Some obscure Mopars I'd like to have.....

Had a few people aske me after the last post if there was any Mopars I'd like to have. Again-I'm going to stay away from the cliche's-'68-70 Chargers, Hemi 'Cudas etc. I like stuff that not everyone else does. Here's my list. # 1. 1966-67 Charger. I like these a lot. The fastback, hidden headlight styling is still cool as is the 4-bucket seat interior. I'd like a 383 model, but I'd settle for an "old" 318 V8 ( not like the '67-91 "LA" engines ). Of course I'd have to swap in a 360 based 410 stroker, but that's not a problem.  #2. 1969-72 Plymouth Sport Fury. Peter Graves drove one on "Mission: Impossible". Ultra-cool styling and 383 or 440 cubes under the hood. Doesn't get much better than that. # 3. 1971-72 Dodge Demon. Much cooler than a Duster with the Go-Wing,and the little grinning Devil holding a pitchfork emblems. And the high-winding 340 V8 helps too. # 4. 1975 Plymouth Road Runner. For this one year only the Road Runner nameplate was on the Sport Fury platform. Hey-like the Bluesmobile-it's got cop tires, cop shocks, a 400 V8 and the famous "Beep-Beep" Horn. Now if I swapped in a 472 crate Hemi..... # 5. 1977-78 D150 "Macho" Pickup. These 1/2 ton 4x4 pickups had cool two-tone graphics, a roll bar in the bed,15X8 wheels with 32" inch tires and up to 440 cubes under the hood. A Macho ride indeed-the biggest engine you could get in a Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 was a 350 or 400 small-block and the biggest engine you get in a Ford was the anemic 2bbl 351 / 400M.  # 5. 1978-79 Lil Red Express pickup. These 1/2 ton 2wd stepside pickups had a 360 V8, a trick Red and Gold paint job,vertical diesel style exhaust stacks and LR60-15 tires on chrome wheels. Except for an L82 Corvette or a WS6 Trans-Am-this was the fastest American production vehicle in those years. Mastermind  

Some Fords I'd like to have.....

I've said many times that I'm primarily a Pontiac guy-I've had GTOs, Trans-Ams, LeMans, Gran Prix's and Venturas. I've also had my Hurst / Olds and an SS396 El Camino over the years. The only Fords I ever owned were a 1966 Mustang GT and a 1982 Mustang GT that I bought and then re-sold for a quick, tidy profit. I never really owned any for a driver ( Other than a couple of '90's Ford F150 pickups, but I'm talking Musclecars.). Not that I had anything against Fords-my dad was a GM guy, and so was I. However-there's a few Fords that I'd like to have-that are actually attainable-I'm not going to waste my time or yours musing about a 427 Cobra or Boss 429-without a Megabucks or Powerball win that's not happening. Anyhow here's some Fords that I think are really cool-and that I may be able to buy someday on my middle-class income. # 1. 1965-66 Galaxie 2dr. These have cool semi-fastback styling very similar to a '65 Pontiac which I always loved. They also have great interiors-buckets seats, an awesome chrome console and most have 390 cubes under the hood. My mom had one when I was a little kid-it was green with Torq-Thrust mags. I always thought it was a cool ride.  # 2. 1967-68 Mercury Cougar. These cars classic styling still turns heads today 47 years later. I personally think these are the best-looking cars Ford ever built. And the good thing about Cougars-is they usually have upgraded interiors and cool options like factory air and front disc brakes-as opposed to most Mustangs being strippys. I'd even take a 289 model. I'd be torn between restoring it factory stock as a nice driver-or putting a snarling 347 stroker in it, with some Mini-Lite wheels  and making it a badass Trans-Am tribute car. Maybe I should get two....# 3. 1967-69 Thunderbird. These have cool hidden headlight styling, luxurious interiors, and 390 or 428 cubes under their long hoods. Dynamite cruisers in my book.  # 4. 1970-71 Thunderbird. These had cool Nascar-inspired fastback styling, and 429 cubes under the hood. This was about the time that American car builders started to care about handling-so for a big car they actually handled pretty good. And did I mention a 375 hp 429?  # 5. 1972-73 Mercury Montego GT. These were based on the new for '72 Gran Torino chassis. I think their way better looking than their Torino cousins. David Pearson won a bunch of Nascar races in one for the Wood Brothers. I could dream of one with a 429, and settle for one with a 351C.  # 6. 1977-79 Ranchero. These were based on the new for '77 LTD II chassis-which made them longer, lower,wider, and much roomier than the '70-76 Torino based model. Most had 351 / 400M motivation, but I'd look for a 460 model to warm over and torture all those smug big-block El Camino owners with. Maybe my next project will be a blue oval....Mastermind

Can't find the Chevy of your dreams? Consider a Pontiac...

If your having trouble finding the Chevrolet Musclecar of your dreams, you might want to consider a Pontiac. Yes, I know a GTO brings every bit the King's Ransom that a big-block Chevelle does. But that aside the entire rest of the line-the Pontiac models are much better buys than the Chevys. Here's why. #1. Full-size models. While 99% of Impalas built from 1960-69 have six-cylinder or 283 or 327 small-block motivation-that's why 396 / 409 / 427 models are priced in the stratosphere-every single Pontiac Catalina, Bonneville, or Gran Prix built from 1960-68 had at least 389 cubes under the hood. Depending on year some had 400, 421 or 428s under those long hoods! And the Pontiacs usually had upgraded interiors with bucket seats and consoles and cool options like factory air, and 8-lug wheels. There's a million ways to build power into a Pontiac V8, and any suspension or brake upgrades that fit an Impala will fit these cars. #2. 1969-76 Pontiac Gran Prix. The GP is to the Monte Carlo what the Firebird is to the Camaro. The better buy of the two. While 99% of Monte Carlos built from 1970-75 have 350 small-blocks for power, GPs had 400 cubes standard all years and their are quite a few 455 powered "SJ" models out there. My sister had a '72 GP in high school. It had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. She showed her taillights to many a shocked Camaro and Mustang driver. # 3. Firebirds. You could only get a Rat motor in a Camaro until 1972-and those are rare. By contrast you could get a 455 in a Trans-Am until 1976 and a 400 in a T/A or Formula until 1979.  If you can't find a good deal on a 400 Firebird, you aren't looking past the end of your nose. And you don't have to get a Trans-Am. There's thousands of Esprit and Formula Firebirds built from 1970-78 with 400 cubes under the hood.   # 4. Mid-size models. Again 99% of non-SS Chevelles are small-block models. By contrast-their are quite a few Tempest, LeMans, LeMans Sport and Luxury LeMans models built from 1968-77 with 400 or even 455 cubes under the hood. And don't forget the '73-75 Grand Am models. 400 cubes standard all years with 455 optional. Any suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle fit these cars. So if you can't find a Rat-powered Chevy for a reasonable price-consider a Pontiac. You may be pleasantly surprised. Mastermind  

Oddballs from the '80's and '90's that can be a bargain hot rod or fun cruiser....

Some times you run across a weird combination of options that was only available for one year that everyone snubs-but can be a cool cruiser or hot rod for low bucks. Here's a list of good buys that a lot of people don't think of. # 1. 1982 Mustang GT / Mercury Capri "5.0". These had a 302 V8 with a 2bbl carb and "only" 157 hp backed by a 4-speed stick or a 3-speed automatic. Their snubbed in favor of the 4bbl / 5-speed stick / 4-speed auto '83-86 models. However-they can bought dirt-cheap, and there's a million ways to build power into a small-block Ford.  # 2. 1983 Z/28 Camaro / Firebird Trans-Am. For this one year only you could get a "Cross-Fire Injected" 305 and a 4-speed automatic. ( 1982 models had a 3-speed TH250 ). Their snubbed in favor of the L69 Carburated / 5-speed models and later LB9 Tuned Port Injection models but they actually moved pretty good for only being a 305. The upside is with 454 throttle bodies and a Hypertech Prom chip this system can feed up to 450 hp and would work on a stout 350 or 383.  # 3. 1982 Corvette. This is the last of the C3 body with the first of the Cross-Fire Injected 350 and 4-speed automatic of the C4 'Vette. They were decent performers for the time-7 second 0-60 times, and 15 second 1/4 mile times-and they can be hopped up easily. # 4. 1984 Corvette. These had the "Cross-Fire" injected 350 and a 4-speed automatic or the 4+3 overdrive manual. Their snubbed by 'Vette collectors for the '85-91 "Tuned Port Injected" models, but they ran pretty damn good-six second 0-60 times and high 14 second 1/4 mile times and they can be hopped up easily. I have seen these as low as $3995 on used car lots. Corvette and Cheap aren't usually synominous-but here they are. # 5 1984-86 Ford Mustang SVO. These had 16" wheels, Recaro seats, and a 4-cylinder Turbo engine with between 175 and 205 hp. The problem was the "5.0" V8 models were both faster and several thousand cheaper. However-now you can buy them relatively cheap. # 6. 1994-95 Mustang GT. For these two years you could get the "New" for '94 Mustang body with the "Old-school" "5.0" V8. '96 and later models had the 4.6 that didn't have as much power regardless of hp ratings. Maybe you'll find a diamond in the rough. Mastermind    

No, you don't have the right to desecrate a rare classic.....Leave them for those of us who want them the way their supposed to be!!

