Ford Muscle Cars, Torino GT 428 Cobra Jet

The Ford Motor Company produced and intermediate car between 1968 and 1976, the Ford Torino. It’s initial concept was based on the Ford Fairlane which Ford produced between 1962 and 1970. After 1968 the Ford Fairlane name was retained for the base models with lower lever options than the models that wore the Torino name. By 1970 the Ford Torino name had become the primary name for Ford’s intermediate model and Fairlane became a sub-series to the Ford Torino. In 1971 the Fairlane name was dropped and all Ford intermediate models were given the Torino name. The most popoular models were the 4-door sedans and 4-door hardtops.

Ford had 14 different models for its intermediate line for 1968. The base model was the “Fairlane” which was available in a 2-door hardtop, a 4-door sedan, and a 4-fdoor station wagon. This was followed by the top level “Torino” series, which featured a 2-door hardtop, a 4-door sedan and Squire station wagon. Finally, the “Torino GT” that was the sporty version of the Fairlane 500 series that included a 2-door hardtop, Sports Roof and convertible model.

The unit construction for the Fairlane/Torino was the same as the 1967 models. The same suspension was continued for the 1968 models as the 1967 models, consisting of coil springs pivot mounted on an upper control arm and strut stabilized lower control arms in front, with long semi-elliptical leaf springs on a solid axle rear end. For v8 powered cars a heavy duty suspension option was available and included extra heavy duty springs and shocks. Steering was a re-circulating ball system, with power steering optional. All cars came standard with four wheel drum brakes, with power assist and disc brakes optional.

All models came standard with a 200cid IL-6 except for the Torino GT models, which came a 302-2V small block V8. Engine options available included a 289-2V, a 302-2V (for models other than the GT), a 390-2V, and 390-4V engine option. Initially a 427-4V engine was listed as an option for 1968, but no Fairlanes or Torinos were ever produced with this engine during 1968.

Ford produced a high performance version of the Torino by fitting them with big block engines, such as the 428 cid and 429cid “Cobra Jet” engines. Introduced on April 1, 1968, the 428-4V CJ (Cobra Jet) became available as an option, due to the mid year introduction of this ooption the 1968 428-4V CJ’s are very rare. The Torinos equipped with the 428-4V Cobra Jets had a red and chrome emblem “428” on the fenders behind the parking lights. This engine option classified them as muscle cars.

The Torino became a success for 1968 with 172,083 models produced. The Fairlane model had a production number of 371,787 units. Ford chose the “Torino” as the base for its “NASCAR” entrants, it has a highly successful racing history. The 1968 “Torino GT” convertible was also selected as the “1968 Indianapolis 500 pace car”.

Chevrolet Muscle Cars. 1970 Camaro "Second Generation", RS-396, SS-350 LT-1, Z-28

The Second generation of Chevrolet Camaro muscle car was introduced in February 1970, halfway through the model year. This late introduction had some people incorrectly referring to it as a “1970 ½”, all were 1970 models.

The styling for this generation of Camaro was longer, lower and wider than the first generation Camaro (referred to as pony cars), a convertible body style was no longer available. The new look of the second generation was inspred by Jaguar, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. With the new look and style of the Camaro muscle car its basic mechanical engineering was as familiar as the previous Camaro with a unibody structure and a front sub-frame, A-arm and coil spring front suspension with rear leaf springs. Chevrolet engineers gained significant advances in road handling, steering, braking and balance from racing experiences of the first generation Camaro, making it more of “A Driver’s Car” than previous models of the Camaro muscle car.

Most of the engine and drivetrain components were from the 1969 models of Camaro, with the base engine now a 250cid in-line six cylinder rated at 155 hp. Big blocks were still the muscle behind the1970 Camaro’s ranking in the muscle car class, they included: L-78 396cid rated at 375 hp (in 1970 the 396 V8s actual cid was a 402, Chevrolet chose to keep the 396 badging) Two 454cid engines were listed on specification and sales sheets, they never made it into production. Buyers had could choose from the “Rally Sport” option, a “Super Sport” option, and the “Z-28 Special Performance Package” with a featured high-performance LT-1 350cidV8 rated at 360 hp with 380 lb-ft of torque, with the turbo 400 automatic transmission as an option versus the four-speed manual transmission.

