Introducing the Hooniverse Obscure Muscle Car Garage, built by you!

Jim Brennan

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Over the past few years there seems to be an explosion of vintage Muscle Cars available for sale, with values for GM Big Block, Mopar Hemi, and Ford Cobra Jet equipped vintage cars leading the pack in both dollar value, and desirability. Although values have started to cool, most are still out of the realm of affordability, while their desirability grows to an ever increasing car loving public.

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Certain models will always be on the top of any list, including icons such as the Chevelle SS 396, the Plymouth Hemi Superbird, the Ford Talladega, or even the Oldsmobile 442. When you think Muscle Car, most enthusiasts think of cars like the Pontiac GTO, Mustang Boss 302, or Mercury Cyclone, and with good reason. Most automotive aficionados probably remember the 1964 Pontiac GTO as the birth of the Muscle Car movement, while they also lament it’s passing after 1972, when GM dropped the lithe “A” platform (Chevelle, Skylark, Cutlass, LeMans) for the newer Colonnade intermediates. However, it is my duty to try and expand your mind to the possibility that the Muscle Car started much earlier, and is still available, brand new, today.

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Which brings me to this series. I call it the Hooniverse Obscure Muscle Car Garage. I will bring you, the reader, a detailed posting about a Performance or Muscle Car (probably one that you never thought of as a Muscle Car). I will not write about a car that already fits into the definition as a Muscle Car, such as the mid 60’s GM Intermediates, or any of the V-8 equipped Pony Cars of the same vintage. The 60’s Wedge and Hemi powered Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths are already accepted as true Muscle. Even little AMC has a few well defined Muscle Cars, so don’t look for postings on a 401 equipped Javelin, or a 2 seat AMX. However, there are at least 100 real performers that may have escaped your attention, (many are pictured in this posting).

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There will be five decades of automotive development we will be exploring together. The horsepower wars took root in the early 50’s, with modern V-8 engines, high octane gasoline, and the growth of both NASCAR, and NHRA Drag Racing. It was a decade of opportunities, and an explosion of personal wealth. It was a time in which there were at least eight US Major Car Corporations, with 18 different makes. And there were performance models available, right from the showroom. Cars with multiple carburetors, superchargers, fuel injection, and heavy duty suspensions. They were tested in places like Daytona Beach, and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Racing helped improve the cars, and the engines became better, more powerful, and reliable. There are some very memorable cars I will define from this decade.

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The 60′s is acknowledged as the true Muscle Car era. When John DeLorean helped create the Pontiac GTO, the floodgates opened. However, did you know that true Muscle Cars were available before the GTO was ever thought of? A couple of them came from GM, others became available from the last independent car company from South Bend, Indiana. While the Chrysler, GM, and Ford Intermediates, including the Pony Cars were garnering for attention, there were a few Full Size cars, along with a few Compacts that are also worthy Muscle Cars.

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The 70’s was a mixed decade. Insurance Companies penalized outright performance cars, while new safety and smog legislation killed both raw horsepower, as well as styling flexibility. Many of the performance cars were killed off during the decade, or worse, emasculated to the point of oblivion. Nameplates that echoed Muscle were turned into anything but, including Mustang, Charger, GTO, Cougar, and Cuda. However, a funny thing happened during what has become the Malaise era, cars started to handle better than ever. Radial tires, Anti Sway bars, and Disc Brakes became the norm, not the exception, and performance cars could now take corners, rather than just straight line acceleration. And there were still true muscle car bargains available, and not all of them made in the good old USA.

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The 80’s saw a re-birth in the number of Performance Cars available, including a Mustang GT, Camaro Z-28, and Pontiac Trans Am. There were different types of Muscle Cars, including Turbocharged Four and Six Cylinder models, NASCAR inspired specials, Pace Car replicas, and the rise of the Performance Truck. This trend continued into the 90’s, and true Muscle isn’t confined to cars made in North America, but also cars from Europe, and Japan. These cars run the gamut, and include Coupe, Sedan, Wagon, and SUV models, with better outright performance than many of the fire breathing monsters of the 60’s.

