Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

MACH 1 RETURNS FOR 2021 Ford is bringing back a big name from the Mustang’s history books. For the 2021 model year, the Mach 1 will return to Blue Oval showrooms (and lend some contextual relevance to the Mustang Mach E crossover electric vehicle). In a press release, Dave Pericak, Ford Icons director, said the Mach 1 will be “the most track-capable 5.0-liter Mustang ever.” According to Ford’s projections, the 2021 Mustang Mach 1 will make 480 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because they’re identical to the output ratings of the 2020 Bullitt edition, a fact sure to disappoint those who expected more grunt based on Pericak’s claim of track supremacy. If that’s the bad news, here’s the good: The Mach 1 dips…

WHEN IT COMES TO SURPRISINGLY RARE MUSCLE cars, the 1971 Charger R/T doesn’t always come to mind, but only 3,118 were built. For comparison, Ford built just about 36,500 Mustang Mach 1 models that year. So, yeah, the ’71 Charger R/T represents a thin slice of the Mopar muscle pie — and only 30 of them were factory sunroof cars. Only 30. Alberta collector and dealer Peter Swainson owns four of them, including one that was originally Tawny Gold and had been brought to Canada from California, but sat for years when the previous owner failed to pull the trigger on the restoration. Peter had his own grand plans for the car, but there were a couple of important details that held it back. “Well, it didn’t have a build…

GEARHEADS, LIKE MUCH of society, can be slow to embrace change. In the automotive world, advances in technology often mean considerable improvements in performance, and nearly every gearhead can agree that’s an admirable pursuit. But still we resist. Changes to cylinder head design and camshaft profiles are areas where little input is required from the end user; they’re merely bolted in place and the owner can begin enjoying the benefits almost immediately. Improvements in other areas, such as fuel delivery, can be just as gratifying, but may require more finesse from the installer, or even the services of a tuner who specializes in wringing the last bit of performance from a carburetor. Throughout much of the history of the internal combustion engine, a carburetor has been tasked with introducing a…

MODERN MUSCLE REPRESENTS VALUE IN THE HEMMINGS AUCTIONS It is said that we’re currently living through the most amazing time to buy a new performance car. It’s indisputable that modern muscle machines are more powerful than their ancestors, as well as more comfortable, more fuel efficient, and safer. That said, high-po American cars of the Sixties and Seventies have their own style and simplicity that make them irreplaceable. Muscle cars of both eras enjoy huge popularity in the Hemmings Auctions, and they’re among this online-exclusive marketplace’s best sellers. As of this printing, the auctions have enjoyed eight straight weeks of 80-percent or better sell-through — which indicates both that sellers are offering the vehicles that people want, using reasonable reserve pricing — and that serious buyers are spending quality time…

When the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was canceled in April 2020, other Car Week events on California’s Monterey Peninsula quickly followed suit. One of the few holdouts that remained on the schedule was the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, slated to take place August 13-16. On June 12, however, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca announced the cancelation of the long-running historic racing spectacular for 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release, John Narigi, the track’s president and general manager, stated, “As was our plan, we waited until June after weighing all the options and different scenarios before making a final decision. No matter how much we hoped, no one can fully anticipate what state mandates will be in place that will affect public events and social gatherings.” In its…

ENGINE Mostly built for gobbling up interstate, not racing, factory-spec G.T. 350’s received 290-hp 351-cu.in. Windsor V-8s; G.T. 500’s got 335-hp 428-cu. in. Cobra Jet FE engines. There were few differences between the engines in Shelby and non-Shelby Mustangs. Cold-air induction through a NACA scoop was unique to Shelby. Ordering the Drag Pack upgraded the 428 to the heavy-duty Super Cobra Jet. Shelby accessories included a Paxton supercharger. Aftermarket speed parts are common, but hardcore Shelbyphiles demand correct equipment. TRANSMISSION & AXLES The G.T. 350 was equipped with the wide-ratio Toploader four-speed as standard, or with a close-ratio Toploader as a no-cost option. Buyers who selected the automatic received an FMX unit behind the 351W. In a G.T. 500, the close-ratio four-speed was standard, with the C6 automatic as the…

When it came time to configure the fuel system for our EFI installation, we decided to splurge a bit and ordered Holley’s Sniper EFI fuel tank and EFI module (p/n VK040021). It’s a direct fit for our Camaro, and Holley also offers tanks to fit other popular applications to make the conversion to EFI as hassle-free as possible. The benefits of our decision are numerous: There’s a high-pressure internal 255-lph pump and returnless regulator preset at 58 psi, so there’s no need to purchase an external regulator to maintain proper pressure, or to plumb a fuel return line. Power for the pump comes from a single-wire relay activated by the Sniper’s ECU. The system also comes with Holley’s new HydraMat pickup/reservoir (upper right), which is capable of providing a consistent…

TODAY IT’S THE FACTORY INCENTIVES. The low lease payments. The 55-inch ultrahigh-definition TV with every new vehicle purchase. But at dealerships in the ’60s, cars were the stars and dealers would stage events around new-model-year introductions, build some anticipation, then invite the community in for a closer look. On September 20, 1967, Bill Hogan Chevrolet-Cadillac in Bennington, Vermont, took out a splashy full-page ad in the Bennington Banner announcing a three-day-long open house, September 21-23, offering a firsthand look at the new ’68 Chevrolets. Ladies stopping in were promised a fresh Vanda orchid from Hawaii and refreshments were on the house. “Make a date with a ’68 at Bill Hogan Chevrolet-Cadillac,” the ad shouted. Highlighted on the page were the 1968 Chevy II Nova and the ’68 Chevrolet Caprice: A…

