Although the 1964 Pontiac GTO is acknowledged as the first muscle car there were a number
of cars that came before and certainly would fall into the muscle car category. The general
rules for a muscle car appear to be a small car and a big engine. Exactly how small the car has to be or how big the engine has to be to qualify as a muscle car is certainly open to debate. Opinions on this subject are like belly buttons, everyone has one. Most muscle cars leave no doubt as to their being the real deal but there are some that are on the border and as time goes by, the lines that separate a muscle car from a wanna-be gets blurrier and harder to see.
Back before 1964 and the GTO several cars could have claimed to be muscle cars if the name
had been in vogue at the time. It appears the word muscle car came into being after the
muscle car era was almost over with. Most of the car now known as muscle cars were called
"super cars" back when they first started.
I believe that the first car that really qualified as a muscle car was the 1949 Oldsmobile
Rocket 88. GM had a brand new 303cid V-8 with 135hp which they put in their smallest car,
which had the same body shell as the Chevrolet, and called it the Rocket 88. With the the
88 having the smallest body and the new powerful V-8 it met the definition of a muscle car.
Olds stayed ahead of the other car makers until 1954 when Buick built what could be counted
as a muscle car when they put their new 322cid 195hp engine in the light bodied Special and
called it the Century.
In 1955 Chrysler came out with the C-300 with a mighty 331cid 300hp Hemi V-8. In 1956 they
pushed it to 354cid with 355hp and were the first to get 1 horsepower from 1 cubic inch of
displacment. It was certainly muscular but really couldn't be classed as muscle car as it
weighed over 4,000 lbs. and that took it out of what would become the standard for a muscle
car.
Other Chrysler manufactured cars jumped into the muscle car category in 1956 with the
Plymouth Fury and Dodge D500. They both had 303cid engines that put out 260hp with the
racing version putting out 285hp. In 1957 the horsepower was boosted to 290hp from a 318cid
engine and in 1958 the engine was up to 350cid and 315hp. In 1960 they started to get real
serious about horsepower with a 383cid putting out 330hp. In 1961 they put a 383 in a
Dodge Dart which was almost a muscle car and 1962 they created the first real muscle car
when a 413 Max Wedge was stuffed into the Dart. In 1963 they went over the top and built
the 426cid Hemi with 425hp. It's real hard to believe the Dart wasn't named the first
muscle car but I guess Pontiac had better PR people.
While the Chrysler Corporation was building their monsters the other manufacturers were
busy trying to catch up in the horsepower race. Although Chevy had a V-8 shortly after
Chrysler they were late to the cubic inch party. It wasn't until 1958 that they were up to
348cid with 315hp. They were able to crank a few more horses out each year until 1961 when
they really got with the program with the 409cid with 409hp. That felt so good that they
brought out a 427cid with 430hp shortly after. These engines were all in the full body car.In 1963 the Chevelle came out to challenge the Ford Fairlane but in only had a 327 and were
caught napping by the GTO in 1964. The next year they caught up with the 396cid but too
late.
Ford didn't have any thing they could call a true muscle car until after 1964 but they did have some muscle engines they put in the full size Fairlane starting in 1958 when they broughtout the 351cid 300hp V-8 and then bumped it to 360hp in 1960. In 1961 they had the 390cid 401hp, 1962 saw 406cid 405hp and 1963 the biggest one of all 427cid and 425hp. In 1962 the Fairlane was reborn as a intermediate car to enter the muscle car market although they only had a 289cid engine until 1966.
Even American Motors claimed the title of 1st muscle car with the 1957 Rebel. Unfortunately
the engine was only 327cid and 255hp, so that it was a bit of a stretch to be called a
muscle car although at the time it was billed as the fastest 4 door sedan on the road.
The 1964 GTO was certainly a muscle car of the first order. The coupe only weighed 3,106
lbs. and with the 389cid engine putting out up to 348hp it was a force to be reckoned with
and definitely worthy of being called the first muscle car. Whether it was first or not it
was the car that set the pattern for the other muscle cars to follow. Classic muscle cars
had a short run with a limited number of them built and far less of them are still around.
We need to keep on restoring or preserving them so that the kids of today can have a chance
to see or even own a piece of history that will never come around again. Remember, restore
them don't crush them.
Author: Don Levy has a 60 year love affair with all classic cars, muscle cars & hotrods. He
lived through the times that he writes about & witnessed the evolution of the classic car
first hand. His website at http://classic-car-hunter.com/ has over a thousand classic cars
& trucks, muscle cars, hotrods, street rods & classic car parts for sale along with an area
to list your car for sale.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Ford Mustang-It's Seven Year Run From Mild To Wild!
