Sometimes the path of least resistance is better......

In the never-ending search for more speed gearheads sometimes go overboard on a project and spend way more time and money than they need to and often get disappointing results. Here's some good advice on how to avoid this pitfall and save yourself a ton of money and aggravation. # 1. Just because something is POSSIBLE doesn't mean it's the best thing to do or the most economical, or the most performance enhancing. For example it's possible to put a 460 V8 in a Fox-bodied Mustang but why would you want to? I know guys that run in the 10s with stock block 302s or stroker 347s. Honestly-do you really need to go faster than that? And would a 460 powered 'Stang that cost twice as much to build really run any quicker? Another example would be if you bought a 318 / automatic powered '71 Challenger. Naturally your first thought would be to throw a 440 in it. However-in order to do that besides locating a running, or at least rebuildable 440-( Not an easy task, they've been out of production since 1978 ) you'd need to get a big-block crossmember, big block torsion bars, "B" engine motor mounts, all the brackets and accessories, and you'll need to get a 727 Torqueflite to replace the 904. A 360 would bolt right in place of the 318. Blueprint Engines sells a 375 hp 360-based 408 inch stroker crate engine for about $3,500. Or you could get a junkyard 360 and rebuild it. 1992 and later Magnum Heads ( plentiful on Dodge trucks and Jeep Cherokees ) would give you an instant 40 hp boost. A Magnum style Edelbrock Performer RPM would add another 30 hp, and with the proper cam and headers you'd have an engine making an honest 350 hp and 400+lbs ft of torque. The car would run just as fast it would with all but the most radical 440 setups with a lot less grief and a lot less financial investment. A third example would be a '77-81 Firebird Formula or Trans-Am. Quite a few of these were built with 403 Olds engines from '77-79, and a lot of 1980-81 models had 305 Chevy engines in them. It would be a lot easier and cheaper to hop up the 403 Olds engine, or swap in a stout 350 or 383 Chevy than it would be to return it to "Real" 400 or 455 Pontiac Power. # 2. The biggest, coolest, state-of-the-art option isn't always the best. One example is cylinder heads. Hot Rod magazine did a comparison test a few years ago on identical 454 Chevy engines. They both had the same cam, carb and intake, ignition, etc. The only difference was one had oval-port "standard" heads-i.e.-what you find on station wagon,pickup or Suburban engines, and the other one had "High-Performance" rectangular poprt heads-what you find on L88 427, or LS6 454 engines. They were shocked when they dyno-tested them. The "High-Performance" heads did not show a noticeable gain in hp or torque until 6,300 rpm!! The conclusion was the hi-perf heads were a waste of money unless you were building an all-out race car that could rev to 8 grand. And they were right. Even on a hot street / strip machine that spends every weekend at the drags-honestly-how often, if ever- are you going to be above 6,300 rpm? Another case involved a dyno test of a ZZ4 crate engine. A set of Trick Flow aftermarket aluminum heads showed a 40 hp gain, in a very narrow window-from 4,700-6,200 rpm. However-if you read the dyno sheet-at some rpms there was no gain, and at some it was only 1 or 2 hp. In fact, the "antiquated" L98 factory heads were within 5 hp and 5 lbs of torque at every rpm from idle to 4,600!! Again-in your street machine, how often are you operating above 4,700 rpm? and further, the Trick Flow heads cost $1,400!! For $1,400 you can gain a lot more than 40 hp in a 1,500 rpm window. That would easily buy you a much hotter roller cam setup and a bigger carb and intake. You may not remember but GMPP sold a "ZZ430" a couple years back. It was based on the ZZ4 350 crate engine, but instead of being rated at 355 hp, it was rated at 430 hp-hence the name. The ZZ430 got the extra 75 hp by using a much hotter cam and a single-plane intake in place of the dual plane that comes stock. Or we all agree-for $1,400 you could put together an awesome nitrous system that would give you 150 or more extra hp on demand- a lot better than 40 horses between roughly 5 and six thousand rpm! Don't get me wrong I'm not saying don't buy aftermarket heads. They have their uses. But think about this-for any application other than a small-block Chevy aftermarket aluminum heads cost $2,000 or more per pair. Let's say you have a 400 Pontiac in your '70's Firebird. Assuming the engine is in good condition, and you can do the labor yourself, for 2 grand you could buy an Edelbrock Performer intake and matching carb, a Competition Cams Xtreme Energy cam kit, a set of Hedman Headers, a higher-stall speed converter, a set of 3.73:1 gears, some Lakewood traction bars, and a pair of BFG Drag Radials to put all that newfound power to the ground. Do you think that'll give you more bang for the buck than bolting a two-thousand dollar set of heads onto your otherwise stock vehicle?  # 3. Don't waste money on beefy, heavy duty parts that you don't need. If you read any of the buff magazines-every single project car has a custom 9 inch Ford rear end. I've said it before-I have never seen anyone break a Chrysler 8 3/4 rear and I know a guy that has a 505 Wedge with nitrous in a Duster that runs slicks, and his 8 3/4 stock rear axle has lasted about 5 years so far, and is still going. I have had 400, 4-speed '70's Trans-Ams and dropped the clutch a 4,000 rpm for 10-15 passes at the drags every weekend for years, and I never broke the 8.5 inch GM 10 bolt posi in them. I mean if you have a 700 hp engine that your going to launch at 5,000 rpm on wrinklewall slicks bolted to the rims with 8 psi in them, then yes you need all the beef you can get. But for 99% of the rest of us you don't need it. The same goes for transmissions. Again-if your running a 720 hp 572 Rat motor then yes I would recommend a professionally-prepped TH400. But barring that-a TH350 with a $30 shift kit will stand up to anything with up to 450-500 hp. Ditto for a Ford C4-you don't need a C6 unless you've got more than 500 hp. Buick Grand National racers run in the 9s with 200R4s. The same goes for sticks. No, I wouldn't put a BW T5 behind a 454. But I know guys that have swapped hot 350s into their mid-80's Camaros and run low 13s or high 12s with no problems. I know a "5.0" Mustang racer that runs in the low 12s or high 11s every weekend with a stock T5, and it lasted 13 months with him making 30 hard passes a weekend. If it had just been a daily driver or weekend cruiser-it would have lasted 3 or 4 years. Spend your money on stuff that's going to give you the biggest gain per dollar, not what's on the cover of a magazine or what's cool this week. Mastermind.                         

Why can't these idiots butcher junk that's plentiful?

I talked the other day about the PHR cover cars that I hated-pristine '73 Trans-Ams with LS motors and Detroit Speed and Engineering subframes. I know there's a lot of people with more money than brains out there, but I still don't understand why they have to cut up rare, numbers-matching, valuable musclecar. Pontiac built roughly 320,000 Trans-Ams from 1976-79 ( Smokey and the Bandit was a great sales tool ) . Why couldn't  their cover car owners desecrate one of those instead of cutting up a pristine, one of 4,806 1973 T/A's?  Or one of the literally millions of other beater 1970-81 Camaros and Firebirds out there? Hot Rod magazine did it with a "For real, numbers-matching, four-speed SS396 1968 Chevelle. Why? If they wanted to build an LS engined '68 Chevelle-Chevrolet built over 400,000 Malibus that year alone. If you figure that '69-72 was basically the same bodystyle-they had a couple million examples to choose from-they didn't have to cut up an original SS396. Ditto for another car featured in PHR-a guy put an LS7 'Vette motor and a BW six-speed in a-you guessed it a-numbers-matching 1970 GTO Judge!! Again-he couldn't find a two-door '68-72 Malibu to buy? Even if he liked the Pontiac bodystyle better-He couldn't buy one of the millions of beater '68-72 LeMans or Tempest models out there? You HAD to ruin one of the few( Only 3,797 were orignally built ) documented '70 Judges left in the world? I could never understand cross-breeding even back in the day. I remember way back in 1973 reading about a guy that bought a brand-new LS6 454 Chevy crate engine-( GM Performance Parts sold them until 1991 ) and stuffed it into his 1972 Trans-Am. He evn painted the block and heads Pontiac blue, and put "455HO" stickers on the valve covers. My question at that time-was "Why?" First off-'72 T/A's had the excellent 455HO as standard equipment. These had four-bolt mains, forged pistons, Ram Air IV heads, an RAIV aluminum intake and the milder "068" cam. They were an awesome street engine and they dominate stock drag-racing classes to this day. If he wanted more power-he could have added headers and an RAIV cam and easily made the same power as a crate LS6, without ruining the value of the car and having to change the bellhousing, motor mounts, accesories, etc. It seemed to me to be a lateral move at best. I though it was a collossal waste of time and money back then. Because-at that time-Baldwin-Motion and Nickey Chevrolet would both sell you a brand-new Camaro with either an L88 427 or an LS6 454, a Rock-Crusher 4-speed or a TH400 with a high-stall converter and a shift kit, and a 3.73, 4.11 or 4.56 posi rear end! If the guy wanted an ultra-badass Rat-Motored F-body-why didn't he just trade the T/A in on one of those? You have to remember that during the gas crisis of the mid- late '70s musclccars were the proverbial dime a dozen. My buddy bought a pristine, 4-speed 1970 SS396 Chevelle for $1,300 in 1977. I bought my RAIII, 4-speed '69 Judge for $2500 in 1978, after passing up a '69 Hemi Road Runner for $3000!! Two other friends bought a '70 SS396 / TH400 Chevelle and '70 400, 4-speed Formula Firebird the same week and they both paid the same price-$1500!! I went with a friend to buy a rough-but running, '70 383, 4-speed Challenger that the guy was asking $800 for, and while my buddy and another guy were arguing over the price, a third guy came up, paid the owner the $800 in cash and drove the car away while my moron buddy and the other idiot he was arguing with stood there slack-jawed and gaping in horror!! That was all those car were worth back then, so it was really stupid to cut something up or swap engines because it was usually easier and cheaper  to just buy another car with the equipment you wanted! Getting back to the present-I just don't get the fascination and demi-God worship of these GM LS engines. Yes, I understand they are the wave of the future-just like the Small-block Chevy supplanted the Flathead Ford as "The" hot rod engine to have back in the late '50's and early '60's. I understand that. And ten years from now when theirs millions of Chevy and GMC trucks in junkyards and you can buy them for nothing, yes, they'll be a quick power injection into just about anything. But right now, people are paying 10, 15 or even 20 thousand dollars for these things. The one that really got me was the guy that put one in a 1990 Mustang GT. It now has zero resale value. Ford guys don't want it, GM guys don't want it, and the clueless "Joe Average" is going to go "Who wants a Mustang with a Chevy engine in it?" And, I wonder how he came up with this brilliant Idea? I mean there's more speed equipment out there for Fox-bodied Mustangs than there is for anything else on the planet. "Gee, I'll spend triple the money and double the time it would take to build a badass 302 or 347 Ford engine and put in a Chevy that won't run any faster in the end." "Won't that be cool?" And I really don't understand desecrating the old musclecars. You buy an old car because it's totally different from what's new. If you were a gun collector would you would buy a WWII vintage Colt .45 and put laser sights on it? If you were a Harley-Davidson collector would you buy a '47 Knuckelhead or a '57 Panhead or a 1965 Sporster and put a fuel-injected engine and six-speed belt-drive tranny out of a 2010 Softtail in it?  If you want a new fuel-injected Camaro, Challenger or Mustang then go down to your local Chevy, Ford or Dodge dealer and buy one. But leave the rare, vintage iron for those of us that appreciate it. Mastermind                                 

More Assholes of the month.......

