Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Hemmings Muscle Machines

“Someday, the current ever-escalating horsepower war will have to peak…” Even though our focus here centers primarily on classic muscle cars, I’ve really been enjoying the steady stream of modern performers coming from American automakers in recent years. After living through the dark days of the mid-’70s and early ’80s, Detroit’s current crop of hot V-8 models is beyond what we ever could have dreamed of, back when Chrysler had all but abandoned rear-wheel drive and we were excited about Camaros and Mustangs breaking the 200-hp “ceiling.” In those days, today’s Hellcat wouldn’t have sounded feasible in any reality — not even 1970’s. Yet, even as the Hellcat is very real and while Dodge seems willing to build as many as consumers will order, 1970 has been looming in my…

“My letter to you is one that tells a story you’ve probably heard hundreds of times. Back in the day I had my eye on a black 1968 Hemi Road Runner. After a few years, I was able to buy it, saying to myself I would never sell it. But, of course, a year later I had to let it go. Skip forward about 38 years, and I found a black 1968 Road Runner hardtop with a 383 and a four-speed. It looked just like the one I had before, but minus the Hemi. Over the next nine years, I did a body-on restoration, taking it back to stock except for the aftermarket Hurst shifter. These days, in the summer months I meet up with the guys that hung out…

ENGINE Blocktype..............................................................PontiacOHV400-cu.in.V-8;cast-iron Cylinderheads..........................................................................Pontiac 421 #716; cast-iron Displacement.........................................................................................................406-cu.in. Bore x stroke......................................................................................................4.15 x 3.75 in Compressionratio..........................................................................................................10.0:1 Pistons............................................................................................Jahns;forgedaluminum Connectingrods.................................................................................Pontiac,factorystock Crankshaft..........................................................................................Pontiac,factorystock Horsepower@rpm...........................................................................................368 @ 5,000 Torque @ rpm...........................................................................................433 lb-ft @ 3,200 Camshafttype..........................................................................CompCamshydraulicroller Duration...............................................................284/296-degreesduration(advertised) Lift...................................................................................................................0.507/0.510-in Valvetrain.................................................................................2.11/1.77-in valves; OE lifters Inductionsystem.................................................................Offenhauseraluminumintake, three Rochester 2-GC two-barrel carburetors Ignitionsystem....................................................FactoryDelcodistributorwithPertronix electronic module and MSD amplifier Exhaustsystem................................................................Customstainless-steelheaders, custom 3-in stainless steel exhaust Originalengine.................................................................................Pontiac389-cu.in.V-8 TRANSMISSION Type...............................................................................Richmond Gear Super T-10 manual Ratios .......................... 1st/2.64:1 … 2nd/1.75:1 … 3rd/1.34:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.55:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type......................................................................Currie9-inch;31-splinewithlimited-slip Ratio................................................................................................................................3.50:1 STEERING Type.............................................................DetroitSpeed&Engineering,powerassisted Ratio.................................................................................................................................12.7:1 BRAKES Type................................................................................GMhydraulicdisc,powerassisted Front................................................................GM12.8-inrotorswithfour-pistoncalipers Rear.................................................................GM12.0-inrotorswithfour-pistoncalipers SUSPENSION Front.............................................Customfabricatedindependent;tubularcontrolarms, QA1 coilover shocks, custom-fabricated solid anti-roll bar Rear......................................................Custom fabricated link-type; Qa1 coilover shocks, custom-fabricated solid anti-roll bar WHEELS AND TIRES Wheels...................................................................................................................Radirsteel Front: 15 x 6.00 inches Rear: 15 x 8.00 inches Tires............................................................................................Front:Michelin225/75R15 Rear: Hoosier Pro Street 28 x 9.6…

During the late-Eighties, we heard the familiar Oldsmobile tagline touting the automaker’s then-current offerings as:“Not your father’s Oldsmobile. ”Well, our fathers had plenty to be proud of if they owned an Olds 4-4-2 from the mid-Sixties, and especially if they were smart enough to check the W-30 option box. In ’66 it got them a host of hi-po hardware that included a hand-assembled 400-cu.in. engine fitted with a hot cam and topped with a trio of two-barrel carbs that were fed fresh air through special ducting.The W-30 was rated at a conservative 360 hp. To “make room for the ducting”and improve traction, the battery was relocated to the trunk. Induction changes for ’67 forced the W-30 to drink from a single four-barrel carb and reduced its power rating to 350…

THERE WAS a time, before muscle cars were known as muscle cars (or even “supercars”), when high performance was exclusively the property of the big-money marques. Performance was equated with affluence rather than sporting pretense. As late as the ’30s, supercharged Cords and Auburns were the top of the horsepower food chain. Luxury cars were regularly built with 12 and even 16 cylinders. This was right around the time that Buick launched its Century model, stuffing a big 80-series Buick Eight into a standard-size 40-series body (and calling it — wait for it — the 60-series); the Century name came from its ability, real or imagined, to top the 100-mph mark. In the depths of the Great Depression, with a basic Ford coupe selling for just above $500, a new…