Got a lot of flack from people after the last post-saying "Its my car and I'll Goddamn well do anything I want with it." Yes, that's your Constitutional right. The government hasn't figured out how to legislate away people's God-given right to be assholes. But think about how selfish these people are. Here's a few examples of people who should have been dragged out into the street and shot. # 1. This guy-I won't use his name-but I remember it well-is the King Kong of Assholes who destroy classic cars. He bought a pristine, restored, show-winning Fuel-Injected 1963 Split-Window Corvette for something like $30,000 in 1988 dollars. Then he gutted it and put a roll cage in it, a narrowed 9 inch Ford rear end with huge slicks, and replaced the FI 327 / 4-speed powertrain with a Tunnel-Rammed 454 and a TH400 with a 5,000 rpm converter and a trans-brake. Blaspemy most foul!!!  If he wanted to "Pro Street" a Corvette-he couldn't buy one of the millions of '68-82 models that no one cares about and cut that up. If he had to have the early '60's bodystyle-there was a Kit Car company that was selling Gran Sport 1964 Corvette replica bodies-that could be transplanted onto the later C3 chassis. Or he could have bought any basket-case '64-67 'Vette out there and bastrdized that and no one would have cared. But no,you have to pick the rarest, most valuable Corvette ever built-( unless one of the 116 1969 L88 owners wants to argue ) and cut it to pieces.  # 2. This guy should actually be # 1A" instead of number 2.  He managed to mortally offend both the musclecar crowd and the Import tuner crowd. How did he accomplish this?  By destroying not one, but two valued classics!! This genius took the engine and drivetrain out of '98 Toyota Turbo Supra and put it in a '67 Camaro. He was genuinely surprised when everyone called for his beheading. The '90's Toyota Supras are as sacred with the Import Tuner drift crowd as, well-a '67 Camaro is to the musclecar crowd!!  Why would you think this is a good Idea in any way, shape or form?  # 3. This clown offended both GM and Ford guys by putting a 389 Pontiac V8 into his 1957 T-Bird. Yes, I'm sure it was quite a bit faster than the 292 / 312 Y-Block it came with. But couldn't he have just swapped in a later model 289 / 302 or 351W or even a 390 Ford?  Who wants a classic T-Bird with a Pontiac engine in it???  # 4. This moron was on the cover of not one, but two magazines. He bought a show-quality one of 458 455HO / 4-speed 1972 Trans-Ams ever built. Then he gutted it and put an LS motor and a six-speed automatic in it and extensively modified the interior and the body and the suspension. He couldn't buy one of the 275,000 T/As built from 1977-79 alone and fuck that up? Or any of the millions of beater '70-81 Camaros and Firebirds out there that no one cares about and use that? Hell, why use one of the 1,286 '72 models built-why didn't he get one of 88 1970 RAIV models and butcher that??  Not!!!  # 5. This clown is worse because like #2-he destroyed two classics instead of one. He put a Superhcharged 5.4 Mod motor and six-speed tranny out of a 2007 GT500 and put it in-wait for it-A 1969 Boss 302!!!  Not one of the 70,000 plus fastback Mustangs that Ford sold in 1969 made to look like one-no this was a for-real one of 1,603-Boss 302s ever built!!!  Now no one with common sense is going to say that they agree that any of these projects was the right thing to do. And this rule applies to old and new classics as well-if you want to yank the 231 Buick V6 or 307 Olds V8 and put a 572 inch Chevy Rat motor into a black '81-87 Buick Regal no one cares. But don't do it to a pristine '85-87 Grand National!!  You want to put a modern 5.0 Coyote and a six-speed into one of the 400,000 plus '66 Mustangs built, no one cares-but don't do it to a GT350H!!!  Are we clear on my position now?? Mastermind                  

 

No I didn't....Or to Quote the dictator from "Team America" "Why is everybody so F$%*ing Stupid??!!!

I was absent-mindedly chatting with an acquaintance the other day and said that I'd like to build a real low-budget "Rat Rod." That maybe I'd find an old Maverick and get the "5.0" engine and T5 tranny and 8.8 rear out of a wrecked '87-93 Mustang and make a nice, cheap hot rod. Maybe even put a blower on it and make it real quick. He instantly went ballistic. "You hypocrite!" "Your constantly railing on your site about the assholes who put LS motors in classic GM iron and modern Hemis in classic Mopars and you come up with that?"  Excuse me?  How is putting the engine, tranny and rear axle out of say-a wrecked '89 Mustang that no one gives a shit about, into say- a '74 Maverick that no one gives a shit about-the same as putting an LS motor and a 4L80E into a one of 1,286, numbers-matching, 1972 455HO Trans-Am? Like Samuel L. Jackson told John Travolta about the difference between giving a woman a foot massage and performing oral sex on her-"It's not the same ballpark; it's not even the same fuckin' sport!"  Yes-I have screamed until I am blue in the face-It turns my stomach every time I read about some asshole who puts an LS Motor and a six-speed into a one of 3,797 1970 GTO Judges. Now if he did it to one of the 200,000 plus beater LeMans / Tempest models that Pontiac produced in 1968 alone-I wouldn't give a shit. Nor would I care if someone put a 720 hp 572 inch GMPP Rat Motor backed by a trans-braked TH400 and a narrowed 9 inch Ford rear with wheel tubs and 33 inch slicks to complete the "Pro Street" look into one of the 400,000 '78 Camaros that Chevrolet built. Now if he did it to one of the 2,200 LT1 powered 1972 Z/28's ever built-I'd want him drawn and quartered and his entrails cut out and burned. See the difference? If I proposed putting the 5.0 / T5 / 8.8 powertrain into a 4-speed, "Q" code '73 Mach 1 or a "K" code '66 Mustang GT-yes you would be justified in wanting to storm my house with torches. But taking the guts out of one of the millions of '87-93 Fox Mustangs and stuffing it in one of the millions of '70-'77 Maverick / Comet beaters languishing in junkyards or in people driveways-Does anybody really give a shit in hell??   That's the difference. Taking a 360 Magnum out of a wrecked '97 Jeep Cherokee and stuffing it in a '75 Duster is not the same as taking an SRT8 Hemi out of a 2011 Charger and putting it in numbers-matching, for real  440 / '69 GTX!!!  Taking the Supercharged 3.8 V6 out of a 2000 Bonneville SSEI and putting it in a beater 1981 301 "Turbo" Trans-Am is not the same as putting it in a Tri-Power, 4-speed, '65 GTO!!!   Is everyone clear on that?  Mastermind              

How about a contest...To build "Project Badass" of 1968...Both Small-Block and Big Block....

Had a great Idea the other day. Maybe we can get one of the buff magazines to sponsor it and run articles on it. Everyone has spoken ad nauseum how sick they are of '69 Camaros with LS motors and 20 inch wheels etc. I was thinking what if a group of people got together to build several street machines like you would have in say-1968-the height of the musclecar movement. Everything would have to be period correct-no modern fuelie engines, no MSD ignitions etc. I'd have two classes-one big-block and one small-block. For big block cars I'd say limit cubic inches to 400. This would save money-we don't need $15,000 crate Hemis or stroker Rat Motors-that stuff wasn't available in 1968. You could run a 396 Chevy, a 383 Mopar, a 400 Pontiac, and a 390 Ford, or maybe even a 400 Olds if someone wanted to play with one. Feasible swaps would be allowed-i.e a 383 into a Dart or a 396 into a Nova. Cross-breeding would be allowed-a 400 Olds in a Buick Skylark body for example-or a 400 Pontiac in a '66 El Camino. You could run any compression ratio or any cam ( no hydraulic rollers-not invented yet, remember? ) or any induction-but it would have to be period-correct. For example you could run a P65 Edelbrock Dual-Quad manifold on a Pontiac-but not a Performer RPM or Factory RAIV piece-they weren't invented yet. This also means no aftermarket aluminum heads-they weren't invented yet. Iron heads and period correct parts would keep the costs down and the competition firece. The same goes for trannys. You could run a 4-speed or a TH400 or a Powerglide in GM stuff, a 4-speed or a 727 Torqueflite in Mopar stuff, and a 4-speed or a C4 or C6 in Ford stuff. No five or six-speed sticks, no 700R4's or 4L80E's. For small-block cars we could limit cubes to 350. And I mean 350-no stroker kits to build a 427-they weren't available yet! However-I have seen some fierce 289 Falcons and Comets that surprised a lot of big-block cars. I've seen some badass 327 Novas. I have seen really quick 273 Valiants and 340 Barracudas. Engine swapping and cross-breeding would be allowed here. A '64 Buick Skylark would run a lot stronger with a W31-spec 350 Olds under the hood than it ever would with the obsolete 300 inch Buick V8 it came with-and that's a swap some enterprising hot-rodder may have done back in the day. Or a small-block Chevy into a Studebaker.  Exotic stuff-for the time period-but still correct- would be allowed-Paxton Superchargers and 4-Weber setups for small-block Chevys and Fords. How about a Factory Five Cobra replica with a 4-Weber carbed 289 Ford? I think it would be way cool and would take some talent on the part of the builders to make the fastest car-not just who could write the biggest check. If you agree sound off-and write the buff magazines as well and tell them to check this site. Mastermind.  

