Welcome to another installment of the Hooniverse Obscure Muscle Car Garage, a regular feature which aims to expand the definition of what a muscle car is, and to discover that there were indeed Muscle Cars of the 70′s. I though I would shake it up this time with a head to head comparison of two rather obscure 70′s Detroit boats from Ford and Chevrolet. Remember, they were both produced after stringent regulations were passed in regards to safety, emissions, fuel economy, and federalized bumper regulations. Let me introduce you to the Ford Gran Torino Sport (with the 351 Cobra Jet), and the Chevrolet Laguna (with the LS5 454).

The Chevrolet Laguna was the top range Chevelle for 1973, and GM actually boasted about the European Handling of the entire intermediate lineup. In reality, they did handle better than their predecessors, even with engines that lost their performance edge. The new “Colonnade” styling did away with the pillar-less hardtop because of pending rollover regulations. The distinctive front end covered the new bumper regulations without having to resort to the large bumper overhang other models used. This was achieved by using a flexible plastic called Endura, and was exclusive to the Laguna (and the new Pontiac Grand Am).

The size of the 1973 Laguna grew in every dimension over its 1972 Chevelle counterpart, including wheelbase, length, height, and curb weight, but it was a much more comfortable cruiser, with thicker windshield, double paneled roof, side-guard door beams, full foam padded seats, and a lot of other features that were unavailable only a few years prior. OK, you’re saying, the Laguna was a personal luxobarge, to which I respond absolutely not. That job was left to the Monte Carlo. This car could be equipped with the optional LS5 454 V-8.

The LS5 Big Block is a 454 CID V-8, with a compression ratio of 8.50:1. On top of this massive engine (in today’s measurement, around 8.3L) is a four-barrel Rochester carburetor, backed by a tuned dual exhaust system. Power output was published as 245 Horsepower measured at the SAE net rating. Torque was a massive 375 lbs/ft, at only 2800 RPM. With this power, 0 to 60 MPH took only 9.5 seconds, with quarter mile times at 16.7 seconds. Testing was done with the M40 Turbohydramatic 400 automatic. 1974 Engine power decreased to 235 Horsepower, with a net torque of 360 lbs/ft at 2800 RPM (and power ratings would go further downward through the rest of the 70′s).

Options ranged from the performance enhancing to the downright luxurious. Some examples: The new for 1973 Strato Swivel Bucket Seats, Four-Season Air Conditioning, G80 positraction rearend, floor console with floor-mounted shifter, left and right remote mirrors, power windows and power locks, M21 close-ratio four speed manual, full or half vinyl roof, and three different wheel trim offerings. Remember, this was also the time in which radial tires, power disc brakes, and radios were still optional.

The Ford Motor Company also redesigned their intermediates, only a year earlier in 1972. However, for the 1973 model year, they had to heavily revise the front end to blend in the new bumper regulations, and modify the rear bumper as well. The Gran Torino Sport was available as two differently styled hardtop coupes, the notchback with a more formal roof style, and the Sportsroof fastback, which took advantage of the improved aerodynamics for the NASCAR ovals. However, the Sportsroof was discontinued for the 1974 model year.

The Fords were also larger than their immediate predecessors (the 1971 model) but were within 8 pounds of the new GM intermediates (3,670 for the Gran Torino, versus 3,678 for the Laguna). The Gran Torino Sport came standard with all-vinyl interior, hood scoops, color-keyed racing style mirrors, and a unique grill. You could order the 429 CID V-8 this year, but the hot ticket was the 351 Cobra-Jet with the “Cleveland” heads.

The 351 Cobra-Jet Cleveland may have given up some displacement over the GM LS5, but with a compression ratio of 7.9:1 (again so that regular fuel can be used), topped with a 4 barrel Holly carburetor, this engine had a net SAE horsepower rating of 266, or 21 more horses under the hood. The net torque rating is 301 lbs/ft at 3600 RPM, so that meant that this engine is working harder than the comparable GM engine. However, when you take a look at performance numbers, they are neck and neck. Zero – 60 times for the Gran Torino was clocked at 8.8 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 16.3 seconds. This was recorded with the optional C4 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. 1974 there was a substitution of the Holley carburetor with a Motorcraft variant, and this meant a loss of about 11 horsepower, to 255, with a decreased torque rating of 290 lbs/ft. at 3400 RPM.

Optional equipment was just as varied as the ones over at the GM store. Some of the examples include: No Cost optional bucket seats, center console with floor shift, Select-Air Air Conditioning, Finger-Tip speed control, rim blow steering wheel, Traction-Lok differential, Power windows, Power Steering, Power Front Disc Brakes, and Magnum 500 wheels. You could even get opera windows in the 1974 notchback version if you wanted them. Again, remember that almost anything that we take for granted today as standard equipment was optional (or not available) during the Nixon/Ford/Carter years.

So there you have it, my first Head to Head competition on a pair of Obscure Muscle Cars. So read over the posting, and vote for the one you think is deserves to be included within the Garage. Do you think the Laguna with the LS5 454 is the top obscure Muscle Car, with its colonnade styling, and soft front end, or the Ford Gran Torino equipped with the 351 Cobra-Jet, cow catcher bumper, and (at least for 1974) Starsky & Hutch paint jobs that these cars seem to be decked out in? Or are both of them nothing but glorified Personal Luxury Cruisers? Comment now, and place your vote, and let me know what you really think about this feature.

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Please Note: All Images are screen grabs from around the web. If you want credit for any image, please let me know in the comments section. Thank You!