Special Editions that aren't really special.......

Had some people ask for more one or two year wonders that they might find at a reasonable price. I came up with a few-their not particularly rare or valuable, they just have cool options, or are just plain weird. But if you buy them right they can be a lot of fun. Here's some in no particular order of importance. # 1. 1965-67 Corvette with automatic transmission. I have no idea why Chevrolet did this-especially with the big-blocks, but you could buy a Corvette with a 327, 396, or even a 427 with a two-speed Powerglide automatic. I don't need to tell you that their performance was considerably less than the four-speed models. I find it strange because the excellent three-speed TH400 was introduced in 1965-and if you bought an Impala with a Rat motor-you got a TH400. From 1968 on in the 'Vette-you got a TH400 even with the base 300 hp 327 or 350 engines if you wanted an automatic. This went on until '71 or '72 when power ratings dropped and the small-blocks got TH350s, and the TH400 was reserved for 454 models. These Powerglide equipped '65-67 models fall into the category of  NOT rare or collectible, just weird. They aren't worth anything-( other than the fact that it is a '65-67 Stingray ) so don't pay a premium price for one. Vette collectors snub these cars like the plague so you might actually find a deal on one. On the upside, a TH350 will literally bolt right in-they even use the same rear trans mount and driveshaft yoke. You can even use the stock shifter and linkage-you just won't be able to manually engage low gear. With a proper shift kit from TransGo or B&M, this is a non-issue. This would give the car an incredible boost in performance over the "Powerslide" with no other changes. TH350's are incredibly tough; even in bone-stock trim they can stand up to a 400 hp engine. With very little work they can stand up to 500 or more hp easily.  # 2 1967-68 Olds 442 and Pontiac GTO "Turnpike" editions. For some reason, even though gas was like 29 cents a gallon and the musclecar movement in full swing-( Chrysler introduced the wildly successfull Road Runner and Super Bee models, Ford put 390s in Mustangs and Carroll Shelby and Bob Tasca put 428s in them ) some genius in GM marketing thought it would be a good idea to replace the GTO and 442's standard high-compression 350 hp 400 4bbl V8 engines and Muncie 3 and 4-speed manual trannys, and 3.36:1 or 3.55:1 gears with a low-compression, 2bbl 400 V8 with 265 hp,a TH400 automatic, and 2.93:1 gears. It flopped because no one wanted an emasculated GTO or 442, that looked badass but couldn't back up the image on the street, and no one else really cared about a GM "A" body coupe that got 16 mpg instead of 12, and cost way more than a base-model Malibu, Tempest or Cutlass. If you find one cheap they can be good investments-it doesn't take much to swap rear-end gears, or install a factory or aftermarket 4bbl carb and intake for a massive power gain. However they aren't worth squat-other than the fact that you may have a rust-free GTO or 442 body. # 3. 1977-79 Pontiac Trans-Am  Gold SE or Black and Gold SE. These are just a garden-variety T/A with pinstriping and maybe T-tops. After "Smokey and the Bandit" came out Pontiac sold almost 70,000 T/A's in 1977 alone. 15,000 of those were black and gold SE's just like the movie. Because of that raging success they came up with the Gold SE. But they are nothing special. # 4. 1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette. All 50,000+ 'Vettes built that year had Silver annivesary emblems on them. Some also had a nice Silver / Charcoal Grey two-tone paint job and a silver leather interior-but they are just a garden-variety 'Vette, nothing special. The same goes for....#5. 1978 Indy Pace Car Corvette. These were supposed to be limited editions, but Chevrolet decided to build at least one for every dealer; since their were over 7,700 dealers across the country back then- even though not every dealer got one, today they aren't that rare. Besides the pace car paint and decal package the only special feature is the seats which are the upgraded 1979-82 style. I have seen these for sale for as low as $5999 so don't overpay for one ( unless it's an L82 / 4-speed model; most are L48 / automatics ). # 6. 1975-76 "Starsky and Hutch" Gran Torino. Because of the popularity of the TV show, Ford decided to cash in. However there's nothing special about the cars; their a garden-variety 2 -door Torino with the red and white stripe paint job and 70's style slot mag wheels. Most have bench seats and a 351M with a 2bbl, backed by an automatic. It's not like they were all 460 / 4-speeds or anything. If you want one- I'd just buy a plain Torino and paint it that way and put those wheels on it for probably a lot less than people will ask for these "Special Editions".  Hope this saves people some money. Mastermind            

Still More one or two year wonders.....

