The speed and power of an original muscle car still boggles my mind. I think any muscle car review site would agree. These cars packed a V8 engine in a lightweight, mid-sized body, and thus had amazing acceleration. There was nothing quite like old school muscle cars. These were the optimal racing cars, used in both legal and many illegal street races.

Most of the classic American muscle cars were produced for roughly a decade starting in the mid 60′s. The production began to drastically decline in the mid 70s because of the big controversy over making these kind of powerful vehicles available to the public. Since many of these cars were being used in illegal street races, many insurance companies were charging premium rates for most muscle cars. One of the biggest nails in the coffin for the muscle car era was new emission control requirements to help prevent pollution. These regulations made it almost impossible for the manufacturers to produce true muscle cars.

Needless to say, the muscle car industry changed quickly because of these influences. Demand for muscle cars dropped due to the combination of the premium insurance costs and the rising costs the manufacturers faced when building them.

Since muscle cars were produced for a limited number of years, they are valuable items for collectors and are still highly desirable to those who enjoy racing or desire a quick, powerful, mid-sized car. Since the decline in the production of muscle cars, some automakers have attempted to bring the muscle car era back to life by producing powerful vehicles that resemble the legendary muscle cars, but in my opinion, they don’t hold a candle to classic muscle cars like the GTO, the Road Runner or the Chevelle SS.

Today we are seeing a resurgence of such muscle car classics as the popular Charger and Challenger. While many muscle car purists have frowned on these new muscle cars, calling them knockoffs, others have embraced them with open arms.

However, classic muscle cars can never truly be duplicated. There is just something about a beautifully restored Chevelle, Nova, Road Runner, etc, that makes it unique and draws you to it. It is vintage and it stands out. Both for its rarity and its raw beauty. That is something a new “muscle car” can never do.

As much as I love new muscle cars such as the Charger (4 doors though) and the Challenger, I will forever love the vintage muscle cars.

When it comes to the Plymouth Superbird we are talking about an extremely rare muscle car that even unrestored, can fetch 50-70k. Not only that, but it had a great futuristic design, and also had some respectable HP to brag about. The interior was also pretty eye catching for that time, and the seats were quite comfortable.

Plymouth decided to build a total of 1935 Superbirds which were designated to reach the marketplace. The Superbird’s overall design was quite funky, and unlike anything really on the market at the time.. Also what else was fitted to the front fenders was the nosecone which was made out of metal.

When it comes to the materials that were used for the Plymouth Superbird, they were all of top quality. These included vinyl tops, which were used in order to have the welding seams that were left by the flush mounted rear’s fitment, covered. Also the rearward facing scoops were not only designed to have an artistic effect, but they were also to serve a purpose for the race versions. Thus what they would do is to allow the fender tops to be cut for a good suspension travel and nonetheless, for tire clearance.

On the inside of the car, regardless of the outside’s amazing looks which I would classify as the flying car of a superhero, there were also road runner stickers added on the inside. The rear flanks were tapered with billboard sized stickers reading “Plymouth” which would add to the overall appearance of the car and the impression it would leave on the people.

For anyone interested in purchasing the Superbird, there weree 3 engines types to choose from: the 440+6 which features 2 barrel carburetors and 390 HP, the 440 which featured a single 4 barrel carburetor and 375 HP and also a dual quad 425 BHP 426 Hemi.

It is a little hard to have the number of sales fathomed when it comes to the Superbird because some designs were apparently too futuristic and went too far. But if you own a Superbird today you indeed own an extremely valuable car that can sell for 100k or more, when it is restored.

Muscle car is a term which was coined for a high performance car. Usually, the cars made in United States, Australia and South Africa between 1964 and 1974 were referred to as muscle cars. These cars are mid sized cars having a powerful V8 engine. These cars are used for street or drag racing. These cars are specially designed for maximum torque and high performance.

Some of the very famous muscle cars are Plymouth Road Runner, Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac GTO, Dodge Superbee, Chevrolet Chevelle, Dodge Daytona, Mercury Cougar etc and the list goes on. A few modern day muscle cars are Chevrolet Impala SS, Dodge Charger Daytona, Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford Terminator SVT Cobra etc.

