American Muscle Car, Best Ever, Cars from 1964 to 1972

[JohnnyBz00LS]

Wow, haven't posted / looked at this thread for a while, need to visit more often.

Nice pictures, Squirell! Is that a real 1970 Chevelle LS6? Those are pretty rare, and definately one of the greatest factory hotrods in my book!

Actually, the most common engine option in '70 Chevelle SSs was the LS6, they out-numbered the LS5 454 and both 396s that were offered. When compared to Stage-1 Buicks or W30 Olds of the same year ('70), LS6s were pretty common, hardly "rare".

Not to dis the LS6s, they are still bad-azz cars, just not as rare as most people think.
:Beer

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

How 'bout ranking best engines?

How about ranking the best engines, in the following displacement classes:

7.5L (~455ci): My vote would have to be the Chevy LS6 454, tough to deny the highest factory HP rating of the day. However, Buick Stage-1s would be hard to argue against.

7.0L (~427ci): HEMI, no question.

6.6L (~400ci): Pontiac RA-IV were about as wicked as they came. L89 396s and the early, '66-'67 W30 Olds were close 2nds.

5.7L (~350ci): Olds W31, show me any another small block that runs 13s in a 3400 lb car. LT1s in Novas don't count.

5.0L (~305ci): I'd say it's a tossup between the '67-'69 Z28s and Boss 302 motors.

 

[squirell]

Wow, haven't posted / looked at this thread for a while, need to visit more often.



Actually, the most common engine option in '70 Chevelle SSs was the LS6, they out-numbered the LS5 454 and both 396s that were offered. When compared to Stage-1 Buicks or W30 Olds of the same year ('70), LS6s were pretty common, hardly "rare".

Not to dis the LS6s, they are still bad-azz cars, just not as rare as most people think.
:Beer

Hate to burst your bubble Johnny, you are way off :
1970 Chevelle SS
L-34 396 51,437 made
L-78 396 2144 made
L-89 396 18 made (aluminum heads)
LS-5 454 4298 made
LS-6 454 4475 made

Only 7 percent were ls-6 cars
Of that less than 10 percent of LS-6 cars were automatics.
That makes mine pretty rare.

 

[Black87LSC]

My uncle used to have one, dark green w/white stripes, LS6 auto. I think that was his favorite car, and im sure he regrets selling it every day.

 

[mespock]

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona :Beer

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

Hate to burst your bubble Johnny, you are way off :
1970 Chevelle SS
L-34 396 51,437 made
L-78 396 2144 made
L-89 396 18 made (aluminum heads)
LS-5 454 4298 made
LS-6 454 4475 made

Only 7 percent were ls-6 cars
Of that less than 10 percent of LS-6 cars were automatics.
That makes mine pretty rare.

My bad, I don't remember the article I read in MCR listing the L34. Either that or their mentioning that the 325HP 396 was dropped as the standard SS motor for '70 confused my memory of the details. Anyway, the thing I did remember was that the LS-6 was not the most rare optional motor like most people think (the article was about an L89 '70 SS). Thanks for clarifying.

Actually, now that I re-read my statement: "Actually, the most common engine option in '70 Chevelle SSs was the LS6, they out-numbered the LS5 454 and both 396s that were offered.", if the L34 was "standard" in the SS, then I really didn't mis-state anything.

Just to confirm, the L34 was rated 350HP, L78 and L89 were both 375HP, the LS5 was 380HP (?) and the LS6 was 450HP, right?

 

[Cubster]

Without a doubt the 1969 Corvette L-88 with the ZL1 heads, 500+ HP would do in the high 10's off the showroom floor, the Dodge Hemi would be a close 2nd

 

[bufordtpisser]

Best of the best.

