The Mecham Macho Machines

Since I've mentioned them in a few posts, people have me to talk about the Macho T/A. Here's the story. In 1976, a guy named Dennis Mecham had a 1975 Pontiac Trans-Am that he had mildly hot-rodded. Everyone who drove or rode in his car raved about how cool it was, and said the factory should make them that way. His father owned Mecham Pontiac in Arizona and his brother Kyle was a mechanic at the dealership. Just for kicks, they tricked out a new T/A similar to the way Dennis had done his, and put it on the showroom floor. It sold for full sticker, plus the upgrades in one day. They did another, and it sold in one day. By the end of the model year, they had 27 or 28 of them rumbling around the Phoenix area. This encouraged them to try to go nationwide. They formed DKM Inc.-( for Dennis and Kyle Mecham) in 1977 and started promoting the cars to magazines like Car and Driver, Hot Rod, Car Craft, etc. "Macho" was a popular term back then-The Village People's first big hit was "Macho Man." Thus a Trans-Am on steroids was a "Macho T/A."  They started by opening up the shaker hood scoop and rejetting the carb, as well as re-curving the HEI distributor. Hooker Headers were added, as well as a real dual exhaust system that consisted of two catylitic converters, 2 1/4  inch pipes and two resonators, but no mufflers. Needless to say they sounded wicked. DKM claimed these mods added 50-70 hp. The Macho package also included special graphics either with or without the big hood bird, and the suspension was lowered slightly, and Koni shocks installed. Four-speeds got the stock shifter upgraded to a Hurst Competition Plus unit, and automatics got a TransGo shift kit. You could also upgrade the transmission to a Doug Nash 5-speed manual. Stiffer rearend gears could be ordered, and you had your choice of the factory Snowflake wheels or Center Lines, American Racing or Compomotive wheels. A Hooker chrome rollbar was installed, and Recaro or Scheel seats could be ordered. The magazines loved them. In 1978 Hot Rod tested a stock WS6 T/A against a Macho at the dragstrip. The stocker ran a 15.20 et. Not bad for the late '70s when performance was at an all time low for everyone. The Macho ripped off a blistering 14.29 second blast, nearly a full second quicker, and within one-tenth of the 14.17 e.t. recorded by Car and Driver's Ram Air III 1970 T/A test car. Pretty impressive. All the buff magazines raved about them. They couldn't build them fast enough to meet demand. They built about 200 in 1977, another 300 in 1978 and about 300 in 1979. In 1979 the automatic cars all had 403 Olds engines, and the modifications gave very good, if not spectacular results, like the four-speed Pontiac engined models. They started doing Z/28 Camaros in a similar fashion and calling them The "Macho Z". They even did a few Corvettes and called them the "L82S".  Then the party was over. Because the Machos were modified, GM wouldn't give an MSO-Manufacturers Statement of Originality. This caused several states to not allow their dealers to sell them. The Mecham brothers skirted this in every state but Colorado, by saying that they bought the cars from Mecham Pontiac, tricked them out and re-sold them, to other dealers as used cars, who re-sold them to the public as used cars. California and several other states wanted to outlaw them. Then Pontiac announced that the 400 big-blocks would not be available after 1979. The 1980 models had the ill-fated 301 Turbo, and in California and High Altitude areas a 305 Chevy that wheezed out 145 hp. The 301 Turbos could not be modified with much success because of the then-fledgling electronically managed distributors and carburators. The Mechams were Mormon, and Kyle Mecham had to go on his Mormon mission for two years, which just about killed DKM. Denniss was the salesman and promoter that got the magazines and everyone hyped up, and designed the graphics and modification packages, but Kyle was the guy who ran the shop that actually did the work. Very few 1980 Machos exist, and the last time I corresponded with Dennis Mecham, he said there were no 1981 models.  In 1982 GM changed the bodystyle. In 1983-84, the brothers tried again with the "MSE" Trans-Am-which stood for "Mecham Special Editon." However, this was basically just an appearance package, as the only engine available was still a 305 Chevy that put out about 165 hp. Or 190 hp in "High Output" trim. Again, those horrible mid-80's electronic quadrajets and distributors prevented them from extracting any real power. Remember
"Carburator Dwell" and "Transmission Controlled Spark".?  Anyhow, that was the story of the short, but glorious life of the "Macho T/A."  If your restoring one, or just want to paint yours like one, Dennis Mecham has liscenced Phoenix Graphics to sell the stencils and stripe kits. They were and still are cool, because as Dennis said in 1978- "Their great because you can live with a Macho every day." "They look tough, their fast enough to back up the image, the engine idles smoothly, the seats are comfortable, and the suspension won't rattle your fillings loose."  Sounds like a good musclecar to me. Mastermind    

No you didn't- Part Two!!

I took a bit of heat for my last post from people demanding that I apologize for calling them Idiots. I will not apologize and they are still idiots, and their angry emails proved it. Here's a few examples-"I had a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 and a four-speed, Magnum 500 wheels and the rear window louvers." "A friend had one with an automatic." "You don't know what the hell your talking about." Really? I said I was tired of people claiming they once owned a Boss 302. Ford produced over 70,000 fastback Mustangs in 1969, and the standard engine in a Mach 1 was a 351W. Like I said, stupid-you did NOT own a Boss 302!!!  Moron # 2 ranted- "I have a 1969 427 Corvette and dozens of other guys in my local Corvette club have Stingrays from all years." "Your dumb ass." I'm a dumb ass?  Pray tell how many of the "dozens" in your little Vette club have Split window fuel-injected 1963 models? When I asked this question of this genius-he responded "I have never seen a Corvette of any year with a split window, and everyone knows that 1982 was the first year fuel-injection was offered."  When I responded that the first fuel-injected Corvette was built in 1957, and that the Beach Boys hit "Shut Down" released in 1964, talked about a drag race between a fuelie Vette- and a Super Stock Dodge. "Two cool shorts, standing side by side." "A fuel-injected Stingray and a 413"..... He responded to that with "I never heard that song." And by the way, his car is a 390 hp base-model, not a 435 hp Tri-power or an L88. The crown jewel was the retard that told me he went to his local Pontiac dealer in 1977 and bought a Firebird Formula with a 400 and a 4-speed, T-tops, and black and gold two tone paint and snowflake wheels right off the showroom floor. That's nice. When Pontiac introduced the new graphics package in 1976, Formula sales increased by 33%.  But a Formula isn't a "Macho T/A" is it?  Here's some advice for people perusing this site. When something early in a post rubs you the wrong way, stop reading and immediately vent your anger. Use profanity so I know you mean business, and are really intelligent. If I respond with proof that you are wrong- like citing a sentence or paragraph you failed to read, or producing factory sales figures or service bulletins, you are under no obligation to apologize. This is they internet. You can spew insults at any one, and slink away until the next time you want to rant and rave and call people names without having all the facts. I stand ready to apologize for anything I say that can be proven wrong with documentation other than "My cousin Jethro had one just like that."  Mastermind      

No you didn't!!!

I have owned many rare cars, and i know people who own ultra-rare cares, and we get sick of Idiots swearing that they or a friend or relative of theirs "Had one just like that." I have a 1973 Hurst / Olds. One of 1,097 ever built. I have talked to at least 500 people who swear they "had one just like that."  It's not possible. These morons may at one time have owned a two-door 1973 Cutlass, but I guarantee they did not have a Hurst/Olds with the L77 455, swivel captain's chairs, Hurst Dual/Gate shifter, digital tach, Hurst Super Air shocks, etc.  Ditto for some of my friends. One guy I know has a 1970 429 SCJ Torino Cobra. It has the blacked out "Shaker" hood, the rear window louvers, everything. Hundrerds of people tell him they had one "just like it."  No, you had a 1970-71 Torino or Fairlane coupe with a 351. I would bet my house, that none of these jerks had a 429 SCJ Torino Cobra!! My two personal favorites are the numerous morons that looked at a friends 1969 Boss 302 and made that claim. Ford built 1603 Boss 302's that year. How is it then, that every Tom, Dick , or Harry, that wanders into a car show had one? A fastback 69-70 Mustang, ok. But a Boss 302?  I think not. The other one is a buddy's 1978 "Macho T/A." These cars got a lot of press back in the day from the buff magazines, but Dennis and Kyle Mecham only produced about 300 of these cars per year from 1977-79. They have a "Cult' following to this day-there are even websites devoted to them. Since Pontiac sold about 280,000 T/A's in those 3 years, there's a fair chance that this yahoo might have owned a T/A of that vintage, but I seriously-like 99.99 percent seriously-doubt that these car show lookee-loos actually had one of the 8-900 of these cars ever built!!  I think their jealous and are trying to "show" the cars owner- "Hey buddy-you don't have anything special".  Or maybe show their pal or the woman with them, "Hey- I'm just as cool as that guy." "I had a badass car once."  I mean if you said you dated Angelina Jolie before she met Brad Pitt no one would believe you, so you don't say it. And if you had, you'd damn sure produce old pictures or a letter or card she'd written to you to prove it!! Guys don't brag that they had sex with Eva Longoria before she hit it big on "Desperate Housewives" because you sound like an idiot. Yet they think it's perfectly ok to lie about having owned a "Moon Rock" of a car. Why don't you say you walked on the moon before Neil Armstrong while your telling me about the Hemi Cuda convertible you bought for 500 bucks!! Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!!! Just had to vent that. Mastermind

You don't mess around with......a GTO!

My brother and I were cruising in his 69 GTO one night. His car is "Restified" with the Edelbrock Performer RPM package which includes the Ram Air IV spec cam as well as the manifold. The 400 in his car also has ported 6X heads with 1.65 roller rockers, Hooker headers, an MSD electronic ignition, and an A1 prepped Turbo 400 that shifts like a racing trans. It's programmed to shift at 6,500 rpm, but sometimes it shifts between 6800-7100 rpm. On street tires, this results in smoking the tires for about 75-100 feet on the 1-2 shift and about 8-10 feet on the 2-3 shift. The car is usually going about 90 before the speed of the tires matches the road! Needless to say he has given an attitude adjustment to a lot of Corvettes, Buick Gran Nationals, and even the occasional BMW M3. This particular night a Toyota Celica Supra was messing with us. A rice rocket tugging on Superman's cape? This guy had obviously seen the "Fast and Furious" movies too many times. We agreed to go at the next red light. The Toyota jumped us a half a car length out of the hole, and held that lead to the top of ( our ) low gear. In 2nd, we pulled even. As we barked the tires into third, the Supra driver looked surprised that we were still neck and neck. Both cars were going way too fast now, but neither my brother nor the Supra driver would let off. This happened two ore times exactly the same way. The Supra would jump us off the line, we'd pull even in 2nd gear, and then neither car could gain another inch. He flagged us to pull over and we did. He said he'd never seen an american car that fast. He also asked us if we were overheating or running out of nitrous, because he was. We laughed and said, no, our temp guage was 180 degrees like always, and we opened the hood and watched him shake his head in disbelief when he saw we had no nitrous plumbing. He was further crushed when he said his car ran "10 second" quarters ( I told you he saw the movie too many times ) and we laughed, and showed him a 12.47 slip my brother had. A 12 second Supra is impressive, but I love these guys who've never been to the track sprouting the blistering times they THINK their cars run! I think of that Jim Croce hit- "you don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jim." My brother doesn't call his car "Jim", but you get the point. Mastermind    

Kid Rock is an "American Badass!"

