1. 1968 Dodge Charger-The 2nd Generation Leader of the Dodge Rebellion

Don Levy

The first Charger built by Dodge was in 1964 when they put together an "idea" car based on the Dodge Polara with a 426 Cubic Inch Wedge engine. They showed it at the 1965 car shows to gauge the public's reaction and if they liked it Dodge would build it. They did build a Charger which
 even quite different from the show car still caused quite a stir.

The 1966 Charger that Dodge ended up building was with a body that had been designed for a turbine car whose project had been cancelled. The only change was a different grill. The Mustang and Barracuda fastbacks was already popular so Dodge put a fastback on the Charger but it didn't prove all that popular.

The 1966 Dodge Charger, "Leader Of The Dodge Rebellion", was unveiled to the viewer of the Rose Bowl on New Years Day January 1, 1966. Coincidently this was the first year the Hemi was available in the street version. All of us car nuts hit the Dodge showrooms to see the new Charger and especially the Hemi. Many of the other lookers were also buyers as sales were very good at 37,344 units.

Because the sales mantra at that time was "Win on Sunday Sell on Monday", Dodge was anxious to get the Charger on the track and thought the fastback would do well on the NASCAR racing circuit. The power was there but they had a design flaw that caused the car to skate around at high speed. By putting a spoiler on the rear they were able to stabilize it enough for the Charger to win the Manufacturers Championship that year.

In 1967 the Charger fell on relatively hard times even though they won the NASCAR championship the year before. The car was almost identical to the 1966 but sales fell to 15,788. Due to the competition from Ford Mustang and the new Chevy Camaro, Dodge decided to restyle the entire B-body lineup for 1968.

The 2nd generation 1968 Dodge Charger was called by many to be the most beautiful of all the muscle cars. They were truly impressive with a completely new shape featuring a design by Richard Sias that was known as the double diamond and later called coke bottle styling. The rear end had a "kick up" spoiler and dual Corvette type taillights. The headlights had the covered headlights similar to the Camaro RS.

The interior was almost completely new with only the console remaining from the 1967 model. The tachometer was now optional, the trunk had vinyl instead of carpet and gauges got a more conventional looking design. The standard Charger came with a 318 CI and had
 the 383 CI as an option along with the 440 CI wedge motor and the great 426 CI Hemi.

The big change was the decision to make the Chargers muscle car image even brighter. To do this a new high performance package called the R/T was added. The R/T stood for Road/Track and would be a badge that would establish Dodge's high performance image. The high performance cars were the only ones allowed to use the R/T badge. The standard engine for the R/T was the 440 "Magnum" with the 426 Hemi being an option.

To further enhance the performance image, Chrysler Corporation came out with a new ad campaign featuring a group of cars whose symbol was a bee with an engine on its back.. The cars that made up this group were called the "Scat Pack" and included the Coronet R/T, Super Bee, Dart GTS and Charger R/T which all got bumble-bee stripes.

The new Charger body style along with the other changes proved to be very popular with the public and helped sell 96,100 Chargers, of which 17,000 were the Charger R/Ts. I'm sure a few sales were made because of the greatest movie car chase ever filmed which featured a 4-speed black 1968 Charger R/T chasing Steve McQueen's fastback Mustang GT all over the San Francisco in the movie, "Bullitt". The "Blade" films also included a 1968 Charger R/T.

The Charger R/T proved its durability as it had no suspension problems from all the jumps while the Mustang had several suspension problems. Unfortunately the Charger didn't prove itself very durable in the sales department as the 1968 sales were the high water mark and then declined every year after that as the other manufacturers came up with more desirable cars. The final 2 nails in the Charger and other muscle car's coffin were the insurance companies and oil crisis in 1971 that essentially killed off the muscle car.

 

 

2. 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado - A Car Ahead of Its Time

Don Levy

In 1966 Oldsmobile came out with one of the most innovative cars in a long while. Designed by Bill Mitchell, one of the most famous and forward thinking designers in Detroit, the Toronado was the toast of the industry. It had a feature that hadn't been seen
 on a full size American car for 30 years, which was front wheel drive, the first since the 1930 Cord. This along with the styling help win Toronado the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award for 1966.

The Toronado was a huge car with a 119 inch wheelbase and weighing 4,400 pounds. To get all this weight down the road in a respectable manner meant a big need for horsepower. This was supplied by a 425 cubic inch engine which, after some tinkering, put out 385 horsepower. Although not spectacular the statistics weren't bad for this big a car. The 0-60 mph was reported as low as 7.5 seconds and as high as 9.9 seconds (probably closer to 8.5 to 9 seconds) and top speed was reported to be 135 mph.

The Oldsmobile Toronado began its life as a design painting by David North in 1962. Even though the design was for a compact sports type car, it ended up full sized because Oldsmobile was told it could build a car to compete with the Buick Riviera and Ford Thunderbird. Although Oldsmobile and General Motors Head of Styling Bill Mitchell wanted to car to be on an A-body intermediate platform, they were overruled for production economy and the Toronado would share the E-body of the Buick Riviera.

Starting in 1958 Oldsmobile had been working on a front-wheel drive. It was originally planned for the F-85, a much smaller car. The reason for pushing it towards the larger more expensive Toronado was because of the cost to produce along with the experimental cost. The idea was that additional profit from the more expensive car would help offset the development costs.

