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

In the last post I laid out a "Baker's Dozen" ( 13 ) cars that were only produced for one or two years, but offered tremendous bang for the buck. Here's a few more that not many people know about, but are still way cool. # 1. 1969-70 Mercury Cougar "Eliminator". 428CJ versions are expensive, but 351W and 351C versions are no more than a same-year 351 Mustang. But they have the cool hidden headlight body, with the scooped, flat-black hood, stripes, front and rear spoilers,and Rally wheels. And Cougars usually have many upgrades like leather seats, factory air, front disc brakes, etc. # 2. 1971-72 "Heavy Chevy". This was a base model Malibu with an "SS" style domed hood, 14" slotted Rally wheels, and special "Heavy Chevy" striping and lettering. They were available with any V8 from a 307 to a 396. ( 402 ). However, the majority are 350 powered, which certainly isn't a bad thing, or you could swap in a Rat pretty easily. Nearly 7,000 were built in 1971 alone, and a couple thousand more in the strike-shortened '72 model year. # 3. 1974 Pontiac GTO. Often called the "Best Nova" ever built. Since GTO sales had declined every year since 1970, the nameplate was shifted from the mid-size "A" body LeMans Platform to the compact "X" body ( read Nova ) platform, and for the first time in it's history the "Goat" had an engine under 389 cubes. It featured front and rear sway bars, front disc brakes, a Trans-Am style "Shaker" hood scoop, special striping and a 350 V8 backed by a 4-speed or a TH350 automatic. Weighing 600 lbs less than a Firebird, performance wasn't bad for the time-0-60 in under 7 seconds, and 15 second 1/4 mile times. However, since the Trans-Am was now the flagship-a 455 SD model would still run very low 14s or very high 13s in the 1/4, and since you could still get a 400 with a 4-speed or a 455 with a TH400 in a 2 dr LeMans, or Grand Am, the buff magazines howled to the heavens and derided the car. Pontiac Purists snub them, but 7,058 were built, and if you want a badass "Pro Touring" sleeper-a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap, and any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro / Firebird fit these cars. # 4. 1977 Pontiac Can Am. Trying to capitalize on the Trans-Am's immense popularity, Pontiac introduced this appearance / performance package on the LeMans. It included a Trans-Am style "shaker" hood scoop, a white paint job with multi-colored "Judge" style stripes, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, a Gran Prix instrument panel and radial tuned suspension and a 400 Pontiac V8 or 403 Olds V8 ( in California ) backed by a TH400. If you can find one, their a cool ride. # 5. 1980 4-speed Z/28 Camaro. For this one year only, you could get a 350 V8, a functioning cowl induction hood, and a BW T10 4-speed with a 3.44 1st geat and a 2.28 2nd, coupled with a 3.08:1 posi rear end. This combo had better 0-60 and 1/4 mile acceleration, higher top speed, and better gas mileage than the '77-79 models 2.64 low gear 4-speed and 3.73:1 final drive. For some perverse reason, in 1981 the 350 was only available with an automatic. If you wanted a 4-speed, you got a 305. Yuk. With the exception of the 1970-74 LT1 / L82 models, the '80 Z/28 was the best balanced, best performing and best handling 2nd gen Camaro built. The 350 / automatic 1980 models are scooters too with their 3.42:1 rear axle, but they don't have quite the acceleration or top-end of the 4-speed models. # 6. 1983 "Cross-Fire" Injected  Z/28 Camaro / Firebird Trans-Am. For this one year you got a Cross-Fire injected 305 and a 4-speed automatic. This dramatically improved acceleration and gas mileage over the '82 models which had a 3-speed.  Most 3rd gen enthusiasts want the carburated L69 or the Tuned Port injected LB9 models. For this reason, these are dirt cheap, and with a little tweaking, can run surprisingly good.  #7 1982 Corvette. For this one year only-you got the last of the C3 bodystyle and a Cross-Fire injected 350 backed by a 4-speed automatic. 'Vette collectors snub these cars like the plague-they want the 1980 and earlier carburated L48 and L82 models, or the '85 and later Tuned-Port injected L98 C4 models. Thus they can be bought for less than a lot of other model years. If you want a unique C3 'Vette-they make nice drivers, and their performance isn't bad-sub 7 second 0-60  and 15 second 1/4 mile times were good for the time, and their is more speed equipment available for a 350 Chevy than anything else on the planet if you want more oomph. # 8. 1978-79 Dodge Magnum. With the Pontiac Trans-Am and Chevy Camaro selling in record numbers, Chrysler bean counters were sorely missing the 'Cuda / Challenger line that they gave up on 3 years earlier-the exact time that T/A sales began skyrocketing. Putting the revered Charger name on a re-badged Cordoba and the sacred Road Runner name on a Volare' caused howls of derision from the automotive press, and they flopped badly. They needed a rear-wheel drive performance car in the worst way, and they came out with these swoopy bodied 2 doors that had hidden headlights and even T-tops. If they'd  put a 440 in them, they might have had something. The only engines were anemic 318 and 360s, and there was no manual transmission option. The only part of a T/A or Z/28 Camaro these cars would ever see is the taillights. Richard Petty tried to run one in NASCAR, and had such bad luck that he switched to an Olds Cutlass. If you can find one, they'll probably be cheap, and they are unique, and with a hotted-up 360 or a 440 swapped in, you could have a real sleeper.  Mastermind