Muscle Car Era

Muscle Car Terminology

A muscle car is a high-performance automobile. The term principally refers to American models and generally describes a 2-door rear wheel drive, mid-size cars with a large, powerful V-8 engine and special trim, intended for maximum torque on the street or in drag racing competition. It is distinguished from sports cars, which were customarily considered smaller, two-seat cars, or GT, two-seat or 2 + 2 cars intended for high-speed touring and possibly road racing. High-performance full-size or compact cars are arguably excluded from this category, as are the breed of compact sports coupes inspired by the Ford Mustang. Other factors used in defining classic muscle cars are their age and country of origin. A classic muscle car is usually made in the U.S. or Australia between 1964 and 1975. The term "muscle car" did not enter common usage until after production of the cars had essentially ended. It is generally accepted that popular, widespread usage of the term took hold by the early to mid-1980s. During their day, print media usually referred to this class of vehicle as "supercars".

The History of the Pony Car
The Originals 1964 to 1968

April of 1964. The Baby Boomers are in their late teens. They want an affordable sporty coupe that is fun to drive.
The Ford Motor Company had a winner they created the Thunderbird in 1955. If they had stretched their car just long enough to add a rear seat the pony car era would have begun. They did add a back seat three years later when they restyled it. It's just too bad they also transformed the fun little roadster into tank

1955 T-Bird

Chevrolet discovered the sport coupe market back in 1960 when it came out with the Corvair Monza but it suffered from bad publicity after Ralph Nader condemned it's rear-mounted engine design. People didn't trust that car, and besides, they wanted more power!

Check in next week to see how the revolution continues.

Sheriff

There's a new Sheriff in town, and he's not taking any guff

Car Acronyms:

ACURA: Another Crummy, Useless, Rotten Automobile

AMC: Another Major Catastrophe
AUDI: Another Ugly Deutsche Invention
BMW: Born Moderately Wealthy

BUICK: Big Ugly Indestructible Car Killer

CHEVROLET: Can Hear Every Valve Rap On Long Extended Trips

DODGE: Drips Oil & Drops Grease Everywhere

EDSEL:Every Day Something Else Leaks
FIAT: Failed Italian Automotive Technology

FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily

GEO:Good Engineering Overlooked
GM: General Maintenance GMC: Garage Man's Companion

GTO: Gas, Tires, Oil
HONDA: Had One Never Did Again

HYUNDAI:Hope You Understand Nothing's Driveable And Inexpensive...
JEEP: Just Empty Every Pocket
MAZDA: Most Always Zipping Dangerously Along
MG:Money Guzzler
MGB:Might Go Backwards
MGF:Might Go Forward
MIATA:My Intention: Always To Accelerate
MOPAR:My Only Problems Are Repairs
MUSTANG: Motor Under Strain, Transmission Almost No Good
OLDSMOBILE:Overpriced, Leisurely Driven Sedan Made Of Buick's Irregular Leftover Equip.
PINTO: Put In Nickel To Operate

PLYMOUTH: Please Leave Your Money Out Under The Hood
PONTIAC:Poor Old Numbskull Thinks Its A Cadillac
PORSCHE:Proof Of Rich Spoiled Children Having Everything
SAAB: Sad Attempt At Beauty

SUBARU:Screwed Up Beyond All Repair Usually
TOYOTA: The One You Ought To Avoid
TRIUMPH: This Really Is Unreliable Man, Please Help!

VOLVO:Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object
VW: Virtually Worthless

94' Harley Davidson "Fatboy"

In noway a Muscle Car, but I thought it cool enough to post. Do not know anything about motorcycles, so there isn't any article to go along with the pictures.

A 1994 Harley Davidson "Fat Boy"

