Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

Standards of Simplicity

If the truth be told, we don’t exactly have the most amazing set of tools in our shop here at Hemmings HQ. Sure, there’s a toolbox, and it’s what we rely on heavily when working on the ’69 Chevelle project you’ve been reading about in these pages for a number of months. In fact, when the project kicked off, I was concerned about our ability to make progress with the relatively limited scope of items in that box. It didn’t deter me, mind you — I knew that I could bring in some of my own gear if necessary, and at one point I even contemplated hauling my entire roll cabinet over here when we were about to begin wrenching. That never happened, in part because it never really needed…

4 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

BACKFIRE

Letter of the Month: Ghost ’Vette “Terry McGean’s “Ghost Muscle” editorial about elusive, random sightings of muscle cars struck a chord with me, a certified Corvette nut from childhood. You see, my father bought a Daytona Yellow 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454 four-speed in 1984. This rare beast was in very good shape, and we used the full extent of its 500 lb-ft of torque to have a lot of fun with the car before selling it only four months later. I kept hoping that Dad could find a way to keep this rare car until I could afford to buy it, but being a poor college student, I was very disappointed that this was impossible. I’ve enclosed a photo of me behind the wheel from that time. I thought it…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

SPECIFICATIONS

1970 BUICK GS 455 STAGE 1 ENGINE Block type..........................................Buick “second generation” tall-deck OHV V-8, cast-iron Heads...................Buick Stage 1, 2.125/1.75-in valves, cast-iron Displacement................................................................455-cu.in. Bore x stroke ........................................................4.3125 x 3.90 in Compression ratio.................................................................10.5:1 Horsepower @ rpm ..................................................360 @ 5,600 Torque @ rpm ....................................................510 lb-ft @ 2,800 Camshaft type......490/.490-in lift, 316/340 degrees duration, intake/exhaust; hydraulic lifters Fuel.......... Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel, mechanical pump Ignition......................................................................................12-V Exhaust.....Dual; cast-iron manifolds, low-restriction mufflers TRANSMISSION Type...................................... GM TH400 three-speed automatic Ratios.....1st/2.48:1 … 2nd/1.48:1 … 3rd/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.08:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type..........................................Buick 10-bolt, 8.2-in, limited-slip Ratio.......................................................................................3.64:1 WHEELS & TIRES Wheels ........... Buick Road Wheels, stamped-steel drop center Front/Rear: 14 x 6 in (currently 15 x 7) Tires.......................................................Bias-belted white-stripe (currently BFGoodrich Radial T/A)Front/Rear: H78-14 (currently 245/60-R15) 1970 OLDSMOBILE 4-4-2 W-30 ENGINE Block type.................................Oldsmobile “second generation” tall-deck OHV V-8; cast-iron Heads .................... Cast-iron “F”…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

SPECIFICATIONS

1969 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA FORMULA S 383 PRICE Base price .....................................................................................................................$2,813 Options on car profiled............ Formula S package with 383 engine; TorqueFlite; Rallye instrument cluster; performance gauge; Interior Décor Group; AM radio; console; head restraints; fold-down rear seat back; rear-window defogger; glovebox lock; undercoat and hood insulator pad; custom sill molding; power steering; light group ENGINE Type...........Chrysler B-series “big-block” OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement.....................................................................................383-cu.in. bored .030 Bore x stroke ...................................................... 4.25 in x 3.38 in (currently 4.28-in bore) Compression ratio.............................................................................................................10:1 Horsepower @ rpm...........................................................................................330 @ 5,200 Torque @ rpm.............................................................................................410 lb-ft @ 3,600 Camshaft...........................................................268/284 degrees duration, .450/.458 lift Valvetrain ................. Hydraulic lifters; 2.08/1.74-in valves; shaft-mounted rocker arms Main bearings...................................................................................................................Five Fuel system ............................Carter AVS four-barrel (currently Edelbrock four-barrel); cast-iron intake manifold; mechanical pump Ignition....................................................................................Prestolite dual-breaker-point Lubrication......................................Full pressure; gear-type pump, windage tray,…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

