Some alternative bodystyles for the Silver State Classic......

A while back I wrote about a guy asking what combination would be best for running in the unlimited-200 mph class in The Silver State Classic. I suggested that the most cost-effective would be 1982-90 Trans Am with a big-block Chevy. I said this because aerodynamics are as important as power and these T/A's had a drag coeffiecient as low as .028-.032. An aerodynamic car can go faster with less power than a non-aerodynamic one with more power. That's just physics. I suggested a Big-block Chevy because, like it or not-nothing makes more power for less money than a Rat. A Chrysler Hemi or Boss-Nine Ford can make as much or more power-but at double or triple the cost. That aside-I keep getting inqurirys from people asking about other body / engine combos that could do it. People don't realize-it's pretty easy to make just about anything go 150. A boxy little Subaru WRX Turbo goes over 140 with only 265 hp. The 380 hp Supercharged F150 Lightning went something like 143 a few years ago, and a boxy Ford pickup doesn't exactly slice through the wind. It's that 50 mph from 150-200 that's hard. Hot Rod featured a couple of guys trying it in a '68 Charger a few years ago-and even with a 650 hp 440 they "only" averaged about 185. Which is a helluva acheivement in a boxy '60s Charger. That's why I recommended the combo that I did. So without further adieu-here's som alternative bodys that you could do it in. # 1. 1976-77 Olds Cutlass. Richard Petty won a bunch of NASCAR races in this body after his legendary 1974 Charger was outlawed for 1980. ( Bodys couldn't be more than 5 years old, so '79 was the last years it was legal ) The Petty Team figured out that the fastback, slope nosed Cutlass was more aerodynamic and thus much faster on the Superspeedways-( Daytona, Darlington and Talledega ) with the same amount of power than the square nose, notchback windowed Monte Carlos that a lot of other GM teams were running. The other teams protested because Petty was running the ubiquitous Chevy engine and not a 350 Olds. NASCAR ruled that since GM was playing musical engines with their production cars-that it was perfectly legal for racers to run any GM engine in any GM body. Several other teams quickly switched to Cutlasses after the ruling. If they were going 200 in 1980 with a 366 cubic inch limit-one should be able to do it today with a big-block. Again-I'd use a 454 Chevy. If you want a "Real" Olds engine then you'll need a 455. And you'll need Edelbrock Aluminum heads and a serious cam, and some serious bottom end work. Mondello Performance would be your best source. Yes, it's POSSIBLE to build a 700 hp Olds engine, but it's going to cost way more than a 700 hp Chevy.  # 2. 1974-77 AMC Matador Coupe. These fastback coupes had moderate success in NASCAR in the late '70's winning a few big races. Since AMCs use Chrysler bolt pattern bellhousings ( The "Torque-Command" automatic is a Torqueflite ) I'd recommend a Mopar Performance crate Hemi or a stompin' 440 or 440 based 505 stroker. Again, bang for the buck-it's a lot easier to get 600+ hp out of a 426 Hemi or 440 Mopar than it is a 360 or 401 AMC. You could do it-Edelbrock offers aluminum heads and guys have competed in the 'Engine Masters Challenge" with AMCs and made 550+ hp reliably-but the Mopar path would be the one of least resisitance. # 3. 1979-93 Fox Mustang. The last "5.0" tested by Hot Rod in 1993 hit 144 mph with only 225 hp; 200 should be attainable with 500+, which should be easily attainable with a 347 SVT crate motor and a blower. SVT makes a kit to swap in a 429 / 460-but thats a lot of money-and probably not much more power than the blown 302/ 347. These are your best chances-dollar-versus-performance wise. Fantasies of 429 Torinos, or 440 Road Runners are just that-fantasies. Mastermind.          

A "Thunder Road" redux would really fly.....You listening QT?.....

