Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

Send your letters, photos and opinions to tmcgean@hemmings.com RESTOS AND MODS Terry: Great column on your Camaro this month (“Creative Wrenching,” HMM #205). I have every copy of HMM published since issue #1. I love this magazine because of its coverage of classic muscle cars, but what is with all those restomods in this issue? Restomods are nothing but a fabrication of a classic car. I guess you need some of those for publication purposes. Since we both own classic Camaros, I thought I would attach a photo of my 1968 SS/RS coupe with an L34 396. I recently had it restored to 95 percent original, with many factory parts on it from 1968. Thanks for the classic articles. D. J. Holding Dover, Florida Your Camaro looks great and being…

IN 1968, DODGE HAD A PROBLEM. The gorgeous new Charger coupe, a hit in the showrooms with American-car aesthetes and the hotfoot set alike, was getting stomped into submission on the NASCAR ovals. Out of 49 Grand National races for the year, Dodge took the checkered flag just five times. Plymouth won 16, each by Richard Petty’s capable hands, but the remaining victories were split between Ford and Mercury, whose fastback Torino and Cyclone models were something of a sensation that season. What happened? It’s not like Chrysler’s engineers forgot how to make power, or the factory-appointed teams suddenly blanked on the ins and outs of getting a NASCAR stocker across the finish line first. No, with ever-escalating power issues limited by a ruling regarding cubic inches and carburetors, aerodynamics…

A NEW SET OF WHEELS and tires can transform the character of any muscle car. It can take on a “Day Two” identity with vintage-styled aftermarket wheels and fat tires, a drag racer image with skinnies up front and wide meats in the rear, a Pro Touring persona with the widest wheels and short-sidewall tires that can possibly fit, or myriad other stylistic themes. However, nothing puts a damper on the satisfaction derived from upgrading the wheel and tire package more than an improper fit. It can cause tire rub that’s annoying and accelerates wear, quickly becomes a safety issue, and costs more time and money to rectify. To help avoid that pitfall, we’re offering a few tips to aid you in determining how much wheel and tire you can…

ENGINE According to The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide 1970½-1981, by Rocky Rotella, for 1972 emissions the 455 H.O. Quadrajet flowed less than the ’71. The intake was revised for an updated heat crossover and the temp sending unit moved to the cylinder head. Among 7F6 head changes were minor port revisions, induction hardening the exhaust valve seat area, and the use of tapered-seat spark plugs. The Unitized Ignition eliminated breaker points and had the coil mounted — and the wires captured — in its cap. Initially standard in 1972, it was then required at extra-cost, and finally, optional. TRANSMISSION AND AXLE The heavy-duty M22 close-ratio four-speed and an 11-inch clutch were standard, or the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic could be specified at no additional cost. When the…

THE LAST GOODING & COMPANY auction we attended was the 2019 Pebble Beach sale in Monterey, California. By the conclusion of the annual, international, mid-August vintage-car festival, questions were being raised about a perceived precipitous drop in collector-car values. Meanwhile, enthusiasts turned their eyes to January with cautious anticipation. Would collectors and investors rejoice, or would pure driving enthusiasts have more reason to celebrate as attaining their dream cars became less costly? Those same questions lingered when the California-based auction house returned to its traditional stomping grounds at the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the annual two-day sale on January 17-18. Registered bidders and spectators had ample time to examine a catalog brimming with a carefully curated collection of 140 vehicles from all corners of motorcar history, and…

2020 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY CHOSEN TO PACE THE 104TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 On Sunday, August 23, a field of 33 Indy Cars took the green flag for the 104th Indianapolis 500, delayed from its traditional running on Memorial Day weekend. Leading the pack to the start/finish line was a Torch Red 2020 Corvette Stingray, marking the 17th time that America’s sports car has paced the greatest spectacle in racing. The Official Pace Car Stingray, driven by GM president Mark Reuss, was equipped with the Z51 performance package, a ground effects kit and spoiler, Carbon Flash exterior accents, GT2 seats, and 104th Indy 500 graphics. Other modifications included integrated strobe lighting, though it’s unclear if the Corvette’s mid-mounted 6.2-liter V-8 — rated at 495 horsepower — or the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission received…