In March 1964 Ford debuted as one the most popular cars ever built. It was the car that started the pony car craze and gave us a peek into what the world would know as the muscle car era. Although it was built in 1964 it was designated as a 1965. The ones built from March until July 31, 1964 are known as 1964 1/2 Mustangs and were some what different from the ones built from August 1 and later. Most of the differences were internal and the body were identical except for the hood being rolled under in the later ones. It was basically a Falcon with a new body and bucket seats. The ones built after July are known as 1965's and were a little more updated with such things as an alternator,adjustable passenger seat and a number of other engineering refinements. The pony interior with the running horses was offered also.
The Mustang probably had the biggest debut of any car ever made as it was introduced at the New York's World Fair and was the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. Over 4 million people visited the showrooms and 22,000 were ordered the 1st day. It sold 417,000 the first year which broke all previous automobile sales records.
The body styles were the coupe and convertible. No fastbacks were built until the 1965's came out in August. The engines were the U code 170 CI 6 cylinder, F code 260 V8 and the D code 289 V8 with 210 Horsepower. The GT came out in April 1965 and was offered in all 3 body styles. You had a choice of the A code 225 HP or K code 271 HP V8. The 271 HP almost qualified it as a muscle car. The 1st Shelby Mustangs, all fastbacks, came out in 1965 and was really a hotrod with no backseat and hopped up to 306 HP.
1966 didn't see a lot of changes in the body except for the pony in the grill, side trim and restyled gas cap. The G.T. 350 came out in 1966 and Hertz ordered 1,001 of them for rental cars or "Rent-a Racers" as they were known as. Many Sundays they could be found at the dragstrip or road race course. There was a rumour at the time that a number of them were rented and the engines swapped with the renter's engine and returned to the dealer. True or not it makes a heck of a story. This was also the first year for the High Country Special sold in Colorado and Wyoming. The Shelby GT350 was available with a 289cid that put out 390hp and likely qualified it as a muscle car. In 1967 the Mustang had the 1st body redesign, although it wasn't a major one, mostly trim and grill. The biggest change was on the fastback where the top went all the way to the rear of the car. The convertible had a glass rear window for the 1st time.
It was the last year for 289 Hi-Po and the first year for the 390cid and 428cid engines. The GT350 had the 289cid Hi-Po while the GT500 got the 428cid. The 390cid could be had in all 3 body styles. This was the only year for the GTA which had an automatic transmission and could be had with the 289 or 390 in all 3 body styles. Only 400 High Country Specials were build in 1967.
The Chevy Camaro, Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda were all in the same class as the Mustang and cut into their sales, but they still outsold their nearest competitor, the Cougar by a three to one margin.
The 1968 was little changed in appearance from the 1967. The 427cid of Cobra fame came out in he GT's. Equipped With disc brakes, racing tires and heavy duty suspension it was race ready right off the showroom floor. Mustang racer Bob Tasca efforts to build the 428 Cobra Jet was rewarded by Ford building 2,817 instead of the just 50 intial run he asked for. This was the last year for the High Country Special and a California Special was available for this year only. All the Specials were coupes.
In 1969 things really changed, the engine line had 7 different size engines and although the body had the same look it was 4 inches longer and a little wider. The engines ranged from the 2 little 6 cylinders, a regular and a Boss 302cid, 2 different 351cid, the 390cid, the Cobra Jet and Cobra Jet-R 428cid all the way up to the monster, Boss 429. The original body styles were still around, but now they were joined by the Mach 1, the Boss and the Grande. This was the last year for the GT.
The Mach 1 was basically a fastback GT with upgrades. It came with 351cid, 390cid or the Cobra Jet 428.The Grande was for the luxury buyer, with many upgrades. The Boss 302 was built to race in the TransAm series where the Camaro had beat them in 1968. They almost won it in 1969. This was the year of the Boss 429 debut, which was the Nascar version engine.
1970 was a happier year for Ford as the Boss 302 won the Trans-Am Series. Very few changes were made to the cars. The Boss 429cid came out with a hemi-head that required suspension modifications so it would fit.The 390cid was done away with. Ford built 2 1970 Boss 429 Lawmen Mustangs to tour with the U.S. troops. Only 1 of the 1,200-horsepower monsters survives today and is owned by wrestler Bill Goldberg.
In 1971 the Mustang gained one inch in wheelbase and every other dimension grew. The Mach 1 could now be had with the 429cid although the 302cid was standard. The Boss 302 and Boss 429 were both dropped in favor of the Boss 351. Like 1970 there wasn't too much exciting happening in the Ford camp. It was like they knew the end was near.
1972 saw the end of the Mustangs wild ride. The 429cid engine was dropped which meant that the largest engine was now the 351cid. Although the High Output version put out a respectable 275hp it was a far cry from the advertised 376hp (reputed to be much higher) the Boss 429 put out. In my estimation this was the last year for the Ford muscle cars although in reality it was 1970 as the engine cubic inches and horsepwer went the way of the dodo bird in the 1971 models.
