Magazine Road Test "Ringers" again.....

The current issue of Musclecar Review touched on this subject. Several reader's had written in and asked why MCR didn't rank musclecars according to the Road Tests of the day. The editor responded that the results were wildly inaccurate because of the disparity of options on the cars, and the fact that many magazines modified the cars-i.e. re-curved the distributors, bumped the timing, re-jetted the carbs, some even added headers and traction bars and slicks. So what "Hot Rod" or "Car Life" ran with a particular car isn't really indicative of what a showroom stock example would have run. And, it wasn't just a couple of examples-it was and still is rampant. Here's a few of my personal favorites. # 1. 1964 Pontiac GTO. 40 years later Jim Wangers finally admitted what we already knew. Car&Driver's May 1964 test car that ran a blistering 4.6 second 0-60 time and a 13.10 second 1/4 while smoking the 7.75X14 Uniroyal Tiger Paws all the way down the track was a ringer. Royal Pontiac had not only replaced the 389 V8 with a 421, they had added thin head gaskets to up compression,added screw in studs and locknuts to get more rpm on the top-end,re-curved the distributor, re-jetted the 3-2bbl carbs, and replaced the stock vacuum throttle linkage with mechanical. No wonder no stock GTO or other magazine test car couldn't come close to these figures. # 2. 1969 Z/28 Camaro. Hot Rod's goal was to get the Z/28 into the 12s, and they barely missed it. However-the blistering 13.11 1/4 mile time was acheived by adding headers, re-jetting the carb,adding slicks and traction bars,and swapping the standard 3.73:1 axle ratio for 4.88:1s. Wonder why production examples could only run mid-14s?  # 3. 1969 440 "Six-Pack" Road Runner. Chrysler advertised this test done by Car Life of a "Prototype" 440 / 6. The car ran a string of very low 13 and very high 12 second 1/4 mile times. Except the "Prototype"'s 440 had been "Brought to the Top of Specifications"-the distributor custom curved, and the 3 carbs custom-jetted, and it had a 4-speed,4.30 gears, a pinion snubber, slicks, and was piloted by Pro Stock Drag Racing Champion Ronnie Sox of "Sox&Martin" fame!!  No wonder that Hot Rod's Super Bee test car a few months later was quite a bit slower-turning in a 13.56. That's still quick-but nowhere near the 12.80's that Sox was laying down!!  # 4. 1973 SD-455 Trans-Am. This is the car that Hot Rod ran a blistering 13.54 with, ( Only one-tenth slower than the 13.44 turned in by the 1970 LS6 454 Chevelle that HR tested in June 1970? ) and Car&Driver ran a 13.75 with. It's an early prototype, and in the pictures the "Shaker" hood scoop has standard "455" emblems on it, instead of the correct "SD-455" ones. And the Michigan liscence plate number is the same. We know it's a ringer because although both of these road tests were published in the April or May 1973 issues-the tests were actually done in February. And it's a fact that their were massive problems-1st with connecting rod failures,then passing emissions with EGR valve function, and the inital hot, RAIV cam was changed to the much milder RAIII cam and he hp rating changed from 310 to 290 when the engine was finally EPA certified in April. That's why only 295 were built 252 in T/A's and another 43 in Formulas and they all had May or June porduction dates. Anyhow-at the very least this car had the much hotter RAIV cam in it, and the earlier "illegal" EGR valve on the manifold. Plus the "Shaker" hood scoop was opened up-indicating the carb jetting had been messed with. ( 1970-72 T/A's had a vacuum solenoid that opened the scoop under full-throttle acceleration. Federal Noise mandates forced Pontiac to seal them for 1973 and later-making the scoop basically cosmetic. We all know a lot of guys opened them up anyway.) Hot Rod also took the liberty of bumping the timing, adding some M&H slicks and putting a shift kit in the TH400 which bumped shift points from 5,000 to 5,600 rpm. This dropped their 1/4 mile time to a blistering 13.15. Which by comparison was 3 tenths faster than the 13.44 ran by their June 1970 LS6 454,4-speed Chevelle SS test car. I'm a Pontiac Fan, but you want me to believe an 8.4:1 compression Firebird with a cam with only .410 lift and an automatic with 3.42:1 gears is faster than an 11:1 compression, 4-speed, 4.11 geared solid-lifter LS6 Chevelle??? Herb Adams and the boys slipped this one by. All other tests of '73-74 SD-455 T/A's have them running low-mid-14s. #5 1991 Ford Mustang GT. Car Craft boasted that their "Stock" "5.0" Mustang ran a blistering 14.04 e.t. Every other magazine that tested one from 1987-93 was substantially slower. The fastest being a 14.72, the slowest a 15.29. Here's why-the CC test mule had a K&N airbox and filter, a Flowmaster "Cat-Back" exhaust,and the P225/60VR15 Goodyear Gatorback radials were swapped for 235/60R15 M&H Soft-compund drag radials and the stock 2.73 or 3.08 axle ratio was swapped for a 3.73:1 set. Not exactly stock is it??  # 6. 1993 Mitsubishi 3000 GT/VR4. This one takes the cake. Mitsubishi advertised in magazines that their sports car ran sub-5 second 0-60 times and mid-13 second 1/4 mile times "With a Professional driver, under controlled conditions." Here's the "Conditions"-the engineers had disconnected the rev limiter, disconnected the knock sensor,filled the gas tank with 105 octane racing gas, lowered the tire pressure to 15 psi all around, and had the "Professional driver" pop the clutch at 6,200 rpm and powershift at 7,000, which grenaded the $5,749 transaxle after 3 runs. Gee, why were production examples with a functioning rev limiter and functioning knock sensor, filled with 89 octane gas and 35 psi in the tires a full second slower? Why do you ask? Anyhow-bench racing can be fun, but you have to be careful quoting these old road tests. Mastermind          

More on overkill on Magazine Project cars and Reader's Rides.....