Seven years went into the development of the Toronado. Before releasing it to the public they put 1.5 million tough test miles on it to make sure the front wheel drive had the strength and reliability they wanted the Toronado to be noted for. Because Oldsmobile didn't want any problems
 with the new design they over-built the Toronado drive train so much that they were able to use it without many changes for the GM motor home in the 1970s.

Naming the Toronado became a major event in the development of it. Even though the name doesn't mean anything it won out over known names such as the Magnum, Scirocco and Raven which were also considered. During the seven years it took to develop the Toronado a number of General Motors design innovations were developed.

These included things such as the:

1. Turbo-Hydramatic 400 Heavy-duty 3-speed automatic transmission (named THM425 in FWD form)

2. The Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor from Rochester

3. Exhaust manifold flange gasket in a spherical shape to prevent leaks and provide a more efficient exhaust system.

4. Elimination of the front door wind wings to reduce wind noise by using the "Draft-Free" ventilation system.

5. Curved side glass.

6. Sub-frame ending at the front of rear leaf springs and carrying the powertrain, front suspension & floor pan.

7. Torsion bar front suspension

There were others but these were the most notable at the time.

The only weak spot of the Toronado appears to be the drum brakes which had a tendency to heat up and fade under heavy usage (trying to stop up to 5,000 pounds of car). This was corrected the next year when they put vented disk brakes on the front.

Firestone also designed a tire just for the Toronado called the TFD (Toronado Front Drive) which had a stiffer sidewall than normal with a unique tread and thin white wall stripe.

The Toronado had an unusual power train called the UPP (Unitized Power Package) which was designed to combine the engine and transmission into the same sized bay where just the engine would fit in a rear wheel drive car. To accomplish this, the transmission was split with the torque converter in back of the engine and the gear box under the left cylinder bank.

The interior of the Toronado featured a flat floor without a lot of notable embellishments. Being a coupe and with the
fastback the rear seat was somewhat limited in head room. It did have elongated doors making it easier to get in and out of the rear plus it had door handles in the rear so the doors could be opened without reaching.

Although the Toronado grabbed the buyers fancy and over 40,000 of them were sold in 1966, it appears the public was a little fickle and with the added competition of the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird were able to only sell 22,000 in 1967.

Today the 1966 Toronado along with the 1967 are among the most desirable collector cars around. I remember when they hit the showroom and the awe I was in while listening to the salesman recite all the wonderful things about the Toronado. The thing is he didn't exaggerate, as I found out
when I got to drive one. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

 

3. 1955 Chrysler C-300-The Beautiful Brutes

By Don Levy

If ever a nickname was appropriate, the one writer Karl Ludvigsen came up with was perfect when he called the 1955 Chrysler C-300 the "Beautiful Brutes". This car was truly a brute in looks as well as power and was the car that really kicked off the horsepower race when it came out with the first 300 horsepower engine in a production car. The C-300 could be considered to be the first muscle car but it didn't fit the popular description of what was then called a super car. To be a super car the engine had to be the biggest one in the smallest body. The engine was the biggest by far but the body was also one of the largest, so it wasn't a super car even though it ran like one.

In 1951 Chrysler came out with a Hemispherical Combustion Chamber engine with 180HP which caused quite a stir and gave an indication of the horsepower race that was going to heat up over the next 20 years. If people were surprised in 1951, then they were flabbergasted when the horsepower was raised to 300HP in just 4 years.

The 1955 C-300 was called the "Forward Look" styling. Even though it was designed by Virgil Exner, people joked that it was designed as much from the Chrysler parts bin as it was by him. The front clip along with the grill was taken from the 1955 Imperial with the midsection from the New Yorker model and the Windsor contributed the rear quarter. Exner was able to put all these together along with base model Chrysler bumpers and ended up with a design that turned out to be one of the classic body styles of all time. While it was a stripped down model with no back up lights or out side mirrors it did come with tan leather upholstery and the options included power seats and windows, tinted glass, radio and heater and stylish Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels.

Chrysler had good success in NASCAR (National Association Of Stock Car Automobile Racing) racing with their Hemi engines in the years leading up to 1955. They were 2nd in NASCAR in 1953 and won the championship in 1954. Even though the Chryslers more than held their own it wasn't until 1955 when it appears they decided to dominate NASCAR by basically building the C-300 especially for NASCAR racing. With a Firepower Hemi engine putting out 300 horses from 331 cubic inches it was the hottest production car in America. They won 22 out of the 40 races in 1955 in one of the most dominant racing displays ever.

Although the Chrysler C-300 only sold 1,725 cars in 1955 they packed the showrooms with people wanting to see the monster that was setting speed records from the drag strip to the Bonneville Salt Flats and all types of speed events in between. Even though it was over 50 years ago I remember when the 1955 cars hit the showrooms like it was yesterday. My buddies and I were like kids in a candy store as we went from showroom to showroom. That was the year Chevrolet debuted their new V-8 and they also had the newly designed Corvette. Ford brought out their new Thunderbird that year. Both Oldsmobile and Buick were redesigned and their super cars both got power increases.
All of these and several other were exciting but the one that topped them all was the Chrysler C-300. It was the first American production car to have an engine with 300 HP and even though it weighed over 4,000 pounds the statistics were pretty amazing. It would do 0-60 MPH in less than 10 seconds and had a top end of over 130 MPH depending on which one of the 3 optional rear axle ratios were used.