OWNER’S VIEW

Living in Wyoming where 70 percent or more of vehicles driven were pickups, I always wanted something that rode a little nicer but had a bed to haul items. El Caminos were just the ticket, but as a younger person, with limited resources, I couldn’t afford both a pickup and an El Camino, and I longed for the day that I could own both vehicles. The minute I saw this 1970 SS 454 with the correct colors, I was hooked and purchased it a couple years ago at a Barrett-Jackson auction. I’ve put several hundred miles on it and enjoy driving it to car functions as well as reminiscing with other enthusiasts about the sleek looks of the El Camino! I’ve heard rumors that Chevy may bring back the El…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

ELEVATED PERFORMANCE

IT IS PATENTLY UNFAIR THAT BUICK, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac have become lumped together as a single unit — a sort of three-headed Hydra(matic) of middle-class automotive ideals. Despite sharing chassis architecture and some body stampings that you can’t really see, each of GM’s marques operated separately during the muscle era. They built different cars — GM’s policy of divisional autonomy saw to that. Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick all maintained their own engineering departments to work out engine specs and suspension settings. Each brand has their fans, with their own reasoning for their preference. And style? No one could claim anything was badge-engineered in those days: Each marque’s studio worked overtime to ensure that you’d never confuse one with another. Such things were so engrained in buyers’ minds that lawsuits flew…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

SEATING PLAN

IT MAY BE HARD TO IMAGINE, but the 1969 GTO seats we’re about to restore are now 50 years old. Once you grapple with that figure, it should seem obvious that the covers, and particularly the seat foam, are justifiably worn and tired; they’ve even become uncomfortable to sit on. We’re going to freshen them up with new covers, which we’re installing in the home garage of a friend who is partial to ’69 GTOs. In fact, he has a restored and very rare ’69 Ram Air IV four-speed convertible in addition to the car we’re working on. For this project, we’re using a seat cover kit from Legendary Auto Interiors along with new seat foam from American Cushion Industries. Both products are exact recreations of the factory original parts.…

5 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

OWNER’S VIEW

The main reason I wanted to re-create this Montego MX was because my dad bought that car new. And then it was sold to my cousin and I bought it off him, and I had it for years and years. I have three boys and two of them found this one up in Michigan somewhere, so me and my middle boy, Ray J, went and picked it up and drove it home. Brian’s the one that did the body and paint. Probably for several months, he worked on it day and night. I really like the car. It rides nice. If you want it to go, it’ll go. It’s decent on gas with that five-speed in there. It does pretty good for a big, ole heavy car.…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

ASK RAY

MUSTANG GREMLINS Q: Many thanks for your great magazine. I am hoping you can help me. My late-model Mustang has an intermittent starting problem. It has a pushbutton start system that works much of the time but too often does not work. The dashboard indication I get is “No Key Detected.” I put new batteries in the key fobs, and that didn’t help. I installed a new battery in the car and that also did not help. The car is still under warranty, and I have taken it to the dealer twice (the last time I left it there for 1.5 weeks). The dealer says they can’t replicate the problem and do not receive a trouble code from the computer diagnostics and can’t fix it without a code. I contacted…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

THE GOODS

HANGER TIME ECS AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPTS • 855-532-7846 • WWW.ECSAUTOMOTIVE.COM • $175 (PAIR) Available for the 1969 Pontiac Firebird, these new tail-pipe support hangers are said to be made exactly like the originals. Until now, they were available as NOS, and finding those was challenging, and aftermarket items were not as good as the originals. These hangers feature all of the correct contours, radiused corners, and thickness rubber, and are marked with the “L” or “R” in natural steel, just as GM installed them 50 years ago. TOUCH UP TIME AUTOMOTIVETOUCHUP • 888-710-5192 WWW.AUTOMOTIVETOUCHUP.COM • $19.95 (12-OZ SPRAY CAN) If you’re looking to color-coordinate accessories that are part of your car, whether it’s a fire extinguisher, racing helmet, or anything else you want finished in the exact same color…

4 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

SIZZLING IN SCOTTSDALE

YOU KNOW THE ROUTINE. It’s mid-January, the dead of winter in much of the country, when old cars hibernate and owners tweak their spring mechanical to-do list. Yet in the desert Southwest, the core temperature of the collector-car hobby heats up. Thousands — either on the ground or watching on television — hold their collective breath: Will the dozen-plus days of gavel action forecast a bull year in the market, or a slow-and-steady pace? Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson, often cited as the lead barometer, held its 48th sale on January 12-20 at its traditional location within WestWorld. As in years past, the auction house went big, offering more than 1,800 no-reserve vehicular lots — the largest such sale to date anywhere. And if there were concerns about where the money might land…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