Popular Hot Rodding is featuring these guys this month and it makes me sick. There's two guys that know each other and they both butchered prisitne, numbers-matching 1973 Trans-Ams. One was Brewster Green and the other Buccaneer Red. Both of these idiots installed LS7 Corvette engines and a six-speed automatic and all the electronics. They also installed DSE front and rear subframes, rack&pinion steering, and custom 9 inch Ford rearends, and Wildwood 4-wheel disc brake systems. Of course the magazine and the owners raved about how fast, good handling and cool they were. My question is Why??  #1. The engine / tranny combo. '73 T/A's came stock with a 455 and either an M21 Muncie 4-speed or a TH400. The LS7 'Vette motor that makes 505 hp costs $15,995 through GMPP. Mast Motorsports sells hot rod LS engines, and their 550 hp model sells for $12,995. Jim Butler performance or Kaufmann Racing will build you a 455 Pontiac engine guaranteed to produce 550 hp and run on 89 octane pump gas for $7,500. So it wasn't that the LS motors made more power for less money. No they made the same power for DOUBLE the price, and now the car isn't remotely original, it's ruined in my opinion.  # 2. The suspension. 1970's T/A's are, even today-one of the best handling cars on the planet. For example-Road&Track tested a 2011 Camaro SS against a 2011 SRT8 Hemi Challenger. On the skidpad-the Challenger-shod with P245/45ZR20 Goodyear Eagles pulled .85g. The Camaro, running P245/45ZR20 front and P275/45ZR20 Pirelli Pzeros pulled .88g. By contrast- Car and Driver's 1979 Trans-Am test car scored a very-close .82g on S-rated P225/70R15 Goodyear Polysteel radials! It doesn't take a genius to do this math-if the old T/A had some fat, modern, ZR-rated rubber it would easily surpass these state-of-the-art modern ponycars. Year One sells 17X9 Snowflake wheels for just this purpose. P275/40ZR17 BFG Comp T/A's fit nicely in the stock wheelwells. Year one also makes 17X9 Rally II's and "Honeycomb" wheels both of which would look stock on the '73's. Besides the tires, if you wanted to upgrade the T/A's handling beyond it's already stellar status-urethane bushings, KYB or Koni shocks and subframe connectors tighten things up immensely without making the ride too rough. 1973 T/A's have a 15:1 ratio steering box. If you want to quicken up the steering-the 1978-81 WS6 box is available in the aftermarket and it has a 14:1 ratio. If you want to go quicker still, the 1983-92 WS6 box is a bolt-in replacement, and it has a 12.7:1 ratio!!. A guy with a "Macho T/A" did this in a magazine and his car pulled .95g on the skidpad. That's modern Corvette, and BMW M3 territory. A 2012 Shelby GT500 Mustang could only pull .95g. That's a bunch for a basically stock leaf-spring, solid axle rear suspension car! All-wheel-drive Audi R8s and Nissan GTRs with thousands of dollars in stabilty-control devices are putting up numbers around 1.04g, but considering that their $100,000+ dollar cars, that's not appreciably better than Herb Adams' 43 year old solid-axle design!! Popular Hot Rodding themselves did the same thing-upgraded sway bars, chocks, subframe connectors etc-to a beater '76 Camaro a couple years ago. The called it "Project G/28" and as I recall they got pretty close to 1.00g. WITHOUT replacing the front and rear subframes and whole suspension system!  # 3. The Brakes. The stock front disc / rear drum setup on a '70's T/A isn't adequate to stop the car safely in daily driving or on a weekend trip to the drags?  I had a friend who autocrossed his '76 T/A for years, and competed in vintage races at Laguna Seca against Shelby Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes etc, winning many class championships. We discovered that if we used Police-Spec Bendix D52 front pads and Dot 5 fluid, that the brakes didn't fade. In fact-they made a little noise and weren't super when they were dead cold-like just leaving for work in the morning. Whether driving on the street or track-the hotter they got, the better they worked!  I fail to see why you would need a $3000 Wildwood or Brembo system, even if you were autocrossing it. What really irks me is there were only 4,802 '73 T/A's ever built. There was over 315,000 T/A's built from 1976-79 alone. ( Smokey and the Bandit really drove sales ). Why couldn't he butcher one of those? Or one of the millions of beater 1970-81 Camaros and Firebirds out there?  I know I sound like a broken record but why can't these idiots put these LS motors in a Beater Tempest or Malibu? Why does it always have to be a for-real numbers-matching SS396 or GTO?  I guess I know the answer-there's too many people with more money than brains. Mastermind          

More race cars with liscence plates......

A buff magazine was talking about the "Stock Appearing" drag events. The winner was a guy with a Hemi Road Runner that ran 10.92. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing the guys car or his accomplishment. What I'm griping about is the splitting hairs on what is and isn't stock or stock appearing. The Pure Stock drags require entrants to run on repro street tires or regular street radials-i.e. Coker Wide Ovals or B.F.G T/A Radials, Firestone Firehawks etc, and don't allow traction enhancing devices. The "Stock Appearing" drags allow any tire as long as it fits in a stock wheelwell. Trust me, by playing with wheel offsets, these guys are running some pretty beefy Drag Radials, or even wrinklewall M&H's. Their also allowed to run pinion snubbers or slapper bars on leaf-spring cars, and bolt-on traction bars on coil-spring cars. Their also allowed to run "Trick" front springs-i.e.-the kind designed to transfer weight rearward faster, and 90 / 10 shocks-because these items look like the stock pieces. Even if the engines were totally stock-a car with this type of drag-race suspension and rubber is going to run substantially faster than a car with a stock suspension and street rubber. Their also allowed to run any gear ratio they want and in automatics, any converter they want. A guy with an L89 Nova was running 4:56:1 gears and a 4,300 rpm converter. Think that'll run a tad quicker than your 396 Nova with a 4-speed or a TH400 and a stock converter and 3.31:1 or 3.73:1 gears? As for the engines-they stretch "stock appearing" pretty far. For example-you can't run aftermarket aluminum heads. But there are guys with big-block Chevys running World Products iron heads, and Mopar guys running Iron Indy heads, and '60s 289 Mustang and '80's "5.0" Mustang racers running iron GT40 heads. These breathe quite a bit better than stock heads! Even with stock stuff-blatant cheating goes on. A guy with a low-11 second, knocking on the door of the 10s, "Tribute" SD 421 1963 Catalina is running a .060 over 400 block with a custom 3.79 inch stroke crank, longer big-block Chevy rods and custom Ross pistons that give him 13.5:1 compression, and nets 417 cubes. He's within the 15 cubic inches up or down rule, that's true. Except a "real" 421 has a 4.00 inch stroke, 6.625 inch connecting rods and huge 3.25 inch main bearings. His custom 400 crank has more-like-it-3 inch mains, and a shorter 3.79 inch stroke that has much less friction, and allows it to rev up like a 350 Chevy, and the longer rods give it more torque everywhere under the curve-even more than a "regular" 421 would have. He's running ported and polished 6X heads off a '78 Trans-Am. If you don't know Pontiacs-the "6X" heads are actually the best factory heads to have except for the ultra-rare Ram Air IV, 455HO or 455 SD heads. They have big, open combustion chambers, and 2.11 / 1.77 intake and exhaust valves. Believe me- these flow WAY more air and fuel than the closed-"bathtub" chamber, stock 421 heads with 1.96 / 1.66 valves!!!  He's running a ported Offenhauser dual-quad intake with two 750 Edelbrocks on it. ( Original "Type" remember?) He's running a huge Crower solid lifter cam, a 4-speed, and 4.88:1 gears. He pops the clutch at 4,500 rpm and shifts at 7,000.  Gee, think this'll go faster than a stock 10.75:1, stock crank, bathtub headed, 3.42:1 or 4.30:1 geared 421 Catalina, Gran Prix or 2+2 that's all done in by 5,500??  You think?  I love a good "sleeper" as much as the next guy-I told you my buddy and I had a blast torturing Camaros and Mustangs with his 401 Gremlin, and my 400 Ventura. But don't tell me that these mega-buck cars are "basically" stock. How? because their full-bodied and have an iron block and heads?  I just that think "Stock" needs to mean something a little closer to stock, that's all.  Mastermind            

Don't take everything I say completely literally......

In the last post when I said don't waste money on something weird, I didn't mean don't buy it if it's a good deal, I meant don't pay the same price as a more premium optioned version of the same model. For example: A 1966 GTO with a 4 bbl 389 and the two-speed Super Turbine 300 ( read Powerglide ) automatic is not worth as much as a tri-power, 4-speed version. Now, if you buy the lesser model for several thousand dollars less, then you've still made a decent buy. And, a three-speed TH350 will literally bolt right in. You can use the same driveshaft, and rear trans mount, and speedometer cable. You can even use the stock shifter, although you won't be able to manually engage low gear. If you use a B&M or TransGo shift kit-( that gives automatic kickdown to low gear below 15-20 mph ) it won't matter. And you'll have a stunning improvement in performance. If you want to sell the car to someone really anal who want's it absolutely original-it'll take about 2 hours to change it back. But it's not worth the same money as a tri-power 4-speed version. # 2. I mentioned the "Turnpike Special" GTOs and 442s of 1967-68 that had 265 hp two-barrel engines and salt-flats gearing. If you find one in good condition at a reasonable price, then by all means buy it. Even if your not a mechanic and have to pay a shop $100 per hour, installing a factory or aftermarket 4 bbl carb and intake and changing the 2.56:1 gears for 3.31:1 or 3.55s will cost you less than $1,500 with parts and labor. What I meant was-one of these is not worth the same as a Ram Air III GTO or a W30 442, or even a 350hp base model with 3.31 or 3.55 gears. I didn't mean pass up a rust-free, great condition GTO or 442, I meant don't pay the same price that you would for a more heavily optioned model in the same condition. # 3. The same applies-to cars missing some key component. For example- A 1970 Hemi 'Cuda that has a 383 under the hood isn't worth any more than a numbers-matching 383 model. In fact it's actually worth less in my book-because you'd need Donald Trump's bankroll to afford a complete 426 Hemi engine with 1969 or 1970 date codes. Sure you can buy a Mopar Performance 426 Crate Hemi for 15 grand and have the performance and driving feel, but it's still not original. And if you try to re-sell it, it's still not worth half of what an original is. The same applies to an LS6 Chevelle missing the LS6 engine or an SD 455 T/A sans the SD motor. On a lesser scale, like I said-a Six-Pack Super Bee is only worth big dollars if it has the original Six Pack engine in it. Any slob can go get a 440 out of a junkyard, rebuild it, and spend $2,300 with Summitt or Mopar performance and get the Edelbrock Manifold, Holley carbs, linkage and Air Cleaner. A Ram Air IV Judge is only special if it has the RAIV engine intact. If it has a 400 out of  a '75 Catalina in it, then it's not really an RAIV car is it? # 4. The same applies in reverse. Until 1991 you could buy a complete LS6 454 crate engine through GM Performance Parts. If someone bought one of these and stuffed it into a 1970 SS396 or LS5 SS454 model-again you have the performance, but it's still not an original LS6 car and not worth an ultra-premium price. If a guy totalled his Boss 351 Mustang and salvaged the engine and later put the Boss engine in another 1971 Mach 1 Mustang, yes it's worth a few more dollars than a garden-variety 351C model, but it's still not worth the same as a numbers-matching original Boss 351. A base-model, 307, three-speed 1969 Camaro that someone put a "DZ" code 302 and a Rock-Crusher 4-speed into is still not an original Z/28. #5. There's differences in the value of "Real Deal" cars as well. A pristine, immaculate 1968 SS396 Chevelle with bench seats, four-wheel drum brakes, no guages, no power steering and no a/c is not worth as much as one with bucket seats, front disc brakes, power steering, the rally guages, and factory air, even if the loaded one isn't as nice. A 1969 GTO with a three-speed stick and manual drum brakes and no guages is not worth the same as one with a 4-speed, front disc brakes, and a hood tach. # 6. Sometimes a "fake" is worth having. I know a guy that has a triple-white, fully loaded-a/c, tilt, cruise, power windows, everything 400 / TH400 1971 LeMans Sport Convertible that's made to look like a Judge. I'd rather have that than a numbers-matching, strippy Verduro Green "Real" '69 GTO. I know a guy that has a 1970 Challenger that was originally a 318 / 3-speed car that he's equipped with a 426 Crate Hemi, a Pistol-Grip shifted Tremec 5-speed and a 3.91 geared 8/34 rear end. It has an XV motorsports handling suspension with front and rear sway bars and laser-cut subframe connectors. It has 17" inch Wheel Vintiques Chrysler Rallye wheels shod with 275/40ZR17 BFG Comp T/A's. It's Alpine white just like the "Vanishing Point" car. I'd rather have that than a numbers-matching 340 or 383 model.  Hope this clarifies my position and helps prospective buyers make a good decision. Mastermind                   

More advice for 1st time restorers.......