I get tired of movie stars and rappers and football players and their Mercedes, Bentleys, Porsches and BMWs. Where's your pride in America, that's the only country in the world that you can ply your trade in and make millions of dollars so you can afford to live like a king? And you show off in foriegn cars? At least Elvis always drove Cadillacs, or Pontiac Gran Prix-based custom Stutz Blackhawks. Frank Sinatra always drove Cadillacs or Lincolns, and had one of the few legendary Ford Ghias built in the early '60's. Joe Namath had a Dodge Charger. Jan Berry, of "Jan and Dean" fame was nearly killed when he wrecked his 427 Corvette. At least Kid Rock stays true to his Detroit roots. He has a Supercharged Hemi Super Bee that is legendary among the Michigan State Police, who don't even try to pull him over anymore. In the video for his latest hit- "Born Free" he rides a Harley and cruises around in a gorgeous customized 1964 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. He's been on the speed channel driving NASCAR racers and Top Fuel dragsters, and testing musclecars on the show "Top Gear."  He's been derided for saying that anyone who drives a hybrid is a dork. Mostly by dorks that drive hybrids-like Leonardo Di Caprio or Alexandra Paul. He goes hunting with Ted Nugent and Hank Williams Jr, and doesn't care what liberal Hollywood thinks of him. He doesn't want to adopt third-world orphans or abolish nuclear weapons, or push his beliefs on anyone else. Your right, Kid, "We never met a mother @#$er like you!"  Wish there were more. I know this is a little off-topic, but If I see another movie star or basketball player on MTV Cribs or in "Rides" magazine with 4 Bentleys or 5 Bimmers, and  drug or rape charges hanging over his head, talking crap about freedom and civil rights, and being a good American, I'm gonna vomit.       

A "Sister" car can be a great deal!

Like I talked about a Cougar being a great, lower priced alternative to a Mustang, GM guys have a lot of choices. For example, if you can't find a good deal on a Chevelle, you might consider a Monte Carlo. They share the same chassis as the A-body Chevelle, so any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades will fit. And, compared to non-SS Chevelles, Monte Carlos from 1970-77 are especially good deals. This bodystyle dominated NASCAR in the '70's. The Montes generally have more cool options like cruise control,factory A/C, and upgraded interiors. Most Monte Carlos have 350 power under the hood, and we all know there is more speed equipment on the market for the small-block Chevy than anything else on the planet. 402 and 454 versions can be bought substantially cheaper than a same-year big-block SS Chevelle. Or you could swap in the Rat Motor of your choice-a GMPP 502 crate motor for example-very easily. Or an even better deal is a Pontiac Gran Prix. Gran Prix's from 1969-76 are awesome buys even if your not a Pontiac collector. 400 4bbl power standard all years, and a fair number of 70-76 "SJ" models had 455s! I've said it before, but my sister had a 1972 SJ in high school. This car had power everything, and it felt like a GTO. If you want a big-block Camaro, it might behoove you to consider a Firebird. 99% of Camaros have 350s under the hood. Rat-motored Camaro SS models were only produced in small numbers from 1967-72, and are thus pricey. By contrast, you could get a 400 in a Firebird Formula or Trans-Am right up until 1979. There are hundreds of thousands of them around. If you can't find a good deal on a 400 Firebird, you aren't looking past the end of your nose. The same applies to early and mid-60's full-size muscle cars.  Most Impalas, Bel-Airs, and Biscaynes built from 1960-68 have either six-cylinder or 283 or 327 small-block motivation. That's why 396,409, and 427 versions bring a King's ransom. However, Pontiac Catalinas, Bonnevilles, and Gran Prix's of this vintage all had the venerable 389 as standard equipment, and a few had 421s or 428s! My mom had a 376 hp Tri-power 421 1965 Catalina 2+2 when I was in high school. I had a GTO Judge. When people challenged me to a race, I used to say- "I don't need the Judge to beat you." "I'll beat you with my mother's car."  Quite a few Camaros, Mustangs, and Chevelles accepted this challenge, and were utterly shocked when this "Big" car blew their doors off. One of the best races I ever had in that car was with a wise-ass from another school who was doing the same thing in his dad's 1967 385 hp 427 Impala SS. It was too close to call, and we were both suprised that neither of us could pull away. If your a Nova fan, and can't find a good deal, I'd check out a Pontiac Ventura. This was Pontiac's version of the Nova from 1971-77.  A lot had six-cylinder Chevy engines in them, and some had small-block Chevys, but the ones to look for are the 350 Pontiac versions. With very little work they can really haul ass, and if you want a Super "Sleeper" a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. 99% of people will think your driving a small-block Nova, and that there going to blow your doors off. Imagine their surprise when all they see is taillights! And, since the Nova / Ventura shares the same basic subframe as the Camaro / Firebird- ( Any factory or aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Camaro will fit these cars ) they aren't just drag racers, they can be made to handle like a BMW.  Something to think about.  Mastermind        

Crazy About the Mercury!

Crazy about the Mercury was a classic '50's rock song. The singer was talking about a '49 Mercury Coupe, but it applies to the musclecar era as well. Like the Chevy Nova, the Comet was sold as an economy car, but since they were light and cheap, they made good drag racers. "Dyno Don" Nicholson campaigned a string of Comet racers in the '60's. Seventies models are basically a re-badged Maverick, but that's not a bad thing. "Dyno Don" campaigned Mavericks and Pintos in Pro Stock in the '70's. 289 / 302 models can be really quick, but if you want to be a real badass, I'd swap in a 302 based 347 stroker, or a 351W-based 392 or 427 stroker. The Cougar is to the Mustang what the Firebird is to the Camaro-the better buy of the two. Cougars built from 1967-73 have racy styling, and usually have more cool options than a same-year Mustang. By cool I mean upgraded interiors, factory air, front disc brakes, and bigger motors. Most non GT or non Mach 1 Mustangs of this period have six-cylinder or 289 / 302 motivation. There were no six-cylinder Cougars made- the 289 /302 was standard equipment. A good number of 67-68 models have 390s under the hood, and are substantially cheaper than a same-year 390 Mustang. A lot of 69-70 models have 351Ws or 351Cs as standard equipment, when again, the standard engine in a Mustang was a 200 six. 1960-70 428 "Eliminator" models can be just as pricey as 428 Mustangs however. Most 1971-73 Cougars have 351C power. However, 351C's share the same bellhousing bolt-pattern as the 429 / 460 family, and that makes swapping in those behemoths easy, and makes a great sleeper. The Cyclone/ Montego is basically a Torino/Fairlane. Again, the Mercs are generally more loaded than the Fords, and are usually cheaper. 428 and 429 versions will be pricey, but you can steal a 351W or 351C version. In 1979, and from 1982-85, ( The V8s took a two-year hiatus in 1980-81 ) You could get a Mercury Capri that was basically a re-badged 5.0 Mustang. Again, for some unexplainable reason, they are cheaper than their Ford Mustang cousins. And any aftermarket engine or chassis or brake upgrades that fit a Fox-bodied Mustang also fit these cars. If your a Ford fan, you may want to consider a Mercury. Mastermind        

Just buy the damnded car you want!

The title to this post seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be amazed at the number of people that buy a small-block Chevelle, with the intent of putting a big-block in it, or a car with an automatic and talk about changing it to a stick or vice-versa. It's like they get excited and think their never going to find another car, ever, other than the one their looking at. Two guys I know both had 1970 Pontiac Firebirds. One was an Esprit, and the other was a Formula 400. However, the Esprit had a 400 under the hood, and they were both blue with blue interior! The Formula was a 4-speed and the Esprit was an automatic. These geniuses decided to trade transmissions. Me and everyone else that knew them- said "Why don't you guys just trade cars?!!" No, these idiots tore both cars apart and swapped transmissions. Pretty pointless if you ask me, because now neither car was original. I knew another guy who bought a 1971 318 Charger with the intent of swapping in a 440. He did it, but he spent a ton of money and time doing it and chasing down parts. And shortly after starting this project, he ran across a 1973 Charger that had a 440 in it from the factory, was just as nice as the the other one, and was priced only about $1500 more than he paid for the 318 model! And believe me, it cost him way more than $1500 to convert the 318 model to 440 power! Same thing for a guy who bought a four-cylinder 89 Mustang and tried to convert it to V8 power. Why? The V8 models are the proverbial dime a dozen, and again, he could buy a nice "5.0" for way less than the cost of converting a 4-banger to V8 power. It just seems to make more sense to take the easy way. Mastermind 

"Family" swaps are Period correct

I've talked before about "Period Correct" modifications, but I had a conversation with a guy yesterday that got me thinking, and I felt compelled to write this. He asked me to look at a hot rod he was thinking about buying. The car was a 1964 Pontiac Tempest. It had a killer 425 inch Olds motor built by Mondello Performance ( Joe Mondello is THE Olds Guru, like Smokey Yunick with Chevys or Dick Landy with Mopars ) a B&M Turbo 400, and a 9 inch Ford rearend with 4.30 gears. It had big-n-little ( 14X6 front, 15X8.5 rear ) American Racing Torq-thrusts, and a gorgeous black paint job. And the guy selling it had timeslips from his local strip showing that the car ran a best time of 11.88 at 121 mph! The car had "badass" written all over it. If I didn't already have too many cars, I would have bought it. The buyer was apprehensive over the Olds powertrain. I told him-"Hey, it's a Tempest, not a GTO, so who cares?" "And, that's the beauty of GM cars, everything interchanges." "And people did this all the time in the '60's and '70's." "Motion Performance and Baldwin Chevrolet, that built L88 427 and LS6 454 Canaros in the early '70s offered the same conversion to Firebird owners." "High Performance cars even road tested an LS6 Firebird in 1972, and raved about how cool it was." "I've seen countless Firebirds, Cutlasses, and LeMans's with big-block Chevys in them." "I've even seen a Buick Skylark and a Chevy El Camino, both with a 455 Pontiac engine under the hood."  "If you want this car, buy it." "I mean, if the emblems on the fender said "Cutlass" instead of "Tempest" you'd be jumping up and down over your great find." "Ditto if had a 421 Pontiac under the hood instead of a 425 Olds." "GM has always done this." "How many Olds Omegas, and Pontiac Venturas had Chevy engines in them from the factory?"  "Thousands of Pontiac Firebirds from 1977-79 had 350 Chevy or 403 Olds engines from the factory."  So if you find a great deal on a GM car and it's been "Cross-breeded" don't panic. I probably wouldn't buy a 69 Judge with a Rat motor in it, but a 68 Tempest, hell yeah, if it was done right. Something to think about. Mastermind

Why "Period Correct" is Important!

If you were watching a movie that was set in a certain time period, wouldn't something completely out of place just ruin the film for you? Like if in the "True Grit" remake the Coen brothers had Jeff Bridges carrying a Glock 21 instead of a Colt Peacemaker? Or if In Saving Private Ryan, the air strike showed F14 jets flying over instead of WWII vintage P51s. Pretty stupid,huh?  Would you buy a 2011 Charger R/T , yank the fuel-injected Hemi and electronically controlled 5-speed automatic and install a carburated 440 and a three-speed Torqueflite? Would you buy a 2011 Camaro SS and yank the LS3 / Six-speed Tremec combo and install a carburated, solid lifter 396 and a Muncie four-speed?  Spend 50 grand on a 2011 Shelby GT500 and yank the Supercharged 5.4 V8 in favor of a 428CJ? What kind of moron would do that?  The same types that do the reverse to vintage Iron. I swear to god, why doesn't Peterson Publishing cancel Hot Rod and Car Craft, and just put out "Modern Fuelie Swap" monthly, since every month we have to have pages and pages of SRT8 Hemis in '60's Mopars and LS Chevy engines in vintage GM Iron. Replacing the crappy Inland shifter in your Impala SS with a Hurst shifter is cool, just like it was in 1965. Putting an electronically controlled 4L80E trans in is not. A 1970 Monte Carlo with '70's style Corvette Rally wheels is cool. The same Monte with massive 22"'s looks like shit. Does everybody understand now? Mastermind 

You can't fix stupid!

