Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

A Return to the Road

“ They put the car together to enjoy it, and that’s just what they did. ” Hopefully, by the time you read this, we’ll all be getting back to some semblance of normal, and maybe reducing a bit of the distance between us as the pandemic curve flattens out. But what will we all do once we can finally move about and interact somewhat freely again? Being stuck at home seems to have many people thinking about road trips, and it’s certainly having that effect on me. The desire to get out and roam would seem a natural counterreaction to this prolonged period of isolation, and watching news reports with mounting death tolls has certainly driven home the idea that there’s no time like the present to do the things…

4 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

Letter of the Month: Major Influence

"I’ve been reading your magazine since the beginning and like many of your readers, I too was hit by the car bug in the early 1970s. I bought a 1965 Corvette 327/365 in 1976, when I was 19, and paid it off by working in a casino (though I was going to college at the same time). I never sold the car and to this day it is still driven 30-40 times per year. I can’t remember the exact date when I caught the “bug,” but vividly remember when one of my future third graders did. It was in 2004, when Pierre was a kindergartner, and as I was leaving school one day in my Vette, he just stood there staring at my car with “the look” we’ve all experienced.…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SPECIFICATIONS

1970 BUICK GSX CONVERTIBLE “PHANTOM” ENGINE Type................Buick tall-deck 90-degree OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Cylinder heads.................................Buick 455; 69-cc chambers, 2.005/1.630-in valves Displacement.........................................................................................................455-cu.in. Bore x stroke.....................................................................................................4.31 x 3.90 in Compressionratio.............................................................................................................10:1 Pistons...............................................................................................TRW, forged aluminum Connectingrods...........................................................................................GM, forged steel Crankshaft....................................................................................................GM, forged steel Horsepower.............................................................................................................400 (est.) Torque.............................................................................................................500 lb-ft (est.) Camshafttype.......................................................................................Hydraulic flat tappet Duration....................................................................218/230-degrees duration (at 0.050) Lift........................................................................................................................470/.475-in Valvetrain.........................................................Hydraulicwithheavy-dutysteelpushrods Mainbearings...................................................................................................................Five Inductionsystem...........................................................Quadrajetfour-barrelcarburetor; Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold Ignitionsystem..........................................................................................Malloryelectronic Lubricationsystem.............................................................Full-pressure;gear-typepump Exhaust system.........................................TA Performance headers with 1 7/8 -in primaries Originalengine.......................................................................................................Buick 350 TRANSMISSION Type...............................................................GM200-4Rfour-speedoverdriveautomatic Ratios..........................1st/2.74:1 … 2nd/1.57:1 … 3rd/1.00:1 … 4th/0.67:1 … Reverse/2.07:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.......................................................................................Chevrolet12-bolt;Positraction Ratio................................................................................................................................3.55:1 STEERING Type..............................................................Saginaw 525 recirculating-ball, power assist Ratio.....................................................................................................................................12:1 Turns,lock-to-lock..................................................................................................3.5 (est.) Turningcircle........................................................................................................40 ft (est.) BRAKES Type..................................................................Hydraulic,power-assistedfour-wheeldisc Front/Rear......................................11-indrilled/slottedrotors;GMsingle-pistoncalipers SUSPENSION Front..................................................................Independent;unequal-lengthA-armswith DetroitSpeedcoilover-shockconversion,stabilizerbar Rear.........................................................Solid axle located with Detroit Speed upper and lower control arms and coil springs; stabilizer bar WHEELS AND TIRES Wheels................................................................................Forgeline ZX3 forged aluminum Front: 18…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

OWNER’S VIEW

I’ve learned 2,200-2,300 rpm seems to be the sweet spot to launch this car; I’m usually in the .20 range of the lights. I’m conservative, watching for 6,200 rpm to shift into second, then start looking where the other guy is. I’ll stay within one or two thousandths of what the car will run, dialing a bit off so I know I’ll have some room to lift at the far end if he’s not on me. Of course, if he passes me early, I’ll know either I was really bad on the tree, or he’s really gonna break out big time; you have to make that decision when you get down there. It’s a lot easier in the quarter-mile than it is in the eighth-mile! — Larry McLendon…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

OWNER’S VIEW

I’m a Mustang enthusiast but I never thought my budget could handle something like this — it was a financially draining project. The initial idea I had was to clean it up, make it look good, and maybe drive it because it was a pretty solid car. But as we started taking it apart, we found other problems and pretty soon it was down to a shell — you have to fix everything once it’s apart. It turned into a ground-up restoration and now it’s a trailer queen sitting in the garage. But with a project like this, you have to do it right.…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