FIREBIRD NON-B-O-P REAR Q:I read with interest your articles in HMM on 10-bolt and 12-bolt GM rear ends and the B-O-P axles used in many non-Chevrolet GM cars. My own muscle car, a 1986 Pontiac Firebird, has a 9-bolt rear cover, drum brakes, and it is not a limited-slip differential. It looks original to the car, and I have read in some online blogs that the assembly was manufactured in Australia. Is there a way to tell the ratio from the ID tag on the cover? What other ring-and-pinion ratios are available? Can it be converted to a limited-slip rear? Is this a sturdy rear end? Are parts tough to get for it? What other years and models should I be looking for if I wanted to swap to a…

3 BonhamsAuction Amelia Island, Florida 323-850-7500 3-6 AmeliaIslandConcours d’Elegance Amelia Island, Florida 904-636-0027 4 Gooding & Company Auction Amelia Island, Florida 310-899-1960 5 RM Sotheby’s Auction Amelia Island, Florida 772-219-9215 6 Pomona Swap Meet Pomona, California • 714-538-7091 6 Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida • 727-848-7171 10-12 AACA Western Spring Nationals Henderson, Nevada 717-534-1910 13 Long Beach Hi-Performance Show & Swap Meet Long Beach, California 800-762-9785 16-19 Mecum Auction Glendale, Arizona 262-275-5050 18-19 Corvette Expo Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 865-687-3976 25-26 RM Sotheby’s Auction Fort Lauderdale, Florida 772-219-9215 25-27 Turkey Run Daytona Beach, Florida 386-767-9070 Mar 31-April 2 Mecum Auction Houston, Texas 262-275-5050 Please note that these events are active as of press time despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend you verify the status before making plans to attend.…

Most of the Oldsmobile A-bodies I’ve owned have been the 1970-’72 models. They’re simply the models I prefer, but there was something about this ’68 Hurst/Olds that tugged at me, and the more we got into the restoration, the more I began to appreciate just how unique these cars are. The W-45 engine was a one-year-only production and the performance is on par with anything from the era. The more time I spend with it, the more I love it. There’s nothing else really like it. —James Kryta…

ARNIE “THE FARMER” BESWICK CARTECH PUBLISHING • CARTECHBOOKS.COM/CT664 • 800-551-4754 • $36.95 His nickname was more blessing than curse: It disarmed competitors who thought the Illinois native wouldn’t have the street smarts and sharp reflexes needed to triumph in competition. Of course, they were wrong. The teenaged Arnie Beswick had gotten his first taste of modified-engine power when he milled, ported, and polished the family Farmall H tractor’s 152-cubic-inch four-cylinder to great effect. Modding his cars for speed came naturally, and he was in on the ground floor at the first nationally advertised drag race, which he won. He’d balance farming and racing, and shift into running the Pontiacs that earned him his first NHRA/NASCAR championship and made him a household name. This generously illustrated 184-page softcover (ISBN 9781613255308),…

MIDWESTERN MEMORIES I really enjoyed reading the “Finding America” article ( HMM #218) as it brought back many memories! I was a resident of Princeton, Illinois, until the ripe old age of five. Our family then moved to Northern Minnesota in 1952, to the mining town of Virginia, but I have a cousin who still lives in Princeton. I grew to enjoy everything about cars. My father worked for the local Ford dealer as a parts man, and I spent countless hours in the showroom looking at the new Ford models every year. The early standouts were the 1955 Thunderbird, the 1957 Skyliner, and the 1961 Starliner. My first car, which I purchased from my grandmother, was a 1950 Ford with the 239-cu.in. flathead V-8. My first new car was…

Another perennial favorite at MCACN is the Barn Finds display, where the natural effects from years of neglect and seclusion are celebrated rather than suppressed. Ryan Brutt has an uncanny knack for finding these dilapidated paragons of pulchritude and is the man behind these displays. While walking through, we spotted a ’65 Z16 Chevelle, a couple of“wing” cars, a pair of unusual four-door “family” cars, and even a Yenko Camaro recently aroused from its Wisconsin hibernation. If you possess the vision to see what ultimately lies beneath decades of rust, dust, and decay, then you’re in the right place for an eye test!…

1963 MERCURY MARAUDER ENGINE Block type...........................Ford FE series OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Cylinder heads ...................................... Ford FE cast-iron “high riser,” 2.19/1.72-in valves Displacement..........................................................................................................427cu.in. Bore x stroke................................................................................................4.232 x 3.784 in Horsepower@rpm....................................................................410 @ 5,600 (stock rating) Torque @ rpm ....................................................................476 lb-ft @ 3,400 (stock rating) Valvetrain.....................................................................................................Solidflat-tappet Induction system .....................................Ford aluminum “high riser” 4V intake manifold, Holley four-barrel carburetor Lubricationsystem.....................................................................Pressure;gear-typepump Electricalsystem..............................................................................................................12-V Exhaustsystem.........................................427-specificlong-branchcast-ironmanifolds, dual side-exit exhausts TRANSMISSION Type........................................................................................Borg-WarnerT-10four-speed Ratios........................... 1st/2.36:1 … 2nd/1.78:1 … 3rd/1.41:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.42:1 DIFFERENTIAL Type............................................ 9-inch Ford with reinforced housing, full floating axles. Ratio.............................................................................................................Trackdependent STEERING Type.............................................................................................................Recirculatingball BRAKES Type..............................................................................Hydraulic;manualfour-wheeldrum Front............................................................Lincoln 11 x 3-in cast-iron self-adjusting drum Rear.......................................................................11 x 2.5-in cast-iron self-adjusting drum SUSPENSION Front........Independent; ball-joint type with modified unequal-length control arms, coil springs with screw jacks, quad tie-rod-end style shocks, relocated splined stabilizer bar, Holman-Moody forged spindles…