Comedian Ron White uses that line as a catchphrase in his stand-up act. Sadly, it applies to some people who like musclecars. I know the Foreign sports car nuts have griped for years about guys putting small-block Chevys in Datsun Z cars, or small-block Fords in Jaguars, but in those cases, the American V8s were lighter, had twice the power, and cost way less to buy or build than the six-cylinder engines they replaced. I saw an article in a magazine about a guy who installed the powertrain out of a 1998 Toyota Supra Turbo into a 1967 Camaro. Yes, the car was fast. But he spent way more money swapping in this drivetrain and all the electronics necessary to run it, than he would have if he just bought or built a small or big-block Chevy. And I have to say, he did ruin the value of the car. No musclecar enthusiast wants a Camaro with a Toyota engine, and doesn't want the expense of trying to change everything back. The Import tuner crowd doesn't want a Camaro, period. They want Honda S2000s, Mazda RX-7s, and RX-8s, Toyota Supras, (the whole car, not the engine and tranny stuffed into an old musclecar) and Subaru WRX's. If he does decide to sell it, who's going to pay him anywhere near the 50 grand he's got invested in this frankenstein monster?  No one I know. I saw another one where a guy put a Chevy LS3 in a 1990 Mustang GT. Why? A Fox-bodied 5.0 Mustang can be made to go just as fast as anything else. You see them all the time with 10 second or 9 second time slips in magazines all the time. And again, Chevy guys don't want it, Ford guys don't want it, so you spent a bunch of money building a car that no one but you thinks is cool. I guess that's ok, I mean whatever floats your boat, but how do you come to that decision?  "Hey-why don't I spend twice as much money and three times as much time as it would take to build a stompin' 347 Ford stroker, to install a Chevy engine in my Mustang that won't run any faster than the Ford would have?" "Won't that be badass?"  The best was the guy that wrote to Hemmings Classic Muscle Machines magazine and asked why they didn't feature old musclecars with modern fuel-injected powerplants swapped in. Did you miss the "Classic" in the title? He's probably the same guy who wrote to Playboy asking why they didn't have pictures of girls wearing high heels in their magazine titled "Barefoot Beauties." You can't fix stupid!! Mastermind     

How it starts.....

I remember when my son and daughter were little and i'd take them places in my 442. They'd tell their grandmother or aunts-"Daddy's car goes "Rump-rump". My son, who's now 17 lusts after a new Camaro SS convertible. I remember being a little kid, and "Tween" I think they call it now. My dad had a 64 GTO. His best friend had a 63 split-window Corvette. Another friend had a 67 Firebird with a 400 and a 4-speed. One of my uncles had a 70 Hugger orange Mustang. ( it wasn't a Boss 302 ) Another uncle had a 1970 Charger. These cars and how cool they were are indelibly burned into my memory, as I rode in all of them, and later got to drive a few. My first car was a Carousel Red Ram Air III, 4-speed,4.33 geared 69 GTO Judge! To this day, my mother swears my dad bought the car as much for himself as for me. She's probably right. From riding in the Judge, when my little brother got old enough, he went out and bought a 69 GTO! ( He couldn't find or afford a Judge, but that's the breaks ). It may be in the DNA, or maybe it's an acquired taste. Anyone want to weigh in on this theory? Mastermind

Another Movie Musclecar screw up!!

Saw a movie on Cable the other night called "The Butcher" starring Eric Roberts. He was playing an ex-boxer turned mob enforcer. The movie was made in 2006. He was driving a 1971 Dodge Charger. However, all through the movie people kept offering to buy it from him, and calling it a 69!!!  Worse yet, they said several times it was a four-speed, but showed a column-mounted automatic shifter. He even put it in park in one scene! Plus, his character said he bought the car brand-new. Roberts' 40ish character was supposed to be 22 when he won a boxing title in 1979.  If the car is supposed to be a 69, how did a 12-year old buy a new car?  For god's sake, why can't they do math, or buy the proper cars?  Mastermind  

Another convert!

I just had to post this. A friend, who has raced Mazda Miatas in their semi-pro racing series, and owned Porsches, MGs,Datsun 240Z's and other legendary sports cars and always scoffed at American muscle recently decided that like a lot of middle-aged men, the one thing missing in his life- for some it's a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, for others it's a musclecar-that he had to fill this need. He asked my advice. Since he had a sports-car background, and I knew handling was important to him, I recommended a 1970's Pontiac Trans-Am. Even though he's always been a "stick" guy, he bought a 1974 T/A with a 400 V8, Turbo 400 automatic and 3.08 gears. Since he goes between L.A. and Vegas a lot for his business, this was perfect. Here's a transcript of a message he left on my voice-mail. Ihad to listen to it about ten times because i was laughing so hard. "Hey man-I bought that T/A." "It's like I'm Kid Rock or something." "Everywhere I go people give me a thumbs-up or say "Nice car." "Now I know what your talking about." "I'm used to high-revving sports cars." "It was such a trip to feel the torque driving the car instead of high rpm horsepower." "If I wanted to pass an old lady, I just stepped on the gas." "I didn't have to downshift two gears and rev the motor to 7 grand." "On my last rip to Vegas, I got a ticket and didn't care." "I was skating along at 100 or 110, and it felt like I was going 75." "The cop told me what a nice car he thought it was, and how it easy it is to speed in such a car, and that he felt bad, but since I was over 100, he kind of had to cite me." "He said he'd feel like Burt Reynolds too, but to take it easy." "Thanks for recommending the T/A." "I love It."  You can't get a better testimonial than that for buying a musclecar. Mastermind.   

GM,Ford,Chrysler and Toby Keith give the world the "Bird"!!

Country singer Toby Keith took a lot of heat for the "Courtesy of the Red,White, and Blue" song, and the lyric- "We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way." But he's right, and it's never been more true than now when your talking about performance cars. Motor Trend compared the $30,000 412hp Mustang GT to the $64,000 414hp BMW M3 and in every performance category, it was too close to call. The $200,000 Ferarri F430, Lamborghini Diablo, or AMG-tuned SL65 Mercedes all run high 11 or very low 12 second 1/4 mile times and sub-4 second 0-60 times. So do the $75,000 Z06 Corvette and the $64,000 Cadillac CTS-V. The $65,000 Lexus ISF sedan runs sub 5 second 0-60 times and low 13 second 1/4 mile times. So does the $44,000 SRT8 Hemi Charger and SRT8 Chrysler 300 sedans. Pipe-smoking, tweed -cap wearing Europhiles, can shut-up, when they try to say "There's more to performance than straight-line speed. These American cars hold their own on skidpads and around the Nurburging-Germany's most challenging racetrack, and the benchmark where sports cars the world over are tested. All the snobbish magazine writers can gripe about our primitive suspensions and "dinosaur" V8s. We just kicked the crap out of your way more expensive, technological "Wonders". Here's the deal- in this world of political correctness, and the nanny state, and everyone's victim mentality, and your an asshole if you don't drive a hybrid, standing Janus-faced, Like Tom Petty- "Stand me up at the gates of hell, and I won't back down" is the archaic, throwback American Muscle car, that simply won't go away. I have to plaigerize Brock Yates, who originally said it about Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but it applies here. "If that rumble, that roar, that paen to rugged individualism, that death threat to collectiveism, and conformity ever goes away, then it will truly be time to turn out the lights."  Amen. Mastermind         

America's # 1 Muscle Car!

Muscle Car Review magazine-where i am a frequent contributor-has asked their readers to write in and give their opinion on the most important musclecar in history. It doesn't have to be the fastest or the rarest, but they want a detailed explanation why you think it's the most important. For me, there is only one choice, and I think it's obvious. The #1 Musclecar of all time should be the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am, and here's why. By 1975 The Javelin was history, as was the Challenger, Cuda and Road Runner. The Charger was a re-badged ( ugh! ) Chrysler Cordoba. The Mustang was more Pinto than Mustang, the GTO was history and the largest engine available in a Corvette was a 350, and you couldn't even get a four-speed in California!. The Z/28 took a two-year hiatus. ( 1975 and 76, before being re-introduced in mid-77.)  Here's where the automakers screwed up. Performance car buyers didn't go away after 1974, the car manufacturers stopped making cars these people wanted to buy! Like Buford Pusser standing up to corruption in the south, one car "Walked Tall" against ever-tightening emission controls and insurance regulations and flourished because of it, and is the sole reason that we had 5.0 Mustangs and Buick Grand Nationals in the '80's and SS Impalas in the '90's and why we have 400 hp Challengers, Camaros, and Mustangs today. If you wanted a rear-wheel drive sporty car with a big V8, you had one, and only one choice. That car is the Pontiac Trans-Am. You could get a 455 until 1976, and the 400 was available right up until 1979. T/A sales doubled or tripled every year from 4800 in 1973 to 10,000 in 1974, to 23,000 in 1975 to 46,000 in 1976. After "Smokey and the Bandit" was released in 1977, T/A sales skyrocketed, selling 68,000 in 1977, 93,000 in 78, and 117,000 in 1979. Scoff at the 79 T/A's 220 hp 400. The largest engine available in a Mustang was a 302 with a two-barrel that made 135 hp. The "AMX" was now based on the Hornet and it had a 2bbl 304 V8. The "Road  Runner" was based on the Plymouth Volare and it's 318 wheezed out about 150 hp. The Z/28 Camaro, which Chevy brought back because of the T/A's phenomenal success, had a 170hp 350. Yes, a 2011 V6 Camaro will outrun one in a drag race. But if it weren't for the immense popularity and Icon status of the late 1970's T/A's, there would be no 2011 Camaro!! Simply because it was the "Last Man Standing" and kept the faith in the darkest days, the Trans-Am deserves to be the #1 musclecar. Mastermind    

Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?

The title to this post was an advertisement Buick used in the '60's and well into the '70's. With the exception of Ford and Mopar fans, Everyone wants a Camaro / Firebird, or a Chevelle / GTO / 442.  The A-body based Monte Carlo and Gran Prix have loyal followers. Early to mid-60's Impalas and Biscaynes, and Bonnevilles and Catalinas have a "cult" following of people who love full-size muscle. However, Buicks are often overlooked, even by hardcore GM guys.  For this reason they are great deals. The 1963-65 Buick Riviera is widely regarded as one of the best-looking cars of all time. With 401 cubes under the hood, they moved pretty good, too. Patrick Swayze drove one in the action flick "Roadhouse." Won't be dirt-cheap, but you can still find one for way less than a same-year Impala SS or Gran Prix or 2+2.  Ditto for the 1966-69 models. These cars had the swoopy, futuristic styling of the revolutionary Olds Toronado, but were still rear-wheel drive. And 430 cubes under that long hood gave them some balls, too. The 1970 Riviera is a one year "Ugly Duckling". The 1971-73 models were the famous "Boat-Tail" design, and had 455 cubes for motivation. These cars offer Cadillac like luxury and GTO like performance. The GTO set the car market on it's ear in 1964. Olds quickly responded with the 442, but Chevrolet and Buick waited until 1965 to counter. If you want a GM A-body of this vintage and are on a tight budget, the Skylark and Century models from 1965-72 share the same basic bodystyle as the Chevelle / GTO / Cutlass, but are usually priced lower. I think the reason for this is the Buicks didn't have quite the fire-breathing performance of their Chevrolet, Olds and Pontiac cousins. Their not "dogs" by any means, but the 400 inch Buick engines really didn't have the same amount of power of the 396 Chevys, 400 Olds, or 389 Pontiacs. Ditto for the small-block models. The early 300 and 340 inch "Nailhead" style Buick small-blocks didn't have the power of a 327 Chevy or 326 Pontiac, or 330 Olds. The redesigned for 1968 350 Buick engine was a great step forward, and they ran good, just not quite as good as a 350 Chevy, Pontiac or Olds. 68 and 69 models will either have 350s or 400s. In 1970 the 455 was introduced into the Buick A-bodys, and the legendary Stage 1 GSX could certainly compete with the W30 442s and Ram Air GTOs.  But less than 1,000 of these were built, and they are thus pricey. The thousands of others will have 350s or "station wagon" 455s. On the up side, the Buicks usually had much nicer interiors than the other lines, and more luxury options-i.e.- factory air, power windows, cruise control, disc brakes. And T/A performance and Edelbrock offer cams, heads, intakes, etc, to hop up the engines. 1973-77 Century models were more luxury than performance oriented and most had 350 power. However there were some 455 models built through 1975, and some 1976-77 models may have 403 Olds engines, which isn't a bad thing. On the upside, any aftermarket suspension or brake upgrades that fit a Chevelle or Monte Carlo also fit these cars. If you like a little extra style and luxury with your performance, and want to save money, maybe you would really rather have a Buick. Mastermind        

Options add to the cars value, they don't reduce it!!

