Is everyone crazy?

As you all know, I've had my Hurst / Olds advertised for sale. I can't believe some of the inquiries I've had.  No, I don't want to trade for your motorcycle, boat or pair of Jet-Skis!!!  No I don't want your Jeep Cherokee or Honda Accord. No, I don't want your 1968 383, automatic, bench seat, drum-braked Road Runner. Yeah, that's a good move-Let me trade my one of 1,097 ever made GM Musclecar that I can't sell for a one of 45,000 Chrysler Musclecars that I can't sell. I need money-not another car. The other ones I love-are "Why are you selling it?"  Who gives a shit WHY I'm selling it-do you want it or not?  Or my personal favorite-"It needs a paint job and a vynil top." Duh!!! If it was a pristine show car I'd be asking $20,000 instead of $8,500!!!  When people are asking $25,000 for 403 Olds powered Disco era T/A's, if I can't get 8 grand for a numbers-matching Hurst / Olds that's been featured in Popular Hot Rodding, and has the numbers-matching 455, a rust-free body, and the original owner's manual and spare, and a ZZ4 Chevy crate motor, then I'll set it on fire. But like they say- I guess you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet the prince. I've been through this before selling beaters. A $500 '80's Monte Carlo. You get the call- "What kind of shape is it in?" "It's a piece of shit that starts and runs." "What do you think it is for $500?" You can't buy a good 1/4 panel for $500!!  Ugh. Just had to vent that.  Mastermind        

A Diamond in the rough?....

Stopped by a used car lot the other day and looked at a 1992 Lincoln LSC MKVII. That's the car Car and Driver called "A 5.0 Mustang in a Tuxedo." It was black with black interior. The Recaro seats were flawless, it had new 16" Michelin radials on it, and it ran like a champ. I know, because I test-drove it. The A/C blew cold, the moonroof worked, and it laid 8-10 feet of rubber when it shifted to second under full-throttle acceleration. It was exceptionally well-maintained. And the asking price was only $2995!! I may try to steal it-I'll see if they'll take 2 grand cash., or maybe even $2,500. I'm not even a Ford guy, and this car is so nice that I may buy it for a driver. ( My Buick is on it's last legs ). The point I'm making is- every once in a while, you run across a screaming bargain. And if your smart, you'll grab it. Or it'll fall under those could've, would've, should've stories. I'll let you know if I get it or not. But I wanted to let everyone know that there's stuff like that out there, you just have to find it. Like My Hurst / Olds that's one of 1,097 ever made that's never been wrecked or painted, that has the numbers-matching 455 on a stand and a $5,000 400 hp Chevy crate engine in it, that I can't sell for $7,500. Contact me thru this site if you want the H / O. Mastermind  

Some full-size "Rat Rods" that could be low-budget fun......