Due to it being an automotive icon and with low sales numbers the 1955 Chrysler C-300's bring some eye popping prices when they can be found. One sold earlier this year for $181,500. Not a bad increase from the $4,000 they cost new, which was pretty pricey back in 1955. If you are a Mopar Collector this would be the crown jewel in your collection.

 

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5. How The Hudson HORNET Lost Its Sting

The Hudson Motor Car Company produced its first car in July of 1909. The company was started by J. L. Hudson, the founder of Hudson’s department store, who provided the capital and gave permission for the car to be named after him. In early 1909 8 Detroit businessmen formed the company to build a car that would sell for under $l,000.

1909 sales were over 4,000 and up to that time the most ever sold by any carmaker in its first year of production. Over its lifetime the Hudson had a number of other firsts. Among them were dual brakes and dashboard warning lights for the oil pressure and generator.

Likely the first that contributed the most was the balanced crankshaft, which allowed the engine to rev higher giving it more horsepower than similar size engines, as well as being smoother. This is most likely why their 6 cylinder was so successful even racing against the V-8’s. They couldn’t afford to develop a V-8 so all the research and development money for engines was spent to make the inline 6 equal to and many times superior to the V-8s it raced against.

The Hudson Motor Car Company peaked in 1929 when it produced 300,000 cars and was the 3rd largest U.S. car maker that year behind Ford and Chevrolet. It was always billed as a family car even after they got into racing in 1951. In 1936 the company did a lot of revamping to make it even more appealing as a family car. The suspension was completely redone giving it a smoother safer ride. They also claimed the largest interior and luggage space of any popular car.

The 1936 engines were also powerful for their time with the horsepower ranging from 93 horsepower up to 124 horsepower in the 8 cylinder that had been introduced in 1932 and discontinued in the early 1950’s. Very few Hudson’s were sold with the 8 cylinder due to the popularity of the 6 cylinder.

In 1948 Hudson came out with their “step-down” which lasted through the 1954 model year. This made the car even safer with greater passenger comfort but most importantly to the racing fame that would come shortly, it gave it a lower center of gravity with better handling and a lower profile. Although air flow was not as important then as it is now, I’m sure that was another of the factors that made the Hudson Hornet such a winning car at NASCAR.

In 1949 Oldsmobile had come out with its V-8 with 303 CI’s and 135HP and dominated NASCAR stock car racing in 1949 and 1950. As a side note back then the cars were really stock cars just as they could be bought from the show room floor.

In 1951 Hudson bored out its 262 Cubic Inch 6 cylinder to 308 CI’s and combined with the strong, light-weight body the newly named Hudson Hornet went to the race track and served notice that there was a new kid on the block and he was a tough one. In 1951 the Hornet won 13 out of 34 NASCAR races. In 1952 they had a dual carburetor set up that gave it 160HP plus the dealers had an engine called the 7X that put out 210HP. With these new improvements the Hornet was able to win an almost unbelievable 27 ourt 34 races. 1953 was another good year as they won 22 out of 37, but by 1954 the wins were starting to come a little harder and they only won 17 out of 34. One of the reason was the other cars were getting more conpetitive as the manufacturers started to realize that NASCAR was here to stay and was a great way to increase sales. The slogan of “Win on Sunday and sell on Monday” was becoming a reality and the big car makers started supporting racing teams.

Sadly all the car makers were making plenty of sales on Monday when they won on Sunday except for Hudson. As a matter of fact the production from 1951 to 1954, when they won 80 races out of 142, fell an almost unbelievable 50%. The Hornet sold OK but none of the rest of line hardly sold at all.

By 1954 the handwriting was on the wall as the Hornet just couldn’t compete with the other car makers due to the lack of capital to even come out with a V-8 which would have been almost mandatory for the 1955 racing season. As the other car makers were getting ready to debut their basically all new 1955 models, Hudson knew it was over and threw in the towel by merging with Nash and forming American Motors Corporation just to try to survive. Sadly the glory years of the Hudson Hornet was enough to keep them alive and in 1957 the brand disappeared for good.

I can remember in the late 1950’s and 1960’s a lot of hot rodders were looking for Hornets because they were almost unbeatable in the “H” stock class at the NHRA drag strips. Even today I would imagine they would give a good account of themselves even if the sting is pretty well gone from the Hornet and you hardly ever see one, even at a car show or auction. I imagine the smart collectors are keeping them in their collections because of their uniqueness, the incredible racing success in the early 1950’s and the fact that they were a very historic car. The Hornet was one the big reasons that NASCAR racing is so popular today.

If you are lucky enough to find a Hornet today, please restore it to its original state or get in touch with the Hudson Owners Club and find someone who will. Remember restore ‘em don’t crush ‘em.

 

 

6. Was 1955 The Most Significant Year In The Classic Car Era?

1955 saw more complete changes to more cars than ever before. While 1949 had major changes to the bodies most of the engines basically stayed the same. Oldsmobile and Cadillac got new engines but that was about it. 1964 was another year of big changes with the debut of both the Mustang and the GTO as the first muscle car, but overall I'd have to say that 1955 was the winner.

The 1955 Chevrolet brought out its brand new V-8 in an all restyled body. The engine was a engineering masterpiece that was predicted to be a disaster by many at the time but as we know it was the miracle that Chevy said it was. It had 265cid and up to 180hp which was enough to make the 55 one of the hot street machines. Chevy's boast as the 1955's "Hot One" was not an idle one.