The title to this post seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be amazed at the heated arguments I've heard from people regarding adding options to cars that didn't originally have them. I'm not talking radical changes-like stuffing a Hemi crate motor in a Dart ( what's wrong with that? ) to build a clone of something you could never afford.  No, I'm talking adding trim pieces or other stuff that was available as a factory option on a particular car, but yours doesn't have it. Let's say you have Z/28 Camaro. But it doesn't have Rally Stripes. Or a Trans-Am without the big hood bird.  By adding the bird or stripes have you hurt the car's value, really? Or what about wheels? So your T/A came stock with Rally II wheels. If you like the "Smowflake" style better, put them on. What is hurt by that?  If you want a "Go-wing" spoiler on your Cuda or Duster, or a "Bumblebee" stripe on a Charger or Challenger does it "ruin" the car?  If your Mustang needs a new interior anyway, and you want to add reproduction "Pony" seat covers, what harm is there in that?  This you can't change a thing, because it will compromise the value crap has to have a limit. Are we car guys, or stockbrokers?  Does everything have to be geared to getting the most money when you re-sell it? If your not going to drive it or show it, and all your effort is geared to try to sell it for a huge profit, then why buy it in the first place?  If that's the case, don't you think adding options would up the price?  Why sell a 440 Road Runner for $20,000 when you could spend $2,300 on a Six-Pack setup and get $30,000 for it?  The same goes for paint. Don't you think a red SS Chevelle or GTO will bring more money than a drab brown or Olive Green one?  Even if the color isn't "original?" I've said it before-anyone who even thinks of cutting up the trunk of a Hemi Cuda for wheel tubs ought to be dragged out into the street and shot, or my personal favorite, entrails cut out and burned. But you did not "ruin" a 66 GTO because you scrapped the 4-barrel and installed a tri-power setup you bought off E-bay!! Mastermind  

A carburator and intake is not worth 2,3 or 5 grand!!!

I touched on this briefly in an earlier post, but I've talked to 100 people since, and it appears stupidity is more rampant than I thought. Comedian Ron White said- "You can't fix stupid." And he's right.  I have talked to tons of people who passed up great buys on excellent cars because they had a 2bbl engine, and paid more money for a car not as nice because it had a "factory" 4bbl!!  You think I'm kidding. Let me give you some examples of stupidity to the max. Moron # 1 wanted a 70's Pontiac Firebird with a 400. Didn't have to be a Trans-Am, but he didn't want a 350 model.  He passed up an immaculate, unrestored, but exceptionally well-maintained 1970 Firebird Esprit that had the Formula ( Read Trans-Am ) steering wheel and full guages, factory air, and a perfect interior, because it had a 400 V8 with a 2bbl carb. He paid more money for a rougher 71 Formula 400 that the standard "Luxury Cushion" wheel, no guages, no A/C, and ripped front seats because it had a "Factory" 4bbl engine.  Moron # 2 Wanted a 1965-66 Mustang. He passed up a very nice 65 coupe with factory air and the "Pony" interior because it had a 2bbl 289. He paid more money for one that wasn't as nice because it had a 4bbl. And no, it wasn't the 271 hp solid-lifter version with a 4-speed, it was the hydraulic-cammed 225 hp model backed by a C4 automatic.  Moron #3 passed up a great 1970 Malibu CONVERTIBLE that had factory air and factory front disc brakes with a 350 2bbl, for a 70 Malibu hardtop with no A/C, drum brakes, and a 350 4bbl.  Moron # 4 Almost didn't buy the proverbial little old lady bought it originally, kept it immaculate, and now her kids are selling it after she died, 1968 Charger because it had a 383 with a 2bbl.  These cars are often great buys, in great condition, because they were bought by older people and women instead of gearheads, and therefore weren't wrecked, abused and raced like their 4bbl brothers!  And- if you want the extra performance of a 4bbl-for god's sake- Edelbrock sells Performer Intake manifolds for every American V8 on the planet for about 200 bucks. For about 300-400 bucks you can buy a Holley or Edelbrock 4bbl carb. Assuming you can do the labor yourself, that's only 600 bucks!!  Why on earth would you pay 2,3,4, or 5 thousand more for the same car just because it "originally" had a 4bbl?  If it had to be "Factory Orignal" there's dozens of swap meets and websites where you could find a GM, Ford, or Chrysler 4bbl carb and intake setup for just about anything ever built.  Get over yourselves people!! Mastermind      

If you want top dollar.....Learn what your selling!!!

Experts like me always tell you to know what your looking at when trying to buy the musclecar or project of your dreams. This can be a problem if the seller doesn't know what their selling! A lot of times, especially if your going to drive 100 miles or more to look at a car, you want to know if it's worth the trip to look at it. Phone calls to an uninformed seller can be maddening. Especially if the seller is arrogant and flippant, or you get the wife or girlfriend. A few examples. A customer of mine wanted me to look at a 1969 Chevelle Malibu. We called and put the call on speakerphone in the shop. "Do you still have the Chevelle for sale?" "Yes." "Which engine does it have?"  ( exasperated sigh ) "A small-block Chevy." "Is it a 307, a 327, or a 350?  "I don't know." "Which transmission does it have?" "An automatic." "Is it a two-speed Powerglide or a three-speed Turbo 350? ( Another exasperated sigh ) "I SAID it's an automatic! "Does it have disc or drum front brakes?" "How the hell would I know?"  "Okay, maybe we'll call you back." Another guy wanted me to check out a '70 Cuda  that was advertised with a "700 hp Hemi." Here's that call-"Is the Cuda an original Hemi car?" "How would I know?" "Can you read me the VIN number?" "The what?" "The vehicle identification number." "Should be on the title." "I don't know if I can find the title." "Then how are you going to legally sell it, and how is the buyer going to register it?" "I'll find the title if someone wants to buy it." "Is the engine original?" "I don't know." "Is it a 392 Hemi or a 426 Hemi?"  "It's a 383." "Chrysler never made a 383 Hemi." "If it's a 383, it isn't a Hemi." ( exasperated sigh ). "My husband said it's a Hemi car." "Is he home?" "No." "Can you look under the hood and tell me one thing?" "Why?" "So I know if it's a hemi or not." ( Exasperated sigh ) "How would I tell if it's a Hemi?" "Are the spark plugs in the valve covers?"My husband's a mechanic!" "I'm not stupid!" "Why would the spark plugs be in the valve covers?" "Obviously you don't know anything about cars!" ( Click ).  The last one was when my mother wanted to buy a used 1977 Pontiac Firebird Esprit. "Which engine does the Firebird have?" "A V8." "There were several V8s optional in 1977." "I think it's a 350." "Is it a 350 Pontiac or a 350 Chevy, or a 350 Olds?" "Why would a Pontiac have a Chevy or an Olds engine?" "Because GM used a lot of different engines across the product lines because of smog laws." "Oh." "What does the sticker under the hood say?" "5.7 liter V8." "That means 350 cubic inches." "Oh." "Can you read me the vin number?" "Why?" "Because an "L" in it means it has a Chevy engine, and a "P" means Pontiac." "Shouldn't a "C" stand for Chevy?" "That's just GM's coding system." "It's stupid." "Yeah, thanks, maybe we'll call you back."   You might have to educate the seller, but you might find a bargain, if you can stand the stupidity. Mastermind    

Don't go by "Prototype" or "Pre-Production' performance figures!

The other day I read two road tests of a 2011 "392" SRT8 Hemi Challenger. The "Pre-production" example tested by Mopar Performance magazine ripped off a blistering 12.38 1/4 mile time. The "Regular"  392 Hemi Model tested by Motor Trend was more than a half-second slower at 13.0. A "Prototype" 2011 V6 Mustang tested by Car and Driver ripped off an incredible 13.7 second blast,-quicker than the previous years V8 GT model!  C/D tested a later production example and it ran a 14.5 second 1/4.  Not bad for a V6, but nearly a full second slower than the "prototype." This is nothing new. In 2005, Jim Wangers admitted what we already knew. The GTO that rocketed to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and through the quarter in 13.1 on 7.75-14 bias-ply redline tires that were ablaze for half the track, in C/D's May 1964 issue was a ringer. Royal Pontiac had pulled the 389 and replaced it with a blueprinted 421.  This happened many times in the intervening years. The manufacturers wanted to sell the cars, so they made sure the ones tested by the press were like the Army ad-"All that they could be." Others that weren't in the "Press Fleet" often tested substantially slower, for a variety of reasons. Here's some of the more entertaining stories. In 1969 Chrysler introduced the 440 Six-Pack. Their tests at the factory proving ground showed the car running the quarter in the high 12s and very low 13s, which they advertised in national magazines. The test mule was driven by Pro Stock drag racing champion Ronnie Sox ( of "Sox & Martin" fame.) It also had 4.30 gears and was shod with slicks. Think "Joe Average" with street rubber and 3.54 gears might go a tad slower? In 1973 Hot Rod tested a 1973 Pontiac Trans-Am that ripped off a sizzling 13.15 e.t.  It was an early prototype that had the Ram Air IV cam with 308/320 duration and .470 lift. They also recalibrated the governor on the Turbo 400 to bump shift points from 5,000 to 5,800 rpm, opened the "Shaker" hood scoop, bumped the timing, and swapped the stock tires for M&H slicks. No wonder production models that had the much milder RAIII cam with 301/313 duration and .414 lift, closed scoops, stock trannys and street radials ran about 14.05. In 1977 Car and Driver tested a "Prototype" 1978 Dodge "Li'l Red Express" pickup that ran a faster quarter mile time than both the L82, 4-speed, 3.70 geared Corvette, and the 400, 4-speed 3.42 geared WS6 Trans-Am tested the same month!! This little red truck had a 360 V8 with W2 heads, a Holley Street Dominator single-plane aluminum intake manifold, topped with a 600 Holley Douple-pumper carb, the camshaft out of the old high-performance 340, and catylyst free dual exhaust. No surprise that the production models that had stock 360s with iron intakes and Thermoquads, stock cams and heads, and catylitic converters ran like a second and a half slower!! In 1979 Every Z/28 tested by the buff magazines ran about 15.60.  Popular Hot Rodding tested a Z/28 Camaro that ripped off a blistering 14.11 e.t.  With a 170 hp L48 350?!! Turns out this Z/28 was sold by Mecham Chevrolet / Pontiac in Arizona-the home of the "Macho T/A". It was given the "Macho T/A" tune-up-Hooker Headers and real dual exhausts with two catylitic converters, a re-jetted carb and recurved distributor, and a "mild" Crane Cam of undisclosed specs. Yeah!!  So before you sprout road test results or challenge someone to a race, make sure of all the factors! Mastermind                        

"Reborn" Classics that might be cool!