How about some early '70's Pro Stock compact tributes?.....

In 1972 Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins blew everyone away at the Winternationals when he upset the dominating Chrysler Hemi 'Cuda of Sox&Martin with his 327 powered Vega. Through out the '70's and early '80's V8 Vegas were very popular-my dad and I built one when I was in high school. Other drag racers followed Jenkins lead-Bob Glidden had a wicked 351 Cleveland powered Pinto that won a bunch of races. V8 Pintos weren't quite as popular-but they were out there, and were actually easier to build than the Vegas-they required less fabrication.  I dated a girl who had a 289 Pinto that was a rocket. Other guys didn't use the subcompacts-but they went the compact route. Sox&Martin had a Duster and "Dyno" Don Nicholson had a Maverick that won a bunch of races in the early '70's. The reason I bring it up is I was looking through a magazine and they had a "40 years ago today.." article that had pictures of a lot of these cars. It got me thinking-nobody's fighting with machetes for old Mavericks or Pintos, Vegas or Dusters-( unlike Camaros and Firebirds, Mustangs and 'Cuda / Challengers ). So you could build one really cheap. A Maverick rear end will bolt right into a Pinto / Mustang II and will handle up to 400 or so hp, as will a C4 automatic. So if you build a hot 302 combo your covered. A V8 Monza rear will bolt right in a Vega. 8 3/4 rears are easy enough to find for a Dart / Duster. An besides the possibility of building a hot 360 Magnum stroker, Mopar Performance makes crossmembers to install a 383 / 400 / 440 / Hemi.  Other possibilities are other GM "X" bodies. Any Pontiac Ventura with a 350 Pontiac can accept a 400 / 455 as a bolt-in swap. Any Olds Omega with a 350 can accept a 403 as a bolt-in swap and 53 extra cubes definitely helps-all other things being equal. Radiused fenderwells, missing front bumpers, primer finishes, loud exhaust- these cars can be Jules' Wallet from Pulp Fictiion- a bad mofo-because no one cares about them to begin with. Others would be late 70's or early '80's Ford Fairmonts, late '70's Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares. Cheap Modern day "Rat Rods."  Mastermind
 

The car is 45+ years old and it's not completely original? Shouldn't have to explain,but here's why....

Got some flack over the last post from the type of people I hate. The type that turn up their nose at a great car because it has aftermarket wheels on it or a different carburator or gasp!-a non original engine. What these idiots don't realize is first off-the car is 40 or 50 years old. Secondly-these were cars that people drove to work and raced and wrecked and abused, just like to you do your Chevy truck or whatever it is you have for a daily driver. Since '60's and '70's cars didn't have all the electronic dreck that they have now-a lot of guys worked on their own car. Some still do. If you had a 2011 Mustang GT right now-and it blew a radiator hose on Friday night would you go to Autozone and get a replacement or would you park the car until Monday when the dealer opened so you could get a "Genuine" Motorcraft hose and clamps? If you bought that same Mustang new-would you keep it "Just as it left the factory" until you sold it?  No-chances are you might put a Flowmaster exhaust on it, a K&N Air filter, some aftermarket wheels, maybe even a performance prom chip or a Hurst shifter. That's what guys did 40 years ago. And think about this-when I was in high school in 1978-a friend had a 440 Six-Pack '69 Super Bee. It was only 9 years old. That would be like having a 2006 Hemi Charger now. One night he missed a shift and grenaded the engine. I mean, rods out the side of the block grenaded. What did we do? We went to a junkyard and got a used 440 out of wrecked Chrysler Imperial for $250. And the only reason he did that instead of taking a FREE 383 from a buddy was he wanted to keep the Tri-Power on it and "B" and "RB" intakes don't interchange. The car ran great-it seemed as fast as it ever was-and when he sold it five years later-doubtless the person who bought it was miffed that the engine wasn't numbers-matching. I had a '68 SS396 El Camino and the 396 blew up one night. My cousin gave me a 327 out of my aunt's wrecked '67 Impala. The 327 actually made it a nicer car-it handled better with less weight on the front end and it was still pretty quick-but it didn't fry the tires at the slightest touch of throttle like the Rat motor did. This happened a lot to a lot of people. Think about this. Your a working class, do-it-yourself kind of guy. It's 1977. Your '72 Chevelle SS454 is long out of warranty-but it's still a nice, fairly new car and you love it. One day on the freeway it throws a rod. You can't afford to pay a professional shop to rebuild it so you go to a junkyard and get a used 454 out of a '74 Impala wagon and install it over the weekend, so you can drive to work Monday morning. In 1980 you get married and your new wife has twins. The musclecar has to go for a family sedan. Again-did the guy you sold it to grind you on the price because it wasn't "Completely Orignal?" Probably not-because back then no one except us hardcore gear heads cared about musclecars. To everyone else they were just old gas-guzzlers. That was before the craziness started-I.E.-people paying a million dollars for Hemi 'Cudas. So if you look at a nice '69 GTO and it's got a 400 out of a '73 Catalina I wouldn't be surprised. And if it was otherwise nice and rust-free and the price was reasonable-why not buy it? Honestly-one Pontiac 400 is as good as another-unless your looking at Ram Air IV Judge-yes then I would definitely want the original engine. Ditto for a '69 Z/28-if I'm going to pay top dollar for it it damn well better have a "DZ" code 302 in it. But If I'm buying one of the 243,000 '69 Camaros that AREN'T Z/28s and came originally with a garden-variety L48 350-is it a deal breaker that a previous owner put a GM "Targetmaster" replacement 350 in it in 1981??  If your looking at one of the 1,603 '69 Boss 302 Mustangs-yes you absolutely need the "Boss" engine. But if your looking at one of the 70,000 plus '69 Mach 1s that had a garden-variety 351W to begin with-is it catastrophic that the car has a 351W out of a '73 Mercury Montego?  No. See what I'm saying?  I can see wanting a numbers-matching engine-if it's something special-an LS6 454, a W30 Olds 455,an RAIV Pontiac,a 340 Six-Pack , Boss 351, etc,etc-but if the original engine was garden variety-like a 300 hp L48 350 in a '70 Camaro or an L78 400 in a '70 Firebird Formula 400-I mean the same engines could be had in a Malibu or Impala or a Catalina or LeMans station wagon-for god's sake-does it really matter that much that it's not numbers-matching?  In my mind it doesn't. What really irks me about these people-is they'll pull this shit over a carburator or a distributor. Really?  Do you really expect a 45 year old carburator to work flawlessly?  This is why the Pure Stock drags, MusclePalooza, and many Concours show organizations have amended the rules to include "Original Type." In other words- your '71 Z/28 is legal if it has a 3310 Holley 4bbl on it. It doesn't have to have 1970 or 71 date codes. Your '57 Corvette is legal with a late-model T10 4-speed trans. It doesn't have to have 1957 date codes!!!  I hope this clears some things up. But probably not. However-I swear the next time someone says a pristine SS396 Chevelle is "Ruined" because it has radial tires, a Hurst shifter ( instead of the horrible Muncie ) and an HEI distributor-I'm going to kick him in the nuts so hard he'll have to part his hair differently!!  Mastermind    

The "Cult" of serial numbers......I just don't get it.....