A while back I discussed the proposed "White Lightning" remake that Quentin Tarantino was thinking about. I haven't heard any more buzz on any movie sites, so maybe it fell through or is just on the back burner. If QT wants to make a blockbuster gangsters and car-chase flick he should consider "Thunder Road." If you don't know-"Thunder Road" was written by Robert Mitchum who'd been in a few westerns in the '50's. Like "White Lightning"-"Thunder Road" was about Luke Doolin- a "Gator" type-who ran moonshine whiskey in the south. Mitchum got the studio to buy it because he had talked to Elvis Presley. We all know Elvis was a huge rock star-and had made a few movies-but they were all low-budget camp that had him sing a lot. He wanted to be taken seriously as an actor-and he thought playing the evil Luke Doolin would get him the respect he deserved and maybe even an Oscar. Presley verbally committed to do it with Mitchum and the studio brass. With Elvis as the star-the studio virtually gave Mitchum a blank check. Like Steve McQueen years later in "Bullitt"-Mitchum wanted total realism-he contacted actual ATF agents and actual Moonshiners that were on probation. The cars, and the gangster pecking order, the corruption, police procedures were all to the letter real. Then Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager-threw a monkey wrench in. He wanted massive changes to the script. He felt that playing a criminal would tarnish Presley's good-guy image. The studio had already started pre-production-buying the cars, building the sets, and paying consulting fees to the Justice Department, the ATF, and Dept of Corrections. The studio said no-Presley played the part as it was written. Elvis wanted to and sided with the studio brass and Mitchum. Ultimately, Parker convinced him that it would be a bad career move, and he pulled out. The studio went ahead with Mitchum as the star and the rest is history. It made Mitchum a huge star and was a blockbuster hit-the second highest grossing movie of 1958.  Anyhow-you could do a totally badass remake today. Here's how I'd do it. # 1. Time period. A no-brainer-Late 1960's. Doolin is an Ex-Green Beret Viet Nam Vet who comes back to the family business, which is Moonshine. This allows you to use '60's cars-which with their heavy frames and suspensions can do the stunts without falling apart like modern cars would. # 2. Social issues-and "Old School" businessmen vs "New School" businessmen. Having been to Viet Nam and seen the corruption and vice there-Doolin sees room for expansion and unlimited income. Instead of just booze-with his asian military connections-he sees the drug trade-heroin and cocaine, and prostitution as the wave of the future. He wants to orgainize the drug, booze and pussy trade in his state and own it. And having fought alongside many different people-he wants to hire a bunch of other Vets as his security and salesman. Obviously him hiring blacks and other minorities will outrage the hillbilly gangsters and Law Enforcement alike. Which sets up....# 3. Like Micheal Corleone standing alone against Barzini and Tattaglia and the other five families-besides the ATF and the DEA, Doolin will have to fight the "Old School" other moonrunners who don't like him thinking he can just take over and hire niggers and gooks, and tell everyone how to do business different than they have for the last 40 years since Prohibition put them in business. # 4. This will give you plenty of opportunity for kick-ass fights, gunfights and car chases. As long it;s done "Old School" and real-no CGI or physically impossible shit like in Transporter 3. # 5. Casting. Doolin has to be a Hillbilly. No Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck or Matt Damon. My choice would be-after his back to back, stunning performances as evil Texas hustlers in "Mud" and "Dallas Buyers Club"-Matthew Mconaghey. Brad Pitt would be good-Who can forget the Utterly Evil and remorseless "Early Grace" from "Kalifornia", or the Colonel in "Inglorious Bastards?" ( "This Nazi wants to die for the Fatherland" "Oblige him". ) Edward Norton could do it-remember his stunning portrayal of a Nazi Skinhead in "American History X?"  Cameron Diaz,Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron,Tricia Helfer, Pam Anderson, Scarlett Johansen-one or more of them could all be great as Doolin's-southern fried bleach-blonde,barefoot, trailer-park Barbie Coke whores. Don Johnson would be great as the corrupt sheriff who likes the profit and the perks of allowing Doolin to do business, but also has to throw the Feds a bone once in a while to keep his job. I think it could really fly. Now if we could get Troublemaker Studios on board....Mastermind          

Not collectible....Just Weird.....