Here's some more cool cars that were only made for one or two years and might still be reasonably priced-not in the stratosphere like a 1971 Boss 351 Mustang or a 1987 Buick Grand National GNX.  # 1. 1970 Olds Rallye 350 Cutlass. These cars had a super loud Sebring Yellow paint job, a "Judge" type spoiler, and had a 310 hp 350 V8 with either a Muncie 4-speed or a TH350. 3,527 were built so you see one for sale once in a while. Rumor has it that 10 or 12 were built with the vaunted "W31" Hi-Performance 350 that was grossly under-rated at 325 hp, but I have never seen one or the build sheet for one, and no Olds engineer or car magazine has ever verified one.  # 2. 1970-71 Tempest T-37 / 1972 LeMans GT. "The poor man's GTO."  These had a 350 V8 and a three speed stick as standard equipment, but you could get a 400 or a 455 with either a 4-speed or a TH400 as well. For some reason the "T37" moniker was dropped and the "LeMans GT" name adopted in 1972, but the package was basically the same.  # 3. 1967-68 Ford Mustang "California Special". These coupes had Shelby-style taillights  and scoops and spoilers. A lot were 289 powered, but some had 390s. Quite a few were built, so you can probably find one. And their way less expensive than a "Real" Shelby.  #4 1969-70 Shelby GT350 Mustang. These have the 290 hp 351W Mach 1 base engine with either a 4-speed or an FMX automatic, and I think the best-looking of all the Shelby bodys. I have seen nice examples at auctions for around 35-45K. That's not chump change, but try to touch any other Shelby for under 100K.  # 5. 1971 Dodge Super Bee. For this one year only, the Super Bee package was based on the Charger instead of the Coronet. Hemi versions are in the stratosphere as always-but 383 versions are quite reasonable. Over 6,000 were built so you can probably find one.  Mastermind  

Some one or two year wonders that you might consider....

There are some cars that for whatever reason-poor sales, bodystyle changes, marketing decisions-only last a year ot two. Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with them, they just don't catch on. Some are actually pretty cool and can be great performance / cruiser / daily driver bargains.  Here's a few that I like.  # 1. 1971-73 Buick Riviera. The famous "Boat-Tail" design. 455 cubes standard all years. GTO-like performance, Cadillac like luxury.  # 2. 1973-75 Pontiac Grand Am. Marketed to have the performamce of a Trans Am and the luxury of a Gran Prix. Except performance buyers bought T/A's and luxury buyers bought Gran Prix's. If you can find one, their a great ride based on the LeMans "A" body chassis-400 power standard all years with the 455 optional. Front disc brakes, and wrist-thick front and rear stabilizer bars also standard. Their rare-but you could even get the 400 with a 4-speed. However-for some reason they only sold 4806 GTO's in 1973, but they sold 34,000 Grand Ams-so their more plentiful than you think. # 3. 1977 Pontiac Can-Am. Trying to cash in on the Trans-Am's immense popularity-the engineers came up with this Apperance / Performance package for the LeMans. Appearance items included Rally II wheels, a ducktail type rear spoiler, a T/A style "Shaker" hood scoop, and "Judge" style striping. They were actually a cool-looking car. Performance items included a 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds V8 ( for California or High-Altitude emissions ) a Turbo 400 with a shift kit, Radial Tuned Suspension, and a 3.23:1 posi rear end. The package only lasted one season mainly because the "A" bodies- ( LeMans, Monte Carlo, Cutlass etc. ) were downsized for 1978. Dynamite if you can find one at a reasonable price.  #4 1977-78 AMC AMX. The Javelin had been defunct since 1974, but the AMX nameplate was resurrected on the Hornet platform. Say What?  They actually put a great handling suspension on it, and a cool appearance package-i.e. blacked-out grille, spoilers, striping, and chrome wheels. The down side is the top engine was a 304 V8 with a 2 bbl that wheezed out about 120 hp. I mention this car because of the hot rod potential. Like Pontiacs-all AMC V8's are externally identical. This means that a 360 or 401 is a bolt-in swap. With a curb weight about 2,900 lbs, this would be a dynamite sleeper. # 5. 1978-79 Dodge Li'l Red Express truck. Except for the Pontiac Trans-Am and the Chevrolet Corvette, this short-box, tricked-out half-ton 2wd pickup with a hotted-up 360 V8 was the fastest American car in 1978. They have kind of a "Cult" following but their cool if you can find one at a decent price. # 6. 1984-86 Ford Mustang SVO. These cars had Recaro seats, Koni Shocks, and 16" performance tires and wheels as well as a Turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that put out between 175 and 205 hp depending on the year. They didn't sell well because the "5.0" V8 models were both faster and several thousand dollars cheaper. However if you can find a used one in good shape, they can be great fun. The 2.3 liter Ford four is practically bulletproof, so you could turn the boost way up and /or add nitrous and have some serious fun tormenting "real" musclecar owners and Porschephiles. Just a few cool sleepers to consider. Mastermind            

