A VIN tag doesn't make a car....

Read a disturbing article in Musclecar Review the other day. Don't get me wrong, I love the magazine, and I correspond with the editor all the time, and he publishes my stuff occasionally. I guess I should have said the subject matter of the article was disturbing. Someone had found the remains of a "Bullitt" Mustang in a junkyard in Mexico. To call this rusting, engineless,transmissionless, inteirorless, hulk a "basket case" would have been an understatement. However, the cowl and the VIN tag were intact, and upon running a Marti report and checking with Ford historical services, it was verified as one of the cars used in the movie. The new owner excitedly said he was going to restore it to it's former glory. How? I mean all that's left of the original car is the VIN tag and part of the rusting body shell!!  I know Dynacorn and other companies sell complete Mustang bodies ( they also sell Camaros, '55-57 Chevys, and other stuff. ). I know you can buy replacement front and rear subframes, and all the interior trim. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find a 390 V8 and a Top-Loader 4-speed with 1967 or 68 date codes. But in reality-if he follows through on the project he's going to have a completely new car built around an old VIN tag. Does that make it "original?" No, because virtually nothing on the car is original!!  Does that make it restored?  I don't think so-because again-how much of the original vehicle was "restored?" The dash pad, the firewall and the left front fender?  The editor asked it another way-which I think is relevant. The Smithsonian supposedley has George Washington's ax-the one he chopped down the Cherry Tree with. It looks pretty damn good for being 200+ years old. That's because it's been "restored" several times since 1757 or whenever young George's father confronted him about the tree. If the handle's been refinished or replaced several times and the head has been re-sharpened or replaced several times, how much of the original ax exists? If you bought Jimi Hendrix's guitar and the neck had been replaced and the strings had been replaced, and the electronic pickups had been replaced-how much of the original Fender Stratocaster is left?  Doubtless, since you can prove Hendrix's ownership that makes it a valuable piece of rock-n-roll history; but it still doesn't make it original. I think this opens a "Pandora's Box" that's going to cause a lot of lawsuits over high-end car sales. I've talked many times about the Judge I had in high school. Think about this scenario. What if, Instead of my parents forcing me to sell it after losing my drvier's liscence, I kept it several more years and then totalled it in the early 80's. I buy the wreck from the insurance company. I put the RAIII engine and 4-speed in plastic bags in my garage. The crumpled body sits in my backyard for years. I just can't bring myself to haul it to the crusher. Then the '90's happen and musclecar values go into the stratosphere. I go buy a '69 LeMans that's in pretty good shape. I put my VIN tag on it, install the RAIII and the Muncie tranny and get the stripes and spoilers and maybe a new Endura front bumper from Year One or the Goat Farm. I have all my original paperwork, and the numbers on the engine and tranny match. If the prospective buyer contacts Pontiac Historical Services with the VIN and the casting numbers on the block, heads and tranny-it's going to come back as a for-real GTO Judge. I sell it for megabucks. Has the buyer got an original numbers matching RAIII / 4-speed Judge?  Certianly with the RAIII heart there's some Judge DNA in there, but it's not the same car that rolled off the assembly line in 1969 and that I bought in 1978!!  How would the buyer prove this? And if he could-let's say for arguments sake-my neighbors told him what I did and he decides to sue me for fraud and get his money back. If I had been smart enough to keep the salvage title of my car and re-register the cobbled up one as "rebuilt" with that title and the original VIN tag-the guy wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court. The Judge- ( Pun Intended ) would rule that he knowingly and willingly bought a "rebuilt" car and that since it did have the proper VIN and corresponding powertrain numbers, and especially since Pontiac Historical services verified the VIN, no crime was committed. The guy would be out whatever dollar amount I fleeced him for and I laugh all the way to the bank. Could the guy sell the car to someone else and recoup his investment? Probably, but the point I'm making is the car still isn't original, and the guy did kinda get screwed, regardless of the court's ruling!!  You can see how this kind of stuff would really complicate things for collectors. A buddy of mine had a 440 / Six-Pack Super Bee in high school. One night he missed a shift and grenaded the engine. I mean, rods out the side of the block, grenaded. We went to a junkyard and got a low-mileage 440 out of a wrecked '73 Chrysler Imperial for $250 and put that in the car. The only reason he did that instead of taking a FREE 383 from another buddy was the intake manifolds on "B" and "RB" engines don't interchange and he wanted to keep the Tri-Power on it. He drove it several more years and then sold it. Wherever that car is now-if it hasn't been wrecked or extensively modified-it's 99% original except for the engine!!  Back to the car in the article-I don't think a VIN tag makes a car, escpecially if everything on the car has been replaced. He can claim some link to the Movie, and has an interesting story to go with the car if or when he sells it, but Original?  No way.  That's where the old saying "Buyer Beware" really rings true. Mastermind               