I hate to even mention the 1973 because of the hatchet job that was done on the Mustang and other muscle cars. This was even the last year for the convertible. The 351cid was down to a wimpy 266hp. The Mustang with any kind of muscle was dead and would not really get revived until recently.
Due to the short but rich history of the real Mustangs we need to keep on restoring or preserving them so that the kids of today can have a chance to own a piece of history that will never come around again. Remember, restore them don't crush them.
Author: Don Levy has a 60 year love affair with all classic cars, muscle cars & hotrods. He lived through the times that he writes about & witnessed the evolution of the automobile first hand. His website at http://classic-car-hunter.com/ has over a thousand classic cars & trucks, muscle cars, hotrods, street rods & classic car parts for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.
The Mustang probably had the biggest debut of any car ever made as it was introduced at the New York's World Fair and was the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. Over 4 million people visited the showrooms and 22,000 were ordered the 1st day. It sold 417,000 the first year which broke all previous automobile sales records.
The body styles were the coupe and convertible. No fastbacks were built until the 1965's came out in August. The engines were the U code 170 CI 6 cylinder, F code 260 V8 and the D code 289 V8 with 210 Horsepower. The GT came out in April 1965 and was offered in all 3 body styles. You had a choice of the A code 225 HP or K code 271 HP V8. The 271 HP almost qualified it as a muscle car. The 1st Shelby Mustangs, all fastbacks, came out in 1965 and was really a hotrod with no backseat and hopped up to 306 HP.
1966 didn't see a lot of changes in the body except for the pony in the grill, side trim and restyled gas cap. The G.T. 350 came out in 1966 and Hertz ordered 1,001 of them for rental cars or "Rent-a Racers" as they were known as. Many Sundays they could be found at the dragstrip or road race course. There was a rumour at the time that a number of them were rented and the engines swapped with the renter's engine and returned to the dealer. True or not it makes a heck of a story. This was also the first year for the High Country Special sold in Colorado and Wyoming. The Shelby GT350 was available with a 289cid that put out 390hp and likely qualified it as a muscle car. In 1967 the Mustang had the 1st body redesign, although it wasn't a major one, mostly trim and grill. The biggest change was on the fastback where the top went all the way to the rear of the car. The convertible had a glass rear window for the 1st time.
It was the last year for 289 Hi-Po and the first year for the 390cid and 428cid engines. The GT350 had the 289cid Hi-Po while the GT500 got the 428cid. The 390cid could be had in all 3 body styles. This was the only year for the GTA which had an automatic transmission and could be had with the 289 or 390 in all 3 body styles. Only 400 High Country Specials were build in 1967.
The Chevy Camaro, Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda were all in the same class as the Mustang and cut into their sales, but they still outsold their nearest competitor, the Cougar by a three to one margin.
The 1968 was little changed in appearance from the 1967. The 427cid of Cobra fame came out in he GT's. Equipped With disc brakes, racing tires and heavy duty suspension it was race ready right off the showroom floor. Mustang racer Bob Tasca efforts to build the 428 Cobra Jet was rewarded by Ford building 2,817 instead of the just 50 intial run he asked for. This was the last year for the High Country Special and a California Special was available for this year only. All the Specials were coupes.
In 1969 things really changed, the engine line had 7 different size engines and although the body had the same look it was 4 inches longer and a little wider. The engines ranged from the 2 little 6 cylinders, a regular and a Boss 302cid, 2 different 351cid, the 390cid, the Cobra Jet and Cobra Jet-R 428cid all the way up to the monster, Boss 429. The original body styles were still around, but now they were joined by the Mach 1, the Boss and the Grande. This was the last year for the GT.
The Mach 1 was basically a fastback GT with upgrades. It came with 351cid, 390cid or the Cobra Jet 428.The Grande was for the luxury buyer, with many upgrades. The Boss 302 was built to race in the TransAm series where the Camaro had beat them in 1968. They almost won it in 1969. This was the year of the Boss 429 debut, which was the Nascar version engine.
1970 was a happier year for Ford as the Boss 302 won the Trans-Am Series. Very few changes were made to the cars. The Boss 429cid came out with a hemi-head that required suspension modifications so it would fit.The 390cid was done away with. Ford built 2 1970 Boss 429 Lawmen Mustangs to tour with the U.S. troops. Only 1 of the 1,200-horsepower monsters survives today and is owned by wrestler Bill Goldberg.
In 1971 the Mustang gained one inch in wheelbase and every other dimension grew. The Mach 1 could now be had with the 429cid although the 302cid was standard. The Boss 302 and Boss 429 were both dropped in favor of the Boss 351. Like 1970 there wasn't too much exciting happening in the Ford camp. It was like they knew the end was near.
