A#@%holes of the Century.........

Hustler magazine used to have a column titled "Asshole of the Month". This title usually went to a celebrity or politician who did something incredibly stupid-Like the Heavy-Metal guitarist who did "RAD" ads-"Rock Against Drugs" for MTV and then got busted for posession of cocaine. Or the woman who founded MADD-Mothers Against Drunk Drivers-taking a six-figure job as an executive for Seagram's, Or the Congressman that railed against Gay marriage and then got caught trying to pick up a guy in an airport men's room.  I've said before that we should have a column like this for Automotive offenders. Here's a few that I saw recently that made me think these people ought to to be dragged out into the street and shot, then drawn and quartered, and their entrails cut out and burned.  I think you'll agree.  Asshole of the Century # 1. This car was featured in a national magazine and got hate mail from everyone-musclecar fans, Import tuners, Concours show enthusiasts-everyone wanted to storm this guy's house with torches. Why? Because he took a pristine 1967 Camaro and put the engine and drivetrain out of a 1990's Toyota Supra in it!!!  Why would you do that?  People bitch when someone puts an LS motor in a classic Chevelle, or a Rat motor into a Firebird, but at least that's GM to GM swapping and understandable, and a lot of people would  still buy a Rat-motored Firebird or LS engined Malibu. But nobody wants a Toyota powered Camaro!!!  The Toyota guys railed about him gutting a Rare Supra, and the Chevy guys wanted to crucify him for screwing up a classic Camaro. I hope he wants to keep it the rest of his life, because he'll never be able to sell it. And the guy was clueless-he couldn't understand why everyone including the magazine that featured it-was calling him an asshole. Like Ron White says-"You can't Fix Stupid".  Asshole of the Century # 2. This guy spent $250,000-that's not a typo-I didn't mean 25K, I meant a quarter of a million dollars-building a 1970 Chevelle with a DuraMax TurboDiesel and Allison Transmission out of a 2011 GMC truck. Again, we ask Why???  For 50K-one-fifth of what he spent-he could have put a 638 hp LS9 and six speed out of a ZR1 'Vette in it and been faster, and cooler and still have 200 grand left to buy a nice house anywhere in the US except maybe New York or California. Or for 30K he could have put the 720 hp ZZ572 Rat motor in it and backed it with a race-prepped TH400 or 4lL80e and proper suspension. And still been cool. Who wants a '70 Chevelle with heart of a Dualie tow rig?   Asshole of the Century # 3. This guy put a 389 Pontiac into a '57 T-Bird!!!  Blasphemy most foul!!!  This one angered GM guys and Ford guys alike. Yeah the old 292 and 312 Y-blocks were slugs. If he wanted more oomph-why didn't he swap in a 351W or even a 390?  This is worse than.....Asshole of the Century # 4. This guy put a Chevy LS motor into a 1990 Mustang GT. How does a brain work that way?  I know guys that are running 10s with 302 and 347 Ford motors, so it's not to go faster. And there's ten times the speed equipment for small-block Fords at half the price of LS stuff, so it's not lower cost. Let's see-"I'll spend twice as much money and three times the grief as it would cost to build a stompin' Ford motor, to put a Chevy into a Mustang and not go any faster than it would have with a Ford V8."  "That's a great idea!!" Again-you own that for life-GM guys and Ford guys alike won't touch it with a ten-foot pole.  Asshole of the Century # 5. This guy built a Cobra replica kit car-....with the Turbocharged 6 cylinder engine and all-wheel drive drive drivetrain out of a Volvo XC90!!!   Like Ditka says on Monday NIght Football-"Come on, Man!!"  I know it's only a kit car. But a Kit Cobra is a replica of an AMERICAN Icon. He could have built it-obviously with any Ford engine, or a small-block Chevy,- I've even seen these built with Chrysler Hemis and no one cares. But a Volvo powered Cobra?  That's sick and wrong in anybody's book.  These examples show that there's a lot of people out there with more money than brains. Mastermind  

Some overlooked base models that might be cool......