Had some requests for more advice for first-timers, but it's relevant even if your doing your 50th car. #1. Don't waste money on something weird. Some cars are not unique or collectible, their just weird, and not worth anything. This includes two-speed automatics, three-speed sticks, column-shifted bucket seat cars, four-speed bench seat cars, two-barrel step-down engines, cars with no power steering or power brakes, and radio or heater-delete cars. There's probably a few things I missed, but you get the Idea. I previously spoke about my friend who owned the import car parts store that said "A rare turd is still just a turd." Wiser words were never spoken. I mean do you really, really want a '65 Corvette with a Powerglide? Or a '68 Olds 442 or Pontiac GTO "Turnpike Special" with a 265 hp two-barrel 400 V8, an automatic and 2.56:1 gears that can't outrun a V6 Honda Accord sedan in a drag race? I mean its rare, right? I saw an article in High-Performance Pontiac magazine. A guy had a 1972 Trans-Am with a 455HO / TH400 powertrain. It had no console and the automatic shifter was on the column. He boasted that it was the only Trans-Am in existence that didn't have the automatic shifter on the console. ( Apparently the console was an option in the early years.) Ok. Does that make it worth more than a numbers-matching SD455 '73 model with a console? After all their are 252 1973 SD 455s documented, yet this '72 is one of one.  See what I'm saying? Just being rare and / or weird doesn't make it cool or valuable.  # 2. A car with a premium option is only worth extra if it still has the premium option. Good examples would be a 440 Six Pack Road Runner that had a non-original 440 with a 4 bbl on it. Even if you didn't feel like chasing down a 1969 vintage block, a complete Six-Pack setup from Mopar Perfromance costs about $2,500!!. A similar thing would be a 1965 Pontiac GTO that the serial number says is a tri-power 389, but it's got an Edelbrock P4B manifold of indeterminate age and a Carter AFB on it. You check the block and heads and find out it's got a 400 out of a '74 Gran Prix. A complete Pontiac tri-power setup easily brings $1,500 at a swap meet. And try to find a 389 Pontiac engine with 1964 or 65 date codes. Another would be a '73-76 Olds 442 or Chevelle Laguna that DOESN'T  have the swivel bucket seats, or a 1969-70 Mustang Mach 1 that doesn't have the "Shaker" hood, even though the Marti report says it should. These aren't insurmountable issues, but I certainly wouldn't pay top dollar for a say-a Six-Pack Super Bee that didn't have three Holley two-barrels on top of the engine! # 3. Lower your sights a little. Sometimes a less-than-top-of-the-line model can be a better deal. I know a guy that passed up a nice 400, 4-speed, T-Top equipped 1978 Firebird Formula for $3700, and paid $6995 for a 403 Olds, automatic hardtop '79 Trans Am. When I pointed out that I though the Formula was a better deal both from a performance standpoint and investment value-he sneered-"A T/A is ALWAYS worth more than a Formula." "Really?" I replied. "A '74 T/A with an L78 400 and an automatic is woth more than a '74 SD-455, 4-speed Formula?"  A non-Turbo 301 Automatic 1980 T/A is worth more than a 400, 4-speed, 4-wheel disc braked, WS6 suspensioned '79 Formula?" "I wasn't aware of that."  He muttered some profanities and stomped off. Here's what I'm saying-a pristine, fully restored 351W '69 Mach 1 for 25 grand is better deal than a rough, not running Boss 302 that needs another 30 grand worth of work. A nice SS396 Chevelle will give you a lot of joy for about 1/3 of what an LS6 model in the same condition would cost. # 4. Shop around. Sometimes the real deal or a premium model is a better deal. At the last Hot August Nights auction I was at some idiot paid $32,000 for a 1970 Challenger T/A that the seller admitted was a clone, and had a 360 crate motor under the hood. At the same auction, the same day, a smarter guy bought a numbers-matching "real" 340 / Six-Pack '70 Challenger T/A in almost the same condition for $24,000!!!  Huh? the real deal was 8 grand LESS than a clone??!!  Happens more often than you think. #5. Get over serial numbers and model names and recognize a screamin' deal when you see one. I know a guy that passed up an immaculate,1971 400, 4-speed, LeMans Sport CONVERTIBLE because "It's still not a GTO."  Another Idiot passed up a 1966 Mustang GT with the 225 hp 289, factory a/c, factory front disc brakes, the rally pac guages, the "Pony" interior and the original "California Megaphone exhaust with date coded mufflers intact,  ( for $2,500!! ) because it was a coupe and he wanted a fastback!! I wanted to slap him. In  fact-I'm not even a Ford guy and I bought the damn thing and sold it for a tidy profit a couple months later. Like Forrest Gump said- "Stupid is as stupid does." Don't be that guy. Mastermind       

Advice for 1st time restorers......

There's a show on one of the cable channels called "Property Virgins" where real estate agents help first-time home buyers avoid making costly mistakes or bad investments. Maybe I should start one for car restorers. Anyway, here's some good advice that will save you a ton of money and grief, if you've haven't done a major restoration before. #1. This should be a no-brainer, but you be amazed at the people that fall into this trap. No matter what it is, make sure the car has a clear, legal, title. You don't want to invest a bunch of money into a car that you can't legally register or re-sell if your circumstances change. I bought my 442 from a reputable dealer, and registered it legally. Because a DMV clerk transposed a number 14 years ago when processing the paperwork, when I tried to get a duplicate title, to sell it a couple years ago- it took me two years and hundreds of dollars in legal fees to get a clear title on a car I'd owned, insured, driven and registered every year for 14 years!! God help me if it had been in a junkyard or if I bought it at an estate sale. Even if it's free, a car without a title is NOT a deal. # 2. An ultra-premium car missing a key component is not a deal. The obvious examples would be a Chrysler Hemi car without the Hemi engine, or a Boss 302 Mustang without the "Boss" engine. In this case, the cost of finding the parts to make it right would be so prohibitive, that even if you had an unlimited bankroll, it would be easier and cheaper to just buy a car that was already restored or at least had all the major compnents intact. # 3. Avoid cars with major body damage, frame damage, rust issues, or water or fire damage. Even for an experienced mechanic or bodyman, these can be a nightmare. 99% of the time your better off just spending more money and getting a better car to start with. # 4. Get the engine / drivetrain that you want. If you want a big-block Chevelle with a 4-speed, then search harder to find an SS396 in your price range. Don't buy a small-block / automatic Malibu and think that you'll save money by "converting" it. You won't. Which brings up # 5. Don't bite off more than you can chew the first time. Even if your not starting with a premium, numbers-matching car, I'd keep it simple. In other words, I'd build a Duster with a 360 crate motor and a Torqueflite before I'd attempt to swap in a modern fuel-injected SRT8 6.1 liter Hemi and a Tremec six-speed. # 6. Start with something that's easy to get parts for. It's a lot easier to get every nut and bolt you need for a '70-81 Camaro / Firebird than it is to for a '55-57 T-Bird. It's a lot easier to get parts for a 440 Chrysler than it is for a 409 Chevy. See what I'm saying?  Mastermind     

Like Nascar.....a "Stock" car isn't always "Stock"!!

Musclecar Review and High Performance Pontiac both had articles on the recent Pure Stock drags. They commented that the cars are going so fast that pretty soon they'll have to have 8-point cages and driveshaft safety loops-NHRA rules require it for any car running faster than 11.50. There was a woman with an L88 Corvette than ran an 11.69, and there was a guy with a 440 / Six-Pack Super Bee that ran 11.97 and there was a guy with a Ram Air IV Firebird that ran 11.88. These are blistering times, that you'd never be able to duplicate with a stock car in street trim. Their race cars built to be race cars, and this is why the NHRA is cracking down. In fact the roll cage and driveshaft safety loop rule used to be for any car running under 12 flat. With Z06 / ZR1 Corvettes, Shelby Mustangs, Dodge Vipers, and Nissan GT-R's breaking into the 11s right off the showroom floor, and 400 hp Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers doing it with a tiny shot of nitrous, or maybe drag radials and a few minor mods, The NHRA agreed that you shopuldn't have to cut up the interior to install a cage and ruin the drivability and value of your $50,000 new car because of a rule that was enacted 40+ years ago. That's why they lowered it to 11.50. Some of the faster "Pure Stock" guys are griping, but I have to agree with the NHRA. These cars are not stock show cars, their race cars with licence plates. Here's why. The 11 second Firebird for example-I read a detailed article about it. Yes, it's within the rules, but the rules are pretty broad. For example the rules say cylinder head combustion chamber volume has to be at least 62cc. That's great-except for the fact that 400 Pontiac RAIV engines in 1969-70 had 10.5:1 compression with flat top pistons and 72cc combustion chambers. With 62 cc chambers the compression ratio is bumped to 12:1!!  The cam has to be the original type-I.E.-that means it has to be a flat-tappet hydraulic grind-not a solid lifter design, or a hydraulic roller, or a solid roller design. But there's no limit on lift or duration. The guy was running a cam with 256 degrees duration ( at .050 lift ) and .632 lift. The intake was ported and extrude-honed and the carb-a custom rebuilt Q-jet- ( original "type" remember? ) that flows nearly 1000 cfm. The front sway bar is disconnected, he's running 90 / 10 front shocks, and 5.14:1 gears. He launches it at 4,500 rpm, shifts it at 6,800 and passes through nthe traps between 6,800-7000 rpm. Think this car with 12:1 compression, a .632 lift cam, a 1000 cfm carb, 90 / 10 shocks, a disconnected sway bar and 5.14:1 gears will run just a tad faster than a concours-level original with 10:1 compression, a .520 lift cam, a 750 cfm carb, a stock suspension and 3.90:1 gears??  You think?  The Super Bee had 12.5:1 compression, a .650 lift cam, a ported and extrude-honed intake, 3 holley 500 cfm 2 bbls, a manual shift only valve body in the 727 automatic, a converter of undisclosed stall speed, and 4.90:1 gears!!  Think that'll run a bit faster than a stocker with 10:1 compression, the stock 440 Magnum cam, 350 cfm carbs, a stock tranny and 3.23:1 or 3.54:1 gears??  The L88 'Vette wasn't much modified-they had 12.25:1 compression and a solid lifter cam with .580 lift stock-and they ran high 11s back in the '60's. But you can see how the average joe's average car could never approach those blistering times. So quit griping-the cars are not "Stock" in any way shape or form. Mastermind      

I'm sorry if some people can't accept irrefutable facts.....