I was talking with a guy the other day who was lamenting how nowadays average guys could never afford an ultra-cool musclecar. I begged to differ-"Now it's easier than ever-if your mechanically inclined and want to build it."  "For example-$5,000 will buy you a nice "little old lady" 318 '68-70 Dodge Dart in any state in the union." "Mopar Performance sells the crossmembers to put B / RB / Hemis in Duster / Darts." They also sell the 465 hp 426 Hemi crate motor for $15,000." "You'd have to chase down some other parts-a 727 tranny, a bigger radiator, etc-but you could do it for under 25K."  "You can't touch a "real" "original" Hemi Dart for under 100K." "Same deal-$10,000 will buy you a very nice small-block '70-'73 Camaro." "GMPP sells 440 hp 454HO crate engines for $5995." "With the right torque converter, shift kit, and cooler-a TH350 can stand up to 500 hp-so you won't even have to change trannys." "Cragar mags and Lakewood traction bars are available through Summitt, and it'd be pretty easy to copy the Baldwin-Motion paint job." For 20K you have a unique, badass looking and running car." "You cant touch a "Real" Motion car for under $50K." "You just did it for less than half that." "$15,000 will buy you a nice, restored '65-68 289 Mustang Fastback in any state in the union." "Tony Branda and other companies sell the taillights, hood and side scoops,reproduction wheels etc." "They even sell Tri-Y headers and reproduction Shelby intakes and 715 cfm Holleys." "Or you could buy a 345 hp 302 Ford SVT crate engine." "For under 30 grand you'd have a badass GT350 or GT350H clone."  "You can't touch a "real" Shelby for under 100K." "You got it for less than 1/3."  The guy says-"You just said it-it's not real." "What's not real?" I asked. "When your smoking the tires for 200 feet and banging through the gears or blasting down the 1/4 are you thinking about serial numbers?" "When you pass someone on the freeway at 75 mph-is the guy in the other car going to turn up his nose and tell his passenger-"That's a fake." "How would he tell without checking serial numbers?"  "The upside is you'd drive it like it was meant to be driven and actually have some fun with it." "If you'd spent 100 grand on it you'd be so goddamnded afraid of wrecking it or blowing it up that it would never see the high side of 3,000 rpm or 60 mph." "It still isn't the real deal." He protested. "Yeah but only you know that-unless you tell everybody or let people check your vin number." "The guy who won the Pure Stock drags last year did it in an L88 Corvette."  "Except it's not a "real" L88." "The rules say you can run any combination that was an option that year." "So you could put a crate Hemi in a 383 '71 Road Runner and race it because the Hemi was an option in '71." "Anyhow- since the L88 was an option in 1969-this guy took his garden-variety 390 hp 427 'Vette and rebuilt the motor to L88 specs." "When he's ripping off blistering 11.54 1/4 mile times at more than 120 mph- and winning the tournament and getting his picture in Hot Rod or Musclecar Review-do you think he says-"Damn! This is cool, but it would be so much more fun if this car was numbers-matching."  "Puhleeze." "You don't understand." the guy said. I had to agree-I really don't. I've said it before-I don't buy anything-a house, car, motorcycle,jet-ski, guns,sports memorabila etc-with the primary deciding factor being what it will be worth if or when I decide to get rid of it!!  If I like it-I don't care what it costs-If I don't like it, you can't give it to me for free-no matter how great a "Deal" it is. I've said this before and I'll say it again-Did you marry your wife because you thought she'd give you an easier divorce than the other women you dated? The average Joe CAN have an ultra-cool car-like an L88 spec Corvette or an RAIV spec GTO ( with Edelbrock's help ) or a Thunderbolt Fairlane ( with a pumped up 390, not a 427 but all "FE engines look externally identical-duh ) or a Boss 302 Mustang or whatever-if you have a little ingenuity and can get over the "It's not numbers-matching" fetish. I'd like to find a disco-era T/A and put a snarling Edelbrock headed 455 in it backed by a Richmond 5-speed. If I get the stencils from Phoenix Graphics and paint it like a "Macho T/A" I don't think Dennis Mecham is going to sue me. And when I'm blowing the doors off a little boy in a rice-rocket or an old man in a new Corvette with a big smile on my face-I won't be thinking about how my car isn't "Original!!!"  Think people just how important are those little numbers on the cowl??  Are they worth an extra $20,30 or $50,000 or even $100,000??  If they are-then you have a much larger bank account and a much smaller brain than I do. Mastermind                

Project "Heavy Metal" redux...

A few years ago Car Craft built a 1965 Impala with a fuel-injected mega-inch Rat Motor,upgraded suspension and brakes and called it "Project Heavy Metal."  It was wildly popular with readers; unfortunately the car was stolen and never recovered.  I have some Ideas for a similar project that I think would be very cool and could be built relatively cheaply. Maybe if enough people write to Popular Hot Rodding or Hot Rod-maybe they'll serialize the build in the magazines. Anyhow here's the Ideas. # 1. 1965-66 Pontiac Catalina / Bonneville / Gran Prix. These cars had gorgeous styling, cool interiors and at least 389 cubes under their long hoods. You could easily adapt front disc brakes with spindles from a later model-or just buy an aftermarket kit-anything that fits an Impala will fit these cars. Ditto for suspension-Pontiac built ambulances and hearses in the '60's-the wrist-thick sway bars and heavier springs from one of those would work-or again just get aftermarket pieces for an Impala. That's the beauty of '60s and '70s GM stuff-almost everything interchanges. I see one with a snarling 467 inch Pontiac with either 3-2bbls or 2-4bbls backed by a 4-speed or the ubiquitous TH400 with a Gear Vendors overdrive, and 16" or 17" Torq-Thrusts with modern Z-rated rubber.  # 2. 1967-69 Olds Delta 88 Coupe. These cars have cool fastback styling, sumptuous interiors and 425 or 455 cubes under the hood. Some of these even have factory front disc brakes. You could go two ways-a Pro-Touring style "G" machine-or a '60's drag-racing "Gasser" tribute-remove that big front bumper, radius the wheel wells for monster slicks or drag radials. Their long wheelbase and excellent weight distribution would actually make them a good drag racer.  # 3. 1966-69 Buick Riviera. These cars have the swoopy styling of the Olds Toronado but are still rear-wheel drive. With 430 cubes under the long hoods, they move pretty good too. I see one jet-black with either a pumped-up 455 Pontiac-( the BOP TH400 would bolt right up ) or a snarling 572 Rat Motor-( all you'd need is some Chevy motor mounts and a Chevy bolt-pattern TH400 ). Some people may frown on the prospect of cross-breeding-but like it or not the reality is there's way more speed equipment for Chevys, Olds and Pontiac motors than there are for Buicks. I'm looking at the bang-for-the buck factor here. And it's not like your "ruining" a '70 GSX-no one cares about old Rivieras anyway.  # 4. 1965-67 Ford Galaxie. These cars have the racy "Coke Bottle" flanks very much like the '65 Pontiacs-and most have 390 cubes under the hood. Edelbrock claims 452 hp with their "Performer RPM" dual-quad package. It would not only look and sound badass-it would be. Magazine writers spew numbers flippantly-but 450 honest hp will turn any street car into a rocket. Just a thought. Mastermind  

Good advice for 1st time restorers......

