Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

“Hasn’t wrecking muscle cars almost always gone hand-in-hand with owning them”? Have you ever totaled one of your cars?” The question came from a family member during a recent holiday gathering. It was something I hadn’t really thought about for some time. But my kin had. He’d just finished telling me about how he’d demolished a car about a week earlier. We don’t see each other that often, and the last time we’d talked, he expressed a desire to get a “fun” car again. He’d had a few entertaining rides back in the day. A second-gen Trans Am, a five-liter Mustang. But the usual factors of life, a house, kids and such, put off the play things for a time. He was dreaming of a C5 Corvette, but felt it…

SELLING THE AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR Diego Rosenberg • www.cartechbooks.com • $39.95 The muscle car glory years were all about marketing and building showroom traffic, a sales initiative that’s had few peers since then when it comes to pure success. In 192 hardcover pages, the author—who’s the P.A. voice of the Pure Stock Drags in Michigan each fall—has done a car-by-car, dealership-by-dealership review of the real heavies that moved muscle in big numbers during the great years. It’s a pretty big club, punctuated here by advertisements, interviews with executives, dealership sales materials, and a roll call of the participants, not all of whom are immediately obvious. Show of hands: How many of you Hemmings Nation folks out there remember Scuncio Chevrolet outside Providence, Rhode Island? At one time, it had…

Mike Curtis was hard on his cars. He couldn’t get into too much trouble with his first car, a well-used ’52 Chevy purchased at the start of the ’70s (there wasn’t enough power in that Stovebolt for things to go too badly). But his second ride — a ’69 Nova with a stick — was another matter. “My dad took me over to pick that car up, and he followed me home,” he tells us. “When we got home, he told me that, ‘If you keep driving that car like I saw you drive it, that Nova won’t last six months.’ I kept tearing clutches out of it.” Clearly something more robust was needed for Mike’s heavy-handed driving style. “A fella up the street had a ’69 4-4-2 for sale,…

For 1971, Ford’s pony car featured bold new sheetmetal and interior and chassis refinements, and it had grown. The front wheels were moved 1 inch forward relative to the passenger compartment (lengthening the wheelbase to 109 inches), and the front track was increased 3 inches to more easily accept the 429-cu.in. engines. The rear track was widened 2.5 inches, and the body was about 2.1 inches longer (189.5 inches) and 2.4 inches wider (74.1 inches) than the 1970 Mustangs. The model line consisted of the base Mustang (hardtop, SportsRoof and convertible), the luxurious Grande (hardtop), the Boss 351 (SportsRoof) and the Mach 1 (SportsRoof). The Boss 302 and the Boss 429 were retired. MACH 1 FEATURES The Mach 1’s base price of $3,268 included a 302-2V engine, three-speed manual transmission,…

“When I punched open the throttle on a muscle car, I wanted to feel my spinal cord crushed back in the seat and my eyelids peeled back...” You have to understand something. Back in the day, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a “junior supercar,” or a “compact supercar” or whatever other labels they were trying to hang on “performance” cars with small engines. A 3,700-pound Camaro with a tiny 302/290 engine? No. I’ll stick to my Baldwin-Motion SS-427 Camaro, thank you. Which is the reason that I’ve never driven a first-gen Z/28. I was asked to road test and write up both a ’68 and ’69 Camaro Z/28, but turned down the assignments. I just couldn’t be bothered. I did road test a few so-called “junior supercars” back then.…

Parents want what’s best for their kids. Sometimes that motivates efforts to steer the children away from bad influences and other distractions. Distractions like fast cars, for instance. That may have been what Richard Winkles’ father was thinking when he suggested to his then-teenage son that he think about buying a brand-new car. See, young Richard had acquired his first car just a year or so earlier — a used ’69 Camaro — and it seemed to have inspired him to begin exploring the world of hot rodding. “It was a 327 with a three-speed manual on the floor. It was the car that got me hooked on Camaros,” he explains, adding that he hadn’t really been all that interested in cars before that. Which was surprising, given that he…

