What is the best muscle car ever?
- Thread starter 8ball
- Start date
apoppin
Lifer
Two muscle cars impress me. The 68 'cuda with the big Hemi.
The other is a Mazda Cosmo with a 4 Rotor Wankel - about 600 hp in a small car.
The other is a Mazda Cosmo with a 4 Rotor Wankel - about 600 hp in a small car.
apoppin
Lifer
Muscle car generally refers to the days of American car building - when gas was cheap - when horsepower was King - generally the late 60's and on - when the car manufactures tried to out do each other in building higher and higher performance vehicles.
Raw horsepower was the objective - unreal low quarter mile times. The Europeans were concentrating mostly on 'handling'. The Japanese were just getting the hang of car selling to the USA (now, the Japanese also have what they call 'muscle cars').
Generally it refers to big block hi-performance American cars. And like the Dodge Viper, Corvette, etc., a new generation of muscle car continues.
Muscle=more horsepower than you are likely to ever use.
Raw horsepower was the objective - unreal low quarter mile times. The Europeans were concentrating mostly on 'handling'. The Japanese were just getting the hang of car selling to the USA (now, the Japanese also have what they call 'muscle cars').
Generally it refers to big block hi-performance American cars. And like the Dodge Viper, Corvette, etc., a new generation of muscle car continues.
Muscle=more horsepower than you are likely to ever use.
apoppin-I agree with you on the Hemi, but the Ford 427 was the original, like Jimi Hendrix. BUT, I would chose either over a chevy.
geno
Lifer
- Dec 26, 1999
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The sizes of the engines back then amaze me. A standard engine today runs around 2-3 litres, back then, the engines were around 6-7!! If onlygas wasn't such an issue nowadays, imagine what the cars would be like? Anyways, back on topic. My fav (I doubt the best though) has to be either 65-66 Chevelle SS's or a '66 Pontiac GTO (the different carb configs were pretty cool on those too). I'm not too familiar with the cars of this era, but these are the ones that stand out from the pack that I do know.
My "biased" opinion goes to the '65 GTO. I had one and it was the best car I ever had. Ran great and was darn near bullet proof.
Believe it or not, the fastest car in the quarter mile that Detroit has produced is the 1964 Thunderbolt!! It was a custom produced car and only around 8,000 of them were ever built. I think their 1/4 mile times was in the 10's. Their engines were were massive 400+ cubic inch powerplants. There are only about 100 or so that are still around.
Edit: This car was produced by the Ford Motor Co.
Edit: This car was produced by the Ford Motor Co.
ZR-1 Corvette (the old one). 500 hp from factory (GM lied and said it was 435). 600 with carb update. 900 with all the tricks (ported polished heads etc.)
Edit: Come to think about it, it WAS the ZL1
I also vaguely remember the high cube DOHC Ford racing engine with that big chain in the front of motor, sold to "public" on the QT from racing oriented dealers, fairly sure it was offered installed in a special order car model, don't remember what model. $5 grand way back then.
The sound of that thing revving high with tuned headers was awesome.
Edit: Come to think about it, it WAS the ZL1
I also vaguely remember the high cube DOHC Ford racing engine with that big chain in the front of motor, sold to "public" on the QT from racing oriented dealers, fairly sure it was offered installed in a special order car model, don't remember what model. $5 grand way back then.
The sound of that thing revving high with tuned headers was awesome.
Oh yeah, one thing to keep in mind is that a car rated at 500 HP in the 1970's would rate at around 300HP today, because the method of determing HP was revised some time in the early 1980's.
I love Pontiacs !!, I've owned a '67 Grand Prix and 3 different Firebirds.
Even given that I'd have to say the '69 Camaro was the best muscle car ! It is truly a classic. There were many great versions..
Z/28, 302ci(awesome moter!!)
ss350
ss396
427 ZL1 (very rare and very expensive, an awesome aluminum big block)
A couple of my buddies back then had Camaros. One was a British racing green Z/28, the other was an SS350. Both were really sweet. Another friend had a 340 Plymouth Duster. I had a '57 Chevy with a moderately built 327. It would run high 13s. My buddies' SS350 would run high 12s with slicks.
My brother still has his '69 GTO Judge which he bought new. I remember the first time he took me for a ride in it. The feeling of getting pushed back in the seat was awesome!
His brother-in-law had a '69 Plymouth GTX with a 440. That was an awesome car too!
Two doors down from me a guy had a '69 Dodge Dart GTS 440. What an outrageous car that was!
My buddies and I used to hang out at the local car wash. There were many awesome cars in our neighborhood that would go there, even a yellow Roadrunner Superbird with a Hemi!
The mechanic at the corner gas station had a '67 Nova with a small block that would run in the 11s. It wasn't stock tho'.
The thing to do back then on a Friday night was cruisin' up and down High Street from Jerry's Drive-in to the Ohio State campus and back. Late at night there was frequently street racing up along Morse road. Some of the cars and motorcycles were really awesome! I remember there was a guy with a Kawasaki 750cc? 2-stoke, that bike was a bullet!! I don't remember for sure but I think it was called a Mach 3 maybe ?
Even given that I'd have to say the '69 Camaro was the best muscle car ! It is truly a classic. There were many great versions..