1972 saw the end of the Mustangs wild ride. The 429cid engine was dropped which meant that the largest engine was now the 351cid. Although the High Output version put out a respectable 275hp it was a far cry from the advertised 376hp (reputed to be much higher) the Boss 429 put out. In my estimation this was the last year for the Ford muscle cars although in reality it was 1970 as the engine cubic inches and horsepwer went the way of the dodo bird in the 1971 models.
I hate to even mention the 1973 because of the hatchet job that was done on the Mustang and other muscle cars. This was even the last year for the convertible. The 351cid was down to a wimpy 266hp. The Mustang with any kind of muscle was dead and would not really get revived until recently.
Due to the short but rich history of the real Mustangs we need to keep on restoring or preserving them so that the kids of today can have a chance to own a piece of history that will never come around again. Remember, restore them don't crush them.
Author: Don Levy has a 60 year love affair with all classic cars, muscle cars & hotrods. He lived through the times that he writes about & witnessed the evolution of the automobile first hand. His website at http://classic-car-hunter.com/ has over a thousand classic cars & trucks, muscle cars, hotrods, street rods & classic car parts for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The Muscle Car And Tyrannasaurus Rex-A Study In Similarities
When you saw the headline you probably wondered, what is this guy smoking. Just think about it for a moment, neither one of them is still around but both are a big part of our culture.Who hasn't heard of the T-Rex(as he's better known as) or a GTO? I think by the end of this article you'll agree with me,at least a little bit, that there are at least some similarities.
First of all let's take a look at how T-Rex evolved or could have evolved. I would imagine the 1st dinosaurs were fairly small, egg layers and most likely plant eaters. Suppose (you really have to use your imagination) there was a nest of newly hatched reptiles and as usually happens the most agressive got the most food and grew to be the biggest. Nowsuppose the mother wasn't able to bring any more food (for whatever reason) to the babies. They would probably start fighting over what ever scraps they could find and the largest one might take a bite out of one of the others. Finding he or she liked it, he would eventually eat all the rest of them. By then be he would be big enough and bad enough to take on the world. Now suppose this same scenario happened close by but with one of the opposite sex. I think you can get the picture of how T-Rex evolved. Eventually some outside forces caused the T-Rex along with all the other dinosaurs to die out, exactly how is the center of much debate about the subject.
Now then we come to the muscle car evolution. Of course we know how the muscle car died out. It took the muscle car roughly 60-70 years to evolve in comparison to the millions for T-Rex, although the life span of our subjects compared to the overall span of existence could be similar. We know the muscle car existed for approximately 9 years or about 12% of the life span of the automobile up the end of the muscle car. It's possible the T-Rex was around for the same percentage of time. When the automobile became more than just an idea, it was inconceivable to anyone that eventually it would become the fire-breathing monster machine called the muscle car. Let's examine how this happened. The first machines that qualified as an automobile car had less than 20 horsepower while the advertised horsepower of the most powerful production musclecar was 450 horsepower in the 1970 Chevy 454. Of course today you'll find modern cars with even more but we're talking about the classic car age.
I would say the horsepower race really started in 1955 likely due to the rivalry between Ford and Chevrolet, even though Oldsmobile had an overhead V8 clear back in 1949. In 1954 Ford came out with an overhead valve engine followed by Chevrolet in 1955 and Mopar in 1956. Chevy's was larger than Fords and Mopar's bigger still and away went the horsepower race. Even though the horsepower was starting to climb at a dizzying rate,the engines were still being put in the standard configuration of the bigger the car the bigger the engine. 1959-1960 was when the compact car made an appearance (and set the stage for the muscle car along with the bigger engines) with the Big 3 all having them. The American public had a taste of horsepower and now they were asked to go back to little 6 cylinder engines. Needless to say it was a tough sell for the compacts, but their day was coming.
Things were pretty static for the next few years with the horsepower wars marching along. Chevrolet had the 348 CIengine in 1958 and then made it into the 409 in 1961. In 1962 it was the first production engine to hit 1 horsepowerper 1 cubic inch. They got to a 396 CI in 1965 and the 427 in 1966. In 1970 they were up to 454 CI.
Ford engines were kind of lagging behind until 1961 when they came out with the 390 CI and then a 406 CI engine in 1962. In 1963 they were up to 427 CI and 428 CI in 1966. The biggest the 429 CI came in 1969.
Mopars were up to the 392 Hemi in 1958 and the 413 Wedge replaced the Hemi in 1959. In 1966 they came out with a 426 Hemi and in 1967 a all new 440 CI monster. 1971 was the last year for these engines.
