Begetting a baby brother, Dodge hatched the Challenger alongside the all-new Barracuda in 1970. Looking very similar to the Plymouth brethren, the Challenger had a slightly longer wheelbase and was meant for a more upscale crowd, and thusly held a pricier MSRP. But, it was nonetheless ferocious of a performance machine, offering the same engines and transmissions, and the same high-performance suspension as the Barracuda.
Interestingly, despite the higher price, the Challenger sold in larger numbers, although compared to the Mustang and Camaro, both sold in considerably smaller numbers. In recent decades, this is largely what made both the Barracuda and Challenger huge with collectors – the chance to own something insanely powerful and much more unique than the offerings from Ford and Chevrolet. In fact, some ’Cudas and Challengers were known to trade hands for a million dollars. Granted, these were the rarest of the rare, cars that were one-of-ones, usually with a Hemi engine or at least a 440, and likely a convertible. Today, though, those prices seem to have faded out – but these rare Mopars still seem to command a healthy premium over other muscle cars of the era.
Future Challengers
The Challenger would cease production with the Barracuda by the end of 1974, but would return in the early 1980s as a Mitsubishi-built coupe with sporty styling, bucket seats, special striping, and more. It was, the early 1980s, after all, and the world was looking for fuel-sipping solutions in a world that was supposedly low on fuel.
Dodge experimented with the Challenger name on a small car, and it was received with lukewarm love. Interestingly, today, those Challengers from the 1980s are exceedingly rare, most having succumbed to poor maintenance practices, and junked early in their lives. Ironically, a similar practice to how so many original Challengers met their fate – abusive owners who raced them to within an inch of their lives, and – well, that’s that. Making the rare even rarer. Plymouth would not revive the Barracuda in the 1980s, leaving it in the 1970s.
Late model Challengers
After a hiatus again in the late 1980s and 1990s, the Challenger would be reintroduced for the new millennium, with a body resembling very closely the original 1970 Challengers. It was a brilliant marketing move and Dodge sold a large number of them. Based on a Mercedes-Benz chassis, the Challenger was available with a V-6 and a string of Hemi V-8s, a lineup that would grow over the years with higher displacement Hemis, again, recalling the days when big-cube Challengers dominated the streets. In 2023, the last Challenger rolled off the assembly line, once again suspending the name from the Dodge roster.
Why do we like them?
Both the Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger were often considered the underdog, especially in sales, and there was little reason for it. Barracuda went fender-to-fender with the Mustang on debut, but simply put, Ford out marketed the Barracuda with a promotional campaign that put all other campaigns to shame. As such, very few were able to see a Barracuda, let alone buy one. Mustang fever was at an all-time pitch by mid-1964, and no one could see beyond it. And we love a good David and Goliath kind of story.
By the time the pony cars were evolving into muscle cars, Dodge released the Challenger. Both the Barracuda and Challenger were spectacular muscle cars, giving people lots of reason to pay attention to Mopar. This is especially true when you take into account that the Barracuda and Challenger were accompanied on the showroom floor by other powerful offerings like the Plymouth Roadrunner, GTX, and Fury; or the Dodge Charger, Super Bee, and Coronet. Interestingly, Dodge and Plymouth had fast offerings for anything they built. If the customer had the funds, they could slap a Hemi into just about anything they wanted. They were marketing performance over all else.
For the later generations, even the little Mitsubishi-based Challenger is interesting, if for no other reason than it was a moment in car history when collaborations between manufacturers were happening, and companies were marketing small-displacement engines as performance engines, and actually making it work. Of course, turbocharging helped greatly, and the Dodge Daytona/Chrysler Lazer would largely steal the spotlight on 4-cylinder turbo performance cars, not to mention the often overlooked GLH and GLHS versions of the 1980s Dodge Charger and Dodge Omni. Interestingly, these cars could hang with the V-8-powered Mustangs, Camaros, and Firebirds of the day, proving that with the right engineering and a turbo, there’s nothing wrong with 4-cylinders.
If you’ve read the tale of my first 1969 Roadrunner, then you won’t be surprised that I always knew that I would go and find another one when the time was right. Of course, just because I was looking for one doesn’t mean that the right one is available.
How did I find this Roadrunner? I was on vacation when my brother Chris called me to tell me that there were several Mopars listed for sale in Commerce City, CO by one owner on Craigslist. The seller was a young man whose father had passed away, leaving a collection of Mopars. Chris was set on going to take a look to see what might be of interest to us.