It's okay to "Run What You Brung".....

Everyone is so enamored of the premium musclecars that we often forget that there's a lot of base models out there in good condition that would make great drivers or show cars or race cars if you wanted. For example of the 400,000 Chevelles produced in 1968 alone-only 58,000 were SS396 models. What that means is you can buy a 2 dr small-block Malibu a lot easier and cheaper than you can an SS396! And since it's not a numbers-matching premium piece of history-no one cares if you modify it. Swap in a 383 stroker, or a supercharged LS motor. There's tons of suspension upgrades out there for '64-77 GM "A" bodies-so you can build a corner-carving "G" machine, or a drag racer that will pull the front tires on launch. Of the 243,000 Camaros sold in 1969, only 19,000 were Z/28 models. Of the 299,000 Mustangs Ford sold in 1969, only 1,603 were Boss 302's, and only 13,000 were 428 CJ models. What I'm getting at here is there are a lot more base-models out there than there are "primo" models. So if you get a deal on a 318 Challenger, or a 350 Camaro, Chevelle, Firebird or LeMans, or a 302 or 351 Mustang or whatever-don't despair that it's not a big-block, and immediately start plotting how to clone the "big brothers". If that's what you want, fine. But not everyone needs or even wants a 500 hp fire-breathing monster. Like I said-if you have a 318 / Torqueflite Challenger and you'd like a just a little more zip-an Edelbrock Performer intake and a 4bbl carb, some dual exhausts and a shift kit in the trans will "wake up" the car's performance like you wouldn't believe. And that may be all you want. Drive it that way the next 20 years. Ditto for all the other makes. 302 and 351W / C Fords, 350 Pontiacs and Olds engines, 304 and 360 AMC's, 327 and 350 Chevys, all respond well to basic hot-rod tricks-a 4bbl carb and intake, headers and / or dual exhausts, a mild cam upgrade, etc. I've mentioned it before, but I know a guy who was looking for a '64-66 GTO, that bought a '64 442 that had a later-model 350 in it. He was torn between hunting down a 330 to make it Concours Original or swapping in a 455 to make it really badass. Five years and one paint job later, he's still driving it on sunny days and during Hot August Nights with the "unoriginal" 350 because-in his own words-"It runs so good and it's so damn much fun to drive that I can't bring myself to tear it apart."  And there's nothing wrong with that. Mastermind

Some full-size cars that can be great sleepers.....