In the same vein of the last post-I don't know why people spend untold amounts of money on beef that they don't need. Some more examples-# 1. Why does every car featured in a magazine have to have a custom 9 inch Ford rearend? I mean honestly-In 40 years I have NEVER,EVER seen anyone break a Chrysler 8 3/4 rear under any circumstances!! I have a friend that has a Duster with a 505 inch engine with nitrous that runs low 10's. He's never had a problem with the rear end. Does that 1/4 inch on the ring gear really make that much difference? Ditto for GM cars. And I'm not talking about the vaunted "12 bolt" that was in late '60's and early '70's models. I'm talking about the 10 bolts with an 8.5 inch ring gear that was used from 1970-81 in Camaros and Firebirds, from '68-82 in Corvettes, and from '71-77 in "A" bodys and '71-79 in "X" bodys. I have had 455, 4-speed Trans-Ams that I popped the clutch at 4,000 rpm on regularly and never had an ounce of trouble with the rear end. I know guys with L88 427 'Vettes with a 4-speed and 4.56 gears that drop the clutch at 4,500 rpm and shift at 6,800-7,000 and have never broke the rear end. A buddy who lived in San Francisco and had a '70's Z/28 Camaro and lived on a hill would roll backward out of his driveway-and with the car still rolling backwards, drop the clutch at 3,500-4,000 rpm and smoke the tires all the way up the hill!! I know a guy that has an LS6 454 in a Nova with 5.14 gears that runs 11.01 in the 1/4 with drag radials and he hasn't broke the 10 bolt rear. You can buy C-clip eliminator kits that will keep the axle from coming out if it does break, but you'd have to have a mega-hp engine with wrinklewall slicks bolted to the rims,and traction bars and drop the clutch or release the trans-brake at 5,000 rpm or more to break one of these. It's nice that Currie builds these with GM and Mopar mounting points-if you have to have the best of everything-but unless you've got more than 600 hp-you don't really need it.  # 2. Transmissions. I know guys that have put 400 hp 383s in '80's Camaros with T5 5-speeds that lasted 13 months with him doing 30 hard passes a weekend at his local drags. If it had been a normal driver it probably would have lasted 5 years. I know guys with "5.0" Mustangs that are running 10s with nitrous and have not blown their T5 trannys that supposdly only have a 300 lb torque rating. I wouldn't put one behind a Rat motor-but for  the average 350 or 383 street motor-you should be fine. Buick Grand National racers run 11s with 200R4's. They like them because theirs not as much "drop" between 1st and 2nd gear. I know guys with RAIV 400 Pontiacs backed by 200R4s that run 12s with street tires. I know guys with 500 hp 351 Fords backed by C4s. I get tired of them listening to people that "Need" TH400s,727 Torqueflites, etc. # 3. Valvetrain and bottom end. I get tired of "Gotta haves". Yes if your building a NASCAR Nextel cup engine that has to go 7,800 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona, then yes, you need all the beef you can get. But otherwise-no. For example-everyone says you need screw-in rocker studs on a high-performance engine. I know guys that have run small-block Chevy and Ford engines in "Hobby Stock" "Street Stock" and "Super Stock" circle track and 1/4 mile classes for 20 years that have NEVER had a stud pull out of a head. I've seen broken pushrods and broken rocker arms, and broken timing chains, but I have NEVER seen a stud pull out of a head!!  The same with cranks. Bob Glidden and Dyno Don Nicholsen ran 9 second 351C powered Pro Stock cars in the '70's and '80's with stock nodular iron cranks, because neither Ford nor anyone else offered a forged crank!! Bud Moore and Bobby Isaac ran a 351C Torino in Nascar that went 7,600 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona with a stock crank. What I'm saying is-don't buy into the "Gotta Haves" that magazines push to stay in business-they have to sell their advertisers products. Mastermind      

Why do people have to have technology just for technologies sake?? At triple the cost of something that works!!!

I see an alarming trend not only in Buff Magazine project cars but also in "Reader's Rides" that are featured. These cars have to have the newest and most expensive thing out there, even if it offers LESS horsepower and performance than something "Old School". # 1. Aftermarket Fuel Injection Systems. I'm not talking about larger throttle bodies or ported manifolds that Edelbrock,Trick Flow, Accel and Ford SVT offer-these are upgrades that work in conjunction with the factory system on 5.0 / 4.6 Mustangs,TBI / TPI 305 and 350 Chevys, 318 and 360 Dodge "Magnum" V8s, etc. These are all reasonably priced upgrades-usually a couple hundred bucks-that offer a 20+hp gain-a lot of bang for the buck. No, I'm talking about complete fuel-injection systems. Most of these cost over $3,000!!!. High-Performance Pontiac Magazine tested one on a hot 455 Pontiac engine. Yes, once they got it dialed in it worked great. Except-it cost $3895 and made 15 hp and 18 lbs ft of torque LESS than the $600 Performer RPM / 850 Holley combo it replaced!!!  This is not an isolated example. The Edelbrock Pro-Flow system costs $3349 for a small-block Chevy!. The Ford and Mopar systems are even more. And simply look in a Summitt Racing catalog-an Edelbrock manifold for most vehicles is priced between $200 and $350. A Holley or Edelbrock 4bbl carb, depending on model is usually between $299 and $450. So why would you spend $3,500 or more on a fuel injection system that doesn't make any more power than a $600 or $700 carb and intake combo-and requires a ton of electronics-installing O2 sensors etc, a laptop to map the fuel curve, etc-a lot more trouble than bolting on a carb and intake and maybe changing jets a couple times?  #2. Roller cams. Again-if you have a 1987 and later engine that came with a roller cam from the factory-that's the only way to fly. What I'm talking about is converting older engines. On the same 455 Pontiac that they tested the injection setup on, HPP also converted it to a hydraulic roller cam-at a cost of $1,800. Why? Especially when a Crane Energizer kit or Edelbrock Performer RPM kit is only $239??!!  And guess what-it was still redlined at 5,800 rpm-it's not like the roller setup magically allowed it to rev to 7 grand. Super Chevy tried hopping up a 454 HO crate engine that had a roller cam-and had valve float problems as low as 5,400 rpm!! The reason is the roller valvetrain is way heavier than a flat-tappet setup. That's why NASCAR runs flat-tappet cams to this day. Even for a pre-1986 Small-Block Chevy-generally the cheapest and most prevalant thing when it comes to aftermarket parts-converting one of these to a roller setup costs over a grand. And doesn't make enough power to justify the expense. Put that extra money into a carb and intake, or gears or a higher stall converter. # 3. Aluminum Heads. Don't get me wrong-these can be a great investment if your building a mega hp engine. But-for anything other than a small-block Chevy-a set of Edelbrock or Trick Flow or Brodix heads is usually priced at $2,000 or more. Let's say you have a typical '70s 351C Mustang or 400 Firebird. Assuming you can do the labor yourself-for 2 grand you can buy a set of headers, an Edelbrock carb and intake combo and matching cam,a higher-stall speed torque converter and some 3.73 gears and a pair of Drag radials to put all that newfound power to the ground. A lot more bang for the buck than bolting some expensive heads on an otherwise stock engine. And I've seen guys spend big bucks on expensive crate engines that are pretty hopped up to begin with. Hot Rod was playing with a ZZ4 Chevy 350. They experimented with different carbs and intakes and cams. Then they spent $1,400 on a set of Trick Flow heads. Why? The ZZ4 had aluminum L98 heads on it stock!!  And here's the real kicker-the "Antiquated" L98 heads were within 5 hp and 5 lbs of torque at every RPM up to 4,600!! In fact the TF's only showed a 30 hp gain in a 1,300 rpm window-between 4,800-6,100 rpm. Now think of this-honestly on your daily driver or weekend cruiser how often are you going to be between 4,800 and 6,100 rpm? And even if it's a strictly a hot rod-you only run it at the weekend drags-you can gain a lot more than 30 hp in a 1,300 rpm window for $1,400!! My first thought is you can buy a first-class Nitrous system that will give you an extra 250 hp on demand for a lot less than $1,400. Super Chevy was working on a ZZ440 454 engine. Now these are rated at 440 hp and 500 lbs of torque. They have Oval-Port aluminum heads from the factory. They put a bigger cam in it and by playing with carb jetting they got it up to 500 hp. Then "Just for Giggles" they decided to try some Edelbrock Performer RPM heads. Why? These were oval port heads just like was on the engine. I could kind of see it if they went with a huge cam and Rectangular port Victor heads-you want to rev to 7,500 and make power all the way there. Needless to say they were disappointed. The Edelbrock Heads only made 10-15 more hp than the factory heads-above 5,000 rpm. That's not a noticeable gain without a dyno. Think about it-all other things being equal is a car with 510 hp really going to go any faster than a car with "only" 500?? Dont' get me wrong, I'm not saying don't buy aftermarket heads-they are a great deal for some people and offer a lot of bang for the buck. Just not in every single case. That's all I'm saying. # 4. Aftermarket 4-wheel disc brake systems. Why does every car have to have a Wildwood or Baer brake system worthy of a Formula One car? Are the magazines saying that the front disc / rear drum or 4-wheel disc setups on most 70's, 80s and '90s cars aren't adequate to safely stop the car in daily driving or on a weekend trip to the drags? Puhllleeezzze. Even if your autocrossing it or running it at "Track Day" at a local speedway-you don't need a $4,000 aftermarket setup with six-piston calipers and cross-drilled rotors etc. I had a friend who used to autocross his '78 Trans-Am, and later his '86 IROC-Z Camaro. We found by using Bendix D52 or D154 "Police Spec" semi-metallic pads and DOT 5 fluid-that the brakes wouldn't fade. Even when doing back-to-back events with less than five minutes down time between them. The major problem was the DOT 3 fluid would boil. Ditto for a guy running a '78 Camaro in a NASCAR circle track "Super Stock" class. If we used the Police spec pads and DOT 5 fluid-even on a 50-lap main event-his brakes never faded. Some times at the end of a race the front rotors would be glowing red-but the car still stopped perfectly every time he hit the brakes. Don't get me wrong-I'm all for safety-I had a couple of harrowing experiences in my 400 powered '72 Ventura that had 9 inch drum brakes all the way around-I hadn't gotten around to installing Firebird spindles and rotors yet!!  But honestly-anything built after 1967 that has factory front disc brakes is going to fine for 99% of the people who drive them. Unless your building a 600hp monster that you intend to hammer constantly-the factory brake system on your Mustang, Charger, Chevelle, Firebird, whatever is more than adequate. That's all I'm saying. If you want a brake system worthy of a NEXTEL Cup Daytona 500 car and can afford it, by all means do it. But you don't really NEED it. Mastermind        

