lc84bmwwl5 magzus.org

JUNE 2022

No. 2 2 6

$4.99

BALDWIN-MOTION

PHASE III CHEVELLE

LEGENDARY 11-SECOND TOW CAR! WEEKEND TECH BUYER’S GUIDE ULTRA-RARE Z/28 390 FASTBACK BIG-BRAKE UPGRADE ’70 CHALLENGER T/A FACTORY 4-WHEEL DISCS ’68 FORD TORINO GT

MoPower to You.

Trick Flow PowerPort 190® cylinder heads are the new standard for small block Mopar engine builds.

Improvements over stock: A356-T61 aluminum castings; enhanced intake ports; CNC Street Ported runners; stronger rocker arm shaft bosses; and 3/8" pushrod clearance.

There’s also standard features like bronze alloy guides, ductile iron seats, 11/32" stainless valves, PAC Racing springs, steel locks, and chromoly or titanium retainers.

PowerPort 190 heads fit all non-emissions, LA and Magnum 318-360 engines. That’s right, Magnum owners can now— bonus!—use LA parts on their builds using these heads.

What a great time to be a small block Mopar owner!

Dyno Results

Airflow Results

PowerPort 190

PowerPort 190

Lift Value

Intake Flow CFM

Exhaust Flow CFM

.100"

66

54

.200"

134

121

.300"

200

181

.400"

248

213

.500"

281

231

.600"

293

237

.700"

301

240

Test Engine: 10.92:1 compression 365 c.i.d. LA-series engine with Trick Flow PowerPort 190 cylinder heads (TFS-61417802-C00), custom hydraulic roller camshaft (230°/236° duration @ .050"; .577"/.572" lift; 110° lobe separation), Trick Flow roller lifters (TFS-21400010), Trick Flow Track Heat® intake manifold (TFS-61400111), a 750 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow billet aluminum carburetor spacer (TFS-2141501B), Hooker Super Competition headers with 13⁄4" primaries, 3" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers.

Your Recipe for Small Block Mopar Performance!

New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete, you’re going to need some more ingredients.

Deep Aluminum Transmission Pan for TorqueFlite A-727 Transmissions This transmission pan features a finned design to help dissipate heat better, with an extra two quarts of fluid capacity to maximize cooling power and transmission life. The pan’s aluminum construction mates better with the transmission case to increase rigidity, eliminate leakage, and make sealing a breeze. Filter, filter extension, gaskets, mounting hardware, and 3/8" NPT drain plug included.

Retro-Fit Hydraulic Roller Lifters These affordable retro-fit roller lifters permit roller camshaft conversions to be made to engines originally equipped with hydraulic flat tappet cams. The lifters are manufactured to factory tolerances for an exact fit and to provide precise oil control to keep your engine running smoothly.

Track Max® Harmonic Dampers Put Trick Flow’s advanced engineering to work for you with a Track Max harmonic damper. Engineered for safety and power, these SFI 18.1 rated, carbon steel dampers contain an injection-molded, bonded elastomer and removable counterweights. They also have engraved timing marks for easy adjustment and a corrosion-resistant black powdercoat finish.

TrickFlow.com • 1-330-630-1555 2206HMTF

Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations.

Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations.

Tests conducted at 28" of water (pressure).

Bore size: 4.000"; exhaust with 17⁄8" pipe.

Ready To Roll

Firestone Wide Oval Bias Ply F70-15 With Cragar S/S Wheel 15x6

We are now offering the legendary Cragar S/S wheel, available from 15x4.5 through 15x10 in all popular direct drilled five-lug bolt patterns. Relive the muscle car era and build your custom tire and wheel package today!

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SCAN WITH PHONE CAMERA

SPEAK TO AN EXPERT 866-922-4139 SHOP ALL OF OUR BRANDS COKERTIRE.COM FREE MOUNT, BALANCE AND NITROGEN FILL WITH THE PURCHASE OF A FULL TIRE AND WHEEL SET—OVER $100 VALUE!

CONTENTS VOLUME 19 • ISSUE 9 • #226

28

ON THE COVER: West Coast Associate Editor Jeff Koch photographed Al Serrato’s one-of-three 1969 Baldwin-Motion Phase III Chevelle outside Phoenix, Arizona.

PERSPECTIVE

MARKETPLACE

06 TERRY McGEAN 10 BACKFIRE 72 JIM McGOWAN

FEATURES

08 PRODUCTION LINE 12 MODIFIED: 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Motion Phase III 20 STOCK: 1968 Ford Torino GT 28 STOCK: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z/28

36

48

36 BUYER’S GUIDE: 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 62 AUCTION ACTION 68 AUCTION NEWS 70 HEMMINGSAUCTIONS.COM

TECH

44 TECH: Replace a failing fuel tank 48 TECH: Affordable brake upgrade 54 ASK RAY 56 SWAP MEET 58 GEAR 60 THE GOODS

SPOTLIGHT: Chevy Muscle

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR ANYTHING YOU DRIVE!® THE BRAND YOU TRUST.

Exact Fit Radiator Combo Kits

Power Rack and Pinion Cradle GM Muscle Series Air Cleaner Kits Kits for 1968-72 Chevelle

Out-of-the-Box Cooling as low as $1,247.00 kit GRI Exact CU

Upgrade Your Steering System as low as $2,432.99 kit FLA 1968-72 Power

Add Modern Style to Your Engine Bay as low as $140.95 kit HLY Muscle Cleaner

Extreme Low-Profile Clamps

Standard-Duty Trunk Mats

Offset Shackle Kit

Solve Clearance Hurdles as low as $194.00 pair JBC Low Clamps

Precision-Cut and USA Made as low as $35.36 each SDK Standard Mat

More Clearance without Frame Rework DCC-P4120075 $109.99 kit DCC Offset Shackle

1:18 Scale 1971 Buick GS Stage 1 Die-Cast Model

Retro Styled Batteries

Truetrac Differentials

Motor Oil

Plumbed and Wired 455 Big Block RLA-AMM1257 $109.99 each RLA GS

Power Plus Vintage Style as low as $359.99 each XSP Retro

Better Traction When You Need it as low as $512.99 each DTL Truetrac

Minimize Wear When You Compete as low as $9.99 quart, each BPO Engine Oil

Summit Racing™ Oil Pumps 20-25% More Oil Delivery as low as $38.99 each SUM Pressure Pump Volume

Summit Racing™ Valve Spring Sets High-Quality Steel as low as $69.99 set of 16 SUM Beehive Set

UNBEATABLE SERVICE, TECH ADVICE, SATISFACTION, AND SELECTION. Order by 10 PM EST: In-Stock Parts Shipped That Day! 1.800.230.3030 • Int'l: 1.330.630.0230 SCode: 2206HM • Prices subject to change without notice. Visit SummitRacing.com for current pricing. Typographical, description, or photography errors are subject to correction. Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations.

Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations. © 2022 AUTOSALES, INC.

Tires & Wheels For Authentic Looks

When you want correct looks for your classic Muscle Car, then Universal Tire is your tire and wheel headquarters. We have the correct tires and wheels for Muscle Cars, so shop online or call us today to speak to our vintage tire pros!

endable Vintage Tire Sales & Service Since1968.

OUR TIRE PROS ARE HERE TO HELP

1-877-217-2553 UNIVERSALTIRE.COM

4

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

SHOP OUR SITE!

SCAN WITH PHONE CAMERA

PUBLISHER Jonathan Shaw, President EDITORIAL Terry McGean, Editor-in-Chief Mike McNessor, Editor, Hemmings Motor News Mike Austin, Director of Digital Content, Hemmings Daily Kurt Ernst, Managing Editor Matthew Litwin, Senior Editor Mark J. McCourt, Senior Editor David Conwill, Associate Editor Jeff Koch, West Coast Associate Editor Daniel Strohl, Web Editor Roberta Conroy, Graphic Designer Joshua Skibbee, Graphic Designer Tom Comerro, Editorial Assistant Editorial Contributors: Ray T. Bohacz, Chuck Hanson, Jim McGowan, Jim O’Clair VIDEO PRODUCTION Mike Musto, New Media Director ADVERTISING Jaclyn Sunseri, VP, Media Revenue Sales Multimedia Sales: Melanie Barsness, Tammy Bredbenner, Rowland George, Heather Naslund, Tim Redden, Nathan Sutton Robin Burdge, Ad Trafficker HEMMINGS DIGITAL Nate Wardwell, Director of Digital Product Mark Nordyke, Director of Engineering Clayton Allen, Web Developer Robert Hayman, Web Developer Jeremy Meerwarth, Web Developer David Richied, Web Developer Clara Poston, UX Designer Wayne Archer, Quality Assurance MARKETING Dan Stoner, Creative Director OPERATIONS Jennifer Sandquist, Director of Operations Classified Sales: Leslie Benjamin, Lauren Bredbenner, Mary Brott, Erica Harmon, Missy Telford Graphic Services: Samantha Corey, Graphic Services Director Christopher Brown, Carrie Houlihan, Todd Koch, Stephanie Rawling, Mathew Sargent Information Services: Gregory Hunter, IS Director Facilities: Joe Masia, Facilities Manager Brad Babson, Paul Bissonette, Matt Williams CIRCULATION Scott Smith, Circulation Director David Argentieri, Claudia Birkland, DeLena Boutin, Glory Daignault, Alaina Krawczyk, Eddi Lynn Loveland, Darcy Lyle, Merri Mattison, Nathanial Stanley HEMMINGS AUCTIONS Terry Shea, Director of Auction Operations Catherine Gee Graney, Managing Editor Auctions Specialists: Allen Boulet, Karissa Crandall, Nicole Deuel, Chris Drayton, Raina Kosich, Chad Thompson ADMINISTRATION Brandy Smith, Administrative Assistant HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

ISSN# 1550-0691 • www.hemmings.com Published monthly by Hemmings • 222 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201 TO SUBSCRIBE: Online: www.hemmings.com/subscribe Mail: 222 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201 Mail: PO Box 2000, Bennington, VT 05201 E-mail: hmnsubs@hemmings.com Subscription rates in the US and Possessions; 12 issues for $18.95. Canada $30.95; (CDN price includes surface mail and GST tax). All other countries $32.95 in US funds.

Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 76, Bennington, VT 05201, or call 800-227-4373.

TO ADVERTISE: Online: www.hmn.com/sell E-mail: adsales@hemmings.com Periodicals Postage Paid at Bennington, Vermont and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Hemmings Muscle Machines, PO Box 2000, Bennington, VT 05201 Hemmings Muscle Machines is a publication of American City Business Journals, Inc., 120 West Morehead St, Charlotte, NC 28202 Ray Shaw, Chairman (1989-2009) Whitney Shaw, CEO

TERRY McGEAN tmcgean@hemmings.com • Instagram @tmcgean

Continuing Education

F

That fairly obvious diagnosis and cure left the teen me feeling like some sort of engine whisperer…

rom an early age, I was interested in learning how various things worked, and naturally that curiosity was often focused on cars. Even before I was done with elementary school, I tried to get my hands on books that showed how the various systems of a car functioned and pestered my father to further explain the things I couldn’t quite grasp from the printed word. Magazines came a little later, though still before I’d reached junior high. The urge to spin wrenches led me to tinker with bicycles and then minibikes, until finally I was able to get my hands on an actual car.

The real goal, of course, was to have a car of my own to mess with, even though I wasn’t yet old enough to drive legally. I managed to pull off getting a car when I was just 15. With my parents’ blessing, I bought a well-worn ’72 Chevelle that was only 11 years old at the time, but seemed as though it had been driven to the moon and back already. The idea was that I’d have time to get the car shaped up before I got my license, and I was more than happy to dive in.

The Chevelle had a 350 engine, and I don’t know if there’s any better place for a budding hot rodder to start wrenching than on a Chevy small-block.

The one in my car ran but had some issues, the first of which revealed itself the day after I got the car home and tried to start it again, this time with the hood up, giving a great view of the flame that shot straight up out of the Quadrajet; it did this on every restart. I suspected the timing was off, and when I put a timing light on it, I found I was right — when I reset the distributor to factory spec, the flames ceased. That fairly obvious diagnosis and cure left the teen me feeling like some sort of engine whisperer, confident I could cure more of the Chevelle’s ailments.

The next most obvious flaw was the noisy valvetrain — typical old-school Chevy small-block rocker arm chatter. I tried adjusting them using the procedures I read in manuals (Do this with the engine running? Really?), but the noise persisted.

When a valve stuck partially open while leaving school one day, resulting in a rhythmic carb backfire, I realized I had bigger problems: The camshaft and lifters were worn out.

I persisted and pressed on into more uncharted territory, buying a cam and lifter set and

removing the original parts to find that the factory cam was well and truly wiped out — the lifter for the valve that had gotten stuck even had a hole worn in the bottom. Later, after swapping the cam, I installed a different set of cylinder heads, something else I hadn’t done before. Each project, and each task for those projects, was a learning experience that left me with new knowledge as well as a little more confidence.

A few years later, while working in a gas station part time during college, I helped a co-worker swap the heads on his Monte Carlo one night while keeping an eye on the pumps. The station mechanic was astounded the next morning when the formerly dismantled Monte immediately roared to life when its owner tapped the key. “So, I guess you know sumthin’ about engines, huh?” was the greeting when I came in for my evening shift that next day. I guess I did know a little something. The tinkering, trial-and error, and outright screwups experienced along the path leading up to putting that Monte Carlo engine back together had left me with more of that knowledge and the confidence it brings.

I kept right on tinkering and was fortunate to find myself in a position to put more engines together and then test them as a magazine writer and editor. Working with people who knew volumes more than I did was a fantastic way to continue my engine education. But this is one of those subjects that is so vast, there’s always more to learn.

Very recently I found myself working on one of Chevrolet’s LS-style V-8s. As you’re likely aware, the LS — more accurately, the Gen III/ Gen IV small-block — is extremely popular with hot rodders and engine swappers today. I’ve been fascinated with the LS since it debuted in the 1997 Corvette, but I’ve never had the opportunity to really get my hands on one until now. I’m late to the party but I knew coming in that this engine represents a whole new ballgame compared to most traditional V-8s from the ’50s and ’60s, in spite of maintaining similar OHV architecture.

There’s plenty to learn, but I’m already beginning to feel a familiar comfort level as I look toward the next project. What then? A Gen III Mopar Hemi?

Ford Coyote? It’ll never get boring when there’s always more to learn.

We’re Bringing Flexy Back

The Stauer Flex gives you vintage style with a throwback price of only $79.

J

ust like a good wristwatch movement, fashion is cyclical. And there’s a certain wristwatch trend that was huge in the 1960s and then again in the 1980s, and is ready for its third time in the spotlight. We’re talking, of course, about the flexible stretch watch band.

To purchase a vintage 60s or 80s classic flex watch would stretch anyone’s budget, but you can get ahead of the crowd and secure a brand new version for a much lower price.

We’re rolling back the years AND the numbers by pricing the Stauer Flex like this, so you can put some bend in your band without making a dent in your wallet.

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Time is running out. As our top selling watch, we can’t guarantee the Flex will stick around long. Don’t overpay to be underwhelmed. “The quality of their watches Flex your is equal to many that can go right to put for ten times the price or more.” a precision — Jeff from McKinney, TX timepiece on your wrist for just $79. Call today!

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Flexible Stretch Watch Bracelets in the News: “The bracelets are comfortable, they last forever, and they exhibit just the right balance of simplicity and over-engineering” – Bloomberg.com, 2017

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PRODUCTION LINE

By Jeff Koch

BRUTE IN A SUIT DRIVEN: 2022 CADILLAC CT5V BLACKWING Cadillac’s 2022 CT5-V Blackwing is as track-ready as any street-legal, leather-lined, five-passenger sedan can be.

Consider: There’s a supercharged, all-aluminum 6.2-liter (376-cu.in.) V-8 rated at 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque under the hood. Both values are Cadillac records from an engine that, as any work of art should be, has been autographed by its builder. (Thank you, Kathy Walker.)

A 1.7-liter four-lobe Eaton blower helps deliver instant response and gives a baseline hum to the eight-piece rhythm section beneath. Titanium intake valves are stuffed into Rotocast A356T6 aluminum heads to better handle heat.

There’s a standard, cooled six-speed Tremec gearbox (with selectable rev-matched downshifting) that feels mechanically precise, with eagerly short throws. The no-lift-shift feature means you can keep the gas matted while you change gears.

An electronic limited-slip differential gets an aluminum housing and has a separate cooler, to keep up with whatever you throw at it. Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 can be dialed in for cornering prowess or supple freeway comfort.

What does this all mean? A 0-60 time in the mid-3s, with quarter-mile times in the mid-11s — no slicks necessary. The biggest-ever brakes installed on a Cadillac — 15.67-inch rotors in front, 14.7-inch in back. Specially developed 19-inch, 35-series Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber in staggered widths (275 mm front, 305 mm rear). A 200-mph top speed, not that we would ever approach it on a public road (cough).

At under 4,200 pounds at the curb, that’s 6.25 pounds per horsepower, in a smaller footprint than a ’64 Pontiac GTO. It’s not all about speed, though — the CT5V Blackwing offers tactility in abundance. The fat steering wheel that yields instant turn-in with a modicum of weighted resistance; the toe-touch Brembo binders; the 3D-printed shift knob topper that’s both textured and cool to the touch; the seats that will massage plus heat and/or cool your posterior.