Indeed, Chris spotted something. He called me shortly after the visit and told me about this ’69 Roadrunner. I was sold on it based on my trust in Chris’ inspection on the car. Based on what he told me, I knew that I didn’t want to wait because it would be gone by the time I get back.
Chris proceeded to help me negotiate a price on the Roadrunner and left a deposit with the seller. When I got back in town, I completed the transaction. Now, I wasn’t the only one to strike a deal on a car from this seller. Chris, too, bought a car – a 1968 Roadrunner, which he still has today.
I was happy to have another ’69 Roadrunner in my life. From the factory, this car was equipped with a 383 CI engine with a 4-speed transmission in A4 Silver Metallic with a black vinyl top. When I bought the Roadrunner, it was painted in FC7 Plum Crazy Purple with a black vinyl interior and bucket seats. The 383 engine was long gone and it had a 440 six-barrel with the original 4-speed transmission.
The car did come with rust in both rear quarter panels, floorboards, and the trunk pan. Already in restoration mode, the first thing I did was disassemble the entire car and had it soda blasted. It was then put on a rotisserie to complete all the bodywork, paint, and undercoating. I replaced the trunk pan and floor pans, and patched panels on both rear quarters. After completing all the metalwork and body smoothing, it was ready for paint, which I had decided would be Bahama Yellow.
I added a black vinyl top and a fiberglass lift-off hood. The 440 was sent to the machine shop and I ended up building a 512 stroker, pairing it with a 5-speed Silver Sport transmission with a hydraulic clutch, Holley Sniper fuel injection, air conditioning, Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners, QA1 K-Member and shocks, Dakota digital gauges, TTI headers and a full 3” exhaust. The original 8-3/4” rear end was swapped out for an original 1969 Dana 60 with 4.10 gears.
In all, the restoration took 6 years. The result? The Roadrunner currently puts out roughly 650 HP but still gets 22 MPG when cruising down the highway at 75 MPH. I do drive this car often. Sometimes it’s driven for short cruises and other times for hundreds of miles. This is the first car that I have restored using a rotisserie, and I must tell you, it is the ONLY WAY I will do future restorations!
Learning about the story behind a barn or garage find never gets old. We came across this 1936 Deluxe Model 3-Window Ford Coupe and its 90-year-old owner. We wanted to hear about the car’s story, and who better to tell it than Old Car herself. Here it is.
Specified by Old Car herself
I’m a 1936 Deluxe Model 3-Window Ford Coupe. Washington Blue and Tacoma Cream pinstripe in color. Safely protected and garaged here in Colorado since 1976. I have no knowledge of my past history (memory block, I guess) prior to 1972, the year I was purchased for a cheap $400. Thought I was more valuable, but was not considering that I was somewhat crippled and in need of some repair and new parts.
To the best of my recollection, the following brings us up to date as to my current condition and future needs; new aluminum radiator to replace the original, which has a severe leaking problem (happens to older people too, so I’ve heard), underside splash pans, the long style door arm rests, rumble seat (hinges are intact), 6-volt system needs a new wiring set.
Briefly, things completed on me since 1972: complete engine overhaul of the original 85 HP 21-stud flathead V8, entire left rear fender, taillight assembly, new fabric turret top (as original), new running boards, new mechanical brake system (as original), new 16-inch whitewall tires (original size), new body paint (enamel as original), instrument and radio dash panel repainted, complete new interior upholstering.
Well, though my owner (Old Guy), the best procrastinator ever, has never completed my restoration, he seems proud of me anyway, so no complaint by me either. Also, to his credit, his years of employment resulted in moves since 1976 to three different Kansas towns, then Colorado. I was trailered and garaged each place. He retired in 1990, but was then too busy with a new family plus many different hobbies – so, foiled again! And here I sit, unfinished – just wish someone would clean my dusty self and then I would be sitting pretty!
Some Q’s + A’s for Old Car
Your future? No idea, but fine just being here.
Compliments? Yes, mostly nice, except ones like, “are you a Chevy, Plymouth, etc…” They mean well, I guess.
Title? Yes, I have a clean title.
Do you ever get to drive around? Yes, several times, but just locally. I have no current license plates.
What name are you known by? Old Car, which seems fitting – he refers to himself as Old Guy.
What’s life like today? My owner likes it here – good place to live, good neighbors, says he misses those who have moved away or passed on, but really enjoys the ones who do stop by to visit. Sure don’t mind if people include a visit with me also! I will try to look pretty and dust free!