ALUMINUM B-O-P HEADS FOR THE STREET

CARBURETORS, HEADERS and other external bits get all the glory, but the key to making real power is always in the cylinder heads. Without the ability to move the air-fuel mixture smoothly and in the proper amounts, and lacking the proper combustion chamber shape and size to burn it efficiently, an engine will never live up to its full potential. Get the right heads, and you’ll need that extra flow from the carburetors and headers. At one time, cylinder head choice was largely a matter of hunting down the best factory castings and going after them with a die grinder. Time, attrition, and the rise of showroom-perfect restorations meant that those castings were an ever-dwindling resource with an ever-increasing price tag. They were also products of the 1960s and ’70s,…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SPIRIT OF’75

IT’S 1975. YOU’RE FINALLY IN A PLACE WHERE YOU can buy a new car, and you want something cool. But cool is relative: The tire-frying exploits of the world of muscle cars were only half a decade past their prime, and in 1975 you had gas lines for limited amounts of fuel that cost you north of a dollar of a gallon. What do you buy? For young Dale Falk of Minnesota, that answer was a new Pontiac Firebird Esprit. “Dad got into Pontiacs after Studebaker stopped building cars,” Dale recalled, “and Hansord Pontiac was the closest dealer to the house. Plus, Firebirds were a whole lot rarer than Camaros in those days. There were always a million Camaros running around, and far fewer Firebirds. I like a car that…

7 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

A Life-Altering Javelin Returns

“He was about 18 years old when he first saw the car…” Rumspringa is a rite of passage for Amish youth. It is a time when the Amish experiment and perhaps, live like an “English” man or woman; not the sequestered life their culture typically demands. It ends when a young adult either chooses to be baptized within the Amish church…or to leave the community. Fritz Helmuth grew up horse-and-buggy Amish in Indiana. He was about 18 years old when he first saw the car, at a Sunday night gathering of friends. “My first cousin, Annie Mae, and her boyfriend Larry came driving in there and I thought, ‘Wow! What is that?’ It was a red, white, and blue Javelin.” Larry was also from an Amish family, and a car…

4 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

CIRCLING BACK

WHEN I RECEIVED MY May issue of HMM and got to page 80 (“Living the Dream”), I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have a similar story that takes place during the same time period. Even the color of my Corvette was the same as the one featured in your story when I purchased it: white with Jewel Blue coves and interior. The only difference was that my car was a 1960 model. While growing up in Middletown, Connecticut, my best friend Jim, who I always looked up to, lived 12 miles away in the hardware city of the nation, New Britain. His grandparents lived two houses down from me, so when he visited them on weekends, we would get to hang out together. This relationship began when I was six…

5 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

GEAR

2019 DODGE CHARGER SRT HELLCAT WWW.ACMEDIECAST.COM ACME TRADING COMPANY • 888-209-2263 • WWW.ACMEDIECAST.COM • $149.95 Something wicked this way comes: It’s a 1:18-scale model of Dodge’s 707-hp, 2019 Charger SRT Hellcat made by GT Spirit, appropriately attired in Pitch Black paint over a matching interior. This rendition of the original standard-body Charger Hellcat (item US025) is incredibly hefty in the hand, and sports crisp detailing outside and in, although none of the body panels open. We were especially impressed by the delicate grille textures, the Brembo-branded red calipers on slotted rotors behind scaled 20-inch wheels, and the legible red-face instrumentation on the dash. As part of Acme’s USA Exclusive Series, this adult collectible is officially licensed by Dodge, and it’s sure to become a favorite piece of shelf, mantle,…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