Since everyone is chasing Camaros, Chevelles, GTOs, Firebirds,Chargers, Road Runners, Challengers, 442s,Mustangs, Cougars, etc-people often forget that there are a lot of full-size cars out there that are great performers, and because they were usually the top of the line-have cool options like factory A/C, power windows and seats, upgraded interiors, and bigger engines. Here's some alternative bodystyles that offer tremendous bang for the buck. # 1. 1969-76 Pontiac Gran Prix. These cars are dynamite. 400 cubes standard all years, and a fair number of '70-76 "SJ" models have 455s. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle will fit these cars so the potential is huge. My sister had a '72 GP in high school. It had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. She showed her taillights to many shocked Camaro, Chevelle and Mustang drivers.  # 2. 1960-68 Pontiacs. While 99% of Impalas and Caprices built in this period have 283 or 327 small-block motivation, every single Pontiac Catalina, Bonneville, or Gran Prix had at least 389 cubes under the hood, and some had 400, 421 or 428!  Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these as well. # 3. 1966-69 Buick Riviera. I personally think the '66-67 Riviera is one of the best looking cars GM ever produced. They have the swoopy, fastback, hidden headlight styling of the Olds Toronado, but with less chrome and doo-dads, and are still rear-wheel drive. And with 430 cubes under that long hood, they move pretty good too. The '68-69 models are gorgeous too, but they changed the front bumper, and I don't like it as well as the cleaner '66-67 models. You can't go wrong either way. Buick guys will gripe, but I envision one jet-black with 17" Torq-Thrust mags and fat tires, and a snarling 572 inch Chevy Rat Motor under the hood. All you'd need are some Chevy motor mounts and a Chevy bolt-pattern TH400....# 4. 1967-69 Oldsmobile 88 / 98. When I was a kid, my mom had a gorgeous '67 88 Convertible. It was blue with white interior and had Torq-Thrust mags on it, and with 425 cubes under the hood, could lay rubber all the way across an intersection. The coupes have fastback styling, and either 425 or 455 cubes under the bonnet. Again-one of the things great about GM stuff-interchangeability-any suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these. # 5. 1969-78 Plymouth Sport Fury. In the immortal words of Dan Ackroyd / Elwood Blues-"It's got cop tires, cop shocks, a cop motor..." Most have 383, 400 or 440 cubes under the hood, and the 2 door models are pretty good-looking. Peter Graves drove one on "Mission Impossible". Fred Dryer wrecked a bunch on "Hunter". # 6. 1965-72 Ford Galaxie / LTD. The '65-67 Galaxie is one of the best-looking cars Ford ever produced. They closely resemble a '65 Pontiac in profile, which are also near and dear to my heart. Their interiors are awesome with bucket seats, consoles, lots of chrome. And with 390 cubes under the hood, they move. Later models may have 428s or 429s, which is, if anything, a bonus. Some '71-72 models may have 400C's, but they have great potential.  # 7. 1967-71 Ford Thunderbird. I like the '67-69 models best with their hidden headlights and clean styling, but their all beautiful. '67-69 models will have 390 or 428 or 429 cubes under the hood. 1970-71 models have 429s exclusively, but with 375 hp who's complaining?  By '72, the party was over. Compression ratios were lowered and the name was transferred to the much heavier, and uglier Lincoln MK IV platform. There wouldn't be another high-performance T-Bird until the Supercharged 1989 model.  Chevy guys are going to ask-where's the Impala?  The reason it was left off was explained when I talked about '60's Pontiacs. 99% of '60's and early '70's Impalas have small-blocks 350 cubes or less for power, and 396, 427 and 454 versions are priced in the stratosphere. All the other cars listed here have big-blocks as standard equipment.  Mastermind

Other overlooked big-blocks that can really rock.....