A clone doesn't have to be correct to the nth degree....

Talked to a couple people who wanted to restore some early '60's GM cars. I've said it before-I don't understand why people are so concerned with what a car might be worth if or when they get rid of it! Especially if it's not anything special-i.e.-a '64 Tempest with a 326 as opposed to a Tri-Power GTO. Anyhow I think I gave these guys good advice that I'll share here. The first guy had bought a '62 Pontiac Catalina with a 389 2bbl engine and the "Slim-Jim" hydro-matic transmission. He couldn't decide if he wanted to make it a nice cruiser or a "Super Duty" clone. I told him it would be easy either way. If he wanted a nice cruiser I'd get a 400 and a TH400 out of a later model Pontiac. You'd have to move the crossmember back and shorten the driveshaft but that's easy. You can use the stock shift linkage-they have the same number of detents-but you have to remember that reverse is now low. I'd use an Edelbrock Performer intake and 750 cfm carb-( They are an exact replica of the Carter AFB that came originally on the car ) and the matching cam. This setup has 15 inches of vacuum at idle and makes over 400 lbs of torque according to Edelbrock. This would move the big Cat along very briskly-and have a glass-smooth idle and be dead reliable. If he wanted to go the Super Duty route-I'd still get a '67-79 400 block. Butler Performance and Scat, and Eagle offer stroker rotating assemblys-I.E.-cranks, rods and pistons and rings and bearings-that can make 433 or 461 cubic inches. Edelbrock offers a dual-quad intake that's an exact replica of the 421SD manifold. Depending on how radical you want to go-I'd use dual 600 or 750 Edelbrock carbs. I'd use the factory RAIV cam. Summitt Racing will sell you a brand-new BW T10 4-speed, and Ames Performance and NPD offer clutch linkages and pedal assemblys for '58-64 GM full-sizes. He asked-dead serious-"How hard is it to find a 421?" With 1961 or 1962 date codes? Almost impossible. It's a fake anyway, so who cares?  Had a similar conversation with a guy wanting to build a Thunderbolt Fairlane clone. He was distraught because he couldn't find a 427 Ford for sale at any price. I suggested he get a 390. There were millions used in Ford cars and trucks from 1961-76, and they are externally Identical to a 427 or a 428. Edelbrock claims 422 hp and 434 lbs of torque with their "Performer RPM" package and dual-quad manifold. That would turn a lightweight Fairlane into a rocket, and look right to all but the most discerning Ford enthusiast. "But it wouldn't be correct" he said. "The whole car isn't correct!" I retorted-"It's not a real Thunderbolt!!" "For God's sake!!". If you buy a Mopar Performance crate Hemi and stuff it into a '70 Satellite and Put an aftermarket Superbird nose and wing on it, it might be cool, but it's still not a Hemi Superbird!!!  Get over it, and have fun with the damn thing, it's not real anyway. Mastermind      

More A#$%holes of the Century......

A while back I posted a parody of Hustler Magazine's "Asshole of the Month" column. For those not familiar-It's pretty funny. "Asshole of the Month" is usually a politician or celebrity that did something incredibly stupid or hypocritical. Like the senator from Idaho who was vehemently opposing gay marriage and then got caught trying to pick up a guy in an airport men's room. Or the woman who founded Mothers Against Drunk Drivers taking a six-figure job as a salesman for Seagram's, or the Gun-Control advocate in Washington D.C. who shot an intruder in his house with an un-registered gun. The way this relates to musclecars is I spotlighted people who had ruined classic cars. No, this wasn't a why did you put an SRT8 Hemi in a '69 Charger gripe, even the magazines featuring these cars wanted to storm these people's houses with torches. I won't reprint the whole article-but here's some highlights. The one guy had put a 389 Pontiac into a pristine 1957 Thunderbird. Blaspehemy most foul!!  The other guy had put the engine and drivetrain out of a 1998 Toyota Supra Turbo into a 1967 Camaro. Everyone wanted this guy drawn and quartered, tarred and feathered, and my personal favorite-entrails cut out and burned. Everyone was furious because he butchered not one, but two rare classics. Musclecar guys were mad about putting a Jap drivetrain in a classic Camaro, and the Import Tuner crowd was furious that he'd cut up a rare, valuable Toyota performance car. Well, I found a few more idiots with more money than brains that tops even these collossal ruinings of classics. These irritated the musclecar crowd and the classic sports-car crowd, and the Import tuner group. 3 for 3. Here's the winners of this month's "Asshole of the Century" award. # 1. This guy put a Mopar Performance 528 inch crate Hemi into a 1972 Ford Pantera!!!  Why???  First off-you can't buy a decent Pantera for less than 25 or 30 grand. Secondly-their pretty damn good performers stock-the mid-engine 351C Ford V8 pushes the swoopy 3,000 lb cars to 0-60 times in the 5 second range and a top speed over 140 mph. If you want to go faster than that-there's tons of hot rod parts for 351C's-aluminum heads,intakes, cams etc-or a 429 / 460 Ford has the same bellhousing bolt pattern and is almost the same size externally. So why would you spend 30K for a pristine Pantera, another 20K for a Mopar Crate Hemi, and then untold hours and dollars making it fit?  Ford guys, Mopar guys, and Sports car guys all hated this one. # 2. This genius put a 302 Chevy out of a 1969 Z/28 into a 1971 Porsche 914 / 6!!  Porschephiles lost their mind, and rightfully so. Everyone loved the cute little 914 Targa Coupes that were made from 1970-76 and even with a 4-banger they were a blast to drive. However in '70 and 71 a few were built with the 6-cylinder 911 motor which made them rockets. Except for a 550 Spyder like James Dean got killed in, or a '69-73 911S, the 914 / 6 is about the most desirable and collectible Porsche around. Butchering it with an american V8 wasn't enough-a 302 Ford or garden-variety 350 Chevy, oh no-this had to be a solid-lifter "DZ" 302 that someone would pay blood and a first-born child for to put in a '69 Z/28 they were restoring. And-here's the kicker-the car wasn't that much faster with the V8, and it handled worse!!! Because the iron small-block Chevy weighed WAY more than the aluminum flat 6 Porsche motor-and ALL that weight was unsprung on the rear end which drastically altered the cars weight distribution & aggravated the usual Porsche tail-happyness to an unmanageable degree!! If he wanted more performance-there's plenty of speed parts for 911 Porsche motors. Or why couldn't he buy one of the thousands of 4-banger 914s that no one cares about and drop in a 3.8 liter GM V6 out of a Buick Grand National Turbo or Pontiac Bonneville Supercharged SSEI  that wouldn't weigh any more than the Porsche / VW 4-banger and have triple the power?  # 3. This clown put a 350 Chevy into a 1988 Jaguar XJ/S coupe. If you don't know-the XJ/S was the flagship performance car-it had a V12 from the factory that moved the big cats along quite rapidly. And this wasn't Jehtro in the backwoods bought an old Jag with a blown engine,couldn't afford the $8,000 to rebuild the V12 and stuffed the 350 and TH350 out of his pickup into the car, no this Jag was a pristine, example with less than 50,000 miles on it that ran perfectly. The guy yanked the Jag powerplant that had nothing wrong with it, then went and spent a ton of money buying a TPI L98 350 and TH700R4 out of an '88 Corvette, spent several grand on Vortec heads,Edelbrock baseplates and TPI runners,and wiring up all the electronics to run the Fuel-Injection, moving the crossmember back, shortening and re-balancing the drive shaft, etc. And the net result-it got 20 mpg on the highway instead of 16, and ran the 1/4 in the high 14s instead of the low 15s. After he spent $12,000 and countless man hours and ruined the value of the car. If he wanted a nice Jag for a cruiser-he already had that. If he wanted a C4 Corvette for a hot rod-their the proverbial dime-a-dozen. I saw a nice one on a used car lot the other day for $3995!!  Anyhow-these people managed to offend everyone on all sides. Thought people might find it entertaining. Mastermind              