Everyone wants a Trans-Am, or a Z/28 or a Mach 1 Mustang, or a Road Runner etc,-and the prices often reflect this. However there are still bargains out there, if you'll consider a base model. Here's the best ones- # 1. 1970-79 Pontiac Firebird / Formula / Eprit.  T/A's of any year command a King's Ransom, as do 455 Formulas, but you can still find a deal on the others. Formula 350 and 400 models are great bargains as they have the guages and suspension of a T/A without the gaudy bodywork. Some people actually like the cleaner, understated styling of the Formula better. Base and Esprit models will have a flat hood instead of the Formula's scooped one, but otherwise their basically the same. Most have 350 cubes under the hood, but a fair number of Esprit models had 400's with a two-barrel carb. There is a ton of speed equipment for Pontiac V8's, and a ton of suspension and brake upgrades out there as well, although the stock system is nothing less than stellar to start with. Some 1977-79 models may have 350 Chevys or 403 Olds engines in them. These are a steal because they are snubbed by hard-core Pontiac collectors who only want a "Real" Pontiac engine. However-there is more speed equipment for a small-block Chevy than anything else on the planet, and anything that fits a 350 Olds will fit a 403. # 2. 1970-79 Chevy Camaro / LT / Berlinetta. Z/28's of any year can be pricey, but there are millions of second-generation base model Camaros out there with 350 cubes under the hood, and you couldn't ask for a better base for a street machine / hot rod. Forget 262, 307 and 305 models. If you can't find a good deal on a 350 Camaro, then you aren't looking past the end of your nose. The 1973-77 "LT" models had upgraded interiors. For some strange reason, in 1978-79 this Luxury package was re-named "Berlinetta". But other than cloth seats and a few minor convenience items-tilt wheel, power windows-maybe-an LT / Berlinetta is no different from a base model.  # 3. 1969-73 Ford Mustang. Mach 1's demand high prices, but there are millions of base and Grande model Mustangs out there, and nearly all of them have either 351W or 351C power. The coupe models will be even cheaper than the fastbacks, and 302 models will be cheaper than the 351 versions. These cars have a ton of potential. There are a million ways to build power into a small-block Ford, or if your mechanically inclined and up for an engine swap, the '71-73 engine bay will accept a 429 / 460, and the 351C shares the same bellhousing bolt-pattern-( You won't have to change trannys ). The same goes for 1969-73 Mercury Cougars.  # 4. 1970-76 Dodge Dart / Plymouth Duster. 340 / 360 versions are overpriced in my opinion, but 318 versions are still the proverbial dime a dozen. With a curb weight of barely 3,000 lbs, a 318 Duster / Dart can be a helluva sleeper-give him a 4bbl carb and intake, a mild cam, and headers and swap those 2.76:1 rear gears for some 3.55:1's and look out. '92 and later "Magnum" heads will bolt up to earlier blocks, and they breathe better than many aftermarket heads. Edelbrock makes 4 bbl intakes that fit "Magnum" engines. If your 318 was tired, you could swap in a "Magnum" 360 out of a '92 and later model Dodge Truck or Jeep Cherokee. There are millions of them in Junkyards. From a "Bang for the Buck" standpoint, these cars are hard to beat. # 5. 1968-74 Plymouth Satellite. People fight with machetes for Road Runners of this vintage, but except for minor differences in trim, a 2 dr Satellite is the same car. A lot will have 318 motivation, which certainly isn't a bad thing-see the tips in the Duster / Dart section. And there are a fair number out there with 383 / 400's under the hood. There is so much aftermarket support for Mopar B-bodies that your really only limited by your wallet and imagination. # 6. 1968-74 AMC Javelin. Rambler-philes will give blood and a first-born child for an AMX, but you can still find deals on base-model Javelins. The ones to look for are the 343 and 360 models. The 290 / 304 V8's are just too small for serious performance work. On the upside-AMC V8's are like Pontiacs-they are all externally identical so swapping them is cake, and the 360 was used in Jeep Grand Wagonneers unitl 1992, so there's plenty of them in Junkyards. Edelbrock even offers aluminum heads for AMC engines. I think a Javelin with Mini-Lite wheels, red,whit and blue paint, side-exit exhaust and a snarling 360 under the hood would be way cool-a tribute to Mark Donohue's Trans-Am champion. Something to think about if you want something unique and don't have the green for a Judge, SS396, Charger R/T etc. Mastermind    