In the race for "Gotta have the biggest and baddest" sometimes people overlook diamonds in the rough. I talked in the last post about some great engines that make great power but are often overlooked because the buff magazines are always featuring these 500+ inch, 600+ hp monsters. Those are definitely cool if you can afford one, but a lot of us can't write a check for 15 grand for an engine!  Besides the usual supects-454 Chevy, 455 BOP's, 440 Mopars,460 Fords, and the 400 ( give or take a bit; 383,389,390, and 396 are close enough to 400 ) inchers I mentioned in the last post, there's a few more that enterprsing hot rodders overlook in their quest for power. # 1. 421 / 428 Pontiac. I love 421s and 428s. They have the best of both worlds-they rev up like a 389 / 400 and have the massive torque of a 455. The downside is the 421 was only produced from 1962-66, and the 428 from '67-69. If you have one already in the car or can buy one for a reasonable price their the only way to fly. I like them better than 455s, for the reasons I just cited. And you can always put a custom 428 crank into a 400 block and ( with a .030 overbore ) have 433 inches of stompin' Poncho power.  # 2. 413 / 426 Chrysler. A lot of people don't know it, but Chrysler made a 426 inch V8 that WASN'T a Hemi in the early '60s. And until the 440 was introduced in 1967 a lot of the "Big" cars-i.e.-Dodge Polaras and Monacos, Chrysler Imperials, Plymouth Furys, big station wagons, etc-had 413s under the hood. They are an "RB" engine-so anything that fits a 440-heads, intakes, cams etc will fit these. The downside is they've been out of production since 1966 so their kinda rare, but dynamite if you can find one.  # 3. 425 Oldsmobile. Anything that fits a 400 or 455 will fit these, so they can really rock with the right parts. The only downside is they were only produced from 1965-67. ( The 455 debuted in '68 ). However-they were used in all the "big" cars-88s,98s, wagons, and Toronados so theres more out there than you might think. # 4. 430 Buick. Same deal here-they were only used from 1966-69, but they were used in almost every model. Stock or modified, anything 430 cubes is going to have some serious torque. All the go-fast goodies-heads, intakes etc that fit a 400 / 455 fit these, so you can build a beast if you want to.  #5 400C / M Ford. These were used in various Ford cars and trucks from 1971-82 so there's a lot of them out there. They had a reputation as "dogs" because they were saddled with 8:1 compression, a lazy cam, single exhaust, 2bbl carburation, and were put in big, heavy cars and trucks with salt-flats gearing like 2.80:1. However-their "Cleveland" style heads have ports and valves the size of a 427 Chevy; give him some reasonable compression, a good cam, some headers and a 4bbl carb and intake and you'll have a beast. Every year in the "Engine Masters Challenge" theirs someone with a 400 Ford that's pumping out 550+ hp on 91 octane pump gas. Set up right, one of these "Rodney Dangerfields " can make as much power as a 429 or 460 with a lot less expense.  I'm sure some people are going to howl that I didn't mention the 427 Chevy. I didn't for three reasons. One-"Original" 427s were only produced from '66-69 and 'Vette restorers hog them and will pay blood and a first-born child for one. The chance of you finding one at a reasonable price is almost nil. You'd have a better chance of getting struck by lightning on the golf course. If you "Gotta Have" a 427 Chevy-GMPP sells them as crate engines to this day-with 480 hp and 500+ lbs of torque. Or you could find a 454 block and put a 427 crank in it. So the mighty 427 isn't really overlooked, it's basically alive and well. That's why it wasn't on the list. Hope this helps people out.  Mastermind  

Some "Small" big-blocks that are still viable but overlooked....