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Along with trying to convince you to think outside the box (and to get your reaction), a poll will ask whether the featured vehicle is worthy of having a parking place within the Garage. I’ll keep track of the entries, and every so often, there will be a review of the vehicles that have been given the readership approval to be in the Garage, and whether or not they should be voted out. So, there you have it. Participation is essential. Let your voice be heard. Write a comment and tell me what you think is an overlooked performance or muscle car, from 1950 to today, and maybe I’ll take you up on it.

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Jim Brennan

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56 responses to “Introducing the Hooniverse Obscure Muscle Car Garage, built by you!”

  1. Shant Jaltorossian Avatar
    Shant Jaltorossian

    I nominate the AMC Hornet SC/360.
    The Javelin is known fairly well, while the Rebel Machine is a little-loved icon. The Hornet SC/360, on the other hand, is known by few besides hardcore AMC enthusiasts.

    Reply
  2. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    Is the Cougar Eliminator too mainstream?
    <img src="http://www.motorstown.com/images/mercury-cougar-eliminator-06.jpg&quot; width=550>

    Reply
  3. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    I think the Marauder got no love when it came out, but I think it is an awesome muscle sedan.
    <img src="http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/6/2/8/sshs5_burnout.jpg&quot; width=550>

    Reply
  4. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    Chevy Biscayne.
    <img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/images.hagerty.com/vehicle/original/68_chevrolet_biscayne_coupe_wikimedia_rank2.JPG&quot; width=550>

    Reply
    1. racer139 Avatar
      racer139

      Sooooo want that car… A friend of mine is doing a frame on resto of a 68 sedan. And he's gonna make it handle and stop like a much lighter car.

      Reply
  5. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    The Hammer has to be in this garage.
    <img src="http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/85/3A2BE171F169C56F9D578953C7A6.jpg&quot; width=550>

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      Then the E500
      <img src="http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_website/octane_interact/modelpicture.php?id=6379&quot; width="600">
      But Porsche worked on that so I'll give this:
      <img src="http://img2.netcarshow.com/Audi-RS2_Avant_1993_800x600_wallpaper_01.jpg&quot; width="600">
      Oh, so Audis are allowed?
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Audi_RS4_rot.JPG&quot; width="600">

      Reply
  6. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    I must have that Maverick.

    Reply
  7. yankeedriver Avatar
    yankeedriver

    Full-size GM stuff from the mid-to-late 1960s and early 1970s will perpetually be a bargain. Pound for pound, you can't buy boneless chicken for what you'd pay for a 1966-1968 Buick Riviera.

    Reply
  8. B72 Avatar
    B72

    That 69 Chevy at the top brings back memories. My grandparents had one, a Caprice with the 396. They also had a 72 Impala with a 350. We snuck them out for some speed tests a few times. The 396 was slower. I think it may have only had a 2 barrel, and that body style was heavy.
    My grandparents did not approve of hoonage, but they loved their cars, and kept them well preserved into the late '90's. The cars in turn got the grandparents almost as far.

    Reply
  9. ReneM Avatar
    ReneM

    r-code galaxy 500

    Reply
  10. Kris_01 Avatar
    Kris_01

    Obscure muscle? Solid cases may be made for each and every model of the 14 listed below:
    1909 Mercer Raceabout
    1949 Oldsmobile 88
    1953 Buick Century
    1955 Chrysler C-300
    1956 Plymouth Fury
    1957 Rambler Rebel
    1961 Chevrolet full-size models with the 409
    1962 Pontiac models with the 389
    1976 Chevy Cosworth Vega (and on that vein, in fact I'd go so far as to add all GM's similar H bodies with the smallblock V8, of which there were more than a few)
    The above-pictured 1977 Pontiac Can-Am
    1978 Dodge Aspen Kit Car/Plymouth Volare Kit Car
    1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z
    1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC
    2006-2012 Toyota RAV4 V6

    Reply
    1. Marto Avatar
      Marto

      Unsurprisingly, the only one of them I have driven is the RAV4 V6 – clumsy and overpowered. And heaps of fun. I'd say it deserves to subtly redefine what can and can't be 'muscle'.

      Reply
  11. stigshift Avatar
    stigshift

    Must have the '70 Chrysler 300 Hurst and the '70 Olds Toronado GT W34 on my list.