HMM PRODUCT TEST: WEEGO N44 JUMP STARTER Maybe it’s not quite time to throw out your jumper cables, but modern jump starters combine the latest lithium battery technology with electronic controls for fast, efficient and simple starting that does not require another car. Think of a potent, portable laptop-type battery that not only has enough juice to charge any small electronic device, but enough amperage to start a car with a weak battery. Weego, founded in 2014 — and a new name in portable power — currently makes four different lightweight battery packs capable of starting a car, with the basic battery designed for gasoline engines up to 4.6 liters (diesel up to 2.4) and the most robust, the JS18 Professional model, capable of jumping engines up to 9.6 liters…

THE NUMBERS TOTAL SALES: $117.9 million TOP MUSCLE CAR SALE: 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX2000, $13.75 million UPCOMING AUCTIONS BY RM SOTHEBY’S DATE: March 10-11 LOCATION: Amelia Island, Florida CONTACT: www.rmsothebys.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 Prices shown include buyer’s premium of 10%. RM may not be the first destination you think of when you consider where to get your high-performance American car fix. You’re unlikely to find a 4-4-2 or a Torino at this highest of high-end auction houses. But while…

March 2-4 GAA Classic Cars Auction Greensboro, North Carolina . . 855-862-2257 March 3-4 Smokey Mountain Indoor Swap Meet White Pine, Tennessee . . . . . . 423-608-4519 March 4-5 Dave & Ed’s Pro-Formance Swap Meet Canfield, Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-477-8506 March 5 Pomona Car Show & Swap Meet Pomona, California . . . . . . . . . 714-538-7091 March 5 Rocky Manginelli Swap Meet Lincoln, Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . 402-786-2427 March 5 Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida . . . . . . . . . . . 727-848-7171 March 10-12 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Amelia Island, Florida . . . . . . .904-636-0027 March 10-12 Boise…

ALL-SEASON MUSCLE While the traction control systems used on today’s factory performance cars, coupled with modern winter tires, can make contemporary rear-drive machines somewhat more capable in snow and ice than their predecessors, the perception persists that muscle cars and winter don’t mix. But Dodge is out to change that as it comes to market with what it is billing as the “world’s first and only all-wheel-drive American muscle coupe.” Dubbed Challenger GT, this new variation of Dodge’s retro-themed model borrows the AWD system from its sibling, the Charger, which has offered AWD since 2007. Back in 2009, the Charger began using a “Torque-on-Demand” AWD system that allowed the front portion of the drivetrain to be disconnected until additional traction was needed. The Challenger GT will use the latest version…

Anyone who came of age in the early to mid-Sixties will remember the duck-and-cover drills practiced during the school season. The idea was that, should the Reds lob the big one over the polar ice cap, you’d be safe under that rickety old desk where you normally sat. Meanwhile, duck and cover took on a whole other meaning in those days out on the streets, when Johnny Law invaded the impromptu red-light drags that sprung up after hours. All the hot machines were there, collecting bragging rights, girls and cash. Even if you weren’t racing, you came out to watch. James Francesconi saw his fair share of stoplight activity back in the day. Growing up in South Jersey — more specifically, Vineland — he drove a 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne sedan…

Let’s be honest, when you know all the music, it’s simply easier to listen when you have all the good stuff in one place. That’s why we all prefer listening to The Eagles Greatest Hits rather than all the separate albums. Same with Aerosmith, The Doors and, if you’re of the Gen X demographic, R.E.M. That’s pretty much the idea with the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) — the indoor event that displays the best of the best Detroit iron, eliminating all the “filler” of late-model imports, prewar classics and lifted Ram pickups. Not that there’s anything wrong with those automotive genres, you understand, but they’re the equivalent of every song on The Long Run, when you just want to hear “Tequila Sunrise,” followed by “Take it to the…

Among other attributes, photojournalist Steve Reyes of Ocala, Florida, has a remarkable sense of perspective when it comes to drag racing history. His images of Top Fuel and Funny Cars, especially them twisting after a cataclysmic engine or driveline failure, are what made him famous. But taking photos of basic doorslammer cars over the decades was what kept him fed. Not only that, it created a living archive of race cars that too often were ignored or neglected, like unwanted children. Which is a shame, because even today, there’s no Big Show without the participation of the Slammer Society. As Steve points out, take your typical national event: The purse for the big guns in the pro categories is largely paid by entry fees from sportsman racers even before the…