I talk to a lot of people that are very proud of some ultra-weird combination of options. The sad thing is- these people think their cars are worth a ton of money and they aren't. Their not collectible, their just weird. In the why in the hell would GM, Ford or Chrysler build such a thing, even if someone wanted to special order it kind of way??  Here's a few of my personal favorites that I've seen over the years. # 1. 1966 427 / Powerglide Corvette. Other than the fact that it is a 427 Stingray, this one is just freakin' weird. The performance is way less than a same-year 4-speed model and way less than a '68 and later TH400 model. Who in the hell wants a Rat-motored 'Vette with a "Powerslide?" No one. But the idiot that owns this thinks it's worth 100K like an L88 model!!! And he wonders why he hasn't got any offers on it!!!  # 2. 1967 "Turnpike Special" GTO. This car has a 2bbl 265 hp 400, a TH400, and 2.93:1 gears. In other words, it won't outrun my wifes V6 Honda Accord in a drag race!! The clown that owns it thinks it's "Special" because the retarded dealer that originally ordered it equipped it with a Hurst Dual / Gate shifter, ( On a 2bbl step-down car??) and A/C and Power windows!!  He wonders why he can't get the same money as people selling RAIII, 4-speed, 4.33:1 geared cars!! Because his is "RARE!!"  # 3. 1968 Firebird. Yes it's rare. No, no one wants it or thinks it's cool but you. This is a pristine 1968, six-cylinder OHC, 4-speed Firebird. They had a 4bbl carb and were rated at 215 hp. This clown can't understand why people won't pay MORE for this than they do for a 400, 4-speed RAII Convertible. After all it's more rare, right? There's less of them? Right?  # 4. 1972 SS Chevelle. This guy is perplexed that he can't sell his bench seat, column-shifted automatic,165 hp 2bbl carbed 350 model for the same money that people get for 454, 4-speed bucket seat / console models. Because his is "More Rare"-i.e. there's less of them. There's a reason for that!!! # 5 1972 Duster 340. This guy doesn't understand why his 3-speed stick Duster doesn't command WAY MORE money than a 4-speed or Torqueflite model in the same condition, 'cause it's RARE!!!  What's wrong with people?  Mastermind              

Cars that aren't "Factory Freaks"...Do the terms "Dealer Installed" or "Day Two" modifications ring a bell??