There are some classic rare cars that can be very expensive for original versions, but entrepenuers tried to revive them in the '80's and '90's. These "Fakes" might be a way for the "Average Joe" to have a totally unique and cool ride for a fraction of the price of the originals. #1 "1963" Studebaker Avanti. These swoopy, cool-looking cars had a "Cult" following. In the '80's and '90's several companies brought them back. They had small-block Chevys  for power. Since their not original anyway, you could hop it up. There's more speed equipment available for small-block Chevys than anything else on the planet. Most of these I've seen are priced over 10 grand, but thats better than the 30 or 40 a "real" 63 Avanti brings.  #2 1965 "427" Cobra. There are dozens of companies that made these kit cars, but the best ones are made by Factory Five racing. The Base kit is about $12,000 and the deluxe one is $19,900, less engine. They come with everything else. They use a 1986-93 Mustang 8.8 rear end, and front suspension, and the frame will accept 5.0 or 4.6 / 5.4 mod motors. They only weigh about 2,400 lbs. Take 800 lbs off your average 5.0 Mustang. Think they haul ass? People that build these generally have $25-35K in them, but often you can see them for sale for around 20 grand. That's a lot better than the 250-500K that real 427 Cobras bring.  # 3 Factory Five also makes similar kits for a similar price that have a GT40 body. Again, 25 grand is a lot better than 100k on up for an old GT40 race car. # 4 There's also a company that makes 1953 Corvette replicas. These use a shortened GM G-body frame, and small-block Chevys. Ditto for 1965 Gran Sport Corvette Replicas.  # 5 There's also 55-57 T-bird replicas that use small block Fords and Mustang II suspensions. How about a screamin' 347 stroker in one of these? No one would dare do that to a real 55-57 Bird, but it's a fake, so who cares? And it didn't cost you 50 grand like an original either. Mastermind

Great Musclecars that are underpriced!

For some unexplainable reason, and it's not always performance or exclusivity, some muscle cars bring exorbitant prices, and others don't. However, the ones that don't are great buys for people who know a steal when they see one. Here's the list- # 1 1967 Pontiac GTO.  For some reason, the general public, and even Pontiac freaks all fight with machetes for the 1964-66 models, and 1968-70 models. The 67s aren't nearly as popular or expensive, and I don't know why. The styling was cleaner than the '66-especially the taillights. The tri-power 389 was discontinued at the end of '66, but the 400s in 67 made just as much power. And if you wanted an automatic, the 67 models had the excellent Turbo 400 3-speed automatic, while 64-66's had the two-speed Super Turbine ( Read Powerglide ) 300.  They were lighter than the 68-70 models. If you want a GTO, these are one of the best, but they are priced way less than the others.  # 2 1969-70 Shelby GT350 Mustang. Yes, a Shelby made a "Bargain" list. I say "Bargain" compared to other Shelbys. 1965-67 GT350s in excellent condition bring 100 grand. Ditto for 1967-70 GT500s. However, I have seen 1969-70 GT350s in top condition for around 30-45 grand. Not cheap, but less than half the 100 large the others bring! And again, it's hard to explain. The GT500s have 428s so that's a factor. But the early GT350s had 289s rated at 306 hp. The 69-70 models had the 290 hp 351W that was standard in the Mach 1. The '70 models, were leftover 69s with new vins and paperwork which is why they didn't have 351C's. But they had the swoopy Shelby styling and interior upgrades, and the 351W was a much more tractable engine for a street car than the solid-lifter hi-po 289s or Boss 302s. This may be the only way a mortal man can own an original ( Not a clone ) Shelby. # 3. 1973-74 Z/28 Camaro. Good Camaros are never dirt-cheap, but these can be bought for way less than the 70-72 LT-1 models. The "loss" of performance was not that much. The only difference between an LT-1 and the L82 used in the 73-74 models is they used a quadrajet on an iron manifold instead of a 780 Holley on an aluminum one, and they used a hydraulic cam instead of a solid-lifter one. The hydraulic cam was the L46 grind, used in 1969-70 350 hp Corvette engines. It had roughly the same lift and duration as the LT-1 cam. The 72 models were rated at 255 net hp, and the 73-74s were rated at 245. Yeah, a huge drop. And you still got a 4-speed and 3.73 gears or a Turbo 350 and 3.42s.  But they are priced way less than the earlier ones.  # 4 1972 Plymouth Road Runner. These can be bought way cheaper than the 68-70 models. Oddly, even though the styling is identical, they can be bought for substantially less than the 71s. Yes, they lowered compression and horsepower in 72, and the Hemi and 440 Six-Pack was no longer available. But the standard engine was still a 400 ( a bored-out 383 ) and the 440 was optional. For some reason a 340 was an extra-cost option, even though it made less power than the 400. But regardless of engine, they are still great cars, and a bargain, whether your a Mopar freak or not. #5 1974-75 Pontiac Trans-Am. The 1970-73 models are priced in the stratosphere. So are the 943 SD455 models built in 1974. But Pontiac built 10,255 T/A's in 74, most with the L78 400 or L75 ( non-super duty) 455. Transmisiions were a Muncie 4-speed or Turbo 400.  In 75, They sold 23,000 units. The 400 was the only choice, except for 857 "455HO" models produced late in the year. The 4-speeds were either Muncies or BW T10s and to clear the catylitic converters, the automatics were Turbo 350s. For some reason these cars are snubbed by Pontiac collectors, but I don't why. Thus, they are about half of the price of any other '70's T/A. The 1976-79 models will bring more money, even though a lot of them have 403 Olds engines, not "Real" Pontiacs like the 74-75s. Grab one of these bargains while you can. Mastermind

The Right way to "Restify"!!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was a little peturbed at the way some enthusiast magazines are building their Musclecar based project cars. Hot Rod just had one called "Project Disco" based on a 1979 Z/28 Camaro. If they wanted to make it '70's style cool-they should have built a snarling small or big block and maybe added a Richmond 5-speed, and flared the fenders to clear monster tires on Center Line or Minilite wheels. What did they do? Put a 2010 LS3 fuel-injected Corvette motor in it! How is that "Disco" or late '70's chic?  Popular Hot Rodding has one called Project Olds, which is based on a 1965 Cutlass. They've already got 40 grand invested in it, and their not finished. And like I said earlier, it has a Baer 4-wheel disc brake system worthy of a NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, a Hotchkiss air ride suspension and sway bars, special front upper and lower control arms, special rear trailing arms, 18 inch wheels and tires, Recaro-type bucket seats, a beefed up 700R4 tranny, and an aluminum headed-roller-cammed 455 Olds engine. The pricetag and option list is identical for their "Project Talledega" a Nascar-themed 1975 Chevelle Laguna, the only difference being the 408 inch solid-roller small-block Chevy for power. Same for a 1965 Mustang called "Project Streetfighter". Wildwood 4-wheel discs, aftermarket rack and pinion steering, suspension,  subframe connectors, recaro seats, and a roller cammed 427 inch stroker motor backed by a Tremec five speed.. Doubtless these cars are wicked fast and fun to drive, but big deal!! Anyone can buy a car for $5,000 bucks, put another 35 or 40 grand into it and make it badass. I'm not impressed. What did impress me was a 1965 Pontiac Catalina and a 1964 Olds 442 that I saw at Hot August Nights last year. The Catalina had American Racing Torq-Thrust mags on it, and at first glance, just looked like a well-maintained or restored '60's Pontiac.  It was a wicked sleeper, however. Closer inspection and a conversation with the owner revealed that it had power front disc brakes pirated from a 1971 Catalina. It also had wrist-thick front and rear sway bars that came off a 1966 Pontiac Ambulance. The Torq-thrust mags looked period correct, but they were 16 inch, and shod with 255/50/VR16 Goodyear Eagles. The engine looked stock, but instead of a garden-variety 389, it was 400 out of a the same 71 Cat that suppled the disc brakes, with a stroker crank to make it 461 inches. It had ported 6X heads, the long-branch exhaust manifolds had been ported and extrude-honed, the cam was an Eddelbrock Torker grind, and it had an Edelbrock Performer intake painted Pontiac blue, topped by a 750 Carter AFB. His dyno sheet showed that even with iron exhaust manifolds, the motor pumped out 429 hp and a Godzilla-like 544 lbs ft of torque. This big car would literally spin its tires as long as you wanted to stay on the throttle, handled like a slot car, and looked bone-stock! And the guy had $18,000 in it, including the $3,500 purchase price of the car!  The 1964 442 was similar. It looked stock, right down to the wheels. But the engine wasn't a 330, it was a 350 out of a 75 Cutlass. But it had 1968-72 350 heads on it, which raised the compression from 8:1 to about 9.5:1. It had a W31 cam which gave it a badass lope, but stable idle. It had an Edelbrock Performer RPM manifold painted the factory color, and a Petronix electronic ignition under the point-type cap. It had a 4-speed, but it wasn't a Muncie. It was a T10 with a 3.44 low gear and 2.28 second. It also had 75 Firebird front spindles and disc brakes, and Trans-Am front and rear sway bars. It also had a 1984 T/A steering box with the ultra-fast 12.7:1 ratio. The stock-looking wheels had 225/60VR15 BFG Comp T/A tires on them. It handled like a Trans-Am, and ran like a Z06 Corvette, and looked like any other 64 Cutlass. And the guy had less than 25 grand in it.  The point I'm making is, both of these cars had incredibly improved acceleration, braking, and handling, without ruining the essence of the cars and without spending 50 or  100 grand. People may say I'm splitting hairs, but in my mind a 65 Malibu that someone swapped the 283/ Powerglide setup for a 350 / Turbo 350 like they might have done in say-1969 is cool. A 65 Malibu with a modern LS motor and an electronic six-speed auto is not.  Like I said before, you wouldn't buy a 1965 Harley-Davidson Sportster and put a Fuel-injected Twin-Cam and six-speed tranny out of a 2009 Softail would you?  If you bought a WWII vintage .45, it might have an enlarged ejection port or oversize target sights, installed by a gunsmith in the '50's, but you wouldn't put a laser beam and a compensator on it would you?  You buy something old because it's different from what's new, good and bad. Mastermind                    

The Last of the Mohicans

It's funny how public opinion is. The first of something, is always considered cool, while the last of something is often treated like Rodney Dangerfield- "No Respect." However, some of these "Last" models can be steals for the musclecar enthusiast, especially if he wants a driver and not a trailer queen. I'll list them in no particular order. # 1 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1. In 1974 the Mustang II was introduced. Based on the Pinto, it was a disaster. A V8 wasn't even an option. However in 1973 you could still get a "Real" Mustang. The top engine option was a 351C with a 4-barrel rated at 266 hp. However, quite a few were built with 351C 2-barrel engines that were rated at 177 hp. The 2V heads are actually better for street use. And Edelbrock makes a 4V Performer manifold that works with the 2V heads. For some reason, even Ford collectors snub this car, which makes them great buys for the rest of us. # 2 1976 Pontiac Trans-Am. I know that 400 cube T/A's were built until 1979, but 76 was the last year you could get a 455 with a 4-speed.  No their not as fast as the 1971-72 455HO models or the 1973-74 455SD models. But they can be bought for a fraction of the price of the older more sought after ones, and with minor work-intake, exhaust and maybe a cam change, can easily equal or surpass the performance of them as well. # 3 1974 Dodge Charger. Richard Petty won a ton of races in this bodystyle. The last "Real" Charger. The 1975-77 models were based on the ( Ugh! ) Chrysler Cordoba. The 400 and 440 V8s were still available, and 360 versions can be real bargains. # 4 1982 Chevrolet Corvette. The last C3 "Stingray" bodied model, as there technically is no 1983 Corvette-the C4 was introduced in March 1983 as a 1984 model. These are unique because it was the first year the 700R4 4-speed automatic was offered, and the first year "Cross-Fire Injection" was offered. The base powertrain that year was a carburated 350 and a three-speed Turbo 350 automatic. They weren't bad performers, and they make nice weekend cruisers, and they can be hopped up easily. And one of the few times you'll hear the words "Cheap" and "Corvette" in the same sentence. Even Vette collectors snub these cars in favor of the 1980 and earlier L82 models or the 1984 and later ones. But that keeps the prices low for bargain-hunters. # 5 1977 Olds 442. The last "Real" 442. By "Real" I mean based on the A-body Cutlass with an engine over 400 cubes. Olds tried to revive the nameplate in the '80's but those models were based on the downsized G-body, and had anemic 307 inch Olds motors that wheezed out about 140 hp. In 77 you got a 403 which moved them along briskly, and the handling was excellent. Because they were used in so many Pontiac Firebirds, there's actually a good amount of speed equipment available for these engines.  These cars may not be rockets in stock trim, but they are very nice drivers, and with a little work can be great sleepers. Mastermind    

New tricks for old dogs!