Playing with junk.....And making something cool.....

There's a lot of cool stuff that can built with junkyard stuff. Here's a few that could be built dirt-cheap, and would be unique and cool. # 1. GTO / 442 / GSX wagons. You can buy LeMans, Cutlass and Skylark wagons relatively cheap. Year One, NPD, and other companies sell fenders, hoods, grilles etc. The Buick, Olds and Pontiacs are the easiest because most of them will have 400 or 455 cubes under the hood backed by a TH400. You could build an SS396 or SS454 wagon out of a Malibu wagon, but it would cost way more and be more hassle. The reason is 95% of Chevelle wagons will be small-block powered, and you'd have to swap in a Rat, while like I already stated, 90% of the BOP wagons have the big-blocks standard. You could even put bucket seats and a console up front, or swap in a 4-speed. How about a Tri-Power, 4-speed '66 "GTO" wagon? Or a "Hurst / Olds" Vista Cruiser with a 455 and a Dual / Gate shifter? Because of their excellent weight distribution, a wagon actually makes a good drag racer.  # 2. BOP "El Caminos". Buy a beater El Camino and put a Pontiac, Buick or Olds front clip on it. Since GM stuff is so easy to swap around, you could even do the drivetrain-i.e.-put a 400 Pontiac or 455 Buick in it along with your GTO or GSX  front end. Or you could keep it Chevy and put a Monte Carlo nose it. ( People do that all the time with "SS" Aero nose on '78-87 "G" body models, I'm talking about the '68-77 "A" body ones )  # 3. '77-79 Ford "Thunderbird" or "Lincoln MK V" Ranchero. These last Rancheros were based on the LTD II platform, which is also what the Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar, and Lincoln MK V were based on. The hidden headlight front clip from a T-Bird or MK V would look cool on a Ranchero body. The 351 / 400M has good aftermarket support and if your really lucky you might find a 460 version. Or swap it out of the T-Bird / Lincoln donor car. Any of these would be way cool. Mastermind

If you want a F*&^%ing new car... then buy a F*&^%$ing new car!!!

I'm appalled at this month's "Popular Hot Rodding". They rank their top 20 reader's musclecars. 18 of them are Vintage Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs, and Mopars with Chevy LS motors, 4.6 and 5.4 Ford Mod motors and 5.7, 6.1, or 6.4 Hemis. Only two were "Correct" a 1977 Trans-Am with a 455 Pontiac and a '70 Road Runner with a stroked 440. I've said it until I'm blue in the face. If you were a gun collector would you buy a WWII vintage Colt .45 and put laser sights on it?  If you were a guitar player would you buy a 1965 Fender Stratocaster and change the pickups on it and add a whammy bar? If you were a motorcycle enthusiast would you buy a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and put a fuel-injected Twin-Cam and six-speed tranny out of a 2010 Softail in it?  Probably not. Then why do so many assholes do it to musclecars? And, like I've said before, I don't give a shit if somebody stuffs an LS motor into a '72 LeMans or a '69 Nova, or a 5.7 Hemi into a '73 318 Barracuda. But it's always a numbers-matching, 4-speed SS396 Chevelle, or a 455HO Trans-Am, or 440 GTX. Leave the pristine, vintage iron for people who appreciate it. And, Don't get me wrong, I think the new cars are great. I've been negotiating with my local Dodge Dealer on a 2013 Challenger. At $22,900 it's a deal. Yes, it's white-gotta honor "Vanishing Point"-but it's going to be a driver if I buy it-and yes, it's a six-cylinder automatic. Scoff if you want, but Car and Driver tested one and it ran 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and the 1/4 in 15 flat. That's fast enough for a daily driver, especially one that gets 25 mpg. Chrysler claims 31, but C/ D got 25. Any way- the point I'm making- if I wanted a 5.7 Hemi and a 5-speed automatic or six-speed stick I'd step up and spend another 8 grand to get it. If i wanted a 1970 model I would want a 383 or a 440 and a 4-speed. I damn sure wouldn't pay the price of a new one for a 43 year old one, and then spend another 10K transplanting a modern powertrain and electronics into it!!!  I don't get transplanting the engine, tranny and suspension out of a 2005 Mustang into a 1965 model. You want a late-model Mustang, go buy one!!! You want a '60's model-then take it with crappy suspension and and engine- either a 289 or 390 / 428 that leaks oil!!.  We like "Old Stuff" because it's different from "New Stuff".  Anyhow, I've said it before, PHR should just change their title to "Modern Fuelie Swap Monthly". Because that's all they ever feature.  Just had to vent that. Mastermind    