One of the cable channels has a show called "Property Virgins" where pros help first-time homebuyers get the best deal and avoid costly mistakes. Maybe there should be one for classic car buyers. Anyhow here's how to avoid spending unnecessary money and causing your self untold grief that you don't need.  # 1. This should be a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at the people that fall into this trap. Make sure the car has a clear title. No matter how cheap it is, a car without a title is not a deal. Something that you can't legally register or sell is a nightmare. I bought my 442 off a used car lot, registered it, and drove it for 18 years on sunny days and during Hot August Nights. When I decided to sell it I couldn't find the title. No problem-I'll just call DMV and get a duplicate, right? Wrong. Because a DMV clerk transposed 2 numbers on the VIN when I registered it initially 18 years ago-they wouldn't give me another title-even though I had registered and insured the car for 18 years!!  It took me nearly two years and several hundred dollars in lawyer fees to get a title for a car I legally owned for 18 years!!  God help me if the car come from a junkyard or had a salvage title.  # 2. A "Basket Case" is not a deal no matter how low the price is. Even if you are a professional mechanic or bodyman by trade-a car with major body or rust issues, frame damage, water damage, fire damage etc-is a nightmare and a money pit. 99.999% of the time your better off spending more money and getting a better car to start with.  # 3. A rare or special car missing key components is not a deal at any price. Obvious examples would be a Chrysler Hemi car without the Hemi engine or a Boss 302 or 429 Mustang without the "Boss" engines. The cost of finding an engine and all the accesorries would be so prohibitive-that even if you had Donald Trump's bank account-you'd be financially ahead of the game by just finding a complete car and buying that. Others would be '57-65 Fuel Injected Corvettes or a '57 Pontiac Bonneville without the Fuel Injection system-If you can find a complete Rochester Fuel Injection setup for a '63 Corvette-how high in the stratosphere do you think it will be priced?  Again-you might be better off just getting a more complete car. # 4. Get the options you want, even if you have to pay a little more for it. For example-if you want an SS396 Chevelle with a 4-speed-then search until you find one. Don't buy a small-block Malibu with an automatic because "Its a deal" and then think you'll "convert" it later. You won't, and it'll cost too much in time and money. The same goes for front disc brakes, or power steering or air conditioning. It's much easier and  more cost-effective to just find a car that has that already on it than it is to add it later. # 5. Consider different models or sisters / cousins of the same car. I'd much rather have a 400, 4-speed, T-Topped '77 Firebird Formula than a '79 403 Olds / TH350 Trans-Am. If you a Mopar fan-don't pass up a reasonably priced, pristine Super Bee because your looking for a Charger. I'd rather have a loaded 390 powered '68 Cougar than a strippy 289 '68 Mustang. You may not be able to afford an L88 427 Corvette, but you might find a deal on a 390 hp L72 version. See what I'm saying?  # 6. Stay away from "Freaks." By this I mean cars with weird options. Two-speed automatics,three-speed sticks, column-shifted bucket seat cars, two-barrel step-down engines,etc- aren't collectible-their just weird. I mean do you really want a "Turnpike Special" '68 GTO with a 265 hp 2bbl  400 V8, an automatic and 2.56:1 gears that can't outrun a V6 Camry from a light?  Or a 427 Corvette with a Powerglide 2-speed automatic?  Hope these tips will save somebody some money and aggravation. Mastermind
           

The Path of Most Resistance....Part 2.....

  Had a few more people come up with very hard project ideas after the last post that were disappointed because I told them their ideas weren't cost-effective. Just because something is POSSIBLE doesn't mean it's a good idea or financially feasible. I mean they were genuinely offended. Angry man # 1. Asked about Turbocharging a mid -'80s Camaro or Firebird. I said if he wanted a Turbo Firebird to look for an '89 20th Anniversary Trans Am. They came stock with the badass Turbo V6 out of the Buick Grand National. They were both faster and handled better than the LB9 305 and L98 350 Chevy V8s. He didn't like that idea. He wanted to Turbo his LG4 305 V8. I said that Turbos were not only expensive-they did not work well with carburators and they really didn't work with '80's electronically controlled carburators. I pointed out that the ill-fated '80-'81 Turbo Trans-Ams were dogs as were the carburated 231 V6s in Buick Regal T-Types through '84.  The '85-88 Grand Nationals kicked ass-because they had Multi-Port Fuel Injection and knock sensors. If he had to have forced induction I suggested he find a wrecked GN and salvage the engine, tranny and wiring harness. I also suggested he might try to find a Supercharged 3.8 V6 out of a '90's Bonneville SSEI or Buick Riviera. They had 240 hp stock-about 100 more than his LG4 305- and could easily get 100 more than that with a pulley change. The 700R4 in his car would probably have the multi-fit GM bellhousing so he more than likely wouldn't have to change trannys for this. I also suggested a Weiand or B&M underhood Roots-Type Blower-that would add about 175 hp to his 305, although he'd have trouble making it smog in some states. He didn't like any of those ideas. He wanted a to Turbocharge a small-block Chevy. I said again-that trying to Turbocharge a carburated 305 or 350 would be hard to do, expensive to build, and probably wouldn't run as strong a a normally-aspirated 400 hp or 450 hp GMPP ZZ5 or ZZ383 crate motor. If he HAD to have a Turbo V8-I said he'd be better off going to a junkyard and getting the engine, transmission and wiring harness out of a Chevy or GMC truck with a fuel-injected 5.3 or 6.0 liter LS engine, and then contact Gale Banks about a suitable Turbo setup, because the electronic fuel and ignition management would work great with a Turbo, and that the six-bolt main bottom end of an LS is virtually bulletproof.  "But" he said- "Doesn't Holley and Edelbrock both make carbs designed to work with Blowers?"  Ugh!  "Roots-type superchargers and Turbochargers are totally different." "A Superhcarger is belt-driven,is usually under the carb,which can be custom-jetted, and the blower makes boost on it's own right off-idle and the power level is determined by boost, which is determined by pulley size." "A Turbo uses exhaust gases recycled to make boost." "That's why they generally don't have low-end power like a blower,usually don't "hit" until 3,000 rpm or higher, and the exhaust heat being forced into the intake superheats the fuel charge-that's why they need intercoolers and electronic fuel management." Like talking to the wall. "I'll find someone who knows Diesel Turbos and adapt one of those." Hello? Diesels have direct fuel injection and electronic management, and intercoolers, and don't have freaking carburators!!!!  Here's your sign. Angry Man # 2. Wanted to wanted to put a Boss 429 into a Fox Mustang. My first question was-Do you have a Boss Nine engine? "No." "Do you realize that Jon Kaase Racing and Ford SVT sell them-for $20,000 plus, just for the engine?" "Then you'd have to do a ton of custom fabrication work to install it." "I know guys that run in the 11s with 302 V8s or 302-based 347 strokers." "I know guys that run 10s with Superharged 302s and 347s." "Do you really need to go faster than that?"  "What about a regular 429 or 460?" he asked. "That's do-able." I said-"Hooker and Ford SVT offer motor mounts and headers to do this-" But it's a lot of work and fabricarion-and honestly-unless you spent 20 grand for a 600+hp 514 stroker-a 460 is not going to run any faster than a blown 302, and is going to handle and brake like shit because it's so nose-heavy." "If you've got the bankroll and want a Boss-Nine Mustang, I'd buy a '69 or '70 Mustang fastback, get a Kaase Racing crate motor and build a Boss 429 clone." "It will probalby cost you 50K to build, but that's better than the $250,000 plus people want for "Real" Boss Nines." "What about putting one in a '90's T-Bird?"  "That's not any easier or cheaper than a Fox Mustang-it's probably harder and more expensive!!!  His response-I'm just a naysayer that's negative on everything."  Only on unfeasible projects that are way above people's bank accounts and mechanical abilities!!  Excuse me for trying to be the voice of reason and sanity. Like I said before-anything is possible-including manned space flight but's it not easy or cost-effective!!  Mastermind              

The Path of Most Resistance....