Meanwhile Oldsmobile jumped into the horsepower race with a 330 CI engine in 1964 and a 400 CI in 1965. In 1970 they came out with their biggest at 455 CI. Buick pretty well stayed outof the race until 1963 when they came out with a 401 and 425 CI. In 1967 the 430 replaced the 425 CI.Their huge 455 CI debuted in 1970. Pontiac brought out the 389 CI in 1961 with a 400 and a 428 CI coming out in 1967. Their big 455 CI came out in 1970.
During all of this engine one-ups-manship the boys at Pontiac used a GM technicality to their advantage and stuffed a 389 CI into a Tempest. Although this was reported as the first muscle car the Olds had the 442 and a number of other models had bigger engines for 1964 and earlier years.
Looking back,because GM dropped their engine cubic inch restrictions in 1970 most of the cars increased the cubes toeven bigger sizes. I imagine this is one reason the insurancecompanies put huge premiums on the muscle cars. 1970 was alsothe goverment passed the Clean Air Act. Those two things started the demise of the muscle car and then the oil crisis finished them off. By 1972 all the manufacturers except Pontiac had thrown in the towel and that was the real end of the muscle car era. The Pontiac TransAm came out as a muscle car in 1973and 1974 but it was a fairly toothless T-Rex.
If you follow the auctions or keep up with the prices of musclecars you'll see that they are getting their revenge for being killed off in the prices they're bringing nowadays.
Hopefully no one will take this article too seriously and challenge me on my suppositions and treatment of history. I think the engine and car facts are correct but if not don't gettoo bent out of shape over it. It's intended to be entertainingrather than a treatise of history.
Just like the T-Rex the muscle car had a brief but illustriouslife in the overall scheme of history. They both packed a lot ofdynamics into the short time they were on earth and will both forever be a part of history that is engrained in our hearts and minds.
Author: Don Levy has a 60 year love affair with all classic cars, muscle cars and hotrods. He lived through the times that he writes about and witnessed evolution of the automobile first hand. His website at http://classic-car-hunter.com/ has over a thousand classic cars and trucks, muscle cars, hotrods street rods and assorted cars for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.
First of all let's take a look at how T-Rex evolved or could have evolved. I would imagine the 1st dinosaurs were fairly small, egg layers and most likely plant eaters. Suppose (you really have to use your imagination) there was a nest of newly hatched reptiles and as usually happens the most agressive got the most food and grew to be the biggest. Nowsuppose the mother wasn't able to bring any more food (for whatever reason) to the babies. They would probably start fighting over what ever scraps they could find and the largest one might take a bite out of one of the others. Finding he or she liked it, he would eventually eat all the rest of them. By then be he would be big enough and bad enough to take on the world. Now suppose this same scenario happened close by but with one of the opposite sex. I think you can get the picture of how T-Rex evolved. Eventually some outside forces caused the T-Rex along with all the other dinosaurs to die out, exactly how is the center of much debate about the subject.
Now then we come to the muscle car evolution. Of course we know how the muscle car died out. It took the muscle car roughly 60-70 years to evolve in comparison to the millions for T-Rex, although the life span of our subjects compared to the overall span of existence could be similar. We know the muscle car existed for approximately 9 years or about 12% of the life span of the automobile up the end of the muscle car. It's possible the T-Rex was around for the same percentage of time. When the automobile became more than just an idea, it was inconceivable to anyone that eventually it would become the fire-breathing monster machine called the muscle car. Let's examine how this happened. The first machines that qualified as an automobile car had less than 20 horsepower while the advertised horsepower of the most powerful production musclecar was 450 horsepower in the 1970 Chevy 454. Of course today you'll find modern cars with even more but we're talking about the classic car age.
I would say the horsepower race really started in 1955 likely due to the rivalry between Ford and Chevrolet, even though Oldsmobile had an overhead V8 clear back in 1949. In 1954 Ford came out with an overhead valve engine followed by Chevrolet in 1955 and Mopar in 1956. Chevy's was larger than Fords and Mopar's bigger still and away went the horsepower race. Even though the horsepower was starting to climb at a dizzying rate,the engines were still being put in the standard configuration of the bigger the car the bigger the engine. 1959-1960 was when the compact car made an appearance (and set the stage for the muscle car along with the bigger engines) with the Big 3 all having them. The American public had a taste of horsepower and now they were asked to go back to little 6 cylinder engines. Needless to say it was a tough sell for the compacts, but their day was coming.
Things were pretty static for the next few years with the horsepower wars marching along. Chevrolet had the 348 CIengine in 1958 and then made it into the 409 in 1961. In 1962 it was the first production engine to hit 1 horsepowerper 1 cubic inch. They got to a 396 CI in 1965 and the 427 in 1966. In 1970 they were up to 454 CI.
Ford engines were kind of lagging behind until 1961 when they came out with the 390 CI and then a 406 CI engine in 1962. In 1963 they were up to 427 CI and 428 CI in 1966. The biggest the 429 CI came in 1969.