I had both a 70 Olds w-30 and a 69 Buick GS Stage 1. Both great cars but the olds was by far the best. The low end torque was enough to make you want to have shocks installed in the back of your eyes so that they wouldn't smack the back of your head. All cars listed were great cars though, at least in some drivers mind.
:L

 

[Jporter]

When I was a kid my uncle had a 69 corvette he made it look like the mako or manta(?) my brother would know. Anyway, that was nice, and with me being little it was scary looking. still afraid of sharks 30 odd years later.

 

[67Continental]

How about ranking the best engines, in the following displacement classes:

7.5L (~455ci): My vote would have to be the Chevy LS6 454, tough to deny the highest factory HP rating of the day. However, Buick Stage-1s would be hard to argue against.

7.0L (~427ci): HEMI, no question.

6.6L (~400ci): Pontiac RA-IV were about as wicked as they came. L89 396s and the early, '66-'67 W30 Olds were close 2nds.

5.7L (~350ci): Olds W31, show me any another small block that runs 13s in a 3400 lb car. LT1s in Novas don't count.

5.0L (~305ci): I'd say it's a tossup between the '67-'69 Z28s and Boss 302 motors.

most of these displacement classes are exclusively GM, or at least, dominated by GM. Why not give ranges instead of exact displacement numbers? I guess dodge wins best 5.2l :soapbox:

 

[JohnnyBz00LS]

most of these displacement classes are exclusively GM, or at least, dominated by GM. Why not give ranges instead of exact displacement numbers? I guess dodge wins best 5.2l :soapbox:

OK, hows this?

~7.5L (440-460ci)
~7.0L (421-430ci)
~6.6L (383-409ci)
~5.7L (340-360ci)
~5.0L (301-330ci)
<5.0L (260-289ci)

I still may have missed a couple engines in the gaps, but they probably weren't noteworthy anyway. I didn't intend to "stack the cards" so that GM would "dominate". With few exceptions, GM does that all by themselves. :N

 

[squirell]

My bad, I don't remember the article I read in MCR listing the L34. Either that or their mentioning that the 325HP 396 was dropped as the standard SS motor for '70 confused my memory of the details. Anyway, the thing I did remember was that the LS-6 was not the most rare optional motor like most people think (the article was about an L89 '70 SS). Thanks for clarifying.

Actually, now that I re-read my statement: "Actually, the most common engine option in '70 Chevelle SSs was the LS6, they out-numbered the LS5 454 and both 396s that were offered.", if the L34 was "standard" in the SS, then I really didn't mis-state anything.

Just to confirm, the L34 was rated 350HP, L78 and L89 were both 375HP, the LS5 was 380HP (?) and the LS6 was 450HP, right?

Yup,
except the LS-5 was rated at 390 HP

 

[daves2000ls]

1969 Boss 302
1968 GTO Judge
68 Camaro Z28 or SS
1968 Mustang GT fastback with 390(BULLITT)
Any hemi cuda
1966 Shelby GT350S

 

[Stack]

GREAT LISTS!!!!

I got a ride in a friends Dad's "black belt" Chevelle in Florida...

4Sp Rock Crusher woo hoo was that thing a freaking blast! He was one hell of a driver and cool as all get out. That car had more trophies than the 92 Dream team!!! What a b e a u tiful example it was...

Went back not too long ago to find out HE SOLD IT!!! But he is on to something else now, I will see what when I go home for Christmas!

 

[Fleet]

I like both U.S. luxury cars and '60s/early '70s muscle cars.
I've always favored the Mopars, but like all the other brands, too.

Check out this ad which appeared in the June, 1970 issue of Car & Driver. Sox & Martin tested the latest Plymouth muscle cars.
Note that the '70 Hemicuda ran a best of 13.39 secs @ 108.17 mph... and this on 1970s tires!