Luxury cars that have some muscle....And make cool drivers to this day...

The term "Personal Luxury Car" came into vogue in the late '70s but they've always been around, and some of these can be great fun, and bought for a lot less dough than "Regular" muscle machines-Chevelles, GTOs, Road Runners, Mustangs, etc. Heres a list of my Personal favorites. #1.1961-63,1967-71 Ford Thunderbird. A lot of people love the styling of the '61-63 "Bullet Bird" and with 390 cubes under the hood, they move pretty good too. The '64-66 "Thelma&Louise" model, I didn't like. The 1967-69 models had the cool hidden headlight bodystyle. I personally prefer the 2 dr models, but a lot of people like the "Suicide Doors" of the 4 door model as well. And they have 390 or 428 cubes under their long hoods. The 1970-71 models are my personal favorites. They have swoopy Nascar-inspired styling, and 429 cubes for motivation. # 2. 1963-65, '66-69 and '71-73 Buick Riviera. The 1963-65 Riviera was on of Bill Mitchell's masterpieces. The styling is still cool today, and with 401 cubes, they run pretty good too. Patrick Swayze drove 2 of these in the action flick "Roadhouse", and Nicholas Cage had one in the opening of "Drive Angry." The 1966-67 model had the swoopy fastback, hidden headlight styling of the revolutionary Olds Toronado-but the Riv's styling was cleaner and the car was rear wheel drive. This is one of the best-looking cars GM ever put out in my opinion. The '68-69 models are very similar-but the grille and front end was changed slightly, and are not as clean as the '66-67, but their still a great-looking car. 430 cubes backed by a TH400 all years,so they move as good as they look. The 1970 model was ugly and one-year only. 1971-73 is the famous "Boat Tail" design. 455 cubes standard all years. Like their ad used to say-"Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?" # 3. 1962-68, 1969-76 Pontiac Gran Prix. 1962-66 models have 389 or 421 cubes under their long hoods. They also have cool two-tone interiors,eight-lug wheels and many other cool features. 1967-68 models have hidden headlights and 400 or 428 cubes under the hood. Ray Liotta drove a '68 model in "Goodfellas". In 1969 Pontiac downsized them onto the "A" body platform and it was a runaway hit. While 99% of Monte Carlos in the '70's were small-block powered, Gran Prix's had 400 cubes standard all years and a fair number of 70-76 "SJ" models had 455s. My cousin had a 455 powered '73 GP in high school. It had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. She showed her taillights to many a supposedly "Bad" Camaro and Mustang. # 4. 1969-72 Plymouth Sport Fury. These have cool styling and 383, 400 or 440 cubes under the hood. Peter Graves drove one on "Mission: Impossible". #5 1967-73 Mercury Cougar. While most Mustangs of this vintage are base models, Cougars usually have much more cool options like upgraded leather interiors, front disc brakes, bigger motors, and factory air. I personally think the 1967-68 models are one of the best-looking cars Ford ever built. 289, 302 or 390 cubes are your engine choices, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. 1969 and 70 models had similar styling, but were a little bigger. Engine choices are a 351W, 390 or a 428. 428 models will be overpriced, but you can still get a deal on 351 and 390 models. 1971-73 models had classy, but racy styling, and most had 351C's for power. I guess maybe because they were originally sold to older people Cougars are usually better maintained, and can usually be bought cheaper than a same-year Mustang. Any of these are cool choices-much better than the "Rich Corinthian Leather" and "Lean Burn" choked Chrysler Cordobas pitched as "Personal Luxury Coupes". Mastermind    

How to get maximum performance from your Musclecar....Even if it's bone-stock...