The current trend in the buff magazines seems to be "Bigger is Better" as they feature 500+ inch stroker engines incessantly. A 454 Chevy or 455 Pontiac or Olds or 440 Mopar or 460 Ford seems to be "entry level" according to these writers. The reality is-you can have a very strong performer with-here's an oxymoron-a medium sized big-block. Here's some that are overlooked but can still give you major horsepower and torque.  # 1. 396 / 402 Chevy. With GMPP selling 572 inch  Rat motors with 720 hp, and people fighting with machetes for 427s and 454s to build, it's easy to see how these "little brothers" get overlooked. The reality is because they can use the same heads, cam etc-a 396 / 402 can make just as much power as a 427 or 454, just at a higher rpm. The original L78 396 was rated at 425 hp in the 1965 Corvette-the same as the legendary L72 427 and only 25 hp down from the legendary 450 hp LS6 454. You can make 350 hp with 8:1 compression on junk gas and using factory iron intake and exhaust manifolds. You can make 450-500 hp so easy it's almost criminal. Edelbrock claims 540 hp and 530 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" package on a 454. Most big-block Chevy builders go by the rule of thumb that all other things being equal, a 454 will make 20 hp more than a 427, and a 427 will make 20 hp more than a 396. Using that formula you'd still have 500 hp and 500 lbs of torque, which would make any street car a major rocket.  # 2. 383 / 400 Chrysler. Everyone talks about Hemis and 440s, but just like the Chevys-you can make just as much power as a 440 just at higher rpm. Chrysler engineers took the heads, cam and intake from the 440 Magnum to power the 383 Road Runner. The 383 was rated at 335 hp and the 440 was rated at 375. Edelbrock claims 417 hp from their "Performer RPM" package on a 383 and 469 hp on a 440.  Not a ton of difference.  A great testimonial to the might of 383's came from Carey Loftin-who was stunt coordinator on both "Bullitt" and "Vanishing Point"-THE two car-chase classics in most people's book-spoke about the iconic Challenger piloted by Barry Newman in the film. "We had 5 cars." "Four were 440 / 4-speeds, and the camera car was a 383 / Automatic." "I used the camera car to tow the camaro we blew up toward the bulldozers at 80 mph because the automatic drivetrain wouldn't jerk when shifting like the sticks and slacken the tow cable."  "I honestly think the 383 would run just as fast as the 440." "That 383 was a great running car."  The 400 used from '72-78 is just a bored out 383. Either one would power your Mopar project just fine, so don't sell your soul for a 440.  # 3. 389 / 400 Pontiac. Cutting down a 455 crank and putting it in a 400 block to get 461cubes ( with a .030 overbore ) is all the rage now, although Smokey Yunick was doing it in the early '60's for Fireball Roberts when his Pontiacs were the scourge of NASCAR. A 389 / 400 has 3 inch main bearings, while a 421 / 428 / 455 had 3.25 inch mains. Smokey figured out that the smaller main bearings would hold up better at high rpm and break less when running 500 miles at Daytona. To win the race, you've got to finish the race, right?  So Smokey was cutting down 421 cranks and putting them in 389 blocks to build his 421 race engines. 50 years later-guys are doing the same thing. You can buy stroker Pontiac crank, rod and piston kits from several sources. However-if you have one already in the car or can buy one cheap, a 389 / 400 can make just as much power as a 455, and probably stay together longer. 389s were in every Pontiac built from 1959-66, and 400s were in everything from '67-78.  Edelbrock claims 422 hp and 441`lbs of torque from their Performer RPM package on a 400. The "regular" Perfromer Package makes 387 hp and 439 lbs of torque on a 400, and has a much smoother-idling cam that makes 15 inches of vacuum at idle instead of 10. With the RPM cam-( which is basically a replica of the factory RAIV cam ) your giving up quite a bit of low-end and mid-range torque for top-end rush. In a same-weight car, with similar gearing, on street tires-is a car with 422 hp really going to be any quicker than one with 387 hp? I doubt it.  # 4. 390 Ford. Everyone wants 427s, 428s, 429s and 460s. The problem is  ( except for 460's which were used in trucks until 1997 and are still being sold as SVT crate engines to this day ) those big-inch engines are rare, and thus expensive, if you can find one for sale at ANY price. When's the last time you saw a for-real 427 or 428 or 429CJ engine for sale in a want ad?  By contrast 390s were used in virtually every Ford model from 1961-76 and are plentiful. And they are externally identical to the other "FE" engines so if your building a Thunderbolt or Cobra or Fairlane clone or CJ Mustang clone no one will know it's not a 427 or 428 unless you tell them!  Edelbrock claims 452 hp and 428 lbs of torque from their dual-quad Performer RPM package which would certainly give you the look and the oomph to back it up.  # 5. 400 Oldsmobile. These were only used from 1965-69. Everyone chases the 455s used from 1968-76. If you have a 400 already in the car, or can buy one cheap, by all means use it. Don't empty your bank account and search the galaxy for a 455. Everything that fits a 455-Edelbrock aluminum heads and intakes, aftermarket cams, headers etc will work on a 400. And like their Pontiac cousins-400 inch Olds motors make massive low-end and mid-range torque. When you've got 400+ lbs of torque from idle on up you don't need to rev to 6 or 7 grand!  # 5. 400 Buick. These also were only used from 1965-69, and like the Olds fans, Buick guys sell their souls for the 1970-76 455s. If you have a 400 in the car or can buy one at a reasonable price I would definitely use it rather than chase a running or rebuildable 455. Even bone-stock, anything 400 cubes is going to run pretty damn good. And there are hot rod parts available for these engines-Edelbrock sells heads and intakes for them, Crane and Lunati make cams, etc. So if your building a Skylark or Century or Regal project, or want a more modern power plant in a 50's convertible or early Riviera, ( but want to keep it all Buick, you don't want a big-block Chevy or an LS motor ) a 400 may be just the ticket. If you can afford a 572 Chevy or a 514 Ford or a 505 Mopar, etc-more power to you-pun intended-but if your on a budget-these 400 inchers offer a LOT of "bang" for the buck.  Mastermind            