I mentioned in an earlier post that a lot of musclecar owners like to have stock-looking sleepers. A lot of them like to, or because of necessity, build them on a tight budget with inexpensive, but power-producing new or used parts. Especially if you don't have a numbers-matching engine anyway, you can build a real stormer for very little money. A couple of good examples-if your Chevy has a 327 or 350 small-block in it, upgrading to "Vortec" heads can give you an easy bolt-on 40 hp boost. They can be found in junkyards, but don't waste your time. A brand-new pair from Scoggin-Dickey or Summit is about $650! You'd spend that much buying used ones and having them redone at a machine shop, and they won't be able to do the trick valve job that GMPP does. You'll have to buy a Vortec-style intake manifold, but Edelbrock sells Vortec bolt-pattern Performer RPM manifolds for about 200 bucks, that will add another 20-25 hp. Stock the heads are good with cams up to .480 lift, but for a few extra bucks Scoggin-dickey sells them machined to handle cams up to .550 lift. This is a screaming bargain, as they breathe better than any factory iron heads, and as good as some aftermarket aluminum ones for a fraction of the price. The same is true for small-block Mopars. 1992 and later "Magnum" heads are plentiful in junkyards because besides Dodge Trucks, the 318 and 360 Magnum motors were also used in millions of Jeep Cherokees. Like the Chevys, the magnum heads will bolt up to earlier 318,340 and 360 blocks, but you will need a "Magnum" style intake. Again, Edelbrock to the rescue. This combo breathes better than any factory 340 or 360 heads and are way cheaper than aftermarket aluminum ones. Or, just buy the whole "Magnum" engine out of a wrecked truck or jeep and build that for your musclecar!  The same goes for Ford guys. 302 "Explorer" heads breathe better than any factory iron 289, 302 or 351W head, and are plentiful in junkyards. Or Ford Racing sells their GT-40 heads for 302s and 351Ws that really rock. And they use a "regular" 302 or 351W intake. Have a small-block, stick-shift Camaro, Nova or Chevelle and want a huge acceleration boost without changing rear end gears? 1975-77 Vegas had Saginaw four-speeds with 3.11 low gears and 2.02 second gear ratios. With 3.08 rear gears, it'll come out of the hole like having 4.11s with a muncie 4-speed, and still get good highway mileage. Also look for 4-speeds out of a 1980-82 Z/28 or Trans-Am. These were Borg-warner T10s with a 3.44 low, and a 2,28 second gear! In both cases you'll have to spring for a decent Hurst or Mr Gasket shifter, but that's a small price to pay for the performance boost your getting.  Mastermind    

"Hidden" modifications that can make your "stock" Musclecar faster

A lot of musclecar enthusiasts want to keep theirs stock, or at least looking stock, but still want to improve the car's performance or get faster e.t.'s at the drags. Here's some tips that will work on any make or model, and be invisible to onlookers, or even tech inspectors. ( Unless they tore the engine apart ). # 1 Ignition. Nothing is more irritating than your car not running or even starting because the points are closing up. And, you may get point bounce above 4,500 rpm.  Replace your point-type distributor with an electronic one. MSD, Accel, and Mallory all sell factory-style rebuilt HEI distributors for GM, Ford and Mopar applications. These units have a more performance oriented advance curve than a generic stock replacement like you find at Autozone, and will improve starting, driveability, and fuel economy. If you want to be really stealthy Petronix offers kits that convert a point-type distributor to electronic, and fit under the stock point-type cap!  #2 Carburation. Although they had great throttle response and all-around performance, the Carter AVS four-barrels that came on most 340, 383, and 440 Mopars from 1965-71 only flowed about 585 cfm. Put the original in a box, for show day or in case you want to sell the car to a "just as it left the factory" type. For a noticeable power increase, buy an Edelbrock Thunder AVS carb. They are available in 650 cfm ( perfect for a 340 ) or 800 cfm ratings. The 800 cfm carbs will really "wake up" a 383 or 440, with no decrease in driveability or fuel economy. They can also be used on hotter 340 or 360 applications. For GM guys, Summit Racing, Jet, and other companies sell performance-jetted Q-jets in 750, 800 and 850 cfm ratings. Use the 750s on engines under 400 cubes. The larger ones work better on the bigger motors-454 or 455 inches.  Fords need improvement here too. The Autolite 4-barrel on most 289 Mustangs only flows about 470 cfm.  A 600 cfm Edelbrock Performer or 600 cfm Holley with Vacuum secondaries would give you a vast improvement. On larger engines, 351 on up, I'd use the 750 cfm Edelbrock or a 780 cfm vacuum-secondary Holley, in place of the horrible Autolite 4300.  # 3 In the early '60's Chrysler found more performance not in the engine, but the transmission with the Torqueflite which was a quantum-leap up from the old hydra-matics. Even if your musclecar has a Torqueflite, Turbo 350 / 400, or C4 / C6, you can improve the performance. B&M, TransGo and other companies offer shift kits and adjustable modulators that are easy to install. These will allow you to precisely tailor full-throttle shift points to any rpm you desire, and improve-part-throttle operation as well. Another hidden modification you can do is a slightly higher stall-speed converter. Unless your running a super-radical cam, a 2000 rpm converter will give you about 500-600 more rpm on takeoff than a stock converter, which will cut 0-60 times noticeably, and won't hurt fuel economy or driveability, even if you have mild 3.23 gears.  # 4 Camshaft. Most musclecar engines, especially big-blocks, can use a little more cam to build mid-range and top-end power without adversely affecting Idle quality or low-end torque. Check with the cam manufacturers on what's right for your engine/transmission/axle ratio. The right cam can add as much as 50 horsepower without affecting anything else, and no one will ever know. # 5 Cylinder heads. Good flowing heads can add 50 or more hp stealthily, and more if paired with intake, cam and exhaust upgrades. Ford Racing, GMPP and Dart offer performance Iron heads for small-block Fords and Chevys, and big-block Chevys. Unless someone checked the casting numbers, no one would know. Edelbrock offers high-performance Aluminum heads for just about anything. You could paint them the stock color, and none but the most discerning eyes would ever be able to tell. # 6 Cubic inches. If your rebuilding the engine anyway, you might as well increase the displacement. More cubes always mean more power and torque, even if all the other factors ( i.e.-cam, carb / intake, exhaust, etc ) are identical. There are crank and piston kits available to turn a 350 Chevy into a 383, or a 396 into a 427, or a 427 into a 454. There are kits to turn a 302 Ford into a 347, a 351W into a 392 or 427, or a 460 into a 514. There are kits to turn a 360 Chrysler into a 410, or a 383 /400 into a 451, or a 440 into a 500.  There are kits to turn a 389 / 400 Pontiac into a 428 or a 455.  Now go build a sleeper!  Mastermind        

"King Kong" isn't always king!

We all say we want the ultimate version of any musclecar, but in reality it's often not true. I love the new Dodge Challenger, and the gearhead in me says get the 475 hp 6.4 liter SRT8 Hemi with the six-speed and 3.92 gears. However, I'm thinking about relocating to the San Francisco area from my home in Reno, Nevada because of an awesome job opportunity. I'd only be three hours away from my longtime friends and family. In reality, if I do buy a 2011 Challenger the extra 10 grand the SRT8 costs over the R/T, will make me buy the "Lesser" model. But hey-the R/T's  5.7 Hemi with "only" 370 hp will be enough for me, and since I'll probably spend a lot of time in Bay-Area rush-hour traffic, or commuting over Donner pass to see my kids and friends, the automatic and 3.06 gears will be the right choice for ease of operation and nice high-speed cruising. This happened a lot to buyers back in the glory days. That's why there are a lot more 383 and 440 Chargers and Road Runners than there are Hemis. I know two guys that had 1970 Mustangs. One was a Mach 1 with the 351 "Cleveland" and the other was a Boss 302. The guy with the 351C loved it, and kept it for 15 years. It was cool-looking, fast, the engine idled smoothly, the seats were comfortable, and the suspension didn't rattle your fillings loose. In other words, you could live with it every day. The guy with the Boss 302 sold it in less than two years. The stiff clutch made city driving a chore, and the 4.30 gears made the engine buzz at 4,000 rpm on the freeway. Plus, the solid lifter 302, while undeniably fast only made power between 3,000 and 7,000 rpm. I also knew two guys who bought early '70's big-block Camaros. One went nuts and ordered a Motion Phase III Camaro. These were even beyond Yenko models. This one had the vaunted LS7 454 which featured 12.25:1 compression, a solid lifter cam that was hotter than the either the L88 or LS6 grind, Hooker headers and sidepipes ( with or without slip-in glasspack mufflers ) a Muncie M22 Rock-Crusher or specially-prepped Turbo 400, and 4.56 or 4.88 gears, and Lakewood traction bars. Deending on driver skill, these were low 11 or high 10 second cars. The dealership my dad worked at raced one, and with only the addition of slicks, it ran 11.01 at the drags! The other guy got a regular 396 Camaro with 3.42:1 gears, 10.25:1 compression and a hydraulic cam. Same thing, the guy with the "mild" 396 model loved it.  The Phase III buyer hated it. It idled about 2,000 rpm, pinged on premium fuel, and you could not time it. If you backed the timing up where it didn't ping, it lost a ton of power. If you timed it where it ran good, it tried to ping itself to death even on 100 octane gas. It got 5-8 mpg, obviously because of the 4.88 gears. The Hone overdrive was supposed to reduce the gear ratio to 3.42, but it could only be engaged in high gear, if it engaged at all. The traction bars made the ride stiff. And you could not take off with street tires. Below 3,000 rpm, the engine would bog. Above 3,000, and the car would light the tires up all through  first and second. The buyer just checked the biggest number on the option sheet without realizing what he was getting into,- a race car with liscence plates. He traded it in on  a hydraulic-cammed, 8.5:1 compression, LS5 454 72 Corvette with an automatic and 3.36 gears and was happy as a clam. So go ahead and dream, but if your going to drive the car at all, in reality a 390 hp 427 Vette might make you happier than an L88 or ZL-1.  Mastermind  

If your going to drive it, make it as nice as possible!