More cars that never were....That you can build!!

There's a lot of cars that would have been cool if the manufacturers had continued to make them. However-you can build them on your own with the help of the aftermarket.  Here's some of my personal favorites. # 1. 1971-73 "Boss 302" Mustang. 351 Cleveland powered Mach 1s of this vintage bring a king's ransom, but 302 powered coupe and fastback models can be bought relatively cheap. Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer aluminum "Cleveland" style heads that will bolt up to a 302 block, and Edelbrock makes a Performer RPM intake manifold that's compatible with the Cleveland heads and shorter ( than a 351C ) deck height of a 302. With the right cam, headers, and gears, ( I'd go with 3.90:1 or 4.11:1 ) one of these "Mock Boss" engines could really rock. Back it with a C4 and a 3 grand converter or a T5 out of a later "5.0" and I think you'd have a dynamite performance car. Some Boss 302 style graphics would look badass too.  # 2. 1974-77 Pontiac LeMans GTO. We all know the last "A" body GTO was built in 1973, and the GTO ended it's legendary career on the X-body Ventura ( read Nova ) platform in 1974. But what if, instead of making the Trans-Am the flagship, Pontiac continued building the Goat on the "A" body LeMans  platform?  Well, you can build one! All you have to do is find a 2 door LeMans, LeMans Sport, or Luxury LeMans model. The 400 was plentiful in most models through 1977, and the 455 was optional until 1976. These cars have the excellent "Radial Tuned Suspension" from the factory, and any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle or Monte Carlo will fit these cars. They also have big fenderwells that will clear huge tires-you can run 275/60R15 tires on 8-inch wheels all the way around without modifying the body or the suspension. Like the T/A's of this vintage, all you'd need to do to get some real musclecar performance out of one of these cars is change the salt-flats 2.56:1 gearing for something in the 3.23-3.73:1 range, add an Edelbrock Performer intake ( the stockers from 1975-79 have a restrictive throttle opening that really limits power above 4,000 rpm ) a B&M or TransGo shift kit ( if you have an automatic ) and a decent dual exhaust system. Or you could build a stompin' 455-Edelbrock and Kauffman offer aluminum D-port and RAIV style heads, and Eagle makes a stroker rotating assembly to turn a 400 into a 455. Black out the grill and some of the chrome, add some "Judge" or "Macho T/A" type graphics and some "GTO" emblems, and you'd have a unique, head-turning ride with the power to back up the attitude, at a price far less than you can buy an earlier GTO or even a decent '70's Firebird for. # 3. 1976-77 Olds Cutlass "Hurst Olds". You can buy 73-74 "H/O" graphics ( the bodystyle is the same ) from Phoenix Graphics. Like the Pontiacs-an axle ratio change will work wonders-these cars have 2.41:1 or 2.56:1 gears stock, you need something in the 3.23:1 to 3.73:1 range-this will give you a good compromise between jackrabbit starts and decent freeway cruising rpm. There is a ton of speed equipment available for the 350 / 403 Olds engine, or you could get a 350 Diesel block and bore and stroke it to 440 inches, ( Mondello Performance sells a kit ) or you could just drop in a 455.  Any brake or suspension upgrades that fit a Chevelle or Monte Carlo wiil fit these cars.  # 4. 1978-83 Buick "Grand National". We all know the GN was only built from '84-87, and that only the fuel-injected, intercooled '85-87 models are worth having. ( The carburated 1984 models had way less power, and more reliability problems. ) I'm not suggesting that you try to Turbocharge a V6 base model-that would cost a mint.  No,-the way to go is to find a 1978-83 Regal with either a 301 Pontiac or 307 Olds V8-a lot of them were built with these engines. Don't start-I know these engines were lightweight "economy" motors that wheezed out maybe 150 hp. But, and it's a HUGE but-a 400 or 455 Pontiac will bolt right in place of the 301-the motor mounts are in the same location. Ditto for the 307- a 350 or 403 Olds will drop right in for an instant power and torque infusion. A monochromatic paint job, some fat wheels and tires, ( and again- an axle-ratio change ) and you could give those smug "real" GN owners a run for the money they'd not soon forget for very low bucks. # 5. 1978-83 Malibu SS. These "G" bodys are still relatively cheap. The real bargains are the '78-80 models that had 350s in them from the factory. The '81 and later models had 305s, but that's okay-you'll probably swap in a snarling 350 or 383 anyway. "Honest Charley" and a couple other places sell the Aero "Monte Carlo SS" front clip that will bolt right onto these cars and give them a badass look. I like this treatment way better on the semi-fastback, smooth-sided Malibu over the formal roofline and scallopped sides of the Monte. Being 600 lbs lighter than the 73-77 models they replaced, one of these could be an awesome sleeper with the right equipment.  Any one of these cars would make a unique, fast, cool project that you don't see every day. Mastermind      