We piled 1,300 miles on in the week we had this Electric Blue

8

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

six-speed example in our hands; the biggest downside was the $7-a-gallon gas we encountered around San Diego the weekend we had it out there. We saw 0-60 times right at the 4-second mark, and at a steady cruise around 80 mph, we managed to see better than 26 mpg (well north of its 21 mpg EPA highway rating), with neither wind nor engine noise intruding into the cabin. At freeway speeds with the cruise control on and the sixteen-speaker AKG audio system pumping the tunes, you could almost wonder what all the fuss is about. Until you mash the gas and, even in doubleoverdrive sixth, you tickle triple digits in less time than it takes to tell. In bends, you can’t even sense if the five-link rear suspension is working hard — it just sticks and lets the ample power hurtle you forth via the rear wheels.

Some tiny things took away from the luxury experience that should still be part and parcel of Cadillac ownership.

Rev-matching needs to be set-it-and-forget-it, same with the gauge display that shows the more-prominent tach, accessible from the V-button on the steering wheel. Wireless phone charging is hit-or-miss. The trunk isn’t self-sealing, requiring an undignified slam to close. The white stitching atop the dark leather dash top bounces off the windshield distractingly. The seats are the same as those in the CT4V Blackwing, and while the heating, cooling, massaging, and quilting all feel terrific, the lack of adjustable headrests put the cushion right between the shoulder blades of your too-tall-torso tester. (Normally proportioned people will be okay.)

Our niggles aside, the CT5-V Blackwing is the master daddy of all GM sedans — and likely not a few European ones as well. Whatever electrified V-series machine comes after this will have an awful lot to live up to.

A base CT5-V Blackwing starts at a Hamilton shy of 85 large, including shipping. Our tester featured $19,450 in options (none of which we felt necessary, frankly), for an out-the-door price of $104,440.

TE

sepower!

Muscle Car...

The hood opens to reveal fine engine detail including a radiator and battery with hoses; spark plug wires; power brake booster; plus a windshield washer reservoir.

Unrivaled Engine Detail!

Measures 101/2" long

EXCLUSIVE showroom finish in Cranberry Red; iconic Ivory stripes; removable hardtop • Full-length dashboard with gauges, fabric seatbelts and folding bucket seats

Presented by Hamilton; Manufactured by ACME, holding the license with GM for Chevelle.

HamiltonCollection.com/70Chevelle

Fastest way to order:

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Send no money now. This exclusive Cranberry Red die cast can be yours for just four payments of $49.99*; with only the first payment billed prior to shipment. Our 365-Day Guarantee assures your satisfaction or your money back. HURRY, it won’t be sold in any store. Reply today!

Engine compartment complete with a wired and plumbed engine; radiator and battery • Opening hood and doors; trunk opens to reveal a full-size spare tire

09-10020-001-BIH

*Add $23.99 total for shipping and service, and sales tax; see HamiltonCollection.com. All orders are subject to product availability and credit approval. Allow 09-10020-001-E54651 6 to 8 weeks after initial payment for shipment.

Signature _______________________________________

Optional (for order & shipping confirmation).

Email __________________________________________

City ____________________ State ____ Zip ___________

Address ________________________________________

(Please print clearly.)

Name __________________________________________

1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6” as described in this announcement.

Please Respond Promptly

Presented by

Removable Hardtop Also INCLUDED!

Not Sold in Stores!

EXCLUSIVE CRANBERRY RED

 YES! Please accept my order for the “1:18-Scale

MAIL TO:

Collectors will also receive a removable SS454 hardtop cover for even more display options.

Built with a 454 c.i. solid lifter behemoth that delivered the most horsepower of any muscle car, the Chevelle SS 454 LS6 rightly claimed status as the King of Horsepower! Now this iconic car is celebrated with the “1:18-Scale 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6,” a superior die cast in Cranberry Red ONLY from Hamilton. Engineered to 1:18 scale with a desirable convertible style that allows for terrific viewing of the exceptional interior detail, this fine die cast also boasts:

Precision-engineered with OVER 200 Parts

1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 1:18-Scale Die Cast

The K

Chevy’s F

BACKFIRE

Send your letters, photos and opinions to tmcgean@hemmings.com

Letter of the Month: CJ Memories

I enjoyed the article on the ’70 Cyclone 429 SCJ (“The Muscle Mercury,” HMM #221). I had a ’70 Torino 429 CJ with P/S, P/B, A/C, and C6 automatic. My father ordered the car new from Metz Ford in Farmington, Illinois, in March of 1970. He had always been a Galaxie 500 man with 390 four-barrel engines in a ’61, ’64, and ’67. He really liked the new Torino body and told me he wanted the biggest engine he could get with A/C and an automatic. Being 15 years old, and well-informed with the car magazines, I said, “Dad, I can fix you up.” It reminds me of Jay Leno’s father letting him pick the engine in their new 1966 Galaxie.

Ours was red with a laser stripe and the shaker scoop option. The car was a 144-mph animal, as certified by the Illinois State Police. Dad was driving at the time; he knew the policeman and it was reduced to 96 in a 75 zone. I still remember the look on the Illinois state driving instructor’s face when we walked out to the Torino for the exam to get my first driver’s license in 1971 (I passed). Come to think of it, that wasn’t the only first in that car, but that’s another story for another time.

I inherited the car in 1980, did some bodywork and a repaint, but having no indoor storage for the next few years, mother nature claimed it again. The car was sold to a fellow who wanted the drivetrain for a Cobra kit car in 1998. It seemed like a fitting end for the rest of the chassis.

Keep up the good work at Hemmings — it’s one of the best magazines still in print.

Mike White, East Peoria, Illinois

HEMIS BEWARE

Mr. Moody’s 1968 Barracuda (“Reborn to Race,” HMM #221) is a sleeper. Looks “stock as a stove,” but my whiz-bang power-speed calculator tells a different tale. Rhett’s blast down Maryland International Speedway at 11.76 seconds at 116 mph shows that ya don’t wanna mess with this ’Cuda. I calculate 371 rear-wheel horsepower and 412 hp at the flywheel, if the car weights 3,400 pounds with driver. Nice car and great build! Hemis beware!

Wayne Wolfe Atlanta, Georgia

REAL MUSCLE

“I’d buy that for a dollar!” is one of the best stories I’ve ever read in HMM (February 2022, #222). Sometimes I’ve been disappointed with an issue because no real muscle machines are covered. I’ve thought about not reupping my subscription, but then an issue like this arrives and it takes my 77 years of loving muscle cars into happy land again!

I owned a 1962 Impala SS, convertible with the 409/409, 4.56 Posi rear, and four-speed that one of my cousins special-ordered. He died in January 1965, and I bought it from his parents. I had also owned a 1963 Chevy Impala, 327/300-hp four-speed with Posi, and a 1966 Buick Skylark 401/325-hp three-speed on the floor. But in 1964, I’d never heard of a Fairlane 500 Thunderbolt.

If I’d known of that car, I think I’d have tried to own one in 1964! Congratulations, Milo, for your exceptional life of racing.

R. Peede Raiford, Florida

MARAUDER MEMORIES

The Marauder you featured in the March issue (HMM #223) is, to me, the most beautiful NASCAR racer ever. As a recent high school graduate in 1963, I was blown away by that car, and even had the privilege of meeting Joe Weatherly at Nelson Mercury in Columbia, South Carolina. A few years later I visited Bud Moore’s shop in Spartanburg. My first impression was noticing how clean his shop was. Both men were kind enough to listen and answer my dumb questions. I love that car and many times would drive to Darlington from Columbia to see it and the many other race cars and the race memorabilia.

That 427 had a unique sound that would give you chills. What a thrill to open my March issue and see her in all her glory.

Thank you for allowing me to see that car again.

David Tate Via email

10

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

Exercise Your Liberty Comfort and class go hand in hand in the Liberty Walking Stick.

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T

he right to free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly are what make the USA the land of liberty. These constitutional rights are embodied in the Walking Liberty half-dollar, the famous coin showing Lady Liberty striding powerfully and purposely forward into the future.

Featuring a genuine obverse Liberty half-dollar

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Today these tributes to a gentleman’s power, prestige, and posture are fetching as much as $200,000 at auction. Because Stauer takes the quicker and less expensive route and goes right to the source, we can offer you the vintage-worthy Liberty Walking Stick for only $59!

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WALKING STICKS

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Well crafted.”

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36" Liberty Walking Stick $79*

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®

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Rating of A+

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• Eucalyptus wood with cast brass handle containing genuine obverse U.S. Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar (1916 -1947); rubber tip • Supports up to 250 pounds

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MODIFIED

SPOTLIGHT: Chevy Muscle

THE 11-SECOND

TOW CAR

ONE OF JUST THREE ’69 BALDWIN MOTION PHASE III CHEVELLES BUILT— AND THE ONLY ONE TO LUG A CAMARO AROUND BEHIND IT WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF KOCH

12

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

I

S IT BOASTING IF YOU CAN BACK IT UP?

“We think so much of our Phase III Supercars that we guarantee they will turn at least 120 mph in 11.50 seconds or better with an M/P-approved driver on an AHRA or NHRA-sanctioned drag strip. Phase III Supercars are completely streetable, reliable machines that will run these times off the street.” – Joel Rosen, Baldwin-Motion In an era of regular 14- and occasional 13-second quarter-miles on traction-averse street tires eager to boil into smoke at the first sign of excessive torque, the promise of 11.50s—or your money back!—must have seemed simultaneously within reach (it’s a Chevy, after all) yet utterly unobtainable (it cost how much?).

Where Baldwin-Motion separated itself from the likes of other dealers peddling COPO models was with the plethora of options available. The COPO machines were ordered in batches, with little to differentiate them beyond color and transmission choice; they were generally stripped out to be all-out speed machines. A Baldwin-Motion SS427 Phase III Supercar, on the other hand, could be any SS 396 machine Chevy built (Camaro? Chevelle? Nova? Yes!), with colors and a range of options chosen by the buyer —and all factory-installed heavy-duty driveline and suspension parts intact.

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It could even be financed through GMAC. Following delivery at Baldwin Chevrolet, the car in question would quietly slide next door to Motion Performance, where Joel Rosen and his merry band of speedmakers would install any number of additional upgrades that extended as far as your wallet could carry you.

Make no mistake: Speed costs, and Baldwin-Motion cars were a premium product, despite their humble Chevy origins. Few were able to pony up the cash necessary to make that kind of power happen, much less a SunocoPurple-in-his-veins teenager. But young Roberto Schneider, aged 18 in 1968, Born an SS 396, this Phase III Chevelle instead has an era-correct 427-cube L72 big-block as motivating power; headers, a high-rise intake with 780-cfm Holley carb, and more were added.

had a perfect platform with which to will his 11-second dreams into being.

Grandpa was a bucks-up industrialist who owned the largest bank in Mexico.

Roberto lived on his 90,000-acre spread in the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua, Mexico, on a ranch famed for its exemplary breeding-stock cattle; he read up on the horsepower wars in American car magazines, presumably having a subscription to MagnumRoyal Publishing’s Hi-Performance Cars magazine among others. He also possessed a right foot made of osmium (lead would be far too common an element). Any car he wanted could theoretically be at his disposal, and a friend with a 435-horse Corvette suggested that a Baldwin-Motion Camaro,

with its outrageous guarantee, might be the way to go.

Young Roberto was convinced. In late 1968, he arrived in Long Island, New York, and after a test-drive, Roberto was convinced that he would need a pair of cars—a four-speed Camaro for his street-racing exploits, and an automatic-equipped Chevelle to use as a tow car. Martyn Schorr, editor of Hi-Performance Cars magazine, author of Motion Performance: Tales of a Muscle Car Builder, and heavily involved with the promotion of Joel Rosen’s performance cars, called the pair “one of the most significant muscle car purchases in Baldwin-Motion history,” a statement that tracks as hyperbole and fact in equal measure. The order

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for the pair came to an eye-watering $16,692.86 in 1968 dollars, which was roughly in line with a new Ferrari — but Ferrari wasn’t promising anyone 11.5-second quarter-mile times. Roberto left a $10,000 deposit on Long Island, drove home, and waited.

For most back in the day, a 375-horse, 396-cube L78-powered Chevelle SS (which included beefier suspension and power front disc brakes) would have been plenty. This Chevelle, black with Pearl White interior, was loaded to the gills, including a Turbo 400 automatic— a concession for his fiance, Yvonne, who had to have something to drive, too—plus power windows, power steering, buckets seats with console, tinted glass, AM/8-track player (with

Original fiberglass hood blew off years ago; this replacement is made by the same company that made the originals for Motion Performance.

the AM-radio-only trunk antenna), tach and gauges, the optional side stripe, and lots more. But this is where Chevy ended and Joel Rosen got going.

The basic Baldwin-Motion conversion package included a 425-horse, L72-spec 427, an engine that was still disallowed by the Chevrolet RPO mechanism but easily enough swapped into a Chevelle in any shop with an engine hoist and a decent set of tools.

Roberto’s ride largely had the option book thrown at it. The body included a custom Corvette Stinger-style A&A fiberglass hood that looked as good on a Chevelle as it did on a ’Vette, keylocking hood pins, custom striping on the hood and decklid, and Ford racing mirrors. Below the hood, a whole raft of aftermarket bolt-on goodies were included: long-tube headers blowing through sidepipes (with removable header caps so it could be uncorked at the track), a 780-cfm Holley fourbarrel carburetor on an aluminum high-rise intake, dual electric fuel pumps, and “Phase III Super/Spark CD system” with 7-mm Mallory wires.

Inside remained stock, beyond a Superior 500 wood steering wheel.

Traction was aided by “Super-Bite” suspension with Air Lift airbag-assist inside the rear coil springs. (Traction bars, curiously, were not included.) Bigand-little American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels —14 x 6 in front, 15 x 8.5 out back—wore staggered width and diameter red-stripe “Special INDY tires,” which were an additional $200.

(Today’s tires are replicas, custom-

fabricated by Diamondback Classics— F70-14s in front, L60-15s in back.)

Because it was a tow car, it had 3.73:1 gears and a limited-slip differential in the Chevy 12-bolt rear.

You may have noticed the badging; where you would normally find an SS (grille, front fenders), there is now custom RS badging. Never heard of an RS Chevelle? Well, you’re right — the RS in this case stands for original owner Roberto Schneider’s initials.

The front fenders also received a 427 badge in case the rest of the presentation wasn’t enough. The badges themselves were liberated from the tail panel of an RS-equipped ’69 Camaro.

The really confusing bit, particularly for someone who would have come rumbling up next to it at a light, was the trailer hitch ball poking out, plain as day.

Just before he initiated his BaldwinMotion adventure, Roberto was engaged to Yvonne Flores, daughter of Oscar Flores Sanchez, then the governor of Chihuahua. With the confluence of wealth and power centered there, they were not without some political pull.

But even with the requisite stroke, import permits proved impossible to obtain. Governor Flores’ personal pleas with Mexican president Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Bolaños, including the idea that he wanted to present the import permits to his new son-in-law as a wedding gift, were ignored or rebuffed. Neither Roberto nor Joel Rosen had bargained on Mexico’s strict import laws; Roberto added a few more

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baubles to the pair of cars, and upon completion both Chevys were put into cold storage on Long Island until the fall of 1970. With storage fees, the pair cost in excess of $20,000. At last, in the waning days of the Ordaz administration, a single import certificate—for the Camaro—was issued. That didn’t make any sense: The street racer was allowed in the country, but the tow vehicle wasn’t?

So, Roberto pivoted, driving them from Long Island across the country to the western tip of Texas, choosing to keep both cars in El Paso, just over the border from Chihuahua. Even though the permit allowed, the green Camaro never did make it south of the border.

The Chevys stayed with local hotshoecum-wrench Dickie Stearns, who kept the pair in fine mechanical fettle. The Schneiders would stay at the Gateway Hotel while in town racing. Did that racing occur at El Paso Dragway, or on the mean streets around town? Well... yes.

But before long, Roberto lost interest in his pair of speed demons. He never actually sold the cars; rather, they were gifted. The Camaro went to Stearns, and the Chevelle went to George Olvera, a bellman at the Gateway Hotel. (Somehow, giving the bellman a $20 to handle your suitcases simply doesn’t feel adequate anymore.) Olvera kept the Chevelle for 10 years before cashing out and selling it to a used-car lot. After Olvera, the Chevelle had four additional owners, including—believe it or not—Joel Rosen, the man who built it in the first place. At some point, the L72 disappeared; you can’t really lament that

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

From the inside, there’s little to distinguish this from a nicely optioned Chevelle, with buckets and console, automatic with horseshoe shifter, Pearl White vinyl upholstery, power windows, and more.

the original engine had left, because the whole point of a Baldwin-Motion car was to pull the original and drop a crate L72 into it. But the engine that powered the car when Roberto took delivery had been lost.

It wasn’t until 2004 that California resident Mark Murphy unearthed the Chevelle and bought it, sans its Motion engine and in need of a total restoration.

