Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

DYED-IN-THE-WOOL GEARHEADS WILL TELL YOU that the American muscle car ceased to be in 1972; that all Detroit pushed out thereafter were emasculated shells, badged-engineered attempts to play on the image of once great names. Most of these cars were even relegated to the option chart, turned from models to packages, and sprinkled with visual pizzazz while losing their real substance. There’s an element of truth to that scenario, but it isn’t entirely accurate. History has proven that there was plenty of giddy-up left on the market for the taking during what has come to be known as the malaise era, with its emission regulations, big bumpers, and hefty bodies. Gearheads just had to look a little harder for the performance that remained. One place it could still be ferreted…

NO DISCUSSION OF iconic engines from the muscle car era is complete without consideration of Chevy’s legendary L88. Although it shared the same basic architecture as the more pedestrian Mark IV big-blocks that powered countless Impalas, Caprices, and even trucks, in actuality it was a carefully concealed racing engine disguised as a somewhat streetable powerplant. Say it: Ell-Eighty-Eight. It sounds wicked just rolling off your tongue. The incredible cacophony of mechanical lifters, a huge Holley inhaling deeply through an air cleaner that barely qualifies as a gravel strainer, and the explosion of combusted high-octane fossil fuels fighting to find their way back to free atmosphere is more wicked still. For those who bleed Chevrolet orange, the L88 was mechanical nirvana. Development of the L88 can be traced back to the…

THE NEW-FOR-’62 CHEVY II was slightly larger than the Ford Falcon on which it was patterned. It was based around a new series of engines — a 90-horsepower, 153-cubic-inch four-cylinder and a 120-hp 194-cu.in. straight-six. Neither threatened to dislodge the 180-hp Studebaker Lark V-8 from its throne as the compact powerhouse, but the scaled-up dimensions had also left Chevrolet engineers space to potentially fit the division’s small-block V-8. Yeah, the one they used in the Corvette. Better still, those engineers had created the parts to fit a V-8 into the Chevy II, even though it wasn’t an option on the production line. For $1,500 plus labor, one could install a small-block Chevrolet V-8 in any 1962 or ’63 Chevy II, from the cheapest two-door sedan to the top-of-the-line Nova 400…

1966 PONTIAC GTO 800-227-4373 EXT 79550 • WWW.HEMMINGS.COM/STORE • $89.95 Pontiac gave its hot, youthful GTO its third restyling in as many years, and the voluptuous 1966 model would prove immensely popular, selling nearly 97,000 copies. We drove an Ivory-over-Palmetto Green ’66 hardtop in HMM #110, and the Tri-Power, four-speed received a second shot at media stardom as it illustrated a Buyer’s Guide in the August 2016 issue of Hemmings Motor News. It was that Hemmings cover appearance that has been commemorated by the model experts at Auto World, who rendered the Pontiac in 1:18-scale die-cast. This model (item AMM1192) features a detailed chassis, opening doors that reveal a Parchment interior with bright metal- and woodgrain-look trim, and a twin-scoop hood that lifts to expose the metallic blue 389…

WINTER WIND DOWN Some good shows took place in February leading up to Amelia Island weekend in Florida and there were a lot of muscle cars crossing the block around the nation. G. Potter King’s Atlantic City Show in New Jersey featured 71 American muscle cars with a sell-through at just above 50 percent. Just over $1 million in total sales were tallied for this group and, among those sold, was a pair of 1970 Z28s. The blue Z had a 350/360 hp with M-21 transmission and was correct down to the spare and jack assembly. The green Z was an automatic with only 18,500 miles on the odometer. When the bidding ended, the blue Camaro sold for $42,500 and the green example pulled in $36,500. Another GM muscle car…

IMPRESSIVE,A 1963 CHEVROLET BEL AIR STATION WAGON, WINS 2020 RIDLER AWARD Known as “the most prestigious award in the indoor custom car show industry,” The Don Ridler Memorial Award is presented annually at the Detroit Autorama, in recognition of “creativity, engineering, and quality workmanship.” This year, the award was given to a 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon named Impressive, built by Brad, Brady, and Cory Ranweiler of New Ulm, Minnesota. The Ranweilers’ shop, Show Cars Automotive, built the engine, which started as an iron-block 409 (bored and stroked to 509 cubic inches), topped by a Hilborn EFI system, and paired to a 4L80E automatic transmission. It’s built on a custom Art Morrison chassis, with custom wheels and trim by Evod Industries. The red leather and carpet are from M&M…

WHEN CHRYSLER INTRODUCED ITS HEMI for the 1964 competition season, a legend was born. The milestone V-8 that powered the Plymouths to taking all three podium positions in that year’s Daytona 500 signaled the start of Mother Mopar’s most prosperous, golden age of muscle. But that wasn’t Plymouth’s first competition-proven 426, or even the only one available that year: 1964’s Super Stock Commando Stage III demanded respect, and when factory-fitted in the top-of-the-line Sport Fury, it turned that cruiser into a tux-wearing street brawler. While the downsizing of the 1962 model year’s large Plymouths and Dodges had represented a problem for Chrysler sales, the smaller and lighter unit-bodies soon proved a boon on the dragstrip and racetrack. Because those cars were planned to accept the company’s full range of engines…

THIS IS AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT detailing story. But it’s also a great story about love for performance cars coming full circle. Doug Eisberg first set eyes on this ’71 Z28 way back in 1982, when he was working at Collins Motor Company, a used-car lot in a small suburb of San Diego, California. Doug was just out of high school and working with his friend Matt Collins, whose father owned the business. Doug and Matt were both gearheads and Matt’s mother, Rita, drove this Z28 for a couple of years, rowing that four-speed every day. Doug often serviced the ’71 Camaro at the lot. Not to be outdone, Matt chose a blue ’70 Z28 as his daily driver, mainly because it sported that hot LT-1 small-block and a four-speed. When…