I talk to so many idiots that claim to own or that a friend or relative of theirs owns or used to own some "Moon Rock" of a car with options that never existed. When you point that out, they get spittingly hysterical and start hurling profanities and personal insults. I'm here to dispel these myths once and for all. Here's a list of cars that were NEVER FACTORY BUILT. Note-I didn't say they didn't exist-I said they were not built that way from the factory. # 1. Tri-Power 1967 GTO. When Pontiac discontinued the 3-2bbl 389 option-which had been a performance staple since 1959, enthusiasts and the buff magazines howled to the high heavens. All the components were available through dealership parts departments and the '65-66 setup would bolt up to the new for '67 400 V8s. Many dealers like Royal Pontiac would even install them if you wanted to pay extra. But there was never a factory built version. # 2. Ram Air V GTOs and Firebirds. Herb Adams and company were originally working on "Tunnel-Port" heads for the Trans-Am racing series. They knew Ford had one-( "Boss 302" ring a bell ) and they wanted to compete. They found that the little 303 incher actually made MORE power with the smaller,production RAIV heads. However, Adams and Arnie Beswick and some drag racers tried them on the larger 400 and 428 inch engines and were astounded by the results. They were now making power levels equal to the mighty 426 Hemi and 427 Chevy!! If they could get the bottom ends to hold up-they could even race them in NASCAR. When DeLorean left Pontiac to be upper GM management-his successor killed the racing program which had been kind of back-door anyway since 1963 and tolerated by DeLorean who was a gearhead at heart. Now the engineers had all these expensive one off parts-enough to build about 600 engines. Genius that he was-while the brass wrung their hands on what to do with them-Herb Adams suggested they sell them to the public. So you could buy a Ram Air V 400 through some dealer parts departments. Doug Nash, Arnie Beswick, and Royal Pontiac tech Milt Schornak had great success campainging RA V drag racers. Doug Nash even built single and dual quad intakes for the RA V. Royal Pontiac swapped one into a '69 Judge for a customer,and that car was featured in Hot Rod magazine-but their was never a factory built version. # 3. Non-Corvettes or Chevelles with L72 / L88 / LS6 427 and 454s. I'm not talking about Yenkos or COPO cars. There were many dealers who would put 427s and 454s into Camaros and Novas for a price. Since the 396 was an option on those cars-it was a bolt-in swap. The two most famous were Baldwin Chevrolet in New York who partnered with Joel Rosen and Motion Performance to create the famous Phase III Camaros that were guaranteed to run 10.60s in the 1/4!! These cars had pumped up LS6s,race-prepped M22 4-speeds or TH400s,4.88:1 gears with a Hone overdrive, traction bars, and many other features. They were definitely Jules' Wallet from Pulp Fiction. Rosen even built a few Phase III LS6 Firebirds for customers. The other was Nickey Chevrolet in Chicago. In 1973 Hot Rod did a road test on a Nickey Built L88 427 powered '73 Nova SS. It ran something like 11.88 in the 1/4. Further, the LS6 was sold as a crate engine through dealers until 1991. So it's very possible that someone could have an LS6 454 in a '72 Chevelle or '74 Camaro that they bought from a dealer. But there was never any factory versions. # 4. Non-Trans-Am Super Duty 455 Pontiacs. In very early 1973 sales literature the SD 455 was listed as an option in the LeMans,Grand Am and Gran Prix lines as well as the Firebird. CARS magazine even voted the '73 GTO "Performance Car of the Year". OOPS!!  