CRUISIN’ & RACING

JULY 3-5 GOODGUYS HEARTLAND NATIONALS Des Moines, Iowa • 925-838-9876 7-11 PONTIAC OAKLAND CLUB INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION Catoosa, Oklahoma • 763-479-2111 10 HEMMINGS COLLECTOR-CAR APPRECIATION DAY CRUISE-IN Bennington, Vermont • 800-227-4373 10-11 MECUM AUCTIONS Denver, Colorado • 262-275-5050 10-12 CHRYSLER NATIONALS Carlisle, Pennsylvania • 717-243-7855 12 LONG BEACH HI PERFORMANCE SWAP MEET Long Beach, California • 800-762-9785 16-18 CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AUTO AUCTION ANTIQUE & CLASSIC AUCTION Lock Haven, Pennsylvania • 800-248-8026 17-19 DAVE & ED’S SUPER SWAP MEET Canfield, Ohio • 330-477-8506 17-19 PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX HISTORICS AT PITT RACE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • 724-535-1000 17-19 SYRACUSE NATIONALS Syracuse, New York • 800-753-3978 23-25 GAA CLASSIC CARS AUCTION Greensboro, North Carolina • 855-862-2257 24-25 SOMERNITES CRUISE TRUCKIN’ NATIONALS Somerset, Kentucky • 606-872-2277 29-8/1 MECUM AUCTIONS Harrisburg, Pennsylvania • 262-275-5050 31-8/1 HOT…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

MUSCLEANEOUS

COVID-19 CLAIMS MOPAR LEGEND LARRY RATHGEB On March 24, 1970, Larry Rathgeb (right, in photo) brought a cadre of engineers, a hired shoe, and the hottest car on the planet to Talladega. His goal: get driver Buddy Baker to push the Dodge Charger Daytona engineering mule past 200 mph to set a world record. Indeed, Rathgeb and his crew did what nobody else in the world had ever done that day. Rathgeb, however, wasn’t able to celebrate the anniversary of the event; he died Sunday, March 22, age 90, reportedly after contracting COVID-19. Rathgeb started his career as an engineer with Chrysler, and by the mid-Sixties rose to become the lead engineer for racing development in the country. In that role, he not only worked with the teams running Chrysler…

3 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

PHANTOM FUN

OF ALL THE MUSCLE CARS DETROIT didn’t build, it seems like a convertible version of the Buick GSX would have been a no-brainer. Hardly a stripped-down quarter-mile weapon, the 1970 GSX was a fully dressed near-luxury coupe that also happened to pack a 455-cubic-inch punch. Its approximately $4,500 base price was about a third more than, say, a ’70 Road Runner — and that was before the Stage 1 engine option was selected. For the customers who were already paying up for luxo-muscle, another couple of hundred bucks for a folding top would have probably gone over well, but Buick only pressed out 678 versions of the coupe as it was. That didn’t stop countless enthusiasts over the years from creating “phantom” versions of the never-was GSX drop-top, with many…

6 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS 396

JUST AS THE MUSCLE CAR MOVEMENT edged closer to its yet-unseen climax, Chevrolet went and did something the competition wasn’t doing: It demoted its performance Chevelle from a separate model to an option package for 1969. It seemed like an odd move: Buyers were flocking to dealerships flush with cash, or backed by credit, looking for a supercar to sweep through Main Street by simply checking a box and signing papers. Such models were quick sales with little effort. Yet hindsight may suggest this was a wise idea by division management, even if it only lasted the season. Why? The Chevelle SS 396 had already attained an incredible following, which was further bolstered its now-iconic redesign ENGINE Although the basic Chevelle-Malibu line was offered with a pair of six-cylinders and…

9 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SPECIFICATIONS

1966 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE ENGINE Blocktype.......................................................................Chrysler RB-series V-8; cast-iron Cylinder heads ........................................ Edelbrock aluminum E-Street; 75-cc chambers Displacement ........... 496-cu.in. (0.040-in overbored 440 block/stroker crankshaft) Bore x stroke...................................................................................................4.36 x 4.150 in Compressionratio..............................................................................................................12:1 Pistons....................................................................................................Venolia forged alloy Connectingrods.........................................................................................................H-beam Crankshaft.........................................................................................................Hemi,stroker Horsepower @ rpm ......................................................................... 500 @ 6,500 rpm (est.) Torque @ rpm.....................................................................................................................N/A Camshafttype........................................................HowardCams,flat-tappet,mechanical Duration...........................................................................................295/303 degrees (adv.) Lift.........................................................................................................................555/.574-in Valvetrain..........................................................Edelbrockvalvesprings;Cranealuminum roller rocker arms; Chromoly pushrods Inductionsystem.............................................EdelbrockTorkerIIsingle-planemanifold, EdelbrockAVS2four-barrelcarburetor Lubrication system...................... Full pressure; Milodon oil pump, oil pan, windage tray Ignition system................MSD electronic ignition, MSD coil, ACCEL ceramic plug wires Exhaustsystem.............................................................................................Doug’sHeaders Originalengine.................................................................................318-cu.in.ChryslerV-8 TRANSMISSION Type .............. Chrysler 727 TorqueFlite three-speed with manual valvebody automatic Ratios..................................................................................1st/2.45:1…2nd/1.45:1…3rd/1:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.........................................................Hypoid;Chrysler8 3/4-in;Moser30-splinespool Ratio...............................................................................................................................4.30:1 STEERING Type...............................................................................Saginawrecirculatingball,manual Ratio...................................................................................................................................24:1 Turns-to-Lock.....................................................................................................................3.5 BRAKES Type............................................................................Hydraulicfour-wheeldrums,manual Front/Rear........................................................................................................................10-in SUSPENSION Front.................................................................Independent;unequal-lengthcontrolarms with torsion bars, upper/lower ball joints, Competition Products Adjustable Front Drag Shocks, 90/10 ratio Rear..........................................................................Live axle; split mono-leaf springs with Cal-Tracs,CompetitionProductsAdjustableRearDragShocks…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