When Dodge unleashed the Charger for 1966 filling the gap between the popular pony car and the personal luxury coupe, it was unexpectedly fresh and yet entirely en vogue. The wide, full-width grille with hidden headlights was mimicked out back with full-width taillights. The sloping fastback-style roofline featured a huge, flat rear window with unique uptick bends at the side edges. The stylish interior featured four bucket seats, a spectacular instrument cluster display, and unique surface materials and designs. It could be optioned anyway the customer wanted; it seemed the sky was the limit. The Charger was one of those youthful cars that blended sophistication with a rebellious flair, a rare line to walk. With a bevy of drivetrain choices from the entry-level and efficient 318 CI V-8 with a 3-speed manual transmission all the way up to the NASCAR’esque 426 CI Hemi V-8 with a 361 and 383 wedged between, there was a powerband for everyone. Buyers could choose between an optional 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission too.
1967 Charger
Roughly the same car, little would change between the 1966 and 1967 Chargers. Under the hood though, the 440 CI V-8 would finally become available, filling a kind of power gap between the 383 and the 426. Minor trim pieces would evolve too, but overall, it would be very similar.
Did the early Dodge Charger ever catch on?
In short, no. The early Chargers were a hard sell, thanks to multiple items all working against it, namely the fact that it was simply misunderstood by the market. It was largely perceived as a Dodge Coronet with a sportier body and interior, a GT car based on a proper sedan chassis. The media of the day wasn’t kind to it, but they weren’t mean to it either – just lukewarm. This played against the Charger too, as the public read between the lines that it’s not a sportscar, it’s not a muscle car, it’s not a family car, but it’s sporty, muscular – okay, it’s not a family car, but it does seat four. Nearly 16,000 were sold for 1967, a far cry from the 96,100 Chargers sold in 1968. This statistic is interesting, considering that this was the year the Charger began looking a lot like the Coronet.
We think it’s a shame so many people avoided the early Charger, as it was truly a unique idea that blended the personal luxury coupe concept with the idea of a sporting car, a pony car, and a muscle car. It offered exceptional performance, particularly with the 383, 440, or 426, but there was nothing wrong, per se, with the 318 – it had plenty of pep and was terrific on fuel. It also had a comfortable and attractive interior, and a unique outward style. Even when ordered with the mighty 426, the Charger maintained a restrained outward appearance – no scoops and flairs and stripes celebrating that it’s a racecar for the street. But, all is not lost, the public’s perception then and now leaves more for the rest of us.
Is the early Charger right for me?
If you’re looking to stand out at a cars and coffee event, or car show, or anywhere else, then likely yes, the 1966 and 1967 Charger is right for you. You’ve got to be interested in having something few understand and some don’t even know exist. Be prepared to talk about it – or be snubbed for fans of later Chargers. These early cars, as mentioned above, offer a great balance of style, performance, and a unique interior. They’re solidly built and they do move very well – Car and Driver magazine tested an early 1966 example with a 383/3-speed automatic and found 0-60 in just over 7-seconds, which was nice for the day. They also remarked that it braked well and cornered flatly with predictable handling overall. But they couldn’t stop discussing the Coronet upon which it was based, and still today, some people are romanced by the Dukes of Hazzard, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, and, of course, Bullitt.
1968 – 1970 Charger
Thanks to a ton of starring roles in movies and television shows, this generation of Charger is largely the most popular of the family. The 1968 movie Bullitt arguably put the Charger on the map. The Bullitt Charger absolutely personified the ultimate henchman car. Where so many Hollywood bad guys use Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, and Imperial, the Charger made them all look amateur. It was big and brawny, but its black finish and black vinyl roof with moments of brightwork lent it the image of a brute in a suit. It rode on triple white stripe tires and employed hubcaps rather than blingy Magnum 500s, adding to the conservative overall image. Driver Bill Hickman was genius at making the car look literally like a living thing observing the happenings of various scenes, easing it into parking spots in virtual silence, as if watching and thinking. In fact, the Charger was relatively quiet the entire time, until it had to bolt from the Highland Green Mustang fastback stalking it. And then there was Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry; and The Dukes of Hazzard; Cannonball (not Cannonball Run); Blade; The Fast and the Furious, and a host of others that used the second-generation Charger for various roles, all fueling the public’s imagination.