My memories of 1955 are definitely fond ones even thought I didn't own one until 1964. The one that brings back the memories was a 1955 black Chevy Bel-Air 2 door hard top. It was owned by my friend "Possum". He had a good job and wasn't married so he had the means to buy a new Chevy every other year. At the time the 55 came he was driving a 53 and his next purchase was one of the best classics ever.

The Chrysler C-300 came out in 1955 and was an instant hit. The C stood for coupe and the 300 was the engines horsepower. Although the Hemi came out in 1951 it was 1955 when it came into its own. Although the 300 has a lot of luxurious features and weight over 4,000 lbs. it is still regarded as a muscle car.

The 1955 Buick Century was a true muscle car that utilized the small Special body (the same shell as the Chevrolet) and their largest engine the 322cid putting out 236hp. Although it came out in 1954 the Century came into it's own in 1955.

The 1955 Pontiac came out with an all new car design along with the Chevy and finally had a new V-8 engine with 288cid and up to 200hp. Sales increased 57% over 1954.

1955 also saw a big change in the Dodge when it came out with a completely restyled line of cars. The engine was bored out to 270cid delivering up to 183hp.

Plymouth also got a completely new look for 1955 as well as a new 260cid engine with 177hp.The engine was pretty anemic compared to the rest of the 1955's but it was a huge step up from 1954.

Even the DeSoto got a whole new makeover for 1955 with all new styling and a new 291cid engine putting out 200hp.

Ford like most of the other cars got a new body style with panoramic windshield. The larger engine option of 292cid at 193hp was also avaiable.

Mercury got a new styling and a new series called the Montclair. The new V-8 that Mercury got in 1954 was punched out to 292cid with 198hp.

Lincoln also got it's share of the restyling going on at Ford and had a 341cid engine putting out 225hp. It was most famous for winning the Baja Road Races 3 years in a row.

During the classic car and muscle car period almost every year saw an important car or engine launch, such as the 1949 Olds 88 V-8, the Hemi V-8 in 1951 and the 1964-1965 Ford Mustang. During the mid 1950s is when the most changes in engines took place until that was over shadowed by the engine wars of the the 1960s right up to the death of the muscle car in 1972.

It was only in 1955 that so many big changes were made, although the numerous body changes in 1949 probably made it the second most significant year in automotive history with 1964 rounding out the top 3.

 

 

7. Chevrolet Corvair-A Most Unusual Car
Don Levy

Up to the 1950s most cars made in America were large. It wasn't until the imports from Europe such as the Volkswagen and Renault made the U.S. auto manufactures aware that there was a market here for smaller cars. Even though it was thought they would be for a second car or for the
budget conscious, the main auto makers decided to bring out a smaller or compact car in 1959 or 1960.

Most of their designs were just smaller versions of their standard cars. They were designed for 4 or 6 cylinder engines rather than the V-8s and the bodies would be about 20% smaller than conventional cars. Chevrolet decided to be the exception to this thinking with the Corvair. Chevrolet General Manage Edward N. Coles led the design to come up with a revolutionary new automobile. The Corvair project was begun in 1956 and the car debuted in 1959 for the 1960 sales year.

The engine for the Corvair was an all aluminum air cooled horizontal design with six cylinders. It was mounted in the rear and drove the rear wheels through a small automatic transaxle. All four wheels had independent suspension and there was no frame as the Corvair was the first Unibody build by the Fisher Body company. Even the tires had a new design with a new low and wide profile.

The styling was completely new for Detroit, as the Corvair had no tailfins and of course no chrome grill. It was described as subtle and elegant. The engineering earned a number of patents and many European auto makers copied its styling. It was on the cover of Time Magazine and named 1960 Car of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine.

Even with all this the Corvair couldn't dominate the market. The unique design made producing it expensive and many of its competitors were more economical to drive. Because this was billed as an economy car these weaknesses were a major obstacle to great sales figures.

The first designs were a sedan and a coupe with low engine power and a very plain trim level. The base model Corvair engine had 140 Cubic Inches and 80 Horsepower. In comparison to later years the 1960 production was not too bad as they sold 250,000 cars of which 12,000 was the new Monza Coupe which had been introduced later in the year.

The Monza coupe was possibly what saved the Corvair from an early grave. Designed as a show car the Monza was a very sporty car with its bucket seats and floor shifter. It proved to be so popular that it was immediately put into production. It was available with a 95 HP engine and a 4
 speed transmission. In 1961 Corvair sold 282,000 cars of which 110,000 were Monza coupes and another 34,000 were Monza sedans. What the sales figures would have been without the Monza is a good question.

I remember when the Corvair came out and some of the problems it had. The ones I remember most was the oil leaking and the fan belt breaking along with head gaskets leaking. These problems were fixed in later models and the Corvair became a fairly reliable car.

1962 saw a number of changes in the Corvair line as they had a dozen different cars and trucks. The most exciting news for us car nuts was the Monza convertible and the supercharged Spyder. Many of my most pleasant memories involved cars from the early 50's up to end of the muscle cars in 1971. Of those memories one of the most outstanding ones was when my buddy pulled up in his red and white Monza Spyder convertible.

By 1962 there were many impressive cars with big V-8s, but I can still remember that first ride in the Spyder and I have to say it was about as impressive some of those car with the V-8s. His car was one of the first Spyders with the turbocharger which put out 150 HP and really made that little car fly.

1962 was the high point in Corvair's history as far as I'm concerned although they went on to make improvements to both cars and engines. If 1962 was the high point then the low point had to be 1964 when the book "Unsafe At Any Speed" by Ralph Nader came out with a very critical analysis of the Corvair. This was also the debut year for the Ford Mustang which made the greatest splash of any car ever and rolled over all the compact cars.