Playing with junk.....And building cars that never were....

I have a buddy that owns a junkyard and we were talking about building some "cars that never were" out of clunkers.  The first ones that come to mind are GM musclecar wagons. The easiest of course are the Pontiac LeMans and Olds Cutlass wagons built from 1968-72. Back in the days before SUVs were rampant a lot of people that towed trailers used wagons. Thus, while the two-door coupes were mostly 350 models with drum brakes, a lot of LeMans and Cutlass wagons had 400 or 455 cubes under the hood, TH400s, and front disc brakes as standard equipment. It wouldn't take much trim from Year One to make a "GTO", "Judge"  or "442" or "Hurst / Olds" wagon.  You could also build an SS396 or SS454 Chevy wagon, but these may cost more-for some reason-unlike their Pontiac and Olds cousins, most Malibu wagons had 350 motivation. Which means you'd have to find a suitable Rat motor and swap it in, besides doing the body and interior trim. They'd be a great ride-a wagon actually makes a good drag racer because of it's excellent weight distribution, and you'd have the passenger and storage room of a modern SUV.  Another good GM toy would be a "GTO" "442" or Buick GS El Camino. Buy a beater '68-72 El Camino and then put the appropriate front clip and drivetrain on it. You could probably build a 455 Olds, Buick or Pontiac version for WAAY less than a decent SS396 or 454 version would cost to buy. Also way cool would be an "X" body ( Chevy Nova, Pontiac Ventura, Olds Omega ) styled like a '60s Trans-Am or '70's IROC racer. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro / Firebird will fit these cars, so making a real handling "G" machine out of one is easy. Monster rubber, radiused and flared fenderwells, maybe even a T/A style "shaker" hood scoop. The Ventura would be a great sleeper because Pontiac V8's are externally identical from a 326 to a 455. A 400 or 455 would literally drop in place of the 350 that some of them have. What about a 403 powered Olds Omega with Trans-Am style suspension?  Mastermind  

Answers about the "Cadzillas"....

Had some inquiries as to why more people don't make the 472 / 500 Cadillac V8 swap. Yes, anything with 472 / 500 cubes is going to have massive low-end torque-like 500 lbs ft at 2,700 rpm. But other than the cubes and low-end grunt, your not going to get anywhere near the performance offered by the big-inch offerings of other GM divisions or Ford and Chrysler. There's a couple reasons why-the main one being that they are not high revvers. And I don't mean that they won't go 8 grand like a 427 or 454 Chevy, or 429 Ford, or that they should be redlined at 5,700 like a 455 Pontiac or Buick because of the large main bearings. The big Cad engines are all done in by about 4,500 rpm. This is because they were built to haul the 6,000 lb land-barges of the late-'60's and early '70's that may even be towing a trailer behind them. This is why they make such massive torque from idle to about 4,000 rpm. But there was no factory "performance" model like the W30 455 Olds or Stage 1 455 Buick. The factory never made a hot cam or performance intake or exhaust.  The second problem is there is almost zero aftermarket performance parts available.  Edelbrock makes a Performer intake manifold that will theoretically make power up to  5,500.  I say theoretically, because there's no cams, headers, nothing to increase power like there is for most other engines. But like I said-for a low-budget swap there alright. But you won't be throwing fear into the hearts of any LS6 Chevelle or RAIV GTO or 440 Road Runner owners. Mastermind   

a Budget "Cross-Breed" resto we can all appreciate..