1968 Charger
Dodge planned about 35,000 sales for the newly designed and engineered 1968 Charger and ended up selling just over 96,000. Needless to say, the company hit the nail on the head this time. Entirely restyled, the Charger more closely resembled the Coronet upon which it was based, the body adopting a fuselage look which all models in the ChryCo lineup would largely share by 1971. The interiors were simplified with a bench rear seat and simpler dashboards. The front end retained the hidden headlight treatment, but this time the grille work was recessed from the edge of the hood and bumper. The taillight panel featured four round pods for brake and taillights, two pods at each end of a lengthy strip of camera case material. The roofline tapered at the rear similarly to the original Charger design, but instead of a lengthy fastback, the rear window was nestled between the B-pillars creating a kind of buttress style.
An ocean of engine choices was available, ranging from an inline 6-cylinder to an array of V-8s such as the 318, 383, 426, and 440. Likewise, customers could choose a variety of options such as power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, power windows, an AM/FM stereo, a center console, and much more. Like the first-generation Charger, the second gen was proving to be a car that could be custom tailored.
For 1969 and 1970, much would remain the same with minor styling changes inside and out dictating the differences. Under the hood and to the chassis, things would remain as they were in 1968.
Is the second-generation Charger right for you?
For now, and in the foreseeable future, the second-generation Charger is the most popular of the family. It starred in a number of television shows and movies, it was vastly more popular than the original just in sales alone, it struck a chord with the public which largely resonates today. Likewise, it remains the most valuable of the Chargers, auction prices showing in the triple digits on many occasions, especially examples in exceptional condition, or those with a big block, so expect to pay accordingly. Beset with a kind of Jekyll and Hyde personality, they were relaxed cruisers, when the drivers allowed them to be, and comfortable over long hauls; but they could turn into absolutely ferocious ground pounders on a moment’s notice. Refer back to the black Charger in Bullitt. Subtle and sedate one minute, the next it’s terrifying San Francisco. Unlike the first-generation Chargers though, expect conversations with people who bring up all the movies and shows these cars were used in – people are familiar with these cars, and that kind of interaction can be fun.
Later Chargers
We hate to lump them all together, but the 1971-1974 Chargers were largely victims of the insurance crackdown on safety and the days of the oil embargo. They became bigger and more luxurious, slowly leaving their performance origins for the annals of history. But – they did move okay and they drove beautifully, with a smooth ride and balanced handling.
The 1975 Charger would largely take on a kind of Chrysler Cordoba motif evolving more into the personal luxury coupe segment, again, relegating most of its performance abilities to the stripe kit. The Charger name would cease production by the end of 1978. Was it a bad era? Not entirely, but many haters absolutely trash talk them – so if that bugs you, avoid them. However, this overlooked era of Charger is often known as being very rewarding, if you appreciate a comfortable drive with a sporty undertone. It was as if the Charger grew up. And keep in mind too, it’s more than likely that it will be the only one at any event.
For 1982, the Charger would return and have a run through 1987. Packing a 2.2L inline 4-cylinder with an optional turbo, these could be seriously fun cars. They were exceedingly lightweight and never underestimate the four banger – just relearn how to use an engine. But be careful – many people like to overrev them and that can be fatal. But overall, the 2.2L was a fairly robust plant. Shelby began modifying them in 1983, and Shelby Chargers are arguably the ones to look for. Shelby worked some image magic over the car, giving them a racier look, and for 1985, the four-pot was putting out 146 HP. By far, the one to seek out is the 1987 GLHS. Just 1,000 were made and they were fitted with the new 2.2L Turbo II inline 4-cylinder with a Garrett turbo, an intercooler, a two-piece intake manifold with larger fuel injectors, improved throttle body, and a Shelby-tuned ECM. The whole enchilada provided 175 HP and 175 lb-ft. of torque, making it a stunning performer for the day. To compare, the 1987 Ford Mustang GT and Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z both delivered 225 HP, the Mustang using a 5.0L V-8 the Camaro employing a 5.7L V-8 – just 50 extra horsepower from an additional 2.8L and 3.5L of engine displacement. Needless to say, the Charger, especially in Shelby tune, delivered tremendous performance.
In 1993, while on break from my college studies, I purchased my first 1969 Roadrunner from its original owner. I found the car one day while searching the classifieds in the Denver Post newspaper – there it was. A numbers-matching car, it was equipped with a 383 CI engine and a 727 TorqueFlite transmission. I called the owner right away to arrange for a meet up. When I arrived, I test drove it, and it was love at first drive!
I learned from the original owner that the car had lived its’ entire life in Colorado. Thinking about when I first saw the Roadrunner, the Fire Metallic Bronze color in the daylight just looked awesome. I liked the Roadrunner’s body lines, the black vinyl top, the cartoon character on both doors, trunk lid, and dashboard. I had every intention of keeping this Roadrunner forever. During school breaks, I could be found driving this car around town.