He described it as “in good unrestored condition with most of its original paint (including Motion graphics), wheels, emblems….” Understanding the piece of history that he had discovered, Mark needed to know more. He hired a private investigator in El Paso to find Roberto, who was discovered living his life on that same 90,000-acre ranch in Chihuahua. The two connected, Roberto invited Mark to come visit, and once the men got together Roberto plied Mark with stories, history, vintage photos, and—most crucially—documentation for the Chevelle, including the original build sheet showing the car shipping to Baldwin-Motor Company. As Mark told an enthusiast message board during the progression of the restoration, “…were not much of it documented with original photos, it is almost unbelievable. Roberto sent me home with personal family photo albums.”

Mark also connected with Joel Rosen for both documentation and backin-the-day parts.

Restoration was completed

by Shaun Price at Shaun Price Restorations in Gilbert, Arizona, who found NOS pieces for everything from ball joints to body pucks (many sourced from Chevelle expert Phil Wojnarowski), and who had things ship-shape in time for the 2008 Amelia Island Concours. There, the Chevelle was reunited with the green Baldwin-Motion Camaro RS (itself a celebrity by now, having been in Otis Chandler’s collection, on the cover of Randy Leffingwell’s book American Muscle, and the basis for a 1:25 plastic model kit by Revell, among other highlights) in a recreation of how Roberto would have traveled, with the Chevelle flat-towing the Camaro.

(The pair won an Amelia award at the event.) Shaun also helped facilitate the Chevelle’s sale to new owner Al Serrato, a California native, in 2012.

As good as this car is,there are still small improvements, even invisible ones, that occasionally come to pass.

No one will ever see the driveshaft in this Chevelle, but restorer Shaun has just recently come up with an NOS shaft (with correctly painted striping), U-joints, and even factorystyle weights to balance it; it’s been installed as you read this.

Otherwise, the only thing this Chevelle is missing is a green Camaro to tow behind it.

SPECIFICATIONS

1969 BALDWIN-MOTION CHEVELLE PHASE III

ENGINE

Block type ...............Chevrolet Mark IV “big-block” OHV V-8; cast-iron block and heads Displacement ..........................................................................................................427-cu.in.

Bore x stroke .....................................................................................................4.25 x 3.76 in Compression ratio ..............................................................................................................11: 1 Horsepower @ rpm ............................................................................................425 @ 5,600 Torque @ rpm ............................................................................................460 lb-ft @ 4,500 Valvetrain ........................................................................1.5:1 rocker arms, hydraulic lifters Camshaft ...........................GM .520 lift intake and exhaust, 114-degree lobe separation, 242 degrees duration at .050 lift Main bearings ................................................................................................................... Five Lubrication ......................................................................................Full pressure, gear-type Electrical............................................................................................................................ 12-V Exhaust ..... Dual exhausts with headers, collectors with blockoff plates, and sidepipes Original engine ....................................................................................................... 396-cu.in.

M O R F T L I BU DREAM UP THE

TRANSMISSION

Type ...................................................GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic Ratios .......................................... 1st/ 2.48:1 … 2nd/ 1.48:1 … 3rd/ 1.00:1 … Reverse/2.07:1

DIFFERENTIAL

Type .....................................GM 12-bolt (8.875-inch ring gear), Positraction, limited-slip Ratio .................................................................................................................................3.73:1

STEERING

Type ................................................................Saginaw recirculating ball nut, power assist Ratio .................................................................................................................................17.5:1 Turns, lock-to-lock .............................................................................................................2.9 Turning circle ................................................................................................................... 42 ft

BRAKES

Type .......................................................................................... Hydraulic, with power assist Front: 10.94-in solid discs Rear: 9.5 x 2-in drums

SUSPENSION

Front .....................................Independent with ball joints, upper and lower control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar, hydraulic tube shocks Rear ................................................ Linked Salisbury axle with control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar, air shocks with helper air bags

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels ................................................................................... American Racing Torq-Thrust Front: 14 x 6 Rear: 15 x 8.5 Tires ............................................................................ Diamondback reproduction redlines Front: F70-14 Rear: L70-15

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STOCK

IMPULSE BUY ONCE A USED CAR, THIS 1968 FORD TORINO GT FASTBACK QUICKLY BECAME A CHERISHED FAMILY MEMBER

BY MATTHEW LITWIN • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF KOCH

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

D

ON GAINEY

admits he really didn’t need a new car in June of 1969, as he found himself travelling through Tucson, Arizona. The native South Carolinian, then serving in the United States Air Force, had earlier been stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Rather than rely on fellow service personnel or mass transit

for his off-duty transportation, Don had the forethought to arrive with his own set of wheels.

“At the time, I had a perfectly good 1959 Ford Fairlane that didn’t really need anything. It was reliable transportation that still looked as good as it ran,” Don says. “One day, I was driving past the Ford dealership, and I spotted this gold Torino sitting out front. It had a black “C” stripe on the

side and a sleek, fastback roofline that just called to me. I liked it as soon as I saw it, and I decided on the spot that I wanted to buy it. It was that simple.”

Upon entering the dealership, Don asked a salesman about the racy object of his affection and learned that it was a 1968 model that had been traded in with 24,000 miles on the odometer, all amassed by the year-old car’s original owner. There was more.

“The salesman pointed out that the Ford was a little hotter than a standard GT. It had a 325-hp 390 under the domed hood, and completing the drivetrain was a four-speed manual; both were optional that year. It also had optional bucket seats and power front disc brakes, but no power steering or air conditioning. Almost as an afterthought, he told me the car had been purchased new from Brush Motors, Inc., way out on the other side of the country — in Middlebury, Vermont. I never did figure out how the car got from there to here, and as I look back it probably didn’t matter anyway because I did exactly what I said I was going to do: I bought it on the spot.”

Don’s impulse purchase of the sleek Torino probably wasn’t the only occasion Ford dealers witnessed such a rapid buy during the 1968 model year.

To understand, turn the clock back to 1962, the new intermediate Fairlane’s freshman year on the market.

Despite some 300,000 units sold initially, Ford’s intermediate sales slipped over the next few years, hindered by what some would consider staid styling and GM’s four-division assault (with new, aggressively styled A-body models) on the same market segment for 1964. Fairlane’s sales relief would arrive with a much-needed redesign unveiled for ’66, but the uptick at the dealership level was brief, even with the newly minted, sporty 500/XL, GT, and GTA joining the team. To make matters more worrisome, industry news suggested Ford’s rivals had new designs approved; Plymouth, in particular — already a powerhouse on the stock car circuit — was close JUNE 2022

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Perhaps as a selling tool, this Torino GT was equipped with the optional 325-hp 390-cu.in. engine when it was originally ordered for a Vermont dealership’s inventory.

to unwrapping a hot new street steed based on its existing intermediate.

Speaking of racing, Ford’s circletrack prowess seemed to follow the trajectory of its showroom performance. Except for the famed Hemi ban during 1965 [editor’s note: NASCAR reinstated the use of the Hemi engine mid-season, but only in full-size Mopars], Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth divisions had been on a tear since ’63. Although a power struggle between brands and the racing series over the use of particular big-block engines lingered for years thereafter, Dearborn’s engineers began to understand that while brute power was good to a point, aerodynamics

were an equal, if not more important, factor in claiming wins in the seasons ahead. The desire to improve aerodynamics for racing coincided with the need to update the intermediate’s styling, and the result was a dramatically redesigned intermediate lineup that included a brand-new fastback body style.

Note that the Fairlane series was not completely redesigned. Rather than start from scratch, Ford began with a foundation that already existed: the 1967 Fairlane’s 116-inch-wheelbase chassis. From there, the familiar independent front and rear leaf-sprung suspension systems were tweaked to provide a fractionally wider track width.

With the chassis dimensions adjusted, stylists carved a slippery new body that was 4 inches longer and marginally broader, which helped create more headroom, legroom, and a larger cargo area, all at the expense of a modest 200-pound weight gain. The metal canvas, however, was a far more contemporary design that maintained the then-in-vogue long hood/short deck profile, featuring horizontal quad headlamps set into a more aggressive recessed grille. A two-door “fastback” hardtop body style was finally added to the series, but it was only offered in top-of-the-series Torino GT trim, an exotic, sporty new name that replaced the less-competitive sounding

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OWNER’S VIEW

I

didn’t set out to find a muscle car; I guess you could say it found me. But rather than abuse it, I needed it to be as reliable as my ’59 Fairlane had been. Over time, it became a very big part of our family, so when I parked it in 1991, I knew almost right away that I was going to restore it. I’ve done that, and with the exception of the wheels and the air conditioning, it’s essentially as stock as the day I bought it. Even better, we’re still building memories with it. I particularly like attending shows, because you meet a lot of nice people, have fun, and learn a few things along the way. —Don Gainey

Fairlane GT/GTA (similarly, the Fairlane 500XL was renamed Torino; the remaining Fairlane nomenclature was unchanged).

The Torino GT would be Ford’s primary intermediate weapon of choice in the street-legal supercar war, and it was also offered in convertible and “formal roof” two-door hardtop guise.

All were built with a power bulge hood and side stripes as standard features, the latter differed between the fastbacks (full-body “C” style) and convertibles and formal hardtops (a single thick stripe along the rocker panel/lower quarter panel). Suspensions received stiffer springs and shocks, a thicker front anti-roll bar, and a variety of gear ratios installed in Ford’s 8- or 9-inch differential with or without TractionLok. Meaty E70-14 tires mounted to 14-inch styled steel wheels were also part of the package.

It was all well and good, but what helped set the new performance car

24

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

apart from its equally new brethren was what lay beneath the hood. Torino GTs were supposed to welcome a 210-hp 302, but a six-week strike at Ford forced a temporary change to a 195-hp 289. That wasn’t going to cut it for many hot shoes, so the option chart included 265- and 325-hp versions of the 390, and on April 1, the 335-hp 428 became available (without Ram Air; that would have to wait a year).

How did all this translate out in public?

On the NASCAR circuit, the new Torino GT body won an impressive 19 times (in addition, a 1967 Ford driven by Bobby Allison won the season opener), while the similarly restyled Mercury Cyclone GT won another seven races, edging out Plymouth’s 16 wins, Dodge’s five victories, and Chevy’s lone win, while also capturing the coveted manufacture’s title. The virtual-twin GTs famously sparked NASCAR’s “Aero War.” At the dealership, Ford sold more than 371,000 intermediates (obliterating the prior year’s output by more than 100,000 units), of which 103,384 wore Torino GT emblems, 74,135 of them the slippery Fastback, such as Don’s.

One can only speculate what the prior owner did behind the wheel of

the 390-powered Torino GT — paperwork acquired years later confirmed the Ford was a dealer stock order, rather than a customer order — but it’s likely it had been treated with kindness.

“There was nothing odd or wrong with it,” Don says. “The Torino GT became my daily driver, and I took it across the country and back, twice.

The first time, while I was still in the service, I received orders for a fourmonth temporary deployment near Orlando, Florida, and rather then fly, I drove. Later, when I was leaving the service, I went back home to South Carolina to pick up some of my belongings, because I had decided to stay in Tucson. My mom, Mamie, had never been to Arizona, so she rode back with me. Except that my budget wouldn’t allow me to stay in a hotel every night, so Mom slept on the back seat while I kept driving,” Don remembers.

In the ensuing years, the sporty fastback continued to serve as a daily driver to both Don and his wife Anna, after they married in 1973. Then, in the summer of 1991, Don parked the car in his garage. To this day, he’s not sure why that decision was made. It stayed under cover, even through a move north to Glendale. In the interim, Don had located a same-year Fairlane 500

Bucket seats were also optional in the Torino GT. These were recovered with reproduction vinyl during restoration.

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that he felt would be a perfect parts car for when the GT’s restoration kicked off after his retirement. He also found and purchased a perfect set of Cragar 14 x 7-inch Street Pro wheels that were placed in storage.

“In July 2013, I finally pulled the car from storage and began its restoration,” Don says. “Most people looking at a picture of it then would probably think all it needed was a little polish, but the paint had faded badly, and the seat upholstery was showing its age. I completely stripped the car and then sent things out to places I felt would do superior work.”

“I delivered the 390 to Jim Muller at Iron Horse Services in Glendale for a rebuild. Except for a .030-inch overbore and the dished, oversized pistons— which lowered the compression to 9.5:1, allowing me to use 91 octane gas—the engine was rebuilt using OEM parts,” Don explains.

“At the same time, I sent the body to Bob Alexander at R&B Collision, also in Glendale, to have everything stripped to bare metal and repainted.

As I suspected, everything on the car was straight and no metalwork was needed. As that was happening, I removed the original air conditioning system and dash from my parts car, so that when everything was going back together, my Torino would have factory air, something it never had previously. R&B also managed the reassembly, which included a new headliner, seat upholstery, and floor carpet; we reused the original door panels, which only needed detailing,” Don reports.

Don, Anna, and his stepdaughter Lisa welcomed the Torino GT back “home” in November 2018, where it now enjoys the less stressful life of a pleasure cruiser and show goer, accumulating new memories with grandkids. “They couldn’t wait to go for a ride in it,” said Don, adding that, “They were initially confused by the lack of a shoulder strap linked to the seat belt, and by the hand-crank windows. Lisa keeps teasing that my grandson will end up with the GT one day; he enjoys going to the shows.”

26

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

1968 FORD TORINO GT PRICE

Base price ..................................................................................................................... $2,747 Options on car profiled............................... 390-cu.in. (325-hp) V-8; four-speed manual transmission; 3.00:1 limited-slip differential; bucket seats; Visibility Group; power front disc brakes; AM radio; rear seat speakers; deluxe seat belts; F70-14 Firestone Wide Oval white-sidewall tires

ENGINE

Block type .......................... Ford FE-series OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement ..................................................................390-cu.in. (Currently 395-cu.in.)

Bore x stroke ................................................ 4.052 x 3.784 in (Currently 4.080 x 3.78 in) Compression ratio ............................................................................. 10.5:1 (Currently 9.5:1) Horsepower @ rpm ............................................................................................325 @ 4,800 Torque @ rpm ............................................................................................ 427 lb-ft @ 2,800 Valvetrain ..................................................................................................... Hydraulic lifters Main bearings ................................................................................................................... Five Fuel system ... Single Holley 4150C four-barrel carburetor, 600 cfm; mechanical pump Lubrication system ..................................................................... Pressure, gear-type pump Electrical system .............................................................................................................. 12-V Exhaust system..................................................................................Dual 2.50-in exhausts

TRANSMISSION

Type ................................................................................Ford Toploader four-speed manual Ratios .......................... 1st/2.32:1 … 2nd/1.69:1 … 3rd/1.29:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.32:1

DIFFERENTIAL

Type .......................................................................... Ford 9-inch; Traction-Lok limited-slip Ratio ................................................................................................................................3.00:1

STEERING

Type ........................................................................................ Recirculating ball, unassisted Turning circle .................................................................................................................41.5 ft

BRAKES

Type .............................................................................................. Hydraulic, power assisted Front: 11.3-in ventilated rotor Rear: 10 x 2.25-in cast-iron drum

SUSPENSION

Front ..............................Independent; upper wishbones, lower control arms with struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar, telescopic shock absorbers Rear ............................ Rigid axle; semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic shock absorbers

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels ...............................................Pressed styled-steel (Currently Cragar Street Pro) Front/Rear: 14 x 6 in (Currently 14 x 7) Tires ...............................Goodyear Polyglas bias-ply (Currently BFGoodrich Radial T/A) Front/Rear: F70-14 (Currently P205/70R14)

PRODUCTION

According to Ford records, total 1968 intermediate (Fairlane/Torino) output was 371,787 units. Of those, 103,384 were Torino GTs, broken down as follows: 74,135 fastbacks, 23,939 “formal roof” hardtops, and 5,310 convertibles. Further records indicate that 5,838 fastbacks were built with a 390/four-speed manual power team.

PERFORMANCE*

0-60 mph...................................................................................................................... 7.2 sec 1/4-mile ET ...................................................................................................15.1 sec @ 91 mph * December 1967 Motor Trend road test of a 1968 Ford Torino GT optioned with a 325-hp, four-barrel 390-cu.in. V-8, four-speed manual, F70-14 tires, manual steering system, and manual drum brakes.

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SPOTLIGHT: Chevy Muscle

BETTER THAN

PERFECT

THE RARE JL8 DISC-BRAKE OPTION PROMPTED AN EXTRA-COMPLETE RESTORATION OF THIS 1969 Z/28

BY DAVID CONWILL • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEF

T

HE Z/28 LIKELY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION.

The Camaro sub-model, called out on the window sticker as the $506.60 “Special Performance Equipment” option and with a name taken straight from its Regular Production Order code, was created in 1967 with an eye toward SCCA’s increasingly popular Trans-Am road-racing series. To comply with class rules, the Z/28 came with Camaro’s smallest V-8: the DZ-code 302, rated for 290 hp at 5,800 rpm (actual peak power was probably somewhere well north of the 300 mark) and 290 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm V-8.

The Z/28-only 302 married the 4-inch cylinder bore of the 327 and 350 engines with the old 283’s 3-inch stroke: a combination long known to hot rodders with hogged-out 283s as a “301,” although the factory’s version had large-journal crankshaft bearings and four-bolt main caps, a change made in 1968. The high-revving 302 proved a race-track terror that punched well above its weight, happily spinning as fast as 7,000 rpm, though not always satisfactory at speeds below 30 mph.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

ABOVE: To produce the properly sized 5.0-liter engine for SCCA competition, Chevrolet started with a 327 or 350 block and added a 283 crank to make a 302-cu.in. engine happy at 6,500 rpm.