Mopars were up to the 392 Hemi in 1958 and the 413 Wedge replaced the Hemi in 1959. In 1966 they came out with a 426 Hemi and in 1967 a all new 440 CI monster. 1971 was the last year for these engines.
Meanwhile Oldsmobile jumped into the horsepower race with a 330 CI engine in 1964 and a 400 CI in 1965. In 1970 they came out with their biggest at 455 CI. Buick pretty well stayed outof the race until 1963 when they came out with a 401 and 425 CI. In 1967 the 430 replaced the 425 CI.Their huge 455 CI debuted in 1970. Pontiac brought out the 389 CI in 1961 with a 400 and a 428 CI coming out in 1967. Their big 455 CI came out in 1970.
During all of this engine one-ups-manship the boys at Pontiac used a GM technicality to their advantage and stuffed a 389 CI into a Tempest. Although this was reported as the first muscle car the Olds had the 442 and a number of other models had bigger engines for 1964 and earlier years.
Looking back,because GM dropped their engine cubic inch restrictions in 1970 most of the cars increased the cubes toeven bigger sizes. I imagine this is one reason the insurancecompanies put huge premiums on the muscle cars. 1970 was alsothe goverment passed the Clean Air Act. Those two things started the demise of the muscle car and then the oil crisis finished them off. By 1972 all the manufacturers except Pontiac had thrown in the towel and that was the real end of the muscle car era. The Pontiac TransAm came out as a muscle car in 1973and 1974 but it was a fairly toothless T-Rex.
If you follow the auctions or keep up with the prices of musclecars you'll see that they are getting their revenge for being killed off in the prices they're bringing nowadays.
Hopefully no one will take this article too seriously and challenge me on my suppositions and treatment of history. I think the engine and car facts are correct but if not don't gettoo bent out of shape over it. It's intended to be entertainingrather than a treatise of history.
Just like the T-Rex the muscle car had a brief but illustriouslife in the overall scheme of history. They both packed a lot ofdynamics into the short time they were on earth and will both forever be a part of history that is engrained in our hearts and minds.
Author: Don Levy has a 60 year love affair with all classic cars, muscle cars and hotrods. He lived through the times that he writes about and witnessed evolution of the automobile first hand. His website at http://classic-car-hunter.com/ has over a thousand classic cars and trucks, muscle cars, hotrods street rods and assorted cars for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
How To Buy And Restore A Classic Car
How To Buy and Restore a Classic Car
by: Terry Bolton
For many people classic cars are luxury. Hence it is only a dream for most of us. If you can't afford to buy a new one due to its cost, be assured it is going to be a costlier affair to restore one as well. There are many questions to answer before you buy a classic car. Your budget situation as well as your willingness to spend on it to restore it are some the most important.
Spending the savings on a vintage vehicle is also done by many people. It is seen as an investment for many. After you restore a vehicle, the market value of it would be better than you imagined. Depending on its model and condition, classic cars can be a great potential profit maker. Car auctions are the place to look for classics. There are many classic auto enthusiasts out there willing to spend a fortune on these cars. However, before buying such a car you should consider the following:
Remember that what you want to buy would be described as a collector car.
Decide what vehicle fits your budget.
This will probably eliminate those vintages you drool about in major car shows, unless you are very rich. Just one of those cars you see in major car shows can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Researching on where to buy classic cars is not easy though.
You need to spend a lot of time and effort just in searching for one of these cars. Keep in mind that these cars are not manufactured anymore and you do not often see them at your regular used car dealership. You can even be lucky and find one in a junk yard or in old people's houses. They do sell or throw these classic cars away. You can even get such vehicles with a bargain price. Cars covered with rust with engines in bad shape are not new to people who look for the vintage ones. Vehicle auctions are a place to look for classics and you can even travel to get one in the auctions. Here you will get a chance to offer a bargain price for it.
If you want to spend less in restoration you have to look for a classic vehicle that is in good condition. Comparison of the models should absolutely be done before you decide to buy the one you like. If you are a amateur mechanic you can probably do the comparison yourself. Otherwise you can take a professional mechanic along to help you decide which one to buy. Always remember that the less vehicle restoration required the better.
Next step after you purchase your classic vehicle is restoring it. Be prepared to spend a lot of time as well as some money on this phase, since good car parts for classic cars are hard to come by and are usually very expensive to manufacture. During restoration getting the parts for the old car can be a tedious task. You should be prepared to make many calls to the auto parts shop to get all you want. One way of easily obtaining classic car parts though, is by searching on the Internet.
Finding the hard to find parts for your classic automobile is made easy through a web search. If you can't find it online, you can always ask a manufacturer to produce one for your classic. To do so, they may need to have the old part for reference. It is very smart not to do those repairs yourself unless you absolutely know what you do. There are great auto mechanics for this purpose and you can avail their service almost anytime. That is the absolutely best way to do it.
