Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2016 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

“ I could go on with similarly idiotic tales of ill-advised automotive acquisition escapades, but I think you get the picture ”. I had some sort of flashback the other night that slapped me right out of my car-classified-surfing coma. While doing the usual online perusal of motorized heaps that I know I shouldn’t even think about owning, I came across one of those special offerings that has the power to incapacitate rational thought. You know how this works. While late-night web window shopping for some kind of deal on one of the myriad old cars you think you’ve got to own might seem dangerous to the casual observer — like, say, the one you’re married to — it’s really a non-issue. We’re just looking, and there’s no harm in…

“OHIO GEORGE” MONTGOMERY Patrick Ertel www.coastal181.com $34.95 The Gasser wars of the 1960s were some of drag racing’s most colorful years, and old Ohio George Montgomery lit ’em up brighter than most. He was an innovator and as hardcore a racer as you’d ever deign to meet, having started out from a tiny shop in Dayton. It took the author 132 big, softcover pages to tell the tale of this gentlemanly competitor and outline the raft of cars that he raced during his long career. Sure, everybody knows Ohio George was a killer with his 1933 Willys, but how many of you know that he once wrung 500 hp out of a basic Ford Pinto 2,000-cc inline-four for a sportsman-class drag car? Or that he holds an NHRA lifetime achievement…

“This was the final NASCAR convertible race. Nelson Stacy is pulling into Victory Lane after winning the 1962 Rebel 300 at Darlington. We all loved Nelson. I used to hang out as a kid at his used car place in Daytona Beach, right on Speedway Boulevard. Two of the guys who worked for him used to film all the races on an 8mm camera, and we’d go into the shop, and these guys, both brothers, would show racing movies into the night. I remember that one night, Nelson called me up and said, ‘Hey, you know how to work one of those airbrushes, right?’ He wanted me to show him how because he’d just gotten a spare-tire cover for his van. He was quite a guy. This 1962 Ford Galaxie…

“In essence, after a decade of muscle cars, we had come full circle... ” When Fred Mackerodt, the editor of Hi-Performance Cars magazine, decided to give the magazine’s 1974 Top Performance Car of the Year Award to the ’74 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, he didn’t consult me. Who could blame him? The year before, I had lived through the embarrassing debacle of recommending the ’73 SD-455 Pontiac GTO for the award — a car that was never built. Pontiac decided not to build it after we announced the award in the magazine (see HMM #97, October 2011 for that tale). Talk about egg on my face. So, even though I wasn’t fired and still worked as a writer at the magazine, Mackerodt just walked into my cubicle one day in…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Block type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GM LS-family all-aluminum V-8 Cylinder heads . . . . . . . . . . GM “as-cast” L92 aluminum OHV, 68-cc chambers Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . 376 cubic inches Bore x stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.06 inches x 3.62 inches Compression ratio . . . . . . . . 10.7:1 Pistons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hypereutectic aluminum Connecting rods . . . . . . . . . Powdered metal Horsepower @ RPM . . . . . . 525 @ 6,100…

I am the current owner of a 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30. It’s special to me because I know its history through its original owner, my friend, Bob Kabel. Bob grew up in Rhinelander, in northern Wisconsin. His dad, Eugene, owned the Kabel Olds dealership in town. When Eugene grew ill in 1968, he sold the business to a local GMC/Cadillac dealer with the stipulation that if his two children ever needed a new Oldsmobile, they would be taken care of. At that time, Bob already owned a hot-rodded ’50s Olds and a 1966 F-85 4-4-2 four-speed that he’d purchased from his dad’s dealership. But by late 1969, Bob was ready for a new Oldsmobile and ordered a 1970 4-4-2. He chose a four-speed, as this was all he’d ever had;…

RESULTS FROM BONHAMS QUAIL LODGE Results from Monterey, California’s, superabundance of August auctions were just beginning to hit our desks as of this writing. First among them were the outcomes at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Auction, held in conjunction with The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. Overall the auction boasted an 88-percent sell-through rate, with total sales of $34,800,000. While the results leaned toward classics, exotics and the like, there were notable muscle machines in attendance. Lots that blurred the line between classic and muscle included a 1951 Hudson Hornet convertible with Twin-H Power that brought $192,500 and a 1958 Dual Ghia with a Dodge Red Ram Hemi engine that sold for $368,500. For those who appreciate the styling of the original Pontiac GTO but wish for hauling capacity, there was the…