BLITZKRIEG B-O-P

THE SKIES FILLED WITH SMOKE as greater Detroit’s intramural squabbles played out across the dragstrips and traffic lights of ten thousand American towns, scattered across a fruited plain populated by a million rambunctious teens. Every victory was ammunition in the never-ending fight for hearts and minds among the bench-racing brigade. Every tire squeal and redline shift made an impression on someone, somewhere. Every wheel turned in anger created a lustful desire within the heart of someone young and impressionable (and, GM hoped, who had parents with money to burn). Scenes like this are why enthusiasm for Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac remains strong decades after these cars were contemporary. It’s the reason why we feature them so regularly, and so prominently, in the pages (and on the covers) of HMM every…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SOURCES:

AllPontiac.com Richmond, Virginia 804-794-6777 Sales-techsupport@allpontiac.com www.allpontiac.comBrand(s): Pontiac DCI Motorsports Atwater, Ohio 330-628-3354 or 330-850-5050 email via website www.dcimotorsports.comBrand(s): Pontiac Edelbrock Torrance, California 888-799-1135 email via website www.edelbrock.comBrand(s): Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick Kauffman Racing Equipment Glenmond, Ohio 740-599-5000 kre@ecr.net www.krepower.comBrand(s): Pontiac Mondello Performance Products Inc. Paso Robles, California 805-237-8808 Lynn@mondellotwister.com www.mondelloperformance.comBrand(s): Oldsmobile Olds Rocket Parts Paso Robles, California 805-975-8601 email via website www.oldsrocketparts.comBrand(s): Oldsmobile Speedmaster Rialto, California 909-605-1123 info@speedmaster79.com www.speedmaster79.comBrand(s): Pontiac, Oldsmobile TA Performance Products Inc. Scottsdale, Arizona 480-922-6807 TAPerf@aol.com www.taperformance.comBrand(s): Buick…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

OWNER’S VIEW

AFirebird was my high school dream car, and I was 20 when I purchased it. It was my first new car, so I didn’t have a lot of money, and at that time gas lines wrapped around the block. I quite like the lines of it; when I was younger, I think I didn’t appreciate it enough. It’s a very nice design. Now the stance is good, and it’s a sports car — but it depends on what you compare it to. The Firebird is a very large car, and for a large car it handles really well. It’s secure enough that you can have a good time driving to Tortilla Flat. Plus, the paint works well with the exterior brightwork, and it looks just right to me. —Dale Falk…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

POWER ON A BUDGET

IF YOU’RE A CHEVY GUY, THEN YOU’VE PROBABLY spent hours leafing through the Chevrolet Performance catalog. It’s like when you were a kid, pouring over the Sears Wish Book Christmas catalog, dreaming of all the cool toys.The only real difference is that now the toys cost more! The issue, of course, is that not all of us can splurge on a top-tier offering like the 572-cu.in. Chevrolet Performance big-block package. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something in those pages for those of us with slimmer budgets. Thomas Wyard is a 28-year-old Southern Californian suffering from horsepower envy. Three years ago, he bought a very clean, and surprisingly unmolested, ’64 Chevelle with a 283 V-8 and a Powerglide. It ran, but the 283 was beyond tired. He finally saved up…