Guys we've got to get over this one brand is great and everything else sucks mentality. If I see another bumper sticker of Calvin ( of the cartoon "Calvin and Hobbes" ) pissing on a Chevy or Ford emblem, I'm going to vomit. I personally like Pontiacs-I've had 2 GTOs, 2 Trans-Ams, a Firebird Esprit, a LeMans, and 2 Venturas over the years. I've also had 2 SS396 El Caminos, a '72 Monte Carlo, a Camaro, a Hurst / Olds, a '66 Mustang GT, and '83 Mustang GT, a '68 Charger and a '70 Charger. I'd like to find a '67-68 Cougar with a 390, and I'd love to find a '70 or '71 Challenger or 'Cuda with a 383. I'd love a '71-73 Mustang with a 351C, and I'd love to have a '71-74 Javelin AMX with a 360 or a 401. When I buy my next musclecar it will probably be a Disco-era T/A or Z/28 Camaro mainly because I have both a complete 428 Pontiac engine and a 350 Chevy ZZ4 crate engine in my garage. I can admit that. But I can still appreciate a cool car no matter who built it, and If I find a screamin' deal on a '68 Cougar, or a '70 Challenger, then those engines will sit in my garage a little longer. Unless I find an '80 or 81 T/A with a 305 Chevy in it, in which case the ZZ4 would bvolt right in... Or a '74 Ventura with a 350 Pontiac in which case the 428 would bolt right in and make a wicked fast sleeper....Yes, sometimes us gearheads have the attention span of a gnat. But I don't get offended when someone says Pontiacs blow up if you run them over 6,000 rpm-they do!!  So other people shouldn't get offended if I say that most '60's Mopars have rust problems, or that FE Ford engines leak oil, because they do!!! And I don't care if you don't consider A '70's T/A, or an '80's 5.0 Mustang, or Buick Grand National a "real" musclecar or not. They were THE FASTEST cars available at the time. And if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have 400 hp Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers today. They carried the torch in the darkest days, and taught the automakers that performance car buyers didn't go away, the automakers stopped making cars they wanted to buy. Sp spare me the letters on how your Buick GSX could beat a Hemi 'Cuda or your Six-Pack Road Runner can beat an LS6 Chevelle, or your 428 Mustang can beat a GTO or whatever. Their all great cars, and all musclecar owners have to stick together to fight legislation that wants to outlaw our beloved treasures. Mastermind    

Comparing cars is never exactly "Apples to Apples"....

Had an AMC fan who was offended by my calling the Javelin / AMX "The welterweight champ." He said I wasn't comparing Apples to apples. Well, now were splitting hairs. What I said was-the TOP engine available in a Javelin in 1969 was a 390 V8 rated at 315 hp, while the BASE engine in a Road Runner was a 383 rated at 335, and the BASE engine in an SS396 Chevelle was rated at 325 hp with a 375 hp option. I also stated that the BASE engine in a GTO was a 400 rated at 350 hp with the under-rated RAIII and RAIV models rated at 366 hp and 370 hp respectively, and that the Charger and the Road Runner had the 440 4bbl, the 440 Six-Pack and Hemi optional.  I also stated that when AMC increased displacement to 401 cubes in 1971, GM had lifted the ban on engines over 400 cubes in the intermediates, so now you could get a 454 in a Chevelle or a 455 in a GTO or 442.  Now, technically comparing a car with 401 cubes to a car with 455 is a little unfair, all other things being equal. But those were the top engine options for each model.  In the late '70s you could could get a 400 Pontiac in a Trans-Am, while the Z/28 Camaro and Corvette's only engine was a 350. Should magazine writers have only tested the Z/28 and the 'Vette against a base model Firebird with a 350?  In the '80s the only engine in the Mustang GT was a 302 V8, while you could get a 350 in a Z/28 Camaro or Firebird Formula or Trans-Am. Should Car and Driver and Hot Rod, etc only tested the Mustang against the 305 Camaros and Firebirds?  This crap still goes on to this day. Car and Driver was accused of being "Pro-GM" because they tested a Camaro SS against a Mustang GT and a Challenger R/T. The 426 hp Camaro beat the 375 hp Challenger and 412 hp Mustang in a drag race.   The Mopar and Ford guys griped that they should have used an SRT8 Challenger and a Shelby GT500. When C / D responded by saying they were trying to be fair in testing the mid-level models, and that if they used a 470 hp SRT8 Challenger and a 540 hp Shelby Mustang, then they would have had to use a 580 hp ZL1 Camaro, and the results might have been the same, the Mopar and Ford guys still cried foul. Car and Driver's position, and mine is-they were comparing the mid-level and top of the line of each model. If one had a bigger engine or a better suspension-( The Mustang smoked the Camaro and the Challenger on the skidpad and around Willow Springs raceway ) then that's the breaks.  I mean why don't we compare a BMW M3 to a Chrysler Town and Country van and a Toyota Tacoma pickup? I mean all 3 of them have 4.0 liter engines right?  Let's compare a 1987 Buick Grand National to a 1987 Olds Cutlass Ciera. They both have fuel-injected 231 inch V6's right?  I have nothing against AMC's, but the bottom line is in the late '60's and early '70s, GM, Ford and Chrysler offered more powerful engines as standard and optional equipment. Spare me your 11 second time slips from your AMC cars-my much modified, 4.33 geared Judge sucked up and spit out it's share of LS6 Chevelles, 429 SCJ Torinos and Hemi Chargers.  That doesn't mean a stock one would do the same. I know guys with 9 second 5.0 Mustangs. But stock-they ran high 14s and low 15s. And bone-stock is what we were talking about. I stand ready to apoligize if anyone has a problem with comparing the top dog of one car line to the top dog of the other.  Mastermind  

"Run what you brung" is good advice.....

So often in enthusiast magazines and I'm even guilty of it occasionally-automotive writers casually say how "easy" it is to swap engines or transmissions or suspension parts. It might be easy for an ASE certified mechanic, or less difficult than doing the same job on a different make or model, but we forget that a lot of our readers aren't mechanics and replacing an engine or tranny, especially in your driveway with hand tools instead of a shop with air tools-can be a major pain in the ass.  Because of this, for some people it might be better for them to just use the engine or transmission that's already in the car. And if your buying a less than premium model-i.e.-a small-block Chevelle or a non Trans-Am Firebird for example- you may save thousands on the purchase price which will leave you money to do what you want with it.  Here's some engines that can be VERY strong on the street with minor work. # 1. Small-Block Chevy. Duh-there is probably more speed equipment for this engine series than anything else on the planet. Your need for speed is only limited by your wallet here.  # 2. 350 Pontiac. Everyone wants a 400 or 455, so you can get a 350 Firebird or LeMans a lot cheaper than one with the larger engines. Since their a small-bore / long stroke design they are not high revvers but they have a ton of torque. And they respond well to traditional hop-up mods-intake, exhaust, cam etc. Your car can go plenty fast with a 350 Poncho-fast enough that you might forget about swapping in that 400 or 455.  # 3. 350 Oldsmobile. There's a lot more '60's and '70's Cutlasses out there with 350s in them than there are 455s.  Of the "other"( i.e.-non-Chevrolet ) 350s these have the most potential. They are an oversquare ( big-bore / small stroke ) design and there was a factory high-performance version. They respond well to intake, exhaust and cam mods. You can use factory or aftermarket 455 heads on a 350, but you'd need special pistons to get any kind of compression, and the only intake you could use would be a Mondello-ported Performer RPM. Or you can get a diesel block and a custom 425 crank and have 440 inches. However, in both of those scenarios-if you have that much money and need to go that fast, why aren't you building a 455 instead of a 350?  # 4. 318 Chrysler. There's a lot more Challengers, Barracudas, Chargers and Satellites out there with 318s inder the hood than ther are anything else. Although a lot of them get bought up and have big-blocks or Hemis swapped into them, you can still buy them fairly cheap. If you have a Duster or Dart you could build a real fast sleeper with a 318. The other models are just too heavy. Don't get me wrong, a 318 Charger can be a nice driver, but you won't be throwing fear into the hearts of any big-block Chevelle owners. I know what your thinking-a 360 will bolt right in and they can be stroked to 410 inches. True-but if your going to go to the trouble of changing the engine-then I'd swap in a big-block.  # 5. 351C Ford. There's a lot more Mustangs,Torinos, and Cougars with 351s than there are with 429s. On the upside-the 2 bbl heads are better for street use anyway, and there's a ton of speed equipment available for these engines. And their incredibly tough- "Dyno" Don Nicholson and Bob Glidden ran in the 9's with their Pro Stock Mavericks and Pintos in the '70s and they used a stock crank.  # 6. 403 Oldsmobile. I mention this one because there's a lot of '77-79 Firebirds and Trans-Ams out there with this engine. I had one, and with only intake, exhaust and an axle-ratio change ( most of these had 2.56:1 gears, I'd go with 3.23:1 or 3.42:1 ) they can really rock and give those smug 400 Pontiac owners a run for the money they'll never forget. Anything that fits a 350 Olds will fit these engines, and hopping them up is a lot easier than changing it to "Real" Pontiac power.  So don't despair if your car doesn't have the biggest,baddest powerplant available in that model. You can still go fast and have fun. Mastermind       

Building a real or clone musclecar to drive or race on a budget....

Since we've recently discussed cloning your dream car and possibly racing it at the Pure Stock drags, a fair number of people have asked for advice on how to do this without spending a mint. Here's some good advice on how to do that, regardless of make or model that your building . # 1. Don't spend money on beefy, premium parts that you don't need. In other words, if your building a NASCAR Nextel Cup engine that has to turn 7,800 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona, then yes, you need 4-bolt mains, a steel crank, forged pistons, screw-in studs in the heads,a double roller timing chain, a rocker arm stud girdle, etc.  However, if your building a street / strip engine that will never see the high side of 6,000 rpm, then you can get years of trouble-free service from two-bolt main blocks, cast cranks, cast pistons, and stock heads. This applies to drivetrain components as well. Yes, if your putting a 720 hp 572 inch Rat in your Chevelle, and plan on using an automatic transmission then yes, you definitely need a professionally prepped Turbo 400. However, for anything else GM makes- a Turbo 350 will stand up to 500 hp easily. Ditto for a Ford C4. Even if your running later-model stuff- Buick Grand National racers run in the 10s with 200R4 trannys, and 5.0 Mustang racers run in the 11s with T5 manuals that are only supposed to handle 300 lbs ft of torque!  The same goes for rear ends-I've touched on this before-GM 10 bolts, Ford 8 inch and Chrysler 8.75 inch rears are incredibly tough. Unless you have a 600 hp engine and plan on running wrinklewall slicks bolted to the rims and dropping the clutch at 5,000 rpm, you don't really need a GM 12 bolt, or a Ford 9 inch, or a Dana 60 rear end.  # 2. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If your engine has good oil pressure, good compression, doesn't smoke, doesn't use oil, and runs fine, then why would you need to re-build it?  Go ahead and add an aftermarket carb and intake or headers and a cam. You'll get the benefit of the added power without the expense of a complete overhaul. If your cardiologist said your heart and arteries were in good shape, would you have open-heart surgery or a by-pass anyway?  Of course not!  # 3. Get the most bang for your bucks. For example if you have a '77 Trans-Am with a 400 Pontiac or a 403 Olds V8, a Turbo 350 and 2.56:1 rear end gears, the first thing I'd do is swap that salt-flats gearing for some 3.23:1 or 3.42:1 gears, and put a B&M or TransGo shift kit in the trans. These mods will drop as much as a full second off your 0-60 and 1/4 mile time without noticeably affecting driveability or gas mileage. That's a much bigger performance gain than you'd get by adding a cam or a Flowmaster exhaust. Carefully weigh cost vs benefit. For example-a magazine ran an article on a 400 Pontiac build a few months back. They were proud of the fact that it made 440 hp and 460 lbs ft of torque, and cost "Only" $4,400 to build, including the Edelbrock aluminum heads. The iron-head 400 in my brother's GTO cost $1,900 to build and it made 381 hp and 428 lbs ft of torque on our local dyno. Is 59 hp and 32 lbs of torque worth $2,500 MORE bucks?  See what I'm saying?  # 4. Always use the biggest motor you can afford. Often the bigger engine costs no more to buy or build, yet makes substantially more power and torque with the same equipment.  For example a 350 Chevy makes way more power than a 305. A 360 Mopar makes way more power than a 318. A 400 Pontiac makes substantially more power than a 350.  On the other hand, I said biggest motor you can AFFORD.  Don't pull a perfectly good 383 out of your Road Runner and then spend another 4 grand that you don't really have buying and re-building a junk 440. The horsepower difference between a 396 Chevy and a 454 is about 40 hp, if both engines have the same equipment. And, if you do have to rebuild your engine-here's where you may be able to go bigger ( via a stroker crank kit ) at no additional cost. For example-a small-block Chevy 383 stroker rotation assembly doesn't cost any more than a standard 350 setup, yet the extra cubes will make a big difference in power. Ditto for making a 302 Ford into a 347, or a 400 Pontiac into a 455 or a 360 Mopar into a 410. # 5. Unless you absolutely have to have a certain bodystyle, ( or already own it ) always build the lightest car that you can. For example, a Nova weighs about 600 lbs less than a Chevelle. A Duster / Dart weighs about 800 lbs less than a Charger / Road Runner.  Hope this helps out. Mastermind                   

