Rumored Buzz On Sport Bet Exposed
These came with the 335-bhp 428 V-8 that had first appeared in the "19681/2" Mercury Cyclone as the "Cobra Jet." A $133 option was "Ram-Air," a fiberglass hood scoop connecting to a special air-cleaner assembly with a valve that ducted incoming air directly into the carb. Starting at just $2,986, this pillared coupe or hardtop coupe delivered a 335-bhp 383, heavy-duty chassis and running gear, and few frills to detract from performance. Both listed Hemi and 440 V-8 options, though only a relative few were ordered that way; most buyers were quite happy with the strong 340- and 383-cid V-8s, both of which comfortably delivered more than 300 bhp. One of the biggest trends is the downsizing of the American home from a sprawling suburban mansion to something less conspicuous and more energy efficient. Even American Motors, the champion of the economy car, caught muscle car fever. Start with General Motors, where a 400-cube limited was lifted and acceleration took off. After all, if you're going to be going that fast, you need a good strong safety system in the event of a crash. A luncheon is a much more casual event than a dinner. Few classic muscle cars looked wilder, slot demo and none had more torque, than the thrilling 1970 Buick GSX.
Nevertheless, market demands and corporate pride were about to take the muscle car to its very peak, as you'll see on the next page. Revolution was in, as you'll see on the following page. A surprising number of police departments ordered Novas with either a 305- or 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine, following the lead of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which had given the compacts an exhaustive evaluation. Big size, big power, big fun -- the 1970 Ford Torino Cobra uncoiled up to 375 bhp from its ram-air 429-cid V-8. Some of the best all-around performance machines of the day were Ford muscle cars. Regardless of trim, Fusion showed the same good workmanship as the Five Hundred, the best ever from Ford and fully competitive with Accord and Camry. Pontiac's original muscle car also added an optional 455, though rated horsepower topped out at 360. The hot "Goat" setup still was Pontiac's Ram Air 400 with automatic and a tight axle ratio, though Car Life managed a best ET of only 14.6 seconds/99.5 mph. Chrysler, meantime, finally got serious about pony cars, trotting out a burly new 1970 Barracuda and an even huskier Dodge Challenger. But even that paled next to the 426 Street Hemi, a barely tamed version of the all-conquering race engine and as laughably underrated at 425 bhp.
Model-year 1966 ushered in rapid, redesigned midsize Fords and Mercurys; a burly midsize Dodge fastback, the Coronet-based Charger; a quartet of smoothly restyled GM intermediates; and even a "rent-a-racer" Mustang, the Hertz-vended Shelby GT-350H. Chrysler's wedgehead became a 440-cid powerhouse available in midsize Dodges under the "Magnum" label. Muscle got no meaner than the 1969 Dodge Super Bee Six Pack, named for the three Holley two-barrels on its 440-cid V-8. For just $159 more than a Nova 400, buyers could be the proud owner of a Nova Super Sport. Dodge joined in at midyear with a stripper Coronet coupe, the Super Bee, priced from $3,037 as part of the brand's "Scat Pack" performance line. The 2010 release was part of the "I Can be" line and included a stylish pink suit and news desk for Barbie to work from. Muscle car prices had been creeping beyond the reach of many enthusiasts, so Plymouth's 1968 Road Runner was welcome news. With a smile-inducing "beep-beep" horn and matching cartoon logo, the Road Runner drew a smashing 45,000 sales in its first year to create another new category, the budget muscle car. In 1966, the GTO set a one-year muscle car sales record of 96,946. As the market saturated, most muscle cars were drawing far fewer yearly sales; some were barely in the hundreds.
Muscle cars were better than ever for 1968. GM, Ford, and Chrysler all issued redesigned intermediates with sleeker looks, including windcheater rooflines for most hardtops. Chrysler bowed a potent 340-cid small-block for a new Dodge Dart GTS and hotter Formula S Plymouth Barracuda. Plymouth also added brash 'Cuda packages for its sporty compact, including a formidable few with big 440s squeezed in. Chevy belatedly answered Mustang with the Camaro, available with sporty RS and SS packages and potent V-8s up to a 375-bhp 396. Pontiac's similar Firebird bowed a few months later with its own hot-engine menu, topped by a 400-cid mill. Pontiac's pony car again offered four flavors, with the hottest Firebird 400s and Trans Ams listing up to 370 bhp with new Ram Air shaker hood. The Mustang Boss 302 and Firebird Trans Am answered the Camaro Z-28 in SCCA. The 1969 Yenko Camaro 427 got its name from Chevy dealer Don Yenko and its muscle from a sneaky engine transplant.