More "Lead Sleds" That might be cool....

In the last post we talked about "Lead Sleds"-i.e.- overlooked "Big" cars that may make cool drivers or low-budget hot rods. Here's a few more. #1. 1971-76 Pontiac Grand Ville, Catalina, or Bonneville. The steal of the century. Impalas of this vintage have a "Cult" following among the low-rider crowd. There's even a magazine devoted to them called "Donk". Except 99% of Impalas of this vintage have 350 small-block power. Which makes these 4.500+lb cars a dog. However, the Pontiacs have 400 cubes standard all years, and a fair number have 455s. And most have power windows, seats, cruise, etc. These can be great drivers, as they were the top of the line when new. #2. 1977-79 BOP Full-size. The GM full-size cars were all down-sized for 1977 and they weighed 600-800 lbs less than their 1976 and earlier brothers. The Chevys were limited to 305 and 350 small-blocks, but the Buick, Olds, Pontiac versions-Bonnevilles, Catalinas, 88s and 98s, and Rivieras and Park Avenues, got either the mighty 400 Pontiac or the under-rated 403 Olds in the musical engine game GM played in the late '70's. The 2 dr versions are actually good looking. # 3. 1977-79 Lincoln MK V. Same as GM-the downsized versions are about 600 lbs lighter than the 1976 and earlier versions. However-the styling is still cool, and you could still get a 460 under the hood. 400 versions will be cheaper. Ford Thunderbirds of the same vintage share the same platform. So do Mercury Cougars-but the only advantage of that was getting to see a 27 year old Farrah Fawcett-Majors barefoot in a white bikini in the TV ad, before she was on "Charlie's Angels". Sorry to let my adolescence intrude. Trivia for you pervs my age-Farrah was the "Hand Model" that stroked Joe Namath's face in the shaving cream ad he did in 1972. We all agree- Lee Majors and Ryan O' Neal both need their ass kicked. RIP Farrah. Ok. Back to cars. Sorry to digress, but we we were talking about the '70's...  # 4. 1970-77 Chrysler Full-size. This includes Chrysler Newports, Imperials, Plymouth Furys and Dodge Monacos. Most have 440 cubes under the hood. "Nuff said.  What's the old saying?.... Go big or go home.... Mastermind        

Some way cool "Lead Sleds" you might like......

