but there was nothing wrong with the suspension." I said.  "I replaced all the bushings, the tie rod ends, the ball joints, everything."  The guy responded.  "I wanted everything new."  "If you were going to replace everything on the car anyway, why didn't you buy a beater?" "Why pay top dollar for a nearly perfect, numbers-matching original car, and then replace everything on it?"  Whether he wanted it as a driver or to sell it for a profit, he'd have been way better off just painting it and fixing the seats!!  And now he had almost $25,000 in a car that he'd be lucky to sell for $15,000!!  A similar thing happened when I sold another guy a 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo. This time, I had even put a new paint job and vinyl top on the Monte before I sold it. This car was an awesome driver. The 350 ran great, the A/C would form an icicle on your nose, the seats and the dash weren't cracked, I mean this car was again, a diamond.  I saw the guy a couple weeks later and asked how he liked the car.  "I'll love it when it's done"  he said. "What do you mean when it's done?" I asked. "What could that car possibly need, unless your swapping in a big-block?"  "I'm doing a frame-off restoration." "Why?" I asked, stunned.  Again I had to ask- "If you were going to do that, why didn't you start with a clunker that you could buy for about a 1/5th the price?"  "Why buy an already restored car, and tear it completely down?  "You only half-restored it." he sneered. "Im replacing everything."  I guess there's a lot of people with more money than brains.  But the rest of us don't have to fall in that trap. Again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Mastermind        

Don't go overboard trying to be "Original"

People complain about the high cost of restoring a 40 or 50 year old car, but I think a lot of people's problem is the "Just as it left the factory" mentality. If concours is your bag, and you want to compete in that arena and nit-pick other rich peoples garage jewelry-( "You lose 10 points because you had the wrong kind of hose clamps" )  Go ahead. However, if your going to drive the car at all, that type of mentality is unrealistic. Is a pristine 1970 Boss 302 Mustang really worth less because it has a Sears Die Hard Battery and a Fram oil filter instead of NOS Autolite?  Is an LT-1 Corvette "Ruined" because it has a #4779 Double-Pumper carb on it instead of the original #3310 Vacuum-secondary model? Would you NOT buy a gorgeous 57 Chevy Impala Convertible because it had an alternator instead of a generator on the 283 V8? Or if it had a 350 in it?  I've mentioned this before, but I know a guy who almost didn't buy an unrestored but always garaged, one-owner 80,000 mile 68 Charger because it had a bench seat and a two-barrel carb on the 383!!  "For God's sake!"  I told him. "Putting bucket seats and a factory or aftermarket 4bbl carb and intake on it is not going to hurt the value!!"  "Your actually thinking of not buying a car as nice as this one because of the carburator?!"  "Are you out of your mind?"  He listened and bought the car.  I know another guy who was anal about a gorgeous 69 Camaro we saw on a used car lot. The car was Hugger orange with black interior and had a mild 350 and a Saginaw 4-speed trans. It also had nice Centerline wheels and BFG T/A tires on it.  He hemmed and hawwed, because the numbers showed it was originally a six-cylinder, three-speed model! "So what?"  I said. "It's worth more now with a V8 and a 4-speed than it would be if it was orignal." "It's not a Yenko or a Z/28." "People aren't fighting with machetes for six-cylinder 3-speed models." "Your never going to find a V8, 4-speed 69 Camaro at anywhere near this price." "Who gives a shit if it's not orignal?"  Sadly, he did not come to his senses, and kicked himself every time we saw the happy owner banging through the gears on the way to work.  I know another moron who didn't buy an immaculate 400, 4-speed, 69 GTO Judge because it was "A fake."  It wasn't an original Judge, the owner had just painted it that way and added the spoilers and emblems because he thought he'd get more money when he sold it. It was however, a for-real numbers-matching 400, 4-speed, 69 GTO. And the price was reasonable even for a non-Judge model.  Be reasonable in your expectations and don't scour the galaxy for unobtainable cars and parts, and you'll be a lot happier. Mastermind      