However the SD455 had trouble passing emissions with the RAIV cam. It was swapped for the milder RAIII grind and horsepower was down-rated from 310 to 290. Then they trouble with the EGR valve function, and trouble with connecting rod failure. Finally, the engine was certified in the Firebird line only in March or April of 1973. That's why only 295 were sold-252 in Trans-Ams and another 43 in Formulas. Another 943 were sold in 1974 Trans-Ams. Parts were so scarce for them that in order to buy say a set of SD 455 heads or rods or pistons from a dealer you had to produce your registration or title with the VIN number of the car!! So no matter your wallet size-you couldn't even buy one over the counter. So any one who claims to have an SD 455 Gran Prix, etc is a liar. It's a 250hp "Station Wagon" 455. # 5. 1972 440 "Six Pack" Chargers and Road Runners. Same thing-the 440 / 6 option was listed in very early 1972 sales literature, with 9:1 compression and rated at 330 hp. Down substantially from the 10.3:1 and 385 hp rating of 1971. However, they had trouble passing the stiffer 1972 emissions standards and the option was scrapped, leaving the 280 hp 440 4bbl as the top option. Rumors persist that "10 or 12" "slipped out", but I have never seen one, or seen a window sticker or build sheet for one,and no magazine has ever verified one. However-Edelbrock sells the Manifold to this day,Holley still sells the carbs and Mopar Performance has always sold the throttle linkage and air cleaners. So it would have been very easy for someone to install one on a car,but again, there was never a factory built version to my knowledge. # 6. 5-speed Disco-Era Trans-Ams. In the late '70's the Mecham Brothers had great success with the "Macho T/A". Besides the pumped up engines you could get Recaro seats, Koni shocks and a "Doug Nash" 5 speed if you wanted. Former Pontiac engineer and "Father of the Trans-Am" Herb Adams teamed up with Cars and Concepts and offered the "Fire Am"-a hotted up Trans Am-and they also offered the Doug Nash 5-speed as an option. But there was never a factory built 5-speed T/A until 1983 when the T5 was put behind the 305 Chevys.  Hope this clears some things up. Mastermind      

Some Forgotten one or two year wonders from the '70's that might be cool...

There's a lot of cars that only had a model year or two for whatever reason, but some of them can be great bargains today. Some of these from the '70's are largely overlooked, but are great performers. # 1. 1973-75 Pontiac Grand Am. Based on the "A" body LeMans chassis these were touted to have the performance of a Trans Am and the luxury of a Gran Prix. Unfortuneately-luxury buyers bought GPs and performance buyers bought T/As. However-their a great deal if you can find one, front disc brakes, wrist-thick front and rear sway bars, and 400 cubes standard with 455 optional. And any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle fit these cars. # 2. 1972-73 Mercury Montego GT. Based on the Ford Torino platform these fastback coupes are great looking-David Pearson won a  bunch of Nascar races in one. Most will have 351C motivation, but there are a few 429 models. Dynamite if you can find one. # 3. 1974-76 AMC Matador coupe. These swoopy fastbacks had moderate success in Nascar-and most had 360 or 401 cubes under the hood. Not as sexy as a Javelin, but way cheaper. # 4. 1974 Pontiac GTO. Based on the "X" body Ventura-these are often called the best Nova ever built. Front disc brakes, front and rear sway bars, a Trans-Am style "Shaker" hood scoop and a 350 Pontiac backed by a 4-speed or a TH350. A 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. 7,058 were built, so there's some around. #5. 1975 Plymouth Road Runner. Plymouth put a "Beep-Beep" horn and Road Runner emblems on a 2 dr Sport Fury. 318 models are dogs, but the 400 versions can be made to really run. Rougly 6,000 were built, and Mopar Freaks snub them like the plague so you should be able to buy one cheap. Mastermind