    Reply
  12. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    Out of left field- the Ram 1500 Express. My neighbor has one in black and it looks sharp. Cost less than $20k with the 5.7 Hemi.
    <img src="http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/04/express.jpg&quot; >
    Or Vipertruck.
    <img src="http://www.vtcoa.com/forums/attachments/f7/48811d1339465312-who-has-your-favorite-viper-truck-new1.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  13. pj134 Avatar
    pj134

    The Grand Cherokee SRT-8. Could pull a claimed .92 g's on a skid pad, run a 13 second quarter, and get you to sixty in a little over 5 seconds. It will eat just about anything on the road while invisible to every other uninformed car on the road.
    <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/002_cherokeesrt8_opt.jpg&quot; width=500>

    Reply
    1. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      Other people must be sleeping, because this car completely changed the game in the mid 2000's. No longer was a coupe with 300 horse acceptable. I think this GTO directly lead to the horsepower wars we have today. Much like it's ancestor (ok, the original GTO wasn't Australian, but we needed a down under lantern to show us the way), we owe it quite a bit…
      <img src="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pontiac/gto/2005/oem/2005_pontiac_gto_coupe_base_fq_oem_1_500.jpg&quot; width=500>

      Reply
      1. salguod Avatar
        salguod

        This is a muscle car in the strictest of definitions – mid size car with a big engine, plus the GTO name plate. The only tick against it is that it wasn't a special version of an existing car, at least in the US.
        That said, I think he's restricting it to 5 decades, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s & 90s. That means the neo-goat is out.

        Reply
        1. pj134 Avatar
          pj134

          The last sentence says from the 1950s to today. Anyway, here are a couple more that should be obvious enough.
          <img src="http://newcarspec.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Pontiac-G8-GXP3.jpg&quot; width=500>
          <img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/cts-v-review-1.jpg&quot; width=500>

          Reply
          1. salguod Avatar
            salguod

            So it does. Earlier it said 5 decades which would end at 2000 if we're starting in the 50's.
            If we're including the 2000s, I heartily agree with your additions above.

    2. CherokeeOwner Avatar
      CherokeeOwner

      This is a car on my bucket list. I would love to drive an SRT-8 Grand Cherokee, either generation.
      Similarly, I'd nomiate an '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited, which was arguably the predecessor for the SRT-8 GC. Key difference being, unless the martini and whiskey in me are messing with my head, the 5.9 possessed a low-range gearbox, so you could still outrun cars from the era it came out and still hit the trail.

      Reply
      1. C³-Cool Cadillac Cat Avatar
        C³-Cool Cadillac Cat

        I'm still hunting for a clean white or silver 5.9L, which I can then use for a motorhome 'toad' (towed car).
        Bona-fide offroadability, manual high/low transfer case, the 360, and a transmission which is NOT delicate, like the one in my '94 5.2 Limited was.
        However, that '94 GC would go anywhere I pointed it, with the only mod being normal size BFG A/T's.
        Was. Amazing.

        Reply
    3. njhoon Avatar
      njhoon

      I would go so far as to say anything with an SRT badge is worthy of a nod and some want.
      SRT 300 – Love one
      SRT Charger – Black one please
      SRT Challenger – Why did you even ask, just give
      SRT Cherokee – Even the wife wants one
      SRT Neon – Only if the wing is removed and I can do that.

      Reply
  14. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Wow, I've always been a big fan of the Impala SS models, especially the '67-'69 models with the 427.

    Reply
  15. TurboBrick Avatar
    TurboBrick

    Sure, the Grand Prix GTP is the one that everyone remembers as being the fast four door FWD GM car from the 90's… but you could get the same supercharged 3.8 in a Olds 98 Touring Sedan:
    <img src="http://www.1990-1992toronadotrofeo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/104_2502.jpg&quot; WIDTH="500">

    Reply
    1. njhoon Avatar
      njhoon

      Don't forget the Buick version. I'm too lazy right now to find it but some guy has a write up of his that he got into the 12's and used to toast other cars on the highway.

