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