I talk to a lot of people who don't want to modify their musclecars, but complain that they don't run as well as they'd like, or that they got their doors blown off by a supposedly "slower" car. There are several causes of this problem. I'll list each one, and tell you how to fix them. # 1. Do a compression test. Even an 8:1 "smog" motor will have 120-130 lbs of compression. Higher compression engines may have 150-175 lbs. ( Ultra-high compression engines like a 12.5:1 L88 Chevy can have as much as 220 ). The readings should be consistent for all 8 cylinders-within 5-10 lbs of each other. If one or more cylinders reads 80-90 lbs you could have a blown head gasket or bad piston rings. You'd be amazed at the number of musclecars running around on 6 or 7 cylinders. # 2. No high rpm power. I'm not talking 7 or 8,000 rpm; many cars don't have the valvetrain or bottem end strength for that. But even a 318 Dodge with a 2 barrel carb and 150,000 miles on it will rev to 5,000 rpm or so. If your car starts popping or backfiring through the carb over 3,500 rpm, or won't rev past 4,000 or 4,500-you could have a flat cam, or broken valvesprings, or a burned valve on one or more cylinders. You'd be amazed at the number of cars I see with $5,000 paint jobs that can't pull 5,000 rpm in low gear. # 3. Bad tuning. This one is the most rampant. Even on a stone-stock engine, bad tuning can cost you as much as 50 hp. You'd be appalled at the number of cars I see with $5,000 paint jobs and $2,000 worth of wheels and tires, and the vacuum advance on the distributor is unplugged or inoperable, the timing is way too slow or way too advanced,the carb is way too rich or too lean, the points are closing up,it has one or more bad plug wires,an exhaust leak and the owner can't tell you the last time he changed the plugs!! Trust me-you'll be amazed at the improvement in performance you get just by installing a new distributor cap and rotor, points and condenser, and plugs and wires, and setting the timing to the factory recommended degrees. # 4. Bad carburators. I don't mean jetted too rich or too lean-that's an easy fix. But I see dozens of cars with the floats sinking,bad accelerator pumps,warped throttle shafts,or baseplates,and massive vacuum leaks. You have to realize-the car is 40 or 50 years old. Parts wear out. If you have to have a numbers-matching carb for concours shows or if you want to sell the car someday to someone really anal-here's what to do to make it run properly and enjoy it. Put the old carb in a box in your garage, and call Summitt Racing and get a new one. For example if you have a '70 Z/28 or Boss 302-you can buy brand-new 3310 780 cfm Holleys with GM or Ford linkage. I know the Pure Stock drags and many Concours show organizations are allowing the carb to be the original "Type"-in other words-the Quadrajet on your '68 GTO does not have to have 1967 or 68 date codes on it-it can be a Jet Performance or Carb Shop rebuilt unit. This good for cars with carbs that are no longer in production. If your a Mopar guy you can't buy a new Carter AVS 4bbl, but Edelbrock sells AVS carbs that look identical to the old ones, and work flawlessly and are available in 650 and 800 cfm versions-the old factory ones only flowed about 585 cfm. Ditto for Cars that originally had Carter AFBs-early '60s 'Vettes, '64-66 GTOs, and of course 409 Chevys, 421 Pontiacs and 426 Hemis. The Edelbrock "Performer" series is an exact replica of the AFB and is available in 600, 750 and 800 cfm versions. If your a Ford guy-and your car originally had a Holley on it your in luck-the original "type" rule again-you can put a 750 Holley on your GT350 or 428CJ Mustang- no ones going to ding you because it isn't a 715 or 735 cfm version with 1960s date codes. If you have the misfortune to have an Autolite 4100 or 4300 4bbl on your Ford, you'll just have to put it in a box, use a Holley or Edelbrock to make the car run properly and use the old one for shows, if it is a show car. But no one offers new or rebuilt Autolite carbs, and they were HORRIBLE when they were new. My dad was a Ford master tech in the early '70's and they had massive problems brand-new-they wouldn't idle, wouldn't start in hot or cold weather, had no power, and got crappy gas mileage. If you had a Mustang with a 351C or a T-Bird or LTD with a 429 or 460 and you bitched hard enough the dealers would install a 6619 600 cfm Holley and warranty it. When you install the new carb make sure the throttle linkage doesn't stick and opens all the way, and if you have an automatic trans, make sure the kickdown linkage is hooked up properly. This is a big one-I see cars all the time that the throttle will only open halfway or 3/4 of the way. # 5. Neglected transmissions. I see cars all the time with slipping clutches, or shifters that hang up between gears, or pop out of gear for no reason. Hurst offers a rebuild program-you can send in your old shifter and they'll re-furbish it and put new bushings and shift rods on it. I see automatic cars all the time that are running around 1 or 2 qts low on fluid, or haven't had the fluid changed in years,the vacuum modulator is unplugged or not working. Chane the fluid at least once every two years or 25,000 miles. Make sure the modulator is working, and install a B&M or TransGo shift improver kit. You'd be amazed at how well a car runs when everything is in proper tune and working the way it should. Mastermind

A car isn't rare just because the clown selling it says it is....

Talked to a disappointed man the other day. After our conversation he regretfully said he wished he'd met me or seen this site before he bought his car. I was as gentle and tactful as possible-I told him he should have maybe checked Hemmings Motor News or Musclecar Review magazine, or bought HP Books' "Guide to GM Muscle Cars."  He was proudly showing me a really nice 1967 Chevy Impala SS. It was a 327 / TH400 model, and it had bucket seats, a console and a tach, it was really nice. But when he started telling me how rare it was-I stopped him. "I'm not trying to be rude-but Chevrolet built 75,600 of these in 1967 and another 38,200 in 1968." "If it was a 427 model it would be rare-they only made 2,127 of those in 1967." "Your kidding." The guy said. "No I'm not." "Sorry. It's a really nice car, but the small-block models are not that rare or valuable." He swore a little, and I was shocked-the price he paid would be what a numbers-matching 427 model would be worth. That's where the term "Buyer Beware." came from. Do some research before you shell out big bucks for a car. This is not an isolated example. I've had similar conversations with other people over different cars; some luckily before they bought them, some sadly after. Here's a few samples. # 1. 1969 Firebird 400. This was a nice car, and it was numbers-matching. But Pontiac built 113,000 Firebirds in 1969, and nearly all of them had 350 or 400 cubes under the hood. And this car was a typical 400 coupe with an automatic. It wasn't a Ram Air III or a Ram Air IV with a 4-speed that would justify it's high price; I have seen '69 Trans-Ams ( and they only made 697 of those ) priced less than this car. # 2. 1978 Corvette. All 1978 Corvettes are "Silver Anniversary" models. They all have badging commemerating 25 years of Corvettes. ( The 'Vette was introduced in 1953. ) Now about 10,000 of them have a two-tone silver and charcoal grey paint job and silver leather seats, but their not that rare. Ditto for the '78 Indy Pace car editions. They were supposed to be exclusive-but their was high demand and GM decided to make one for every dealer. At that time there were 7,700 dealers across the country. And not every dealer was slated to get one-so they bitched, and more were built. I can't remember the exact number-but of the 50,000 or so 'Vettes sold in 1978 nearly 10,000 were "Pace Cars" and nearly 10,000 more had the two-tone Silver Anniversary paint. So their not that rare. Especially L48 / TH350 models. An L82 / 4-speed in good condition is worth some bucks, but not 427 Stingray or Split-window coupe money like the assholes selling them would lead you to believe. # 3. 1977 "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans-Am. Of the 68,000 Trans-Ams sold in 1977-over 15,000 were black and gold "SE" models. Their nice cars if you want a T/A-but their not worth 455HO or SD-455 money. In fact-I'd pay more for a documented DKM "Macho T/A" only about 300 a year were built from '77-79, or a '79 10th Anniversary model-only 7,500 of those were built and only 1,817 with the 400 / 4-speed combo. # 4. 1974-76 "Starsky&Hutch" Gran Torino. Because of that show's immense popularity Ford decided to capitalize. But the cars are garden variety 2 dr Torinos. Most have a 351M with a two-barrel carb, bench seats, and a column-shifted automatic!!. The only thing unique is the red-and-white paint job and slotted mag wheels. Serramonte Ford where my dad and I worked in the late'70's and early '80's sold tons of them. They'd take every 2 dr Torino they could get or dealer trade for-paint them red and white, and put the slot mags on them and sell them for top dollar. They even sold one that was originally Green!! I mean who buys a Red car with a Green interior??!! Someone did. # 5. 1979 Hurst / Olds. This is the only H / O that wasn't built by Hurst Performance. They were built entirely in Lansing where every other Cutlass was built. They have a garden-variety 350 that wheezes out 160 hp backed by a TH350. They have gold rally wheels and a white and gold paint job, and Olds shamelessly put "W30" emblems on it, but their really a generic '79 Cutlass coupe with a trick paint job. Even Olds fanatics snub these cars for the smog-dog fakes that they are. Now if Olds had put the 403 in the downsized "G" body-they might have had something-but they didn't. I'm sure there's others I missed-but you get the drift. Don't pay top dollar for some "Rare" bird on the SELLER's word. Mastermind        

Your not "Ruining" a car by upgrading it.....