Hard-core hot-rodders used to call big cars "Lead Sleds"-because even though they had big engines-yes your 350 Nova or 289 Mustang is quicker in a drag race than a 460 Lincoln. However some of these "Land Yahcts" make cool drivers and can be a low-budget alternative to a "Traditional" musclecar-i.e.-Chevelle, GTO, Road Runner etc. Here's some of my personal favorites in no particular order. # 1. 1966-69 Buick Riviera. These cars have the swoopy fastback, hidden headlight style of the revolutionary Olds Toronado-but are still rear-wheel drive. I personally think the Riv's body is cleaner,leaner, and meaner looking than the Olds. And with 430 cubes under that long hood, they move pretty good too.  # 2. 1966-70 Olds Toronado. Serial Killer George Stark drove one of these in the book and movie versions of Stephen King's classic novel "The Dark Half." With 425 or 455 cubes under the hood these front-drive "Luxury Liners" really rock. Car Life's 1969 test car-even weighing 4,700 lbs-blasted through the 1/4 in 15 seconds flat. # 3. 1965-68 Pontiac Catalina / Bonneville / Gran Prix. '65-66 models have the classic "Coke Bottle" styling that resembles a 68-70 Charger from the side; '67-68 models are a fastback design. TH400 trannys standard and 389, 400, 421, or 428 cubes for motivation. Any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these cars. # 4. 1967-71 Ford Thunderbird. '67-69 models have the classic hidden headlight body; 4-door models have the "Suicide" doors. '70-71 models have the Nascar-inspired fastback styling. 390, 428 or 429 cubes provide the "Thunder'. # 5. 1971-73 Buick Riviera. The classic "Boat-tail" design. 455 cubes standard all years. 'Nuff said.  # 6. 1969-76 Pontiac Gran Prix. These are technically an "A" body-and a mid-size, but they were the top of the Pontiac line. 400 cubes standard all years with 455 optional. GTO like performance with Cadillac-like luxury. Any suspension upgrades that fit a Chevelle fit these cars. # 7. 1972-76 Lincoln MKIV. These are still good-looking cars today. The hidden headlights and opera windows don't look dated at all. Their heavy-but you have 460 cubes under that long hood. Some '74-76 models have 4-wheel disc brakes. I see one pearl white with huge wheels and an SVO 514 under the hood. Wouldn't that be badass?  Any of these cars would be a unique, fun ride. Mastermind

If you don't have the time or money.....Sell it to someone who does, don't let it rot!!!

I have a friend who buys and sells old cars all the time. He's the guy who finds the stuff in barns that you read about. He also sees some horrible abuses, by stubborn broke people. Went on a run with him recently. We found a 1967 GTX that was rotting in some guys backyard. When my pal offered to buy it-the guy didn't even ask for how much, or give us a price. "It's not for sale, because I'm gonna restore it someday."  Except "Someday" never comes, and the car rots to nothing before it's finally junked by these people's kids, or grand-kids or wives. We saw a '78 "Macho T/A" under a tarp in a guys driveway. Same thing, "He's going to restore it "Someday." Ditto for the rusty '72 Mustang Mach 1 and the badly oxidized '71 Javelin AMX we saw in people's driveways. Out doors. In the elements. My pal told me he asked about a '68 Charger every time he went through this town. For 8 years he got the same answer-"Not for Sale, "I'm going to restore it." The guy died of a heart attack, and then his wife was going to have it restored to fulfill her dead hubby's dream. Finally- after like 15 years-when she lost her house in the big crash of 2007, The Charger was hauled away by the bankruptcy trustee who sold it to a junkyard for like $500. You can't buy the grille for $500!!!  And Ironically-the guy and his wife had turned down cash offers of $5,000 or more several times because they were going to restore it "Someday."  If the car has sat for five years, and you haven't done anything with it, and you don't have the time or money to do it, then sell it to someone who does have the resources to do it rather then let it rot to nothing. I cringe every time I see a '57 Chevy or a '68 Mustang or Camaro that hasn't moved in years and the owners refuse to sell it, yet don't do anything with it. I don't understand this syndrome, but it's rampant. It's also sick and wrong. Mastermind    

More "Junkyard Jewels"......For you engine swappers.....