I've joked about people saying incredulously-especially if it's raining-"You DRIVE that car?" While there are quite a few "trailer queens"-i.e. show cars that are rarely, if ever driven, most of us don't want a $25,000 piece of garage jewelry that we show to people. Most of us do drive our beloved muscle cars. Maybe not for daily transportation, but on weekends or nice days. Some of us ( Gasp! ) may even put 5,000 miles a year on them. If your buying, or already own a musclecar you plan to drive somewhat regularly, here's some good tips to make it a pleasant experience.  #1 Know your driving style and needs, and maybe change your option list ( stick or automatic? ) , or ( within reason-i.e.-axle ratio ) even modify the car accordingly. Here's a tale of two Trans-Ams.  I had a 1978 WS6, 400, 4-speed T/A that I absolutely loved. The 3.42 gears were a great compromise between jackrabbit starts and top-end charge. ( 5,400 rpm was 128 mph ). I surprised the hell out of many 5.0 Mustang owners in the mid-80's. But I lived in a city of 300,000 people. I drove maybe 3 miles to work, and 0-60 speed was important. My cousin had a 400 powered 78 T/A but his was an automatic with 2.56 gears. He absolutely loved the car. He lived in rural Missouri, 30 miles east or west of the nearest small town, and 90 miles away from the nearest large city. 99% of his driving was at highway speeds, so the 2.56s made for easy cruising and good gas mileage. And the top-end was unbelievable-the car was going like 143 mph at 4,700 rpm ( According to a radar reading from a cop ). Any impromptu "speed contests" he got into were going to be from 60-100 mph. So if, you live by cornfields, 4.10 gears might not make for the best driving experience. A four-speed can be fun, but not in inner-city rush-hour, stop and go traffic.  #2 A non original carb can be a boon to driveability. If your a Ford fan, you know that the Autolite 4100 and 4300 four-barrels were the worst carburators ever made, bar none. Brand-new, they didn't work right. Crappy ( even for a musclecar ) gas mileage, hard-starting, flooding, hesitation under load. I worked for Ford in the '70's, and if you had a Mustang with a 351C or a T-bird with a 460 and you griped hard enough, the dealers would put 600 Holleys on them and warranty them! This is how the #6619 and #6919 became emissions-legal in California! I recommend the Edelbrock Performer series-no power valves to blow, no gaskets below the float level, adjustable secondarys, and they just flat work. Mopar guys-rejoice- Edelbrock makes AVS's now too! If you have a 72 and later model with the Thermo-Quad-use it as the doorstop it is, buy an adapter or change the manifold, and put an Edelbrock on it, if you want to drive it. GM guys-Jet and other companies make performance rebuilt quadrajets, unless your running an aftermarket manifold / carb setup. Believe me, this will make your life much easier than a bleeding over, 35 or 40 year-old carb with warped throttle shafts. (Store that numbers matching piece of junk for resale or show time.)  # 3 GM guys with pre 1965 full-size cars or pre-1967 A body automatics-Change 'em! The awful "Slim-jim" in full-sizes won't shift over about half-throttle, and no one makes shift kits for them. By changing the driveshaft yoke, and shortening the driveshaft a tad, you can swap in a Turbo 400 that works like a dream. You can even use the stock shift linkage, (they have the same number of detents even though the pattern is different) just remember that reverse is now low. Slim-jims mount the starter on the bellhousing, and Turbo 400s on the block. Most 1963 and later blocks are drilled and tapped for a starter anyway. Earlier models may need this done but it's not a big deal.  The A-bodies-Chevelle, Cutlass, GTO etc, are even easier. A Turbo 350 will bolt right in place of a two-speed Powerglide ( Chevys ) or Super Turbine 300 ( BOP applications ). You don't even have to change the trans mount or driveshaft yoke. The car will drive way better, and be quicker. You can use the stock linkage here too, but you won't be able to manually engage low gear. No big deal, a shift kit can make it automatically kick down to 1st under 20 mph. Mopars after 1962 had the excellent Torqueflite, so you guys are exempt, as are Ford guys with C4's and C 6's.   # 4. Put modern tires on it. Save the Coker tire replacements for show duty. Modern Radials ride, handle, stop, last longer and are more puncture-resistant than 40+ year old bias-ply designs.  Hope this helps everyone out. Mastermind      

Sorry to disparage your car... But Puhleeeze!!!

Talked to someone the other day who was aghast at me driving my 442. "You drive that car?" "Yeah." That's why I bought it, because I wanted to drive it." "If I wanted one to look at, I'd buy the Franklin Mint model."  Another said in the same sentence that he didn't care that his wife had plowed their $60,000 Escalade into a fence during the last snowstorm, but "Didn't Dare" drive his 340 Duster to work even on nice,sunny days because it was "Too Valuable" to risk someone running into it. Excuse me? Did you ever in this lifetime think that you'd hear the words "Duster" and "Too Valuable" in the same sentence? Hemi 'Cuda yes. 340 Duster, no. Another guy I know who likes Firebirds was aghast when I suggested he paint his 79 403 Olds powered Trans-Am Like a "Macho T/A" since Phoenix Grapghics now carries the stencils. "But that would ruin the value!" he wailed. Really? How much "Value" does a 32 year old Pontiac that came factory equipped with an Olds engine have anyway? And if he wanted to sell it to someone, how much money would he "lose" by painting it a non-original color? There were 117,000 T/A's made in 1979 and only 10,000 had 400 Pontiacs with 4-speeds. The other 100,000 plus were 403/Automatics. Not like changing the color on one of the 374 1971 Judges,eh?  I wouldn't drive a 69 Boss 429 much either. But a 351W powered 69 Mustang fastback of which 70,000 plus were made? I'd drive the crap out it. Maybe put the numbers-matching motor in my garage and install a 450 hp Ford Racing 392 or 427 inch 351W-based stroker to make it a badass sleeper. See what I'm saying? A 1968 427 Yenko Chevelle is worth major bucks. A 307, powerglide, drum-braked taxicab interiored Malibu is not. A 69 Hurst/Olds is worth a ton. A generic, two-door Cutlass or F85 isn't. I've said it before and I'll say it again, play with base models all you want. Their great if your on a tight budget. But a 69 350 Tempest is never going to be worth 69 GTO or Judge money, all other things being equal. And the same for some "rare" options-two-speed automatics, three-speed sticks, column-shifted bucket seat cars, radio or heater-delete models and two-barrel step-down engines aren't collectible their just weird, and no one but the guy trying to sell it thinks it's cool or worth anything. Your two-seat 390/4-speed 1970 AMX? Way cool, and valuable. Your 304 automatic 1973 Hornet? Uh-uh. Mastermind       

One and two-year models that are cool

  There are a lot of one and two year models that manufacturers thought were going to be successful, but weren't for various reasons-market conditions, or the cars weren't promoted by the factory or dealers or whatever. But there was nothing wrong with the cars, and they might be bargains that are priced less than the "Traditional" musclecar choices. # 1. 1970-71 Pontiac Tempest T-37 Often called "The poor man's GTO" this car was built as a low-priced "insurance beater" performance package. These cars had bench seats instead of buckets, and the standard powertrain was a 350 V8 with a three-speed manual. However, the 400 and 455 V8s were optional, as was a Muncie 4-speed or Turbo 350 / 400 automatic. Prices will be higher than a plain-jane Tempest or LeMans, but still substantially cheaper than a GTO.  # 2 1971-72 Chevrolet "Heavy Chevy" Chevelle. These cars were Chevy's T-37. A 2 dr Malibu with the domed SS hood, blacked out grille, and 14 inch slotted rally wheels. Any engine from a 307 to a 402 was available, but most will have 350's. Again, may bring more than a base Malibu, but will be way cheaper than a same-year SS.  # 3. 1970 Olds Cutlass "Rallye 350". Not a 442, but still cool. These cars had a super loud Sebring Yellow monochromatic paint job, a "Judge" type rear spoiler, and a 310 hp 350 V8. I hate to be a broken record, but it has to be said-I'd pay more for one of these than a base Cutlass or F85, but not 442 or Hurst/Olds money. # 4 1967-68 Ford "California Special" Mustang. These notchback coupes had Shelby-style taillights, side scoops and graphics. Engine choices range from a 289 to a 390. 390 models will bring more green naturally. Again, worth more than a base Mustang, but not Shelby money. # 5 1974 Pontiac GTO. The coolest Nova you can buy outside of a Yenko Deuce. This is the year Pontiac based the GTO on the X-body ( read Nova ) platform. These cars had a Trans-Am style "Shaker" hood, unique graphics, and Radial Tuned Suspension that included front and rear sway bars. The only engine was a 350 Pontiac rated at 200 net hp, backed by a Turbo 350 or a four-speed. Since they only weighed about 3,200 lbs- they actually performed pretty good for the times-15 second 1/4 mile times. But magazine writers and Pontiac purists howled to the high heavens because the GTO was no longer based on the LeMans platform and had an engine under 400 cubes. So the package only lasted one year. Pontiac collectors snub these cars like the plague, so you can get one at a good price. And a 400 or 455 is a bolt-in swap. # 6 1978-79 Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck. These-short-bed, stepside half-ton pickups had a special red paint job, semi-like chrome exhaust stacks, chrome 15X8 wheels, LR60-15 tires and a hotted-up 360 V8, a Torqueflite and 3.55 rear end gears. Except for a Pontiac Trans-Am or L82 Corvette, this was the fastest american-made vehicle available those 2 years.  Any of these cars would be a way to have something you don't see every day for not a lot of money. Mastermind            

Overkill!!

A lot of magazines are doing classic musclecars as project cars. I don't begrudge these magazines "Restifying" these cars. No one except a concours show enthusiast wants to read about someone building a car totally stock. Hey-I can deal with the aluminum Edelbrock heads, the hydraulic or solid roller cams, and the five-speed sticks and four-speed automatics these buff magazines use to "Improve" the performance of these classic cars. What irks me is some of the other "upgrades." For example, unless your hot-lapping at Laguna Seca, why does every project car have to have four-wheel aftermarket Baer or Wildwood disc brakes? I'm all for safety, but honestly-the front disc / rear drum brakes on the average GM A or F-body, Chrysler B or E-body or Ford Mustang aren't adequate to stop the car safely during daily driving or even during a weekend trip to the drags?  If the car is older-say pre-1969 and had four-wheel drums from the factory you have to go with a $3500 aftermarket 4-wheel disc setup?  If the car is a 1964-72 GM A-body you can't write an article about how easy it is to use 70-81 Camaro / Firebird spindles, rotors, calipers and master cylinder for a cheap, reliable junkyard or local auto parts store upgrade?  If it's an early '60's Impala or Pontiac Catalina or Gran Prix, you can't possibly use the front disc brakes off a 1970 and later Impala, Catalina, Bonneville or Olds 88?  The same for rear ends. A GM 10 or 12 bolt or a Chrysler 8 3 /4 or a Ford 8.8 isn't adequate? I have never seen anyone break one of those under normal conditions. Even with drag radials, the tires spin before anything breaks! You "Gotta have" a 9 inch Ford setup? If you have a 700 hp motor with nitrous, wrinklewall slicks bolted to the rims, and your launching at 5,000 rpm constantly, then yes, you might break the axle. But for god's sake-If it's a "Street Machine" like these cars are supposed to be-driven on the street and occasionally taken to the drags-do you need an axle worthy of a NASCAR stocker or Top-Fuel dragster?  The same for handling "upgrades". If you want to Autocross or slalom, I could think of a dozen cars that are way better choices than a 4,000 lb 1960's GM A-body. Ford Mustang or Chrysler B-body. Like a Honda S2000 or Mazda RX8 or C4 or C5 Corvette. You want to improve the handling- how about articles on what factory sway bars interchange from model to model, or that an '80's WS6 T/A steering box will fit A and F body's from 1964-92? No, they have to write about complete aftermarket sub-frame swaps, rack and pinion steering swaps, aluminum or tubular steel control arm swaps, etc. You want a Porsche 911, then go buy one. But don't try to turn a 1965 Cutlass or 1970 Road Runner into one!  LIke I said earlier-you wouldn't buy a WWII Colt .45 and put laser sights on it.  I love musclecars, but guys, sometimes you get waaay away from the basics. Just had to vent on this. Mastermind            