Football coaches and architects, construction workers and military strategists talk about taking "The Path of least resistance." In other words, the easiest way to do something. Sometimes I think car guys are the opposite-they want something to be hard-like it's somehow better if it was difficult to do. Here's a few examples of this type that left me scratching my head. Genius #1. Had a 1979 Pontiac Trans-Am with the 403 Olds / TH350 powertrain. He asked me what would be the best way to convert it to a 4-speed stick. I said sell the car and use the money to buy a disco era T/A or Formula Firebird that had the 400 Pontiac / 4-speed powertrain from the factory. "No,Really?" he asked. "No, Really." I replied. "1st off-converting a car from automatic to stick is a big pain in the ass." "You'll have to buy the pedals and clutch linkage,the disc,pressure plate and throw-out bearing, a stick flywheel, the bellhousing,and the shift linkage." "And that's if your doing an apples to apples conversion like a small-block Chevy." "The 403 Olds was never offered with a manual trans in any GM body." "So no one like Scheifer or Hays makes a flywheel for them." "A 350 Olds Flywheel may interchange-I'll have to do some research." "But even if a 350 Olds flywheel will work-Olds didn't offer a stick in a 350 V8 Cutlass or Omega or anything else after 1974." "So the chance of you finding a usable 41 year old flywheel in a junkyard or at a swap meet is almost nil" "You have a better chance of being struck by lightning on the golf course." "403 Firebirds can be made to really run-the main thing would be swap the 2.56:1 rear end gears for some 3.23:1s or 3.42:1s, and add headers and dual exhausts and maybe an Edelbrock Performer intake." "Those easy mods would give those smug 400 Pontiac owners a surprise they'd never forget." "I know because I had one back in the '80's. " "But if you "Gotta Have" a 4-speed T/A-honestly-the best way is sell your car and buy one." He wouldn't give up. "There's got to be a way." he said. "I just told you the way and how hard it would be." "Yeah it's possible-we know manned space flight is possible-but it's not exactly easy or cost-effective is it?"  Genius # 2. Was considering buying his neighbors '89 Mustang that the neighbor had since new and had kept garaged, put very few miles on, etc. Yeah it was a diamond. But it was a 4-cylinder model. He wanted to know how much trouble it would be to put a V8 in it. "More trouble than it's worth." I said. "Plus '87-93 "5.0" models are the proverbial dime a dozen." "I've seen rough, but running examples as low as $800 and anything over two grand is usually pretty decent." "Anything over 3 or 4 grand is usually really nice". "If you can't find a good deal on an 80's or 90's "5.0" Mustang then you aren't looking past the end of your nose." I might as well have been talking to the wall. "But what would it entail?" "More trouble than it's worth, like I said."  "You'd have to find a 302 V8 complete out of a '79-93 Mustang, and get the wiring harness, you'd need the bellhousing and the transmission-the 4-banger tranny won't hold up behind a V8." "If you didn't get a complete assembly out of a Fox Mustang-your really in trouble. "You'd need a different starter, alternator, fuel pump, water pump, power steering pump,all the brackets and pulleys, a different oil pan, and  all the tin." "By the time you were done-you'll have spent enough money-where you could have just bought a decent "5.0" from an individual or off a used car lot."  "And that's not including what your paying for the 4-banger model." He would not give up. "Ford made a Turbo 4-cylinder model in the '80s, right?" "How about putting a Turbo on it?"  Ugh. "Same deal." "Nothing interchanges." "Just look for an '84-'86 SVO in the want ads and buy that." "But there's not many of them-they didn't sell when they were new because the V8 models were both faster and several thousand dollars cheaper."  "You want a 5.0 liter Mustang go buy one for God's sake!!". "But trying to convert a 4-banger is a nightmare and that's if your a Master Ford Technichian." "Your not."  Genius # 3. Wanted to put a 572 GMPP Rat motor in his '85 IROC-Z Camaro. Do-able-Hooker offers motor mounts and headers to put Big-Block Chevys in '82-92 F-Bodies. I told him he'd have to invest in a TH400 conversion kit and get a custom driveshaft and a 9 inch rear end from Currie enterprises. He asked-dead serious-why couldn't he just use the T5 5-speed stick and the rear end that was in the car?  "Because" I said-"1st off-the bellhousing won't even bolt up to a Rat motor, and the T5 was only offered with 305s because it only has a 300 lb ft torque rating." "Thats why L98 350 IROC's and T/A's were all automatics-GM didn't think it would hold up to the 350's 340 lbs ft of torque." "If it won't hold up to 240 hp and 340 lbs of torque from a low-compression 350, how is it going to live behind 620 hp and 650 lbs of torque a 572 inch Rat makes?" "A TH400 is the easiest,cheapest and best way to go." "If you "gotta have" a stick-then you need to find an old-school '70s Camaro / Chevelle bellhousing, modify the floor pan for clearance, then find an M21 or M22 Muncie 4-speed or you need to invest in a Tremec or Richmond 5 or 6-speed and a custom driveshaft." "The 7.5 inch ring gear rear end in those cars break behind 305s." "How are they going to stand up to a 572?"  Then he says-"What if I didn't get on it too hard?"  AAAUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!  "Let me get this straight-your going to spend $15,000 on a 600 hp engine, and then not get on it hard enough to break the drivetrain of a 30 year old 190 hp Camaro?"  "What would be the purpose in that?"  I hate to be such a know-it-all bastard all the time-but guys-when a pro with 35+ years of experience tells you soemthing isn't feasible or cost-effective, do you think maybe you should listen?  Mastermind                

I guess Sports-Car guys really are smarter....

I've said it until I'm blue in the face and I've written to every Buff Magazine editor I can think of and implored them to stop glorifying the idiots who butcher rare, classic Iron with modern Fuel-Injected engines. What kills me is it's never a beater '72 Malibu or a '75 Firebird-it's always a for-real numbers-matching '68 4-speed SS396 Chevelle or a 1970 Judge that some asshole has stuffed an LS motor and a 4L80E in!! Some bonehead had done this to a Split-Window 1963 Stingray!!  The reason I think Sports-car guys are smarter-is you NEVER see a 1965 Jaguar XKE with a supercharged 5.0 liter V8 out of a 2009 XKR. You NEVER see a 1969 Porsche 911S with the engine and tranny out of a 2013 Cayman!  You don't see restored Datsun 240Z's with the engine and tranny out of a 2012 370Z.  You might see some upgrades-wider wheels with modern ZR rated tires, Koni Shocks,Weber Carbs, performance exhaust systems-but their period correct for the cars. Motorcycle enthusiasts are the same. You never see a 1965 Harley Sportster with a 2010 Buell fuelie motor and six-speed tranny. You never see a 1969 Honda CB750 with the engine and tranny out of a 1990 Hurricane. You never see a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 with a 2012 Ninja powertrain. You buy something old because it's different from what's new. You wouldn't buy a WWII vintage .45 and put laser sights on it would you?  Any how-apparently sports car guys are smarter because they don't desecrate vintage iron. Mastermind  

You got beat by a "slower" car? Here's why and how to fix it.....

Talked to some people the other day at a Mustang club "Show&Shine".  A few of them were griping how they'd lost "Stoplight" Gran Prix's to cars that magazine road tests said were substantially slower. Listening to some of these cars run when they started them, I wasn't surprised. I hear this complaint all the time at "Show&Shine's" and it doesn't matter if the club is GM, Ford, Mopar or AMC.  Here's the problem's that cause this and how to fix it.  # 1. A major engine problem. Do a simple compression test. Even an 8:1 "smog" motor will have 120 psi of compression; higher compression engines will have 150 or 175 or more. The main thing is all 8 cylinders should be close-within 5-10 psi of each other. If one or more cylinders only has 80 or 90 psi of compression-you've got a major problem-bad rings, a blown head gasket, or burned valves. This is more common than you think-I see dozens of Musclecars limping around on 6 or 7 cylinders. # 2. No high rpm power. I'm not talking 7,000 or 8,000 rpm-many cars don't have the bottom end or valvetrain for that. But a 318 Dodge with a 2bbl and 100,000 miles on it will rev to 5,000 rpm or so. If your car starts popping or missing above 3,000 rpm or won't rev past 4,000 or 4,500 you could have a flat cam, weak valve springs, or major timing chain slop. You'd be amazed at the number of musclecars running around with $5,000 paint jobs and $2,000 worth of tires and wheels that can't pull 5,000 rpm in low gear. #3. Bad Ignition setup / tuning. Even on a bone-stock engine bad tuning can cost you as much as 50 hp. I see it all the time-the vacuum advance is unplugged or inoperable, the points are closing up,the timing is way too advanced or way too slow, plug wires are arcing, etc.  Again-guys will tell you about their $5,000 paint job-but they can't remember the last time they changed the plugs and wires, or the cap ,rotor and points!!  #4. Bad Carburators / tuning. I see this all the time. The carb is jetted way too rich or way too lean, the float is sinking, the throttle shafts are warped, the throttle linkage sticks or doesn't open all the way. Think about it-do you really expect a 45 or 50 year old carb to be working flawlessly? The solution is simple-get a new carb. Even some Concours show organizations have changed their rules to allow the carb to be the "Original Type"-i.e.-your 1970 Z/28 is ok if it has a 3310 Holley on it-but it doesn't have to have 1970 date codes. Your '68 440 Charger is ok with an Edelbrock AVS on it-it doesn't have to be a 1968 Carter. The other thing is a lot of these cars are trailer queens / garage jewelry. Their only driven on and off the trailer or for a few weeks a year in the summer for Hot August Nights or the Hot Rod Power tour or whatever. The owners are so damned afraid of blowing it up that the car never sees the high side of 3,000 rpm. Then, the second it fouls a spark plug-they start screwing around with the carburator(s). Pretty soon it won't even start. Have a professional jet the carb(s) for you and then leave them alone!!  If the car is going to sit for extended periods and your going to drive it like grandma on Prozac then go a range or two hotter on the plugs. Then if you decide to take a trip or go to the drags changing to the recommended heat range is pretty easy. And like the GTO song-once in a while you have to "Turn it on,wind it up, blow it out! ". Nobody's saying you have run your Hemi to 7 grand and risk blowing it up; but a run through the gears to even 4,500 rpm or so once a month or a good old-fashioned full-throttle run down the freeway once in a while goes a long way to keeping carbon buildup and sludge out of the fuel system. # 5. Bad transmissions / tuning. I see tons of musclecars running around 2 qts low on transmission fluid, with slipping converters,vacuum modulators un-hooked, sticking governors etc. If you have an automatic trans-change the fluid every couple years even if you don't drive it 5,000 miles a year. Make sure the vacuum modulator is working and that your kickdown linkage is hooked up and working properly. Make sure the cooler isn't plugged up and put a B&M or TransGo shift kit in it. It makes a huge difference. The same goes for sticks-the clutch is slipping or not engaging properly, the shift linkage hangs up or get's caught between gears-these are relatively easy fixes-a new clutch setup or a new Hurst shifter is not that hard to do. # 6. Bad exhaust. Again-you'd be amazed at the number of cars I see with $5,000 paint jobs-that sound like an old school bus. The exhaust system is rusted out or crushed and has multiple leaks-which hurts performance. The worst offenders are the guys who will spend $1,000 bucks on a Flowmaster or Dynomax dual setup and mufflers-but the headers / exhaust manifolds have huge leaks under the hood!! Changing the exhaust manifold / header gaskets and tightening the bolts once in a while goes a long way to keeping the system leak-free-which keeps you from losing large amounts of power. Anyhow-these simple tips will keep your car running like it should and not embarrass you next time you decide to smite some kid in an import or a soccer mom in a V8 Cherokee!!  Mastermind            

Why NASCAR sucks now.....And the way to fix it.........