With even disco-era T/A's and Camaros commanding a King's ransom these days finding a cheap hot rod project isn't easy. But there are bargains out there if you think outside the box. Here's some cars that have great potential, but are overlooked by the hot rod crowd. # 1. 1967-69 Olds Delta 88 coupe. These had a sexy, fastback body, and either 425 or 455 cubes under the hood. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala fit these cars. When I was a kid my mom had a '67 88 convertible with Torq-thrust mags on it that my whole neighborhood thought was totally badass. With my gearhead dad tweaking the 425-it was. Mom quickly forgave me for setting the convertible top on fire with an ill-aimed bottle rocket one 4th of July, but dad holds this grudge to this day 40 some years later. We all three regret selling that to my uncle who traded it in on a Mustang. That grudge-he didn't offer to sell it back to us-Mom carries to this day. # 2. 1970-78 Plymouth Sport Fury / Dodge Monaco. Remember the Blues Brothers? "It's got a cop motor, 440 cubic inches, it's got cop tires. cop brakes, cop shocks....."  You don't have to get a cop car to have fun with one of these. The 2 door models are actually good looking. Pass on 318 or 360 models, their underpowered in a heavy car. Besides most of them will have 383, 400 or 440s under the hood anyway. I'd paint it black and white and put a push-bar on the front end just to be an asshole and intimidate other motorists into getting out of your way. # 3. 1973-77 Pontiac LeMans. Not quite a full-size, but they are a big car. People fight with machetes for '68-72 models to turn into GTO clones, but no one cars about the '73-77 "Colonnade" models. Which makes them great deals for bargain hunters. The reason they are such a screaming deal is 90% of the Chevelles, Cutlasses and Buick Regals of this vintage had 350 small-blocks under their long hoods. By contrast, 95% of the Pontiacs will have 400 cubes standard, and a few will have 455s. They had "Radial Tuned Suspension"-( wrist-thick front and rear sway bars ) and front disc brakes standard, and any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle fit these cars. These make dynamite sleepers.   # 4. 1977-79 Ford Thunderbird / Lincoln MK V . These are about 600 lbs lighter than the '72-76 style they replaced. The hidden headlight, sleek styling still looks good today. The 460 models are the ones to have as they offer the most bang for the buck. 400 versions will be even cheaper, and their is plenty of aftermarket speed equipment for these engines too. Some of these have 4-wheel disc brakes from the factory. Mercury Cougars of this vintage share the same platform, but their styling isn't as racy as the T-Bird / Mk V. # 5. 1977-79 GM full-size 2 dr. Die-hard Chevy fans like this vintage of Impala / Caprice-because they are 700 lbs lighter than the '71-76 models they replaced, yet you could still get a 350 4bbl V8 in them. ( 1980 and later versions were limited to a 305 ). However-the real bargains are the Buick, Olds, and Pontiac versions-i.e. Bonneville / Catalina, Electra / Riviera, and Olds 88 / 98. The reason is-while the Chevys were limited to a 350, these models usually had either the mighty 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds under the hood, which obviously-either stock or modified means much more power and torque. Any of these cars can be bought dirt-cheap, and have tons of potential. Mastermind.          

Manual transmissioned "Personal Luxury" hot rods.....