It’s been said that perception and reality often take divergent paths, and we’ve been witness to the truth of that statement on occasion.The ’69 L88 was factory rated at 430 hp at 5,200 rpm (that’s perception), and there’s little debate on whether or not Chevy was sandbagging with those numbers. Actual dyno tests back in the day  indicated a far more realistic output of 550-560 hp at elevated rpm ranges in the neighborhood of 6,500 rpm (that’s reality). To validate our efforts, we strapped our L88 tribute engine to a SuperFlow 901 dyno, and with only incremental changes to the timing and carb jetting, generated some pretty impressive figures from an old-school engine!…

HI-TECH HELMET LINCOLN ELECTRIC • 888-935-3877 • WWW.LINCOLNELECTRIC.COM • $321.42-$388.45 Welders know the value of a good helmet that will protect their eyes while allowing them to make precise cuts and welds in all shop environments. These new Viking 3350 Welding Helmets feature industry-leading optics with 4C Lens Technology and an extra-large 12.5-square-inch viewing area. The 4C Lens increases the viewable color range in both light and dark surroundings, eliminating color saturation and giving you the best possible view of your welding area. Optical clarity is rated at a perfect 1 for blurriness, distortion, shade consistency, and angle uniformity. Comfort and ergonomics are fully accounted for with a flexible cushioned back pad, rotatable padded headband, innovative form fit, and adjustable resting position. A simple external switch allows users to…

What’s a gearhead to do? Time moves on, life rolls forward, and next thing you know, you’re all responsible and what not. You’ve got a family, with kids, pets, places to be, and none of it seems to jibe with the pursuit of exhilarating motoring, particularly if your preferences lie with burbling V-8 muscle cars. For scores of enthusiasts over the years, this has been the point where the fun cars go away and practical machines take their place. There’s another reality, too. A brand-new Challenger SRT Redeye, with 797 hp, 707 lb-ft of torque, and two-wheel drive isn’t going to work very well for winter commuting around these parts, where snow can linger for nearly half the calendar. Dodge feels your pain, and it’s now possible to satisfy a…

“I DRIVE IT LIKE I STOLE IT!” admits Larry Atwood, regarding his Pro Touring 1969 Camaro. Another owner might be tempted, at least initially, to go easy on his recently completed build after considering the expenditure required to realize his LT4-powered Gen V Bowtie dream. With all the labor and parts, and the expertise mustered by the crew at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in Red Bud, Illinois, to not only swap the modern supercharged engine into the classic chassis, but to dial it in to behave like Chevrolet intended all along, you wouldn’t want to risk breaking something right out of the gate, right? Then there’s the Detroit Speed subframe and suspension upgrades, the big Baer brakes… the list goes on and on. Nevertheless, Larry reasons, “We used…

WHO ACCIDENTALLY OWNS a 427-powered 1963½ Galaxie? Ford’s 1963 catalog wouldn’t have registered anything about this car, or one like it. All of the important stuff that collectors and car nuts go gaga for, like the engine and the roofline, was a midyear introduction. In the fall of ’62, hardtop rooflines were crisp and formal, and the best engine you could order was a 405-horse, 406-cubic-inch mill fed by a trio of two-barrel carburetors. But this was to change. The Sports Hardtop roofline was new on both Galaxie and Falcon halfway through 1963; ads called them “Command Performance Cars for 1963½.” While time in a wind tunnel proved that the Galaxie’s slick new roof was 23-percent more efficient than the more formal roof, none of this was mentioned in ads…

HORSEPOWER FLOWS FROM MODERN V-8s like petroleum through a pipeline. The numbers are ludicrously high, so a 50-horse difference seems trivial. Once you’ve passed the 500-, 600-, or 700-hp barrier in a production car, does it really matter? But to a 21-year-old in 1968, eyeing a brand-new ’69 Camaro SS and craving the big-block performance that his buddies were raving about, 50 horsepower was the difference between a show pony and a thoroughbred. Bobby R. Bonds, a retired North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation special agent today, was in the Army back in ’68, working on artillery in Vietnam. When a brochure for the new Camaro caught his eye at the PX, he knew it was time to pull the trigger and get one of his own with the biggest…

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS • 800-444-3353 • WWW.HARBORFREIGHT.COM • $39.99 There’s no shortage of flashlights or work lights on the market today, even if you specify LED illumination, but we came across one particular offering from Harbor Freight that intrigued us after seeing some very positive reviews online. The Braun Slim Bar Folding LED Work Light measures 13.5 inches from end to end, and the lamp is indeed slim, but it is also quite bright. The bar can be lit in two levels of intensity and then there’s another LED in the tip; one button cycles through all three options.The light panel is hinged and can be folded through 180 degrees — 90 degrees forward or back from straight. It does not fold up, however. This unit also has a…

WHEN THE CALENDAR FLIPS to January, more than a few car collectors’ eyes turn west to gaze upon Scottsdale, Arizona, in anticipation of auction week. Whether being viewed as a form of collector-car entertainment, an industry barometer, or a chance to bid your way into owning a dream car, the famed oasis in the desert Southwest is the place to be for thousands of enthusiasts. Leading the charge is Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson, which celebrated its 49th-annual Arizona sale on January 11-19 at its traditional location within WestWorld. As in years past, Barrett-Jackson went big, setting a new house record by offering over 1,900 no-reserve vehicular lots, along with 1,200-plus pieces of automobilia and an additional nine vehicles auctioned for charity. Nearly 100 percent of the lots sold for a collective total…