Had some more people talking about "Factory Freaks" and asking if you'd hurt their value by upgrading some options. Like I said-their not rare or collectible-their just weird. For example-although you could get a TH400 in "Big" cars from 1965 on, If you had an automatic in a 1964-66 GTOs,Chevelles, Cutlass / 442s, and Buick Skylarks all had ST300s. ( A BOP bolt-pattern two-speed Powerglide ). The TH400 wasn't offered in a GTO, 442, SS396, or GS400 until 1967. However, the upside is a TH350 is the exact same size as a Powerglide / ST300 and even uses the same U-Joint and rear trans mount. So you could literally bolt in a TH350 and drastically improve your car's performance. You can even use the stock shift linkage, but you won't be able to manually engage low gear. However with a good B&M or TransGo shift kit that won't be a problem either. And don't worry-TH350s are incredibly tough-they can handle up to 450 hp easily, which is the high end of what a 389 Pontiac, 400 Olds or Buick or 396 Chevy can make anyway. My brother has a TH350 in his '69 GTO behind his 400 that has the Edelbrock Torker II package on it. Edelbrock claims 402 hp and 430 lbs of torque with this package. He's drag-raced it incessantly for five years and never had a problem. So unless you've got a mega-hp engine in your GM car-you don't really "need" a TH400. The same goes for three-speed sticks. GM, Ford or Mopar-your actually increasing the value and performance of the car by swapping in a 4-speed. If you put a Tri-power setup on your '66 GTO or a "Six-Pack" setup on your '69 Road Runner you've greatly increased it's "Curb Appeal" as well as performance even though it's not "Original". If you put junkyard or aftermarket front disc brakes on your '68 Chevelle-you've increased it's value, not decreased it. If you put a 4bbl carb and intake on your 2V 351C Mustang or Cougar it's not worth any less. Who really cares if you put "Snowflake" wheels on your '77-79 T/A-even if it had Rally II's stock?  Even changing engines-no one cares if you buy a 350 Firebird and swap in a 400 or 455, or if you take a 318 Challenger and swap in a 340 or a 440. It always amazes me-people are so worried about what the car will be worth if or when they sell it, that they can't enjoy it. I mean, did you marry your wife because you thought she'd give you an easier divorce than other women you dated?  Really?  Mastermind  

"Stealth" modifications that can make a stock-looking car scream......

Had a few people ask how they could have their musclecar look totally stock but be lightning fast. Here's some tips on how to do it. # 1. More cubes. The Saying-"There's no substitute for cubic inches,except cubic dollars" is still true. There are stroker crank kits available to turn a 350 Chevy into a 383,and Dart offers a short block thats 427 inches! There are also crank kits to turn a 302 Ford into a 347, a 351W into a 392 or a 427, a 360 Mopar into a 408, a 400 Mopar into a 451, and a 400 Pontiac into a 455 that are all reasonably priced. More expensive, but still doable-there are kits to turn a 454 Chevy into a 496, a 440 Mopar into a 505, and a 460 Ford into a 514. # 2. More cam. No one can tell what cam is in your engine. Just don't go overboard especially on cars with automatic transmissions. Sticks can tolerate wilder cams better because idle quality isn't as important and the driver can launch at any rpm he wants by manipulating the clutch. The cam manufacturers usually give you good advice-i.e.-"Needs at least 3.55 gears" or "Needs at least 2,000 rpm torque converter". Another way is higher-ratio rocker arms to boost lift. Most cars have 1.5 ratio rocker arms. Switching to 1.6 or 1.65 rockers can give you a 10 percent boost in valve lift. In other words-if your cam has .450 lift with 1.5 rockers 1.65s will give you .495. # 3. Mechanical advantage. Swapping your 2.56:1 or 2.73:1 gears for something in the 3.23-3.73 range will give you a stunning improvement in 0-60 and 1/4 mile acceleration without hurting freeway cruising rpm or gas mileage too much. If you have a car with an automatic transmission a converter with a little more stall speed can give you a big boost as well. But be careful-especially with big-block cars-sometimes the extra stall speed can actually slow you down by blowing the tires away-too much wheelspin. # 4. Exhaust. Even if your running stock exhaust manifolds-they can be ported and extrude-honed, and 2 1/2 or 3" inch pipes, a balance tube or an "X" pipe and low-restriction mufflers can free up as much as 30-40 hp. # 5. Induction. There's lots of room for improvement here and you can still look stock. For example-the Carter AVS carb used on Mopar 383 and 440 4bbl engines only flows about 585 cfm. Edelbrock makes an 800 cfm AVS carb that would allow these big-blocks to breathe properly and pick up probably 20 hp by going to the larger carb. If your pre-1967 GM car has a Carter AFB on it-they only flowed about 500 cfm. The Edelbrock Performer series is an exact copy of the AFB and is available in 750 and 800 cfm versions. This works on Dual-Quad applications as well. Especially if you've gotten more cubes and more cam, and maybe more converter-you can use more carb. Swap the 625cfm AFBs on your 421 Pontiac, 409 Chevy or 426 Hemi for 750 Edelbrocks. If you remove the little "Edelbrock" emblem off the front no one will know the difference. On later models-Jet and other companies offer custom-jetted 750 and 800cfm Quadrajets for GM cars. For '70's 440 Mopars Summitt Racing is selling remanufactured 800 and 1000cfm Carter Thermo-Quads. On some models you can change manifolds. GM Performance parts offers an exact replica of the Z/28 / LT1 SBC manifold in cast-iron. Pontiacs from 75-79 have the EGR valve intruding into the throttle area which really limits power above 4,000 rpm. By switching to the '67-74 manifold your 400 or 455 will pull hard to 5,500 rpm instead of starting to wheeze at 4,500. # 6. Ignition. The '72 and later Chrysler Electronic distributor uses the same cap and looks the same externally as an earlier point type. On GM and Ford applications Petronix offers an electronic conversion that will fit under a point-type cap. You can hide an MSD or Jacobs box in the glove box or somewhere under the hood. You can paint a Hi-Performance MSD or Mallory coil black and make it look stock. Switching to electronic ignition will give you better cold starting, better gas mileage, and better high rpm performance, since most points "sign off" about 5,000 rpm. You can play with plug gap as well. My 403 Olds Trans-Am, even with headers and real dual exhausts and a single-plane Holley Street Dominator intake wouldn't rev past 4,700 rpm when I first got it. I called Mondello Performance ( THE Olds performance Gurus ) and they said to switch the R46SZ plugs ( an .080 gap ) for some R45S plugs. ( a .040 gap. ) This single change allowed it to pull hard to 5,400 rpm!!. It picked up 700 rpm on the top end even with the lazy stock cam-simply because even the mighty HEI couldn't fire an .080 gap at high rpm. Hope these tips help. Mastermind        

You can build a clone of a rare, premium engine......