Then, one night, the life of the Roadrunner took an unexpected turn. My father had borrowed the car to go see a friend. Now, usually this is an uneventful detail, but this tale does take a twist. I awoke the next morning to a note that was left on a table from my father telling me that he had been involved in an accident. Finding out more details about what happened, apparently a biker had lost control while trying to race my father through a tight corner. The biker ended up laying the bike down and striking the rear quarter panel. So, it was time to get to work on the car.
With a little money from insurance for the damage, I began to strip the car down to bare metal with just a dual-action sander. After stripping the car, all the damaged and rusted metal was replaced with hand-fabricated panels. Back then, there were no replacements available. Finishing off the bodywork, the Roadrunner was painted back to its’ original Fire Metallic Bronze with the black hood treatment. Luckily, the front end wasn’t touched in the accident and no engine work was needed and it retained its’ own original black vinyl top.
As I returned to school in Phoenix to complete my engineering degree, the Roadrunner was stored in my brother Tom’s garage. For my graduation, Tom transported the Roadrunner to Phoenix. From there, I embarked on my professional career. After it was my daily driver for many years, financial needs arose, and I had to sell the car. Ironically, during this same time, a police officer from Munich, Germany happened to be in Phoenix searching for a muscle car and he found me.
How did the German officer find me? Well, his colleagues had mentioned to him that if he wanted a solid muscle car, that he should look in Arizona. German laws regarding car imports were strict at the time and the authorities would not let cars into their country if it had rust on them. So, looking in the southwest was a suitable location to start.
The officer arrived in the Phoenix area to look at a few cars, but was not impressed. The seller happened to have been a guy that I knew, and he told the officer about me and the Roadrunner. Shortly after, contact was made between us. As email was not at all prevalent at that time, we communicated via the phone. I honestly figured he was just going to be a tire kicker.
Nonetheless, we made arrangements to meet so he could see the car. When I opened the garage and he saw it for the first time, he exclaimed, “Ich verstehen es!” I asked him what that meant in English. He said he just uttered the words, “I’m getting it!” He loved that the car fired right up, the sound of the original dual exhaust system, and the laser straight body and mirror-like finish in the paint. You can guess what happened next – we made a deal on the car.
From Phoenix, he drove the Roadrunner to Los Angeles. He told me that the car ran strong at 100 MPH the entire way. Even I was impressed that the car ran at that speed in the hot desert without overheating issues or getting stopped by Johnny Law. Remember, we didn’t have all the technology and apps back then to warn us! At the Los Angeles port, it was placed on a boat and transported to Germany. While we kept in touch for several years after the sale, over time, I lost track of the gentleman and have never seen the car again. The last we spoke was in 1998.
Being a Mopar fan with a serious weakness for the Dodge Charger, it should come as no surprise that the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard has long been one of my favorites. So, when I had the chance to visit Cooter’s Dukes of Hazzard Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, you can bet I jumped at the chance.
The show debuted in 1979 and immediately topped the charts as the second hottest show on television, second only to the very popular Dallas. Dukes remained in that slot for a number of years, and capitalizing on the popularity, the producers were quick to have a number of promotional products made for people to buy and enjoy such as lunch pails, action figures, toy replicas of the cars, posters, and a whole lot more. Cooter’s Museum seems to have everything on display, including some of the real cars from the show like Cooter’s tow truck, a General Lee, Dixie the Jeep, and Roscoe’s patrol car, among others.
I think the most interesting part for me was the amount of merchandise the producers made for that show – it was the most highly merchandised show ever. Second to that I think I really loved seeing all the pieces of Generals that had jumped and been destroyed. They have a roof section with the Confederate Flag, they have a front fender easing out of a wall, it’s cool how they incorporated those pieces into the building. Interesting bit about the Confederate Flag, they say the original Generals had a cross flag by the CB antenna in the early episodes, a detail they omitted later because it was just too difficult to keep reproducing for the show. That said, it was neat to learn too that the flags and details on the General were only painted on for a brief time, producers turning to large decals to stick on the cars later – much less expensive and much quicker turnaround times.