Pure Stock Drags basic rules.....

Since I mentioned the Pure Stock Drags quite a few people have asked how they can enter their cars and what's allowed. I don't have the time or space to list the entire rulebook, but I can give you the basic guidelines, and their pretty lenient for the enthusiast who wants to race his original or clone musclecar. # 1. Engine / Transmission combination. Does not have to be numbers-matching, but the combination has to be one that was an option on that model car, that year. For example-you can't have a 454 in a '67 Chevelle, because the 454 didn't become an option until 1970. On the other hand, you can put a 426 Mopar crate Hemi in a '71 Charger, because although rare, the Hemi was available that year. Same thing for transmissions- if you want to take a six-cylinder, three-speed '69 Nova and swap in a 396 and a 4-speed, you can do that, because that combo was an option that year. However, if your "Macho T/A" has a Doug Nash / Richmond 5-speed in it, you may have a problem, because both the "Macho" package and the 5-speed tranny were not factory options. They were dealer-installed options performed by Mecham Pontiac in Glendale Arizona. Dennis and Kyle Mecham ( "DKM" Inc. ) sold about 300 cars a year from 1977 to 1979, but they were sold as used cars and never had an MSO ( Manufacturer's certifcate of originality ) from General Motors. This is why they were'nt allowed to sell them in California or Colorado. # 2. The engine has to be within 15 cubic inches of it's original size, either way.  For example-the guy that won a few years ago had a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 that was originally a 428 CJ model. Not wanting to risk throwing a rod out the side of a rare, numbers matching block, he took a 390 truck block and put a replacment Eagle 428 crank in it, with special pistons and the CJ heads, intake and carb, and a Lunati reproduction of the the CJ cam. It only displaced 415 cubic inches, but it was legal because it was within 15 inches. Similarly, a guy who had a VERY strong clone 1963 Super Duty Catalina who was running a .030 over 428 Pontiac block was legal because it was 434 inches-within 15 inches of the original 421 cube displacement.  # 3. Induction. You've got a lot of latitude here. For example-the carb(s) only have to be the original "Type." So, if you have a strong 455 Pontiac, Buick or Olds you could run an 850 cfm Q-jet instead of a 750, because their the same type. If you had dual AFB's on your 409 Impala, 421 Catalina or 426 Hemi Mopar you could run dual 750s for a substantial power gain over the stock 625s and still be legal. You could also run dual 600 or 750 Edelbrocks because their virtually identical to an AFB. If you have a 440 '69 GTX-you could run an Edelbrock 800 cfm Thunder AVS carb and gain a ton of power over the stock Carter AVS which only flows about 585 cfm. Your legal because the design is identical-falling under the same "type" rule. The rules are similar for intakes. For example-the guy with the clone SD-421 Catalina was legal running an Edelbrock P65 dual-quad intake because it was identical to the original aluminum factory unit. He'd have been legal with an Offenhauser dual-quad intake as well. If you have a '70 Z/28-GMPP is still selling an exact replica of the original Z/28 / LT1 intake, and the Holley # 300-36 is the same design. Both would be legal under the same "type" rule. # 4. Cams-again the same "type" rule applies. What this means is, if you have a  '69 396 Chevelle you could run a hydraulic or solid-lifter cam because the L34 396 was a hydraulic-cammed version, and the L78 was a solid-lifter cammed model. By contrast if you had a '69 GTO you could only run a hydraulic cam, because there was no factory solid-lifter option-even the vaunted Ram Air IV was a hydraulic design. However, they don't restrict what duration or lift you can run. # 5. Exhaust. You have to run Iron exhaust manifolds-no headers. However they can be ported or extrude-honed for extra flow. The pipes have to go over the rear axle except for stuff like the Challenger T/A, where the factory setup exited in front of the rear wheels. However, there's no restriction on pipe size, so you could run 3 inch pipes if you wanted to. # 6. Driveline. The trans has to be the stock "type." In other words-you can run a Saginaw or Muncie 4-speed, or a TH350 or TH400 in a '70 Camaro, but you can't run a 700R4 automatic overdrive or a Richmond or Tremec 5-speed stick. You can pretty much run any converter you want, and any gear ratio you want. You can see now how these cars run the blistering times that they do-they look stock, but their really not. However-they are a blast to watch or participate in, and I whole-heartedly recommend doing it if you can. Mastermind    

Clone or original, you don't have to spend a mint!!

I was reading Hemmings' Motor News the other day and I saw a 1971 Boss 351 Mustang for sale. It was priced at $79,995. Even for a restored Boss 351, I felt this was exorbitant. In the same issue they had two other Boss 351s for sale that were also restored and pristine, and one was priced at $42,000 and the other was $58,000. In reading the ads, the guy selling the one for 80K boasted that he'd paid $5000 for an original Autolite 4300 Boss 351 carburator. To me that's absolutely insane. That's the price of a whole car ( not a Boss 351, but you know what I mean ) that needs restoration, or a high performance crate motor at the very least. I mean, think about it, If a 1971 Boss 351 Mustang was your dream car and you found a pristine, numbers-matching Boss 351 that was even the color you wanted, and you could afford the asking price, would you NOT buy it because it had a non-original Autolite 4300 4bbl, or even say a 750 Holley or Edelbrock on it? Of course not!! You'd lay down the cash in a heartbeat, as would anybody with common sense. Even Concours show organizations have realized that our beloved musclecars are all 40 or 50 years old and expecting every nut and bolt to be numbers-matching is unrealistic. Most of them, whether their a GM, Ford or Mopar organization have amended the rules to make competing easier and less expensive. Let's take carburators since we started there. Most Concours show judging organizations say that the carb has to be the original "type." This means if you have a 1970 Z/28 Camaro, you can call Summit Racing and buy a new #3310 780 cfm Holley, put it on the car, and not lose points because it doesn't have a Chevrolet part number or 1970 date codes. Ditto for putting a Jet rebuilt Quadrajet on  your 442 or  L34 SS396 Chevelle, or a later-model Carter AFB on your 1964 GTO-it doesn't have to have 1964 or whatever date codes on it. The same for intake manifolds. If your restoring a 1969 Six-Pack Super Bee-and the tri-power setup is missing-you can buy a new manifold from Edelbrock and new carbs from Holley, and the linkage and air cleaner from Mopar Performance and not lose points because the parts don't have Chrysler part numbers or 1969 date codes. This also gives you a little leeway even if your just doing a generic engine. The manifold has to be the original "type."
 This means that if the 400 your '68 GTO has a Quadrajet carb and manifold that came off a '72 Gran Prix, you won't lose any points because their the same as the original except for the part # and the date codes. The same goes for distributors and exhaust manifolds, and alternators and starters. Some have even relaxed the rules for engines. In other words-if your restoring say a 1969 SS396 Nova-all they require is that the engine block have late 1968 or early 1969 date codes. This means you can use an engine that came out of a 1968 Impala or 1969 Chevy pickup or Chevelle wagon. It doesn't have to be one that corresponds with only a '69 Nova SS. For transmissions they've gone the same way as carbs and intakes-in other words, you can buy a TH400 from TCI or B&M or your local Aamco, put it in your GM car and not lose points because of the numbers on the case. Or if your restoring a 1957 Corvette or 1962-63 Super Duty Catalina you can buy a new BW T10 4-speed from Summit and not lose points because the case doesn't have 1957 or 1962 date codes. The Pure Stock drag races only require that something be an OPTION on that model, that year. This means if you want to throw a Mopar Performance crate Hemi in a 1970 Challenger that originally had a 383, and race it, it's legal. Or if you want to build a W31 -spec 350 Olds for your 1969 Cutlass and race it, it doesn't have to be anm original W31 car. That means you could take a 350 1971 Chevelle and put a 454 in it and race it because the 454 was an option on the Chevelle that year.  If your not competing in Concours shows or the Pure Stock drags, then things really open up. If you want to throw a 455 Pontiac into a '79 Trans-Am that originally had a 403 Olds in it ( the TH350 will bolt right up; BOP engines share the same bellhousing bolt-pattern, only Chevys are different ) who cares?  Don't go crazy and spend a bunch of unnecessary money chasing stuff with a certain part number on it, when you don't really need it!!. Mastermind           

If your going to clone it, don't half-ass it at the last minute!!