The history of the Nova....A "Star" is born.....

People may think of the '60's as freewheeling-Musclecars,Beach Party movies, sex drugs and rock-n-roll. But even in the early '60's-long before Toyota, Datsun, and Subaru came ashore-the automakers were trying to cover every niche-and their was a market for compact cars that got good gas mileage. The Ford Falcon and the Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Dart were all top sellers in 1960 and 61, and all 3 were compact sedans with fuel-efficient 6-cylinder engines. Chevrolet wanted a piece of this market. The Chevy II Nova as it was initially called was introduced in 1962. Powertrain options included a 153 cubic inch 4-cylinder, and a 194 inch six-cylinder. Not may 4-cylinder versions were sold; and they aren't collectible. The six-cylinder models were the most popular. Because of it's light weight-about 2,700 lbs-hot rodders began swapping in small-block Chevy V8s and discovered that Novas made fierce drag racers. My cousin had a '63 Nova in high school with a 283 V8 ( bored out to 301 and pumped up ) and a 4-speed that was a rocket. He showed his taillights to many a GTO, Road Runner and Mustang. In 1964 the old "Stovebolt" 194 inch six was replaced with more modern and more powerful 230 inch version. The 195 hp and 220 hp 283 V8 became a factory option. Transmission choices were 3 and 4-speed manuals, and the two-speed Powerglide automatic. In 1965 the 275 hp 327 V8 was offered as well-giving the lightweight Nova GTO like performance, at least in a drag race.  For 1966 the body was changed becoming slightly larger, and the interiors more luxurious. The vaunted L79 350 hp 327 V8 from the Corvette was offered in the Nova SS-making it a genuine muscle car. 1967 models were basically identical. For 1968 the car was completely re-designed and this platform would last, with minor changes, through 1974. Although the 4 and six cylinder engines were still available-it was the V8 models that were the most popular. The 283 was replaced with a 307 inch version, and a new 350 inch V8 was introduced. Since the Nova shared the same basic subframe as the Camaro / Firebird, for the first time the 396 Big-Block was offered in the Nova for the first time. These cars were terrors on the street. In 1969 the 4-cylinder option breathed its last. A new 3-speed TH350 automatic replaced the two-speed powerglide behind most six-cylinder and V8 models. In 1970, Chevrolet briefly considered offering the mighty LS6 450 hp 454 in the Camaro and Nova as well as the Chevelle. Since the 396 was already an option-it would have been a no-brainer bolt in. An LS6 454 Nova? Guess what-the Hemi 'Cuda and Boss 429 Mustang would have had a new "Boss". As we know, the brass changed their mind and the mighty LS6 was only offered in the Chevelle line. 1971-72 brought no real changes except that compression ratios were lowered to run on low-lead gas, and the 396 was dropped. A 350 V8 was now the largest engine you could get. It didn't seem to hurt, as 1972 was a record sales year, as was 1974. Other GM divisions got Nova clones. In 1971 Pontiac introduced the Ventura II which was available with the 250 inch Chevy six, or a 350 inch Pontiac V8.  In 1973 5 mph bumpers debuted, and a hatchback model was offered as well. 1973 also introduced the Olds Omega and the Buick Apollo, which were Novas with minor trim differences and either 250 inch Chevy sixes or 350 inch Buick and Olds V8s. All the names of the X-bodys spelled out NOVA. ( Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo. I don't know if that's a coincidence or not. ) In 1975 the body was changed again and this would be the last one that would soldier on until 1979. A new 305 inch V8 was introduced in 1976, that had nothing in common with the old 307 that had been discontinued in 1973. ( The 307 was a 283 block with a 327 crank. 3.87x3.25 inch bore and stroke. The 305 was 3.74x3.48 using a 350 crank. The engineers were thinking the longer stroke would give the little motor more low-end torque. They were wrong, we all learned through the '80's and '90's- that a 350 has way more power,and the 305 doesn't really get any better mileage. ) Although the 250 inch straight six was still available,the 231 inch Buick built V6 was also an option, as was the 350 Chevy. Sales were dropping badly, as this was clearly a car with out a market. Musclecar buyers were buying Pontiac Trans-Ams and Z/28 Camaros in record numbers. The downsized G-bodies- Malibu, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Gran Prix outsold the X-bodies by a wide margin to people who wanted mid-size sedans. Economy buyers were buying imports like Toyotas and Datsuns in record numbers. In reality-these last X bodies were pretty bad. They had ugly styling, they had no power, and they got crappy gas mileage. Gee, who wouldn't want that?  In 1980 the front-drive X-bodies were introduced. Today Novas have almost a "Cult" following among the gearhead crowd-especially the '68-72 models ( pre-5mph bumpers). If you want one-the '68-79 models make great hot rods. The engine bays will swallow any GM engine-( a 455 Pontiac Ventura is a great sleeper ) and any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro or Firebird fit these cars so their easy to set uo for drag racing or autocrossing. Sadly-it will not pass this way again-a car that's economical, fast, fun and cheap. Mastermind          

