Hemmings Muscle Machines September 2018

“ Muscle fans in particular seem to have an affinity for pickups…” I recently became a truck owner for the first time, and before I’d had it for even a month, I began to get an old, familiar sense about the new ride. There’s something about pickups that enables them to somehow endear themselves even to those of us who aren’t necessarily “into” trucks. But if you’re an enthusiast of motor vehicles of some sort, you’ve probably felt a touch of fondness for a truck at some point. Muscle fans in particular seem to have an affinity for pickups, whether as parts chasers, tow vehicles, or as the beater that allows the good car to stay in the garage during the week. My truck is new only in the sense…

TOM “THE MONGOOSE” MCEWEN, 1937-2018 Over a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen won just five NHRA nationals, yet established himself as one of the best-known drivers in drag racing’s history. His skill at promotion reshaped the sport, attracting sponsors and catapulting it from obscurity onto television screens across the country. On June 10, McEwen died at age 81. He began racing at 16, running a ’53 Oldsmobile at Santa Ana Dragstrip in Irvine, California. A progression of faster vehicles followed, including gas coupes, altereds, dragsters, and later, Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters. McEwen’s “Mongoose” nickname came in ’64, initially as a strategy to entice Don “The Snake” Prudhomme into a match race. It worked, and in September 1964 McEwen bested Prudhomme in two straight…

TORQUE MEETS TRACTION WITH MIND-BENDING RESULTS We were in attendance at the 2017 New York International Auto Show when Fiat-Chrysler announced that it would be producing a version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Hellcat engine and all-wheel drive. It seemed a novel idea — a sport utility vehicle with 707 horsepower. Something that FCA would do possibly just because it could, as a show of engineering acumen and for a little extra attention. So we didn’t take it too seriously. Not that we didn’t think they’d build it — the company was presenting the model as a production reality. We just couldn’t help viewing the whole thing as a scheme to generate shock value. Our lack of enthusiasm wasn’t helped by the fact that Dodge had just used…

1967 MERCURY COUGAR SHELF Summit Racing • 800-230-3030 • www.summitracing.com  • $109.99 While the Mustang was an instant bestseller, it didn’t take long for Ford’s upscale pony car, the 1967 Mercury Cougar, to become an iconic performer in its own right. This car’s highly distinctive “electric razor” grille treatment would soon be recognized and respected on both road and track. Summit Racing now offers a stylish way to pay tribute to the first-generation Cougar with this convenient wall shelf (item SBL-7580-135); it’s 19-inches long, 6 3/4-inches deep, and 7 1/2-inches tall, made of cast resin, and carefully hand-painted. The durable tempered clear glass top is ideal for displaying small collectibles or framed photos. Shipping is free in the continental U.S., or this item can be picked up in a Summit Racing store…

Ed Nowakowski is familiar with fast Fords on the drag strip. Back in the 1970s, he ran an SS/I stick ’71 Mustang in a partnership with Jack Roush and racked up a number of records. So many, he says, that Roush suggested taking it a little easier at the track. “He told me that too much of a good thing would draw the attention of NHRA,” says Ed. “And that would bring a weight penalty and more.” But it was hard to keep a good Blue Oval down, and Ed drove to a win at the U.S. Nationals. He was driving the only Ford in the staging lanes. “It was 1979 or ’80 and there were 19 cars in the class,” he says. “After the race, there were 18 Chevy…

I’ve always been a Ford guy. My father had them, and my first car was a 1960 Falcon. For me, the Torino was originally a cost-effective alternative to the Mustang and one that was a great secret for a while. They’d almost give you Torino parts at swap meets, but that’s all changed now. People have realized the model’s performance capability and rarity, so I’m glad I stocked up on all the parts years ago. Along with this car, I’ve got three more Cobras, including another Drag Pack car. I’ll get to them all someday, but I feel fortunate to have discovered them before the rest of the market did.…