If you want the performance of an ultra-performance model-but haven't won the lottery you can build one pretty easy with the help of the aftermarket. It won't be original, but it will be lightning fast at a fraction of the cost of the "Real" thing. Here's how to do them. # 1. Ram Air IV 400 Pontiac. There were millions of 400 Pontiacs built from 1967-79 so finding a block isn't a problem. TRW offers flat-top forged pistons that give 10:1 compression with 72cc heads. Edelbrock's "Performer RPM" round-port heads are patterned after the legendary factory RAIV heads. ( The Edelbrocks actually breathe better ). Ames performance and NPD both offer replacement aluminum RAIV / 455HO intakes if you want the exact thing-or you could use an Edelbrock Performer or Performer RPM. The Edelbrock Performer RPM cam also has the exact same duration and lift as the factory cam-308 / 320 advertised duration / .470 lift with 1.5 rockers. You'll need round-port headers-but Hedman and Hooker offer them. Car Craft built one of these and it dyno'd at 440 hp and 460 lbs ft of torque. You'll need a 4-speed and at least 3.73:1 gears ( they were only available from the factory with 3.90s or 4.33s ). If you have an automatic you'll need 3.73:1 gears and a 2,500 rpm torque converter. In a GTO or Firebird with good tires this will easily put you in the 12s. Magazines flippantly talk about 500,or 600 hp or more-but in reality-440 honest hp will turn any car into a rocket. # 2. LS6 454 Chevy. Millions of MKIV 454's were built from 1970-1990 so it's easy enough to find a rebuildable core. Most heavy duty trucks had steel cranks anyway-but if you have to you can buy a forged crank,rods and pistons from Summitt Racing and various other sources reasonably. Now you have to decide how anal you want to be, Magazine research has shown that the "Hi-Performance" Rectangular port heads don't show a noticeable gain over the "standard" Oval-Port heads until 6,300 rpm. So you could use the standard heads if you want to. Or if you have to have rectangular port heads,GM Performance Parts, Merlin, and World Products all offer complete high-performance Iron rectangular port heads for Big-Block Chevys. Crane, Competition Cams and Lunati all offer exact replicas of the factory LS6 solid-lifter cam. GM Perfomance Parts offers the replacement aluminum intake-( The good, tall,'69 and earlier L78 / L88 style,that's good for 15-20 hp over the flat 1970-71 original,although you may have hood clearance problems on some Camaros and Corvettes without a scoop or domed hood ). You can buy a brand-new 3310 Holley carb from Summitt Racing. With good traction and an axle ratio between 3.23 and 3.73 this should put any Chevelle or Camaro in the very low 13s or very high 12s. 4.56s and drag radials will get low 12s or high 11s.  And nothing SOUNDS more badass than high-compression Rat motor with a solid-lifter cam and headers. # 3. Boss 302 Ford. Any 302 Ford Block will do, but if you can afford it I'd go with the Ford SVO 345 hp short-block. Edelbrock and Trick Flow both offer Cleveland style aluminum performance heads that will bolt up to the Windsor block. Edelbrock has the "E-Boss" Performer RPM manifold that will fit this unique combination ( Windsor engines have a different deck height than Cleveland engines, and different port locations so "Boss" style intakes are unique.) Crane and Lunati offer exact replicas of the solid-lifter cam, and 3310 Holleys with Ford throttle linkage are available new from Summitt. Or you could build a 347 stroker-( which would really pump up torque). You'll need a 4-speed and at least 3.73:1 gears. ( Factory versions were only available with 3.90s or 4.30s ). If you put one of these in a '69-'70 Mustang Fastback and buy the graphics-it won't be original but it'll have better performance than a "real" Boss, and won't cost you a mint. ( Try to touch a "Real" Boss 302 Mustang for under 50K )  # 4. Boss 351 Ford. Same deal. You can use any 351W block ( Although "Real" ones were 351C's ). Edelbrock and Trick Flow have the Boss style heads and Edelbrock offers an E-Boss manifold for the 351 as well. Lunati makes the cam, and I would use a 750 Holley or Edelbrock carb. ( The Autolite 4300 was The WORST carburator ever built, bar none ). I'd use a 4-speed and at least 3.50:1 gears or an automatic with a 2,500 rpm converter. ( Factory versions were only available with a 4-speed and 3.91s) Since only 1,806 Boss 351s were built in 1971 only, this gives any '69-73 Mustang, Cougar, Torino or Montego owner the chance to have "Boss" performance. How about a Montego painted like the Wood Brothers Mercury that David Pearson campaigned in NASCAR in the '70's?  # 5 Chrysler 360 "Six-Pack". Yes, I said 360. The reason being 340s were only built from 1968-73 and are pretty scarce, and thus pricey. However-the 360 was used from 1971-1991 in various Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge cars and trucks, so there's literally millions of them. ( I know you could get a 360 in a Dodge truck until 2003,but '92 and later "Magnum" engines can't use an old-style manifold. ) Anyhow-Edelbrock still sells the 3-2bbl manifold, Holley still sells the carbs, and Mopar performance sells the throttle linkage and air cleaner. Since it's not original anyway-some Edelbrock or Indy aluminum heads would make it really rock. Mopar Performance, Crane, and Lunati sell the Hi-Perf 340 cam, or you could go hotter if you wish. You can also get a stroker crank kit that yields 408 inches and REALLY pumps up the torque. I'd use a 4-speed an at least 3.55:1 gears or a Torqueflite with a 2,500 rpm converter and 3.55:1 or stiffer gears. A lot easier and cheaper than trying to find a one-year only ( 1970 ) 'Cuda AAR or Challenger T/A. # 6. L88 427 Chevy. I listed this one last because it's the most expensive to build, but it's still many thousands less than trying to buy or build a "real" L88. Forget trying to find a 427. Get a 1970-1990 454 MKIV block. GM performance, Lunati,Summitt Racing, and many other companies will sell you a 3.76 stroke cramk, rods and pistons. You'll also need the correct flywheel and damper. ( 454s are externally balanced, 427s are internally balanced, but the parts are readily available. 12:1 compression means running race-gas. In this instance, I would invest in the Merlin or World Products rectangular port heads. CRane and Lunati sell exact replicas of the solid-lifter cam. With the proper valvetrain, you could rev to 7,500 rpm safely. GMPP sells the intake manifold and I'd use an 850 Double-Pumper Holley instead of searching the Galaxy for an 830. You have to have headers and free-flowing exhaust. A magazine built one of these and it dyno'd at 529 hp and 544 lbs of torque!! You'll need a 4-speed and 4.11 or stiffer gears, or a TH400 with a 2,500 rpm converter and 4.11 or stiffer gears-but it will be a rocket. If you can get traction-your talking high 11s, easily in a Chevelle, and maybe low 11s in a lighter Corvette or Nova. Any of these would be a great alternaitve to spending bukoo bucks for an original, that you wouldn't race anyway because you'd be afraid of blowing it up!! At least with the "clone" you'd run it the way it was built to be run and not care if it blew up, 'cause it's not numbers-matching anyway. Mastermind

Some modern "Junkyard Jewels" That might work for you.....

If your building a hotrod and don't need or care about a numbers-matching powerplant here's a few that you can buy cheap and will give you big bang for low bucks. # 1. 1996-2000 Chevy 350 "Vortec". These were used in millions of pickups, Tahoes, Suburbans, and vans so their plentiful. They have a one-piece rear main seal and centerbolt valve covers so they don't leak oil. They also have the "Vortec" heads which breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones, and a roller cam from the factory. Edelbrock and Weiand make performance 4bbl intakes that fit these engines.Super Chevy built a 400 hp "Vortec" engine for $2,600-including the $600 pricetag for a used engine. In a Camaro, Nova or Corvette this could really be a rocker. # 2. 1984-97 Ford 351W. Starting with the 351HO in the '84 Bronco-these were used in zillions of Ford trucks, suv's and vans up until 1997. '87 and later models have roller cams from the factory.  ( Obviously this allows you to use hot aftermarket hydraulic roller cams without extensive modifications that an older block would need. ). Ford SVO, Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer performance heads, cams and intakes. You can even put "Cleveland" style Edelbrock or Trick Flow aluminum heads on this Windsor block and with the Edelbrock "E-Boss" Perfromer RPM manifold-have a clone Boss 351 motor. Could be a great bargain powerplant for your Mustang, Cougar or Torino, or Cobra Replica. # 3. 1992-2003 Dodge 360 "Magnum" V8. Millions of these were sold in Dodge Pickups and Vans, Dodge Dakotas and Durangos,and Jeep Grand Cherokees. Like the Chevy Vortecs, the "Magnum" heads breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones, and will bolt up to earlier blocks with the proper manifold. Edelbrock makes 4bbl "Magnum" intakes, and these too have roller cams from the factory. One of these would be dynamite in a Duster or Dart, real strong in a 'Cuda / Challenger and are torquey enough to make a heavy Charger a nice driver. The 318 "Magnum" engines can be bought even cheaper and would be quick in a real light car-i.e. Duster / Dart-but the 360s make a lot more torque with the same equipment. # 4. 1987-95 Chevy 350. These were used in millions of trucks, vans and suvs. They have the one-piece rear main seal, and the blocks are machined for roller cams. ( Most '89 and later versions had roller cams from the factory.) The heads and intakes do not interchange with the '86 and earlier models. However-Edelbrock makes 4bbl and throttle-body intakes for these engines,and Edelbrock, Trick Flow and other companies make aftermarket aluminum heads for them. And factory or aftermarket "Vortec" heads will fit these blocks, you just need a "Vortec" style intake-which Edelbrock and Weiand offer. Any of these would make an awesome street / strip engine for your musclecar project-or think-about this-put one in your car to race it-and you can run it as hard as you want-even with nitrous- without the worry of throwing a rod out the side of a rare, numbers-matching block. If you grenade one of these-just go to the junkyard and get another one. In my mind, you can't lose. Mastermind  

More tips on finding a suitable musclecar at a reasonable price.....