Happy 50th Birthday to the Mighty Mustang......

2014 Marks 50 years of Mustangs. The Mustang debuted on April 19th 1964 and set the auto world on it's ear. From an engineering and marketing standpoint it was genius. It was based on the humble compact Falcon platform, but had a sexy body and a good looking interior. Standard power was a 170 inch straight six, with a 200 inch six optional, but the fun ones were the 289 V8 models. Since the car was light ( about 2,800 lbs) the little V8s could make them really haul. Especially the High-Performance, solid-lifter, 271 hp version. It sold like hotcakes and was an unprecedented hit. In 1965 a fastback version was also introduced, and Carroll Shelby ( Father of the 289 and 427 Cobra ) tricked some up with suspension tuning, Tri-Y headers, and an aluminum intake and 715 cfm Holley carb which drastically increased performance over the awful, 470 cfm Autolite 4100 4bbls that stockers had. The "Ponycar" was born. Other automakers scrambled to build a Mustang fighter. GM countered with the Camaro and Firebird, but not until 1967. Chrysler-with less of a budget, had delay after delay and the E-bodies-The "Cuda and Challenger wern't introduced until 1969 as '70 models. GM's counterpunch, however was almost deadly. The Z/28 Camaro-which was specifically designed to win the Trans-Am Championship-which Ford had done in '65 and '66-to make the 305 inch limit used a 283 crank in a 327 block to create a high-revving beast. It also used Corvette heads, and a hot solid lifter cam, 11:1 compression and a 780 Holley on an aluminum intake. Advertised horsepower was 290,but the buff magazines put the output at at least 350 for production versions, and 450 for race versions. Plus-you could also get the 396 Big-Block in a Camaro, and 400 inch Pontiac in a Firebird. Even the hot-rodded Shelby GT350-with a 289 V8-had little chance in a drag race on the street or track against a big 396 or 400 inch Camaro or Firebird. Ford lazily-dropped the "Truck Motor" 390 into the Mustang-but they handled badly and weren't good performers. It's a well known fact that when filming the classic "Bullitt" chase-early on-Steve McQueen was furious- the 440 Charger piloted by Bill Hickman would leave the 390 Mustang so bad that they couldn't even film it. Stunt coordinators Carey Loftin and Max Balchowsky hopped up one of the Mustangs with a Mallory Distributor, headers, and an Edelbrock intake and Holley carb. At that point-the Charger could still out run it-but McQueen and sometime drivers Bud Elkins and Loftin could stay close enough to film it!!  Mark Donohue and Roger Penske wont the Trans-Am Championship in 1968 with a Camaro. Ford countered with a vengenance. The "Boss 302" had 4-bolt mains, a steel crank, forged rods and pistons,11:1 compression, a hot solid-lifter cam, and "Tunnel Port" heads-that had ports and valves the size of a big-block Chevy. It didn't have much bottom end torque, but from 3,000 rpm on up it was a rocket. ( That's why they were only available with a 4-speed and 3.90:1 or 4.30:1 gears! ) The SCCA said they had to sell 500 units to the public to race them. 1,603 were sold in 1969 and another 7,113 in 1970. Obviously these are highly prized today. Racing success was fine, but in the late '60's and early '70's you also needed "Street Cred". To combat the 396 and 400 inch Camaros and Firebirds, and the 383 and 440 inch Mopars-Ford dropped the "Police Interceptor" 428 big block into the Mustang. The 428 Mach 1s were rockets. They could give a 426 Hemi Road Runner a run for the money the driver would not soon forget.  The "Boss 429" also debuted this year. Ford was trying to homologate the engine for NASCAR. Same rule-you had to sell at least 500 to the public to race them. Ironically-the cars raced in NASCAR weren't Mustangs but Torinos and Mercury Cyclones. The Mustang got longer,lower and wider in 1971-but very few had the mighty 429-95% of them had 302s or 351Cs. Which was weird-because in 1970 GM lifted their 400 inch limit on intermediates, and Chrysler never had one. So how was a 351 inch Mustang-even the vaunted "Boss 351" ( of which only 1,806 were built ) going to compete with a 454 inch Chevelle, 455 inch Pontiac Trans-Am, a 401 inch AMC Javelin, or a 383, 426 Hemi or 440 inch Dodge Challenger or Plymouth Barracuda? It's like the Blue oval boys just gave up on Performance. The 351C soldiered on until 1973-but then Ford really stepped on their Dick. In 1974 the Pinto based "Mustang II" was introduced with 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine and the 2.8 liter V6 out of the German Capri optional. Like with "New Coke"-the public was not amused. They dropped in a 302 V8 in '75-but it had a 2bbl carb and wheezed out 140 hp. In 1979 the famous "Fox" platform debuted-but they didn't get a real performance model until 1983-when the 302 got tube headers, and aluminum manifold, a 600 Holley carb and a new 5-speed transmission. Through the '80's until 1993-the "5.0" was King Kong". They were both faster and several thousand dollars cheaper than Z/28 Camaros and Trans-Am Firebirds-that were so invincible in the late '70's. 1994 Brought the body that would last until 2004. 1996 brought the 4.6 liter "Mod Motor" which the current "5.0" and 5.4s are based on. 2005 brought a '60's style body back and sales skyrocketed, even the V6 models outselling the V8s. "Bullitt" "Boss 302" and other special editions came in the years 2006-2010 when the body was slightly changed. The GT with 412 hp for under 30 grand, is still a screaming bargain. You don't have to take shit from little boys in rice rockets or yuppies in BMW M3s. The new 2015 version was featured in the action flick "Need for Speed".  Long live the Mustang!! Mastermind    

How about some '60's and '70's Trans Am racer tributes?.....