I talked about cloning your dream car a couple days ago and I said don't go hog-wild chasing rare parts to make it "Just like an original."  What I meant was-for example-if you want an an RAIV spec GTO-don't spend a zillion dollars trying to chase down an original RAIV engine, or even just the heads, and intake and exhaust manifolds. Edelbrock makes aluminum heads that are patterned after the legendary RAIV heads, and the "Performer RPM" cam is an exact replica of the RAIV grind. Year one sells reproduction RAIV / 455HO intakes, and Hooker and Hedman sell round-port headers. You'd have all the performance of a Ram Air IV, at a fraction of the cost. Or you could buy aluminum "Cleveland" heads from Trick Flow or Edelbrock and the matching intake manifold that will bolt on to a 302 block and make a clone "Boss 302" engine for your Mustang project for less than the price of an orignal Boss 302 carburator! That's what I meant. However, I have seen clone cars for sale, that I wonder what the hell the builder was thinking.  # 1. I saw a gorgeous 1970 Charger that was a originally a 318 / automatic car that was turned into a Hemi / 4-speed clone. The car had a 465 hp 426 inch Mopar Performance crate Hemi, an A-833 4-speed with a pistol-grip shifter, and a Dana 60 rear end. It was beautifully done, and the asking price was $79,000.  Not chump change, but a lot less than the $250,000 that "original" Hemi Chargers bring. However, it had manual drum brakes on all 4 wheels!!  Who wants a 4,000 lb, 465 hp car with 4-wheel manual drum brakes??  He couldn't finish it right and buy an  $800 front disc brake conversion kit from Summitt or Just Brakes?  For god's sake, if your going to cut corners- then leave it an automatic-it's a helluva lot easier to swap a 727 for a 904, ( change the rear trans mount and front driveshaft yoke ) than it is to convert an automatic car to a 4-speed-you need a bellhousing, clutch assembly, clutch linkage, shift linkage, pedals, and you have to cut the floorboards up to fit it.  Or forget the Dana 60 rear-I have never, ever seen anyone break a Chrysler 8 3/4 rear, and I know a guy that has a 505 inch Duster with nitrous who runs a trans-brake and slicks!!  I don't know about you, but If was going to pay 80 grand for a nearly 500 hp Hemi Charger to live out my "Dukes of Hazzard" or "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry"  fantasies, I'd damn sure want disc brakes!!!  # 2. I saw a gorgeous 1968 SS396 Chevelle for sale for $35,000. It was red with black interior, and instead of a 396, it had a stout 454 backed by an M21 Muncie 4-speed. It also had a 12 bolt posi rear end and front disc brakes.  However, it had no power steering!!  Ever tried to drive or park a Chevy car or truck with a heavy Rat motor up front and no power steering? Not a pleasant experience!!  Again-what was the guy thinking?  Summitt and other places offer new GM power steering boxes-even a 12:7:1 WS6 Trans-Am box-which fits the "A" bodies by the way-is less than 300 bucks!!  With new hoses and a pump / reservoir you'd barely have $500 in the whole system!!  Even if the base car wasn't so equipped, for god's sake-it's not original anyway-at least make it safe and fun to drive and more desirable for a prospective buyer. # 3. I saw a 1969 GTO "Judge" clone that was priced ar $29,995.  It was Carousel Red with the spoilers and stripes, and it even had a Hurst Dual / Gate shifter in the console. However the 400 V8 had a two-barrel carb and intake on it!!  For Christ's sake-he didn't have $600 for an Edelbrock Performer intake and matching carb?  Or he couldn't go to a junkyard and get an iron factory 4bbl manifold and quadrajet carb off any Pontiac built from '67-79 for probably 100 bucks, and then spend another 50 on a rebuild kit and a float for the carb?  Even if the engine and car isn't numbers-matching, and the price reflects that, "Clone" or not, who want's a GTO Judge with a f@#%ing two-barrel on it??!!  Come on, people use your head!!  Mastermind                                  

Can't afford your dream car? Clone it!!

Purists are reaching for oxygen right now, but honestly in some cases this is the only way some of us can have the car we desire. A couple examples- # 1. 1969 Pontiac Trans Am. Pontiac only built 697 T/A's in 1969, and they bring a kings ransom. I have seen RAIII automatic versions for sale for 90-100K, and I have seen a low-mileage RAIV 4-speed model for sale for $399,000!!!  Outside of winning the lottery, 99% of us could never afford to spend 100 grand or more on what is certainly going to be a second or third car. However, Pontiac built over 115,000 Firebirds in 1969. I have seen rough, but running examples as low as $2,500 and anything over 5 grand is usually pretty decent. I saw a rust-free convertible for $6,500 on a used car lot a couple months back. Now, when I say "Clone it" I don't mean spend a zillion dollars doing a frame-off restoration and chasing down an original RAIII or RAIV engine. If your going to do that, you might as well take out a second mortgage on your house and buy an already restored original. It'll be easier, and probably less expensive in the long run. NO, what I mean is buy a base-model Firebird in decent shape, and get the hood, spoilers and trim from Ames or Year One. Don't replace every nut and bolt whether it needs it or not. That drives the price way up unnecessarily. Go by the old adage-"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." For example-if the power steering pump isn't making noise and isn't leaking, why would you replace it? If the radiator isn't leaking, and the car doesn't overheat in 90 degree weather why would you replace it?  If the car starts every time you turn the key, why would you replace the starter?  See what I'm saying?  If it doesn't have a 400 in it-find one at a junkyard or swap meet or by buying a rusted-out '70's "big car"-( Bonneville, Catalina, Grand Ville, etc ). Whether you rebuild it to stock specs, or go ultra-badass with Edelbrock heads, and an Eagle 455 stroker crank is up to you. 14 or 15 inch "Rally II" wheels are the proverbial dime a dozen, or you could go with Torq-Thrusts or Cragars or something else that's "period correct."  You could build a clone that you could only tell was a fake by checking the numbers for about 20 or 25 grand, including the purchase price of the car. You couldn't touch even a basket case original that needed everything for that.  #2. 1969 Z/28 Camaro. Same thing-Of the 243,000 Camaros that Chevrolet built in 1969, only 19,000 were Z/28 models. Restored examples routinely sell for 60-80K. I know a guy that bought a six-cylinder. three-speed base model for $1,500. He installed a mild 350 and a Saginaw 4-speed, a "Cowl Induction" hood, some Rally wheels and painted it blue with white stripes and got "Z/28" emblems from Year One. Everyone "oohs" and "aahs" over his "Z/28". Total investment-$5,500.  Again, you couldn't touch an engineless, transmissionless, rusted out hulk of an "original" Z/28 for $5,500.  # 3. 1965-68 Shelby GT350 Mustang. "Real" Shelbys of this vintage routinely sell for 100K. I have seen them as high as $225,000 at Barrett-Jackson auctions on the Speed channel. 10-15 grand will buy you an excellent condition 289 Fastback of this vintage. With the help of the aftermarket you can buy the scoops, spoilers,taillights and wheels necessary to to get the look. You can buy a replica Shelby aluminum intake and many companies sell tri-y headers. And there is a million other ways to build power into a small-block Ford. For 25K you would have a car that again-an onlooker would have to check the numbers to know if it was "real" or not.  And that's 1/4 of what a "real" one would cost.  # 4. 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona / 1970 Plymouth Superbird. The legendary "winged" cars go for 100k all day long, and that's the 440 models. Six-Pack and Hemi versions bring a quarter-million rouitinely. 20 grand will buy a decent 383 Road Runner or Charger. There are several companies that sell the fiberglass "bullet" nose and rear wing. You'll probably have 30 or 35 grand in it by the time your done, but again that's 1/3 of what a "real" one would cost. Even if you spent another 15K on a Mopar Performance 426 crate Hemi, you'd have 50K in a Hemi Superbird insted of $250,000!! And you could sell it for 100K even though it's a clone!!  As long as you don't try to pass off any of these projects as original, you can save a ton of money and have a great unique car.  Mastermind            

More implausible movie chases.....

Maybe we should just title these  "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".  But that wouldn't be fair to Sergio Leone's masterpiece. I guess the target audience is 12 year old boys that only play video games, and have never seen a car race or a crash of any kind. Anyhow, here's some more with impossible things put on the screen. # 1. "Salt." This spy thriller was supposed to star Tom Cruise as Edwin Salt-who in the book may or may not have been a Russian sleeper spy. When he pulled out they changed the name to Evelyn Salt and cast Angelina Jolie, who after "Tomb Raider", "Wanted", and "Mr and Mrs Smith", apparently has given up serious acting and thinks she's an action hero. It starts out cool enough with Angie, barefoot in her bra and panties, chained up in North Korean dungeon and being brutally beaten, tortured and waterboarded. ( Doubtless Billy Bob Thornton and Jennifer Aniston applauded this scene ) Anyway,that's the high point of the film. Everything from then on is totally implausible. She runs away from about 50 supposedly trained CIA agents who are firing automatic weapons at her and apparently, in spite of all their combat training, can't hit the side of a barn from across the street, except for the black guy who shoots her in the ass as she jumps off a high freeway overpass and lands on top of a semi,not once, but twice, without breaking any bones or sliding off the slick top of the trucks to her death in freeway traffic. Then she steals a motorcycle and eludes about twenty cop cars. She plugs her bullet wound with a tampon in a ladies room, and it's never addressed again. Later, she wrecks a Police Tahoe off an overpass by tazering the driver and even though she's handcuffed in the back seat and not in a seat belt, and the truck fell like 50 feet,   she again doesn't get a scratch. I've had car wrecks on and off the racetrack, and all of these stunts are impossible without you sustaining serious injury and / or totalling the vehicle. Sad, because the book was alright, and the movie might have been cool with the right director.  # 2 "Marked for Death". Steven Seagal martial arts thriller, in which the sinister black 1973 Mach 1 Mustang he's driving gets wrecked between two bulldozers. Then there's a chase where Seagal and Keith David,driving a 1990 Dodge Ramcharger ( the most under-powered, ill-handling vehicle on the planet except for possibly a Suzuki Samurai ) somehow manage to stay up with a BMW 633 CSI.!!!  ( One of the fastest, best handling vehicles on the planet!! ) Of course, the bad guys crash the Bimmer, and Seagal DOESN'T wreck the Ramcharger. Riiight.  # 3. "The Last Stand"  Arnold Schwarzenegger's new action flick. Tongue-in-cheek humor and decent action, until the finale. Drug dealer is making a run for the Mexican border in a stolen ZR1 Corvette. Arnie is the sheriff of the last Arizona town before the border. The wise-ass car dealer just happens to leave Arnie a ZL1 Camaro for the weekend. The gunfight with the dealer's "advance team" is a little over the top, but then comes the chase. A ZL1 Camaro chasing a ZR1 Corvette through a Corn field? I know they grow corn in Iowa and Nebraska, and the midwest, but I didn't know they did in the arid desert of Arizona. Amazingly they don't destroy the undercarriage of these low slung cars in a cornfield, and when the dealer drives the 'Vette UNDER the Camaro and pushes it sideways for a hudred yards, the 'Vette's fiberglass front end doesn't get a scratch, and the Camaro doesn't flip. Then when the dealer and Arnie both hit a tractor at high speed, and the 'Vette is totalled and the top ripped off the Camaro, the airbags don't trigger on either car. Then there's the fight to the finish. When Arnie slams the dealer down on a steel bridge rail with all his might, right on the guys neck at about the C3 vertabrae, he isn't killed or paralyzed from the neck down, he's only stunned. Then when the guy wakes up, and pulls a knife and cuts Arnie's thighs all to hell, ( looked to me light he hit the femoral arteries ) Arnie not only doesn't bleed to death, he doesn't even fall down. The chase and the fight kind of soured it for me. You can make a movie with believable action. Remember the original "Mechanic" with Charles Bronson and Jan-Micheal Vincent? Or "Magnum Force" with Clint Eastwood, or even "Bloodsport" with Jean-Claude Van Damme? Those are reality shows compared to this new dreck. # 4. "Gone in 60 Seconds." Not the H. B. Halicki classic, I mean the awful remake with Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie. First off, the plot stinks. Cage is a retired legendary car thief whose moron brother played by Giovanni Ribisi crosses this badass gangster who exports stolen expensive cars. He demands Cage steal 50 premium cars for him or he's going to kill the stupid brother. Why Cage doesn't call the FBI on this asshole, or since he's also a legendary badass, just put a bullet in the prick's head and mercifully end the movie after about 15 minutes into it. Instead we have two more hours of how quirky and cool Cage and his crew are as they steal the first 49 cars. Then he tries to deliver the 50th, a 1967 Shelby GT500 that's obviously a fake. Then he uses the Mustang to jump about 100 cars across what looks like the Golden Gate bridge. When he lands, instead of the shock towers coming through the hood, the wheels folding under, the engine driving the steering column back and killing the driver with blunt force chest trauma, and the rear end breaking and the leaf springs coming through the trunk and the backseat, ( Which is what would really happen ) he lands like he hit a speed bump at 35 and keeps going. Puhleezze. # 5. "The Transporter." I personally like Jason Statham, but when he crashes a BMW 733i through a concrete overpass wall and doesn't even dent the hood, and lands perfectly on a truck, doesn't slide off and crash or jacknife the truck, I signed off. Come on, guys. Just like the martial-arts movies where Jet Li jumps six feet in the air, rotates his body clockwise, kicks three guys in the face, does a backflip and lands on his feet. It can't be done, we know it can't be done, we know the actor or the stuntman isn't doing it, so why put it on screen? I don't want a video game designed for 8th graders, I want at least believable action. Listen up, Hollywood, people aren't going to stand for this sub-par crap anymore.  Mastermind                     _

Implausible movie chases.......