RIGHT: Cowl induction (aka the ZL2 Special Ducted Hood) is cool, but the real rarity on this car is the JL8 four-wheel disc brakes — only between 56 and 206 were even built that way.

After a relatively quiet launch for 1967, with only 602 copies produced, the Z/28 quickly became well known and sought after, and not only by would-be road racers. Many regular drivers, eager to show they were “in the know” by selecting not some regular 327 or even the sporty (in a straight-line kinda way) SS 350 or SS 396 models, instead chose the race-bred homologation special. That trend especially picked up steam after Roger Penske and Mark Donohue’s dominating use of the Z/28 in the 1968 Trans-Am season, leading to 20,302 Z/28s sold during the extended 1969 model year, a record not broken until 1978.

The equipment combination being homologated went beyond the 302, of

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

one of those Z/28s ordered just for style — although with other options like the “special” front bumper (a color-matched unit descended from Pontiac’s famed Endura nose), custom course, and included dual exhausts, interior with console and Rosewood high-performance springs and shocks steering wheel, tinted glass, door-edge both front and rear, quick-ratio guards, the vinyl roof, rear speaker, steering, heavy-duty radiator and and the entirety of the Rally Sport clutch fan, quick steering, 15 x 7-inch equipment, appearance certainly was Rally wheels, E70-15 tires, 3.73 gears, not neglected on this one. and metallic shoes for the rear drums The style-only cars that would never on cars not equipped with the JL8 see the racetrack were not usually option. Special stripes were also a part outfitted with the special equipment of the Z/28 package and proved a meant for the real racers, including lasting part of the Camaro image. the cross-ram dual-quad intake and A four-speed manual transmission was the JL8 four-wheel disc-brake option. a mandatory option (as were power The latter, at $500.30, was nearly as front discs, for those who didn’t order expensive as the entire Z/28 package the JL8) and the original orderer of this on its own. This one was ordered with Rally Green machine opted to go one both the top brakes and the cross-ram. better with the heavy-duty, close-ratio We know that, because the young man Muncie M22 “rock crusher.” who ordered it new later became a The heavy-duty gearbox is one name in Pro-Stock drag racing: Vieri of the first clues that this was not “V” Gaines.

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ABOVE: Floor mats, center console, Rosewood steering wheel, Special Instrumentation, AM pushbutton radio, and rearseat speaker are all features originally ordered on this car back in 1969.

RIGHT: Whether or not the crossram came in the trunk is a matter of some debate. All we can say is that when V Gaines saw this car in the dealership back in 1969, that’s where the manifold was.

V, who was in his early 20s at the time (a “wet-nosed kid,” as he puts it), wasn’t yet a racer but more of a technophile, aware of what a milestone the Z/28 represented.

“A ’69 Z/28 was the pinnacle of cars. I was just starting out in life, and I ordered it, which was exciting because we could order the options we wanted. It was the best you could get if you were performance minded back in those days. I really wanted the disc brakes because it was a rare thing back then. Four-wheel disc brakes were kind of an oddity, and the cross-ram was interesting because of the performance implications. I don’t know why green, but I know I was excited to get the Rally Sport front end with the hidden headlamps and the front urethane bumper and all that sort of stuff.”

While the car was being built, however, V found himself wanting to get married — a good choice, it turns out,

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

as the marriage endures to the present.

He cancelled the transaction, and the car went to a different first owner, but not until after V had the opportunity to see it in person, just after delivery to the dealer.

It dropped off the radar then until around 1985, when first-generation Camaro guru Larry Christensen saw it in the newspaper classifieds. V saw it too.

“I kind of chased it for a lot of years, kept track of it, and tried to buy it a couple times. The guy I was always bidding against, and who eventually outbid me, was Larry. He ended up with it and as of the last sale, I told him that if he ever sold it, I wanted to buy it. It meant something to my wife and I because it was a part of our relationship.”

Knowing the rarity of a JL8 car (only

206 were even ordered for 1969, and actual factory production may have been as low as 56), Larry called immediately only to learn that the seller had changed his mind about parting with the Camaro.

Larry kept track, though, and 15 years later the car was finally his. What he got was a car that was “driveable but hadn’t been driven in more than 20 years. It had a brown paint job with murals, including a naked lady on the trunk. It needed to be restored.”

The naked lady needed to go and so did the incorrect engine and transmission, along with the right-side fender and quarter panel. Many of the pieces Larry already had on hand, a legacy of decades running a business called Camaros Plus. He’s now retired, but can’t keep away from first-generation Camaros, a passion that dates back

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to his days as an auto-shop teacher in the mid-1970s, when he purchas fellow educator’s ’67 convertibl restore and resell.

Despite that depth of experien it still took 15 years to collect all the parts needed to do this Camaro back to Larry’s standar “I am a national concours jud for first-gen Camaros,” he says, restoration is a passion of mine. I collected parts for this car for many years. Being in the parts and restoration business made it easier and I’ve done so many of these cars that they come fairly easy. The hardest part is dealing with my age. I can’t do things that I used to be able to.”

The 15 years were worth it, however, as Larry had the proverbial good thing come to him for his wait. At the 2015 Goodguys Colorado Nationals, he found the original 302 for his car.

That’s right, not a date-code-correct replacement, but the actual missing engine from this car! Oddly, Larry says that’s the third or fourth time he’s discovered and reinstalled a long-lost original engine in one of his restorations. That was in September, and the find kicked off the restoration.

By November, he was done.

Larry rebuilt the engine himself, along with a correct replacement transmission, and reinstalled it. Don’t look there for the cross-ram, however: That’s in the trunk.

“V never owned the car; he ordered it and I have talked to him about it. He ordered the car with a cross-ram setup,

SPECIFICATIONS

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERTA CONROY

1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS Z/28 PRICE

Base price ..................................................................................................................... $2,727 Options on car profiled.........................tinted glass; front and rear floor mats; door edge guards; black vinyl roof; center console; Positraction; four-wheel power disc brakes; M22 special four-speed transmission; heavy-duty battery; special instrumentation; AM pushbutton radio; rear-seat speaker; special front bumper; special ducted hood; Rally Sport equipment; Special Performance Equipment; custom interior; black vinyl trim; Rallye Green paint

ENGINE

Type .....................Chevrolet “small-block” OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads Displacement ......................................................................................................... 302-cu.in.

Bore x stroke ....................................................................................................4.00 x 3.00 in Compression ratio ........................................................................................................... 11.0:1 Horsepower @ rpm ........................................................................................... 290 @ 5,800 Torque @ rpm ............................................................................................290 lb-ft @ 4,200 Valvetrain ................................................................................................... Solid valve lifters Fuel system ........................... Holley 780-cfm four-barrel carburetor, mechanical pump Electrical system .............................................................................................................. 12-V Exhaust system.........................................................Cast-iron manifolds to dual exhausts

TRANSMISSION

Type ................................................................ Muncie M22 close-ratio four-speed manual Ratios .......................... 1st/2.20:1 … 2nd/1.64:1 … 3rd/1.27:1 … 4th/1.00:1 … Reverse/2.26:1

DIFFERENTIAL

Type ........................ Chevrolet 12-bolt housing with Positraction limited-slip differential Ratio .................................................................................................................................3.73:1

STEERING

Type .............................................................................................. Saginaw recirculating ball Ratio ....................................................................................................................................24:1 Turns, lock-to-lock .............................................................................................................3.5

BRAKES

Type .......................................................................Hydraulic, power assist four-wheel disc Front/Rear: 11-in disc, four-piston calipers

SUSPENSION

Front ................................................... Independent; unequal-length A-arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar, telescoping shock absorbers Rear .............................. Solid axle; leaf springs, staggered telescoping shock absorbers

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels ........................................................................................ Stamped-steel Rally wheel Front/Rear: 15 x 7 in Tires .............................................................................. E70-15 Goodyear Polyglas bias-ply

PRODUCTION

Chevrolet built 190,971 Camaro V-8 sport coupes for 1969; 20,302 of them had the Z/28 package; 206 of those were ordered with the JL8 four-wheel disc-brake option.

PERFORMANCE*

0-60 mph...................................................................................................................... 7.4 sec 1/4-mile ET ............................................................................................15.12 sec @ 94.8 mph *August 1969 Car Life road test.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

and this is the only ’69 Z/28 that has that documentation. V visited the dealership when the car arrived and saw the cross-ram in the trunk. I show the car as he saw it in 1969, with an NOS cross-ram in the trunk.”

Larry’s work neither began nor ended with the powertrain. While he obtained the assistance of Brighton,

Colorado’s Epic Auto Restorations with the bodywork and F&H Upholstery, of Wheat Ridge, with the headliner and seat covers, he did the rest, including assembly of the body and the rest of the black-vinyl interior.

The car made its debut at the 2015 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, in Chicago, just after its completion.

Since then, the car has done, as expected, exceedingly well at judged competition, earning a 100.6 percent score at the 2017 Camaro Nationals by scoring 5,029 out of 5,000 points. That feat was possible thanks to extra-credit items like five original Goodyear tires, the proper embossed oil filter, and the original window sticker.

A rare ’69 Z/28 restored beyond perfection. Does it get any better? Just don’t go looking to buy this one: Larry finally sold it to V and his wife back in 2019, who purchased it as a 50th wedding anniversary gift to themselves.

They drive it on occasion, but mostly appreciate it as a time capsule of 1960s race tech.

“It’s certainly a departure from today’s cars,” V says. “I try to get it out once or twice a year and take it around the block a few times or whatever. It has no power steering, roll-up windows, a high-performance small-block motor, stiff suspension, and it’s geared really high. You’ve got to drive it! Once it gets a few rpm on it, it performs pretty good.”

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35

BUYER’S GUIDE

1970 DODGE

CHALLENGER T/A

BY MARK J. McCOURT • PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE HEMMINGS ARCHIVES ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERTA CONROY

ENGINE

Like the 10 (!) other engines available under the hoods of 1970 Challengers, the “J”-code V-8 is famously durable.

Factory mechanical specifications for the T/A can be found online at the 1970 Hamtramck Registry, which hosts the original Technical Service Bulletins. Most parts needed to maintain or rebuild a six-barrel 340 are readily available, and Mopar specialists around the country have the expertise needed to bring one back to as-built or better.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

TRANSMISSION

Because this Challenger was technically a combination of options fitted to a base model, rather than an upscale trim level a la R/T, the close-ratio four-speed manual and three-speed TorqueFlite automatic exclusively used in the T/A were extra-charge items. Neither is troubleprone, and both are relatively simple for transmission specialists to service or rebuild.

INTERIOR

For all their performance, Challenger T/As are surprisingly accommodating and comfortable road cars. They were built to a price, though, so original materials didn’t always hold up. Replacement original-style interior parts including carpeting, seat foam and upholstery, headliners, and door/ side panels, can be purchased from reputable sources. Cracked dash pads can be restored, too.

T

HE FAMOUS QUOTE, “RACING IMPROVES THE BREED,”

may be attributed to Soichiro Honda, but the sentiment has been universal since the earliest days of automotive competition. As high-performance machines, American muscle cars keenly benefitted from racing, both on the dragstrip and on the road-course circuit. From the inauguration of the pony-car era, the Shelby-tuned Mustang proved it was a racing force to be reckoned with, and that Ford inspired a host of rivals. In 1970, the Chrysler Corporation sold two racing homologation variants of popular models that allowed the automaker to compete in SCCA Trans-Am, as well as drive traffic into showrooms — the rarer of the pair was the Dodge Challenger T/A.

CHASSIS

New reproduction components (and some NOS items) can be purchased to restore suspension and braking systems, although purists may have to search if they want to maintain their cars’ numbers-matching and datecoded accuracy. Barry Washington’s Challenger T/A Registry website (see Resources, p. 42) contains helpful, in-depth authentication tips that include part numbers for T/A brake components, as well as radiator and rocker-arm number identification.

BODY

Inspect prospective Challengers for rust and evidence of poor repairs in the cowl, floors, rocker panels, subframe rails, door bottoms, the base of the A-pillars, and in the rear quarter panels above and behind the wheels. Lift the trunk liner and inspect the metal, both inside and underneath. If a car has a vinyl roof, check it for bubbling. Fiberglass hoods can warp, even with the special lowtension springs used with the T/A (and AAR) hood; reinforcing that area underneath diminishes the effect.

PRODUCTION

Dodge reportedly built just over 83,000 Challengers in this model’s first year, but the Trans-Amhomologation variant is believed to account for fewer than 2,400 of them. Sources indicate that around 1,400 T/As were built with twopedal TorqueFlites, the remainder being three-pedal four-speeds. This model was special enough to inspire a heritage-themed modern reboot, complete with black hood and body stripes, which remains available today in Dodge showrooms.

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The Sports Car Club of America debuted its Trans-American Sedan Championship at Sebring, Florida, in the spring of 1966. This event divided modified production-car participants into “Under 2-Liter” and “Over 2-Liter” classes, the latter featured a rules displacement cap of 5.0 liters or 305.5 cubic inches. The “Sedan” descriptor was soon dropped, but by the end of the decade, pony cars were proving keen SCCA competitors.

Following the Shelby Mustangs into battle were the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, AMC Trans-Am Javelin, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Mercury Cougar Eliminator, and Mother Mopar’s Plymouth AAR ’Cuda and Dodge Challenger T/A. Like the other automakers who knew the halo benefit that came from campaigning cars that looked like ones consumers could buy, Chrysler officially supported the racing of its E-body coupes. At least one of the two Challengers — the Ray Caldwell Autodynamics team ran the blackstriped Green Go #77 and #76 — reportedly endured chemical milling, aka acid dipping, extreme weightsaving preparation for competition.

Both cars were primarily wielded by the talented Sam Posey, who later

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

admitted the Dodge entries were directed to play supporting cast to the ’Cudas run by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers team.

Race sanctioning bodies have long set rules that cars intending to compete have to meet to provide a level field. When Chrysler committed the Challenger and ’Cuda to SCCA, the company was supposed to build 2,500 examples of each for public sale. The Challenger T/A option group code, “A53,” was an $865.70 upcharge over the basic $2,953 highline V-8 model, the total figure representing around $27,925 in today’s money. The street version of this car shared the racer’s special pin-secured fiberglass hood, ducktail rear spoiler, megaphone-tip exhausts, and rakish stance on staggered tire sizes. While 305 cubic inches was the top displacement permitted

on track, the SCCA said that number could be derived from a de-stroked production engine; this was how the street car used a 340-cu.in. V-8. It’s believed 2,399 T/A’s, in addition to 2,724 AARs, were produced February to May 1970, but experts point out that the actual numbers were not documented by Chrysler. Both E-bodies were successful at drawing attention to the hot new Mopar models.

Ensuring nobody mistook the T/A for a lesser Challenger, this Dodge offset its color palette with lots of black trim, including the hood and decklid spoiler. Optional (at extra cost) front chin spoilers could complement the recessed grille and headlamps, while standard gloss-black-painted wheels wore bright metal trim rings and “dog-dish” center caps; same-size silver Rallye wheels could be optioned.

Bold black fender decals included “T/A” and “340 SIX PACK” callouts.

A body-color driver’s exterior mirror was standard, with matching bodycolor passenger’s side mirror optional.

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The snap-open fuel filler cap was standard, and unique to this model, the radio antenna was mounted on the passenger rear quarter panel when a radio was optioned. A secondary, screwed-in fender tag reading “TRANS AM” cemented this model’s provenance.

In the 52 years since Dodge marketed the original Challenger T/A, many of these multitalented muscle machines have been lost to crashes and corrosion. The serious monetary value real T/As command makes them ripe for forgery, explains Barry Washington, founder of The 1970 Hamtramck Registry and keeper of The Challenger T/A Registry. Numbers-matching examples bring the highest prices in Mopar circles, so in addition to checking for obvious, common condition issues, he recommends looking carefully for re-stamped engine blocks, transmissions, and even bodies: “Body numbers are sometimes cut out and welded into a ‘donor’ body, stolen or otherwise. Watch for counterfeit VIN tags, fake fender tags, window stickers, or any other bogus documentation. You want to know if a car has ever been reported stolen, or if its odometer has been reset.”

Barry continues, “If a Registry entry exists for the specific make and model of any car a potential buyer is looking at, send the Registry an email with the

VIN and any other details before any money changes hands. I do my best to keep the dishonest in this hobby from taking advantage of any unsuspecting buyer, and it is a free service. I also have thousands of original items that car owners can claim, free of charge, just by proving legal ownership and that the car matching the item still exists. We also help original engines and transmissions return to their original cars.”

ABOVE: The T/A’s 340 was topped by three two-barrel Holley 2300 carbs with vacuumoperated secondaries, bolted on an aluminum Edelbrock intake.

The fiberglass hood’s “Scat Scoop” channeled cold air into a sealed housing.