Had someone ask why certain popular '70's cars weren't available with manual transmissions. The fact is, a lot of them were, but the option wasn't popular and dealers didn't stock many of them. # 1. 1969-74 Pontiac Gran Prix, 1973-75 Grand Am. You could get a 4-speed in a GP until 1981. However the '78-81 models were downsized "G" bodies and had the anemic 301 V8 that wheezed out 150 hp. But there are a few "real"-i.e the 1969-74 models out there with factory 4-speeds and a big-block. In 1969 you could get a Hurst-shifted Muncie 4-speed behind either a 400 or a 428!! A friend had a 428 / 4-speed GP, and it felt like a GTO. From 1970 on, the 4-speed was only available with the 400; 455 models all had the TH400 standard. Same thing for the Grand Am-you could get a 4-speed or an automatic with the 400, but only an automatic with the 455s. The reason there weren't a lot of them made was the GP was considered a luxury car. Most people who wanted a Pontiac stick-shift car with a big V8 would buy a GTO , Firebird, or LeMans. There weren't a lot of sales demand. For example I think only 112 of the 100,000+ 1969 models had this option. If your really want one, and can't find one for sale or don't want to pay the inevitably high asking price, you could build one pretty easy by converting a much-lower priced automatic model. Year one and other restoration companies sell GM "A" body clutch linkages and pedal setups, and Summitt racing stocks brand-new BW T10 4-speeds, Lakewood bellhousings and Hurst shifters. Or you could probably find a used Muncie M20 or M21 on the internet. # 2. 1970-74 Chevy Monte Carlo. Believe it or not, the standard powertrain in the Monte Carlo was actually a 250 inch straight six, and a three-speed stick!! The majority of them sold had 350 V8 / TH350 motivation, but you could get a 4-speed with any V8 including the 454. A guy I worked with several years ago had a 350 / 4-speed Monte, and it was a cool ride. For some reason, unlike Pontiac-who offered a Hurst shifter as standard equipment-Chevrolet used the awful Muncie shifters ( Unlike the Hurst linkage which was transmission-mounted, these were body-mounted. If you had your foot in it, they were almost impossible to shift above about half-throttle, because engine torque would twist the rods out of alignment ). My co-worker did what most people with Chevy stick-shift cars did-he put in a Hurst Competition Plus shifter shortly after buying the car. 4-speed Montes are rare for the same reason as the G/P's. The Monte Carlo was considered a luxury car, and most musclecar buyers who would want a 4-speed bought Chevelles, or Camaros. The option was dropped after '74. Again-if you want one-I'd just get an automatic model and buy a Chevelle clutch linkage, and a used Muncie, or T10 ( or a new one from Summitt ). and the bellhousing and Hurst shifter. That would be way cheaper than what someone would want for an original 4-speed model. # 3. 1967-73 Mercury Cougar. Same deal-a 4-speed was available in the Cougar behind the 289 / 302, 351W / 351C, 390, 428 and 429 engines. Their just weren't a lot of them sold. Just like the GM offerings, the Cougar was considered a luxury / sports car. Ford musclecar buyers bought Mustangs, Torinos and Fairlanes. Thus 99% of  Cougars you see are automatics. However- again, if you want a 4-speed cat-simply buy Mustang clutch linkage, the proper bellhousing for your engine, a used Top-Loader or a new or used T10, a Hurst shifter, and your in business. I say this because 4-speed Cougars are very rare, and are usually waaayyy overpriced. I mean guys are asking the same price for a 289 / 4-speed Cougar as people ask for a 428 Mach 1 Mustang!! It's just easier and a lot cheaper to convert an automatic version. And unless it's a 428 Eliminator, who cares if it's not original? 351 models are the proverbial dime a dozen. # 4. 1969-78 Plymouth Sport Fury. As far as I know, the Big Fury had the Torqueflite as standard equipment with any V8 larger than 318 inches. However if you want one, simply buy Chrysler "B" body ( Charger / Coronet / Road Runner / Satellite ) clutch linkage and pedals from Mancini racing or other Mopar resto companies, and Summit sells repro Hurst "Pistol Grip" shifters. How cool would a 440 / 4-speed, "Six-Pack" ( Edelbrock still sells the manifold and Summitt sells the Holley carbs and throttle linkage ) Fury be??  Totally badass in my mind. # 5. 1968-74 Olds Cutlass. A lot of people don't know it, but you didn't have to buy a 442 to get a 4-speed in a Cutlass. You could get a 350 or a 455 with a 4-speed in a Cutlass S as well. Again-Olds performance buyers went for the 442. The Cutlass Supreme-the best-selling car in America for a few years in the '70's-was considered a luxury car like the Gran Prix or Monte Carlo. However- again-if you want one simply buy "A" body ( Chevelle / GTO etc ) clutch linkage and convert an auto. In my lifetime I have only seen two-non 442, non W31 Cutlasses with a 4-speed. One was a 1970 350 Rallye Cutlass, and the other was a 1973 Supreme with a 455. Don't even try to find one, you'll have to build it.  Anyhow, any of these cars could be a unique, fun ride. Mastermind    

More Nascar themed full-sizes.....

I listed early to mid-60's full-size cars in the last post because that's what was really run in Nascar in the '60's. However-in the late '60's-just as the manufacturers shifted to intermediates for their muscle machines-so did racers. Mopar guys started using Road Runners and Chargers, GM guys started using Chevelles ( and Monte Carlos after 1970 ) and Ford guys started using Torinos and Mercury Cyclones and Montegos. ( I loved the red and white Wood Brothers Mercurys piloted by Cale Yarborough and David Pearson ). Anyhow- Just because Nascar racers switched to the intermediates in 1966 or '67 ( Remember Smokey Yunick's "cheater" '66 Chevelle? ) doesn't mean your  limited to pre 1967 cars if you want to build a Nascar themed full-size. In fact some of the later models may be better choices because they'll have better suspensions, standard front disc brakes, and more powerful engines. Here's a few great examples. # 1. 1969-72 Plymouth Sport Fury. Peter Graves drove one on "Mission Impossible". Most will have 383 cubes under the hood and some will have 440s. The semi-fastback, slab-sided body will look badass with radiused fenderwells, monster tires and Nascar-style graphics. #2 1968-72 Ford Galaxie / LTD. A lot of these will have 390 cubes under the hood, and some '71-72 models will have 400C or 429 V8s, which is, if anything, a plus factor. # 3. 1967-69 Pontiac Catalina. 400 cubes standard, and a fair number will have 428s. # 4. 1967-70 Chevy Impala. The Chevys again rank last for the same reason. All the others have big-blocks as standard equipment, while the Impalas mostly have small-block motivation. Even the desirable "SS" models are this way. Of the 75,000 Impala SS models sold in 1967-only 2,128 were 427s. However-there is more speed equipment for a small-block Chevy than anything else on the planet, and a big-block is an easy swap if you want one. Since these full-sizes were generally the top of the line, they usually have luxurious interiors, and cool options like disc brakes and factory air that make them nice to drive. Mastermind

How about NASCAR themed full-sizes?