AUCTION NEWS

MUSCLE ROARS IN FLORIDA AND TEXAS In late March, for its 17th annual sale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, RM Auctions reported a record $23.2 million in total sales (commissions and automobilia included) at an 80-percent sell-through rate. Though a very modern 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari (yep, that’s a real car name) topped the list at $3.1 million, plenty of notable muscle cars crossed the block, too. The only muscle machines in the top 10 were a pair of low-mileage 2006 Ford GTs that sold for $286,000 and $255,750. Among the noteworthy sales were a 1968 Shelby G.T. 500KR convertible that sold for $165,000 (one of several Shelby Mustangs, vintage and modern, sold in Florida), and a 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with Ram Air III power for $104,500. RM also sold…

3 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

MUSCLEANEOUS

THE FINAL C7 CORVETTE TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY On the same day that GM announced an introduction date for the new C8 Corvette, the automaker also identified the last production C7 and its fate. On June 28, at its Northeast auction, Barrett-Jackson will sell the final seventh-generation Corvette produced, a black 2019 Z06 (like the 2018 Z06 pictured), with proceeds going to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Named for firefighter Stephen Siller, killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York City, the organization supports injured and fallen military members, first responders, and their families. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation builds mortgage-free homes for severely injured service members, helps to pay mortgages for families of first responders killed in the line of duty, and even…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

CLASS TRANSIT

WHILE CHEVY AND Pontiac, Dodge and Plymouth, Ford, and even stodgy ol’ AMC were slinging mud and fighting like the Batley Townswomen’s Guild’s reenactment of “The Battle of Pearl Harbour,” it’s easy to forget that when it came to power and performance, Buick and Oldsmobile had been there all along. Recall the original Buick Century of 1936-’37, its eight-cylinder engine in a mid-sized body able to top 100 mph—arguably, it was among the first muscle cars. Recall the OHV V-8 revolution of 1949, and Oldsmobile’s role. This was back in the days before high performance was small-“D” democratized—when extra power was one of the luxury features you paid for while buying a car higher up the food chain. Buicks and Oldsmobiles were not for the hoi polloi. While Ford and…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

FIRST FISH

I MAGINE MARCHING INTO A DEALERSHIP in the late 1960s and ordering your favorite muscle car with the options you desire and in just the right color. Joe Amenta, a self-employed graphic artist from Windsor, Connecticut, is one of those rare individuals who did exactly that, and he still has his Plymouth pony car to prove it. In late September 1968, 26-year-old Joe and his wife, Sue, purchased this Black Velvet Barracuda Formula S 383 at Chorches Auto Sales Inc., in nearby Windsor Locks. They had been driving a Slant-Six 1963 Dart GT convertible daily but wanted a car that was more practical than a drop-top for Connecticut winters and that could carry more stuff for their growing family, as son Kevin was two years old at the time. After…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

RETURN TO LANSING

GENERAL MOTORS’ EDICT IN THE SIXTIES that limited the size of engines in the company’s intermediate cars vexed the brand marketers, who saw big-cube Chrysler and Ford engines pulling ahead in the factory supercar race. Shifter magnate George Hurst offered a solution: A “second stage” specialty model with a larger engine that could be sold through dealerships but wasn’t technically a regular-production car bound by corporate ties. He floated the idea first at Pontiac, where it was rejected, but found more welcoming ears about 75 miles away, at Oldsmobile. The plan involved swapping the 400 engine in the 4-4-2 with a 455 engine that was more powerful and, ironically, lighter. Topping it off was a Hurst shifter, distinctive color scheme, and a few other details, creating the Hurst/Olds. Over the…

7 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

PARTS PRICES

Arm rest pads..................... $115Bed floor ............................ $779Brake line set ..................... $127Console (automatic) .......... $462Door panels ....................... $462Door skins.......................... $180Fenders...............................$320Grille kit SS ....................... $195Headlight bezel set............ $134Fender extensions................ $86Front end rebuild kit ......... $279Frame mount repair kit ....... $30Quarter panels................... $450Spark plug wires (BB, dated) ........................ $73…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