While the second-generation Charger needed little help in popularity, The Dukes of Hazzard absolutely cemented its place in pop culture, especially with car guys, and especially with Mopar fans. But, on the sad side, the show ruined 250-300 Chargers in the process of making the show. In fact, it’s said that every time a Charger left the ground to do a jump, it was destroyed. They only used 1968 and 1969 Chargers because they were easy to make look alike, while the 1970 had a unique grille-surround bumper, one-piece, high-back front seats, and other nuances to make them more difficult to convert into Generals. But, on a high note, the production set a number of records, not only for long jumps, but also safety standards that still stand in Hollywood today. Back in the day, the production company came to Denver and bought up a number of Chargers for the show. One I have was a candidate, the man I bought it from told me that when he learned the show was going to destroy it, he wouldn’t sell it to them.
Speaking of long jumps, there’s a famous jump over a riverbed, you’ve probably seen it in the opening credits of the show. A lot of dust and debris is trailing behind the car as it clears the riverbed – it’s sand. To balance the General’s front weight bias, they would fill the trunk with sand. It wasn’t long though, the production started using cars equipped mostly with 318 CI V-8s rather than big blocks so it’d be lighter in the nose.
These are just some of the things I learned at Cooter’s Museum. What a place. There are three locations, one in Nashville, right across from the Grand Ole Opry, one in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and a third in Luray, Virginia, and on occasion, some of the remaining original cast members will pay a visit. Admission is free, but support it where you can – visit their website on Cooter’s Place (cootersplace.com)
The first pony car is arguably the Plymouth Barracuda – people will often contend it was the Ford Mustang, and there is a lot of credence to the claim. Afterall, Ford had been teasing the public with a sportscar since the late 1950s with a Thunderbird-style car based on the inexpensive Ford Falcon, an idea that was rejected by the brass.
Ford Mustang – 1964 1/2
Taking the concept in another direction, engineers and designers created the two-seater, mid-engine Mustang I concept, which stunned the press and public alike. Mustang I left the inexpensive idea at the door, as this was a sportscar for sure, one to compete directly with the likes of the more expensive Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 356, and Jaguar E-Type. Wanting to serve a larger market, the Mustang I evolved into the Mustang II concept, a more traditional four-seater, front-engine car with a sporty body. This would be very close to the actual Mustang released on April 17, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair, but the bottom line was simple – Ford was making no secrets about its intention to build a compact, lightweight, sporty car, something that especially the youth market would appreciate. Plymouth’s thinking was similar, and they introduced the Barracuda on April 1, 1964, predating the Mustang by 16 days. But, with all the hype and hoopla, the Barracuda was vastly overlooked. More people had Mustang fever and were near dying to get a firsthand look at one, which of course generated record-breaking sales.
Plymouth Barracuda
Introduced in mid-1964, the Barracuda was a sight to behold. A massive, wraparound window in the back dominated the overall look giving exceptional visibility and creating a hard to miss visual. Engineered by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and Plymouth, the wraparound glass was a polarizing point of design for the new car – people loved it or hated it, it seemed. That said, it made the Barracuda instantly recognizable anywhere it went, and thanks to a new selection of vibrant colors inside and out, Barracuda was playing to the youth market very nicely.
Ford Mustang
Introduced hot on the heels of the Plymouth Barracuda, the Ford Mustang proved to be one of the most popular names ever produced in automotive history. It not only set numerous sales records, but also speed and endurance records as well. The first generation was unveiled in April of 1964, making it a mid-year release. While many enthusiasts refer to these as “sixty-four-and-a-half” Mustangs, Ford never recognized that nomenclature, VIN’ing even the earliest cars as 1965s.
Growing up, the love of cars circulated in my family. I was highly influenced by my older brothers and whether it is my car or one of my brothers’ cars, diving into any vehicle project is just as fulfilling.
The 1984 Ford F250 XLT Lariat “Monster Truck” project didn’t come about right away when my youngest brother, Bob, purchased it right after college. It was already a solid truck. It came with its original 460 CI engine and 4-speed transmission. It was his daily driver for many years, navigating through the Colorado mountains and especially being reliable during the snow season.
Now, vehicles don’t usually last forever without customizations. This F250 was no exception. Bob had always wanted a monster truck, and so it was then that the transformation began. Over the course of two years, we completed the project together.
Bob had a local Colorado shop handle the suspension work, which included 14-inches of strictly spring lift, dual shocks on all four corners, 44-inch Super Swamper tires, and 4.88 gears in both the front and rear Dana 60 axles. We installed a fresh 460 CI engine that our other brother, Tom, and I had rebuilt.