The "Other" 350s can be fun too....

Everyone wants the big-block musclecars, but they can be pricey. The fact is if your looking for a GM musclecar that isn't a Chevy-there are a lot of LeMans, Firebird,Ventura, Cutlass, Omega, and Century and Regals out there with 350 cubes under the hood. If you have or can buy one cheap, you don't have to immediately start looking for a 400-425-428-430-455 BOP big block. The 350s can be made to run pretty damn good.  #1. The best of the "other" ( non-Chevrolet ) 350s is the Olds version, for three reasons: they are an oversquare-large bore / small stroke design, the bottom-ends are bulletproof-they converted some to diesel in the late 70's-if they can hold together with 22.5:1 compression required to fire diesel fuel-they can take anything you can throw at it. And third-there was a factory high-performance version-the famous "W31".  Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs ft of torque from their "Performer RPM" package. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly-but 400 honest hp will make any street car a rocket. And-anything that fits a 350 will fit a 403-if your car has a tired 330 or 350 that needs to be pulled and rebuilt anyway-53-73 extra cubes will definitely give you a nice power and torque boost.  # 2. 350 Pontiac. The design that gives them such massive low-end torque is also why they can't make really big power. They are a small-bore / long stroke design. A 400 uses the same stroke. The small bore limits them because the big-port,big-valve heads used on the 400-421-428-455 engines that you need for really big power can't be used-the valves will hit the block. People talk about clearancing the block to use the big heads, but why? Pontiacs are externally identical from a 326-455-so if you have that much money and need that much power-just swap in a 400 or 455. That aside-they do respond well to basic hot rod tricks-headers and dual-exhausts, 4bbl carb and intake, mild cam upgrades. Your just accentuating what Pontiac did stock-make big torque at low rpm. I wouldn't rev one over 5,500. You can make 325-350 hp and 400 lbs of torque pretty easy and still have a good idle and street manners, and people will THINK you swapped in a big block. If you need more power than that, you'll need a 400 or 455.  # 3. 350 Buick. These were used in a lot of cars from 1968-77. The upside is they make a lot more power and torque than the obsolete 300-327-340 engines they replaced. The downside is unlike their Chevy, Olds, and Pontiac cousins-there was never a factory high-performance version, and there isn't much aftermarket support. Edelbrock doesn't even make a manifold for them-and Edelbrock makes manifolds for just about everything from flathead Fords, to AMC's, Cadillacs, even Hondas and Toyotas. There is a company called T/A perfromance that sells intakes, cams, headers etc for 350 Buicks so that's one way to go. If you need really big power-then I'd suggest swapping in a 400-430-455. Edelbrock does make heads and intakes for these, and Crane and Comp Cams and others make cams and valvetrain components for them. Anyhow-you be surprised how well these non-Chcvy small-blocks can run with a little tweaking, and very little dollar investment.  Mastermind      

Special Editions that aren't really special...