TACTICAL TWIST

WITH GM’S 400- cubic-inch limit for mid-size cars rescinded for 1970, Buick, Olds, and Pontiac responded with 455s and Chevrolet with a 454. A 350-hp 455 for the GS 455 and GSX, and an optional 360-hp Stage 1 escaped from Flint, and Lansing released a 365-hp 455 for the 4-4-2 and an extra-cost 370-hp W-30 version. Buick and Olds replaced their 400 engines, but Pontiac retained its 350-hp 400 for the GTO and made its new 360-hp 455 a mid-level option for it and The Judge, with the extra-cost 366-hp Ram Air III 400 (standard in The Judge) and the round-port 370-hp Ram Air IV 400 remaining the top performers. These three 455s were each division’s own design, and since they retained the same outer dimensions as the 400s they…

6 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

1973 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE: You’re finally shopping for a new (old) car, and you find just the right one. It’s the year, make, model, body style, engine, transmission, and even color that you wanted! Or it’s not exactly all that, but it’s close enough, and it’s within your budget. Your dream, or some semblance thereof, is within your grasp. So, you pull the trigger, only to find that, uh-oh, it’s not like that at all. Your enthusiasm outstripped your caution and now you have a project on your hands. That’s exactly what happened to John Prenzno, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, back in 2008. John went to an auction and picked up this 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. It had a 455-cu.in. V-8, a four-speed, and it was finished in the…

7 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

1971 MERCURY MONTEGO MX

ENGINE Block type.................. Ford 335-series “Cleveland” cast-iron block V-8 (original to car)Cylinder heads .......................................Ford of Australia 302 closed-chamber cast-ironDisplacement.......................................................................................................351.9-cu.in.Bore x stroke....................................................................................................4.00 x 3.50 inCompression ratio...........................................................................................................11.0:1Pistons............................................................................................................................StockConnecting rods.............................................................................................................StockHorsepower @ rpm ........................... 375 @ 5,500 (modified est.); 240 @ 4,600 (stock)Torque @ rpm ....................425 lb-ft @ 3,500 (modified est.); 350 lb-ft @ 2,600 (stock)Camshaft type...........................................................................Comp Cams hydraulic rollerDuration........................................................218-deg intake, 224-deg exhaust (at 0.050)Lift....................................................................................0.513-in intake, 0.520-in exhaustValvetrain ........................... Manley valves: 2.04-in intake, 1.66-in exhaust; Comp Cams aluminum roller rockers, pushrods, and valve springsFuel............................................................Edelbrock Air-Gap dual-plane intake manifold; Holley 4150 four-barrel carburetor, 650 cfmLubrication.....................................................................................................................StockIgnition....................MSD Pro Billet distributor with MSD 6AL digital electronic ignitionExhaust................................Patriot ceramic-coated headers; dual custom exhaust with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers; 2.5-in pipe diameterOriginal engine..........................................Ford 351 Cleveland with two-barrel carburetor TRANSMISSION Type............................................ Tremec T45 five-speed manual with Centerforce clutch Ratios.......... 1st/2.37:1 … 2nd/1.99:1…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

PRODUCT TEST: RACE RAMPS FLATSTOPPERS

RACE RAMPS/BRUTE TECHNOLOGIES • 866-464-2788 • WWW.RACERAMPS.COM • FROM $189 When you have a vintage or specialty car, you’re almost certainly going to be storing it at some point, to stash it during winter months or just because it isn’t your everyday transportation. Cars don’t like to sit, and among the issues that can arise when they do are flat-spotted tires. Often, this is just a temporary condition that results in an irritating thumping or vibration until a few heat cycles and road miles restore roundness, but sometimes the effects can be more lasting. Storing a vehicle on jack stands is an age-old practice to avoid such ills, but that can be a hassle — first to get the vehicle situated, and then again to get it down, which…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