The welterweight champ

 Sometimes lost or overlooked by people in their frenzy for big-block Camaros and Chevelles, 400 or 455 GTOs and Firebirds, and big-block Challengers and Chargers, is a very cool and great handling car. The 1968-74 AMC Javelin / AMX. The Javelin was AMC's entry in the then-wildly popular Trans-Am racing series. The displacement limit for Trans-Am racing was 305 cubic inches. Early on Plymouth Barracudas used Chrysler's trusty 273 V8, and Ford Mustangs did nicely with the 289. Then Chevy got into the act by putting a 283 crank in a 327 block creating the legendary 302 Z/28. Ford responded with the Boss 302. AMC started with a 290 inch V8 in the Javelins, and then upped it to 304. On the street however, cubes, were king. The optional 343 and 390 AMC V8's really couldn't compete with the big dogs from GM, Ford and Chrysler. The top AMX 390 only put out 315 hp. The base 383 in a Road Runner was rated at 335, and the 440 was rated at 375. The base Pontiac GTO was rated at 350 hp, the RAIII and RAIV grossly under-rated at 366 and 370. A 428 Mustang was grossly underrated at 335 hp. Ditto for the 396 Camaros and Chevelles that were rated at 325 and 375. Any of these cars would run off and leave a Javelin in a drag race. However the Javelins handled exceptionally well and were a well-balanced all-around package. When Mark Donohue and Roger Penske switched from Chevrolet to AMC, and the Javelin was made more aerodynamic, they won the Trans-Am  Championship in 1971 which greatly increased sales. And the new 401 V8 was now rated at 330 hp. However, GM had lifted the 400 cu. in. limit on A-bodys in 1970, so Chevelles, GTOs and 442s were now running around with 454 and 455 inches. You could get a 455 in a Firebird Formula or Trans-Am. The 440 and 426 Hemi was available in the Mopar E-bodies. The new Mustang had the 429 as the top engine option. The Javelins were still outgunned in that respect. But then as now, they made really nice drivers and can be made to perform well. Edelbrock even makes High-Performance aluminum heads for AMC V8s if you want to "Restify" one. Plus, like Pontiacs the engines are all externally identical, so if you wanted to swap a 304 for a 360 or 401 it would be a bolt-in swap. And like I said in an earlier post, the 360 was used in Grand Wagoneers up until the early '90's, so you can probably find a running or at least rebuildable engine in a junkyard if you needed to. 1968-70 Two-seat AMX models have kind of a "Cult" following, and may be a little pricey, but "Regular" Javelins-i.e.- ones with a back seat are relatively cheap. 1971-74 models have swoopier styling and more luxurious interiors. 4-speeds are Borg-Warner and the automatics are Torqueflites, so you won't have any transmission problems. And they were excellent handlers. Except for the Corvette or a Firebird Trans-Am, you won't find a better handling '70s car. Stock or modified, your not going to throw fear into the hearts of any LS6 Chevelle or Six-Pack Road Runner owners, but you will have a good-performing, good handling, good-looking car that you don't see every day.  That's why I call them the "Welterweight" champ. Mastermind  

The "Other" El Camino!

 The Chevy El Camino has it's place in musclecar history. Anything that was available on an SS Chevelle  ( Including the mighty LS6 ) was available on an El Camino. They have a bit of a "cult" following of their own. However, if you want a hot-rod elky and can't find one, you might Consider a Ford Ranchero. Forget early and mid-60's models. They were based on the Falcon and most had six-cylinder motivation. The biggest V8 was a 289. Like their Chevy counterparts, the 68 and later models are the most desirable. 1968-76 models are based on the Fairlane / Torino platform. 302 versions get good mileage and make nice daily drivers, but are underpowered for performance work. The 68-69 models to look for are the 390 V8 versions. The 70-74 models that are the best bang for the buck have 351C's under the hood. Some 70-73 models may have 429s! Those are fairly rare and, probably pricey, though not as much as a 454 El Camino. Some 74-76 models may have 460s. However, they'll be a low-compression "station wagon" engine. On the upside, regardless of year or sheetmetal a 460 V8 in a 3900 lb machine can be potent with a little work. The 1977-79 models were based on the LTD II platform. They had more interior room, and a longer wheelbase, which means better ride and handling. The downside was the powertrains were even more emasculated. The top engine option was a 351M or 400M with a two barrel carb and salt-flats gearing. The upside is, their are performance parts i.e.- heads, cams, intakes, etc available for these engines, and they share the same bellhousing bolt pattern as the 429 / 460 family, so you could swap one of those in without too much hassle. And gears are readily available for 9 inch Ford rearends. I know Ford and Chevy guys agree about as much as Raider and Steeler fans, but you might just find a bargain. Mastermind

Base models can be fun,if your realistic

The good thing about the musclecar era is just about every model that people would give blood and a first-born child for were option packages on a standard model. Even "Stand Alone" models-were based on something. The GTO may have been a separate model, but it's based on the LeMans. Ditto for the 442/ Cutlass, Plymouth GTX/ Satellite, Super Bee/ Coronet, etc. If your on a tight budget, a base model may be the way to go. You may not be able to afford a Trans-Am, or Formula 400 / 455, but there are hundreds of thousands of Base model Firebirds and Firebird "Esprit" models that are dirt cheap. Most of these built from 1970-76 had 350 Pontiac V8s under the hood. ( See "The other 350s" post for performance tips ). The good thing about Pontiacs is the engines are externally identical from a 326 to a 455. This means you could literally bolt a 400 or 455 in place of the 350 with minimal hassle. Some "Esprit" models of this period had 400s as options. Some 77-79 models might have the anemic 301 Pontiac-( The motor mounts and the bellhousing pattern is the same, so a 400 will still swap in, but unlike the 350s, the 301 heads, intake, exhaust manifolds, etc are different and don't interchange with the 326-455 stuff ) Some "California" and high altitude models may have 350 Chevys. Then you basically have a Camaro. The performance potential of these cars is limited only by your wallet and imagination. The only downside is don't expect Trans-Am money when you try to sell it. The same goes for 2 dr Chevelles and Malibus, Cutlasses or LeMans models. The GM A-body is a great base for a driver, drag racer, NASCAR tribute, autocross ( Yes, GM engineered an awesome chassis all those years ago, and there are factory and aftermarket suspension parts that make them handle like Porsche 911.)  Again Don't  expect SS 396 or GTO money when you sell it. mastermind

Forgotten "Modern" muscle machines that may become classics!

Musclecar enthusiasts are a finicky lot. We all love the '60's and 70's classics, and some of us have bought, or at least lust after the new 412 hp Mustang, 425 hp Hemi Challengers and Chargers, and the new 400/426 hp LS3 Camaros.  However, not all of us can afford to buy either '60's classics, or the new ones. 30+ thousand dollars or $500-600 per month payments is a lot of money for any car, much less a 2nd or third one. Be honest, most musclecars or Corvettes, either old or new are not used as daily drivers. For those of us on a limited budget, there are quite a few cars with excellent performance potential available dirt-cheap that "Bridged the Gap" and kept the faith through the '80's and '90's, and are largely the reason we have the "Muscle Renaissance" going on now.  # 1 This was a no-brainer. 1983-93 Ford 5.0 Mustang. I left off the 82 model that had a two-barrel carb and a four-speed, that was really a 3-speed with overdrive. Their fairly rare anyhow, not that you'd want one. The 83-86 models had 4-barrels and 5-speeds, and don't cost any more. The 87-93 fuel-injected models are the best performers and most reliable. Except for a 69 Camaro, there is probably more speed equipment available for these cars than anything else on the planet.  #2 1993-2002 Z/28 Camaro/ Pontiac Trans-Am. LT1 versions had 300 hp stock, and you can increase that by 150 so easy it's almost criminal. 98 and later models had the LS1 which was rated at 320 and has unlimited potential. # 3 1982-92 Camaro/ Firebird. On the downside, most had 305 Chevy V8s for power. On the upside a stout 350 or 383 stroker is literally a bolt-in. Some 87-92 Z/28, IROC-Z, Trans-Am and Formula models may have the L98 TPI Corvette motor. These will be pricier than base models, but still a screaming bargain.  # 4 1987-92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. These cars had Recaro-style seats, sport suspension, fat tires, a monochromatic paint job, and the heart of a 5.0 Mustang. Almost any speed parts that fit a Mustang will fit these cars.    # 5 1989-95 Ford Thunderbird. Swoopy styling and independent suspension make these great drivers. Supercharged V6 models are cool, but may be a little pricey. The real bargains are the 91-95 models with the 5.0 V8. Again, just about anything that fits a Mustang can be adapted to these cars. # 6 1985-91 Corvette. Corvette collectors snub these cars in favor of the later LT1 and LS1 versions, but that saves the rest of us money. I have seen these cars on used car lots and on Ebay for as low as $3995! The L98 TPI 350 runs great stock-( low-mid 14's ) and there is a ton of emission-legal speed equipment available for these cars. Something to consider if  your on a tight budget and still want to go fast. Mastermind        

7,8 & 9 second "Street Machines" ? Come on, Man!!

You don't see this in Musclecar Review or Hemmings Muscle Machines, but you see it in Hot Rod, Car Craft, and every other enthusiast mag on the market. An article on some "Real Street" drag event where the winner is a 7 second Nova or 9 second Chevelle or Road Runner, or some blown, nitroused Fox-bodied Mustang. It's relevant here, because a lot of these cars are Classic Musclecars. I'm sorry guys, but a car with an 8 or 10 point roll cage-( Required by the NHRA on any car faster than 11.50 ) , rolling on 29 inch slicks, powered by 12:1 compression 500 ci, 700 hp engine backed by an automatic with a 4,500 rpm stall converter and trans-brake, is not a street machine, it's a race car with liscence plates. How many of these cars arrive at the "Street Drag" events on trailers?  And how many are driven at all really? Even with 4.56 gears, your 55 mph cruising rpm is still going to be well below the converters stall speed. Just how far toward soccer practice can mom go before burning up the tranny? I took quite a bit of heat from people in Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding calling me names I won't mention here, and telling me to go buy a Camry if I wanted a mild-mannered commuter. Contrary to these letter-writers I am not a "Candy ass." I can tolerate loud exhaust, or a rough idle-the cam in my 442 has .474/510 lift. I'll trade highway fuel economy for blistering off-the-line performance. My GTO had 4.33:1 gears. Yes, anything is drivable, depending on what the driver is willing to tolerate. But eventually, you hit the wall of diminishing returns. A case in point. I had a friend who bought a Cobra Replica Kit Car. It had a blown big block in it. Was it fast? It was ungodly fast-it ran something like 9.90 on his first pass down the quarter, after which he got banned from the track for not having a roll cage and a driveshaft safety loop. Did he drive it on the street? Occasionally. Was it nice to drive? Well, you tell me. You had to crane your neck to the left to see around the blower to drive, it had no top, no side windows, no power steering, no power brakes. If it idled for more than a minute it got hot, which turned the cockpit into a sauna. Drivers and passengers alike burned their legs on the sidepipes, and about every 5th time he got on it it would spit a half-shaft out the Jag rear end and have to be towed home.  He kept it a year or so, and then sold it, because once the thrill of people riding in it and losing control of their bladders was no longer amusing, it just became in his words- "More trouble than it's worth." He did buy another Cobra replica, but this one had a 5.0 Mustang powertrain, and was in my pal's own words- "A helluva lot nicer to drive and way more dependable than the other one, even though it's not nearly as fast."  Mastermind