Had a few people ask me what other advice was in my original article for MCR so here it is. # 1. Consider a less than top of the line model. For example-if you can't find a deal on a '70's T/A-then consider a Formula 400. They have the same engine, drivetrain and suspension, only the bodywork is different and a lot of magazine writers said they liked the Formulas understated styling better than the T/A's flashy style. Of the 243,000 Camaros built in 1969, only 19,000 were Z/28 models. Most of the rest had the ubiquitous 350 small-block and you couldn't ask for a better base for a street machine. Yes, only 1,806 Boss 351 Mustangs were ever built in 1971 only. However-Ford built hundreds of thousands of fastback 351C Mustangs from '71-73, and there is still a ton of speed equipment available for these engines-Aluminum heads, cams etc-so don't despair. And the '71-73 Mach 1 graphics are almost identical to the '71 "Boss" graphics. If you can't live with a Mach 1 of this vintage, then you better sell your house and pay 80 grand for a "Boss". See what I'm saying?  # 2. Consider a "Sister" car. If you can't find a deal on a '67-73 Mustang, then consider a Cougar. I personally think the '67-68 Cougar is one of the best looking cars ever built. Most have 289 /302 power ( as did Mustangs of the same years ) but there are some 390 models out there as well. 1969 and '70 models had the same basic styling, but were a little longer and wider. They also offered more engine choices besides the 351W, ( 1969 ) you could get a 351C ( 1970 ) and either a 390 or 428 both years. 428 models will priced in the stratosphere-but the others are still reasonable. Like their Mustang cousins-most '71-73 models had the mighty 351C for power. And while most Mustangs of this vintage are base-models-most Cougars have larger engines,disc brakes,factory a/c, upgraded interiors etc. Can't find a deal on a big-block Camaro? Consider a Firebird. While the 396 was only available in the Camaro from 1967-72 and were sold in limited quantities- by contrast-you could get a 400 in a Firebird Esprit, Formula or Trans-Am clear up until 1979 and the 455 was available until 1976. The Firebird is to the Camaro what the Cougar is to the Mustang-the better buy of the two. I had a friend who was looking for a '64-66 Pontiac GTO. One day-on a used car lot of all things-we run across a 1964 Olds 442. It had a later model 350 engine in place of the original 330, but otherwise it was solid and all there. My buddy bought it and immediately started debating whether he should search for a 330 and make it original or swap in a 455 make it really badass. Five years later it still has the "unoriginal" 350. He says-"It runs so damnded good and it's so damn much fun to drive that I can't bring myself to tear it apart." There's a smart man. # 3. Think outside the box. Can't find a big block Chevelle? How about a Pontiac Gran Prix? While 99% of Chevelles and Monte Carlos of '70's vintage have small block motivation-from 1969-76 all GPs had 400 cubes under the hood,and a fair number of '70-76 SJ models had 455s. MY cousin had a 455 powered 73 SJ in high school and she showed her taillights to many a "Bad" Camaro, Firebird or Mustang. # 4. Consider a "Mini-musclecar". Can't afford a Road Runner? A 340 Duster can be a blast to drive. Can't find an SS Chevelle? A Nova-even with a small-block can be a rocket. Hope these tips help out. Mastermind    

Lower your sights a little, stop whining, and get a musclecar to drive and enjoy!!...

I see it in magazines and in internet chat rooms all the time. Some cry-baby whining that he can't find his dream car at any price-and how ridiculous prices have gotten, how you can't get a decent car for under 50 grand, blah,blah,blah. These people have two problems-one-they fixate on ultra-rare premium models, and even if they find them their too picky. I wrote about this in an article I wrote for Musclecar Review back in 2010. I won't reprint the whole article-but here's the gist of it that I think everyone will agree is sound advice.  # 1. Lower your sights a little. Let's say a 1970 LS6 SS454 Chevelle is your dream ride. You and about a million other people. Do the math. Chevrolet only built 4478 LS6 Chevelles in 1970-so finding one for sale at any price-can be a problem. Conversely-Chevrolet also sold 49,826 SS396 models in 1970. Except for the engine they are the exact same car. And stock or modified-do you really NEED more punch than a 396 has to offer? This is not an isolated example. 1969 GTO Judge is your fave? Of the 72,225 GTOs built in 1969, only 6,833 were Judge models. Want a Boss 302 Mustang? Good luck as Ford only built 1,603 in 1969 and another 7113 in 1970. By contrast Ford built over 70,000 fastback Mustangs in 1969 alone, most of them with 351W power, which is a much better street engine anyway. By considering less than the ultimate model, you increased your chances of finding a car tenfold, and that's if your stuck on a one or two year model. Which brings up # 2. Consider different model years of the same car. If our Chevelle enthusiast would also consider a '68 or '69 SS396 he has 144,000 more examples to choose from ( 58,000 in 1968, and 86,000 in 1969.) Ditto for the GTO buyer. If he could live with a 1968 or 1970 model he has another 127,000 chances. ( 87,000 in 1968 and 40,149 on 1970. ) Pontiac only built about 10,000 Trans-Ams from 1970-1973. However-from 1974-79 they built over 350,000 Trans Ams, most of them with 400 cubes under the hood. With very little work-intake, exhaust and an axle-ratio change these cars can easily equal or surpass the performance of the earlier, more prized models at a fraction of the price. # 3. Don't be an idiot. I know many people who passed on very cool cars in good condition at fair prices because they weren't "Exactly what they were looking for." Idiot # 1.Wanted a 1970-72 LT1 powered Z/28 Camaro. He passed up an unrestored, but exceptionally well-maintained '70 model because it was an automatic. He also passed up a gorgeous 4-speed '72 model because it had headers, traction bars and Cragar mags-it wasn't "Totally original". Idiot #2. Wanted a 1968-70 GTO with a 400 and a 4-speed. He passed up a gorgeous '68 model because it didn't have the hood tach and disc brakes. He also passed up a loaded, low mileage '70 model that had the hood tach, factory air,everything-because it was a 455 automatic.When he turned up his nose at an immaculate triple-white, 400 , 4-speed '71 LeMans Sport Convertible that was done to look like a Judge-"Because it's not a REAL Judge-". I had to restrain myself from slapping him. # 4. Look past the end of your nose. Yes-I saw a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 that was a show winner for sale for $49,000. I've also seen dozens of 351C powered '71-73 Mustangs in excellent shape for $12,000 to 20,000. I've seen people asking $50,000 for "Smokey and the Bandit" '77-78 T/A's. I've also seen a '79 400, 4-speed, WS6, T-Topped 10th anniversary model with 66,000 original miles for sale for $14,900!! So quit whining and go find a car. There's still plenty out there at reasonable prices. I'm having trouble selling my one of 1,097 ever built, numbers-matching '73 Hurst / Olds 442 for $6,500!!!  People say-"It needs a paint job." "The Center Lines look good, but where's the original wheels?" If it was frame-off resto ready for the cover of Musclecar Review-I'd be asking $25,000 for it instead of 6 you moron!!  Just had to vent that. Mastermind