JULY

6 SILVER Jackson Hole, Wyoming 800-255-4485 www.silverauctions.com 12-13 MECUM Denver, Colorado 262-275-5050 www.mecum.com 18-20 CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AUTO AUCTION Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 800-248-8026 www.cpaautoauction.com 25-27 GAA CLASSIC CARS Greensboro, North Carolina 855-862-2257 www.gaaclassiccars.com 31-8/3 MECUM Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 262-275-5050 www.mecum.com 5-7 ANNUAL HOT ROD SUPER NATIONALS Canfield, Ohio 330-883-2644 5-7 GOODGUYS HEARTLAND NATIONALS Des Moines, Iowa 925-838-9876 6 SILVER AUCTION Jackson Hole, Wyoming 800-255-4485 12 HEMMINGS COLLECTOR CAR APPRECIATION DAY Bennington, Vermont 800-227-4373 12-13 MECUM AUCTION Denver, Colorado 262-275-5050 12-14 CARLISLE CHRYSLER NATIONALS Carlisle, Pennsylvania 717-243-7855 14 LONG BEACH HI-PERFORMANCE SWAP MEET Long Beach, California 800-762-9785 16-21 PONTIAC-OAKLAND CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 763-479-2111 18-20 AMERICAN MOTORS OWNERS’ CONVENTION Collinsville, Illinois 919-795-3530 18-20 CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AUTO AUCTION Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 800-248-8026 19-21 DAVE & ED’S SUPER AUTO EVENTS Canfield, Ohio 330-477-8506 19-21…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

PRODUCTION LINE

2019 CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRAND SPORT CONVERTIBLE: THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS On Wednesday, April 10, of this year, a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport convertible (silver, eight-speed automatic) was dropped off for us to evaluate in this issue of HMM. The next day, Chevrolet announced that it would be introducing the 2020 Corvette, with its new mid-engine layout, in July. Within 24 hours of its delivery, the silver bullet in my driveway became an anachronism. Some would argue that it was past its sell-by date well before then. Our 2019 GS ragtop starts at $70,400. It was equipped for $9,745 with the 3LT group (including seats that incorporate Napa leather, power lumbar, power bolsters, heating and cooling, and memory; head-up display; auto-dimming mirrors; leather and suede microfiber throughout the interior;…

5 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

OWNERS’ VIEW

We’ve long felt that the 1970 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 is the ultimate Executive Express. We recognize that this is a very important all-original benchmark car, and we want to do a complete and extensive high-end clean, detail, documentation, and verification of this car and all of its parts. The special paint color (Ming Jade), the fact that after nearly 50 years it still retains its as-new appearance, and the amazing factory-original fit-and-finish are all part of the attraction for us. We plan to bring it to MCACN this coming November and have it Vintage Certified by the very best Oldsmobile experts in the USA. —Fred Mandrick (shown left) and Scott Tedro ’ve had plenty of GM A-bodies over the years, but I never had a ’70 I Stage 1 until…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

OWNER’S VIEW

My dad always owned Chryslers. The first car I drove was his ’49 Dodge. He then traded it in for a beautiful ’61 Chrysler four-door. My first new car was a ’62 Dodge Lancer. In the early 1960s, when I enlisted in the Connecticut Army National Guard, I took a train to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for training. I earned a rifle shooting award, a weekend pass, and a marksmanship medal. A friend lent me his ’57 T-Bird to go home for the weekend, which got me hooked on power. In 1964, a fellow soldier took me for a ride in his ’65 Barracuda V-8, and I loved its style. Those experiences led me to this big-block Barracuda. My wife of 53 years still supports me in everything I do…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

1970 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO SS

EL CAMINOS HAVE TAKEN A BEATING on the internet over the past 20 years as a lazy punchline for mullet jokes. But we wonder: How many snarky car pundits have ever actually driven a big-block powered El Camino? They’d likely be impressed by the power — even on a short trip to the coffee bar to write that day’s clickbait listicle. When the chassis is in good condition, 1968-’72 El Caminos aren’t a chore to drive, either. They have surprisingly modern road manners. Not that we’re biased or hold grudges, but just to be clear, in SS trim, an El Camino is not the automotive equivalent of a mullet. (All business in the front and a party in the back! Ha!) It’s actually all business in the back where you…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