Restoration of cars is a costly affair in the mechanic shops and hence it is avoided. If you purchase your classic for investment purpose then it is wise not to go for restoration since restored cars are valued less in the future. Also notice that the cost of restoration would be higher than the value of the car at the time of restoration. However, restored cars can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.
About The Author
Terry Bolton is a writer and internet publisher who likes to publish informative articles about classic vehicles and related issues. Read more at http://www.11-classic-cars.com.
by: Terry Bolton
For many people classic cars are luxury. Hence it is only a dream for most of us. If you can't afford to buy a new one due to its cost, be assured it is going to be a costlier affair to restore one as well. There are many questions to answer before you buy a classic car. Your budget situation as well as your willingness to spend on it to restore it are some the most important.
Spending the savings on a vintage vehicle is also done by many people. It is seen as an investment for many. After you restore a vehicle, the market value of it would be better than you imagined. Depending on its model and condition, classic cars can be a great potential profit maker. Car auctions are the place to look for classics. There are many classic auto enthusiasts out there willing to spend a fortune on these cars. However, before buying such a car you should consider the following:
Remember that what you want to buy would be described as a collector car.
Decide what vehicle fits your budget.
This will probably eliminate those vintages you drool about in major car shows, unless you are very rich. Just one of those cars you see in major car shows can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Researching on where to buy classic cars is not easy though.
You need to spend a lot of time and effort just in searching for one of these cars. Keep in mind that these cars are not manufactured anymore and you do not often see them at your regular used car dealership. You can even be lucky and find one in a junk yard or in old people's houses. They do sell or throw these classic cars away. You can even get such vehicles with a bargain price. Cars covered with rust with engines in bad shape are not new to people who look for the vintage ones. Vehicle auctions are a place to look for classics and you can even travel to get one in the auctions. Here you will get a chance to offer a bargain price for it.
If you want to spend less in restoration you have to look for a classic vehicle that is in good condition. Comparison of the models should absolutely be done before you decide to buy the one you like. If you are a amateur mechanic you can probably do the comparison yourself. Otherwise you can take a professional mechanic along to help you decide which one to buy. Always remember that the less vehicle restoration required the better.
Next step after you purchase your classic vehicle is restoring it. Be prepared to spend a lot of time as well as some money on this phase, since good car parts for classic cars are hard to come by and are usually very expensive to manufacture. During restoration getting the parts for the old car can be a tedious task. You should be prepared to make many calls to the auto parts shop to get all you want. One way of easily obtaining classic car parts though, is by searching on the Internet.
Finding the hard to find parts for your classic automobile is made easy through a web search. If you can't find it online, you can always ask a manufacturer to produce one for your classic. To do so, they may need to have the old part for reference. It is very smart not to do those repairs yourself unless you absolutely know what you do. There are great auto mechanics for this purpose and you can avail their service almost anytime. That is the absolutely best way to do it.
Restoration of cars is a costly affair in the mechanic shops and hence it is avoided. If you purchase your classic for investment purpose then it is wise not to go for restoration since restored cars are valued less in the future. Also notice that the cost of restoration would be higher than the value of the car at the time of restoration. However, restored cars can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.
About The Author
Terry Bolton is a writer and internet publisher who likes to publish informative articles about classic vehicles and related issues. Read more at http://www.11-classic-cars.com.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
A Family Classic Car-Making A Case For A 4-Door
Most classic car collectors (me included) have always maintained that a 4-door sedan wasn't really a classic car.Usually the argument was about the styling and desirablility. A popular argument has alway been "just because it's old doesn't make it a classic". This is likely still true but all older cars that have been restored may be viewed as a classic car to some degree. It's true that a coupe or convertible is going to be more desirable than a 4-door in most cases, but later I'll give you some reasons why a 4-door might be the way to go.
In this article classic cars will basically be a catchall name for all the cars that I'm discussing here, so bear with me.
Here is a brief trip through history to try and explain how the4-door kind of got shoved aside as a classic car. If someone is restoring or making a street rod from the twenties, thirties or forties car a 4-door is sometimes more desirable than a roadster or a coupe. This is due to utility being very important as a lot of car owners like to cruise with their family and friends.
In 1949 there was a big change as most cars now came with rear seats and could carry four or more people in comfort, so there wasn't much reason to choose the utility of a sedan over a coupe or convertible. With the utility factor gone buyers started buying classic cars based on desirability. This really kicked into high gear when the hardtops became the hot ticket in theearly fifties.
When the muscle car era began in 1964 almost no one looking for a muscle car ordered a 4-door because muscle cars were built on the premise of low weight and high horsepower. Today most buyers would prefer a car from 1964 to 1972 to be a muscle car or at least have the appearance of one which of course excludes the 4-doors.