1972 PONTIAC FIREBIRD FORMULA PRICE Baseprice......................................................................................................................$3,221 Options on car profiled.........455 H.O. V-8; four-speed heavy-duty manual transmission; air conditioning; 15-inch wheels; Cordova vinyl top; Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential; rear console; concealed wipers; Formula steering wheel; belt molding; door edge guards; variable-ratio power steering; front floor mats; tinted glass; power windows; HD air inlet; convenience lamps; custom trim group; handling package; stereo radio; front console; custom seatbelts; 15-inch Rally II wheels; wheel moldings; vinyl bodyside moldings; power disc brakes; rear floor mats; rear window defogger; manual air conditioning; Unitized ignition; Rally Gauge cluster with tachometer; rear body guards ENGINE Blocktype...............................................................Pontiac 455 H.O. 90-degree OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement.........................................................................................................455-cu.in. Bore x stroke...................................................................................................4.151 x 4.210 in Compressionratio...........................................................................................................8.4:1 Horsepower@rpm...........................................................................................300@4,000 Torque @ rpm......................................................................................................415 @ 3,200 Mainbearings...................................................................................................................Five Lubrication..................................................................................Pressure;gear-typepump Camshaft...........................................Hydraulicflattappet;GM/Pontiac“068”hydraulic;.410/.413-in lift; 288/302-deg duration (advertised) Valvetrain.....................................................................................................Hydrauliclifters Fuel…

KNOCKING GOAT Q:I have a 1970 Pontiac GTO with a 455 that’s been bored .030-inch over, running 7K3 heads (96 cc, and about 9.6:1 compression) and a Quadrajet carburetor (a 32102). The 455 has a factory-style cam for an H.O. engine (patterned after Pontiac’s 068 cam). The distributor is a Proform 66953 HEI unit with both mechanical and vacuum advance. The engine was running well for years, but then I made several changes all at once and now I have severe detonation under load. Over the summer I changed the TH400 transmission to a manual five-speed. Since I had to remove the exhaust system for the transmission swap, I decided to replace the rusty headers and 2.5-inch H-pipe system with factory Ram Air manifolds and a 2.5-inch X-pipe system. While…

BOLD BEZELS CVF RACING • 651-356-8593 • CVFRACING.COM • STARTING AT $259.95 Make a statement at the track or on the street by showing off these new taillamp bezels for 1964-’66 Ford Mustangs. The new parts fit just like the originals but are available in four distinct finishes: Polished Aluminum, Stealth Black, C3 Ceramic Clear Coat, and Black Diamond. Each kit includes two bezels plus stainless-steel mounting hardware. Red LED sequential taillights, new black gaskets, and LED flashers are also available at additional cost, should you want to further customize your Mustang’s rear. For more information on the custom bezels, ask about p/n›66M-TL-KIT. CHEVELLE FANS VINTAGE AIR • 800-862-6658 • VINTAGEAIR.COM • $650 New brushless cooling fans are now available for the 1964-’67›Chevelle. The fans are touted as…

McCormick’s final collector car auction of 2021 took place November 19-21, with 301 cars sold. Overall sales were nearly double from the 2020 event, with the final number reaching $7.4 million and a sell-through rate of 82.5 percent. Muscle cars accounted for $1.28 million with an impressive 90 percent sell-through.This 1966 Shelby G.T. 350H was thought to be one of 800 Hertz-edition cars delivered in the black and gold paint scheme for 1966. Listed as number 1559 in the Shelby registry, the largely original car sold for $138,860. Other highlights included a 1964 Pontiac GTO, sold for $43,460; a 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible, sold for $22,500; and a 1972 Dodge Demon, sold for $41,870. Final results from the Palm Springs auction are available at www.classic-carauction.com.…

“… I think I have tucked away all the most important items I might eventually need.” Here we are, finishing up the first third of 2022, and what’s actually new? As far as I can see, which isn’t terribly far, nothing has really changed for us regular folks. My standard search for useable replacement parts for my ’65 GTO has turned up nothing of interest, so does this mean I have everything I need? Never! We can never have enough good reproduction or original replacement items for our favorite vehicles, or in my case, only collector car. After years of scrounging, I think I have tucked away all the most important items I might eventually need. The reason is simple: I actually don’t have any more room for car parts.…