Muscle Car Tapestries
Description: Among the dealership-based supercar builders of the 1960s and ’70s — including Yenko, Nickey, Grand Spaulding Dodge, and Royal Pontiac, most of these dealerships of the muscle era offered what was known as a 'supercar' service, which essentially provided a brand new, stock-bodied vehicle with plenty of extra horses, using either a highly tuned factory power plant or a high-performance crate engine. Baldwin Chevrolet took a slightly different approach, taking new Chevys sold through is dealership in Baldwin, New York (Long Island), and then delivered them to Joel Rosen’s Motion Performance speed shop (also in Baldwin), where they became street-legal, turn-key drag cars. many of which had optional wild custom body kits
Description: Designed as a value brand, Plymouth was well-suited to serve the post-war baby boom youth market as young men (and women) began taking to the streets, but Plymouth knew that customers wanted more. The combination of a line of lightweight vehicles with low price points, and easy access to some serious powertrains would propel the brand’s ascension from economy car nameplate to muscle car legend. Taking these lightweight cars and jamming a 426ci Max Wedge Hemi into them made for instant drag strip missiles, and professional racers saw what Plymouth was going and got behind them in great numbers. By 1970, Plymouth’s line of affordable muscle cars had blossomed into the Rapid Transit System, a group of serious performers.
Description: The 1969 Hurst/Olds again used the 455-cid V-8 with W-30 heads, cam, distributor, and Force-Air induction. This engine, called the W-46, was slightly detuned from '68, losing 10 bhp. A H/O modified Turbo Hydra-matic transmission with console-shifted Hurst Dual-Gate was mandatory. As high performance raced into the wacky late '60s, the idea of a mad scientist conjuring up ever-more-potent 4-4-2s seemed almost reasonable, and Olds advertising was rife with the image of Dr. Oldsmobile in his baggy lab coat and silent-movie mustache. In a sense, there really was such a fellow: Jack "Doc" Watson, head of research for Hurst Performance Products.
Description: Plymouth’s boxy Belvedere GTX may have been late to the party in '67, but the division cleaned house on everybody else in '68 with the Road Runner. Unlike the GTX, this time Plymouth got it right; dropping in a 335 bhp 383 cid V-8 with 440 Super Commando heads and cam in a bare bones 3,000-lb, two-door hardtop with a 4-speed synchro transmission. Base price was $2,870.00, skinned down to a rubber floor mat and non-pleat taxicab interior. If you wanted carpet and bright work, you had to drop another $79.20 for the décor group. More power by way of a 425 bhp, 426 cid Hemi would cost you $714.30, but the base car was quick and simple, and that's exactly how most buyers liked it.
Description: The Vega was an American subcompact automobile that was made from 1970 to 1977. Available in two-door hatchback, notchback, wagon, and sedan delivery body styles, all models were powered by an inline four-cylinder engine with a lightweight, aluminum block. While Vegas initially sold well, they were plagued with quality issues throughout the model's seven-year life. On the upside, these cars became plentiful on the secondary market and after hot rodders realized they could easily fit a small block V8 into them, muscle Vegas began terrorizing the streets and strip.
Description: At the height of the muscle car era, Oldsmobile made a deal with Hurst that worked out really well for both companies. In order to create a “halo” car, the two companies collaborated to produce special, limited edition, high-performance Cutlasses. The program started in 1968 with a run of 515 cars, and continued off and on for a number of years, with the final run in 1984, but for many fans, the 1968, 1969, and 1972 versions were the best out of the nine years these cars were offered. The inspiration for the production cars was the Hurst Hairy Olds of 1966-67, drag cars that made a huge impact – twin-engine, four-wheel-drive monsters that were really fun to watch.
Description: Classic Car Gift Shirt and perfect gift for birthday, Christmas, or any holiday present especially for those who love classic car Vintage car shirt, hot rod t shirt, old guy shirt, father car shirt, grandpa car shirt, grandfather car t shirt, mom shirt, grandmother shirt, classic vintage car shirt
Description: Get in, sit down, shut up and hold on! Funny classic muscle car cartoon by Jeff Hobrath. Hot looking sixties American muscle car, popping a wheelie, huge chrome engine, flaming exhaust and smoking tires. Very cool blast from the past for the automotive enthusiast, great gift for car guys and gals.
Description: The first true Grand National model, clad in the model's iconic gloss black with pretty much zero chrome trim, debuted in 1984 and was instantly hailed as a triumph of performance by the automotive press. Pumping out a then-stout 200 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, the rear-wheel drive, 3.8-liter turbo coupe blew the doors off just about everything on the road. The Grand National was a subtle sleeper, giving even the Italian supercars a run for their money... and winning almost every time. Despite high demand for these road rockets, the production number remained low before the plug was pulled, so they are still a hot commodity among car enthusiasts and collectors alike today.
Description: Some people mistakenly think ‘Cuda is just a nickname for the Plymouth Barracuda, and while the cars are related, they're leagues apart. Plymouth launched the ‘Cuda as a more performance-oriented version of the Barracuda back in 1969. Barracudas had been around for years before that and were known as an economy car from the early days, but as the muscle car wars heated up, it was time to really push the envelope and the 'Cuda models were finally able to shed the economy car reputation and come into a class of their own.
Description: Carter Carburetor Company in St. Louis, Missouri, was established in 1909 by William Carter, who started experimenting with carburetors while running a successful bicycle shop. His first cast brass carb could meter and deliver fuel more accurately than many competing units, and easily found a place in the market. Carter became a major OEM supplier to Detroit. In 1971, they introduced the ThermoQuad four barrel. It was available in two sizes, rated according to air flow – 850 and 1000 CFM. The higher flow model was the largest street carburetor in terms of air flow when released, and was a factory part on many of the muscle cars of the era. Gear heads have a love/hate relationship with ThermoQuads, in that they either love or hate them.
