Tag Archives: Muscle Cars

1965 Chevrolet Corvette at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013

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American muscle cars were certainly well represented at the Radnor Hunt Concours late last summer, and this 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray coupe was a straight, well-kept example.  Despite packing the base 327ci V8, this black-on-red stunner featured a great assortment of options not often seen on mid-Sixties Corvettes, such as a power antenna, power windows, power brakes, and power steering.  The 1965 model also featured four-wheel disc brakes, a first on the Corvette as a standard item.  Purchased by a wife for her husband as a 65th birthday present, this gorgeous ‘Vette still looked a million bucks on the grass at Radnor.  Enjoy the photos.

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1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 at Cars and Coffee Amelia Island

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Front
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Front

The day before the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Ritz Carlton on the island opened up their golf course for anyone with an interesting classic to show up and park among their peers across the fairway.  While talking to a few people and enjoying the sun-kissed weather, I found a car bathed in enough sunlight to make the world shine.  Enter this eye-catching yellow 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396.  This happens to be done up exactly how I’d want it on the outside.  The sunflower yellow paint was free of faults, and the whole package (with the Magnum 500 wheels and white-letter tires, along with the black stripe and shined up chrome) looked just as smart now as it probably did back in the days of Richard Nixon, Woodstock, and free love.  Of course, this car would be happier leaving tire tracks all over Main Street, USA than ferrying drugged up hippies to and from an enormous rock concert, but I bet it would be fun for anyone in the era.  I was glad to see one this nice that morning, and my eyes are still stinging from that yellow.  Enjoy the photos.

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1968 Dodge Dart GTS 383 Spotted in Lower Manhattan, NYC

While on a mafia history tour of what used to be Little Italy, I got temporarily distracted by this post-apocalyptic 1968 Dodge Dart GTS 383 hardtop.  Not only was it a GTS, but it was marked as (and the VIN tag corroborated) a 383ci V8 equipped car, so I felt obligated to stop and take a shot of it before we moved to the next set of streets.  This particular area of Manhattan used to be a hotbed for Mafia activity, featuring murders, speakeasies, alcohol stowaways, and plenty of other illicit activities.  The area’s been cleaned up over the years but near where this car was parked is the KGB bar, one of only a select few speakeasies still operating in Lower Manhattan, on West 4th Street near 1st Avenue.

Spotted by: Albert S. Davis

Chevy Nova with bullet holes

Chevy Nova with bullet holes

 

I found this drag-prepped Chevy Nova sitting at a shop near where I work. It looked really cool so I snapped a photo of it. It has what seem to be bullet holes in its driver side door, and that just raises so many questions. Apparently this car beat someone so badly that they had nothing left to do but try and shoot it dead.

-Nick

1966 Ford Mustang GT Coupe at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013

The original Mustang is a shape that’s known worldwide as one of the first affordable sports coupes that was accessible to everyone.  I’ve always been a fan of the first generation model, ever since I helped a friend of mine tear down a moribund ’66 model in his garage as a kid.  This black 1966 model is a hardtop–not the most desirable body style, but it was clean and very straight.  This one’s fitted with all the right accouterments from the era, including the imitation mag wheels, red line tires, a black vinyl roof, and red stripes to set off that raven-black paint.  The interior looked strong as well, with full instrumentation, a four-speed manual transmission, and a full center console with the top-line trim.  I’m always a fan of the early Mustangs that have been kept clean and have been well-looked-after, and this one was a great example of what I like to see.  Enjoy the photos.
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1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I at the New Hope Car Show 2013

While Day 1 of the New Hope Classic Car Show was wrapping up, Nick and I were taking pictures of cars that were no longer surrounded by undesirable clutter. While he ran off to photograph a Ford Thunderbird, I saw this sleek black land yacht sitting out in the back of the lot, unnoticed. I certainly didn’t like how no one wanted to look at it, so I started taking pictures. This is a 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I, the final year of the model, which was a sportier version of the Olds 88 at the time. They were made for just two years, and I haven’t seen one since this point. In this sleek black paintjob, this big Olds packs a 425ci big block Oldsmobile V8 punch and a four-speed manual transmission, all wrapped up in a well-optioned interior for the era. Only 6,552 were sold for the 1965 model year, making this a fairly rare example of what Olds was selling in the 1960s. The fenders looked nice and straight, and the lines made the car look a bit smaller than it actually was from my perspective. Enjoy the photos.

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Photographer surprises his dad with dream car for Christmas

This is a heartwarming video in the spirit of the holidays. The owner of Fstoppers.com surprises his dad with his ultimate dream car, a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, on Christmas morning.

Enjoy the video.

-Nick

Trans-Am Mustangs and Camaros at Laguna Seca

Before seeing these classic American beasts roar their way around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Nick and I traipsed around the paddock and surveyed the potential field.  While we were walking around, I took some snaps of some of my favorite Trans-Am racers, unsure if I would be able to see them on the track later.  Luckily, I not only got these shots, but was able to see these beasts battle it out on the tarmac later in the afternoon in the blinding sun.  After hearing these old muscle cars run, I was deaf for a few glorious hours.  Searing color, searing sounds, and a thumping exhaust note–just about everything needed to enjoy an afternoon on the track.  Enjoy the photos, and Happy Holidays. Continue reading Trans-Am Mustangs and Camaros at Laguna Seca

Ford GT40s at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Ford GT40 MkII at Amelia Island
Ford GT40 MkII at Amelia Island

The 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance featured a tribute to the legendary Ford GT40. I always say that many of the legendary cars we know and love today were originally created because Enzo Ferrari pissed someone off, and the GT40 is one such car.

Back in 1963 Ford went well into the process to purchase Ferrari, but Enzo pulled out of the deal at the last minute, after a lot of money had been spent by Ford to audit his company, because Ford would not allow Enzo continued total control over Ferrari’s racing division. Henry Ford II was infuriated by Enzo, and decided to get his revenge where it would hurt Enzo most, on the racetrack. With the help of Carroll Shelby, and many others, the Ford GT40 was born, and it unleashed a firestorm upon the Ferrari’s racing efforts, most notably winning the 24 hrs of LeMans four years in a row (1966-1969).

Seeing so many Ford GT40s in the same place was nothing short of an epic experience, and it made quite a good impression on my first trip to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. We look forward to returning this year, and can only hope for another display as spectacular as this one was. Enjoy the photos.

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Drive’s Leo Parente talks truth on the new Ford Mustang

Drive’s Leo Parente is has a lot of experience in the auto industry and in racing, so his take on the new 2015 Ford Mustang is surely an educated one.

-Nick

The new Mustang is a true step in the right direction.

Image via USA Today

In the pantheon of American cars, the Ford Mustang is one of the legends.  It has consistently represented a way for the common man to get something powerful for not a lot of cash.  For most enthusiasts, though, the Mustang through the years has always been a bit behind.  The previous generation, no matter how good of a car it was, was still held back a bit.  I think, however, with the new model on its way, that there’s a big change in the winds. Continue reading The new Mustang is a true step in the right direction.

Test Driven: 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT (Grade: C)

Chrysler’s SRT lineup screams for attention these days.  The Challenger SRT appeals to the little kid inside of us, even if it’s not as dynamically capable as the competition.  The SRT Viper has the bedroom poster market cornered for the company (even if sales aren’t great right now) and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a screaming deal.  Meanwhile, the sole Chrysler product to wear the badge, the 300, sits in the corner of the showroom and doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention.  At Pebble Beach, the first car I took out on the Seventeen-Mile Drive was this icy black 300 SRT.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a lot of thinking, I believe I have an answer.

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