The rumor was that Chevrolet was going to kill the Corvair in 1966 because of the Camaro but decided not to so they wouldn't look like Nader forced them to. Whether this was true or not Corvair hung on by their fingernails until 1969 when Chevrolet finally mercifully ended their life

The Corvair was a great little car and didn't deserve to die the way it did, but happily there are a lot of Corvairs still running and there is a large amount of support from clubs around the country such as the Corvair Society of America. If you have a Corvair or are thinking of getting one check them out.

 

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9. The Ford Mustang-it's Seven Year Run From Mild to Wild!

In March 1964 Ford debuted as one the most popular cars ever built. It was the car that started the pony car craze and gave us a peek into what the world would know as the muscle car era. Although it was built in 1964 it was designated as a 1965. The ones built from March until July 31, 1964 are known as 1964 1/2 Mustangs and were some what different from the ones built from August 1 and later. Most of the differences were internal and the body were identical except for the hood being rolled under in the later ones. It was basically a Falcon with a new body and bucket seats. The ones built after July are known as 1965's and were a little more updated with such things as an alternator,adjustable passenger seat and a number of other engineering refinements. The pony interior with the running horses was offered also.

The Mustang probably had the biggest debut of any car ever made as it was introduced at the New York's World Fair and was the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. Over 4 million people visited the showrooms and 22,000 were ordered the 1st day. It sold 417,000 the first year which broke all previous automobile sales records.

The body styles were the coupe and convertible. No fastbacks were built until the 1965's came out in August. The engines were the U code 170 CI 6 cylinder, F code 260 V8 and the D code 289 V8 with 210 Horsepower. The GT came out in April 1965 and was offered in all 3 body styles. You had a choice of the A code 225 HP or K code 271 HP V8. The 271 HP almost qualified it as a muscle car. The 1st Shelby Mustangs, all fastbacks, came out in 1965 and was really a hotrod with no backseat and hopped up to 306 HP.

1966 didn't see a lot of changes in the body except for the pony in the grill, side trim and restyled gas cap. The G.T. 350 came out in 1966 and Hertz ordered 1,001 of them for rental cars or "Rent-a Racers" as they were known as. Many Sundays they could be found at the dragstrip or road race course. There was a rumour at the time that a number of them were rented and the engines swapped with the renter's engine and returned to the dealer. True or not it makes a heck of a story. This was also the first year for the High Country Special sold in Colorado and Wyoming. The Shelby GT350 was available with a 289cid that put out 390hp and likely qualified it as a muscle car. In 1967 the Mustang had the 1st body redesign, although it wasn't a major one, mostly trim and grill. The biggest change was on the fastback where the top went all the way to the rear of the car. The convertible had a glass rear window for the 1st time.

It was the last year for 289 Hi-Po and the first year for the 390cid and 428cid engines. The GT350 had the 289cid Hi-Po while the GT500 got the 428cid. The 390cid could be had in all 3 body styles. This was the only year for the GTA which had an automatic transmission and could be had with the 289 or 390 in all 3 body styles. Only 400 High Country Specials were build in 1967.

The Chevy Camaro, Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda were all in the same class as the Mustang and cut into their sales, but they still outsold their nearest competitor, the Cougar by a three to one margin.

The 1968 was little changed in appearance from the 1967. The 427cid of Cobra fame came out in he GT's. Equipped With disc brakes, racing tires and heavy duty suspension it was race ready right off the showroom floor. Mustang racer Bob Tasca efforts to build the 428 Cobra Jet was rewarded by Ford building 2,817 instead of the just 50 intial run he asked for. This was the last year for the High Country Special and a California Special was available for this year only. All the Specials were coupes.

In 1969 things really changed, the engine line had 7 different size engines and although the body had the same look it was 4 inches longer and a little wider. The engines ranged from the 2 little 6 cylinders, a regular and a Boss 302cid, 2 different 351cid, the 390cid, the Cobra Jet and Cobra Jet-R 428cid all the way up to the monster, Boss 429. The original body styles were still around, but now they were joined by the Mach 1, the Boss and the Grande. This was the last year for the GT.

The Mach 1 was basically a fastback GT with upgrades. It came with 351cid, 390cid or the Cobra Jet 428.The Grande was for the luxury buyer, with many upgrades. The Boss 302 was built to race in the TransAm series where the Camaro had beat them in 1968. They almost won it in 1969. This was the year of the Boss 429 debut, which was the Nascar version engine.

1970 was a happier year for Ford as the Boss 302 won the Trans-Am Series. Very few changes were made to the cars. The Boss 429cid came out with a hemi-head that required suspension modifications so it would fit.The 390cid was done away with. Ford built 2 1970 Boss 429 Lawmen Mustangs to tour with the U.S. troops. Only 1 of the 1,200-horsepower monsters survives today and is owned by wrestler Bill Goldberg.

In 1971 the Mustang gained one inch in wheelbase and every other dimension grew. The Mach 1 could now be had with the 429cid although the 302cid was standard. The Boss 302 and Boss 429 were both dropped in favor of the Boss 351. Like 1970 there wasn't too much exciting happening in the Ford camp. It was like they knew the end was near.