As I'm writing this I'm beginning to be a little more tolerantof 4-doors than I was yesterday.
This started this morning as I approached a 1966 Chevelle Malibu from the rear and saying to myself "that's a good looking classic car" and then as I passed I said "too bad it's a 4-door". Shortly after the "different strokes for different folks syndrome" kicked in and I started thinking, there must be some reasons why a 4-door would be a good car to own and by golly I thought of some. Even though a 4-door (even a 4-door hardtop) will never have style of a hardtop or a convertible there are a number of reasons why they are a good deal. Here they are:
1. First of all, the price is going to be much less than a hardtop, sometimes as much as 50% less, mainly because they are less desirable.
2.Secondly many 4-doors are still original. A lot of them will be one or two owner cars and likely to be low milage. Many will be passed down from parents and will be in very good condition. This is a plus as there will be less expense for restoration and you can put your own touches on it.
3. Third the utility is greater in a 4-door because of the back doors letting people get in and out easier plus there will be more leg room. Kids, wives and older people will appreciate this.
4. Fourth your insurance will likely cost less than the sportier cars as the insurance company will know that someone who buys a 4-door will likely be a safer driver because it'll probably be a family car.
5. Fifth the operating cost most likely be less because most of the 4-door cars had smaller engines and most had automatic transmissions.This in itself will keep the desire to hotrod down to a minimum which will save money in gas and parts.
6. Sixth and probably most important is the fact that the wife will be much more receptive to your buying a classic car if you can explain how the whole family can go cruising instead of just you and your buddy. I speak from experience.
There are likely more reasons for someone to buy a 4-door but I can't think of them right now. If you have any let me know and I update this article in the future.
Author: Don Levy My website at http://classic-car-hunter.com has over a thousand classic cars and trucks, muscle cars, hotrods street rods and assorted cars for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.There are also many articles like this about the classic car hobby.
In this article classic cars will basically be a catchall name for all the cars that I'm discussing here, so bear with me.
Here is a brief trip through history to try and explain how the4-door kind of got shoved aside as a classic car. If someone is restoring or making a street rod from the twenties, thirties or forties car a 4-door is sometimes more desirable than a roadster or a coupe. This is due to utility being very important as a lot of car owners like to cruise with their family and friends.
In 1949 there was a big change as most cars now came with rear seats and could carry four or more people in comfort, so there wasn't much reason to choose the utility of a sedan over a coupe or convertible. With the utility factor gone buyers started buying classic cars based on desirability. This really kicked into high gear when the hardtops became the hot ticket in theearly fifties.
When the muscle car era began in 1964 almost no one looking for a muscle car ordered a 4-door because muscle cars were built on the premise of low weight and high horsepower. Today most buyers would prefer a car from 1964 to 1972 to be a muscle car or at least have the appearance of one which of course excludes the 4-doors.
As I'm writing this I'm beginning to be a little more tolerantof 4-doors than I was yesterday.
This started this morning as I approached a 1966 Chevelle Malibu from the rear and saying to myself "that's a good looking classic car" and then as I passed I said "too bad it's a 4-door". Shortly after the "different strokes for different folks syndrome" kicked in and I started thinking, there must be some reasons why a 4-door would be a good car to own and by golly I thought of some. Even though a 4-door (even a 4-door hardtop) will never have style of a hardtop or a convertible there are a number of reasons why they are a good deal. Here they are:
1. First of all, the price is going to be much less than a hardtop, sometimes as much as 50% less, mainly because they are less desirable.
2.Secondly many 4-doors are still original. A lot of them will be one or two owner cars and likely to be low milage. Many will be passed down from parents and will be in very good condition. This is a plus as there will be less expense for restoration and you can put your own touches on it.
3. Third the utility is greater in a 4-door because of the back doors letting people get in and out easier plus there will be more leg room. Kids, wives and older people will appreciate this.
4. Fourth your insurance will likely cost less than the sportier cars as the insurance company will know that someone who buys a 4-door will likely be a safer driver because it'll probably be a family car.
5. Fifth the operating cost most likely be less because most of the 4-door cars had smaller engines and most had automatic transmissions.This in itself will keep the desire to hotrod down to a minimum which will save money in gas and parts.
6. Sixth and probably most important is the fact that the wife will be much more receptive to your buying a classic car if you can explain how the whole family can go cruising instead of just you and your buddy. I speak from experience.
There are likely more reasons for someone to buy a 4-door but I can't think of them right now. If you have any let me know and I update this article in the future.
Author: Don Levy My website at http://classic-car-hunter.com has over a thousand classic cars and trucks, muscle cars, hotrods street rods and assorted cars for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.There are also many articles like this about the classic car hobby.
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