A while back we talked about great movie chases and a lot of people really liked the posts. I had a few people ask about bad ones as well. What constitutes a bad one? When the cars are completely mismatched or they use CGI to do something that is physically impossible.  Here's a list of some that I love to hate, in no particular order. # 1 "Wanted". This stinker breaks the record for implausiblity-shooting bullets around corners?  The horrid chase scene is Angelina Jolie and James Macavoy driving a Dodge Viper and being chased by a guy in a UPS type truck who miraculously has the horsepower and cornering ability to stay up with a Viper. Yeah, right. A 30 second scene of Angie nude and barefoot getting out of a bath isn't worth the price of a DVD rental. The whole thing sucks. # 2. "Cobra" Sly Stallone was riding high in 1986-he'd released "Rocky" and "Rambo" sequels in 1985 that both grossed gazillions of dollars. Like Leo in "Titanic" he was "King of the World".  Then he screwed up with this stinker. He plays Marion Cobretti a "Dirty Harry" type cop on the trail of a gang of ax-murderers who want to create a "New World". How they plan to do this by murdering people goes unexplained. Brigitte Nielson is a model who witnesses one of their ax-killings, and she seeks police protection. Stallone swaggers through the film wearing mirrored sunglasses and leather gloves ( even when eating pizza and watching t.v. at home ). and carrying a cocked and locked pearl-handled Colt .45 without a holster stuffed in the front of his pants. ( Not recommended by the NRA ). The chase is terrible because Stallones ride is a hot-rodded '50 Ford with nitrous, and he wrecks it while unsuccesfully trying to outrun a 4-door Plymout Volare!!!  Nielson doesn't even get naked, and sadly, ladies, amazingly, for once Sly doesn't even take his shirt off. It just pissed me off. Which brings up......# 3. "Get Carter".  Since the 1971 version starring Micheal Caine was totally badassed-Carter kills three people and has phone sex with Britt Eklund in the first 15 minutes, and goes out in a blaze of glory after kicking everyone in the London underworld's ass trying to avenge his brother's murder, I was actually looking forward to this 2000 update starring Sly as Carter, who instead of a British thug, is a Las Vegas "fixer". Sly again swaggers through the film, this time in an Armani suit and mirrored sunglasses threatening everyone to "Take this to another level".  Unfortunately, he never takes it to the next level. A muscle-bound Mickey Rourke who looks like the Joker after his botched plastic surgery and Sly have two totally implausible fights-Mickey kicks the shit out of Stallone completely one-sided, and five minutes later Stallone kicks the shit out of Mickey completely one-sided. Ultra-sexy Rhona Mitra is totally wasted as his dead brothers mistress-she doesn' even get naked-and od's halfway through the film. Two chases-one between a 1980 Volvo and a 1985 Cadillac Deville-two slugs, and in the crash-the airbag triggers. In a 1980 Volvo???  The other chase is between Sly driving a 320 hp Northstar Seville STS, and he has trouble leaving John C. Mcginley who's driving a '70s Jag XJ6-which had what-150 hp?  Come on, guys. And he doesn't die in a blaze of glory, he has a cutesy goodbye scene with the niece that caused all the trouble in the first place. Gag. Let's hope next month's "Bullet to the Head" starring Sly and directed by Walter Hill ( "48 Hrs", "Last Man Standing", "Undisputed" )  is better.  # 4. "The Driver" I loved this badass gangster flick, and it has a great scene of Ryan O' Neal demolishing a Mercedes in a parking garage while his Russian Mob passengers scream like schoolgirls. A couple other good chases in here, but in the finale O' Neal is driving a stick-shift '76 Chevy pickup-( You know how hard those are to shift above half-throttle ) and catches a guy driving a '76 Trans Am. Puhlleeeze. If the truck was a 454 automatic, and they were drag-racing down a straight road, maybe. But cornering around city streets- ala' "Bullitt?"  Uh-uh. A '70's T/A is one of the best-handling cars ever built even to this day, and a '70's Chevy truck corners like the Titanic. They had him driving a Gold Formula Firebird earlier in the film, why not use that to catch the T/A?  That would have been believable.  #5. "Jack Reacher."  I love the Jack Reacher books, so I was a little disappointed that they cast Tom Cruise. ( In the books Reacher is 6'5" and 270 lbs. What- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or John Cena or Howie Long wasn't available? ) I was also disappointed in the chase. The day I can't outrun a few 2008 Crown Vics in a 1970 4-speed, SS396 Chevelle is the day I'll committ hari-kari on the White House lawn, and I'm not a military-trained mercenary. Which reminds me.... # 6. "Fast and Furious 4."  Two stinker races here. Paul Walker, driving a pumped-up front-drive, 4-banger 1989 Nissan 240SX  somehow manages to stay up with Vin Diesel who's driving a 4-speed, 1970 SS396 Chevelle with Nitrous. Later he manages the same feat-he's driving a 2009 Subaru WRX that manages to stay up with Diesel's 1970 426 Hemi Charger that has a BLOWER on it, on a mostly straight road, not the twisties. Yeah, right.  I have to quote "Stuntman Mike"-the pervert who kills women with his car in "Death Proof" played by Kurt Russel. "I long for the Vanishing Point days, the Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, White Line Fever days." "Great men doing great things with great cars, not CGI."  I mean, that 455 Grand Ville would have given a 350 Ventura a helluva run, just like they showed in "The Seven Ups". On some things, ya gotta go "Old School." And car chases are one of them. Mastermind                          

A classic truck may be the way to go for you.....

One avenue for those who want some classic muscle but don't have Donald Trump's bank account is trucks. On the really old stuff  ( 1950's ) you'll have to do some fabrication-no one really wants a top-heavy vehicle with a ton of horsepower and tiny drum brakes, no power steering, and a suspension that handles like a UPS truck. But upgrading is relatively simple. Whether the truck is a Ford or a Chevy for years guys have been putting Chevelle or Camaro front clips on the classic '53-56 F100 Fords and the 1/2 ton Chevys of the the 1950-59 vintage. This gives them modern power steering and front disc brakes, and allows the installation of a small or big-block Chevy or just about any other GM powerplant you want. I know a guy that had a 389 Pontiac and a Muncie 4-speed in a '56 GMC pickup, and he showed his tailgate to many a hot rod. For you Ford guys that don't want to committ blasphemy ( by using a GM engine ) the other hot setup is to use a Mustang II front clip. This gives you front disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and allows the easy installation of the 289 / 302 or 351W V8s.  Into the 1960's, and things really improve. The 1960-66 Chevy / GMC trucks are already classics, but can still be bought at reasonable prices. Golden State pickup parts, Summitt Racing and others offer disc brake conversion kits. Like I said, the engine bays will swallow any GM engine. I know a guy that had a 1965 GMC pickup with a 455 Pontiac under the hood that was a monster. I've also seen these trucks with a 425 Olds or a 472 Cadillac engine under the hood as well. And of course, the ubiquitious small and big-block Chevys. 1967 was a big year for trucks. Both GM and Ford completely redesigned their pickups with spectacular results. The bodys were sleeker than ever, the interiors were nicer than ever-you now got carpet, and could get a/c and upgraded radios. On the GM front-besides the usual six-cylinder and small-block V8 offerings for the first time you could get a Rat motor in a pickup-the mighty 396. Ford guys could get the big-car 390 V8 in their trucks. Watch the Charles Bronson action flick "Mr Majestyk".  There's a chase scene involving a '68 Ford pickup and several cars. This chase scene was used in the "Built Ford Tough" ads for years. GM and Ford kept these bodystyles until 1972. Didn't mention '50s or '60s Dodge trucks because they were heavy, and ugly, and you could only get a slant-six or the "old" 318 V8 ( Nothing interchanges with the '67 and later "LA" 318-340-360 engines ). And no one really offers suspension or brake upgrades for these either, while there abundant for the GM and Ford applications.  However, by 1972, Dodge had caught up with a new body that they would keep until 1993, and you could get any V8 up to and including a 440 through the '78 model year. the 1973-79 Chevys and Fords were even better than the previous generation. Power steering and front disc brakes were now standard equipment, and the interiors were more luxurious than ever, and you could even get stuff like bucket seats, power windows and door locks and cruise control. Here's where the term "Cowboy Cadillac". originated. Power-wise you could get a 454 in Chevy / GMC ( as well as the 350 small-blocks ). Ford guys could get a 460. In a short-box, two-wheel drive, you had a hot rod. I mean think about it, a 454 V8 in a 3900 lb machine is a potent ride whether it's a '71 Chevelle, or a '77 Stepside!!  An added bonus is trucks with a GVW rating over 6,000lbs ( which included 1/2 tons ) were exempt from having catalytic converters through the '78 model year. Then the government got wise and changed the rating to 8,500 lbs in 1979 which meant you had a cat on it unless it was a one-ton.  Any how, all of these trucks can make a sweet ride for low bucks. ( Compared to restoring a Mustang, Camaro, Road Runner etc. )  Mastermind       

Still more cars that never were......

I enjoy finding out about cool stuff that missed production for whatever reason, but it also irritates me greatly when some yahoo starts telling me that he or a friend had some rare car that I know for a fact was never built. Here's a few that I keep hearing about that I love to hate. # 1. 1967-68 428 CJ Mustang. The 428 did not become optional in the Mustang until 1969. The 390 was an option in 1967-68. Carroll Shelby stuffed 428s in some 390 models, added swoopy bodywork and other upgrades and called them GT500s. Bob Tasca-owner of Tasca Ford swapped T-Bird 428s into Mustangs and had great success drag racing them, but the fact is the 428 did NOT become a regular production option until 1969 when the bodystyle changed.  # 2. 1969 Boss 429 Cougar. Ford only built the Boss 429 Mustang to homogolate the engine for NASCAR. The rules at the time said you had to sell at least 500 cars to the public before you could race them. The Boss wasn't even built by Ford. They started life as 428 Mach 1s, and were farmed out to Kar Kraft in Michigan for the Boss 429 conversion. Ford lost money on every Boss 429 Mustang they built, so it made no sense to offer a Mercury Cougar version. At least two were built for Drag racer "Dyno" Don Nicholson, but again, these were 428 Eliminators converted by Kar Kraft. Other than Nicholson's race cars, there was never a Boss 'Nine Cougar. Period.  # 3. 1971-72 GTO station wagon. This one really drives me up the wall. In 1971-72 you could buy a LeMans wagon with the scooped hood and "Endura" ( read GTO-type ) front bumper and grille. And you could get a 400 or 455 in a LeMans wagon, and if you didn't want hubcaps and wanted to pay extra, you could get the Rally II or Honeycomb style wheels used on GTOs and Firebirds. For the interior you could order front bucket seats, and you could order the rally guage package and the "Formula" ( Trans-Am style ) steering wheel.  But the 455 was the generic 250 hp 455 used in the "big" cars-i.e.-Bonneville, Catalina, Grand Ville, etc. The 335 hp ( 300 net in 1972 )  455HO that had RAIV heads and intake and exhaust manifolds and an "068" cam that was standard in the Trans Am and optional on the GTO, T37 Tempest, ( "LeMans GT" in 1972 ) and Formula Firebirds was NEVER, EVER, available in the LeMans wagon. Contact Pontiac Historical services if you want. Pontiac NEVER built a GTO wagon, not even by mistake. If you see a GTO wagon, it's a LeMans Sport or Luxury LeMans wagon that some clown has put GTO emblems on. Which brings up.... # 4. 1964 Olds 442 Station Wagon. In 1964 sales literature, the 442 package-which stood for "Four-barrel carb, four-speed trans, and dual exhaust" ( 4-4-2, get it? ) was listed as available on ANY Cutlass or F85 model which included 4-doors and wagons. However, I have never seen one, nor has one ever been verified by any reputable magazine-i.e. Hot Rod, Musclecar Review, etc, nor has any one ever produced a build sheet or window sticker for one, and none has ever been verified by any Olds engineer or other GM employee past or present. All "Real" 442s were two-door coupes.  # 5. 1969-70 Ram Air V GTO.  Pontiac engineers toyed with a "Tunnel Port" head design much like a 427 Chevy or Boss 302 Ford for a while. Originally slated for the Trans-Am racing program-Herb Adams and company found out that the 303 cubic inch engines actually made more power with the smaller RAIV heads. However, drag racers like Doug Nash and Arnie Beswick discovered that when placed on the 400 and 428 blocks and coupled with a very hot General Kinetics solid-lifter cam, that they really rocked, even outrunning the vaunted Chrysler Hemis. Arnie Beswick campainged an RA V Judge, and Royal Pontiac and Milt Schornak campaigned an RA V GTO in stock class drag racing. 2 or 300 of these engines were built and sold over the counter out of dealership parts departments to racers, but there was never a Pontiac-built production version. Mastermind             

Even more musclecars that never were.....