1972 saw the end of the Mustangs wild ride. The 429cid engine was dropped which meant that the largest engine was now the 351cid. Although the High Output version put out a respectable 275hp it was a far cry from the advertised 376hp (reputed to be much higher) the Boss 429 put out. In my estimation this was the last year for the Ford muscle cars although in reality it was 1970 as the engine cubic inches and horsepwer went the way of the dodo bird in the 1971 models.

I hate to even mention the 1973 because of the hatchet job that was done on the Mustang and other muscle cars. This was even the last year for the convertible. The 351cid was down to a wimpy 266hp. The Mustang with any kind of muscle was dead and would not really get revived until recently.

Due to the short but rich history of the real Mustangs we need to keep on restoring or preserving them so that the kids of today can have a chance to own a piece of history that will never come around again. Remember, restore them don't crush them.

 

 

10. The First Muscle Car Was The GTO or Was It?

Although the 1964 Pontiac GTO is acknowledged as the first muscle car there were a number of cars that came before and appear to fall into the muscle car category. The general rules for a muscle car appear to be a small car and a big engine. Exactly hoW small the car has to be or how big the engine has to be to qualify as a muscle car is certainly open to debate. Opinions on this subject are like belly buttons, everyone has one. Most muscle cars leave no doubt as to their being the real deal but there are some that are on the border and as time goes by, the lines that separate a muscle car from a wanna-be gets blurrier and harder to see.

Back before 1964 and the GTO several cars could have claimed to be muscle cars if the name had been in vogue at the time. It appears the word muscle car came into being after the muscle car era was almost over with. Most of the car now known as muscle cars were called "super cars" back when they first started.

I believe that the first car that really qualified as a muscle car was the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. GM had a brand new 303cid V-8 with 135hp which they put in their smallest car, which had the same body shell as the Chevrolet, and called it the Rocket 88. With the the 88 having the smallest body and the new powerful V-8 it met the definition of a muscle car. Olds stayed ahead of the other car makers until 1954 when Buick built what could be counted as a muscle car when they put their new 322cid 195hp engine in the light bodied Special and called it the Century.

In 1955 Chrysler came out with the C-300 with a mighty 331cid 300hp Hemi V-8. In 1956 they pushed it to 354cid with 355hp and were the first to get 1 horsepower from 1 cubic inch of displacment. It was certainly muscular but really couldn't be classed as muscle car as it weighed over 4,000 lbs. and that took it out of what would become the standard for a muscle car.

Other Chrysler manufactured cars jumped into the muscle car category in 1956 with the Plymouth Fury and Dodge D500. They both had 303cid engines that put out 260hp with the racing version putting out 285hp. In 1957 the horsepower was boosted to 290hp from a 318cid engine and in 1958 the engine was up to 350cid and 315hp. In 1960 they started to get real serious about horsepower with a 383cid putting out 330hp. In 1961 they put a 383 in a Dodge Dart which was almost a muscle car and 1962 they created the first real muscle car when a 413 Max Wedge was stuffed into the Dart. In 1963 they went over the top and built the 426cid Hemi with 425hp. It's real hard to believe the Dart wasn't named the first muscle car but I guess Pontiac had better PR people.

While the Chrysler Corporation was building their monsters the other manufacturers were busy trying to catch up in the horsepower race. Although Chevy had a V-8 shortly after Chrysler they were late to the cubic inch party. It wasn't until 1958 that they were up to 348cid with 315hp. They were able to crank a few more horses out each year until 1961 when they really got with the program with the 409cid with 409hp. That felt so good that they brought out a 427cid with 430hp shortly after. These engines were all in the full body car.
In 1963 the Chevelle came out to challenge the Ford Fairlane but in only had a 327 and were caught napping by the GTO in 1964. The next year they caught up with the 396cid but too late.

Ford didn't have any thing they could call a true muscle car until after 1964 but they did have some muscle engines they put in the full size Fairlane starting in 1958 when they broughtout the 351cid 300hp V-8 and then bumped it to 360hp in 1960. In 1961 they had the 390cid 401hp, 1962 saw 406cid 405hp and 1963 the biggest one of all 427cid and 425hp. In 1962 the Fairlane was reborn as a intermediate car to enter the muscle car market although they only had a 289cid engine until 1966.

Even American Motors claimed the title of 1st muscle car with the 1957 Rebel. Unfortunately the engine was only 327cid and 255hp, so that it was a bit of a stretch to be called a muscle car although at the time it was billed as the fastest 4 door sedan on the road.

The 1964 GTO was certainly a muscle car of the first order. The coupe only weighed 3,106 lbs. and with the 389cid engine putting out up to 348hp it was a force to be reckoned with and definitely worthy of being called the first muscle car. Whether it was first or not it was the car that set the pattern for the other muscle cars to follow. Classic muscle cars had a short run with a limited number of them built and far less of them are still around. We need to keep on restoring or preserving them so that the kids of today can have a chance to see or even own a piece of history that will never come around again. Remember, restore them don't crush them.

 

11. Ford Ranchero-The First American Utility Vehicle
Don Levy

Generation 1 1957-1959

In 1957 Ford came out with a vehicle they called the Ranchero and was described a coupe utility vehicle. Although the "ute" as they were called was introduced in Australia in 1934, the American version was the first factory postwar vehicle of its kind. It was an immediate
 hit with the people as well as the media.

The first generation Ranchero was built from 1957 to 1959. Although it was designed to function like a pickup the cab and the cargo bed were one piece. The platform for the Ranchero was the new full sized one for the Custom sedan and the 2 door Ranch Wagon station wagon. It was basically a Courier pickup but with a one piece cab and cargo area. Although it was built on the automobile assembly line it was sold as truck.

