Top Muscle Cars
1978 Trans Am
They are only original once, and this 1978 Trans Am played to the purists with its near showroom-stock state and rare in-dash Delco CB radio. Its 6.6-liter V8 is assisted by a Pypes aftermarket exhaust, and the chicken-on-the-hood graphic is also stitched into the rear seat. But it was the recoil microphone cord dangling off the center console and the mouse-fur upholstery that had viewers thinking big hair, disco and leisure suits. 10-4, good buddy.
1968 Camaro
Turnkey Engines of Oceanside, California wanted to highlight their V8 business, so they featured a customer’s professionally built Camaro. Stock bodywork and interior were retained, buoyed by huge, low-profile 345/30R-19 Michelin tires and 6-piston Baer brakes. The 452-cubic-inch V8 is boosted by a Kenne Bell screw-type supercharger and carefully crafted intake plumbing. On 91-octane pump gas, the iron-block engine—which features AFR aluminum heads—delivers 780 horsepower. Lushly coated with PPG paint and near street-rod detail work, this is a standout member of the (barely) drivable club.
Gateway Classic Mustang
For the ultimate in muscle car restoration, simply build a new one. That’s the plan from Gateway Classic Mustang, using Dynacorn’s all-new unibody stamping for 1967-68 ’Stangs ($15,500). Pricey, yes, but with no bodywork required, a donor Mustang and a healthy aftermarket parts mill means building an all-new Mustang (and soon many more Mustang and Camaro models) is now possible. None of it will be cheap. The Roush 427-cubic-inch small-block under the Gateway hood costs as much as most people would dare spend on an entire hobby car, but it does put out 560 horsepower. Think far into six figures for this one.
1966 Chevelle
At first glance, the poverty hubcabs, red-stripe tires, and stone-stock interior would have the ’66 SS396 Chevelle in the Original Parts Group (OPG) booth easily passing for a 100-point restoration. But under the museum-quality demeanor is the heart of a driver, thanks to an MSD ignition, Comp Cams roller camshaft, and most importantly, a modern 4-speed automatic transmission. The overdrive slush-box is aimed at giving low-rpm manners on the freeway. This popular tranny swap, along with the rare power seats, air-conditioning and other original options, make this show car a poster child for the restomod market and OPG’s 600-page catalog and 90,000-square-foot warehouse.
2008 C6RS Corvette
Best described as an exotic sports car, the Pratt & Miller C6RS Corvette is also the top branch of the modern, high-dollar, custom muscle car tree. Its scintillating power-to-weight ratio, 3.5-second 0-60 mph sprint, and dragster quarter-mile times confirm a personality largely derived from its 8.2-liter, 600-horsepower, naturally-aspirated V-8. If 600 lb-ft of torque isn’t muscle, what is? The C6RS is a limited-edition ride, with this one specially tuned to burn gasoline or E85 by order of owner Jay Leno, one of the most well-known car collectors of our age.
Classic Design Concepts 1967 Mustang
Engine swaps are a keystone of the muscle car scene. The Flashback is a melding of a vintage ’67 chassis and a contemporary 5.4-liter supercharged Ford V-8. Yet another car built around the Dynacorn chassis, this showpiece was put together by Classic Design Concepts. In the Flashback, there is no less than 600 hp from the exotic, supercharged aluminum engine, mated to a 6-speed Tremec transmission and classic 9-inch rear axle—tamer motors are also available. Comfort and convenience options abound, but sticking to the basics ensures this new car will retain the raw snap of the classic small-car, big-engine formula.
Super Chips Tuning Dodge Viper
Still thinking that sports cars can’t be muscle cars? Try ignoring a 1,141 hp Dodge Viper. Bumped up by tuner JMS using Superchip Custom Tuning software, the Viper is definitely an all-engine exercise with an essentially stock chassis, but oh, that bore and stroke. Forged engine internals, a Paxton Novi 2000 supercharger, water/alcohol injection by Snow Performance and plenty of love during assembly deliver delivers 1,083 lb-ft of torque. In the best muscle car tradition, this Dodge delivers Bugatti Veyron power at a dime on the dollar.
Mr. Norm’s 1968 Dodge GSS
Hitting all the classic muscle car hot buttons in the Atech Motorsports booth was this re-invention of the Gran Spaulding Sport Dodge. Using an original 1968 B-body, the Mr. Norm GSS is propelled by a thoroughly modern, all-aluminum, 530-cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi, backed by a 4-speed overdrive automatic. Just 40 of these 10-second, 835-horsepower Hemi Darts are planned, each one taking the cake for flaunting vintage, knuckle-dragging personas while hiding air-conditioning, CD sound systems and other modern amenities in the glove box.
Vortech 1957 Chevy Bel Air
Gathering plenty of attention in the Paxton booth was Jim Herdon’s elegantly black ’57 Chevy with a Viper V-10 stuffed under the dashboard. Naturally, the Gen-II Viper mill was assisted by a Novi 2000 blower to produce 620 horsepower, and the whole thing supported on a C4 Corvette suspension augmented with Air Ride Technologies goodies. Not a stripped-out drag racing skeleton, this ultimate, 6-speed street ride features a leather interior, something the first generation of muscle cars rarely did.
Bassani 1970 Chevelle
If muscle cars are dinosaurs, no one says they can’t evolve. To prove this point, Bassani was showcasing their custom exhaust prowess on a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel packed into a ’70 Chevelle. Turbocharged to an estimated 1000 horsepower and 2000 lb-ft (!!) of torque, the creation had yet to turn a tire by show time, but didn’t fail to draw a crowd. With a bulletproof 6-speed Allison transmission, the combination ought to prove durable and embarrassingly fast compared to any classic, big-block gas V8.