After the "Studilac" post I get some inquirys about other engines that might be great for the low-budget engine-swapper. Everyone fights with machetes for 454 Chevys, 440 Mopars, 460 Fords, 455 Buick, Olds and Pontiac engines, and the prices are high. Some times junkyards want $1,500 for something that's locked up and may need a ton of work. That's because people are stuck on the "Bigger is better" thing. Yes, more cubes is the easiest way to more power, but there's a lot of viable powerplants out there that can be bought dirt-cheap, and still really rock with the right equipment. Here's some to think about. # 1. 390 Ford. These were used in just about every Ford car and truck built from 1961-76, so their not hard to find. There is good aftermarket support-Edelbrock even offers High-Performance Aluminum heads. Edelbrock claims 417 hp and 434 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" package. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly, but rest assured 400 honest hp will turn any street car into a rocket. # 2. 383 / 400 Chrysler. The 383 was used from 1963-71, and the 400 ( a bored-out 383 ) was used from 1972-78 in millions of Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge cars trucks and vans. There is a ton of aftermarket support and believe me- a properly built 383 / 400 can make just as much power as a 440-just at higher rpm. # 3. 400C / M Ford. These were used from 1971-82 in various Ford cars and trucks. 8:1 compression, two-barrel carburation, single exhaust and salt-flats gearing gave them a rep as a "Dog". However-every year in the Jegs' Engine Masters dyno challenge there's at least two or three of these making 500-600+ hp. We all know the "Cleveland" style heads breathe well-( Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer aluminum heads as well ) give him some compression, a cam and decent intake and exhaust and this "Smog Dog" will surprise the crap out of a lot of people with bigger engines. # 4. 400 / 430 Buick V8. If you can't find a 455-this is the way to go. Their plentiful in "Big" cars in boneyards, and anything that fits a 455-including Edelbrock heads and intakes, cams etc-will these engines. A great swap for 340 / 350 Skylark / Century / Regal owners.  Anything with 400 or 430 cubes is going to have some serious low-end torque even in stock trim. # 5. 403 Olds V8. Although they were only produced from 1977-79, they were used in millions of  BOP cars, so there's a lot of them out there. Anything that fits a 350 Olds fits these-so there's plenty of speed parts available. Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" Cam / Intake / Carb package-and that's on a 350. 53 more cubes will put you well over the 400 hp mark, and smooth out the idle. A bolt-in power infusion for 330 / 350 Cutlass owners. Or if you have a Disco-Era Firebird Formula or Trans-Am-400+ hp would make those smug "Real" 400 Pontiac T/A owners eat some crow. # 6. 360 AMC V8. AMC enthusiasts search the galaxy and spend way more money than they should chasing 390s and 401s. The 360 was used in Jeep Grand Waggoneers until 1992 so there's millions of them around. Edelbrock offers performance aluminum heads, and I've seen these in the Jeg' engine masters challenge putting out 500 hp. So don't sell your soul for a 390 or 401. One of these will move your Javelin / AMX with more than enough alarcity. Or for the low-budget crowd- How much of a rocket would a hotted-up 360 powered Gremlin or Hornet be?  Mastermind    

Modern day "Studilacs?" Yeah baby!

Back in the '50's a popular hot rod swap was to drop the big powerful Cadillac V8 into the lightweight, aerodynamic Studebaker Starliner coupe. These "Studilacs" had great success in drag racing and on the Bonneville Salt Flats. If you want a low-budget but fast hot rod, you could do something similar today. The body is the 1978-88 GM "G" body-especially the BOP versions. This give you a choice of Pontiac Gran Prix's, Olds Cutlasses and Buick Regals. The engines-the 472 / 500 cube Cadillac V8 that was used from 1968-76 is still plentiful in junkyards. They'll bolt up to the BOP bolt-pattern trannys-be it a TH350 or 200R4 or 700R4. I left the Malibus and Monte Carlos off the list becuae most of them have 305 Chevys in them and it's easier to swap in a 350 than to do the Cad swap on them. I know a guy that put a 472 into an '81 Regal. He didn't have 2 grand in the whole project and the car ran mid-13s at his local strip. How cool is that? Mastermind

Some "Sleepers" you may not have thought of.....