Popular Hot Rodding's "Project Talledega"-a 1975 Chevelle Laguna done up like Darrell Waltrip's mid-70's NASCAR racer is wildly popular among readers and many other mags have featured similar cars-a '73 Charger done like Richard Petty's most famous racer,an '84 T-Bird done like Bill Elliott's Championship car to name a couple. The NASCAR theme is cool, but what I think would be even cooler is Trans-Am tribute cars. Here's 4 that I think would be way cool and could be built cheaply. # 1. 1967-68 Mercury Cougar. I love this bodystyle-more than any Mustang. I'd go with radiused and flared fenderwells, Minilite wheels and fat tires all around. The good thing is-suspension and brake upgrades that fit a same-year Mustang will fit these cars-so you have a good selection of springs, shocks, sway bars etc-You could make it really handle. I'd go with some Corbeau or Recaro seats. For power I'd build a "Mock Boss" 302. or 351. Edelbrock and Trick Flow make Cleveland style aluminum heads that bolt up to Windsor blocks, and they make a special "E-Boss" Performer RPM manifold that works with this combo. You could use a 347 or 392 stroker kit and make some SERIOUS hp. Back it with a T10 4-speed or a Tremec 5-speed, and paint it like Bud Moore's racer. Mustangs are a dime a dozen-but you rarely see a badass Cougar. # 2. 1967-69 Pontiac Firebird. I'd go with radiused and flared fenders,some 16X8 or 17X9 American Racing Torq-Thrusts with 245/50ZR16 or 275/40ZR17 tires. Their's great suspension parts availability so handling would be superb. Power-wise-you could go two ways. One-you could build a snarling 400 or 455 Pontiac, or you could use a monster 383 or 427 small-block Chevy. Before you start screaming blasphemy remember that the 303 Pontiacs were mega-expensive, and unreliable,and only Milt Minter and Jerry Titus had them-through back-door factory backing by Herb Adams that was ok'd by Delorean. Since some Canadian Firebirds had Chevy engines from the factory-the SCCA allowed privateer Firebird racers to run 302 Chevys because they were cheaper and more plentiful. So a Chevy engine would be as realistic a "tribute" as a Pontiac. And of course it would have to be white with a blue stripes or blue with white stripes. Again-you see a lot of Nasty Camaros of this vintage but not many Firebirds. # 3. 1971-74 AMC Javelin. You have to go with Minilite wheels, side-exit exhaust, and a red,white and blue paint job-just like Mark Donohue's 1972 Championship car. Since they were used in Jeep Grand Wagoneers until 1992-AMC 360 V8's are plentiful in junkyards, and Edelbrock offers performance aluminum heads and intakes, you could build a potent, super-cool street fighter. # 4. 1967-69 Dodge Dart. Since the E-bodys didn't debut until 1970-a lot of guys raced Valiants and Darts in the Trans Am series in the '60's. The cars are very light-so even a 318 V8 would have good performance. Or you could go with a 360 or a 360 based 408 stroker with aluminum "Magnum" heads and a hot roller cam. You see Darts done like drag cars all the time but not in T/A style. I think any of these would be unique, low-budget, cool project. Any one else have similar ideas? Mastermind  

It's your car....Build the Damn thing the way you want it...Not how it "should" be....

I talk to so many people that are so worried about maximizing the value of the car when they sell it, that I wonder why they even bought it in the first place. Because-restoring a musclecar is not usually a profitable endeavor. I have literally seen people paint a car a color they can't stand-"Because that's what it was originally". Why? If you buy a yellow car with black or white interior, and you hate yellow, then paint it red or blue or black or silver or whatever color you want!!. The same goes for adding or subtracting options. If you don't like the looks of a Vynil top-then remove it. If you want 3-2bbls on your '66 GTO or '70 Super Bee and can afford to buy the manifold, carbs,linkage etc-then put it on!! The car will run better, and probably be worth more even though it's not "original". If you want "Snowflake" wheels on your T/A instead of Rally II's-what's stopping you? You can buy them from Year One in the original 15X8 size, and 17X9 if you want to upgrade to modern, ZR-rated tires. If you have '70 Challenger-and can afford 15 grand for a Mopar Performance 426 Crate Hemi-then go for it! Why would you use a 383-"Because that's the way it left the factory". Trust me-if you later decided to sell the car-the Hemi engine will bring much bigger bucks than the numbers-matching 383!!  Do your '69 GTO like a "Judge" if you want. And guess what? a Carousel Red Judge "tribute" will bring more money than a "correct" Verduro Green GTO!!!  Ditto for small accessories-get rid of the the thin, standard steering wheel and put a brawny "Formula" ( Trans Am ) wheel on your Firebird or a "Tuff" wheel on your Charger. Add a rear spoiler to your Camaro, Firebird, Mustang, Javelin etc. Put bucket seats in your Chevelle if you want-no one's going to gripe and wish you had the original bench in there. Put front disc brakes on a car that had 4-wheel drums. Your not "compromising" the value. Do your '69 Camaro like a Yenko, or your '71 Charger like a Super Bee, or your '77 Trans Am like a "Macho T/A". Phoenix Graphics has the decals and stencils. As long as you don't try to pass it off as original what's the harm?  You'll enjoy the car more, and if you ever do sell it-you'll get the financial benefit of the "cool" factor even if it's not "Just as it left the factory".  It's your car-do what you want. Mastermind