 

[decibels5]

1968 chevrolet corvette with a 427 big block and a 4 speed on the floor. i drove one once, and it was like ice skating, and my very own 67 chevy II with a 327 and a auto 3 speed

 

[Fleet]

I'm sure many of you know that the actual gross horsepower of '60s muscle car engines were on purpose advertised lower-than-actual.
For instance, the 335-hp rating of the Ford 428 Cobra Jet is a joke. It's more like 410 hp.
Same with the 455 Buick GS Stage 1... rated at 360, more like 420.
And the Mopar Hemi... rated at 425, actual hp around 470.
Here is a chart for comparison:

 

[Sergmark]

I had a 69 corvette 427 rated 390 hp But I had it bulit up with a 4:56 rear and a close ratio 4 speed maybe 425 hp great street car What a fun car for a ninteen year old.

 

[Over2tonsofFun]

Because there was no Hurst/Olds built in '70 or '71. The H/O returned in '72 and paced the Indy 500 (the '70 442 Indy pace car was not a H/O). There were even H/O Vista Cruiser wagons built for track duty that year (now THAT's my idea of a SUV !!).

There was accually two H/O wagons built one for the press and one medical, my best friend drove one during the olds 100 anniversary parade in Lansing( don't know which one).

my list:

70 Buick GS stage 1 ( fastest 4 seat muscle car :gr_hail: :gr_hail had one that ran mid 12s with only cam, headers,and dual quads, drove to track days with the A/C on. here hemi, hemi
70 GTO ram air 4
72 Buick GS stage 2
64 Galaxie 427 SOHC
66-67 Hemi 4 doors the original sleeper
71 Buick GS stage 1 Convert. dream car
73 Buick Gran sport Stage 1 4 speed suncoupe

Yeah, I like my Buick muscle
Tim

 

[cavemansmarkviii]

1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
1970 Yenko Deuce (Nova) LS-6
1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty
1968 Race Hemi Dart
1968 1\2 Ford Mustang 428 CJ
1970 Buick GS 455 Stage 1
1970 Olds W30
1970 Hemi 'Cuda
1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS-6
1969 Trans Am Ram Air IV
1969 Corvette with ZL-1 427
Anything with Fords 427 SOHC (Seen and ridden in, BIG POWER)

 

[Brozly]

Boy, you guy's are makeing me feel bad, Nobody even mentioned Anything from AMC..., I realize they didn't have a Big block, but ...
"Even before it was introduced to the public at the Chicago Auto Show on February 23, 1968, the AMX broke 106 National and International speed records with Craig Breedlove behind the wheel. Breedlove would take the AMX to Bonneville and run an official 189 mph with an unofficial run of over 200 mph."
And they were Big in TranAm as well http://www.amx-perience.com/Trans-AmRacing.htm

 

[cavemansmarkviii]

It's ok, we know AMC's need love also. The early 390 AMX's were fast, but not as quick as most on at least my list. I've been 150 in one though.

 

[Brozly]

No, maybe not but they must've been pretty close...


The Super Stock "SS" AMX

The best known special edition AMXs were modified for AMC by Hurst to meet NHRA Super Stock class drag racing regulations. This was AMC's offering to the muscle car horsepower wars of the era. The infamous "69 AMX SS" -- perhaps the best (race setup) -- Detroit ever offered in a production vehicle. Fifty-two AMXs with 390s and 4-speed transmissions with virtually no change to the suspension, received special equipment including Edelbrock cross-ram intakes, dual-quad Holleys, and 12.3:1 Crane modified heads. They were drastically under-rated at 340 "official" horsepower. The first out-of-the-box AMX's were running 11 second et's at over 120 mph. These AMXs were "turn-key" race cars. Later that year with a little tweaking and backing by AMC, these cars dipped into the 10 second range. Shirley Shahan's "Drag-On-Lady" was most famous of these cars.
http://www.socalamx.net/theamxstory/index.htm

 

[mespock]

Boy that was fun re-reading this thread.

 

[93hotrodlincoln]

I vote 1970 -1971 Ford Torino 429 scj or Mercury cyclone spoiler. I love driving my old muscle car! (1971 Mercury Montego)