BELOW: While the 340’s unique adjustable rocker arms can only be found used or NOS, most everything else this special V-8 needs is available.

manifold. Under this is the heavyduty small-block Wedge V-8, whose iron block was cast with extra-wide ENGINE main-bearing webs with extra material Under the matte-black hood with the so the two-bolt main bearing caps bold raised “Scat Scoop” engineered could be replaced with four-bolt units to channel fast-moving cold air, an if desired. The cylinder heads used on air cleaner assembly sits in a sealed the T/A (and AAR) have unique offset housing, its orange top bearing a holes for the intake pushrods, enabling checkered-flag emblazoned sticker the intake ports to be enlarged by with the words “340 SIX PACK.” Removing the unit uncovers three two- performance engine builders. The triple-carbureted engine included a barrel Holley 2300 carburetors with vacuum-operated secondaries that bolt modified hydraulic-tappet valvetrain and a special camshaft actuating onto an aluminum Edelbrock intake longer pushrods and adjustable rocker arms. Low-restriction dual exhausts with two-pass mufflers mount ahead of the rear axle and exit under the sills.

The 340-cubic-inch displacement is technically 339.4, measured from the 4.04 x 3.31-inch bore and stroke.

With a 10.5:1 compression ratio, the high-winding V-8 makes an advertised

PARTS PRICES

Air cleaner lid, Six Pack..........$125 Brake disc rotor ......................$108 Door skin ................................$230 Leaf springs, heavy-duty lower (pair)..........$165 Muffler straps (pair).................$60 Radiator ..................................$522 Seal, fiberglass hood to radiator........................$50 Trunk spoiler decal ...................$13

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

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(yet commonly considered underrated) 290 hp at 5,000 rpm and 345 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm.

DRIVETRAIN

Engine output is sent to the Sure Gripequipped 8¾-inch differential through either a Hurst “Pistol-Grip”-stirred A-833 close-ratio four-speed manual or a heavy-duty 727 three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. A 3.55:1 final drive was specified, although 3.91 was optional. These components are famously durable and readily rebuildable as needed.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

Because SCCA racing emphasizes handling as much as straight-line speed, this Challenger also uses special chassis components. The upgraded Rally suspension got a larger-diameter front (.95-inch) and new rear (.75-inch) anti-roll bar, Hemi-spec .92-inch front torsion bars and reprofiled asymmetric rear semi-elliptic leaf springs, and heavy-duty telescopic shocks. Steel wheels measuring 15 x 7-inches originally mounted bias-belted Goodyear Polyglas GT tires: E60-15s ran in front, taller G60-15s were used in the rear, and an inflatable Space-Saver spare stowed in the trunk. Behind the wheels are power-assisted 11.04-inch front disc and 11-inch rear drum brakes, the discs clamped with grippy semi-metallic pads. The standard steering setup was

The “A53” Challenger T/A option group code included important upgrades to the driveline and exterior, but the basic interior was largely unchanged.

Replacement materials can be obtained from numerous vendors.

is beloved by the aftermarket, and both full and patch replacement panels are readily available to cover the car’s typical weak areas.

a 24:1-ratio manual recirculating-ball rack, while quick 12:1- and normal 16:1-ratio steering boxes utilizing power assist were available.

BODY AND CHASSIS

INTERIOR

Like all other Challenger hardtops (the T/A was not available in convertible form), this variant used Chrysler’s respected unit-body construction. Factory rustproofing measures under two coats of epoxy primer and two coats of acrylic enamel paint (20 colors were offered by year’s end) were sufficient for a time but would eventually succumb in harsher climates. The ever-popular Challenger

Because the T/A was built off the basic highline trim, standard interior appointments were sparse, and most niceties were optional extras.

Upholstery was vinyl, although a cloth-and-vinyl pairing and vinyl/leather front buckets were available. The Rallye dash, with its comprehensive instrumentation, was optional on the T/A, but many examples used the standard gauge cluster. Air conditioning was not available, but three of these homologation specials are known to have been built with a sliding sunroof.

CONSIDER THIS

Classic.com has tracked 1970 Challenger T/A sales over the past five years and notes the lowest recorded auction sale in that time was $48,250, while the highest was $198,000. As this was written, that site considered the “average” T/A value to be $83,916, although it listed a declining benchmark price of $81,136. Perhaps that makes now a good time to buy, rather than sell, a Challenger T/A.

URCES

0 HAMTRAMCK REGISTRY ck-historical.com

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

THE CHALLENGER T/A REGISTRY hamtramck-historical.com/challengertaregistry

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TECH

SPOTLIGHT: Chevy Muscle

RUNNING ON EMPTY HOW TO REPLACE A FAILING FUEL TANK

T

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK HANSON HIS ’69 CHEVELLE IS A GREAT DRIVER. IT’S

classy, comfortable, and reliable… for the most part. But, after more than 50 years of service, a non-functional gas gauge shouldn’t be a surprise.

Staring at a fuel gauge that refused to budge from the midpoint of its travel had gone on long enough. Running out of gas and having to summon someone willing to bring a few gallons of fuel told us that the foolishness could no longer continue without correction.

To access the faulty sender, the tank first has to be removed.

That’s no big deal, since the retaining bolts for the support straps are easily accessible, the sender connection is a simple one-wire affair, and the hoses for the fuel transfer and vent lines are held in place with standard hose clamps.

We visited the National Parts Depot website to find the

parts needed to complete the tank swap, and placed our order online for a new tank, sending unit, and insulating, anti-squeak pads.

If you’re contemplating a job like this, here’s a tip: Drain as much of the fuel from the tank as possible. Gas weighs about 7 pounds per gallon, and you’ll want the tank as light as possible once you begin, especially if you’re lying on your back and bench-pressing the parts in and out of position. We took advantage of the fact that we’d run our Chevelle out of fuel before we began the job.

Even though a Chevelle was the subject of this project, the process is nearly identical for most any vehicle with the fuel tank strapped between the rear frame rails and behind the rear axle. Simple hand tools and a half-day dedicated to the task are all that’s required to complete the job.

1

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1. After draining the tank, locate and remove the bolts that retain the tank support straps. Before lowering the tank, disconnect the sender wire. It usually connects to the rear body harness inside the trunk on GM cars; others may be located near the tank, under the car. 2. This rusty, crusty mess greeted us once the tank was lowered; no wonder the sending unit was inoperative. The sending unit wire (tan) can be disconnected from the tank now, allowing the tank’s complete removal. 3. The replacement sending unit has the proper 3⁄8-inch fuel line and comes with a new rubber O-ring sealing gasket and locking ring. 4. Work the O-ring seal up past the pickup screen and fuel level float, then position it under the base of the sending unit that fits in the tank opening. Begin the sending unit installation by feeding the float through the tank opening first and rotating it while carefully inserting the “sock” filter at the end of the pickup tube.

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5. Once the new sending unit is in the tank, check the fuel line for proper positioning, slide the locking ring in place, and gently tap on the locking tangs until it is secured in place.

6. This tank vent is specific to the ’69 Chevelle, but others may have a similar device to vent the tank. We removed it, checked it for any internal obstructions, cleaned it up, and reinstalled it. 7. After 50-plus years of service, the original rubber hoses were cracked, crumbling, and useless. So, before installing the new tank, we prepped it with all new hoses and screw clamps. 8. A new sending unit wire was installed and secured to the top of the tank with duct tape. We also added the anti-squeak pads at this time and held them in place with weatherstrip adhesive. 9. We had the benefit of a hoist and transmission jack, helping make tank reinstallation a one-man job.

While it’s possible to accomplish the task yourself lying on your back, it’s a lot easier with a friend for assistance. The new tank isn’t heavy, just unwieldy to hold in place while reinstalling the straps and attaching hardware.

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National Parts Depot npdlink.com • 800-874-7595

10. If your tank filler neck protrudes through the bumper like our Chevelle, it’s necessary to feed the neck into place before final positioning of the tank. Be sure the filler cap is installed to prevent debris from entering the new tank.

11. With the tank in place, the hoses can be reconnected to the factory vent and fuel line using the original spring clamps, plus an additional zip tie to hold them in the proper position. Before making the final connections, we disconnected the line at the fuel pump and blew it out, then added a new in-line fuel filter and hose. 12. Our completed gas tank/fuel sender installation not only functions properly now, but it also looks good! Now we’re ready for another 50-plus years of reliable service.

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TECH

SPOTLIGHT: Chevy Muscle

SCIENCE FRICTION BETTER BRAKES ON A BUDGET WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK HANSON

W

HEN MUSCLE CARS WERE FIRST

conceived, the focus was on eyeballflattening acceleration, with little consideration given to the idea of slowing down those ground-bound missiles.

Although Pontiac was the first to effectively deploy the muscle car concept with the ’64 GTO, its GM cousins quickly followed with their own versions.

Despite their brand differences, however, all GM A-bodies shared the same inadequate 9½-inch drum brakes at all four corners, until front disc brakes hit the option list for 1967.

But even though the disc setup was an enormous step forward in day-to-day braking safety, the 11-inch rotors still came up short in serious stopping situations. And the four-piston calipers they employed, while extremely effective, were susceptible to leakage from corrosion. That shortcoming was corrected with the single-piston caliper in ’69, but the barely sufficient 11-inch rotors remained.

Today, brake replacement options exist to meet most any demand. Baer Brakes practically created the market for bigger and better systems for muscle cars back in the ’80s, so its experience, reputation, and variety of applications led us to consider the company’s offerings.

Although our Chevelle was never constructed to be the ultimate corner carver, previous suspension improvements helped us find the limits of the factory braking system. And while Baer offers enhanced systems that work with 15-inch (and even some 14-inch) wheels, our 17-inch rollers allowed a rotor diameter up to 13 inches, and a substantial increase in braking capabilities. We decided to take advantage of that possibility and selected Baer’s “Classic Series” front system, which we ordered from Summit Racing Equipment for the very reasonable price of $895, with free shipping.

Installation was fairly simple and required only basic hand tools. Thanks to the very comprehensive kit, we were able to complete the installation in an afternoon and take the Chevelle to a local cruise-in that evening. Check out the steps involved.

1

2 1. The Baer Classic Series system features one-piece rotors and two-piston, pad-guided calipers. The kit comes with bearings/ races, dust caps, mounting brackets, stainless braided hoses, and all the hardware you’ll need. 2. Improved stopping ability is largely possible through the use of 13-inch rotors, which require 17-inch (or larger) wheels. The stock-sized, 11-inch aftermarket rotor illustrates the diameter difference.

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3. After safely supporting the vehicle (we had access to a lift, but good jack stands are sufficient), the factory calipers and rotors are the first components to be removed.

4. Once three retaining bolts are removed, the caliper brackets and dust shields are next to get jettisoned. The steering arm is also loosened, but retained for use with the Baer brake kit. 5. A new two-piece caliper bracket is assembled before being bolted to the spindle. Each piece is specific for left and right sides; be sure to note the differences. 6. The caliper bracket can now be attached to the spindle, making sure to position the black spacers between the bracket and the spindle. The kit includes the required hardware; the longest bolts are used to retain the rear of the steering arm.

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7. Once the caliper bracket is secure, the rotor can be installed on the spindle. The wheel bearings are packed with grease from the factory and the inner seal is installed too, making a clean and easy rotor installation. 8. After the “S” clips are fitted to the brake pads, they are installed on the caliper. The serrated retaining clips are inserted into the pistons on the inboard side and into holes in the caliper housing on the outboard side, then “snapped” into place.

9. Now the assembled caliper can be mated to the anchor bracket by “hooking” the end of the brake pad into one end of the bracket. Then, the caliper is pushed further into place until it is fully seated in the anchor bracket.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

10. The retaining pin is installed from the backside of the caliper. It’s intentionally a snug fit, so we had to gently tap it into place. Once it is fully seated, the supplied E-clip is used to secure it. 11. The calipers are specific for left and right sides; check to make sure the bleeders are on top (to ensure the calipers can be fully bled), then slide the assembled caliper into position over the rotor. 12. Grade 8, ½-13 hex bolts are used to retain the caliper, inserted from the backside. They are torqued to 105 ft-lb.

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13. Flexible braided brake hoses are installed with a soft copper washer on each side of the hose fitting and retained with a “banjo” bolt. Be careful not to overtighten them; 15–20 ft-lb is all that’s needed here. 14. The hose adapter attaches to the factory frame bracket, just like the original.

Secure the hoses to the adapters, checking for clearance and any binding or interference before tightening them to the adapters.

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15

15. Finally, fill the master cylinder with new brake fluid and bleed the brakes. We use the gravity-feed method that fills the caliper with fluid and allows trapped air to escape into the bottle. It may take a little while longer, but it’s easy and there’s no need for a friend to pump the brakes while you work the bleeder. 16. Improved braking isn’t the only benefit of the Baer Classic system: The red calipers peeking out from behind the wheels add a bit of flash and let others know that we’ve stepped up our game.

BRAKE-ing TRADITION

We realize that not everyone wants to run oversized wheels on a classic car, and so does Baer. So, for those who insist on retaining the 15-inch (and even 14-inch in some cases) wheels for stock appearances, or even because a Day Two build demands it, there is still a way to improve your ride’s braking ability without increasing the wheel size.

For those applications, Baer offers the same Classic Series bolt-on system, but with a reduced 11-inch drilled and slotted rotor, and a reduced $695 price to match. Even so, the two-piston calipers, brackets, hoses, and bearings are also included to complete the upgrade.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

16

SOURCES: Baer baer.com • 602-233-1411 Summit Racing Equipment summitracing.com • 800-230-3030

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ASK RAY

By Ray Bohacz

HESITATING CHALLENGER

Q:

CAMSHAFT CONFUSION

Q:

I have read two articles lately on engine builds: One was the Ford 351 Cleveland build in HMM (“Overachiever,” February 2022, # 222) and the other was a big-block Mopar in Hot Rod magazine.

Both engines were built using flat-tappet camshafts, and neither build was cheap.

My question is, why use a flat-tappet camshaft instead of a roller? The last engine that I built with a flat-tappet cam was 20 years ago. After replacing two cam-and-lifter sets, I read that the modern oils lacked the high zinc and phosphate levels that were in older oils. When I replaced the third cam and lifters, I started using Shell Rotella diesel oil. The third cam has lasted approximately 20,000 miles. All the engines that I built after that have roller cams and lifters. From what I understand, a roller cam is superior and the best way to build an engine. Am I wasting money by using a roller cam?

Lee Waddington Robinson, Illinois

I have a 1973 Dodge Challenger with a modified 318 engine backed by an A904 automatic transmission.

The engine uses a Quick Fuel carburetor (QFTSS680VS), Edelbrock medium-height manifold, headers, a mild cam (I don’t know the specs), and an MSD distributor (MSD8504). The engine produces 14 inches of vacuum at 900 rpm and 18.5 inches at 1,800 rpm. The air/fuel ratio is 12:1, and the engine produces 313 hp and 351.2 lb-ft of torque. There is a full stream of fuel when operating the throttle by hand.

When I accelerate just beyond idle, I have to “feather” the gas pedal to keep the car running. If I accelerate too fast, the car will actually stall. After I get past that point it runs fine. I have had this problem since I installed the engine. Any ideas for a cure?

Ken Durst Via email

A:

In most instances, a driveability issue such as the one you are experiencing is due to a lean condition off idle. There are other areas that can evoke the same effect, such as not enough ignition advance or a PCV valve with the wrong flow rate or response.

You make no mention of the engine popping through the carburetor, but that would just confirm that there was not enough fuel if it did.

I agree with you that a modern I will assume that there are no air leaks hydraulic roller is a better choice than even a modern flat-tappet design. The lobe and that the float level is set properly, profile can be optimized in many ways and along with the mixture screws, especially the reduction in friction is always good. if that carburetor has a four-corner There is an issue that needs to be idle circuit. checked when a roller grind is installed, Often, the accelerator pump linkage is and that is cam thrust and movement. in the wrong hole, or the accelerator pump The tapered lobe of a flat tappet lifter is cam is not aggressive enough. The pump designed to hold the cam in place. Control- cams can be changed on many Holley ling cam thrust is not a big deal but it does carburetors, and since a Quick Fuel carbuneed to be checked and addressed. retor shares many of the design elements Other than the cost of the cam and roller with a Holley, you should check these lifters, I cannot think of any reason why areas. The accelerator pump stroke may those engines were built using a flat not have enough volume.

I would also disconnect the PCV valve tappet. I am not familiar with those two from the vacuum hose and plug the hose engine builds.

A:

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

with a bolt. Leave the valve out of the engine. Re-adjust the idle mixture and take it for a ride. If it runs much better after doing that, the PCV is wrong for the vacuum profile of the engine. I would then spend the money for the M/E Wagner tunable PCV and your issues will be over.

If this test makes things better, but not by 100 percent, then put 4 or 5 degrees more advance in it with the PCV still disabled and see if the engine likes it.

Follow these steps and you will have the engine running like a top!

CARB CLEANER OR STARTING FLUID?

Q:

Hi Ray! I love your column — it’s the first thing I turn to.

I have a 1969 Chevelle 396 with a Rochester carb. I’ve had lots of trouble with fuel evaporating during the summer months. After a spin on a hot day, once I shut off the engine, you can sometimes hear the fuel gurgling like a coffee pot! It had an electric pump in the rear, feeding the mechanical pump, but as you’ve pointed out before, it can’t pump past the mechanical. I disabled the mechanical pump and just used the electrical one and voilà, problem solved.