I often rail about people putting modern Chevy LS engines and trannys in old GM Iron at five times the cost of restoring the powertrain that came in the car. I saw a car in "Street Rodder" the other day that was quite refreshing. The guy had a gorgeous red 1961 Impala coupe. For power it had a 500 inch Cadillac engine out of a '76 Eldorado backed up by a BOPC ( Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and Cadillac all share the same bellhousing bolt-pattern, only Chevrolet is different )  TH400. He also had the better 1970-73 heads, an Edelbrock Performer intake and some TTI headers on it. Needless to say with 500 cubes and a TH400, it ran a lot better than it did with the old 348 / Powerglide combo and cost a LOT less to build than a 348 / 409. The car was good-looking, fast, and "Old school" enough-i.e. an engine with a distributor and a carburator instead of coil packs and injectors,-and a tranny that had a vacuum modulator instead of sixteen electric shift solenoids that someone who wasnt a gearhead couldn't tell it wasn't stock. That's what made it so cool. While were on the subject, a 472 or 500 Cad engine is a good, cheap way to infuse some massive torque into a low-budget project. They don't rev like a 454 Chevy or even a 455 Pontiac, but boy do they have ungodly torque--like 550 lbs ft at 3,000 rpm.  There was a company-I'll try to look them up that made a motor mount kit to put the 472 / 500 motors into the '78-88 GM "G" bodies-i.e. Cutlass, Monte Carlo, Regal etc. What a dynamite low-budget sleeper that would be!  Mastermind       

A brand-new Tri-Five Chevy, what's not to like?

This months "Street Rodder" magazine has an article on building a '55 Chevy from the ground up. Hot Rod did a similar aarticle on '57 a few months ago. The place to call is "Woody's Hot Rodz". They have access to frames and brand-new '55-'57 Chevy bodies. The basic kit is like 13 grand. Even if you spent 4 grand on say a GMPP ZZ4 crate motor, $1,500 on a new BW T10 4-speed, $3,300 on a Currie 9 inch rear with GM mounting points, a grand on seat covers and interior trim, and a grand on a Pete and Jakes straight front axle and disc brake kit, and 2 grand on paint and bodywork, you'd only have 25K in the whole project, and you'd have a badass, '60's style gasser look and the performance to back it up. You'd never find a restored '55-57 for anywhere near 25 grand. Like the guy in "Hot Rod" said-his was built with a nasty Rat motor-you don't care about cutting up the wheelwells  for monster meats, and you don't care about abusing it-if you hit a guardrail drag-racing it-it's not like you wadded up a $100,000 original. Just fix it. Even if you totalled it, you could build another one for about 15K-assuming you could salvage the engine and tranny and other parts from the wrecked one. I'd love to build one of these-I've got a ZZ4 crate engine and a Chevy TH400-I'd just have to pull it out of the 442 and put the 455 Olds / BOP TH400 back in it. Anyhow-if you always wanted a a badass, "American Graffiti / Two-Lane Blactkop" '55 ( Both movies used the same car )  nows your chance to have one for about the price of a strippy Honda Accord.  Mastermind       

A$#%*&le of the Month.......