CORVETTE GRAND SPORT: STANDARD 460-HORSE DRIVELINE IN A Z06 ENVELOPE The original Corvette Grand Sport was a dedicated racing machine that did battle on the road courses of the world. When the name was later revived, in 1996 and 2010, it offered cosmetic and performance enhancements to production models. Now, for 2017, Chevrolet has dropped the standard Corvette’s 460-hp LT1 drivetrain into wider Z06 bodywork, adapted the Z06’s chassis tuning, upgraded cooling and high-tech spiffs, beefed up the brakes, wheels and tires and launched the new Grand Sport. The package includes specific wheels (19 x 10-inch front, 20 x 12 rear) on Michelin Pilot Summer Sport tires (285/30ZR19 front, 335/25ZR20 rear; that’s 40 mm and 50 mm wider, respectively, than a standard Stingray), standard Magnetic Ride Control, specific stabilizer bars…

It’s no secret that General Motors fast-tracked the first-generation F-body twins — the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird — to blunt the cultural revolution that was the Ford Mustang. The Falcon-based sports coupe caught even the most optimistic prognosticators in Dearborn off guard, racking up a million sales in a little less than two years. A new vehicle segment was born, and the other automakers all scrambled to compete. GM took a page from Ford’s playbook and hustled the F-cars’ development using an existing compact platform, but compromises were inevitable. Based on the architecture initially developed for the revised Chevy II, the Camaro and Firebird’s sporty characters and overall design were formed on mostly immovable “hard points” on the architecture. It worked well enough, but the designers and engineers knew…

Have you ever noticed that while the acquisition of some cars requires diligent effort — first to find the vehicle, then to cut a deal and get it back home, and then to prepare it for the road before you get to finally enjoy it — there are others that seem to simply choose you? They fall into your lap, so to speak, or figuratively follow you home like a happy stray puppy that has taken a liking to you. The process of purchasing it feels comfortable, like the whole thing was meant to happen just that way. Such was the case for Joseph Marsh Junior and Senior, a pair of life-long AMC aficionados from Worcester, New York. Joe Sr. had worked for Nash in the 1950s, beginning as a…

So, it happened like this. The Ford LTD is a luxury car, conceived as such right from the outset. Originally, it was an option package on the 1965 Ford Galaxie 500, a high-spot offering that was predicated on comfort. The following model year, Ford rewarded its initial success by making it a standalone model in the full-size lineup. Next, it inspired a series of TV commercials. The first became a minor advertising landmark, wherein its ride was judged superior to a Rolls-Royce’s. Which begat a later commercial in the 1970s, during which a diamond merchant cleaved an uncut stone in the back seat of a Mercury Marquis. Which in turn begat an unforgettable spoof on Saturday Night Live starring Garrett Morris as the Mercury’s chauffeur. We’ll leave it to you…

JAPANESE GOATS Having read the wonderful article in the August issue, “Big In Japan” (HMM #156, August 2016) by Jeff Koch about Hirokosan’s ’71 GTO, I am impressed with the muscle car culture that seems to exist in Japan. I can only imagine what it must be like to drive this bright Carousel Red beast around the streets of Yokohama and the looks it must get! Having read that Hiroko-san’s research has led to the existence of only two ’71 GTOs in all of Japan, she might be aware of other GTOs too. I have wondered what became of my two Pontiac GTOs—both were sold in 1995 and shipped to Japan. This is when I first became aware of Japan’s thirst for American muscle, and my wish has been to…

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of muscle car owners who are bent on maintaining the originality of their rides to the extent that is reasonably possible. Wear items such as filters, belts and batteries are virtually impossible to maintain as original if the car has ever been driven, and in truth, plenty of owners are content with parts-house-sourced replacements of such items. Many others opt for high-quality reproductions, which offer an admirable stand-in job for the originals for all but the most jaded. However, it’s the rebuildable items of a muscle car where we’ve noticed a shift in philosophy over the past couple of decades. Items like fuel pumps, water pumps and alternators have historically been fodder for the trash bin…