A lot of people don't know about the cool stuff that never makes production for whatever reason. Sometimes the model doesn't sell enough, or is too expensive to build ( Ford lost money on every Boss 429 ) or political maneuvering in the front office, or the bean counters kill them. Any way, heres a few that I thought everyone would find interesting.  # 1. Pontiac XP833. We all know the Mako Shark II 1965 show car based on a Stingray chassis inspired the design that eventually became the 1968 Corvette, and the basic platform lasted until 1982. In 1966-while the proposed '68 Corvette was being developed, John DeLorean, -then president of Pontiac-wanted a two-seat sports car for Pontiac. Using the Corvette / Mako Shark platform, De Lorean, Pete Estes, and a few others that had fathered the GTO actually built two prototypes. One had a 250 cubic inch Overhead cam six-cylinder that made about 215 hp. The other one had a fire-breathing 421 that made about 375 hp. The Chevrolet brass threw a fit, saying that would be a direct competitior for the Corvette. The project was killed by GM brass immediately, which infuriated DeLorean. Ultimately, this led to the wildly successful Firebird. Also in 1966 Chevrolet was developing the Camaro as an answer to the hugely successful Ford Mustang. DeLorean had a meltdown when GM said Pontiac wasn't getting a version of the Camaro. His position to GM brass was "You already screwed me on the two-seat sports car concept because Chevy is the favorite division, I'm not taking the shaft on this." "You want us to sell cars, then give us the cars that will sell." "A Pontiac "Mustang" will be a runaway hit, and you know it." Thus, the go-ahead was given for the Firebird. As for the two-seat 'Vette clone-I think designer Bill Mitchell kept the six-cylinder model, and the 421 model was later sold for the princely sum of $233,000. Too bad-it would have been a cool ride. # 2. Pontiac Tempest "E.T."  In 1968 Plymouth took a strippy two-door Belvedere body, put the heads and cam off the 440 Magnum on a 383, gave it a "Beep-Beep" horn and even had a small decal of the Warner Brothers cartoon character-The Road Runner. The base price was $2,800. Chrysler hoped to sell 10,000 units; the "Road Runner" was a huge hit-they sold 45,000 in 1968 and another 81,000 in 1969. With a dealer network twice the size of Chrysler-Plymouths, Chevrolet only sold 58,000 SS396's in 1968 and 86,000 in 1969. Pontiac had won Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" award in 1968 with the GTO and sold 87,000 units. However in the first quarter of 1969, the Road Runner was outselling the GTO and the SS396 Chevelle by a wide margin. John DeLorean told his engineers to make a stripped-down GTO to combat the budget-priced Road Runner and it's Dodge Super Bee cousin. They took a strippy post-coupe Tempest and gave it a hopped up 350 V8, a four-speed, and a heavy-duty supension, and a bright orange paint job wiht multi-colored stripes. They called it "E.T" for elapsed time. In testing the badass Tempest outran a 383 Road Runner in a 1/4 mile drag race. However, DeLorean changed his mind and said no GTO would have an engine less than 400 cubes, but he liked the trim package. It eventually morphed into a premium performance package with the RAIII 400 std and the RAIV optional and was called the "Judge". ( You remember that don't you? ) The 350HO was optional in the LeMans and Firebird lines in 1968-69, but not many were sold, as hot-rodders all wanted a 400. The basic ET concept-( strippy Tempest coupe with a 350 2bbl V8, a Hurst-shifted three-speed tranny and bench seats standard, with the 400 / 455s optional ) was resurrected in 1970-71 with the T37 package which the magazines called "The Poor Man's GTO ". In 1972 the package was called "LeMans GT".   However, it would have been cool to have a lightweight, budget street-fighter Tempest / LeMans with a fire-breathing 325 hp 350 much like the vaunted "W31" Olds F85 package. # 3. 1989 Buick Reatta. I know, they were an over-priced front-drive sporty coupe with a 3.8 liter V6 that wheezed out about 120 hp. Which is why they didn't sell. However, when the rear-drive "G" bodies were discontinued after 1988, Buick engineers got the bright idea to put the badass Turbocharged Grand National engine into a rear-drive, two-seat sports car. Again-Chevrolet screamed to the high heavens that this would hurt Corvette sales, ( it would have ) and the project was nixed. The swoopy body was put on an existing front-drive chassis, and Yuck.-you know the rest. # 4. 1979 Chrysler 300. I know there was one of these with an anemic 360 V8 and "Rich Corinthian Leather".  However, being painfully aware that Mopar didn't have a performance car since the demise of the Challenger / 'Cuda and Charger / Road Runner in 1974, and that Pontiac and Chevrolet were selling Trans-Ams, Z/28 Camaros, and Corvttes as fast as they could build them in the late '70s, Chrysler decided to resurrect the legendary "300" nameplate. Initially it was supposed to have a 440 V8, and be styled like a Nascar racer on the swoopy Dodge Magnum body. ( That was campaigned in Nascar ) The brass got involved and it ended up being a "Luxury / Appearance" package on the squarish, ugly Cordoba with an anemic 318 or 360 under the hood. Too bad, they'd have been cool.  Mastermind              

More cars that never were.....But we wish they'd been built!!

Automotive engineers often come up with way cool packages for existing models and often their killed by the bean-counters or inter-office politics, or just plain jealousy between engineering teams. Here's a few that I wish had come to pass. # 1. 1970 LS6 Camaro and Nova SS. Originally, the monster LS6 454 was slated to be an option on the Camaro and Nova. Since a 396 was already an option on these cars, it would have dropped right in. In fact, even though Chevelles had the domed "Cowl Induction" hood, production LS6's had a flat intake manifold that cost it 15 hp compared to the 1969 Corvette 427 4bbl manifold. This was to clear the low hoodline of the new-for-1970 Camaro. Ultimately the brass decided to only offer it in the Chevelle line. Which brings up...#2. 1970 LS7 Corvette. The reason the only 454 available in '70 Corvettes was the "station wagon" Q-jet equipped, hydraulic-cammed LS5 is Zora-Arkus Duntov, Cheif Corvette engineer, never put the LS6 on the option list, because he fully expected the much more radical LS7-( Basically all the vaunted L88 427 compnents on a 454 block- 12.25:1 compression instead of 11:1, and with "off-road: L88 427 cam in place of the relatively mild L78 396 cam that was in the LS6 ) to make production. It was killed at the last minute by the brass, which is why the LS6 wasn't available in the 'Vette until 1971.  # 3. 1973 SD-455 Pontiac  GTO, Grand Am and Gran Prix. Originally, the SD-455 was supposed to be an option on all the "A" bodies as well. It was even listed in early 1973 sales literature, but ultimately was only installed in the Firebird line.  # 4. 1974 400 Ventura GTO. When the decision was made to put the GTO on the "X" body ( read Nova ) line, the engineers wanted to take the Goat back to it's roots-a big engine in a light car that's a stripped-down badass. Since the 350 Pontiac was already an option, a 400 would have dropped right in. However, the Trans-Am was now the flagship, and a 400 powered Ventura that weighed 3,278 lbs would blow the doors off a 3,830 lb T/A even if it did have an SD-455. The brass couldn't have that, so the downsized Goat got a 350 that wheezed out maybe 200 hp. # 5. 1977 Hurst / Olds. Since the "A" bodies-Chevelle, Cutlass,LeMans, Monte Carlo, etc were slated to be down-sized for 1978, some Olds engineers and George Hurst decided to have a "Last Hurrah". The car was slated to be silver and black like the 1968 original, and have a 455 with a TH400 with a 2,500 rpm converter, and a 3.42 posi rear end as well as F41 suspension, swivel buckets, digital tach, and funcional ram air. When the 455 was dropped at the end of 1976, they actually built a prototype with a 403, but the brass killed that too. Shame.  Any of these cars would have been way cool. Mastermind.  

Some Full-size bargains......

Here's some full-size muscle machines to consider while everyone else is fighting with machetes for Chevelles, GTOs ,Road Runners and Mustangs. # 1.  1965-68 Pontiac Catlina, Gran Prix or Bonneville. While 396 and 427 Impalas and Biscaynes of this era are rare and pricey, ( 90% of Chevys of this vintage have 283 or 327 small-block motivation ) the Pontiac cousins are a screaming bargain. 1965-66 models have 389 cubes standard with 421 optional. 1967-68 models have 400 inches standard with 428 optional. Most have the excellent TH400 automatic for trannys, but there are a few four-speed models out there as well. Also, the Pontiacs tend to have upgraded interiors and cool options like factory a/c, while the Chevys are more often than not stripped-down "Granny" cars. Great hot rod potential-there are a million ways to build power into a Pontiac V8 and any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these cars. # 2. 1967-71 Ford Thunderbird. 390, 428 or 429 cubes standard all years. The hidden headlight '67-69 model is already a classic, and I personally like the Nascar-inspired fastback '70 or '71 models the best. Won't be dirt-cheap, but still a lot less than a same-year Mustang or Torino. 1972 and later models have lower-compression engines with a lot less power and are based on the much heavier and uglier Lincoln MKIV platform. # 3. 1966-69 Buick Riviera. The racy, sexy body of the revolutionary Olds Toronado, but on a rear-wheel drive, hot rod friendly platform. 430 cubes and a TH400 standard all yeras. I see one jet-black with 18" Torq-Thrust mags and a snarling 620hp 572 inch Chevy Rat under that long hood. All it would take is some Chevy motor mounts, and a Chevy bolt-pattern TH400.  # 4. 1965-69 Olds Delta 88. 425 or 455 cubes with a TH400 standard all years. I personally think the fastback-'67-68 model is way cool. # 5. 1965-67 Ford Galaxie. These have the racy "Coke Bottle" flanks and stacked headlights that resemble a '65 Pontiac, which I always liked. They also have gorgeous interiors and 390 or 428 cubes under the hood. # 6. 1969-71 Plymouth Sport Fury. 383 or 440 cubes standard all years. Peter Graves drove one on "Mission : Impossible".  I thindk any of these cars would be a Unique, cool, project. Mastermind