Hustler magazine used to have a column titled "Asshole of the Month"  where they chronicled celebritys, politicians, sports figures and anyone who made the news for doing something incredibly stupid, or hypocritical-like Larry Craig and his gay-bashing, then getting caught trying to pick up a guy in an airport men's room. I nominate the guy who had his '70 Chevelle featured in not one, but two magazines. This guy goes beyond the LS engine swappers, or any other heinous act of classic automotive destruction you can think of. The moron that put a 389 Pontiac in a '57 T-Bird? Not even close. The jerk that bought a concours show-quality, one of 1,286 1972 Trans Ams and not only put an LS motor in it, but butchered the body, interior and suspension? Child's Play.  No, this clown spent $250,000-that's not a typo I didn't mean to write 25K, he spent a QUARTER MILLION putting a pumped-up GM Duramax Diesel engine and Allison transmission out of a 2011 GMC one-ton pickup into a 1970 Chevelle!!!  Blaspehemy most foul!! Carroll Shelby and Zora-Arkus Duntov, Vic Edelbrock Sr., Bill Jenkins, and any other deceased legendary hot-rodders are spinning in their graves like the Tazmanian Devil. It had a tricked-out suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes, and custom paint, and it was fast. But 250K??!!  That's the price of a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath, 3- car garage house anywhere except New York or California!!  That's the price of TWO Aston Martin Vantages, or 3 Z06 Corvettes!!. I don't get it, no way, no how. For 50 grand he could have built one with a 720 hp 572 inch rat, that would have at least been both badass and cool. I don't care how fast it is, a Chevelle with a diesel truck powertrain is not cool, it falls into the more-money-than-brains category. How is he ever going to get his money back? I wouldn't buy it for $10,000. That's like "Fart in the Wind"  ( Hustler's award for the second biggest asshole of the month ) Jay Leno converting a 1966 Toronado to rear-wheel drive and putting a Chevy engine in it. If he liked that body and wanted it on a rear-drive platform why didn't he just start with a 1966-67 Buick Riviera? Their rear-drive, and the hidden headlight, fastback, swoopy body is almost identical  in styling. In fact the Riv body is actually cleaner and sexier in my opinion. And a Rat motor would only require a Chevy bolt-pattern TH400 and some Chevy Impala motor mounts!! Not actually fabricating a whole new different chassis from the ground up!!  I think I'll plagiarize Mr Flint and report here regularly on people that butcher classic iron like these two clowns with way more money than brains. Or to avoid a lawsuit maybe we'll just call ours the "Shit for Brains" page. Mastermind           

T.V., Movie and literary screw-ups.....

I have an eye for detail so it really drives me up the wall when something stupid is done in a big-budget movie or T.V. show. The most recent one that really irks me is "Vegas" starring Micheal Chiklis ( "The Shield", "Fantastic 4" ) Dennis Quaid, and and Carrie Ann Moss ( "The Matrix" trilogy ). The series is set in 1960. Yet, Quaid drives a 1964 Dodge pickup, Moss has a 1963 T-Bird, and Chiklis has a 1962 Lincoln with the suicide doors.  Arrrrrggghhh!!!  In one episode a gangster robs a bank and torches the getaway car-a 1964 Dodge 330 sedan!!  Yet the series is supposedly set in 1960!!  And the executive producer is Nicholas Pileggi- who did "Goodfellas", and "American Gangster".  You'd think they could afford to hire someone who knew what cars to use!!  This isn't an isolated incident, Hollywood does it all the time. I guess they just don't care, but it really takes something away from the movie or show for me. A few examples-in "White Lightning"-Burt Reynolds brown Ford whiskey runner-in some scenes it's a four-speed; the camera shows the Hurst shifter and him shifting it. In others, they show him putting the automatic column shifter in park. The same for "Smokey and the Bandit" in some scenes the black T/A is a 4-speed,-again the cameras occasionally show the clutch pedal and him shifting it.  In others you can clearly see the automatic shifter on the console. In "Bullitt" the Charger loses 8 hubcaps in the chase, and they pass the same VW three times. On the "Rockford Files" which ran from 1974-82- James Garner's "Mike Hammer" type- Private Eye initially drove a '74 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 with the Ram Air hood and rear spoiler for the first few seasons. Then it was a '77 or '78 base model with a flat hood and no spoiler, and finally an '81 Formula with the simulated scoops. The '70-81 F-bodies were basically the same, but the front end, taillights and hood is where all the changes were! Plus the '74 model had the flat rear window, the 75 and later models had the wraparound rear glass. I guess since they were all gold with Rally II wheels the producers figured no one would notice. Well, we did!  In the original "Fright Night" ( The classic with Chris Sarandon and Roddy McDowell, not the remake with Colin Farrell ) hero William Ragsdale drives a '65 Mustang fastback, that his mother, his girlfriend and shop teacher refer to constantly as a "'68".  In "The Butcher" Eric Roberts plays an ex-boxer turned mob enforcer. Everyone he meets comments on his "Original" 1969 Charger; the only problem was the car on screen was a '73!!  In the Stephen King  thriller "The Dark Half" the killer drives a Jet-black 1969 Olds Toronado. That's all well and good.  However King alludes to it being a Hurst-shifted 4-speed as a "Macho Man" like George Stark wouldn't have it any other way, and talks about him smoking the rear tires. The problem, if you don't know is every Toronado ever made since they were introduced in 1966 has had an automatic transmission and is FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE!!!  He should have had Stark drive a Pontiac Gran Prix-which is rear-wheel drive, had engines either 400 or 428 cubic inches, and was available with a Hurst-shifted 4-speed from the factory.  Do some research guys!!! Mastermind                  

Movie review...