The letters stand for National Association of Stock Car racing. Now there's people who like Robert Duvall's Harry Hogge character in "Days of Thunder" will argue-that since the '50's-"There's nothing stock about a stock car." Their half-right. Yes-NASCAR racers have always had roll cages and beefed up suspensions and hopped up engines. But the fact remains-that the motto-"Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" came from NASCAR success. Pontiac surged from sixth to third in U.S car sales in the late fifties and early sixties for two reasons. One-the new president of Pontiac-Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen-had a motto-"You can sell a young man's car to an old man, but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man."  Two-Smokey Yunick and Fireball Roberts were the scourge of NASCAR in their Fire-Breathing Pontiacs. Roberts won a record 22 races in the 1961-62 season-a record that stood until Richard Petty won 27 in 1967-68. People wanted to buy cars they saw their heroes driving. And many of our great performance cars came about only because the manufacturers wanted to homogolate them for racing-be it NASCAR, Trans-Am or NHRA drag racing. If it weren't for that there'd have been no Hemi Mopars, no Boss 302 or 429 Mustangs, no Z/28 Camaros-no Big-Block Chevys, no Ram Air IV Pontiacs-the list goes on and on. The bottom line is-yes-Grand National cars were Race cars, not street cars-but you could go to your local dealer and buy a Pontiac Catalina with a 421, a Ford Galaxie with a 406, a Plymouth Belvedere with a 413, and a Chevy Impala with a 409. Later in the '60's you could go to your local dealer and buy a 426 Hemi Charger. You could buy a Torino with a 429, a Chevelle with a 396 or 427. You could buy a Z/28 Camaro or Boss 302 Mustang just like Mark Donohue and Parnelli Jones drove. In the 1970's- even after the Hemis and big-blocks were outlawed you could buy the same cars your heroes drove at Daytona and Talledega-Richard Petty ran a 1974 Charger with great success until 1979. You could buy a Chevelle or Monte Carlo with a 350 V8, just like Cale Yarborough drove. You could buy a Mercury Montego or Cougar with a 351C just like David Pearson drove for the Wood brothers. You could buy an AMC Matador with a 360 V8. When Petty's Juggernaut Charger was outlawed for 1980-NASCAR rules said cars couldn't be more than 5 years old-he switched to a '77 Olds Cutlass-whose fastback roofline and slope nose was more aerodynamic than the flat nose Malibus and notchback Monte Carlos the other GM teams were running-and he kicked ass. The other teams protested because Team Petty was running the ubiquitous small-block Chevy race engine. They argued that he should have to run a 350 Olds engine-which would have been un-competitive. Petty successfully argued that GM was playing musical engines with their production cars-that you could buy off a dealer's lot-a Pontiac Firebird with a 350 Chevy or a 403 Olds engine,an Olds Cutlass with a 305 Chevy V8, a Buick Regal with a 301 Pontiac, and a Chevy Monte Carlo with a Buick V6. NASCAR ruled correctly-that since GM was selling cars to the public that way-race teams could run any GM engine in any GM body. Several teams switched to Cutlasses to keep up with Petty. Even in the 1980s-you could buy a Monte Carlo SS with a V8 just like Dale Earnhardt drove. You could buy a Thunderbird with a V8 just like Bill Elliott won the championship in.  Things went to hell in 1989 when GM discontinued the rear-drive "G" bodies-i.e.-Olds Cutlass, Buick Regal, Chevy Monte Carlo,Pontiac Gran Prix. Now GM still built Camaros and Firebirds which were rear-drive through 2002. Why NASCAR GM teams didn't run Camaros and Firebirds-I have no Idea. Instead the rules were changed and they started running Luminas and Berettas and stuff. Plastic bodies of Front-drive compacts on a tube chassis. Instead of running Mustangs and T-Birds-Ford started running Taurus bodies. Chrysler-who had no rear-drive cars at all started running Dodge Intrepids. So from the early 90's on you've had a '90's front-drive econobox body on a race car chassis that's running 1965 technology. Carburators? Flat-tappet cams? Pushrod engines??? When Toyota wanted to play-instead allowing them to run the I-Force V8 in a Lexus body-NASCAR forced Toyota to basically build their own small-block Chevy replica and run it in a Camry body. The Ford V8s in the Fusions are not 5.4 OHC Mod Motors or 5.0 Coyotes like you get in a Mustang or an F150. Their "Clevors"-again 1969 technology-351W blocks with big-port Cleveland heads. The Chryslers aren't modern 5.7 or 6.1 or 6.4 Hemis-there old-school 360s-a 1967 design. The Chevys aren't LS Motors like you get in a Camaro or a truck-their old-school 350s-just like they were running 40 years ago in 1975. The "Fuel Injection" that was finally allowed in 2014 isn't direct fuel injection like all cars have-it's a 4-barrel throttle body on a Edelbrock Victor Jr manifold-a glorified carburator. NASCAR needs to change the rules-cars need to be based on production models. GM guys could run LS engined Camaros, Ford guys Coyote Mustangs, Dodge Guys could run Hemi Challengers and Chargers, and Toyota could run a Lexus body. Nissan could play with a Infiniti body and the big V8 from the Titan Trucks. People would indentify with the brands and be excited again. Now you've got a bunch of cookie-cutter cars-( they all look like a Camry ) buzzing around with 1960's technology under their phony skins. Ho-Hum. If teams had to run what was in production that would energize things. Maybe if enough people write NASCAR they'll listen.....Mastermind        

What if all the manufacturers hadn't just gave up on performance in 1973-74?...

I mentioned in the last post how the Pontiac Trans-Am became the best-selling car of the late '70s-partly because it was a great car and partly because it was the only game in town. We owe Pontiac-a great debt-if it weren't for the T/A's phenomenal popularity-we wouldn't have had 5.0 Mustangs and Buick Grand Nationals in the '80's or Impala SS's and Ford Lightnings in the '90's. And we wouldn't have 400 hp Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers now. That aside-the other automakers screwed up big time.  Here's some examples. # 1. Olds 442. The Cutlass was the best selling American car in the '70's. However-after 1972 the "W30" 455 was dropped, and the "442" became an "Apperance and Handling package." In other words-you could buy a Cutlass with badass graphics and big tires-that had a 350 2 bbl V8 that wheezed out 150 hp. The sad thing is-the "W30" 455 which could compete with the LS6 454 and Pontiac 455HO could have continued unchanged through 1974 and with minor changes-like Pontiac did with the L78 400-could have rocked on until 1979. Think a 455, 4-speed or TH400 backed 442 would have sold? Is a pig made out of pork?  # 2. Big block Challenger / 'Cudas. For some insane reason, after '71 the biggest engine you could get in a "Cuda or Challenger was a 340 or 360. Since GM kept the F-bodies the same from 70-81-Chrysler could have done the same with the E-bodies if they didn't drop them in '74. And the 400 and 440s were EPA certified in the big cars until '78. Think a 440, 4-speed Challenger could have competed with a Trans-Am?  Yeah!!!!   # 3. Javelin AMX. Same thing-they quit production in 1974. They could have continued on until 1979 easily. The 360 and 401 engines were EPA certified in Jeep Waggoneers and AMC Ambassadors. A 401 Javelin could have competed with a T/A.  # 4. Ford Mustang. Instead of going to the Pinto based Mustang II in 1974-Ford could have kept the '71-73 bodystyle that could accomodate a 429 / 460-and the 460 was certified in T-Birds and Lincolns until '78. Think a 460 Mustang could compete with a 400 or 455 T/A?  Duh!!!!   But everyone just gave in to the bean counters. Thank god Pontiac didn't. Otherwise-like I said-we wouldn't have the great performance cars that we do now.  All Hail Herb Adams and Dennis Mecham and everyone else that promoted T/A's in the '70's. Mastermind    

Some badass cars that never made production.....Damn!!..They'd have been awesome....