A VEHICLE’S ROLLING STOCK IS AMONG ITS most-abused componentry. Sure, tires are replaced every so often from general wear or an unforeseen road hazard, but on any given day, a wheel could suffer the ravages of potholes, curb scuffs, abrasive brake dust and heat, and heavy sideload stress. The wheel’s finish is often subjected to general road grime and corrosive salt, plus the careless shop employee who hammers on wheel weights during balancing. This is all compounded by the owner’s expectation of reliable performance and excellent appearance with minimal maintenance over the vehicle’s life. A few years back, we purchased a 1999 Pontiac Trans Am for use as an occasional driver. At that time, it had 95,000 miles on its odometer and remained completely original and unmodified. It had been…

FORD PERFORMANCE BANNER SUMMIT RACING • 800-230-3030 • WWW.SUMMITRACING.COM • $32.99 Would you rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy? If cut, do you bleed Dearborn blue? Does the snarl of a well-tuned Windsor set your pulse racing? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be a Ford fan. Summit Racing sells a banner that could be perfect for the wall of your garage or den, and it celebrates Blue Oval speed with the official logo of the Ford Performance Parts division. Printed on sturdy material and sized a generous 28 x 68 inches, this banner — item FMS-M-1827-FP — features reinforcing grommet holes for secure mounting. You can have it delivered to your home, or pick it up at a Summit Racing store in…

GENERAL MOTORS A-BODY MUSCLE CARS ARE HOT ON HEMMINGS AUCTIONS Each of GM’s divisions made something special of the shared A-body platform during the original muscle car era, and virtually all of those A-body cars are collectible today, especially the ones that left their respective factories with high-performance components under the sheetmetal. Hemmings Auctions has featured numerous A-body sales in recent months, and Editor Terry Shea has noted a distinct trend in those cars selling well against their reserves, some topping 20 percent above. “We think the success here is a combination of finding the right reserve that ensures the seller gets a sale at a fair price, but also encourages bidding, as we’ve found that, in many cases, bidders will redouble their efforts once they know a car is…

MECUM INDY RESULTS Mecum’s annual Indianapolis auction took place in mid-July and saw impressive sales totaling over $74 million, despite a several-month delay in the event. More than 1,800 cars crossed the block and 78 percent of those found new owners. Online sales during the event hauled in $10.3 million with 346 vehicles changing hands. Taking a closer look at the results, quite a few American performance cars from the 1964-’74 era were sold, generating just under $24 million and a 66-percent sell-through rate. The top sale was the first Shelby G.T. 350R built, which was also the first Shelby Mustang to win a race. Recognized as “The Flying Mustang” with Ken Miles at the wheel in period promotional photos, serial number SFM5R002 was given a full restoration beginning in…

HELLCAT HAULER 2021 RAM TRX: 702 HP, SUB-13-SECOND 1/4-MILE, MASSIVE OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY. HELLCAT ALL THE THINGS! Once upon a time, you could buy a Hemi-powered, Torque-Flite-shifted, 3.55-geared, Dana 60-rear’ed street machine that would rip to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and do the quarter-mile in under 13 seconds on a fat set of Goodyears. In 2021, you can do this again. But this time, you don’t even need to drive on pavement. This is the four-wheel-drive 2021 Ram TRX, the first real competition for Ford’s strong-selling Raptor. Under that wide hood is, to no one’s surprise, Hellcat power — rated here at 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, and available only with an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic. The dual-path air induction system is designed to allow maximum breathing while shrugging…

WITH LATER BABY BOOMERS and earlier Generation Xers in their fifties, there’s a distinctive and undeniable shift in the vehicles being restored and restomodded these days. Vintage SUVs are all the rage and even the so-called “malaise-era” cars are finding more attention from those who grew up in the post-factory-supercar years. Fifty-something auto upholsterer Chuck Yee is part of that movement. His ride in high school was a silver 1977 Cutlass Supreme, a car that was as popular in the Seventies as fondue pots and brown leather jackets. He planned to keep it forever and build it into a proper street machine, as soon as he earned enough money. A couple of stupid guys playing with matches and gasoline, however, changed the plan. While the Cutlass was under wraps in…