Saw "Killing them Softly" this weekend. What a colossall waste of time. Even top-notch actors like Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini ( "The Sopranos", "The Last Castle" ) couldn't save this stinker. Brad Pitt is a hitman for some unknown organization, that's never revealed. James Gandolfini is a fellow hitman that Pitt recruits for a job and then betrays because the guy's a drunk. Ray Liotta ( "Goodfellas" "Heartbreakers", "Narc" ) is totally wasted as one of Pitt's targets. He's only in two scenes-one where he's brutally beaten by two thugs and one where he's brutally murdered in a drive-by bt Pitt. You don't even really know why the "organization" wanted him whacked, or why Pitt ws trying to talk the go-between out of it. There's some cool cars one thug drives a 1968 GTO, another has a 1971 Buick GS Skylark, and Pitt's ride is a Jet-Black 1968 Olds Toronado ala-"The Dark Half".  However there's no car chase action, no real action at all outside of Liotta's slo-mo "Sam Peckinpah" style murder, and it ends with Pitt demanding more money for the job from his contact. You never know who any of these people were, who Pitt was working for, or why they needed to be whacked. The one funny scene is a political argument where Pitt pontificates on what a hypocritical asshole Thomas Jefferson was. This speech rivals his classic one in "Fight Club"-  ( "We are a nation of consumer slaves, were kept chained to jobs we hate to pay for shit that we don't need." ) Too many unanswered questions, and not enough action.  Maybe "Jack Reacher" will be better.  Mastermind  

Stop being a pre-1972 snob......You sound like an idiot!

I am sick to death of the pig-headed morons who claim that no "real" musclecars were built after 1971. It's true that 1972 was the year that the SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ) switched from gross to net hp ratings. What these morons don't realize is the net ratings are a much more accurate reading of the engine's true output. The LT1 Corvette engine for example was rated at 330 gross hp in 1971 and 255 net hp in 1972. The engine was unchanged from 1971 to 1972. It still had 9:1 compression, "2.02" heads, a solid-lifter cam, an aluminum intake with a 780 Holley carb, and the famed "ram's horn" exhaust manifolds. It didn't "lose" 75 hp; the rating system was simply changed. The same went for everything else-a 400 4bbl Chrysler engine in a Road Runner that was rated at 260 net hp for '72 wasn't down 40 hp from the 300 hp rated 383 of '71, they changed the rating system. In fact-with the extra 17 cubic inches, new for '72 electronic ignition and 800 cfm Thermo-Quad carb ( as opposed to points and the 585 cfm Carter AVS or 600 cfm Holley used on the '71s, ) the '72 model probably had a little MORE power rather than less, if the rating system was apples to apples. The LS5 454 Chevy engine that was optional in Chevelles, Corvettes and Monte Carlos was rated at 365 hp in 1971 and "only" 270 hp in 1972. Again, the engines are identical; they didn't "lose" 95 hp, it was the different rating system!! What about the Pontiac 455 HO and SD engines of 1971-74? The 455 HO had Ram Air IV heads and exhaust manifolds as well as the RAIV's aluminum high-rise intake and special 800 cfm Quadrajet carb, the milder "068" cam made it a torque monster and one of the best street engines ever made. They still dominate stock drag racing classes to this day. The 455 SD went even further with bigger round-port heads, a special iron intake and 850 cfm carb and ran the legendary 308 /320 RAIV cam. ( That was later changed to to the slightly milder 301 /313 degree RAIII cam for emissions testing ).  Do you really believe that the 389 in your 65 GTO, with its small-valve "bathtub" chamber heads,( That aren't nearly as good as even the standard '67 and later D-ports or '70's 6x castings ) standard 273/289 degree cam, iron intake and 625 cfm Carter AFB really has 45 MORE hp than a 455 SD?  You people don't consider a 400, 4-speed , 3.42:1 geared, WS6 Trans-Am or an L82, 4-speed, 3.70:1 geared Corvette a musclecar?  You don't consider a Buick Grand National or a "5.0" Mustang a musclecar?  Really??  Even though these cars with their sneered at low-15 or high 14 second 1/4 mile times were just as fast as whatever your beloved ride is!! Don't believe me? Try these facts on for size-# 1.  The reason is 99% of these "Purists" that deride anything post 1971- didn't then and don't now own a Hemi 'Cuda or an LS6 Chevelle, or a 428 CJ Mustang or a W30 Olds 442, or anything else that ran 13s off the showroom and with only slicks and headers could hit the low 12s. No, these people had what we call "entry level" musclecars-i.e.- 383 Road Runners, 396 Chevelles, 389 GTOs, etc. Tales of being pushed back in the seat, laying third-gear rubber, and pulling the front wheels seem silly when someone pulls out a yellowed, dog-eared copy of Car Life or Hot Rod and we read that the machine in question ran in the 14.60s.  I hate to break this to you guys but forget the new 400+hp Boss 302 or Camaro SS, a V6 Mustang or Camaro will blow the doors off  95% of you snobs' "pride and joy."  Car and driver's V6 Mustang ran a 13.9 second 1/4!! Their V6 Camaro ran a 5.9 second 0-60 time and a 14.4 second 1/4!!  Road and Track tested a V6, six-speed Honda Accord coupe that ran a 14.60!!  I'd love to see one of you snooty bastards in your "Just as it left the factory" pre-1972 "Real Musclecar" Road Runner, Chevelle or whatever get your ass handed to you by a kid in a a Honda!!  Or worse yet-a soccer mom in a 4-door V6 Toyota Camry ( R&T 's Camry test car ran a 14.7 ). Or a V8 Jeep Cherokee!!  I love the old iron as much or more than anyone, but I also appreciate performance and style regardless of who built it or what year it was built. I think the new Challenger is awesome, and I also love the Nissan 370Z.  Are you guys going to say that you wouldn't have sex with Cindy Crawford or Pam Anderson because their over 40 now?  Puhlleeeze. So next time you see a '79 Trans-Am or an '85 Mustang GT or a '94 Z/28 don't turn up your nose and act like you smelled a fart-the driver may show you his taillights!!  Mastermind                  