HELLO DOLLY MILWAUKEE TOOL • 800-729-3878 • WWW.MILWAUKEETOOL.COM • $89.99 The new Packout Dolly is a convenient way to transport tools and heavy equipment around your shop. The dolly has a capacity of 250 pounds and casters that swivel 360 degrees, making it versatile and maneuverable. Loading and unloading is hassle free with the Quickstop lever that keeps the dolly in place and stops it from rolling as you work with it. It also features locks on the casters to keep it from moving when you’re not around it. The Packout Dolly is made of impact-resistant polymer, which provides durable, long-lasting performance. Inquire about p/n 48-22-8410. FILLING TP TOOLS • 800-321-9260 • WWW.TPTOOLS.COM • $42.95/GALLON Gold Body Filler will not only repair blemishes in your car’s body but…

RM SOTHEBY’S “DRIVING INTO SUMMER” RESULTS RM Sotheby’s has been running staggered online auctions, and the company recently announced the results from its May 21-29 “Driving into Summer” event. When the online action ended, 62 percent of the offerings were sold, for a total of more than $16.3 million. American muscle cars represented a respectable $2.3 million in sales, with a 76-percent sell-through rate. Among the cars to change hands was this 1996 Dodge Viper GTS. Powered by an 8.0-liter, 450-hp V-10 engine mated to a six-speed transmission, the one-owner Viper showed only 2,436 miles on the odometer. Finished in Viper GTS Blue with white stripes, the “double bubble” sold for a fee-inclusive final price of $64,900. Another auction standout was a 1970 Pontiac Trans Am that maintained much of…

Racer, restorer, and hot rod revivalist Don Orosco died on May 28, after losing his long-term battle with multiple myeloma. Starting in the 1990s, Orosco was at the forefront of reinvigorating popular interest in “traditional hot rods,” meaning those built in the style of the 1960s and earlier, before factory muscle stole the performance crown. An international racer of sports cars, Orosco was beloved by fans of traditional rods, thanks to his backing of the restoration of iconic cars like the Dick Flint roadster, seen here, which won its class at Pebble Beach in 2001. He was also involved in various efforts to reproduce sought-after vintage speed parts. Orosco’s most widely known effort was likely a run of new Ardun heads — a hemi OHV conversion, designed by Zora Arkus-Duntov…

WHEN A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SPECIALTY CAR builder, chassis manufacturer, and ex-road racer decides to develop a restomod for himself, you may assume that the resulting creation will showcase every part his company offers. But that’s not how Jeff Schwartz of Schwartz Performance in Woodstock, Illinois, approached this project. “We build so many cars with our full chassis designs that the bar is set pretty high for what I like to experience when I drive,” he explains. “But my goal was a mild setup for this project. Using my knowledge of chassis engineering, I just wanted to do a few tweaks to get a really nice cruiser that still handles well in the curves.” Inspired by a friend’s road racing ’72 AMX (featured in HMM #77, February 2010), and by the…

MUSCLE CARS HAVE ALWAYS been about speed — then and now. Brute power, boiling the hides, giving it all from stoplight to stoplight. And for many of us, getting there quicker (or quickest) means making changes. Swapping parts, dropping weight, gaining grunt. Cams, gears, headers. For those who hot-rodded ’30s cars in the ’50s, it was a necessity: quadrupling your power with an engine swap was easy and fun. Muscle cars were already formidable off the showroom floor, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t breathe on them for a little extra. But the sun was setting on the muscle car era roughly half a century ago now. Decades later, cars, technology, and our own demands for a modicum of comfort with our speed have all put us in a different…

FORD’S 9-INCH AXLE assembly has long been a staple of hot rodding, serving drag racers, road racers, and street cruisers of all manufacture — not just the Blue Oval. The 9-inch is known for its high durability, but its stamped-steel housing also lends itself to custom fitments, and the removable third member facilitates gear swaps. But one thing some current-day 9-inch users don’t love about their axles is the noise. Over the years since the 9-inch went out of factory production and moved into the aftermarket, it has also come to be known for gear noise that is quite audible from the vehicle’s cabin. It’s not much of a concern on a race car, but it can get pretty irritating on the open road. John Melchiori likes it quiet. The…

AS WE’VE NOTED BEFORE, the sheer volume of vehicles crossing the auction blocks in Scottsdale, Arizona, each January is staggering. By our count, the 2020 sales offered more than 3,600 vehicles of all types, from all corners of the globe, each spending an average of four minutes under stage lamps over the span of one week of gavel action. Our coverage from the cornucopia of vintage vehicles runs the gamut from the fast-paced, high-volume auction houses to the companies that offered discerning buyers a well-curated catalog, such as the one managed by Worldwide Auctioneers. Based in Auburn, Indiana, Worldwide celebrated its fourth annual sale in the southwest desert suburb of Tempe, a change of location for the 2020 auction. Singh Meadows offered both ample parking for spectators and bidders alike,…