A real life "American Graffiti" drag race

In 1971 My family moved from San Francisco California to Lebanon, Missouri. This happened because my dad was from Missouri, and his mother and a lot of brothers and cousins lived near Fort Leonard Wood. My dad was an expert mechanic and a lifelong gearhead. He loved Pontiacs. During my growing up years he had a 1959 Catalina with the Tri-Power 389, a 1964 GTO, and a 1965 2+2 with the Tri-Power 421. He worked in a Chevy dealership in California where he got a reputation as a carburator expert. People with Tri-power Pontiacs, and Tri-power 427 Vettes came from miles around to have him tune their cars. The legendary Dino Fry said there was no one better at tuning multiple carbs than my dad. Guys with Hemi and Six-Pack Mopars started coming to this Chevy Dealer to have my old man jet their carbs and tune their ignition. He carried this heavy rep with him when we moved to Missouri. He went to work at Lindsay Chevrolet in Lebanon, and soon word was out as far away as Springfield about the "Wizard of Lindsay Chevrolet."  Gearheads from all over brought their cars to my old man. For a small town, I guess because of the many farming communities around it, Lebanon had quite a street racing scene in the early '70's. The early '70's was when Interstate 40 and Interstate 44 bypassed the legendary Route 66. Every Friday night just outside town, on "Old 66" people would congregate and the racing would be on. The King of the Lebanon Street racing scene was a 20 ish guy nicknamed "Little Orris." He was actually about 6 ft tall, but his father's name was Orris, so this childhood moniker stuck to him. Everyone who had a hot rod feared "Little Orris." He worked at the same dealer my dad did. He drove a 1966 SS396 Chevelle. This Chevelle had a solid-lifter L78 396 under the hood backed by a Muncie 4-speed and a 4.11 geared 12 bolt posi. The buildup to the big race started innocently enough one Friday when Orris blew the doors off a 1969 Hemi Road Runner. The Road Runner driver protested that his car was pinging and not running properly. Arrogant little King that he was, Orris told the Road Runner driver to have my dad tune his car up and come and try again. The Mopar man took this advice. I remember my dad admonishing the guy. "Whether its a Hemi, or a Six-pack or a Vette or a GTO, none of you idiots can leave well enough alone." "As soon as the car fouls a plug, you start screwing around with the carburators." "Pretty soon it won't even start, much less run decent." The guy took the tongue lashing and said, "Ok. How much is it going to cost me to shut Little Orris' big mouth?" Dad told him to come back after closing time. The manager was a gearhead who had been stomped on by Orris, and allowed my dad to use the scope, the Sun distributor machine and the infrared exhaust analyzer after-hours. That way him and my old man could split the money, instead of having to charge the guy the daytime dealership rate. The three of them worked on the Road Runner from 6 pm to almost midnight. I'll never forget the final test drive down I-44. ( I was in the backseat ). The driver punched it at the bottom of the on-ramp, and lit the tires up. The dual AFBs roared like a lion,and we were rocketing forward. The Torqueflite hit second, and the car hip-faked a little sideways, and smoked the tires for another 75-100 feet. The car hit third and laid another 8-10 feet of rubber. I couldn't beleive it. My dad's GTO was fast, but this thing was ungodly. It just kept pulling on that mountain of torque like a locomotive. Finally, the driver and my dad and his pal the service manager agreed that he should let off before the tires came apart, because it was obvious the Big Hemi was not going to run out of power! The Road Runner driver paid my dad more than he'd asked for. "This thing never ran that good, not even when it was brand-new!"  The following Friday night the Road Runner driver went looking for Orris. Orris and the Chevelle beat him off the line, but at the top of second gear, the Hemi caught him, and then passed him. Beating the "King" by a good two car lengths. The exultant Plymouth driver taunted the dejected Orris. "Thanks for the tip." "Your mechanic did a great job."  Orris' brother had a 1970 Plymouth GTX with a 440 Six-Pack, a 4-speed and a 4.10 Dana 60. Orris decided to fight a Mopar with a Mopar. He borrowed his brother's car, had my dad tune the carbs and the ignition, and then challenged the Hemi Road Runner driver again. Word spread quickly among the gearhead community that "Orris has a new car, and he just had the "Wizard" tune it, and he's going to crush that guy in the green hemi Road Runner."  That Friday night hundreds of people lined both sides of the road near the 1/4 mile stretch that had been marked off the deserted section of old 66 that everyone knew about. The local Police figured they might as well avoid a problem, and instead of trying to stop the race, they closed the road to ensure no old lady would dawdle into the race and cause a tragedy. Since my dad had tuned both cars, we were there. The two cars lined up, and just like in the movies the "Flagger" stood between the cars and turned a flashlight on. Orris was an artist with a 4-speed. The GTX came off the line with very little wheelspin, just enough to get the engine up on its torque curve. Even with an automatic, the Hemi Road Runner lit the tires up allowing the GTX to jump ahead. You could hear Orris powershifting at the redline. Crack! Second gear. Crack! third gear. But the Hemi came on strong in the mid-range and pulled even. Crack! Orris hit 4th. Everyone was jumping up and down and screaming. They roared across the finish line, the Hemi ahead by half the length of the front fender. Orris demanded that they go 2 out of three, and the Road Runner driver agreed that being that close, 2 out of three was the best way to settle it. But the local Police had seen enough. Their was too many people on and around the road to let them go again. The cops told everyone to go home or get tickets and or go to jail. Everyone left. For years after people speculated on whether or not the GTX could have beat the Road Runner, but the rematch never happened. However my dad's legend as a tuner certainly grew from this. To hear people tell it today, their was thousands of people lining the road, and tens of thousands of dollars were bet on it. Funny how tales grow taller every time their told. However, I was there at this real-life "American Graffiti" drag race. Matermind        