It’s been said that when one door closes, another one opens. And for the most part, we agree with that philosophy. But every time we opened the door on our ’71 Malibu convertible, we wanted to close it because of the way its door panels looked. They’d already been replaced at some point before we took ownership. But the replacements were poorly constructed; they were dimensionally short in a couple of areas, the vertical pleats were flat and practically non-existent, plus the “chrome” Mylar strips were peeling and had the wrong cross-sectional profile. So, when we first saw the latest “Platinum” door panel offerings from Parts Unlimited Inc. (PUI), we knew we wanted a set for our Malibu. They appear to be very accurately reproduced: The pleats are the correct…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Block Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Chevrolet 400 small-block, four-bolt main Cylinder Heads . . . . . . . . . . GM aluminum prototype heads for 1986, ported, 2.05/1.60-inch valves, modified for original valve covers. Flowed at Chrysler using lead airflow tech. Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . 378 cubic inches Bore x Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.156 x 3.48 inches Compression Ratio . . . . . . . 10.0:1 Pistons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRW forged Connecting Rods . . . . . . . . .…

To me, it seems like almost yesterday when families would pack into their old sedan and drive to their nearest dealership to view the new model automobiles for that year. The 1950s and ’60s automobiles always generated tremendous interest, and, every fall, most families dreamed of owning one of these chrome-laden beauties. My father owned a Ford/Lincoln-Mercury parts distributorship, so I grew up around cars. As a young boy, on special occasions, I would go to work with my dad, and I was fascinated by the various automotive parts and equipment filling the shelves and covering the floor. I recall going with my father to look at the new 1955 Ford models. As we entered the dealership, there sat the new offerings on the showroom floor. They were beautiful! As…

MECUM ANAHEIM Mid-November brought muscle seekers to the former orange groves of Anaheim, California, to scour the offerings of Mecum Auctions Anaheim sale, held November 17-19. The top 10 results of the sale were largely foreign cars, but a 2006 Ford GT with a mere 2,500 miles did nab the number-two spot at $246,000 and a resto-modded 1954 Chevrolet Corvette featuring an Art Morrison chassis and a 405-hp, LS1 V-8 took sixth place at $110,000. Closer to home were offerings like a 1965 Ford Falcon Ranchero, which sold for $31,000. The all-black mini truck wore “dog-dish” hubcaps and concealed a 289 V-8, four-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. The little hauler (in multiple senses of the term) also sported original bucket seats inside. Of course, Fordophiles also had their…

“There wasn’t really any thought about future correctness on the assembly line back then...” Just when you thought you knew everything there is to know about your muscle machine, some new information is discovered in a long-ago forgotten Detroit manufacturer’s basement filing cabinet, or revealed by researching an original untouched “barn find” vehicle. Like ancient history or archeology, we are constantly discovering new facts about our favorite brand and model car. Now, if you’re like me, I’m always on the hunt for what might be construed by many as insignificant info about my car. Plus, I’m always willing to share whatever I find out with folks who cherish the same kind of muscle car as mine. Here’s an example from a show a few years ago in which I entered…

HISTORIC CORVETTE RENDERINGS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN GALLERY EXHIBITION Every car designer longs to tackle something like the Corvette: a prestige car, sleek and speedy and exciting, destined for the covers of all the enthusiast magazines. Only a handful get to deliver renderings of the famed Chevrolet sports car, however, and that handful — and their visions — are now the focus of an art exhibit in Detroit. The single-model art show, curated by one of the two art collectors behind the in-the-works American Dreaming documentary, includes more than 100 original drawings and models of every generation of the Corvette up to the current version. Curator Robert Edwards said the idea for the exhibit came from John Peters, a member of the Scarab Club’s board and a Corvette enthusiast. Edwards…