11 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SWAP MEET

DROP SPINDLES FOR CHEVY 454 SS PICKUP Q:I envy your knowledge of all things related to automotive issues. It is comforting to know that there are people like you who can narrow down the focus and put problems into perspective, saving readers countless hours of frustrating research and trial and error. What has been troubling me is the issue of the suspension components on the Chevrolet 454 SS pickup truck. I know that the differential is from the 3/4-ton, but it seems that little is understood about the front steering, suspension, and brakes. I have the opportunity to purchase a pair of dropped front spindles that are advertised as being used on the 1989 through mid-1990’s pickup truck, but every ad that I see for dropped spindles states that they…

9 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

THE GOODS

ADAPTATION AEROMOTIVE INC. • 913-647-7300 • WWW.AEROMOTIVEINC.COM • $17.66-$47.40 New hose ends and PTFE fuel line are now being offered by Aeromotive to provide a clean and polished look to your fuel system, while delivering versatility and reliability. Parts are available in three diameters, with fitting angles of 0, 45, 90, and 180 degrees. Each hose end is durable and can withstand temperatures ranging from minus 60 to over 200 degrees Celsius (minus 76 to 392 degrees F). Visit Aero-motive’s website for more information and an instructional video on installation. MOPAR SPARKS PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTORS • 901-396-5782 WWW.PERFORMANCEDISTRIBUTORS.COM • $39-$299 New Pentastar Sultans of Spark (SOS) coils will provide additional performance for your Mopar muscle car’s ignition system, and installation is simple, taking only around 90 minutes. Each unit…

4 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

HEMMINGSAUCTIONS.COM

RESTOMODS AND ORIGINALS ALIKE ATTRACT THE BIDS While every lot is unpredictable, trends always emerge in auctions. Certain makes, models, and types will always be “on the move,” trending one way or another. In the most recent weeks, we’ve seen lots of attention and bidding given to restomods done right — with a comprehensive reimagining that begins under the hood, but includes chassis, interior, and exterior mods. The ’73 Camaro Z28 examined below is just such a car, with its built driveline, sublime color, and overall highly detailed execution. In a final flurry of activity, six bids came during the last hour and a full dozen bids followed, each one extending the auction, as designed. On the other hand, a properly restored and distinctive muscle car in a striking color…

3 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

COMING UP

At press time, the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the scheduling of car shows, events, and auctions throughout the country. Mecum has two sales planned in July: Denver, July 10-11, and Harrisburg, July 29-August 1. The Denver auction is currently slated to take place at the Colorado Convention Center, with more than 600 cars up for grabs, while the Harrisburg sale is scheduled to be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and could host about 1,200 cars. Mecum has yet to release consignment lists for either event, but last year’s combined sales at these venues netted greater than $41.2 million, with nearly 1,300 cars changing hands. The GAA Classic Car Auction is currently scheduled to take place July 23-25 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Last year’s show saw nearly 650 cars…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

PRODUCTION LINE

HELLCAT RAM! 700-PLUS-HP REBEL TRX TO TAKE ON FORD’S RAPTOR If you’ve been wondering how Ford has gotten away with building a big-dollar, high-performance off-road pickup like the Raptor, without anyone busting in on its turf, wonder no more. For 2021, Ram (formerly Dodge’s truck division, split off from Dodge back in 2011) is launching the Hellcat-powered Rebel TRX. More than 700 horsepower will be sent to all four wheels via Chrysler’s eight-speed automatic transmission and beefed-up four-wheel-drive components. In the Rebel TRX, this engine will lose its Hellcat designation and badging, even though it’s the same engine that is put in Chargers and Challengers. It will be known simply as “6.2L Supercharged.” Crew-cab and quad-cab versions are on the boil. The body kit, we hear, will be very close…

3 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

OWNER’S VIEW

We’ve had this car together with all the upgrades for five years now, and couldn’t ask for anything more when it comes to driving enjoyment and the attention it gets. Without the worry of keeping it concours-spotless 100-percent factory correct, it’s perfect to just jump in for a drive to the cars-and-coffee. In that regard, it’s everything I’ve always wanted in a vintage muscle car. It looks the part, draws great attention, but drives like a more modern car — and after all these years, it still picked up something like four or five show awards last summer. I don’t think there’s anything more I could want or ask of it.…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