      Reply
    2. Marto Avatar
      Marto

      That's some bizarre 'styling' there. I've never seen anything quite like it. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Slow_Joe_Crow Avatar
    Slow_Joe_Crow

    Offhand the Daimler Majestic Major, a stately barge powered by an Edward Turner designed hemi V8. The Rover P5B, supercharged Studebakers, and a Plymouth Valiant with a high performance slant 6. Plus the OG Taurus SHO,

    Reply
  17. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    1970 Torino King Cobra with 429 Cobra Jet. Heck of it is there were only three made. It never made production. http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscl…
    <img src="http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/1970-ford-king-cobra-11%20.jpg"width="500"/&gt;

    Reply
  18. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
    ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

    I was heartbroken when in the last place the VW Phaeton AND Maserati Quattroporte were the first two (and only) cars eliminated from the JFG. So for my own well being, please nobody (else) consider the Volvo 960/S90 a muscle car.

    Reply
    1. racer139 Avatar
      racer139

      I wont go that far but I would like to add the volvo 850 t-5r and to a lesser extent the S70 r.

      Reply
  19. vwminispeedster Avatar
    vwminispeedster

    I will own a GMC Syclone one day as I like the idea of a pickup so that makes it sorta practical. But lets not forget its brother the Typhoon. I mean, it has HOON in the spelling!!

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      Yep. If you can find one that's not torn to hell.

      Reply
  20. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    I think the sleeper here is the W body with anything other than the base engine.
    Quad 4, Shortstar 6, DOHC V6, Supercharger V6, and the LS4. They look good (in an 80's kinda way) and there is some poke under the hood.
    Hell- that chassis has been around 25+ years. They're still selling the old Impala for fleet sales.

    Reply
  21. BlackIce_GTS Avatar
    BlackIce_GTS

    Happy to see you're revisiting/revising this idea, Jim. I really enjoyed the earlier incarnation. I think that's where I first heard of the 60s Mercury Marauders, and it's certainly responsible for my sporadic feverish searches for a mid-70s Buick Century.

    Reply
  22. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    the last time i visited india i was 13, and i saw a few really sweet muscle cars – they were both white, they looked a bit like chevelles, and they had "HINDUSTAN" on the rear decklid. but i hit up google and when i found pictures, it was the hindustan contessa i was remembering. it's definitely the model i saw, but i suppose i let my teenage imagination run away with the details after catching a few brief glimpses. they are not really muscle cars, i don't think.
    <img src="http://img.kuikr.com/k/20130306/1061153027-1362564577.JPG&quot; width="640">
    so i'll let hooniverse decide if that's a muscle car or not. i fall on the side of no.
    that option presented, may i list three american muscle cars of the '90s that i think missed out on the popularity they deserved:
    <img src = "http://s1.aecdn.com/images/gallery/OLDSMOBILEAurora-3487_1.jpg&quot; width="640">
    the first-generation OLDSMOBILE AURORA
    big, futuristic styling, came with a bespoke 250hp V8, which, at the time, was a lot of power. they were special cars, lots of neat technology, supposed to save oldsmobile. they didn't, but i think they look a lot nicer than most people realize.
    <img src="http://carjamz.com/zen/images/QA-PP35610.jpg"&gt;
    the 1995+ LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
    much like the aurora, it was big, had a 250+ hp V8, and was packed with lots of cool gadgets. the styling was much more conservative than on the oldsmobile. actually it was kinda dumpy for the 95-97 cars, but the 98+ cars are pretty classy. big, fast, comfortable. i think it's a muscle car.
    <img src="http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/1997-buick-riviera_100026576_m.jpg"&gt;
    the final-gen BUICK RIVIERA
    this car looks like a spaceship or a whale, but on the whole pretty cool styling i think. it's very big and it's got a supercharged 3800 V6. i uh. i have run out of things to say about it. i don't know very much about it.
    now my list isn't really made of obscure cars. you see these around pretty often. but these are cars that i think a lot of people don't realize were pretty quick in their day despite being big and stupid. to me, that makes them obscure muscle cars. i suppose i wouldn't be too offended if hooniverse disagreed with me.