My question is, I’ve used starting fluid (ethyl ether) in the past with success. Are there any pros or cons of starting fluid versus carb cleaner? Thanks for everything!

Kevin Konieczny Denver, Colorado

A:

Thanks so much for reading my ramblings first! I am glad I was able to help you with the fuel delivery issue.

Starting fluid is very volatile and it is very hard on an engine, while carburetor cleaner is much gentler during combustion. That is why I do not suggest starting fluid.

Starting fluid is chemically designed to allow an engine to run under extremely cold conditions since it will vaporize, where carburetor cleaner will not.

So, when it is minus 50 degrees F and you need to get the old truck started to

plow snow, grab the starting fluid. When the fuel evaporates out of your muscle car or lawn tractor, carburetor cleaner is the way to go!

getting to the gauge, there are proper grounds, and any printed circuit boards for the gauges are good (if that car even has any), then I think you have either a miscalibrated gauge or sending unit.

Just because it is new does not mean it TEMPERATURE GAUGE is good. I am quite sure the part is coming I have a 1967 Corvette with a 327. from one supplier overseas, so no matter It was totally restored when I purI doubt very much if it is a grounding chased it; however, the broker informed me problem with the intake manifold, but where you buy it from, you’re probably getthat the temperature gauge did not work. to confirm this, connect a jumper wire from ting the same unit. I have seen this more The muscle car dealership wasn’t able to the exterior of the sending unit to a ground times than I can count, not with a sending fix it even after installing new wiring, a new and then run the engine to see what hapunit but with many other components. temp gauge, and a new sending unit.

One person I know went through five new pens. Also, you should verify that coolant Both the sending unit and gauge tested is actually reaching the sending unit — it’s ballast resistors before he found one with good prior to installation. I installed a highly unlikely, but there could possibly be anywhere near the proper resistance. His second sending unit myself, but with the car was towed home many times due to a a problem in the casting. same result. The gauge will move one line defective new ballast.

If this proves to be nothing, then get a from the coldest position when the engine cup of near-boiling water and, with the is hot, but no further. When the 327 cools sending unit removed and still plugged in, down, it’s back to the left behind that first insert the sender in the water and read Send your troublesome tech questions to: askray@hemmings.com line. It is reading something, but nowhere the gauge. or Ask Ray, P.O. Box 2000, near an accurate temp to the gauge.

Considering what was already changed Bennington, VT 05201 Is there a component missing in the and the tests I mentioned, if power is

Q:

wiring between the sending unit and the gauge? Is it a grounding issue because of the aluminum manifold? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Westeen Via email

A:

Join us for our upcoming panels: HEMMINGS C L U B

54

April: HERE’S HOW TO ENTER THE COLLECT CAR HOBBY, AS TOLD BY OUR EXPERT PANEL Panelists: Andy Reid, Donald Osborne, Steve Serio, & Wayne Carini

May: WHY CLASSIC CAR LOVERS SHOULDN’T FEAR ELECTRIFICATION. LET’S DIVE INTO THE FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE. Panelists: Ralph Gilles, Rich Benoit, Johnathan Ward, & John Volker

June: CARS FROM THE 1990S ARE ON THE RISE, AND HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY NOW Panelists: Vu Nguyen, Alan Galbraith, Dana, & John Naderi

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SWAP MEET

By Jim O’Clair

STROMBERG TWO-BARREL ADAPTER

Q:

I’m looking for a Stromberg two-barrel carburetor mount, which I will be installing on the 250-cu.in. inline six in a 1970 Ford Mustang. What adapter plate will I need to convert my single-barrel manifold to accept the two-barrel four-bolt mounting pattern?

Terry Hull Via email

A:

Trans-Dapt Performance offers a universal one-barrel to two-barrel adapter for Rochester and Stromberg bolt patterns, part number 2025. The one-barrel flange is actually a four-bolt pattern, but you would only use two of the mounting holes. You can leave the other two holes as they are or cut them off if clearance is a problem. The unit is made of aluminum and comes with all mounting hardware including gaskets. It is available from Summit Racing and many other aftermarket performance suppliers.

• Summit Racing 800-230-3030 • summitracing.com

INSTALLING OXYGEN SENSOR AFTER CAMARO UPGRADE

Q:

I recently purchased an add-on fuel injection kit for my classic 1972 Chevrolet Camaro and the kit came with almost everything I needed to finish the job. In addition to the fuel system, a new computer was shipped, as well as an oxygen sensor to supply feedback to the system, but I don’t have any way to mount the oxygen sensor in the exhaust pipe. Am I missing something? I know I can’t just drill a hole in the pipe and stick it in — it has fine metric threads on it.

Jerred Dillon Via email

A:

You seem to be missing the 18-mm “bung” nut that should have come with the oxygen sensor. Once you drill the hole in the exhaust pipe, you have to weld the bung over the hole to accept the sensor threads. You can pick one of these up at most local auto parts stores; Walker offers them as part number 36339. Another option is to cut out a small section of the pipe and use an inline adapter with the bung already installed in it. Walker offers two 6-inch-long

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

adapters for this purpose: Part number 41820 is for 2 1⁄4 -inch inside diameter tubing and part number 41821 is for 2 1⁄ 2 -inch tubing.

COLUMN SHIFT OVERDRIVE?

Q:

I own a 1966 Chevrolet C-10 pickup with a 283 V-8 and a three-speed transmission that has a column shift. Is there a way to add a transmission with a fourth gear or overdrive without relocating the shifter to the floor?

Larry R. Pederson Via email

A:

We are not aware of any four-speed manual conversions available for manual-transmission, column-shift GM cars or trucks. The only four-speed column shift “trucks” we are aware of are the Corvair series pickups and vans from prior to 1965. GM used the SM-420 four-speed floor-shifted transmission in trucks from 1948-’67, which would be compatible with your C-10. We have addressed many Muncie and Saginaw four-speed conversions in previous issues, which might be more suitable for your requirements than the SM-420; all would be of the floor-shift variety. Even using an automatic overdrive or four-speed automatic transmission would still require changing to a different steering column.

A-518/46RH FITMENT

Q:

Is the A-518 Chrysler transmission compatible with any M-body Chrysler passenger cars?

Dale McCartney Via Hemmings.com

A:

Many Chrysler midsize M-bodies from 1977-’89 would have used the A-727 transmission in V-8 applications, which is a good candidate for an A-518 swap.

One thing to consider is the fact that you are going to have to use the A-518 torque converter with lockup, as the A-727 torque converter has none. When acquiring a donor transmission, be sure to source a 1995-or-older vehicle; the early A-518s use a three-terminal connector. You may find some A-518s with a two-wire connector — these have no lockup converter, so they will not provide the benefit of the direct drive achieved when the converter locks up in

high third gear. Getting the torque converter to lock in earlier applications requires a little extra installation work, parts, and wiring, but is well worth the effort. You can get everything you need to complete this swap, as well as well-written technical advice, on the Performance Automotive Transmission Center website. It offers a swap kit, p/n 727518, that includes the two necessary pressure switches and one vacuum-actuated switch you will need to retrofit the A-518.

• Performance Automotive Transmission Center 318-742-7353 • transmissioncenter.net

AMC T-10 CONVERSION

Q:

Is there a bellhousing available that will allow me to connect a Borg-Warner T-10 to the AMC 360 V-8 I transplanted into my Javelin?

Donald Ireland Via Hemmings.com

A:

Many Javelins from the ’70s were factory equipped with the Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed behind AMC V-8 engines, including the 360, so you should be able to do this with factory parts. Good used original AMC bellhousings are still available; AMC’s part number was 3210949. This unit also fit the Jeep V-8s and the T-18 transmissions. Dan Sharer’s D & D AMC parts shows a few used originals available.

For new parts, you can also use a Quick Time scattershield, p/n RM-8075, which fits all 1966-’91 AMC/Jeep V-8 applications.

These are available from American Performance or Summit Racing Equipment.

• D & D AMC parts 360-687-2493 • amc-performance.com • American Performance 321-354-6875 • amclives.com • Summit Racing Equipment 800-230-3030 • summitracing.com All discussions in this column regarding repairs, conversions, parts swaps, etc. are offered as suggestions.

Performing any such work should be accompanied by thorough research to verify proper parts compatibility and procedures to achieve a safe, functional result.

We welcome any and all questions related to suspension, brake, engine, differential and transmission upgrades.

Email us at swapmeet@hemmings.com or submit inquiries to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HemmingsNews or our website where comments can be made at the bottom of dozens of previous Swap Meet articles posted there.

WE ARE RPM.

DRIVE THE FUTURE WITH US

www.rpm.foundation l 855-537-4579 A Public Service of Hemmings Muscle Machines

GEAR

By Mark J. McCourt

*Prices shown are presumed accurate at the time of printing. Please confirm with seller prior to purchase.

SUMMIT RACING DESKTOP TURBO FAN

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT • 800-230-3030 • SUMMITRACING.COM • $49.99 Waste makes haste. That’s the beauty of a turbocharger, whose impeller fan blades harness exhaust gasses to shove fresh air into the engine. The unmistakable snaillike shape of a turbocharger, with its visible central impellers, inspired this clever portable desk fan (item SUM-P01057). Inside a realistic-looking silver ABS-plastic housing measuring 13 x 12 x 5-inches, the 6-inch-diameter fan is turned by a threespeed motor that takes power from a standard household 110/120-volt outlet. The fan pivots on a metal stand for easy airflow-direction changes, and the unit comes with a one-year warranty. You can order one for pick-up in a Summit Racing Equipment retail location in Georgia, Nevada, Ohio, or Texas, or have it shipped directly to your home.

MUSCLE CAR SPECIAL EDITIONS

CARTECH PUBLISHING • 800-551-4754 • CARTECHBOOKS.COM • $44.95 What happens when the best factory-built muscle is not enough? Independent specialists step up and take the era’s finest American performance machines even further. Each automaker had enthusiast dealers, engine builders, and speed-parts vendors who could add still more speed and style, working outside of the limitations imposed by automaker executive decisions and production-line feasibility. Muscle Car Special Editions (ISBN 9781613255797) is a tribute to the muscle car one-upmanship created from the 1960s to the modern day by the likes of Baldwin-Motion, Berger, Hurst, Mr. Norm’s, Shelby American, Tasca, Yenko, and so many more. In this 192-page hardcover, author Duncan Brown breaks down U.S. and Canadian post-factory upgraders by marque (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile/Buick, Ford/Mercury, Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge, and AMC) before diving into the many special variants each player created. The book is amply illustrated with nearly 400 detailed-captioned photos and reproductions of period advertising, and its copy is impressively comprehensive, breaking down entries by vendor, year, and model. Sidebars include additional information on specific models and personalities. Muscle car historians and enthusiasts seeking to broaden their knowledge base will find this title an invaluable resource.

1970 MERCURY COUGAR ELIMINATOR

HEMMINGS • 800-227-4316 EXT 79550 • HEMMINGS.COM/STORE • $114.99 Mercury’s entry in SCCA Trans-Am racing inspired perhaps the toughest Cougar ever made: the 1970 Eliminator. This personal-luxury two-door hardtop could have anything from a high-winding 302 to a torque-monster 428 below the hood, plus four on the floor. It’s the T-A-spec four-barrel Boss 302 that is under the opening hood of this 1:18-scale collectible from AutoWorld (item AMM1253). Representing the unrestored, original Competition Blue coupe shown by Mercury Cougar Eliminator Registry founder Dave Wyrwas at the 2019 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, the die-cast model features crisp stripes and delicate brightwork outside, an opening trunk holding correct liner material and a full-size spare, and an amazingly detailed interior with lifelike-patterned seat upholstery and floormats. The shape and color of each component in the engine bay is accurate, enhanced by tiny, legible decals, and the undercarriage looks true to life with body paint overspray, orange primer, and realistic tire treads. Blue Oval fans will love this racy Cougar.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

Yep –we’re actually asking your opinion Everyone’s got one and now yours has a home: “Ask The Experts” is a new feature in each themed issue of every Hemmings title that allows you and your business to talk directly to our readers — who also happen to be your customers. We’ll give your expert opinion the megaphone it deserves: • Section title page featuring your logo • Half-page of content reserved for you and your brand • Share answers to common questions about your products/services • Half-page display ad space • Companion digital “Ask The Experts” section is 100% searchable online

To find out more call: 704-973-1813 www.hemmings.com

THE GOODS

*Prices shown are presumed accurate at the time of printing.

Please confirm with seller prior to purchase.

By Tom Comerro

GLASS BLASTER BEADS

TP TOOLS & EQUIPMENT • 800-321-9260 • TPTOOLS.COM • $49 (45-LB. BAG) Blasting cabinet owners know that choosing the right media for your project is essential. These finely graded glass beads are ideal for use in any abrasive blaster cabinet for the purpose of general parts cleaning. The beads have a grit size of 60-80, create minimal amounts of dust, and are white in color. They will leave a smooth finish on brass, aluminum, and most soft metals, and can be used to remove carbon, rust and scale, and other contaminants from a variety of parts.

Ask about p/n 6700-45 for more details.

’STANG STOPPAGE

WILWOOD ENGINEERING • 805-388-1188 • WILWOOD.COM • $3,176.66 Grand National four-piston, radial-mount calipers combine with dynamic-lug-drive 13-inch rotors in a new road-race front brake upgrade kit designed for 2005-’14 Ford Mustangs. Kits deliver the high-capacity braking and heat management required in a competition environment. These brakes meet current SCCA specifications for American Sedan, and they are also suited to NASA classes and other racing bodies that mandate four-piston calipers and OE-production S197 spindles. The kits come with GN4R/ST Thermlock piston race calipers, Spec37 iron-alloy GT-48 directional vane rotors with lug-drive hat assemblies, BP-30 SmartPads, braided stainless steel flex lines, brackets, and hardware for simple bolt-on installation. No modifications are needed for this kit. Ask about p/n 140-16666.

MARK OF THE MOPAR

YEAR ONE • 800-932-7663 • YEARONE.COM • $14.93 Mopar “M” emblems are available to help set your car apart from the rest of the pack. Each is cast in the shape of the trademark M with bright MOPAR script below.

Three different colors are available: black, blue, and red. The emblems have adhesive backs allowing for simple installation. Put them on your fenders, trunk lid, dash, or wherever you desire. The badges measure 1.125 inches tall by 1.25 inches wide.

Inquire about p/n MY4BLK (black), MY4BLU (blue), and MY4RED (red).

GM SUSPENSION PACKAGES

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT • 800-230-3030 SUMMITRACING.COM • $1,849-$1,975 Improve the handling and ride quality of your GM muscle car with new Speedtech Pro Touring front suspension packages. Each kit is bolt-on and does not require any modifications to the frame. Components include tubular upper and lower control arms, with ball joints and Delrin bushings; adjustable Viking coilover shocks, allowing 2.5 inches of rideheight adjustment; T-6061 billet aluminum tie-rod adjustment sleeves; shock thrust washers; and a wrench. Anti-sway bars are not included. Current applications available include 1964-’72 Chevelle, 1967-’81 Camaro and Firebird, 1968-’77 Nova, 1978-’88 A- and G-body models, and 1994-’96 Impala and Caprice. Kits will work with all Generation 1 small-blocks, big-blocks, or GM LS engines.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

IROC REHAB

• Go on a journey with us in this 1987 Chevrolet Camaro

IROC in search of all the right places to get all the right upgrades.

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AUCTION ACTION

This 1983 Chevy Camaro Berlinetta was an all-original, 11,895-mile car with T-tops and a 305 V-8/five-speed manual. It sold for $27,500.

BARRETT-JACKSON, SCOTTSDALE

ARIZONA SALE WELCOMED THE MASSES AND PRODUCED A $203.2 MILLION TAKE WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW LITWIN

I

Rounding out the first half of the group were a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder that sold Scottsdale in mid-January for for $1,815,000, a 2014 McLaren P1 that auction week, you ought to put it commanded $1,705,000, and a 2019 Ford on your bucket list. The number GT Heritage Edition that attained a of simultaneous sales conducted has $1,650,000 result; it was also the topebbed and flowed over the years for selling American performance car. various reasons, but the one constant As to the rest of the million-dollar is the company that has effectively anchored the annual action for decades: club, a 2019 McLaren Senna sold for $1,512,500; a 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Barrett-Jackson. This year, the 10-day Edition brought $1,430,000; a 2020 Ford marathon—much of which was GT Carbon Series sold for $1,375,000; televised—began on January 22 and a 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6 x 6 returned to a traditional format of achieved $1,210,000; and a 1967 Shelby packed-house, in-person bidders and Cobra 427 (CSX 3356) realized $1,210,000. spectators. The stage was scheduled Ultimately, Barrett-Jackson hosted to welcome 1,857 vehicular lots to its its best sale over its five-decade history bright lights, all without reserve— when, collectively, it produced a another long-held tradition. $203.2 million result. This included Anticipation ran high as soon as the $195.9 million in vehicle sales, and a gates opened: Would another record little over $7.3 million in automobilia. be set? The answer proved to be, “yes, And, in case anyone was thinking all several in fact,” once things got under way. Each of the lots that landed within that cash went into private pockets, $8.8 million of the grand total went to the top-10 did so with seven-figure sale prices, led—perhaps unexpectedly —by charity, including $3.6 million for the a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT that realized sale of a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, VIN 001 (a sale record for the model). $1,980,000. The German supercar was For a complete list of results from the followed by a more-vintage legend in the guise of a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Scottsdale sale, and an up-to-date event calendar, visit barrett-jackson.com. gullwing that achieved $1,870,000.