1969 DODGE CHARGER 500 PRICE Baseprice.....................................................................................................................$3,843 Options on car profiled......................................................................................................N/A ENGINE Type.............................Chrysler RB-series OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement.........................................................................................................440-cu.in. Bore x stroke.....................................................................................................4.32 x 3.75 in Compressionratio...........................................................................................................10.1:1 Horsepower@rpm............................................................................................375 @ 4,400 Torque @ rpm............................................................................................480 lb-ft @ 3,200 Valvetrain....................................................................................................Hydrauliclifters Mainbearings...................................................................................................................Five Fuel system ................................Single Carter four-barrel carburetor, mechanical pump Ignition...........................................................................Chryslerbreaker-pointdistributor Lubricationsystem..............................................................Fullpressure;gear-typepump Electricalsystem..............................................................................................................12-V Exhaustsystem......................................................Factorycast-ironhigh-flowmanifolds, 2.25-inpipes,dualexhausts TRANSMISSION Type...............................................................................ChryslerA-883four-speedmanual Ratios.......................... 1st/2.65:1 … 2nd/1.93:1 … 3rd/1.39:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.57:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type..................................................................................................Dana 60 with Sure-Grip Ratio.................................................................................................................................4.10:1 STEERING Type.....................................................................................Recirculating ball, power assist Turns,lock-to-lock.............................................................................................................3.5 Turningcircle...............................................................................................................40.9ft BRAKES Type........................................................................................................Hydraulicdisc/drum Front..........................................................................................................................11-in rotor Rear...................................................................................................................10 x 2-in drum SUSPENSION Front.......Independent; upper and lower control arms, torsion bars (0.92-in diameter), torque struts, anti-roll bar ( 15/16-in diameter), telescoping shock absorbers Rear..........Live axle; unequal semi-elliptical leaf springs, telescoping shock absorbers WHEELS & TIRES Wheels..................................................................................Paintedfive-lugstampedsteel Front/Rear: 15 x 6 in Tires.........................................................................................Firestonered-stripebias-ply Front/Rear:F70-15 PRODUCTION 1969 Charger 500…

1964 FORD CUSTOM PRICE Baseprice....................................................................................................................$2,350 Options on car profiled........ Thunderbird Super High-Performance 8V V-8; four-speed manual transmission; locking differential ENGINE Type.................................... Ford FE-series OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement...................................................................427-cu.in.(currently487-cu.in.) Bore x stroke .........................................................4.23 x 3.78 in (currently 4.27 x 4.25 in) Compressionratio..............................................................................11.5:1 (currently 12.5:1) Horsepower@rpm................................................................425 @ 6,000 (currently 575) Torque @ rpm ........................................................................... 480 lb-ft @ 3,700 (original) Camshaft..................................................................................................Holman-MoodyX11 Valvetrain...............................................................................Solidmechanicalvalvelifters Mainbearings...................................................................................................................Five Fuel system ..............................Dual Holley 770-cfm four-barrel carburetors; aluminum intake; AC mechanical pump Ignition............................FordTransistorized(currentlyAutolitedual-pointdistributor) Lubrication system..................Full pressure; Melling mechanical pump, Cobra T oil pan Electricalsystem..............................................................................................................12-V Exhaust system........................Cast-iron swept manifolds, dual exhausts, dual mufflers TRANSMISSION Type.................................................FordToploaderfour-speedmanual,allsynchromesh Ratios .......................... 1st/2.32:1 … 2nd/1.69:1 … 3rd/1.29:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.32:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type.....................................................................................Ford 9-inch; locking differential Ratio...................................................................................................................................4.11:1 STEERING Type.............................................................................................................Recirculatingball Turns,lock-to-lock.............................................................................................................4.5 Turningcircle....................................................................................................................41 ft BRAKES Type.............................................................................................Hydraulicfour-wheeldrum Front...................................................................................................................11 x 3-in drum Rear.................................................................................................................11 x 2.5-in drum SUSPENSION…

UPDATED WHEELS YEARONE • 800-932-7663 • WWW.YEARONE.COM • STARTING AT $999.99 (WHEEL SET) Looking for an updated, but appropriate, wheel choice for your classic muscle car? YearOne offers a line of wheels with several designs just for Chevy muscle cars, including the Corvette Rally, Magnum, 5-spoke Z28, and the N90. Each set is available in 17-inch diameters with aluminum construction. Complete kits with lug nuts and center caps all ship for free in the continental U.S. Browse the “Wheels” catalog online for pictures and more information. AUTHENTIC TIRES UNIVERSAL VINTAGE TIRE • 877-454-3954 • WWW.UNIVERSALTIRE.COM • $176-$276/EACH U.S. Royal was a popular brand on muscle-era models like the GTO and Mustang. Universal Tire now offers a full line of U.S. Royal bias-ply tires that will help you achieve…