Z/28, 302ci(awesome moter!!)
ss350
ss396
427 ZL1 (very rare and very expensive, an awesome aluminum big block)
A couple of my buddies back then had Camaros. One was a British racing green Z/28, the other was an SS350. Both were really sweet. Another friend had a 340 Plymouth Duster. I had a '57 Chevy with a moderately built 327. It would run high 13s. My buddies' SS350 would run high 12s with slicks.
My brother still has his '69 GTO Judge which he bought new. I remember the first time he took me for a ride in it. The feeling of getting pushed back in the seat was awesome!
His brother-in-law had a '69 Plymouth GTX with a 440. That was an awesome car too!
Two doors down from me a guy had a '69 Dodge Dart GTS 440. What an outrageous car that was!
My buddies and I used to hang out at the local car wash. There were many awesome cars in our neighborhood that would go there, even a yellow Roadrunner Superbird with a Hemi!
The mechanic at the corner gas station had a '67 Nova with a small block that would run in the 11s. It wasn't stock tho'.
The thing to do back then on a Friday night was cruisin' up and down High Street from Jerry's Drive-in to the Ohio State campus and back. Late at night there was frequently street racing up along Morse road. Some of the cars and motorcycles were really awesome! I remember there was a guy with a Kawasaki 750cc? 2-stoke, that bike was a bullet!! I don't remember for sure but I think it was called a Mach 3 maybe ?
I don't know a heck of a lot about muscle cars...what I DO know for sure is that they GOTTA be old school, like 60's and more likely a 70's car, those things are the true gas guzzling crazy muscle cars.
Brooks: Exactly 
All the muscle cars are from the 1960 to late-1970 time period - any other cars, I just don't consider a "muscle car".
All the muscle cars are from the 1960 to late-1970 time period - any other cars, I just don't consider a "muscle car".
70-71 cuda w/ 426 hemi
the 68 didn't have a big hemi, i think it had only 292ci didn't it. the hemi didn't reach perfection until 1970.
sunbeam tiger
mustang gt350h
gt500kr
1967 chevelle (cause i have one)
the 68 didn't have a big hemi, i think it had only 292ci didn't it. the hemi didn't reach perfection until 1970.
sunbeam tiger
mustang gt350h
gt500kr
1967 chevelle (cause i have one)
dennilfloss
Past Lifer 1957-2014 In Memoriam
I have had 3 Chevelle SS396's in my life. All of them were cammed up monsters that shook the ground as they idled. There is nothing like the feeling of thumping horsepower! I sure hated the number of clutches I went thru, as well as the workout my left leg got pushing the clutch. One of them kept breaking motor mounts, so we chained the engine down.
Another one of my favorites was a 69 Ford fairlane fastback with a 428 cobra. It looked innocent enough, but could actually pull the front wheels off the ground when I grabbed 2nd gear racing another guy up a hill. That one took 2 tanks of gas for a night out on the town.
Another one of my favorites was a 69 Ford fairlane fastback with a 428 cobra. It looked innocent enough, but could actually pull the front wheels off the ground when I grabbed 2nd gear racing another guy up a hill. That one took 2 tanks of gas for a night out on the town.
Mopars were the best muscle cars for that era as proved on the race track (both 1/4 mile and circle track) back then the hemi's ruled (and still do) on the 1/4 mile and on 1970 hemi superbirds ruled nascar placing 1,2,3,4 on standings... too bad the "officials" banned them after that...this is why Petty protested after that and switched to 1/4 mi. track for a couple of years... I've owned Super Bee's. Roadrunners,Challenger's and I currently own a 68 440 6pack Dart... my father at 1 time owned 3 hemi cars all at once... a Cuda, a challenger and a rare hemi Dart
I must say however that those 428 supercobrajets were "up to par" with my mopars
I must say however that those 428 supercobrajets were "up to par" with my mopars
dennilfloss
Past Lifer 1957-2014 In Memoriam
I foundly remember riding in my dad's Challenger. Coolest looking car of the early 70s. He used to race for fun with one of my uncles who had a GTO.
Aw, memories of screeching tyres...
Daddy Cool (Boney M)
Aw, memories of screeching tyres...
Daddy Cool (Boney M)
McLaren?
No, the thread said muscle cars. We're talking about cars with engines that had cylinders bigger than a soup can.
My personal favorite is the A/C Cobra, but that's almost sports car territory.
For production iron I'd say the Mopars. Hemi Cuda's and Challengers along with the super bee Chargers. I owned a 69 El-Camino SS, 396/325hp, black, with the factory buckets and 4 speed. The best "sleeper" I ever rode in was a 1970 Buick Skylark GTX. 455 cu in. of big block Kenne Belle power. It was a notorious Chevelle killer.
No, the thread said muscle cars. We're talking about cars with engines that had cylinders bigger than a soup can.
My personal favorite is the A/C Cobra, but that's almost sports car territory.
For production iron I'd say the Mopars. Hemi Cuda's and Challengers along with the super bee Chargers. I owned a 69 El-Camino SS, 396/325hp, black, with the factory buckets and 4 speed. The best "sleeper" I ever rode in was a 1970 Buick Skylark GTX. 455 cu in. of big block Kenne Belle power. It was a notorious Chevelle killer.
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