all around what is the best muscle car?

[bullseye]

i know this is one of them dumb od Questions but... what is a rly nice muscle car? like in terms of, less weight, high HP all that stuff and what looks the best.... my frined just got a 78 datson and i wana git some thing that will keep me up with him thx for the info

[87_Mustang_GT]

I say a 383 or 440 Dodge Charger. I recomend the 68-70, but thats just my opinion. If you are on a budget than a late model mustang 5.0L really has a lot of bang for the buck. Its light and has 225 horsepower, but 300 lb./ft. of torque, which gets it going fast!

[71Cnet]

if you want to go old muscle i would go with a 340 dart or duster 70-72. they are light wieght and you can do almost anything with the 340. if you want you can acctually stuff a big block in it but then you have the wieght issue. but you can get more hp and torque. all you really have to do is worry about traction. like you do with anything with alot of hp and torque.

[bullseye]

i have thought of a mustang but i have been told that they are very porly made... i have also thought of a charger what are the like shorter langth Y's chargers... sorry if this dont make a lot off sence and ill look in to the dart and duster

[MagicRat]

The best muscle car?? Thats like asking which of your children is your favourite.
Mustang 5.0 is IMHO the best performance bargain going. The Mustangs from the 60's and early 70's were a little fragile, especially in terms of metal fatigue and rust. The 5.0 is 80's and 90's and are much better made than any 60's muscle car ever was.
(BTW I have owned two 80's Mustangs and a whole bunch of 60's and 70's cars)
For the '60's muscle cars, I am partial to GM cars from that era, as they are more durable than average, (from the '60's) and cheaper and easier to fix than Mopar and Ford.

[1g1yy]

1970 Chevelle LS6. That's not just my opinion -- the magazines of that era had it as the fastest (stock) musclecar (in the 1/4). Or, at least the fastest musclecar that was available to the average buyer not counting limited production cars. It was considered the best all-around musclecar even thought the 1970 Hemi Cuda was a tiny bit quicker in the 1/4 ( 13.10 @ 107.12 to the Chevelles 13.12 @ 108.17). Plus Chevy performance parts were cheaper by far than any other make. Plus with some well planned mods it could really be made fast!

[bullseye]

i have been thinking about a 1971 or 72 SS chevelle or maby a GTO is it wrth giting a manual clutch? any ways i dont know waht to git i wana git a car i can re build so i am thinking a chevelle mustange or GTo i am prity sure on 1 of them any thang u guys have to say?

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by bullseye

i have been thinking about a 1971 or 72 SS chevelle or maby a GTO is it wrth giting a manual clutch? any ways i dont know waht to git i wana git a car i can re build so i am thinking a chevelle mustange or GTo i am prity sure on 1 of them any thang u guys have to say?

The GTO and Chevelle are almost identical. The Chevelle would likely be a bit cheaper to buy and fix, but many came with low powered 6 cyl and 307 V8's All GTO's had at least a 400.

Mustangs.....I like them, but the '60's and early 70's ones are quite fragile when they get old. They are much more susceptable to rust damage than a GM car and, if driven long enough, the front spring towers often collapse from metal fatigue. GM cars are built like pick up trucks by comparison.
I would suggest to buy the best GTO, Chevelle or Mustang you can find, rather than limiting yourself to just one choice.

[bullseye]

i was wondering resently if i got a manual transmiton and when the cluch whent out wouldnt it be hard to find a nother one unless it was a mustang or GTO because tehre still in production?? just wondering thank you agin!

[DGB454]

If weight is an issue then I would go for a late 60s Camaro. Otherwise an early 70s SS Chevelle. Mopar made some pretty nice muscle cars those years also.

[-Josh-]

Originally Posted by bullseye

i was wondering resently if i got a manual transmition and when the cluch whent out wouldnt it be hard to find a nother one unless it was a mustang or GTO because tehre still in production?? just wondering thank you agin!

Well, if it was specifically for that tranny, you could probably get one from GM vintage parts(expensive). But most old GTO's that you will get nowadays wont have the stock transmission or engine, so it would probably be easy to find a clutch for it.

And the GTO was just brought back into production and shares no similarities with the old one except controversy.

[71Cnet]

you should be able to find a clutch anywhere. it might not be a stock replacement. it will probly be a performance clutch.

[Murray B.]

Originally Posted by bullseye

i know this is one of them dumb od Questions but... what is a rly nice muscle car? like in terms of, less weight, high HP all that stuff and what looks the best.... my frined just got a 78 datson and i wana git some thing that will keep me up with him thx for the info

To me a muscle car is a mid-size car with a high compression big block engine. For example Pontiac Tempest with a 389, Mustang with 427/428/429, Dodge Dart with a 440 six pack, Chevrolet Nova with a 454, etcetera.

These cars are rare, expensive, and totally crazy to drive. It is hard to imagine what it is like to have a 7 litre 400+ H.P. engine in a 3400 pound car.

The fellow that mentioned the 225 H.P. later model Mustang is telling you true. Its performance is just into the muscle car territory but it will be much more affordable and drivable.

That Mustang will also run on unleaded fuel that is available everywhere. The old muscle cars with 12 or 13 to one compression will want high-lead very high octane fuel. This means mixing in an additive on every fuel up or having your own fuel supply.

Muscle cars of the sixties and early seventies are okay for people like Jay Leno but something newer is probably better for the rest of us.

[426]

the 69 426 or 440-6pack...........look on any top 50. it will be shelbey or viper first.i dont consider these true musclecars. the roadrunner wil always be next on any list.........hands down.they were a lot lighter than the chargers of that year

[MrPbody]

Based on the orignal question, including the word "nice", GTO, hands down. A Chelle SS454 is a bit quicker, but it doesn't have the dash (a crucial point in the "nice" department) or the body lines. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, but Chevelle never won awards for styling. GTO did. And the GTO, when equipped with the handling package (absent in the recent "shootout") will drive circles around the other muscle cars. In any case, the GM A-bodies have more goodies available than any other, and availability of replacement parts is nearly as good as it was when they were in their "prime". The GM cars have a real frame, too!