WERE DID THE PRESSURE GO? Q: I’m a subscriber to HMM and read you all the time. I hope you can help. I have a 1940 Willys pickup with a 1957 Chrysler 392 Hemi I built myself. It has a fuel cell with a Fram fuel filter, an Edelbrock electric fuel pump running with all braided stainless-steel lines to the 600 Holley dual-feed carb. When the engine is cold, the fuel pressure reads about 7 psi, which it is preset for. After I drive for about half an hour or more, it drops to about 3 psi, and sometimes goes to 2 psi. Then, after letting the vehicle sit for a few hours, it goes back to 6 or 7psi. The vehicle does not quit, even after driving it for…

When Plymouth moved the Barracuda from the A-body platform, shared with Valiant, to the new E-body platform, shared with the Dodge Challenger, for 1970, it still wanted a sporty economy car to fill the gap. The Duster was that car, and like the original Barracuda it offered aggressive looks and a whole range of powertrains at a working man’s price—from a 198-cu. in. Slant Six to a 340-cu.in. V-8 with the buyer’s choice of three- or four-speed manual or TorqueFlite automatic. Steve Nitti purchased this 1971 Duster in January of 1972 as a leftover on a dealer’s lot on his 19th birthday. “I was sick of borrowing my dad’s rusty four-door Buick,” he says with a laugh. “I bought a Slant Six and an automatic because it was easier on…

NOVEMBER 2-5 Mecum Dallas Dallas, Texas • 262-275-5050 www.mecum.com 5 Auctions America Hilton Head Hilton Head, South Carolina 877-906-2437 www.auctionsamerica.com 5 Motostalgia Austin Grand-Prix Auction Austin, Texas • 512-813-0636 motostalgia.com 11-12 Carlisle Fall Florida AutoFest Auction Lakeland, Florida • 717-960-6400 www.carlisleauctions.com 18-20 Leake Dallas Fall Dallas, Texas • 918-254-7077 www.leakecar.com 25-26 Dan Kruse Classics Houston, Texas • 866-495-8111 www.kruseclassics.com Check dates with auction houses before traveling…

November 2-5 Mecum Auctions Dallas, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262-275-5050 November 5 Auctions America Hilton Head Island, South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-906-2437 November 5-6 Dave & Ed’s Pro-Formance Swap Meet Canton, Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-477-8506 November 6 Hi-Performance Swap Meet & Car Show Long Beach, California . . . . . . 800-762-9785 November 6 Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida . . . . . . . . . . . 727-848-7171 November 10-13 Carlisle Fall Florida Autofest Lakeland, Florida . . . . . . . . . . . 717-243-7855 November 11-12 Springfield Swap Meet…

DANNY THOMPSON DRIVES CHALLENGER 2 TO SCTA AA/FS CLASS RECORD Danny Thompson, son of racing legend Mickey Thompson, has been trying since 2014 to set a Land Speed Record at Bonneville in the Challenger 2, a streamliner built by his dad in 1968. After two years of mechanical frustrations and environmental delays, the Thompson LSR team caught a break on August 13-14, turning in a pair of passes that averaged 406.77 MPH, good enough to set a new Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) record in the AA/FS class. In 2010, Danny began restoration work on the Challenger 2, a multi-year project that retained as much of the original car as possible. Like the original, this version employs four-wheel drive, but power comes from a pair of Chrysler Hemi V-8s instead…

A lot of people don’t really get the Q-code part of this until they see the Marti report. But everywhere I pull in, they’ll say, ‘Oh, wow, it’s a 428 and a four-speed car.’ One guy actually went to look at the mileage on the odometer. He didn’t believe it. I just tell them, the spare’s original, open the trunk and even the fuel door and the paint’s all original. I put maybe 40, 50 miles on it a year. I’m afraid to take it out for worry of somebody running into it, because your car’s worth nothing at that point. I did take it to a long street not far from me that runs alongside a golf course, and I had it up to 100. It drives as nice…

I’m a huge fan and collector of 1969 Camaros and had a desire to own an original solid-lifter car. Hugger Orange is my favorite ’69 Camaro color, so this car was a natural fit for me. —Matt Barczak (at left) When I was a teenager I delivered newspapers to a family where the two sons each owned 1969 Camaros: one was a burgundy Z/28 the other was a Hugger Orange Z/28. I remember how awesome they looked — especially the Hugger Orange car, and I’ve wanted to own one ever since.— Frank Arone…