    Reply
    1. Marto Avatar
      Marto

      Wow, the Contessa has a big dose of late model Opel Kadett/Holden Torana.
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Opel_Rekord_D_1975.jpg"&gt;
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/1978-1980_Holden_UC_Torana_sedan.jpg/640px-1978-1980_Holden_UC_Torana_sedan.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        or Fe Vauxhall Victor/Ventora which it is,only not made as well and with less power.I think a top speed of 78mph and the availability of four cylinder engines onl,y disqualifies the Hindustan from inclusion here. If coke bottle styling was the only prerequisite, and not a large engine, Pintos and Vegas would be muscle cars,as would Mk1 Escorts and Vauxhall Vivas.
        Actually,one Viva variant may count,the South African market Chevrolet Firenza. An HC Viva with a 5 litre V8 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chevrolet_… Of course if you put that size engine in a Victor body shell you could end up with this http://www.kolumbus.fi/makkesgarage/protos/car33….

        Reply
  23. vetteman61@gmail.com Avatar
    vetteman61@gmail.com

    I know they're "tacky" but I have always LOVED the Can Am. I saw one at the Street Rod nationals last year with the factory sun roof option and almost passed out (think Carrol Burnett).

    Reply
  24. skitter Avatar
    skitter

    1. Any pickup with more than 300hp, especially diesels, the V10 Rams and Super Dutys,
    2. Many Rover V8 powered cars; the small-block Chevy of England
    2a. The Rover P5B/P6/SD1
    2b. The MGB GT V8/RV8
    2c. The Leyland P76
    2d. The Westfield SEight
    3. Tangentially, the MG ZT 260 V8 and Rover 75 V8
    3a. The MG SV
    4. The Daimler Majestic Major

    Reply
    1. Van_Sarockin Avatar
      Van_Sarockin

      Morgan Plus 8. Most any Bristol.

      Reply
    2. Marto Avatar
      Marto

      Then we have to include the extremely rare Leyland P76 Force 7 coupe.
      <img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4092/5080322503_a3fd53c199_z.jpg"&gt;

      Reply
  25. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    A very thought provoking concept, Jim. Nicely laid out. And hey, WELCOME BACK! I'm probably late to this party, but it's great to see your byline, and even better to rub shoulders again with your pithy writing.

    Reply
  26. salguod Avatar
    salguod

    I subscribe to a pretty strict interpretation of what a muscle car is. A special version of a mid size sedan with a big engine. That was the GTO formula. That means the Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Javelin, 'Cuda are out. That means the full size Merauder and Impala SS are out as are small cars like that Maverick and the cosworth Vega. All interesting cars, but not muscle cars in the strictest of sense.
    I'd say if you're expanding the definition for this series, though, it has to have muscle in the form of more power than most of the day. Better handling and aggressive looks are nice (I'd frankly take them over more power), but anything called a muscle car has to be about power in my mind.
    Cosworth Vega is a good one as is the Syclone / Typhoon and the 90's Impala SS. These seem to fit the spirit of a muscle car. Late model Monte Carlo SS aero coupe and the Pontiac 2+2 are good too as would be the 80s Hurst Olds. Buick T-Types, some of them, would be good options as would be the Olds LSS. The AMG Mercedes & BMW M cars are straying a bit farther from the concept (a muscle car is American in my mind), but are good choices. What then about the 90's Maxima 4DSC? It seems they were more about driving dynamics than speed & power.

    Reply
  27. njhoon Avatar
    njhoon

    Jim, great to have you back! I love this idea. I'll suggest the super charged GM models for the 90's. Buick Wildcats for the 60's, Hemi powered Mopars from the 50's, Early 50's Olds (with the Rocket motors), Buick Rivera, Pontiacs with Tri Powers, Ford dropped 427's in all sorts of cars in the early 60's. I'll check back when I think of more.

    Reply
  28. pj134 Avatar
    pj134

    I forgot the Mercedes muscle sedans from the 60's and 70's. The 350 SEL 6.3 and the 450 SEL 6.9.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/MB_W109_6_3_engine.jpg&quot; width=500>
    <img src="http://automobilesdeluxe.tv/wp-content/uploads/home1/automob5/public_html/wp-content/uploads/wptouch/custom-icons/2011/03/mb-450sel-6.91.jpg&quot; width=500>

    Reply
    1. Pete Z. Avatar
      Pete Z.