Muscle car insurance is different from the standard car insurance. Usually, the standard car insurance companies will not give you insurance policy for muscle cars. Even if they do, they will charge exorbitantly high premiums for that. Therefore, it is necessary to get the insurance from a reputed company which specializes in muscle car insurance.

Some of the things which you should keep in mind while choosing an insurance company for your muscle car are:

- Does this company specialize in muscle car insurance?
- Whether the company offer stated car value or agreed car value? Usually, the specialty car insurance companies and insurers will agree upon a value of coverage for your car depending upon certain guidelines.
- Does this company require a professional appraisal of car?
- What are the terms regarding deductibles and liabilities?
- Is there any mileage limitation on the car per year?
- Who else will be able to drive your car after taking insurance?
- Are there any restrictions for modification after policy approval?
- Does the company give any discounts on safety features?
- What is the policy on roadside assistance?
- How simple and reliable is the customer support, payment process, claim process etc.

The best way to find a good muscle car insurance company is to do some research on internet. You can get reviews from existing customers, compare terms and conditions, get quotes etc easily sitting at home.

The author writes articles on personal finance and insurance including muscle car insurance and car insurance over 65

Now that we are well into 2009 we finally have all three new muscle cars on the road; the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro. With the exception of a pony car being available from Chrysler, what we have is a continuing muscle car war from the big three manufactures that has been recurring since 1967. Granted, the GM F-bodies have not been available the last few years, but now that everyone is back in the game it has to be called into question; will these new performance cars stand the test of time better than their predecessors. Also, will these cars hold value better then the generations before?

The short answer will be, yes. Take the Ford Mustang for example. Even though the car has been in steady production since 1964, the buzz surrounding the existing S197 Mustang introduced in 2005 almost rivals the original design series of 1964 to 1970 that most all Mustang aficionados refer to as the ‘classic’ Mustang. What does this mean for long term Mustang values? More than likely, the S197 Mustang will retain both its value and road life for a long time. Why? Because the youth market clamors for the car; even the basic V6 powered S197 Mustang will find it’s road use extended well beyond its normal life expectancy since the car is so popular among young males and females.

The all new Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger are in a similar position. The Camaro is the everyman’s car; it’s popularity will rise and fall, ebb and flow, but since the new Camaro is a well engineered car that delivers better gas mileage then it’s competitors (in V6 trim) the Camaro will also enjoy a very long road life. As for the Challenger, it is the rarest of the new muscle cars and very popular among young men and journalists. In a sense, it is the ‘bad boy’ option. The Challenger will always be behind the Mustang and Camaro in sales despite its popularity. Due to this air of exclusivity, the long term outlook for the Dodge Challenger is that it will retain its value far better then its competitors and gain classic status much sooner.

Tom Carillo is an avid muscle car fan. You can read all about the new Camaros and other fun muscle cars at his website.

What do you think it takes to make a muscle car? Is it foot/lbs of torque? Horsepower? Is it purely the image? The hype and build-up surrounding a muscle cars can get a little confusing when a new model is released, but the “tried and true” dream cars have proven their power and performance year after year and decade after decade. American, European, and Asian cars appeal to different segments of muscle car enthusiasts, for different reasons.

Several cars immediately race into your thoughts when you think about American muscle cars: Corvette, Camaro’s from the late 60′s through the 70′s, Mustang, and, the AMC Javelin. A car lover could go on to mention the Charger and Challenger, Chevelle, and Gran Torino. What you have there is a short list. The whole list of American muscle cars goes on for miles. Those cars all have one thing in common…performance year after year. To back that up, they all have good PR. Except for the Javelin. AMC never could figure out how to sell its cars.

Should you want to talk European muscle cars, then you have: BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Opel, Maserati, and Fiat, to name a few of the bigger ones. A lot of people outside of Europe are a little confused when they hear Opel mentioned, but all they have to do is check into racing to get their bona fides. All of these companies were fine tuning and marketing their cars before WWII. The Asian car makers have run Formula 1 and Monte Carlo-style races for quite awhile, but have only gained wide spread recognition in the last few years. They are mostly known for their four cylinder, nitrous backed performance. That creates some debate over their being muscle cars or not. Personally, I have never had much respect for them, other than their gas mileage. With the right equipment, they can put your back to the seat, though.