BRACKET BEATER

THERE’S A WELL-WORN adage in the racing world that runs along the lines of, “Speed cost money; how fast do you want to go?” For enthusiasts on a tight budget, that can be daunting — how can you be competitive on the drag strip if you can’t out-spend the Joneses? Ah, there are ways, as this veteran bracket racing champ 1966 Plymouth Satellite proves. The B-body Mopars of the mid-1960s were winners, right off the assembly line. Optioned with the 426 Hemi and RO23 “Super Stock” package, the 1967 Belvedere II was a formidable racer, and the red-white-and-blue, Sox & Martin Plymouth GTX electrified fans and dominated its class in Super Stock Eliminator. Those cars, and others like them, captured the imagination of a teenage Larry McLendon, and set a…

8 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

1967 SHELBY G.T. 350

MANY GREAT TUNERS HAVE reworked and race-prepped Ford’s Mustang: names like Roush, Saleen, and Steeda. But the late Carroll Shelby’s pony cars are a breed apart and, more than 50 years since the original bared its fangs, you can buy a brand-new Shelby GT350 or GT500 off a Ford dealer’s lot. The 1967 edition of Shelby’s remastered Mustangs is almost like the template for the current cars. The new-for-’67 Ford Mustang and its new-for-’67 Shelby counterparts were larger, heavier, but more polished and had space between the shock towers for a burly FE-series V-8. Also that year, Mustangs weren’t shipped to Shelby American for a full competition chassis and engine upfit as the originals had been. The mechanicals were mostly Ford factory components while the styling treatment was full-tilt Shelby.…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

BIG B-O-PPERS

DURING THE 1960S, MID- size muscle cars increasingly infiltrated a performance market that had been owned by full-size models with large displacement engines. This transition initiated at the Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac (B-O-P) divisions with the arrival of the Pontiac GTO for 1964, followed by the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 later in that model year and the Buick Skylark Gran Sport partway through 1965. It didn’t mean that full-size car styling and power weren’t still advancing, however. The GM B-body was skillfully redesigned, providing contemporary lines and curved side glass for 1965, and most two-door hardtops featured a sporty semi-fastback roofline. Each division instilled its own character traits in the exterior panels that were installed on the shared inner body structure, resulting in enthusiastically executed individual identities that were instantly recognizable as…

6 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

PARTS GUIDE

PONTIAC POSITIONING BUTLER PERFORMANCE INC. • 866-762-7527 • WWW.BUTLERPERFORMANCE.COM • $198.95 A new line of polyurethane engine mounts is now available for various Pontiac applications. These stainless-steel reinforced mounts are capable of handling around 650 hp and are made to fit the 1967-’69 Firebird, 1972-’75 Ventura, 1965-’66 Catalina 389, 1967-’70 Catalina 400, 1965-’66 Bonneville 389, and the 1968-’70 Bonneville 400. If you are using headers or Ram Air manifolds, it’s recommended that you use a ceramic coating and/or a heat shield or header wrap to keep heat away from the mounts to avoid deterioration. For more information, visit Butler’s site and look up p/n BPI-2254P-Kit. OLDSMOBILE SPARK PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTORS • 901-396-5782 • WWW.PERFORMANCEDISTRIBUTORS.COM • $325-$379 Send 50,000 volts of power to your Oldsmobile V-8’s spark plugs with new…

3 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

SPECIFICATIONS

1975 PONTIAC FIREBIRD ESPRIT ENGINE Blocktype..................................................................Chevroletsmall-blockV-8;cast-iron Cylinderheads............................................................................Edelbrockaluminum;OHV Displacement.........................................................................................................350-cu.in. Bore x stroke....................................................................................................4.00x3.48in Compressionratio...........................................................................................................9.0:1 Pistons............................................................................................................Castaluminum Connectingrods....................................................................................I-beam,forgedsteel Horsepower@rpm...........................................................................................320 @ 4,800 Torque @ rpm............................................................................................382 lb-ft @ 3,200 Camshafttype...............................................................................................Hydraulicroller Duration..........................................................................................260/260-degrees(adv.) Lift.......................................................................................................................440/.442-in Valvetrain ............................ Hydraulic roller lifters; 2.02/1.60-in stainless-steel valves; 1.5:1 ratio roller rocker arms Induction system .................... Edelbrock AVS Thunder 650-cfm four-barrel carburetor with vacuum secondaries; Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold Lubricationsystem.......................................High-volume gear-type pump; windage tray Exhaust system....................................Year One X-pipe, mandrel-bent true dual exhaust Originalengine..................................................................................250-cu.in.straight-six TRANSMISSION Type...............................................................Borg-WarnerSuperT-10four-speedmanual Ratios ......................................................... 1st/2.43:1 … 2nd/1.61:1 … 3rd/1.23:1 … 4th/1.00:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.................................GM “corporate” 8.5-in 10-bolt; Auburn limited-slip differential Ratio................................................................................................................................2.93:1 STEERING Type.................................................GM/Saginaw power assist from second-gen Camaro Ratio.................................................................................................................................16.0:1 BRAKES Type.........................................................................................................Hydraulic,disc/disc Front/Rear...............................................................Baer Brakes calipers with 14-in rotors SUSPENSION Front....................................................................QA1 coilovers, Detroit Speed anti-roll bar Rear..............................Detroit Speed leaf springs and anti-roll bar, Bilstein gas shocks WHEELS & TIRES Wheels ...................................................... Boyd Coddington Gotcha…