Now, it was time to complete the bodywork. I removed all the chrome side trim and welded the holes shut. The task of painting such a tall truck meant that it wasn’t going to fit in just any standard garage. Luckily, my brother-in-law’s garage was just what I needed. It was the only place that the truck could get inside. I started with building a baker’s scaffolding for better access around the truck. Taking a full 8-hours, I applied four coats of Nissan blue paint and three coats of clear. About the same time, Bob purchased a fiberglass GT500 hood, which we fitted to the truck. While the aftermarket hood was made for the F250, rarely do these parts fit perfectly off the shelf. To complete the fitment, we had to trim fiberglass from certain areas and add some to other areas to ensure correct and consistent gaps. Once the fitment was complete, we painted the hood gloss black. You might wonder if we had any running boards or steps for this monster truck. Well, Bob is 6’7” and he didn’t need them!
When the monster truck project was complete, Bob kept the truck for several years. It often made the round trip from Colorado to Nebraska for family camping trips. Plus – it came in especially handy for pulling everyone else out of the soft sand!
Looking back at this monster truck project, I’ll never forget seeing Bob’s excitement at every stage. This was priceless. You see, ever since Bob was a little boy he always wanted a monster truck and seeing his dream come true was the ultimate reward. The quality time we spent together working on this project is simply irreplaceable.
In the early part of the New Millenium, former GM North America Chairman Bob Lutz read a magazine article about the Holden Commodore SS from Australia. With Holden being a GM subsidiary, Lutz wondered why GM North America didn’t have anything like the Commodore SS. An impressive vehicle using a powerful front-mounted V-8 engine on a rear-drive platform, Lutz thought the Commodore SS would do well in the American market, giving GM a product to compete with European high-performance sedans from the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Met with a number of layers of corporate bureaucracy, the idea shifted from the Commodore to the Holden Monaro, a two-door sport coupe also using the same front-engine, rear-drive platform, but the idea of importing a Holden from Down Under was gaining steam.
The plan was to create a new version of the Pontiac GTO using the Monaro as the base and market it for around $25,000-$27,000, in the price range of the Ford Mustang GT and F-Body cars, the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. Corporate bureaucracy being what it is, the GTO took time to develop and import, and wasn’t available in the USA until 2004, at which point various economies of scale played into the mix causing the price to rise to roughly $34,000, or about $5,000 more than a basic Mustang GT. Interestingly, with word of what GM was doing, importing the Holden Monaro as the Pontiac GTO, Ford built upon the Mustang GT and reintroduced the Mach 1. As if that weren’t enough, an entirely new retro-styled Mustang was being planned for the 2005 model year. It was going to be an uphill battle for the new Pontiac GTO as it rolled off the boat.
Pontiac GTO HP, 0-60, and Top Speed
The inaugural year of the new GTO featured the tried-and-true 350 HP 5.7L LS1 V-8 with a choice of either a 4-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. While it offered impressive performance, the price left some people with a little sticker shock and most of the American motoring press downplayed the new car as having outdated styling but a terrific interior with four bucket seats, nice leather upholstery, and an overall handsome environment. For 2005, the LS1 would be replaced with a 400 HP 6.0L LS2 V-8 with the same transmission choices. It was the shot in the arm the GTO needed to become a spectacular performance car – the 0-60 times were in the sub-5-second range, the ¼-mile times were around 13-seconds and the top speed was said to be in the 160 MPH neighborhood. These were slight, but noticeable, improvements over the 2004 GTOs, and the car also got bigger brakes. Suddenly the MSRP seemed a little more reasonable. Pontiac worked a little styling magic too with subtle details setting it apart from the very sedate and clean look exhibited by the 2004 models. With more aggressive styling, better braking and better acceleration, 2006 was ushered in with no mechanical changes to speak of.
Pontiac GTOs for Sale
Rare, roughly 40,747 were made across the three years, with 2005 seeing the lowest number of sales at a tick over 11,000 – interestingly, this was the year the scooped hood became an option, and the majority were so equipped. Just 24 had the flat hood in 2005. Colors often also play into the rarity factor. In 2004, just 700 were painted Cosmos Purple, a one-year only color – of the 700, 323 had the manual transmission and 377 had the automatic. Interiors were offered in black, red, blue and purple, normally corresponding with the exterior colors – Cosmos Purple, for example, was only available with purple interior. Special colors included Spice Red Metallic and Brazen Orange, but Barbados Blue and Cosmos Purple, while never marketed as special colors, became known as special colors simply because only a few were produced.