RIP Joe Mondello

The sport of Hot Rodding has lost another legend. Joe Mondello passed away last month from complications following stomach surgery. Many of you know him as "Dr Oldsmobile"  The worlds top Olds V8 expert. His engines powered many a Champion drag racer and boat racer.  What you may not know is that he was slready racing and modifying flathead Fords in the early '50's before he was 17 years old.  Along with guys like Vic Edelbrock Sr, Joe was an innovator back in the days when it was all seat of your pants, no flow benches. Modern Cylinder head and combustion technologies owe a lot to Joe and the work he did on Carroll Shelbys dominant LeMans engines in the 60s as well as early small-block Chevys.  Mondello set the gold standard in cylinder head research, even building Don Garlits record setting dragsters.  Before his sudden illness, he was still working at the Mondello Technical School training the next generation of high-end racing engine builders and machinists, as well as building his beloved Oldsmobile engines for customers.  He was a true champion of the sport and a legendary nice guy.  Now what the hell am I going to do about the 455 Olds engine sitting in my garage needing a rebuild while ( Gasp ) a Chevy powers my Hurst/Olds?   Mastermind

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!

A lot of people ask how they can keep a restoration project from becoming a money pit. The title to this post says it all. You don't have to replace every nut and bolt on the car. I know a guy who over-restored his car, and was then disappointed when he couldn't sell it for anywhere near what he had invested.  Here's how that happened. I understand him wanting to rebuild the engine, and mybe pump in a little more power. But he replaced the power steering pump, even though the old one worked fine, wasn't leaking, and wasn't making any noise. He replaced the radiator, even though the old one wasn't leaking, wasn't clogged up, and cooled the engine just fine even in 95 degree weather.  He replaced the starter even though it bench-tested fine, and started the car fine. I could go on, but you get the drift. He spent a lot of money replacing things that not only didn't need to be replaced, but also didn't add any value to the car.  Your fixing what needs to be fixed, not trying to make a brand-new old car. Mastermind

A Turbo Trans-Am worth owning!

We all know about the ill-fated Turbo Trans-Am of 1980-81. The anemic little 301 V8, even with a Turbo couldn't come close to the performance of the mighty and deceased ( After 1979 ) 400 Pontiac engines. As such, you can buy these cars cheap, and most people put a 400 or 455, or even ( Gasp! ) a small-block Chevy in for a quick power infusion. However in 1989 there was a 20th Annivesary model that had the fuel-injected Buick Grand National motor in the sleek third-generation T/A body. They were lightning-quick stock, and there is a ton of aftermarket speed equipment available for the GN motors. Plus, their even lighter than the small-block Chevy V8s that they replaced, which improves handling. They are not cheap, but they are a unique and cool ride if you can find one. Mastermind

The Boss is Back! With a Vengenance!

Car and driver and Road and Track tested Boss 302 Mustangs this past month, and they both were blown away. 0-60 times of 4.1 seconds and 1/4 mile times of 12.3 seconds dusted the vaunted BMW M3. And it's not just a drag racer. It beat a $125,000 Audi R8 around Laguna Seca. The graphics are cool too. Very similar to the original 1969 models. All for about $40k. Or if you were judicious with the option sheet, you could get a 412 hp GT for about 30K!. According to Car and Drvier, the GT ran a 12.7 second 1/4, and gave an M3 all it could handle around Willow springs raceway. In my mind a few tenths in the 1/4 and 32 hp ( The Boss is rated at 444 hp ) isn't worth 10 or 15 grand more. However, the base GT is still quicker than the Camaro SS and the SRT8 Hemi Challenger. Kudos to Ford for having the balls to put out such a killer ride in these times of 4 dollar a gallon gas and people touting hybrids. Wonder if I could get financed on a new Mustang..... Mastermind