1 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

ASK RAY

MYSTERY EGR VALVE Q:I thought I would follow up and let you know the issue that I wrote to you about previously ( HMM #201) has been fixed. It was the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. I bought an aftermarket valve, as Delco and GM units are no longer available. The aftermarket valves are positive back pressure, where my original is a negative back pressure, and I wasn’t quite sure whether that would be a problem or not. I decided to clean my original and check out the diaphragms to make sure they were okay. There were two tiny specks of carbon on the seat of mine, probably about 0.010 inch. I cleaned it up and made sure the pintle was closed by using compressed air and then a vacuum…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

PRODUCT TEST: CRC HYDROFORCE GERMICIDAL FOAM CLEANER

CRC INDUSTRIES • 800-556-5074 • WWW.CRCINDUSTRIES.COM • $9.99 CRC, the company best known for its brake parts cleaners, penetrants, mass airflow sensor cleaners, and other automotive chemicals, also produces a line of industrial cleaning products including the aerosol HydroForce, a germicidal, viricidal, bactericidal foam cleaner that is effective in neutralizing the new COVID-19 virus. Available in 19-ounce cans, the active ingredient is n-alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and the product’s suggested uses include disinfecting any surface in your house or garage not used for food prep. It is designed specifically for disinfecting surfaces where the presence of blood, body fluids, and other infectious materials congregate. It was used successfully during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, as well as against Influenza A2, HIV, and Adenovirus Type 2. Directions suggest precleaning…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

RM SOTHEBY’S AUCTION SCOTTSDALE 2020

VETERAN READERS and antique vehicle enthusiasts already understand the size and scope of mid-January’s auction week in Scottsdale, Arizona. What amazes us here at Hemmings is how many aficionados — and even Scottsdale locals — don’t realize just how many auctions now take place in town during the seven-plus-day stretch. What started with one has now mushroomed to eight, which means there’s a lot of territory to cover. Fortunately, there’s little overlap, making it easy to see gavel action at each, including RM Sotheby’s. This year, the auction house — based in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada — celebrated its 21st-annual sale in the desert valley, which was held once again at the Arizona Biltmore, its traditional Phoenix location, on January 16-17. In typical fashion, the RM Sotheby’s staff presented a well-balanced,…

10 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

AUCTION NEWS

THE SHOWS STILL GO ON RM Sotheby’s completed its March auction in Palm Beach, Florida, as an online-only event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lots and bidding were staggered during March 20-28, with a sell-through of 69 percent at a total of $13.7 million. American muscle sold at 62.5 percent with combined sales eclipsing $1.85 million. Among the vehicles to change hands were this 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator 428 Cobra Jet. The meticulously restored Cougar was one of 304 hardtops with this engine and C6 automatic transmission, and came with its build sheet and an Elite Marti Report. The final bid totaled $69,300 with buyer’s fees. Some other highlights included a pair of 1970 Dodge Challengers, including an R/T SE formerly owned by Alice Cooper, with an upgraded Hemi…

2 min

Hemmings Muscle Machines|July 2020

Hot—or cool?

“Growing up in the Northeast, new buzzwords were always surfacing.” It’s funny how some words that originally had a specific descriptive meaning have been pulled out of context and used to describe things totally unrelated. “Hot” is one of those words. Originally used to convey the feeling of heat, hot somehow, possibly during the Fifties, mutated among young folks into describing almost everything but heat. Hot car, hot engine, hot paint job, hot sound, hot wheels, and many more nonautomotive uses like hot dog, hot band, hot outfit, and the list goes on and on. I don’t hear the current younger generation using hot as a descriptive word like we did, and as many of us elderly enthusiasts still do. Another word used descriptively like hot, that was very popular…

4 min