Downtown Birmingham hosts a static car show while the Dream Cruise rumbles by literally a block away. It’s one of many of events stretching miles along Woodward Avenue that make it more than a single event and more a cultural event akin to a motorized street festival. Raffi Dermanuelian has owned this ’68 Dodge Charger for nearly two decades. It’s a 383 car with a 727 automatic transmission. He’s upgraded the suspension over the years with heavy-duty torsion bars and added disc brakes, as well classic Cragar S/S wheels. What he couldn’t improve on was the car’s timeless Coke-bottle styling. The first Camaro ever built – N100001 – has been restored. It was an audacious undertaking, as the car, like so many other first-gen Camaros, had been turned into a…

In January of 1965, I was 20 years old and started to work at Fisher Body in Norwood, Ohio. They made all body styles of the Chevy II and Impala hardtop and convertibles. At that time, I had a nice 1958 Ford 352 Interceptor. It was a fast car and could outrun just about anything, which was important to a young hot rodder. While working at Fisher Body and seeing all those sharp new cars going down the assembly line, I couldn’t resist the temptation of a new car. I went to several car dealers and looked at cars like the GTOs and Buicks. I finally stopped in at Bruffey Chevrolet & Oldsmobile in Bethel, Ohio, to look at some Chevy IIs and Impalas. Then a 1965 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 on…

HMM PRODUCT TEST: MEK LIGHT Wrenching on a vintage car can be therapeutic; however, dim workspace lighting often conspires against productivity. Ample illumination, therefore, has long been a critical necessity. Enter the common drop light, serving professional and amateur mechanics for decades. Unfortunately, the drop light’s most aggravating flaw is the way it responds to shock from even the mildest of impacts, sending mechanics scurrying to the supply cabinet for a new incandescent bulb. Intense heat from those bulbs is another potential concern. In recent years, advances in LED design have transformed the drop light from a tool of necessary frustration to one of surefire reliability. It’s a rapid evolution that has coincided with the latest in battery technology and ergonomic casing designs to dramatically reduce another garage malady: the…

THE NUMBERS TOTAL SALES: $16,700,000 TOP MUSCLE CAR SALE: 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429: $220,000 UPCOMING AUCTIONS BY MECUM AUCTIONS DATE: October 20-22, 2016 LOCATION: Walworth, Wisconsin CONTACT: www.mecum.com LEGEND CONDITION: 1=Excellent; 2=Very Good; 3=Average; 4=Poor; 5=Major Project RESERVE: Minimum price owner will accept TOP BID: The highest offer made (but vehicle did not sell) SELLING PRICE: What the vehicle sold for AVERAGE SELLING PRICE: Average market value of vehicles in similar condition When auction participants and spectators have a shuttle service available to take them to different parts of the venue, that suggests two things: That the venue is huge and that there are likely several hundred cars to see. Both were certainly true in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this past July 21-23, where about 850 vehicles, plus lots of neon…

CLASSIC BUICK WILDCAT UPGRADES Q:I own a 1964 Buick Wildcat hardtop coupe, and I’ve searched high and low for upgrade components (brakes, engine, differential, suspension, transmission), but continuously come up short. Can you advise me of, or direct me towards, who manufactures such components for my vehicle? Tyrone Chatman, Jr. via Hemmings.com A: There are many upgrade options available for your 1964 Wildcat; however, some of what is available depends on your stock transmission and differential. Engine upgrade parts such as timing covers and oil pans are offered by Centerville Auto Repair.TA Performance has multi-carb intake manifolds and carburetors available for “nailhead” engines. The 1961-’64 Buick spindles were unique and not compatible with other GM full-size disc-brake spindles, making factory disc swaps a problem. There are…

“ If each of us had kept a detailed time sheet and expense log on our cars from start to finish, the result would be mind boggling.” It never ceases to amaze me how folks who are not at all involved in this muscle machine hobby can be totally awed and surprised by it! Last summer, I attended several local shows, including one in my hometown that usually attracts about 400-500 vehicles. Now, this is not a muscle-car show—it includes almost every kind of vehicle you can imagine from the Teens up through the mid-Seventies. I’ve even seen original and restored horse-drawn wagons. It’s an eclectic bunch of machinery and just as eclectic a bunch of owners. I’m sure most of you have attended shows like this across the nation,…