Every person who's selling an old car wants the buyer to think it's rare or special, obviously to drive the price up. However there's a lot of cars, some that the manufacturers even called "Special Editions" that are nothing, well-special, and don't warrant spending more money over a base-model. Here's some to look out for that would be cool drivers, but don't spend big money to buy, in no particular order. # 1. 1971-74 Dodge Charger SE. The "SE" package was purely cosmetic. In '71-72 it included hidden headlights, a vinyl top, upgraded upholstery and some chrome here and there. '73-74 models had exposed headlamps,upgraded upholstery, and ( in my opinion ) an ugly little "Opera" window that screwed up the Charger's classic roofline and a vinyl top. Power choices range from a 318 to a 440. If you can buy one cheap their alright, but there's nothing rare or special about them. # 2. 1973-75 Chevelle Laguna S3. These had body-colored endura front bumpers, swivel bucket seats, two-tone paint jobs and Rally wheels. Other than that their a garden-variety Malibu. Most have 350 power. Expect to pay substantially more for 454 models-but thats par for the course for any Chevelle or Monte Carlo-the Rat versions cost more. # 3. 1974-76 "Starsky&Hutch" Ford Gran Torino. Due to the popularity of the hit buddy-cop TV show, Ford dealers everywhere capitalized by selling droves of Torinos with the red and white paint job and aluminum slot mags. If they couldn't order them from Ford fast enough, they dressed them up in their own shops. Serramonte Ford-where I worked sold a few with GREEN interiors, because they repainted a white or green car with the red and white. Who buys a red car with green interior?  Several people did!  However-their a garden-variety Gran Torino. A lot of them had bench seats, and 2bbl 351M motivation. Not exactly a rocket. Expect to pay more for 460 models, but other than that, hey-its a '74-76 Torino-who cares?  # 4. 1977-79 Special Edition Trans-Am. "Smokey and The Bandit" sold a ton of these. Of the 68,000 T/A's sold in 1977 alone, over 15,000 were black and gold "SE's". Of the 93,000 sold in '78 and the 117,000 sold in '79-many thousands more are out there. In '78 and '79 they also had a Gold "SE" model. Except for the color scheme and the gold dash panel, their a garden-variety T/A. Power is either a 400 Pontiac or a 403 Olds V8. Their fine if you want a Disco-era T/A, but I wouldn't spend extra cash-like you would for a documented DKM "Macho T/A"-or a documented Herb Adams "Fire-Am".  # 5. 1978 "Silver Anniversary / Indy 500 Pace Car Corvette.  All of the 50,000 plus '78 Corvettes had "Silver Anniversary" badging. Over 10,000 had the two-tone Silver / Charcoal grey paint and silver leather interior. As for the Indy Pace Cars-GM said they to make at least one for every dealer. Since Chevrolet had over 7,700 dealers at that time-nearly 8,000 were built, although not every dealer got one. Other than the Pace Car black and silver paint job and graphics-their nothing special. Obviously L82 / 4-speed models will bring more than L48 / TH350 versions-but that's true of all disco-era 'Vettes. # 6. 1979 Hurst / Olds. These weren't even built by Hurst, they were done entirely at the Lansing factory. Their a garden-variety "G" body Cutlass with a Dual-Gate shifter and a white and gold or black and gold paint job and gold aluminum wheels. The "W30" ( Olds shamelessly desecrated the legendary moniker ) V8 is a 350 Olds that wheezed out 160 hp. 2,400 were built. Other than the trim-your better off just buying any old '78-79 Cutlass-if you want a '78-79 Cutlass!!  I don't.  Anyhow-don't get suckered by someone selling one of these "Special" cars. Their not special. Mastermind