But, what makes these automobiles muscle cars? When you think of muscle do you break it down into stock and modifieds, or do you include complete build outs? A case can be made for all of these. In the average guy’s mind a muscle car is one that is based on an original factory engine, front end, and drive train. Just adding a new Edlebrock intake does not make a muscle car, either. There has to be some significant change in torque, horsepower, time in the quarter, and top end.

Image has a great deal to do with it. Public perception is more powerful than anything else in this era of media overload. When a car is initially marketed, it has a tag…muscle car, family sedan, granny mobile…that it either lives up to or does not. The guy who buys that car is the one who ultimately determines what stereotype the car endures under. If a car does not deliver, from pedal to repair, it will never resell. Ease of repair, and the relative infrequency of those repairs, has a lot to do with the long term image of a car.

What makes a muscle car is a question that can not be answered with a short list of criteria. It is a feeling, a look, and a whole lot of passion. You have to have a combination of the right factors. Try beefing up a Chevette or a Pacer. All you will get are some stares. a lot of laughs, and a whole bunch of “Why”‘s. You could get that thing down the quarter in a heartbeat, 0-60 ahead of a Ferrari, but it still will not be a muscle car. Public image carries most of the weight. The technical stuff is for the “grease monkeys” and “gear heads”. Each group has its own favorite muscle cars. I know which ones are mine and you know which are yours. A guy has to respect that, but don’t cut me off on the highway…We may have to run ‘em to find out.

Jerry Coffey is a cornhole enthusiast and a webmaster at http://www.cornholegameinfo.com

Whenever it comes to upgrading or replacing engines for those who want maximum power it seems it is always the bigger the more powerful, the better. So it goes with Chrysler motors especially when it comes to the vintage retro “Muscle Cars” of the 1960′s and 1970′s.

The “B” and “RB” series can be said to be the “Big Boys” or the “Big Blocks”.

The basic designs of the “B” as well as the “RB” series of power plants are essentially the similar if not the same. This means to a reasonably experienced automotive person with automotive repair skills, that a “RB” series engine can be installed in place of an “R” and vice verso. Take note that if an RB block is wider and taller than its cousin or sister.

If an RB block replaces a previous B block under the hood the mechanic in charge may well find that he or she will have to proceed with additional modifications to accommodate the increased size and girth of the newer replacement engine block. In addition for clearance needs special or different exhaust manifolds or headers may be required.

The question becomes if all B engine blocks – that is the Chrysler 350. 361, 383 and 400 – are of a similar design? It seems that this group and family are all pretty much laid out the same of the same designs. Two bolt main bearing caps are the distinguishing feature in this series. You can count on the essential designs and layout being very strong and durable. So durable in fact that Chrysler never entertained the need to enhance the product line, and upscale it with four-bolt blocks, even in their very high and highest performance versions. Basically you can be reassured that virtually all the parts and components, that is except the pistons themselves, among all the different displacement versions, are interchangeable with no modifications required. Well that is the theory at least. Welcome to the real world of cars, autos and automotive and classic 60′s “Muscle Cars” enthusiasts. They are a strange and unique breed indeed.

What of the “RB” blocks? “RB” engine blocks share many similarities with the “R” series but they are not exactly identical, although more than similar. The main bearing journal diameters are the same as the “R”s. However you can count on this grouping of motors being overall larger than those of the “B” set. It is often noted that the cylinder bore diameters themselves are different among the different displacement engine varieties (413,426 and that of the massive 440) and that generally the smaller displacement in real life motoring on American roads and highways do not have a thick enough bore sleeve to accommodate the strain and work to be over-bored to accept pistons from the next larger displacement version. It can be said , for good effort and results, that you can count on the majority, if not the entire groupings, of the “RB” engines to have the same reliable, durable and racetrack proven two-bolt main bearings caps setup.

With your new and larger engine especially with the 1960′s Chrysler and Mopar “Muscle Cars” of legend – be they 60′s Plymouth “Road Runners” or Dodge “Super Bees” or all the way to the 1970 Mopar Challengers, Barracudas all the way to the 426 Hemi Cuda the thrill of speed on the highways and roadways of America as well is Canada is always there. On top of that you cannot have too big or too powerful motor and engine block.

Shaun Stevens Driveky Mods
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