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F YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

THE NUMBERS Total Sales: $203.2 million Top Muscle Car Sale: 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition; $1,650,000 UPCOMING AUCTIONS June 30 – July 2: Las Vegas, Nevada 480-421-6694 barrett-jackson.com LEGEND

Reserve: Minimum price owner will accept High Bid: The highest offer made (but vehicle did not sell) * Selling Price: What the vehicle sold for * Average Market Range: Values based on current market trends for vehicles in #2- to #1 condition, respectively *All prices shown include the buyer’s premium on sold lots. Unsold lots include only the highest bid, when available.

Inventory Updated Daily at hmn.com/auctions

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Coupe Sold for $99,750

1968 Dodge Dart GTS Sold for $44,888

2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Sold for $78,750

2002 Ford Mustang GT Conv Sold for $28,875

1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 RS Restomod Sold for $45,150

1969 Plymouth Road Runner Coupe Sold for $79,800

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Sold for $38,850

1970 MERCURY MODEL: Cougar Eliminator CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

1968 SHELBY SELLING PRICE: $104,500 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $75,000 - $135,000

SELLING PRICE: $132,000 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $140,000 - $194,000

MODEL: GTO Judge CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $176,000 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $75,000 - $155,000

Mercury’s Cougar Eliminator was already a rare package for 1970, but one featuring a factory-fitted Boss 302 engine—such as this Competition Blue example—was rarer still.

Just 469 of the 2,268 Eliminators built in ’70 received the sinister small-block. This car had ample documentation to confirm its identity, and the undated restoration confirmed the matching-numbers V-8 survived any torture back in the day. All the other trappings that were standard equipment with the Eliminator package were present, too, including a close-ratio fourspeed manual. All we noted was a slightly aged package tray, which did little to prevent this cat from landing within market range.

This 1968 Shelby G.T. 500 convertible was one for the number crunchers. Key tidbits were its serial number, 00188, and that it was one of 402 drop-top units produced. Going further, 249 of those were automatics, like this one, while just 51 were finished in this example’s Candy Apple Red. This was one of just 25 fitted with a white top, and it was one of 13 equipped with the extra cooling package—information verified by SAAC and other Ford documents.

Nowhere did the window placard indicate when this muscular serpent was restored. It seemed to be a slightly older restoration that had seen minimal use; the top needed fresh detailing and the door handles were beginning to show age.

Cars that were “rare” according to the numbers presented included this fully documented 1969 Judge. According to PHS records, this was a real-deal Ram Air IV “program car,” a car special-ordered in Carousel Red expressly for the purpose of getting these onto dragstrips prior to “The Judge” hitting dealerships. That aside, the same documents indicated this was one of 58 Ram Air IV/automatic/3.90-geared examples built. It also boasted a “no expense spared” restoration from an undisclosed date that looked amazingly fresh, save for minor detailing needs. The “program” aspect explains, in part, why it sold so well.

1968 CHEVROLET

1970 FORD

1969 MERCURY

MODEL: Camaro Z/28 RS CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $165,000 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $55,000 - $95,000

At first glance, we were certain this Camaro Z/28 was modified beyond its stock RS-trimmed appearance. Further inspection revealed the opposite: It had spent five years on a rotisserie being restored to stock condition as sold by Ray Bryant Chevy (of Dayton, Ohio) when new.

That included the numbers-matching 302 V-8 and the unusual Corvette Bronze/black stripe color combo. There was a lot to like, including the auxiliary gauge package, combination clock/ tach, power steering and brakes, and a slew of documents confirming it was all legit. If there was a nit, it was that the AM radio had been modified to AM/FM stereo capability with a newer speaker on the package shelf. It mattered little to bidders.

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MODEL: G.T. 500 CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

1969 PONTIAC

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

MODEL: Torino GT CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $275,000 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $40,000 - $66,500

Ford offered its most-powerful engines in numerous models for 1970, like this welldocumented Torino GT. Supporting papers stated it was built with a 429 Cobra Jet, a close-ratio four-speed, and the critical 4.30:1 gearset Drag Pack option that upgraded the V-8 to Super Cobra Jet status. Its owner wanted all to know the Torino meant business on the street, too, as it was adorned with Laser stripes and retina-searing Calypso Coral paint, which offset the black cabin. All this was retained during the Ford’s extensive and, again, undated restoration.

Word was that this example was the only Calypso Coral/4.30 Drag Pack/429 SCJ Torino GT built in ’70.

MODEL: Cyclone CJ CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $59,400 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $51,000 - $72,000

It would be fair to say this Mercury slid under the radar, even though the car sold within market range. Points of interest: A binder detailed nearly five decades of its history, including where it was sold new —Holiday Lincoln-Mercury in Fort Worth, Texas—and its three owners, all from north Texas. Records confirm the Cyclone CJ (listed simply as a “J” in the auction catalog) was built with a 428 CJ big-block that was accompanied by an automatic. Options included power windows and air conditioning. Apparently, the car was restored, too, during which time the engine was balanced, and it appeared twice at the famed MCACN show in Chicago. It had seen some use, but none of it appeared detrimental.

special advertising section

When we first started thinking about how our seemingly never-ending story on the hot rod project we just call the “Stoner T” could be turned into a video series, we didn’t really know where to begin.

After all, it’s just a car, right?

Just a pile of stuff. How hard could it be: just start at the beginning and follow along as the project comes together. A to B. Beginning to end.

Easy-peezy.

And just like the rest of this project, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

The story of this particular little hot rod turned out to be greater than the sum of its parts. Even though some of those parts turned out to be fairly valuable, in their own right.

We found out that vintage speed parts are soaked in history. We discovered that an old motor might have an incredible story to tell, if we could decipher it. And we came to understand

that the DNA of an entire cultural movement and the souls that created it were embedded in all the stuff we had collected for the build.

So, we got to work: called our friends at Aluma Trailers and told them that we had a wild little hot rod that we needed to move around the San Francisco Bay area easily while we built it. And, at the same time, we’d uncover some incredible tales just waiting to be shared.

Come along with us as we tell the stories of the gladiators who invented a sport, built an industry and lived amazing lives, before it all ended. Oh yeah, and we’ll bolt a hot rod together while we’re at it.

Hit the code to the right with your phone and come along for the ride. hemmings.com/stories/section/the-stoner-t

2015 DODGE MODEL: Viper SRT/10 GT CONDITION: Original RESERVE: None

1971 OLDSMOBILE SELLING PRICE: $133,100 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $50,000 - $62,500

SELLING PRICE: $170,500 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $115,000 - $158,000

MODEL: Camaro Z28 CONDITION: Original RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $39,600 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $30,000 - $45,500

Just a handful of years ago, a slew of one-owner, low-milage, all-original Dodge Vipers of all types poured out of the proverbial woodwork for public auction, most of which sold in the $30,000 $40,000 range. Then, in the snap of a finger, the well seemed to dry up. One of the very few we saw in Scottsdale was this 2015 SRT/10 GT edition that boasted a single owner and a low odometer reading: 7,410 miles. Though it looked black under the dim tent lighting, the color was actually “Gunmetal Pearl,” complemented by a “Nappa leather interior.” There was an array of road-hugging, comfort, and performance features beyond the V-10/six-speed drivetrain, too. The sale price was a bit of a surprise.

A line item on the window placard of this W-30-equipped Olds 4-4-2 indicated there was a story of its past to be told, and yet none was presented. Instead, the consignor delivered a list of the equipment the car was built with— according to a copy of the original build card—and a mention of the extensive restoration it received at an undisclosed time.

Near as we could tell, the work looked thorough, rather than rushed, and all the right gear had been retained to boot. Then again, perhaps the most compelling aspect was the first line item: That the 4-4-2 was one of just 78 W-30, automatic-equipped convertibles built during the 1971 model year.

We had to examine this 1974 Camaro Z28, in part due to the oft-conveyed cliche that nothing interesting was built after ’72. Tell that to the 13,802 folks who plunked down cash to own a ’74 Z28, massive aluminum 5-mph bumpers included. Unlike other cars in the fleet, Chevy did its best to blend the battering rams into the second-gen bodywork, keeping the ol’ homologation special looking sleek. Powering this bold-graphic, all-original F-body was the 245-horse L-82 small-block 350, backed by an automatic. When new, it could go from 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, just 0.1 second behind a 295-horse, 350-powered ’67 Camaro, according to Motor Trend’s respective road tests. This one sold within market range.

1970 BUICK

1969 AMC

1969 DODGE

MODEL: GS 455 CONDITION: Refurbished RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $60,500 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $45,000 - $80,000

With over 1,800 vehicles consigned to the sale, you would have thought that there were quite a few Buick muscle machines from the golden era in attendance. Yet we walked about two miles to find this GS—a spectacular Matador Red/white two-tone hardtop from 1970 —under one of the outdoor tents. The GS 455 had quite a history, too, beginning with its sale through Harvey Tyrell Buick in North Hollywood, California, when new. Since then, it had been driven just 24,990 miles, and while the numbers-matching big-block and TH400 trans and interior were both as factory installed, the body received new paint matched to the factory codes. Other goodies included power front disc brakes, air conditioning, and deluxe steering wheel.

Shining brightly, it sold well.

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MODEL: 4-4-2 W-30 CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

1974 CHEVROLET

HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

MODEL: AMX CONDITION: Refurbished RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $48,400 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $33,000 - $54,000

There were exactly four AMC muscle cars at the sale, two of which were highly modified midSixties Ramblers. The other two were AMXes, and by pure coincidence, we ran across this ’69 first. Presented with some minor usage wear, this Big Bad Orange brute had been built as a four-barrel 390/T-10 four-speed car, but admittedly, “years ago” it had been updated to recreate AMC’s AMX S/S. Key components here were an “early original AM4486228 Edelbrock intake” and dual-quad carburetors. Other features on this AMX were the Go-Pack and Group 19 components. Apparently, the paint was newer, matched to the factory hue, and some of the original engine bits were included with the sale. We’d call this one a good buy.

MODEL: Charger CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None

SELLING PRICE: $117,700 AVG. MARKET RANGE: $48,000 - $75,500

Our first reaction was, “Hey, there’s a ’69 Charger,” which was followed by “come on, man,” when the first line item on the window placard proclaimed the Dodge’s “frame-off restoration.” Semantics, to some, but unless the writer professes the foundation to be the front subframe, a unit-body car such as this B-body Mopar does not have a frame by traditional definition. “No expense spared,” was also applied to the placard, and that may have been true several years ago, but the 383/TorqueFlite automatic had powered its way over miles of tarmac since. The work done during the Charger’s restoration included Wilwood disc brakes and suspension upgrades. What a great driver it must have been for someone, and here’s hoping that continues with its new owner.

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Sold For $43,260

Weʼre looking for auction-ready cars –and trucks and motorcycles, too– for real-world enthusiasts and collectors who enjoy their machines out on the road. So, if you have a no-excuses, ready-to-roll specialty vehicle, the kind that can start conversations and attract bidders, Hemmings Auctions is the place for you.

AUCTION NEWS

By Tom Comerro

RM SOTHEBY’S

JUNE EVENTS 3-5

5

RM SOTHEBY’S AT AMELIA ISLAND

RM Sotheby’s released the final figures from its annual Amelia Island auction, reporting total sales of more than $46.6 million and a sell-through of 89 percent. One of the American performance cars to change hands was a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IMSA GTO by Peerless Racing.

It was driven mainly by Jack Baldwin, who would secure three wins, including the Miami Grand Prix, during the 1986 IMSA GTO season. The car was restored with counsel from its designer, Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer Brad Francis. Peerless Camaro PRC-851 was fitted with a smallblock Chevy V-8, with Hilborn fuel injection and Holley EFI control. Equipped with a new G-Force five-speed gearbox and Frankland quick-change rear axle, the Chevy delivered 660 horsepower and 525 pound-feet of torque. The car’s exterior was redone in its 1987 24 Hours of Daytona livery, and the sale included various pre-restoration parts. Said to be ready for display or major vintage racing events, the Camaro sold for $117,600.

Also selling was a 2005 Ford GT, claimed to be one of 26 finished in Quick Silver with side stripes. The two-option example was fitted with the McIntosh stereo and BBS wheels and had only been driven 463 miles. The Ford featured full documentation, including its window sticker, Ford certificate, and manuals with pouch. Barely used, the GT rolled off the block to its new owner for $538,500. Full results from the Amelia Island auction are available at rmsothebys.com.

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HEMMINGS MUSCLE MACHINES

Carlisle Ford Nationals Carlisle, Pennsylvania • 717-243-7855

Long Beach Hi-Performance Show & Swap Meet Long Beach, California • 800-762-9785 Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida • 727-848-7171

9-11

Mecum Auctions Tulsa, Oklahoma • 262-275-5050

15

The Vault Auction Jackson, Mississippi • 601-665-4027

16

Big Iron Auctions St. Edward, Nebraska • 800-937-3558

16-18 18 24-25

AACA Eastern Spring Nationals Beckley, West Virginia • 717-534-1910 Oldsmobile Homecoming Lansing, Michigan • 517-256-2336 Carlisle GM Nationals Carlisle, Pennsylvania • 717-243-7855

26

Pomona Swap Meet Pomona, California • 714-538-7091

30-July 2

Barrett-Jackson Auction Las Vegas, Nevada • 480-421-6694

Please note that these events are active as of press time despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend you verify the status before making plans to attend.

GOODING & COMPANY

UP NEXT GOODING GEARED ONLINE SCOTTSDALE RESULTS

The January edition of Gooding & Company’s Geared Online auctions achieved total sales of more than $6.9 million, with an 88 percent sell-through.

One of the cars to find a new home was an original 1967 Corvette coupe.

Unrestored and finished in Marlboro Maroon over black, it was powered by a 427-cu.in., 435-hp engine mated to an M21 four-speed transmission. Purchased new in California, the Corvette had the RPO K19 air injector reactor “smog” equipment. Owned by its original buyer until 1995, the coupe was then sold to an East Coast Corvette collector, showing just 29,000 miles on the odometer.

The consigner was the car’s third owner, and flaws were evident in the paint, with some normal wear on the interior. The ’Vette was still fitted with original components, including all glass, carburetors, alternator, manifolds, and the aforementioned A.I.R. system, and sold for $132,000.

Another C2 Corvette to sell was a 1963 coupe equipped with the solid-lifter 327-cu.in., 340-hp engine. The four-speed ’Vette began its life as a weekend driver on Long Island, New York, and showed 61,200 miles at the time of consignment.

It was a winner of Bloomington Gold Survivor and Benchmark awards, and it was original throughout, including the paint, interior, and drivetrain. Other factory components included the GM-supplied fire extinguisher, floormats, and jack. Finished in Saddle Tan paint with a matching leather interior, the desirable split-window Sting Ray sold for $335,500. Full results from Gooding’s Geared Online Scottsdale auction are now available at goodingco.com.

Mecum returns to Tulsa, in the Sooner State, with an anticipated docket of more than 1,000 cars. Last year’s auction exceeded $21.2 million in total sales, with 539 cars changing hands to deliver an 82 percent sell-through. American muscle and high-performance cars accounted for $6.1 million, with an 84.7 percent sell-through. A trio of 2005-’06 Ford GTs led the way, with individual sale prices ranging from $280,500 to $330,000. This year’s auction will take place June 9-11 at the SageNet Center at Expo Square; visit mecum.com for a current consignment list.

Barrett-Jackson will be back in Las Vegas, at the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Last year’s sale was 100-percent no-reserve and when the final gavel fell, overall sales of $46 million were realized, with more than 700 cars purchased. Advance tickets are now available for the June 30-July 2 auction, so head to barrett-jackson.com for more details.

Time to Sell?

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JUNE 2022

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HEMMINGSAUCTIONS.COM

By Mark J. McCourt • Images courtesy of hemmingsauctions.com

HEMMINGS AUCTIONS IS OUR LIVE, ONLINE AUCTION

site staffed by customer service professionals ready to help bidders and sellers with any questions. A wide variety of classic and specialty vehicles from all eras are up for bid.

Auctions run for two weeks, and qualified bidders place their bids electronically. Once a vehicle is accepted into the

auction, the seller pays only a $99.95 listing fee. The winning bidder is responsible for a 5-percent fee on all completed auctions. The following are examples of auctions that transpired during the month leading up to press time. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, email Director of Auction Operations Terry Shea: terryshea@hemmings.com.

1969 OLDSMOBILE 4-4-2 RESERVE: $25,000 SELLING PRICE: $32,025

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $22,140-$35,360

As if being a factory-built 4-4-2 didn’t make this ’69 Oldsmobile desirable enough, a prior owner transformed its appearance into that of a Hurst/ Olds. The gold-accented white paint was said to be in good shape, with some chips and a bit of bubbling noted. The intact factory-installed upholstery of the sub-74,000-mile example was joined by new carpets.