I Was A Quarter-Mile Mother

“The ‘mothering side’ of me took a back seat to the ‘racing side’ of me.” As you’ve probably heard, NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force has taken a leave of absence from her dad’s drag racing team, and speculation is that she and her husband, IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, may be planning on starting a family. Courtney’s older sister, Ashley, retired from the driver’s seat in her Funny Car in 2011 shortly before her first child was born, and the third Force daughter, Brittany, the 2017 NHRA Top Fuel champion, may at some point follow in the footsteps of her two sisters. There are other professional female drag racers such as Top Fuel’s Leah Pritchett and Pro Stock’s Erica Enders-Stevens who are both married, yet haven’t made the transition into…

5 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

TIGERS, MAD SCIENTISTS, AND CLEAN-CUT THUGS

THE EVOLUTION OF GM’S muscle car range happened as quickly as you can say “zero to 60.” Oldsmobile’s 4-4-2 employed police-spec mechanicals; Pontiac’s genre-shaping GTO drove through a loophole the size of Michigan to create a performance legend. Buick would quickly emerge with its Gran Sport imprint onto the A-body, blending power with traditional Buick comfort. From there, engines grew as quickly as GM management would allow. By 1967, everyone was hard against the management-imposed limit of 400 cubes. There was even room for smaller-engined performance — witness the OHC Six Tempest Sprint, the Buick GS 340, the Olds Ram-Rod 350 and W-31. This survey of vintage ads from across the B-O-P range also shows the evolution of GM’s selling strategy from the era: from starchy (if charismatic) illustrations to…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A ’71 MERCURY MONTEGO MX probably doesn’t top too many “favorite muscle car” lists, but Ray Hill has no concerns about any conventional rankings of Detroit iron. This Montego holds a special place in Ray’s heart, because it’s all but a dead ringer for a Montego he owned previously. It also turns some pretty decent times for a street car. In these pages, we’ve heard plenty of stories of guys who kept their cars, but also plenty who sold them or had to sell them when Uncle Sam came calling or when a muscle car just wasn’t practical enough for a young and growing family. We’ve also heard plenty about one-owner or single-family muscle cars that people have kept around since the beginning. This story should be one of those…

7 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

SWAP MEET

1964 GRAND PRIX DISC-BRAKE SWAP Q: Will the spindles and brakes out of a 1970 Firebird or Camaro interchange with a ’64 Pontiac Grand Prix? Bart Swihart Via email A: I’m afraid not. The 1964 Grand Prix was a fullsize model, and the spindles only interchange between 1959 and ’64 fullsize Pontiacs. A complete disc-brake changeover kit is available for the ’64 fullsize Pontiac from Master Power Brakes in the Legend series kits. It uses 11-inch GM rotors and single-piston calipers, but you would have to switch to a 15-inch wheel to complete the installation. MP also offers a kit in its Pro Driver series that uses 13-inch hub-less, slotted and drilled rotors, aluminum four-piston calipers, and separate bearing and hub assemblies. • Master Power Brakes 800-472-4181 www.mpbrakes.com CHRYSLER 300…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

GEAR

HOW TO REBUILD FORD 429/460 ENGINES CARTECH PUBLISHING • 800-551-4754 • WWW.CARTECHBOOKS.COM/SA162 • $29.95 The latest book in CarTech’s Workbench How-To series is a revised edition of the Charles Morris title, formerly How to Rebuild Big-Block Ford Engines, now How to Rebuild Ford 429/460 Engines: Covers 385 Series/Lima Engines. This 144-page softcover (ISBN 9781613254929) remains a visual delight with more than 660 detailed color photographs and charts. Its easy-to-digest text includes nine chapters that introduce the reader to these engines and their specific variants, suggest common issues worth considering, and spell out what tools and outside help could be required before diving into the nitty-gritty step-by-step. This revised edition also includes bonus chapters on the Boss 429 and the 335-series 351 Cleveland, which shares similar architecture with the 385…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2019

Who Thought This Stuff Up?

“Numerous companies made lots of bucks selling these fad items…” During my life-long association with cars, I have seen some stuff come on the market that made me shake my head in disbelief, wondering who, when, and why someone came up with some of the strangest, most useless, and overall ridiculous automotive products imaginable. Several companies built large businesses manufacturing these products, which were usually for sale in large automotive chain stores across the country. I was reminded of these sorts of things during a visit to see an old friend who has been collecting such oddities for a long time as part of his muscle car and generic parts stash. I hadn’t thought about most of these things for decades, as they never appealed to me for any of…

4 min