More about diminishing returns....

Some people took that post wrong-"If you want a smooth idling driver, then go buy a Camry".  I like badass cars as much or more than anyone. But there comes a time when you've gone too far, and the car isn't any fun to drive even around the block. I knew a guy that had an '81 Trans-Am with a 305 Chevy and a 4-speed. He swapped in a snarling 350 ( First thing I'd have done ) but then he went crazy. He also swapped in a Richmond 5-speed, and subframe connectors, an 8-point cage, braced the front subframe to the firewall, and installed all solid bushings in the suspension, and 17X9 wheels with 275/40ZR17 Comp T/As. It went around Reno-Fernley Raceway faster than a Z06 Corvette and a Porsche 911 Turbo on track day; however on anything but glass-smooth pavement every little bump or ripple was communicated to the steering wheel and the driver's seat with bone-crushing force. I mean you couldn't drive it around the block without pissing your pants because it jarred your kidneys so much. Now if he'd used rubber and urethane bushings instead of aluminum, it might have been a tad slower on the track and still a little stiff, but it would have been at least tolerable on the street; it wouldn't rattle your fillings out. As it was he ended up selling the car to someone who made it a race car, because he couldn't stand to drive it. Another guy did that with a 1962 Corvette. He built a 12:1 solid-lifter 427 that shook the earth and backed it with a Rock-Crusher 4-speed and 4.88 gears. On street tires it ran "only" a 12.47 because it literally smoked the tires all the way through first and second and into third. The car was going about 90 when the speed of the tires finally matched the speed of the road. With slicks it ran something like 10.60; then it broke the rear end on it's fourth or fifth pass down the strip, and was banned for not having a roll cage and a driveshaft safety loop. ( Required for any car that runs faster than 11.50 ) This monster overheated at every stoplight, handled like a UPS truck, and the 4-wheel drum brakes would barely stop it the first time. God help you if you didn't let the brakes cool off for 20 minutes between runs. It got 5-8 mpg while using two cans of octane booster per tankful, and the motor was buzzing at 4,000 rpm on the freeway. Drivers and passengers alike burned thier legs on the sidepipes entering or exiting the car. Does that sound like a pleasant driving experience to you?  He sold it and bought a '67 Vette that had power steering and disc brakes. He got into the 12s with 3.70 gears, a much milder 396,and was a LOT happier. Sometimes you just have overkill-you wouldn't hunt rabbits with a .44 Magnum-a .22 rimfire will do the job nicely. Same with cars-it doesn't have to be as fast as an NHRA Pro Stocker to be cool. That's all I was saying. Mastermind