The Ranchero came in two trim levels with the standard basic one being marketed to pickup truck buyers. The Custom had most of the options available on the Fairlane models. These included stainless side mouldings and two tone paint. Because the Ranchero filled the niche of having the utility of a light pickup with the handling and ride comfort of a car it was well received by the public.

Engines for the Ranchero included every one available for Ford cars from a 6 cylinder all the way up to the 352 cu. in.
"Thunderbird Special".  The 1958 Ranchero was almost identical to the 1957 except for dual headlights and some different front end sheet metal. The 1959 model was built on the 118" wheelbase of the sedan which gave it a longer bed. The trim would be the top line level would be the same as the new Galaxie 500. This was the last year of the Ranchero growing larger.

Generation 2 1960-1965

In 1960 the Ranchero became a compact as it was based on Ford's Falcon. Because of the Volkswagen and Renault's popularity the Big 3 auto makers decided build a line of compact cars. This along with the economic downturn in the late 1950 made Ford believe the public wanted a more practical, economical vehicle that was smaller and lighter than a pickup. They were right as the Ranchero sold well.

They gave this Ranchero the name of "Falcon Ranchero". It came standard with the straight 6 cylinder with 144 cu. in. In 1961 they offered a slightly larger 6 cylinder with 170 cu. in. and in 1963 the 260 cu. in. was an option. The transmission choices were the 2 speed Ford-O-Matic and 3  speed automatic C4 Cruise-O-Matic as well as the 3 speed manual.

In 1964 the Ranchero became a little larger but used the same body style for both 1964 and 1965. The big news for 1965 was the 289 cu. in. V-8 replaced the 260 and they got an alternator to replace the generator.

Generation 3 1966-1967

The 1966 Ranchero was a one year model using the Falcon front end sheet metal on a Falcon/Fairlane modified station wagon platform. The engine choices were basically the same as 1965 but with a 4 barrel carb 289 cu. in. Transmissions were the 3 speed C4 automatic or the 3 speed manual.

1967 didn't see too much change in the body except for Fairlane front end and trim. They used the post 1966 Falcon/Fairlane chassis. The big news for this year was that the Ranchero had thrown their hat into the muscle car arena.

Along with the previous engine choices you could now get a 390 cu. in. with 315 HP along with the new C6 heavy duty 3 speed transmission. This was also a big year for new models as they now had the Ranchero 500, 500/XL and the GT.

Generation 4 1968-1969

In 1968 Ford brought out the new Torino and the Ranchero followed along and became the largest model since the 1959 full sized model. The new Ranchero got the Torino interior which was all new along with the horizontal grill and quad headlights. There was 2 other trim levels offered besides the standard. These were the Ranchero 500 with the Galaxie 500 trim and the GT with the Torino GT trim. Engine sizes ranged from a 250 cu. in I-6, through the 289 cu. in. to the 390 cu. in. and finally the mighty 428 cu. in. Cobra Jet engine with a reported 335 HP.

In 1969 the main changes were in the engine compartment as the 289 cu. in. was phased out and replaced by the 302 cu. in. 2 new engine choices were also available, along with the bigger options, the 351 Windsor and 351 Cleveland. A new automatic transmission called the FMX was also along with the C6.

The Ranchero Rio Grande was offered in 1969 on special order. It was basically a GT with "Grabber" colors of "Wimbleton White, "Poppy Red" or "Calypso Coral". It had a special blacked out hood with scoop, side stripes, bed rails, a vinyl top and special wheel centers. The data plate said  "SPECIAL PERFORMANCE VEHICLE" no matter which engine and a blank space where the trim code would be, which is how they can be identified. There may have been around 900 of them built. Needless to say they are very rare.

Generation 5 1970-1971

In 1970 Ford completely changed the styling of the Ranchero. The boxy body style was done away with and the Ranchero got finally got the coke bottle styling that cars were getting. They even got a 4th option called the Ranchero Squire. It had a woodgrain applique like the ones on the Country Squire station wagon.

Like in years past all Torino options could be ordered on the Ranchero, including the anew Ram-Air 429 Corbra Jet or the Super Cobra Jet engines, with a "shaker" hood scoop from the Mustang. The scoop was mounted directly to the carburetor and shook when the engine was idling hence the name "shaker". An oversize scoop hood was available also.

Generation 6 1972-1976

The Ranchero went through radical changes in 1972 with the sleek look of the 1971 being replaced by a larger and heavier one. The 1973 model had a redesigned front end to meet the new front impact standards. There were still the 3 models and the engine size were basically the same. A 400 cu. in. engine was now available in 1972 and a 460 cu. in. was introduced in 1974 and was used through 1976. A 4 speed was available on the Cobra Jet GT models. Because of lower compression ratios to meet emission standards the horsepower was way down, which spelled the end of the muscle car era.

Generation 7 1977-1979

The Torino was phased out in 1977 and the Ranchero needed a platform so they used the Thunderbirds. They still had the 3 models which could be ordered with every option available on the cars. Although the engines had up to 400 cu. in. the horsepower was not worth mentioning. In 1979 production of the Ranchero stopped. They build a very luxurious commemorative model called a "1979 ½ and that was the end of the Ranchero.