      Yeah, the 300SEL 6.3 was a scary beast with skinny tires, draconian air suspension,marginal brakes, and a slam-bang auto tranny. Great street racer, though. Nobody knew what it was. The engine was a brute of a torque monster that swilled high test like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Fond memories of late nite trolling for unsuspecting Detroit trash._ The 450SEL 6.9 was a total slug. Dished pistons, wimpy cams, smogged over CIS injection, nightmare hydraulic suspension, real lardass weight distribution, and Daytona rear gear ratio that defied any means of forward movement other than "stately". Willie Nelson's old lady used to drive one, for Christ's sake. I used to work on it long ago. Depleted ole Willie's bank acct. of considerable sums of dead presidents. He got rid of it and bought a 4×4. Gimme the 6.3 anytime, in midnight black , of course. YMMV.

      Reply
  29. bhtooefr Avatar
    bhtooefr

    Wasn't the classic muscle car formula, take an ordinary compact or midsize car, and take the engine that was merely adequate in a bigger car, dropping it in the compact or midsize, to make a rocket?
    I nominate the Camry V6. Not a hoonable car, but silly fast for what it is.
    Also, anything Ford that's actually a car with the 3.5 EcoBoost, the Focus ST, the Fiesta ST…
    The VW GTI and R are marginal here – the 2.0T is an engine that's mainly sold in Audi A5s and larger in Europe, Golfs normally getting 1.2T and 1.4T gas engines, but here, we get 2.5s. Then again, our 2.5 has similar power to a 1.4T or 1.8T, and less torque…

    Reply
    1. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      look up the 0-60 times of cars you think are quick. then look up the 0-60 time of a V6 camry: 5.7 seconds.
      it's kind of unsettling to realize the most calculatedly milquetoast car on the road is faster than anything you actually like.

      Reply
      1. Van_Sarockin Avatar
        Van_Sarockin

        A couple of years ago I rented an Avalon (with a manual). It could get out of its own way. Wouldn't confuse it with a sports car, but it was more capable than I expected.

        Reply
      2. pj134 Avatar
        pj134

        The problem being that the pedals in the Camry work in binary. They're on or off, no middle ground.

        Reply
      3. IronBallsMcG Avatar
        IronBallsMcG

        Comments like that always take me back to the Grassroots Motorsports article where they matched up a Honda Odyssey, an XKE and a 356.

        Reply
  30. citroen67 Avatar
    citroen67

    A little late to the game, but I like what I am reading here! If I had to pick some obscure muscle machines, I would have to pick things like the Monza Spyder with the 262 V8.
    <img src="http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2886/3104/32214051840_large.jpg"&gt;
    Maybe A Warlock?
    <img src="http://www.motorstown.com/images/dodge-warlock-07.jpg"&gt;
    Although, I am not sure if they were really built for speed and power.
    And I would definitely nominate the early 90's 454 SS Chevy!
    <img src="http://www.355nation.net/forum/attachments/chop-shop/14507d1262744249-need-some-help-tailgate-dcp_0031.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  31. C³-Cool Cadillac Cat Avatar
    C³-Cool Cadillac Cat

    This is an odd one, but for me, it helped push the Q-ship idea, which is my favourite.
    <img src="http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2008/05/21/10/43/1993_infiniti_q45_4_dr_a_sedan-pic-24010.jpeg&quot; width="400">
    Granted, the no-grille thing wasn't for everyone, but I drove a '92 Q45a in 1995, and very seriously lusted after one.
    My 2005 STS is quicker, likely handles better, and has more neat stuff, but the Q45a holds a place in my dream car garage.
    Also, love the lead picture. My wife's first car was a used '67 Impala SS, with the 327. She really liked that car. Paid all of $800 in early 1971.
    I'm going to go cry in the corner, now…

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  32. Spencedaddy Avatar
    Spencedaddy

    First Generation Lightning…..because I am still, totally enamored with it.

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  33. Harold Avatar
    Harold

    GAD Tuning Bespoke Remapping Great post thanks for the info. We have tweeted this and posted to facebook.

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