Everyone loves a sleeper. For those of you that live in a cave-a "Sleeper" is a car that looks like your grandmother drives it, or looks like a beater, yet is unbelievably fast-enough to smoke musclecars and sports cars in a drag race. Sleepers typically have quiet exhaust and stock wheels and look completely unassuming, while being lethally quick. A couple examples- a buddy of mine in high school had a '72 AMC Gremlin. It was a drab brown color, with dog-dish hubcaps. Him and his dad swapped the 304 V8 for a 401 out of a wrecked Matador Police car. He blew the doors off many a supposedly "Bad' Camaro, Mustang, Road Runner, etc.  In my early 20's I had a Black '77 "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans-Am. After I wrecked it, my cousin who owned a used car lot and a junkyard gave me an engineless '71 Pontiac Ventura. ( Pontiac's version of the Nova ) It was a strippy with no power steering, no power brakes, nothing. Being a '71 model, it had the small, light bumpers-not the heavy 5-mph anchors used on 1973 and later models. It weighed about 3,000 lbs-800 lbs lighter than the T/A. We took the 400 V8 and TH350 out of the T/A and swapped it into the Ventura. What a rocket-when it got traction. This car would literally smoke the tires as long as you wanted to stay on the throttle. It looked like grandma's Nova-until you hit the loud pedal.  Anyhow here's a list of cars that make great sleepers for low bucks. # 1. 1975-79 Ford Granada / Mercury Monarch. 302 V8 versions are plentiful, but the real diamonds have 351Ws. Some of these will have 9 inch rear ends with rear disc brakes. In stock trim they have 2bbl carburatin and salt-flats gearing, but with very little investment they can really run. # 2. 1983-88 Ford Thunderbird / Mercury Cougar. Forget the V6 versions, theirs enough 302 versions out there to go around. This is a Fox chassis-so just about anything that fits a '79-93 Mustang will fit these cars. # 3. 1970-83 Datsun 240 / 260 / 280Z / ZX. I know it's an import-but Z motorsports sells the kit- and me and my dad built one-a small-block Chevy turns these cars into an absolute rocket. A 350 Chevy only weighs about 80 lbs more than the Nissan Six, so handling isn't adversely affected, and the independent rear suspension hooks surprisingly well. Dynamite. # 4. 1979-85 Mazda RX-7. These were cool sports cars when they came out. There's a company on the internet selling kits to put a Small-block Ford V8 into these cars. I saw a feature in a magazine the guy had transplanted the engine and T5 tranny out of a wrecked '88 "5.0" Mustang. Since the RX only weighed about 2,600 lbs-about 5-600 lbs less than the Mustang-it was brutally fast. # 5. 1978-81 Pontiac Gran Prix / LeMans / Grand Am. Most of these downsized "G" bodies had the anemic 301 V8 that wheezed out maybe 150 hp. The upside is a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. If your lucky enough to get one with a TH350, you won't need to change trannys. If the car has a TH200 / 250, they won't hold up behind a big-block's torque. Luckily- a TH350 is the same size, and uses the same rear trans mount and driveshaft yoke. Since these cars are 700 lbs lighter than the '77 and earlier models they replaced, even a mild 400 or 455 would make one of these cars really rock. # 6. 1984-88 Pontiac Fiero. Saw one of these in High-Performance Pontiac Magazine. The guy took the Supercharged 250 hp 3.8 V6 and transaxle out his wife's wrecked Bonneville SSEI and put it in the rear of a Fiero. It smoked his buddy's Porsche 911 in a drag race.  The hot 200 hp 3.4 out of later Olds Alero and Pontiac Grand Ams will bolt in place of the 2.8 in the Fiero as well. These cars may not be common, but they can be brutally quick for low bucks. Mastermind