In the ensuing years since their release, many GTOs have fallen victim to a number of modifications ranging from terrific to absolutely disgusting, sadly ruining the car. In recent years, however, a surge in prices indicates strong interest in low-mileage, original examples, particularly with the 6.0L/6-speed manual transmission. The 2004s represent the best bargain thanks to the highest number produced and lower-powered engine. However, they shouldn’t be entirely snubbed, as they still exhibit a high-quality build and lovely materials usage. Buying an ’04, even with an automatic, will yield a terrific cruising car that’s easy to maintain and traditionally more reasonably priced than the 2005 and 2006 variants. But, at least for now, those later years indicate the best return on investment and an absolute improvement in performance.
Why do we like them?
Rarity plays heavily into the reasoning, but so to do the build quality and overall performance. Even with the lowly 5.7L and an automatic, the GTO offered outstanding performance, even 20 years on. Time flies. But its performance is still relevant, and that styling that was noted as being so dated and overly bland when it was new has held its own and appears recent and modern today. The interior is very comfortable, and with a Chevrolet dealer seemingly on ever corner in America, finding service is fairly easy, however, make no mistake, parts are going to become a bit of an issue in the coming years. Simply put, with so few built, it will be a challenge finding various parts. But not for the engine and transmission. The interior hosts a righthand radio volume knob and parking brake lever, which is slightly odd to any Yank, but remembering the car was designed for the Australian market, it makes sense. The Blaupunkt stereo sounds great, and frankly put, these cars just worked and worked well.
It debuted for the 1984 model year, with no Corvettes built in 1983. It featured a radical departure in styling, but sustained cues alerting everyone that it was a Corvette. The body hosted a Targa-style roof and an openable rear glass hatch, again providing a lot of interior cargo space. The interior was a stunningly technical place to be with seats that looked like they came right out of a racecar, a fairly tall center console and a digital dashboard that made drivers feel like they were in a spaceship. The engineering behind the C4 was nothing short of absolutely astonishing, with not only a whole new frame and suspension system, but one created with computer aided technology and specialized forming techniques.
The engine measured out to 350 CIs and utilized the Cross-Fire manifold from 1982, but designers and stylists even worked their magic over the look of the engine, what people saw when they opened the massive clamshell hood was entirely modernized. It produced 205 HP but would increase steadily through the 1980s with 230 and 245 HP culminating in a 300 HP variant for 1992 with 330 HP available by 1996. As if that weren’t enough, there was the ZR-1, the Corvette that absolutely asserted without any doubt that Corvette was indeed a world class sportscar, and in fact, a supercar.
With a highly engineered 350 CI V-8 engine, ZR-1 debuted in 1990 with 375 HP, which grew to 405 in 1993. The prototype set speed and endurance records in 1989 that still stand today, and ZR-1 largely matched 0-60, ¼-mile and top speed figures with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche for considerably less coin. Many naysayers often fear the LT5 V-8 engine thanks to its specially-designed and engineered nature, parts being of concern, and it’s no joke. If a driver blows an LT5 engine, it will indeed be difficult to source parts – but if a driver blows an LT5 engine, the driver more than likely did something wrong. Again, the LT5 set a number of endurance and speed records that still stand today. It’s a durable engine.
The C4 Corvette is a masterpiece of engineering and development, and arguably the ZR-1 was its summit. However, the 330 HP LT4 Corvette is often regarded as an absolutely stunning piece of machinery, and actually led the way for the development of the LS1 engines that debuted for 1997. While it doesn’t pack the punch and panache of the ZR-1, it’s certainly a robust performance machine and likely easier to find parts and service for in the long run. Little tip demonstrating again the evolution Corvette is dedicated to, for 1987 the ingress-egress became simpler thanks to repositioning the seat and door sills. Little changes like this are sprinkled throughout Corvette history, but the C4 seems to really be rife with them.
C4 Corvette Parts
The C4 was a highly-technical car for its day. In particular, of course, the digital dashboard display, sometimes known as the video game dashboard, was ground breaking for 1984. But today, these tech parts are often seen as antiquated and outdated. Nicely, there are some companies having great success rebuilding these components with modern parts, creating a more reliable unit overall. A great way to find them is to hit the Corvette clubs and events, talk to people who have C4s and find out who the go-to sources are for rebuilding these parts. The same can be said for the engine and other sections of the car as well. Nicely, like most Corvettes, parts are not too difficult to find, and while new parts are available, social media is a wonderful resource to find new old stock (NOS) components and body parts.
C4 Corvette Restoration
It’s coming to be that time, where people are beginning to restore C4 Corvettes. If you want to tackle it yourself, visiting the clubs and Corvette events is a great idea, get to know people who’ve done their own work or can recommend shops or individuals to handle the work for you. While it might seem intimidating, the number of available parts and the number of knowledgeable people is reassuring.
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