Talk about change: In 1966, the biggest year of all for the GTO, Pontiac sold 96,946 examples of its pioneering muscle car. Eight years elapsed, by which time the whammies of fuel costs, insurance premiums, safety rules and emission regulations had teamed up to batter the big-bore Pontiac beasts. Yet by 1974, it still was unthinkable for Pontiac to be without a GTO in the lineup. Pontiac did some brave things to keep the concept viable, like building it off the X-body Pontiac Ventura platform, and offering a 350, four-barrel, dual-exhaust engine of its own making, yet the whole sauce didn’t simmer up too well, and Pontiac sold only 7,058 of the downsized GTOs in its sole year of existence. The allure of the original GTO was too good to…

The secret to a lasting marriage? Compromise. Example: You want that old car you’ve been hanging on to restored to better than new. But your significant other feels just as strongly about ripping out and replacing those tired-looking kitchen cabinets. In this case, home sweet home and marital bliss trumps the tired muscle car in the garage. You compromise and the kitchen gets its makeover. End of story? Perhaps not... The owners of this month’s feature car, Charlie and Pat Ryer of York, Pennsylvania, have been married for many years, so we’d imagine each has done his/her share of compromising. On their wedding day they left for their honeymoon in this 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T, and for years after it served as the family car — dutifully moving them from…

I really enjoy the magazine and your columns. Whoa! Stop! What is it? Back up! What?? I think I saw a Z-16 Chevelle back there. What’s a Z-16 Chevelle? It’s one of the rarest of all muscle cars. Chevrolet only produced 200 of the 396 Chevelles for 1965. Look — it is an honest to goodness Z-16 begging for restoration, sitting on the back roads of rural Dallas, Georgia. Turned out, the owner had died and his mother wouldn’t part with it for any amount of money. After several more unsuccessful visits, I forgot the Z-16. These photos were taken in the spring of 1988. In the following years, the housing boom engulfed the area, the backroads and the Z-16 disappeared. I hope some of your readers may shed some…

The interior door panels used on American cars of the 1960s and ’70s were often highly detailed assemblies, but were also quite susceptible to damage as the years wore on. Sun and moisture exposure, rain and snow from doors being opened in bad weather, frequent kicking and catching of driver and passenger shoes during entry and egress, and the effects of having arms and hands leaning and pushing on them all the time, all conspired to age these highly visible components. Years after these cars were produced, when it came time for them to be restored, their owners began to realize that repairing aged and damaged door panels could be quite difficult. Replacement seemed the only answer, but even 35 years ago, it was very unlikely you’d find a set…

CLOTTING FACTOR Q: I have a 1968 Chevy Camaro with a big-block engine. It has factory front disc brakes and rear drums. My problem is, I cannot seem to bleed the rear brakes properly. I have replaced all parts with a new distribution block, metering valve, lines, power booster, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, and still the rear brakes do not bleed. Am I not doing something? Can you give me any more pointers on why they will not bleed? Please help. This is an ongoing problem, and I haven’t been able to take the car on the road for over a year now. Rose Serrano Via email A: Since you state that you cannot drive the car, I will assume that it has no brakes, thus, there is no fluid…

“Axle cars” were seemingly everywhere in the past decade or so. Coming out of the traditional hot rod movement, it seemed that the quickest way to cool was to torch out your IFS and weld in spring perches for a straight axle. Couple that with a tunnel ram or blower, and you could ride on the coattails of the drag racers of old directly to hot rod credibility. Sure, they looked like race cars, but how many were actually raced? Not many, we’ll bet — and it’s not entirely their fault as there wasn’t really a place for them in the modern drag-racing scene. But, thankfully and inevitably, that began to change. The epicenter of that change was not the Hot Rod Mecca of Southern California, not the historic gasser…

ZINC-ENRICHED OIL NECESSARY FOR 307 OLDSMOBILE V-8? Q: I am currently rebuilding a 1983 Oldsmobile five-liter engine in my four-door Olds Regency 98. I am curious as to what type of oil — the weight, the additives, whether synthetic or fossil, etc.— to consider for a complete rebuild for break-in and running, or, what oils are already blended for use in my car? Any input will be appreciated. I gleaned from reading a number of online posts, that oils were blended in various ways from the 1920s to the 1950s, 1950s through the 1980s, and 1980s to current years. I’m unfamiliar with oil qualities needed for this car engine. All pros and cons are invited as I want the best for this automobile. I may be getting too analytical, and…