The 1970 Camaro muscle cars are regarded as the most desirable of the early “Second Generation Camaro’s” with the future Camaro’s giving in to automobile emissions control systems and heavier mandated bumpers.

Mopar Muscle Cars, Dodge Challenger SRT8 425-HP Hemi

It has been four decades since Dodge introduced the Challenger into the Muscle car market. The 1970 Challenger had the original bad-boy Hemi 426 V8 with 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. The Hemi Challenger and the 440 Challenger were no lightweights by any means. By 1972 the Hemi option had disappeared and by 1974 Dodge Challengers had disappeared altogether.

Recently Dodge has introduced a new version of the Challenger, reviving the golden years of the Muscle cars and pony-cars with the new Dodge Challenger SRT8, with a 425-horsepower HEMI for its muscle. Given that kind of muscle, Chrysler’s 370cid (6.1 liter) 425HP Hemi V8 puts out 420lb-ft of torque @ 4800 rpm, with a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds and will clear the ¼ mile in 13.1 seconds. The Challenger should be capable of obtaining its top speed of 173 mph at a redline of 6400 rpm.

Dodge is proud of its accomplishment with this “ROBUSTLY RETRO” version of its ancestor. The SRT8 Challenger will be available on the market by the end of April, four months ahead of Dodge’s anticipated debute of the SRT8 Challenger. This is a great accomplishment for Dodge, to be first, ahead of the competition.

The April issue of Car and Driver has an article preview with a great pictorial of the Dodge SRT8 Challenger. The look of the new Challenger as quoted in the article is; “If the New Challenger isn’t an exact replica of the original, no one who remembers those thrilling cars of yesteryear will fail to recognize it."

American Muscle Cars, Classic Chevrolet El Camino (First Generation)

The first Chevrolet El Camino (“the road” translated in Spanish) was introduced to the car market in 1959 (two years after the Ford Ranchero). The El Camino was produced from 1959-1960 as a coupe utility, (similar to the Ford Ranchero). The El Camino was based on an easily modified platform from the 1959 Brookwood two-door station wagon design. The same trim level and drivetrain options were available for the El Camino as the Chevrolet Impala. This was the first year for the “batwing” full sized Chevrolets.

Unfortunately El Camino sold fewer numbers than the conservative style of Ford Ranchero. The El Camino suffered sales of only 22,246 for the first year. The less flamboyant models for 1960 sold only 14,162 models of El Camino, at this point General Motors discontinued the El Camino. In total, 36,409 first generation models were produced. Production resumed for the El Camino from 1964 through 1987. The El Camino was sold in 1978 through 1987 with four different models” the Super Sport, the Black Knight, the Conquista and El Camino. There was also a twin to the El Camino, the GMC Sprint, and the GMC Caballero from 1974 on.


The El Camino’s are incorrectly referred to as cars because of their car heritage (this is a common mistake with vehicles of this type), the vehicle is titled and classified as a truck.
The El Camino’s were also sold in Mexico and labeled as Chevrolet Conquistador.

Production 1959-1960

Engine(s):
• 235cid in-line six
• 283cid small-block V8
• 348cid big-block V8

http://www.shadowscope.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/3926

American Muscle cars

Classic American Hot Rods, Chrysler (Mopar) 392 Hemi

What is a HEMI;

Hemi is short for hemispherical, half of a sphere, the shape of the combustion chamber in the early hemi engines. For more detailed info on the history of Hemi engines visit www.hemi.com, the Official HEMI engine website.

In the April issue of Car and Driver magazine an article titled HEMI HAIR DRYER, written by Patrick Bedland, shows a 1932 Deuce Coupe powered by the Chrysler 392 HEMI. The article begins with; There are two kinds of car guys; those who get it with hot rods and those whose eyes glaze over.

The 1932 Ford, deuce highboy roadster is highlighted in the article with a Chrysler (mopar) 392 Hemi. This flagship promotional vehicle labeled "The D-Rod" was built by Detroit Muscle to promote Detroit.

For more info on the spectacular American Classic Hot Rod with an estimated base price of $125,000 go to www.detroitmuscleusa.com or you can read Car and Drivers article.

American Muscle cars