Because of the government increasing their restrictions and with cars getting smaller the requirements on a car based pickup made the manufacturing a less and less attractive proposition. In the mean time light trucks had to meet less strict rules for emissions and fuel mileage. Ford could see where the market was headed and realized small trucks would be the future. They started with the Mazda build Courier pickup which would be the sold while they were developing the new light pickup called the Ranger.

While I hated to see the end of the Ranchero the Ranger has proven to be a good replacement. I've owned two Rangers and still drive the 2nd one. I have been happy with both of them.

 

12. How To Win A Car Show - An Essential Guide To Car Shows.

Everything you need to know about winning a car show. If you just enter neighborhood shows or go to the big ones this is a must have for any car enthusiast. Wwhether you do it for fun or are serious about gathering trophies go here to find out How To Win A Car Show!

 

13. Chevrolet El Camino-General Motor's Answer to Ford's Ranchero
Don Levy

After seeing the success of the Ford Ranchero, Chevrolet decided to build their version of the coupe utility vehicle. They were two years behind Ford in production and at first way behind them in popularity as we'll see.

First Generation 1959-1960

The El Camino was first built in 1959 and like the Ranchero was on a automobile platform. The platform used was the Brookwood 2 door station wagon. The trim and drive train was available in any configuration that cars offered, even the top of the line Impala. The engines available were
 the 235 cu. in. 6 cylinder, the 283 cu. in. and the 348 cu. in. V-8s.

1959 was the year of the Chevrolet's "batwing" design which the public wasn't too excited about as Ford outsold them. The body style hurt the El Camino also as only 22,000 of them were sold in 1959 and 14,000 sold in 1960. Due to the poor showing the El Camino was discontinued.

Second Generation 1964-1967

In 1964 the Ranchero sales were still good, so Chevrolet decided to bring the El Camino back to life. It was to be based on the new Chevelle and was almost identical to it from the cab forward. Chevrolet decided that the El Camino was going to be a more practical model so Chevelle's big engines weren't available. The standard engine besides the 6 cylinders was the 283 cu. in. with 195 HP. An option was the 283 cu. in. with a 4 barrel carburetor and dual exhausts putting out 220 HP. Later they added an optional 327 cu. in. at 250 HP and the 300 HP with high compression ration, 4 barrel and dual exhausts. You could get a 3 speed automatic, a 3 speed manual or a 4 speed manual transmission.

1965 saw few changes with the major excitement being the optional L-79 327 cu. in. with 350 HP. All the engines offered in 1964 were available as were the transmissions.

1966 saw the El Camino make a big jump into the muscle car ranks as the 396 cu. in. with up to 375 HP was now available. This was a serious hot rod especially with a 4 speed transmission. My first ride in one was an experience not to be forgotten. The El Camino got some new front end sheet metal that year and the plusher interior from the Malibu was available.

In 1967 the El Camino got an update in styling along with the Chevelle with a new grille, bumper and trim. It also got air shocks, disc brakes and Turbo 400 3 speed transmission. There were a number of transmission choices including 2 Muncie 4 speeds.

Third Generation 1968-1972

The 1968 El Camino was a little longer in length as it was based on the station wagon and the 4 door sedan platform. A high performance SuperSport SS396 was also introduced as the muscle car era continued. The third generation El Caminos shared most of the styling inside and out with the
 Chevelle.

1969 saw very few minor changes, except for the first time the most famous of all Chevrolet engines, the 350 cu. in., was put in an El Camino.

1970 was the pinnacle of the muscle car era as the El Camino got a new SS396 which was actually 402 cu. in. This was also the year that Chevrolet's biggest and baddest engine of the time was put in a few El Caminos. The LS6 454 cu. in. was rated at 450 HP with 500 pounds of torque. The 1970 El Camino could turn the 1/4 mile in the upper 13 second range at close to 105 MPH. This was probably the most impressive production pickup style vehicle of all time.

1971 was the beginning of engine power and performance reductions as the government and insurance industry along with the oil crisis started to come into play. The El Camino did have a couple of notable body changes with single headlights and a pointed grill being added.

1972 didn't see many changes except the horsepower rating fell even lower with the 454 cu. in. all the way down to 365 HP. All the engine sizes were available from the 250 cu. in. 6 cylinder all the way up to the 454 cu. on. The horsepower was now measured by "net" figures bringing the 454 down to 270 HP. This was a sad time for us muscle car nuts.

Fourth Generation 1973-1977

The 1973 El Camino had styling changes that mirrored the Chevelle. This generation saw the biggest of the El Caminos but it weighed less as the construction was lighter. About the only changes after 1973 was a new front end with 4 stacked headlights.

All the engines were still available until 1976 when the 454 was discontinued. The Super Sport version was dropped by the rest of the Chevrolet line during this period with the El Camino the only one left carrying the badge. There were two trim levels offered during this generation, the
 base model and the higher class Classic. The "SS" was an option package rather than a separate model.

Fifth Generation 1978-1987

In 1978 El Camino was all new and smaller in size. It was now sharing parts with the Malibu as the Chevelle had been discontinued. 1978 was also the debut year for the V-6 engine in the El Camino. There were some diesels available from 1982 to 1984. The most common engine now was the 305 cu. in. V-8. In 1984 there was a small style change as the El Camino got the Monte Carlo's front nose.

In 1985 General Motors started producing the El Camino in Mexico. This lasted until 1987 when the line was discontinued due to the Chevrolet S-10 pickup outselling the El Camino. The last 425 unsold 1987s were sold as 1988 models as the El Camino era came to the end.

 

Much more to come!