For some reason-every manufacturer has had some ultra-badass cars that would have been easy to produce and would have sold like hot cakes, yet they were killed before they were born. Here's a bunch we all wish were built. # 1. 1970 LS6 454 Nova SS. Originally the LS6 454 was slated to be optional in the Nova SS and the Camaro SS as well as the Chevelle line. In fact-the intake manifold loses 10-15 hp over the 1969 427 4bbl intake because it's so flat-designed that way to clear the low hoodline of the new Camaro. Since the 396 was already an option in both cars, it would have been a bolt-in swap. However-a Nova weighs about 800 lbs less than a Chevelle and about 400 lbs less than a Camaro-if the buff mags thought the LS6 Chevelle was badass-an LS6 Nova would have been like "Leroy Brown"-"Badder than King Kong and meaner than a Junkyard Dog."  For whatever reason-the brass killed it and the LS6 was only offered in the Chevelle line that year.  # 2. 1971 Boss 429 Mustang. The larger '71 Mustang was designed with the 429 CJ as an option, so it's huge engine bay could have easily accepted a "Boss 429". And unlike the -'69 and '70 models which started life as 428 models and were converted at Kar Kraft-( Ford lost money on every one ) the '71s could have been built on Ford's assembly line. For whatever reason, Ford decided not to offer the Boss 429 at the last minute. # 3. 1971 Plymouth Superbird / Dodge Charger Daytona. Chrysler considered putting the slope-nose and big wing on the new for '71 models, and then changed their mind at the last minute. Too bad. They'd have been cool.  # 4. 1971-73 429 / 460 Mercury Cougar. Since Pontiac offered a 455 in the best-selling Gran Prix and Chevrolet offered a 454 in it's Monte Carlo cousin some Ford engineers thought the Cougar should have a big block as well. The bean counters decided that the G/P and the Monte were competitors of the T-Bird, not the Cougar. Hello? The T-Bird was based on the much heavier Lincoln MKIV platform. In drag race-the 455 and 454 "A" body ( Chevelle / LeMans chassis ) GM offerings would blow the doors off a 429 / 460 T-Bird. My cousin had an early '70's GP with a 455. It had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. She showed her taillights to quite a few evil-looking Camaro and Mustangs.  A 429 Cougar would have been competitive. Alas-a 351C was the biggest engine you could get in a Cougar. # 5. 1974 Pontiac GTO. Initially-Pontiac was going to keep the GTO nameplate on the LeMans platform and offer the SD-455-that had only been available in the Trans-Am / Formula Firebirds in '73. That might have given sales a shot in the arm. When it was decided to move it to the "X" body ( read Nova / Ventura / Omega ) platform, the engineers got the bright idea of returning to it's 1964 roots that made it wildly successful-stuff a "Big Car" V8 into a light compact. They thought about dropping in a 400 and reviving the "Judge" moniker. Since the 350 was already an option in the Ventura and Pontiac engines are externally identical it would have easy. And a Ventura weighs about 500 lbs less than a Firebird. A 400 Ventura / GTO would have been a rocket-even quicker than the vaunted SD-455 Trans-Am. Since the T/A was now the flasgship and cash cow, the brass couldn't allow that. So the down-sized Goat got a 7.6:1 compression 350 that wheezed out 200 hp. And they wondered why they didn't sell?  # 6. 1977 AMC AMX. I know there was an AMX option in '77-78, but let me finish. After 1974-there was no more 'Cuda / Challengers, no more Road Runners, the Charger was a re-badged Chrysler Cordoba ( yuk! ) the Mustang was more Pinto / Capri than Mustang, the Javelin was no more, no more SS Chevelles, and the Z/28 was gone, and the biggest engine you could get in a Corvette was a 350, and you couldn't even get a 4-speed in California!. Gee-wonder why 400 and 455 Pontiac Trans-Ams were selling in record numbers, even before "Smokey and the Bandit" came out?  Musclecar buyers didn't go away after 1974-the manufacturers stopped making cars they wanted to buy!! After T/A sales doubled or tripled every year from '73-76 ( "Smokey and the Bandit" wasn't released until May 1977 )  Everyone realized their collossal goof and began trying to find a Trans-Am fighter. Chevrolet hastily re-introduced the Z/28 Camaro for '77 with very T/A like spoilers and graphics. AMC engineers developed a performance package for the compact Hornet. It had a great handling suspension and since-like Pontiacs-AMC engines are externally identical-a 304 V8 was an option in the Hornet line-they got the bright idea to swap in a 401 out the big car / Jeep line. That would have been a bolt-in swap. Since a Hornet only weighs about 2,900 lbs-and a '77 T/A weighs about 3,800-a 401 Hornet AMX would have smoked a 400 Trans-Am in a drag race or the twisties. They might not have been sexy but-like the '68 Road Runner-they'd have been a stripped-down, badass street fighter. In spite of irrefutable proof that performance buyers were still out there-Pontiac sold 50,000 T/As in 1976 alone, and another 68,000 in '77, and the revived Z/28 was selling-'77 and '78 were record sales years for the Camaro and Corvette-the AMC brass decided that performance didn't matter only cosmetics-so they ok'd the suspension and graphics package but nixed the engine swap. The only engines available in the Hornet AMX were a 258 inch six and a 304 V8 with a 2bbl that wheezed out 120 hp, and there was no manual transmission option. Decisions like this are why AMC went under.  # 7. 1990 Buick Reatta. That's not a Typo. Buick engineers wanted to make the racy Reatta 2-seater rear-wheel drive and drop in the badass Turbo V6 out of the now-defunct Grand National. ( Since the engine was offered in the '89 20th Anniversary T/A, they were still building them. )  Chevrolet brass had an absolute meltdown-as a GN-engined Reatta would have blown the doors off an L98 Corvette in performance and sales both. GM brass nixed it-and the Reatta was made front-drive with a normally aspirated V6 that wheezed out 120 hp. And they wondered why they didn't sell?  What might have been....Mastermind                

Ask for professional advice....And then don't take it...stick to your fantasy....

Had a guy mention an old Hot Rod article about a couple guys that ran a 440 powered '68 Charger in the Silver State classic and went like 185 mph. ( They were shooting for 200 mph ). He asked if I thought they could break 200 if they'd had a Hemi. I said no-the 440 they had was putting out like 600 hp-they didn't need more power-they needed a lighter and more aerodynamic car than a heavy, boxy '68 Charger. He asked what combination I would run if I wanted to try to go 200 in the Silver State classic or at Bonneville. I said I would use a 1982-90 Pontiac Trans-Am with a 454 Chevy for power as this would be the easiest and most econmical way to do it. Then he asks why not a '70's T/A with a 455 Pontiac. Here's why-# 1. Aerodynamics is just as much a factor in high-speed runs as power. A more aerodynamic car can go faster with less power because it slices through the wind easier. Why do you think a '79 Trans-Am can go 132 mph while a 454 powered GMC Stepside '78 1/2 ton pick-up can only go 118-even though they both weigh about 3,800 lbs and the truck had 20 more hp ( 240 vs 220 ) and catalyst-free exhaust?  Because the Firebird slices through the wind easier than the boxy truck. Very simple. Anyhow-I said-a '70's T/A has a drag coefficient of .048. The '82-90 model has a drag coefficient of .032-or .028 with the "Aero" package. That's about as low as your going to get with a production car. Even if they had the same amount of power-the '80's model would go way faster because of the aerodynamics. Secondly, the '70's T/A weighed about 3,800 lbs. The '80's model weighed about 3,200.  So with the aerodynamics and the weight advantage-the '80's model would go much faster with the same amount of power.  # 2. Bang for the buck. Like it or not nothing makes more power for less money than a big-block Chevy. Yes a Chrysler Hemi or Boss Nine Ford can make as much or more power-but at double or triple the cost. For example the GMPP 454 HO makes 440 hp and 500 lbs of torque for $5995.  The 465 hp 426 Hemi that Mopar Performance sells retails for $14,995. The 472 and 510 Hemis are way more expensive than the 502 or 572 GMPP Rat Motors. As for the guys question about a 455 Pontiac-yes Butler performance and other companies offer 600 hp Pontiac motors-at a cost of $15,000 or more. Then he asks if a Fox-bodied Mustang could do 200 with a 347 stroker?  Really?  I just said you'd have a hard time doing it with a slippery T/A with a pumped to the gills 454 Chevy. Why would you think a "barn door" Mustang could do it with a 347 small-block??  Really?? Mastermind