Popular Hot Rodding's "Project Talledega"- a 1975 Chevelle Laguna done up like Neil Bonnetts mid-70's racer is immensely popular with readers. Many other magazine's have featured Chargers done like Richard Petty's most famous racer and others have featured Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs, and even Novas done in Trans-Am style. However-I think a unique ride would be early to mid-60s's full-size cars done in NASCAR style. After all, until the GTO took the world by storm in 1964-NASCAR racers and street performance cars were all full-size. Here's the best candidates in my mind. # 1. 1960-66 Pontiac. Whether it's a Catalina, Bonneville, or Gran Prix-these cars all have slick bodies and 389 cubes as standard equipment. There is a ton of aftermarket speed equipment for Pontiac V8s, and any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these cars. High Performance Pontiac featured a 1962 Catalina that was done as a tribute to Smokey Yunick's and Fireball Robert's Daytona 500 winner. It was way cool. # 2. 1960-66 Ford Galaxie. Most of these will have 390 cubes under the hood, and there is a ton of speed equipment for the old "FE" engine. ( Edelbrock even offers aluminum heads. ) The only downside is there is not as much aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades for these cars as there are for the GM offerings. # 3. 1961-67 Plymouth Fury / Belvedere / Dodge Monaco / Polara. Most of these will have 361 or 383 cubes, and a 440 or a crate Hemi would fit like it grew there. Of course you'd have to go Petty Blue and put number 43 on it. # 4. 1961-66 Chevy Impala / Bel Air. The reason the Chevys rank last is while the other three makes had big-blocks as standard equipment, most of the Chevys had 283 or 327 small-block power. 409s, 396s and 427s are rare and priced accordingly. On the upside, there is more speed equipment for Chevys than for anything else on the planet, and a Rat motor is an easy swap. You could build one of these relatively cheap because unless it is a 427 Galaxie, 409 / 427 Impala SS, 421 SD Catalina or 2+2, or a 413 / Hemi car-there not rare or pricey. There just and old "Big" car. With a lot of power and style.  Mastermind  

Massive power only works if you can put it to the ground......

I had some people ask me why the 600 hp Shelby GT 500 and the 580 hp ZL1 Camaro were only slightly faster than the 426 hp Camaro SS and the 444 hp Boss 302. By slightly I mean just a few tenths in the 1/4. The Boss 302 ran mid 12.40s and the Shelby only ran 12.20s. Ditto for the Chevys. The Camaro SS ran like 13 flat or 12.90 depending on what magazine you read, and the ZL1 only ran mid 12s. The reason is this-The Boss 302 driver could drop the clutch at 3,500-4,000 rpm and rocket off the line. The Shelby driver-even slipping the clutch at 2,200 rpm still fried the tires halfway down the track. The reason is the Supercharged engine in the Shelby had so much more bottom-end torque, and with a suspension set up for handling instead of drag racing, most of the extra power was lot in excessive wheelspin. Same for the Camaros. The SS ran best if the driver popped the clutch at 3,200 rpm. This gave just enough wheelspin to get the car moving with alarcity and get the engine up on it's torque curve. The ZL1-even with an automatic just fried the tires right off idle. A rear-wheel-drive car with 600 hp is going to fry the tires period. Drag Radials will help, but without extensive modifications to the suspension-( Which would ruin the ride and handling ) These cars will never reach their full potential in a drag race.  That's why the all-wheel-drive Nissan GTR can run 11.1 in the 1/4 with "Only" 545 hp. It has traction. It may have less hp, but it's putting every ounce of it to the ground. Mopar fans have the same problem-the 465 hp 6.4 liter SRT8 Charger isn't much faster than the 390 hp 5.7 liter R / T model. Because the extra power is eaten up in excessive wheelspin. So that's the physics lesson for today. Power is great, but only if you can put it to the ground. Mastermind