70' Oldsmobile 442

In 1969 the Oldsmobile Engineers for their 1970 lineup came up with a throaty "Force-Air" inducted 360 hp version of the 400 CID V-8. Tricked out with special grille, stripes and unique identification cues these unforgettable motion machines were benighted with heavy-duty drive shafts, special handling packages, heavy-duty wheels and a wicked straight-through exhaust system.
A 455 CID V-8 churning out 365 horsepower was introduced. The bore was now 4.057 while the stroke was shorten up to 3.385 inches. A special honor was bestowed in 1970 the Cutlass 4-4-2 convertible would do brickyard duty at the most prestigious automobile race in the world.
Insurance companies became the hangman for the entire muscle car generation. As accidents climbed. "Four-barrel, "four-on-the-floor" and even "bucket seats" became dirty words that automatically shot insurance policies out of range for many of the young generation to afford. By 1971, the 4-4-2 was reduced to an option on Cutlass 'S' models.
Jim and Audrey Frey of Coleville, Saskatchewan own this 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 convertible. This Olds has the 455 CID V-8 with 400 Turbo-Hydramatic transmission and 327 Posi-Trac rear axle. The couple has been busy restoring their pride and joy ever since they acquired it in 1980. Over the years the Oldsmobile has received a new top, front seat upholstery, carpeting and numerous interior bits and pieces.

42 Year Lie Uncovered

FINALLY THE TRUTH AFTER 42 YEARS

The year was 1963. Car and Driver was a small automotive enthusiast magazine looking for a interesting article to increase their sales. They approached Pontiac with an idea: pit their new Pontiac Tempest GTO vs. a Ferrari GTO. Pontiac marketing, jumped at the chance and sent the magazine two "prepared" GTO's. Meanwhile, the magazine couldn't locate any Ferrari GTOs to test, so they just tested the Pontiac's and compared them to fictional Ferrari GTOs. To be on the safe side Pontiac built a faster one." The "official" test times were unbelievable: 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds @ 115 mph. These results made the Pontiac Tempest GTO a sensation overnight and made Car and Driver the "every man's" magazine.

Although the article pointed out that the GTOs that were tested were only "mildly" prepped by Royal Pontiac, no other magazine or customer could match those test numbers with stock GTOs. Both Pontiac and Car and Driver insisted that the numbers were accurate. It wasn't until 30 years later that the truth came out: the numbers were not as accurate as they should have been. First of all, Car and Driver, in its infancy, was testing with stop watches. There was plenty of room for human error, and looking back, you can see that human error certainly did exist in these testing procedures. But the main reason for the unbelieveable times was that both GTOs test were ringers. Jack "Doc" Watson of Hurst Performance fame, made this statement in a 1994 interview in MuscleCars magazine regarding the GTO that was actually featured in the pages of Car and Driver: "That car had a 421 in it, not a 389, and if anyone tells you different, they are full of hot air!" But it was Jim Wagners, five years later in his book "Glory Days," that finally confessed that the test cars were indeed specially prepped by Royal Pontiac and included 421 engines. Jim Wagners noted that "yes, I did install a 421 H.O. Tri-Power engine in the red Royal Bobcat Car and Driver test car."

**

** Partial article taken from story printed on Muscle Car Club.com

My First Car

A spitting image of my first car a 73' AMC Javelin. I remember it as if it was yesterday. My Dad went done to the Used Car Dealer with me. I was only 15 and ready to turn 16 in about 2 months. But I had a part time job after school and my Dad felt if I wanted the responsibility of working to pay for my own car, I should have the car I wanted. He signed for a loan for me and I drove out of the Dealership feeling I had the best car on the road and it was all mine ( well it would be all mine after 36 payments of $ 102.00 to the Bank).

I became more popular then I ever was during my Senior year ( A car has that way of changing your social status). Had more dates during the summer than I had all my young life up to then.
I must of washed and waxed that car so much that I am sure I drove the share value of Turtle Wax up that summer.

Unfortunately one early raining morning 2 years later I was behind schedule getting to work, racing down the highway a car pulled out in front of me and being young and inexperienced, slammed on the brakes and tried to switch lanes at the same time. Never the least to say the car spun out of control and jumped the side curb. It felt like a brick wall. My little mishap left me all alone in the early morning rain with my beautiful baby having a tore up suspension and frame and two busted front rims and blown out tires. I never knew that a curb could do so much damage. And as far as the guy or gal that pulled out in front of me, they never stopped, I don't even know if they knew what happened.

I walked to the nearest phone both and called my Dad and told him what happened and were I was. He came out to the scene of my tragedy. We called for a tow truck and that's the last I saw of my first car. During the ride to work I was certain that I was going to get custed out, but he just told me things happened and we can only hope to learn from it. I lost my Dad not to long after that, ironically to a traffic accident caused by a careless Semi - driver running a stop sign trying to stay on schedule.

Next - My second car a 70 Buick Wildcat