The Hurst/Olds’s Dual-Gate shifter and short console were not added, but a Hurst T-handle auto shifter was. A special cold-air induction system topped the Quadrajet carburetor, and a Chevrolet 12-bolt Positraction axle stood in for the original Olds unit. An autographed “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter” Linda Vaughn photo helped seal this good deal.

1970 AMERICAN MOTORS AMX RESERVE: $47,500 SELLING PRICE: $57,750

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $48,140-$68,350

That it took 12 time extensions before the virtual gavel dropped on this Big Bad Green AMX spoke volumes. Bidders were smitten with the twoseater’s great-appearing restoration, documented with photos, receipts, and emails that went with the car. It had the right stuff, including that aforementioned paint color, the 390-cubic-inch V-8, four-speed manual, and Go Package goodies like a limited-slip differential, ram-air intake, and power front discs. The manual gearbox admittedly took a bit of wrangling to engage reverse, scratches were noted on the driver’s window glass, and the low-mileage tires were 10-plus years old. That said, those issues couldn’t quell enthusiasm for this rare muscle AMC.

1986 FORD MUSTANG SVO RESERVE: $8,000 SELLING PRICE: $9,250

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $7,650-$12,850

One of fewer than 3,400 built for 1986, this turbocharged and intercooled, 2.3-liter four-cylinder Mustang SVO represented the technological zenith of Ford’s pony car up to that point. The sub-73,000-mile Oxford White example had been carefully maintained by three collector-owners, with an aftermarket stereo and biplane rear wing supports as the only noted mods; the factory radio was included. This rust-free Arizona car was said to drive well on near-new tires; it did have a PCV oil drip that showed up in certain cases. Its exterior and interior presented very well save for minor paint chips and a small windshield crack. Bidders rang up three time extensions before the SVO hammered to a new home.

LEGEND RESERVE: Minimum price owner will accept SELLING PRICE*: What the vehicle sold for, inclusive of buyer’s 5-percent fee (*sold as a Make Offer listing following the live auction) RECENT MARKET RANGE: The low-to-high value range for the vehicle based on published results of similar vehicles sold at auction over the previous 18 months

ADVERTISERS

1987 BUICK GRAND NATIONAL RESERVE: $35,000 SELLING PRICE: $47,250

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $33,250-$47,500

Turbocharged Buick G-bodies are super-hot these days, as this one-owner ’87 Grand National proved, with bidders extending the auction six times to end in spectacular fashion. With fewer than 52,000 miles on the odometer, a 1999 repaint, and a stack of original documentation including the window sticker, the rust-free, solid-roof GN ticked all the boxes. Only minor blemishes were said to mark the paint, while the front bumper and filler panels had been replaced with lightweight stand-ins.

The interior looked good in photos, with a replacement headliner and CD player installed, although the original radio went with it. Decade-old tires had good tread remaining, but the new owner should install new rubber for safety before any burnouts or on-road driving.

1969 PONTIAC FIREBIRD

1996 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

RESERVE: $15,500 SELLING PRICE: $19,164

RESERVE: $17,500 SELLING PRICE: $17,325*

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $15,120-$23,550

It’s not often we find a 52-year-old car in the hands of its original owner, but that’s what this circa-139,000-mile, low-option Firebird convertible represented. The sporty Pontiac reportedly had received a stock rebuild of its factory 350-cubic-inch, two-barrel-carbureted V-8 (the smooth-shifting three-speed manual was left alone), and after a quarter-panel rust repair, a repaint in its original color; additional rust was noted. The replacement top had to be manually operated and the interior featured worn carpeting and upholstery, but the undercarriage appeared clean, and 1972-vintage slot mags mounted recent tires. The seller replied to questions frankly, and the Firebird went on to its second owner.

RECENT MARKET RANGE: $14,550-$20,420

The fourth-generation Corvette went out with a bang, thanks to the tasteful Collector Edition model of 1996. This example of that limitedproduction coupe sported Sebring Silver paint, ZR-1-style alloys, embroidered headrests, and special badging. The one-owner car showed fewer than 35,000 miles on its odometer, and was in unmodified original condition with “extremely good” paint and light wear on the black leather-upholstered interior. The 5.7-liter V-8 and automatic transmission worked without issue, while minor faults noted included a non-functioning passenger seat adjuster and older tires. This cool Chevy sold after bidding concluded using Hemmings Auctions’ popular Make Offer feature.

ADVANCED PLATING..................................................47 AMERICAN AUTOWIRE..............................................39 AMES PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING .....................51 ARP, AUTOMOTIVE RACING PROUDCTS ................27 BARRETT-JACKSON...................................................17 CARLISLE PRODUCTIONS ........................................33 CLASSIC INDUSTRIES, INC........................................19 CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS ........................ ........................................................inside back cover COKER TIRE....................................................................1 CUSTOM AUTOSOUND MFG.....................................45 DAKOTA DIGITAL ........................................................25 EDELBROCK ................................................................23 THE GREAT RACE .......................................................53 THE HAMILTON COLLECTION ....................................9 HEIDTS ..........................................................................31 HYDRO-E-LECTRIC ....................................................49 IDIDIT............................................................................33 J.C. TAYLOR AUTO INSURANCE ...............................31 MECUM AUCTIONS ......................................................5 MICHAEL IRVINE STUDIOS ........................................15 MODERN DRIVELINE INC. ..........................................41 NATIONAL PARTS DEPOT .......................... back cover ORIGINAL PARTS GROUP..........................................39 PERFORMANCE COATINGS MOTORSPORT............51 PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTORS .............................43 RPM FOUNDATION.....................................................57 STAUER ....................................................................... 7,11 SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT...................................3 THERMO TEC ...............................................................41 TRICK FLOW...................................... inside front cover UNIVERSAL VINTAGE TIRE ......................................... 4 US RADIATORS ...........................................................43 VINTAGE CHEVROLET CLUB OF AMERICA.............. 41 VOLUNTEER VETTE PRODUCTS..............................35 WALDRON’S EXHAUST...............................................51 WOODWARD FAB / HECK INDUSTRIES...................47 YEAR NE 49

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71

JIM McGOWAN jmcgowan@hemmings.com

Part of the Family

I

A car grows on, grows up, and grows old with you…

have been a regular attendee of a very large automotive swap meet and car sale here in Southern California for almost 50 years.

It has been both good and bad to me. I’ve bought and sold cars and parts, but all the while something else was happening there that I never realized. It hit me one morning as I read the classic car ads in the Sunday paper. There were a lot fewer local muscle cars for sale than in the past.

What was going on?

Then I started to think about all those doubledecker car haulers I’ve seen driving out of the swap meet, wearing Midwestern or Eastern license plates and loaded with “rust-free” California muscle cars. Car dealers from Asia, Australia, and Europe are also there, sending cars home to their respective countries. This has been going on for years, and that’s when I realized that all those cars were potential adoptees, and that there is only a finite number of muscle machines on the planet. They’re not making more of the vintage breeds, and a lot of them still need a good home. Just don’t look in Southern California — our reserve of adoption candidates has been forcibly migrated around the globe.

I have owned my ’65 GTO for 38 years, and it is now part of the family. Many other muscle cars have passed through the garage over the years, but this particular GTO has been here for nearly four decades, and it’s a keeper. Three kids consider it their metallic sibling, my wife considers it somewhat of a doted-on rival, and I just plain love it. I think that a lot of graybeards, who purchased muscle cars when they were new, are the primary buyers for those cars again today.

Boomers with some discretionary income want that Chevelle, 4-4-2, or Mach 1 they owned (or wished they owned) back in the day. I refer to this phenomenon as the “fun factor before the rocking chair.”

A muscle car can take on a persona of its own as the years roll on. It might have taken the wife to the hospital for the birth of a child, driven that child in a holiday parade, been loaned to said child to drive to the prom, and is now truly considered by the same child/adult to be a family member. And it can act like a family member, too. It gets cranky, won’t work, coughs, quits, moans, and groans just like some of your relatives. But you must consider it a family member

to realize all this. A car grows on, grows up, and grows old with you, and I have known enthusiasts who have actually mourned for a vehicle they foolishly sold in a fit of madness, myself included. It’s a sickness.

What about genealogy? Millions of folks spend countless hours and sometimes megabucks researching their family history. Have you ever considered that each and every muscle car has a history as well? The birth certificate is called a “build sheet,” and it followed the vehicle from conception to birth and was lodged somewhere in that car when it was squirted out the factory door. Every inch of that vehicle was recorded by the factory, and in many cases that information is available in books, on the web, or from professional sources who have access to old records from the assembly plants. You can document all the options, the date of construction, the assembly plant, and even the dealer it was sold through.

Engine codes, build date codes, color codes, and option codes verify the authenticity and genealogy of the car. You may not have owned it all its life, but you certainly can check its gene pool.

Unlike some other members of a normal family, your muscle car won’t talk back. It does what you want it to without complaining, goes in the garage when you want it to, and isn’t constantly asking for money. It can be an ideal family member that doesn’t need company, sits quietly by itself, and on top of all that, usually appreciates in value. What a concept: It’s the one family member that constantly provides nothing but enjoyment and fun!

Can you feel the love? If you’re truly an enthusiast, owning a muscle car that you’ve always wanted, or replacing one you sold long ago, is a special life experience. It’s falling in love with a piece of metal, which might seem totally outrageous to many, but the machine becomes part of your life. Unlike the things related to many other hobbies, your classic car is an animate object.

It doesn’t just sit on a shelf or in a display case, it goes down the road, making cool noises and scaring old ladies. It provides hours of tinkering, polishing, and bench-racing enjoyment. It allows you to join a club and associate with others who share your passion, as well as always giving you something to do. It’s the perfect addition to any family and should be introduced as such!

QUALITY STEERING·BRAKE ·SUSPENSION COMPLETE 13" FRONT / 12" REAR BIG

BRAKE KITS

FUEL IN JECTION-READY

AST 4-WHEEL VM LVE KIT! A P O R &P ENOLIC

OE TANK KITS

1964-67 CHEVY A-BODY KIT shown

2mm PHALIPERS DUAL 5FR TC PISTON ON

ITS FEATURE:

Heavy-Duty Stamped Steel Fuel Injection-Ready Tank Complete EFI 25 Ft. Fuel Line Kit — with −6AN Fittings Fuel Regulator/Filter Combo IN -TANK Fuel Tank Sending Unit PU M P 255 L/H In-Tank Pump up to 600HP

COMPLETE FRONT & REAR

BIG BRAKE KIT

estimated at

(High-Volume 340 L/H Also Available) INCLUDED! OE Direct-Fit Installation — Requires No Modifications

Mounting Straps, Brackets & Hardware

COMPLETE ALL-IN-ONE KIT estimated at

/kit

13" FRONT BRAKE KIT FEATURES:

455 */kit

$

EFI COMPLETE FUEL FILTER/REGULATOR KITS • EFI FUEL PUMPS • EFI IN-TANK FUEL PUMP INSTALL KITS • GAS TANK SENDING UNITS • EFI FUEL FITTING KITS

CPP’S PREMIUM NEW! STEERING COLUMNS

1964-72 CHEVELLE shown

100%SIGN!

799

• 12 ear ross-Drilled, Gas-Slotted & Zinc-Washed Rotors • Rear Single 45mm Loaded Calipers REAR KIT • Rear E-Brake Cables • Brackets, Hoses & Brake Lines estimated at • All Mounting Hardware * $

699

/kit

CHEVY TRIFIVE COLUMN SHIFT shown

CHROME OR BLACK FINISH

RE - DE

12" REAR BRAKE KIT FEATURES:

•1 ront ross- rilled, as- lotted FOR ALL POPULAR CAR & TRUCK & Zinc-Washed Rotors APPLICATIONS • Front Dual 52mm Loaded Calipers • Forged Aluminum Hubs with Screw-in Studs FRONT KIT • Front Bearings & Seals • All Mounting Brackets, Hoses, */kit $ estimated at Brake Lines & Hardware

INCLUDING 1964-68 MUSTANG

FOR ALL POPULAR APPLICATIONS

1498 *

$

1978-87 G-BODY shown

100N% D BRA

FEATURES:

• New - Tighter Tilt Mechanism NEW! NOT • New - Shift Handle & Shift Collar -BUILT E — Eliminating All Excess Play ADJUSTABLE with More Positive Shift Points 14:1 T available on upper arms for 5 -WAY TIL • New - Improved Turn Signal 1955-57 Chevy Fullsize applications POR T OR & Neutral Safety Switch COLUMN IFT • Factory Correct — Precision Engineering ATIO R FOR ALL POPULAR • New - Professional Finish— LOOR SH F • Ball Joints & Cross Shafts APPLICATIONS Satin Black or Chrome Kit content may UNIVERSAL FIT 2" & 33" • Black Semi-Gloss Coated Finish • Direct B vary per application 28",30",3 AL • New Damage Free S $ $ R • Inverted Flare Hose Kit w/Pressure & Return Line E $ IV */pr LOWER ARMS estimated at */pr Packaging Plastic UN UPPER ARMS estimated at /ea estimated at • Mounting Brackets & Hardware 500 SERIES KITS estimated at $ Suite Case /kit

199

429 *

269

FRONT & REAR COIL SPRINGS • igh- uality hrome- ilicon lloy onstruction • OE Fit & Black Powdercoated Finish

5"

STOCK TO DROP!

PRO

BUILDER’S

CHOICE

95*/pr BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDERS

FRONT OR REAR estimated at $

ALL POPULAR APPLICATIONS

CLASSIC FIT™ NITROGEN GAS SHOCKS • 180 PSI Nitrogen Gas Cylinders • Stock or Lowered Height Style Other Popular Brands Also Available

39 */ea

7"/8"/9" OR 11" DIA.

?

NO VACUUMROBLEM! P O N

PERFORMANCE HANDLING KITS

I

GRADE THE UP FOR THE D E DESIGNET MINDED! BUDG

SINGLE OR DUAL BOOSTERS

L S INCLUDES R BRAKE ASSI HOSE KITS! 1964-66 & 1967-72 MIDSIZE APPLICATIONS

599 */kit

estimated at $

COMPLETE WIRING KITS

BRAN

NOT T RE-BUIL

AMERICAN AUTOWIRE CLASSIC UPDATE

• Headlight, Dimmer & Ignition witches, oots, ubes, rommets, Fuses, Relays, Flashers & Original Connectors ECIFLIC • Terminals & Disconnects 27 SAP ILAB E! A V KITS • For All Make/Model/Year Vehicles $ • Designed for Modified Original /kit Vehicles -Not for OEM restoration projects estimated at

504 *

n

• Upper & Lower Ball Joints • Inner & Outer Tie Rod Ends & Adjusting Sleeve • Idler Arm or Idler Arm Bushing • Upper & Lower Polyplus™ or Rubber Control Arm Bushings with Bump Stops

199 */kit POLYPLUS KITS estimated at $289 */kit FOR STEERING LINKAGE KITS POPULAR

APPLICATIONS

ASIC KITS INCLUDE

Center-Link •Idler Arm •Pitman Arm

• luminum orvette- tyle Master Cylinder/Booster • Midnite Black Finish /kit • Mounting Brackets & Hardware

HYDRAULIC ASSIST BARE UNIT ONLY ted at $469 */kit

ASK ABOUT OUR SHOW STOPPER SYSTEM!

Shown with billet upgrades

FOR ALL POPULA APPLICATIO

APPLICATION SPECIFIC & UNIVERSAL KITS

FIREWALL OR FRAME MOUNT APPLICATONS estimated at $299 */kit

• Work with Both Stock & Tubular Arms

149 */kit

REAR STOCK-SUSPENSION KITS estimated at $

GET CONNECTED!

SCAN QR code for

CATALOG

#classicperform

= estimated at prices due to current rapidly changing costs.

See it all at: teamcpp.com

Classic Performance Products, Inc. 378 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Placentia, ss j

,

s

/kit

STANDARD OR HEAVY DUTY

829 *

$

Sway bar bushings & end links sold separately.

169 /kit COMPLETE KIT estimated at FRONT & REAR SWAY BAR KITS

833-820-6913 Tech Tips, Features, Events, Projects, News & Parts

KITS FEATURE:

BASIC KIT estimated at $

ClassicPerform .com

*

POLYPLUS™ 1968-70 CHEVELLE KIT shown

•Inner/Outer Tie Rod Ends • Billet Sleeves

FOR POPULAR APPLICATIONS E BEAS SYS EM ated at

COMPLETE FRONT END KITS

UPGRADE TO:

COMPLETE KITS shown ALSO INCLUDE

• Aluminum Master Cylinder w/Prop & Stop Block Kit • Billet Aluminum Mounting Bracket • Pedal Rod Hardware • Mounting Hardware

100%D NEW!

379 */ea

POWER BOX ONLY estimated at $

UBBER KITS estimated at $

!

KITS FEATURE:

• 1-1/8" Front & 1" Rear Sway Bars • Front & Rear Gas Shocks • Front & Rear Lowered Springs • Mounting Hardware

VACUUM ASSIST COMBO KITS

HYDRAULIC ASSIST SYSTEMS

FRONT OR REAR estimated at $

599 *

1955-56-57 TRI-FIVE PREMIUM COLUMNS and Classic Fit™PREMIUM READY TO INSTALL 1967-72 TRUCK COLUMNS estimated at $469 */ea

.

s

s

s

CA 92870 s.