What is the fastest muscle car of all time?

[mkent]

Hey Guys,

I saw the thread started about the fastest muscle car a while ago.  Good topic, but I think the answer isn't too far away.  


Looks like the guys at Dream Car Garage created a Muscle Car Shootout that is airing on SPEED.  Check it out at www.dreamcargarage.com.  


Click on the hotspot on the homepage for more info!
Do you guys think anything was left out?  It would have been cool if they had a hot rod to compare everything to, with prices and such.

[av8]

If this test  is on the up and up my money is on the LS6 Chevelle, but with that "wild-card" burnout contest thrown in it sounds like another bogus piece of manufactured TV competition.

[Fat Cat]

If this test  is on the up and up my money is on the LS6 Chevelle, but with that "wild-card" burnout contest thrown in it sounds like another bogus piece of manufactured TV competition.

And considering this same message was posted on the HAMB I would think that he is trying to drum up some sort of viewership. Nothing like a little self promotion on someone elses dime.

[av8]

[And considering this same message was posted on the HAMB I would think that he is trying to drum up some sort of viewership. Nothing like a little self promotion on someone elses dime.

Bingo!

[unklian]

I'm sure it was "well recieved" on the HAMB.
Too bad I missed it there.

[purplepickup]

Nothing like a little self promotion on someone elses dime.

Yeah, it's always pretty obvious when someone signs up at a forum and 3 minutes later they post their very first....and usually only post that goes something like....."Most of you remember how hard it was for me to figure out how to finish up my project.  I finally got some great ideas at a really cool site.  I thought you might like it too.   Check it out!  And by the way I finally updated the pics of the car's first cruise on my  website"

Idiots!!

[58Apache]

I second the prediction of the Big Block Chevelle .....


................but then again I'm predjudiced  Right Frank?


I thought I seen somewhere that the LS6 was already the record holder for most factory horsepower (listed?).... of the muscle car era.

                                    Steve

[Broman]

Looks like a carbon copy of the HAMB post.

MMMmmmmm......SPAMMY!!!

[Broman]

I went to the website and checked out the cars. They have only seven cars listed.

1969 AMX 390 GO PACKAGE

1970 BUICK GS 455 STAGE 1

1970 HEMI CHALLENGER

1970 CHEVELLE SS 454 LS6

1969 MUSTANG BOSS 429

1969 HURST OLDSMOBILE

1969 PONTIAC GTO JUDGE

They chickened out of all of the "factory" racers and dealer special type cars like the Yenkos, COPOs and stuff. So it is a test of the best "production" cars. That is almost laughable since there are so many grey areas that some really great cars got left out.

here are the categories:

0-60 mph acceleration
Standing ¼ mile
60-0 mph braking test
Slalom handling test
Burn out contest

Burn out contest? that sounds like a subjective loop-hole for a cop-out....did somebody say popularity contest? I mean do you honestly think the AMX is going to win? No offense to AMX lovers.

And what about cars like the F-bodys or the Dart or how about a Nova even? Are they not musclecars anymore? I would but my money on a 400 c.i. Firebird vs almost any of those cars in three out of five categories...and maybe even the burnout contest with the right gearing. Come to think of it that kinda bugs me too, I mean gearing in this contest is going to be left up to the luck of the draw.....and what about the tranny?

We've all read this kind of thing in every car magazine made, and they all prove the same thing - there is no way to pick the best, fastest, quickest, neatest car of all time.

The worst thing of all...........

I'll end up watching it - 'cuz I like all of those cars.

[Anonymous]

Ha Ha...okay, I'll bite!

In a strictly "mass produced factory production car" bracket covering the years 1964-72 (no Hemi Darts, or limited dealer built supercars, etc)...I'd single out the 1971 Mustang Mach 1 with the 429 SCJ "Ram Air" engine, four speed, and 4.10 Detroit Locker axle.

It is rarely directly compared to the 1970 LS6 Chevelles and such, because it arrived a year late.

However, Ford did NOT drop their compression ratios in musclecars until 1972, so the hot new 429 Mustang had a healthy 11:1 squeeze wheras GM and Chrysler had dropped their numbers down from 1970.  

I have a new car mag from 1971 that compares all 71 'musclecars' and list the specs...the 429 Mustang was the fastest at 13.2 seconds in factory trim, with the rare 71 Hemi Roadrunner and the Boss 351 Mustang running a very close second at 13.4 and 13.5 respectively.

But, in most muscle car "shootouts", the hottest incarnation of the 71 Mustang is almost always absent. It was not a one-off special built race car...anyone could have ordered one back then, and if I were gonna line up against an LS6 Chevelle or Hemi Cuda...I'd be confident that I'd edge 'em out with the 429 SCJ Mustang!

(Especially with today's tires! )

[jaybee]

One of my High School buddies had a 429 SCJ Mustang.  It was fast, but scary to drive.  That big block was a lot of weight up front and it didn't drive at all well.  Then again it had the late '70s normal combo of F70 tires up front and M50s in back with air shocks.  Hard to get anything to handle that way.

[Broman]

This is exactly what I am saying.....7 cars?

I am too soft though because I like almost everything. Ford, Chevy, Buick, Olds and especially Pontiac...

I think I am most dissappointed in the burnout contest.

Take that out and put in a points based contest of making them go through an hours worth of slow traffic with lot's of stop and go - then go immediately to a stop-light drag-race. It is the real test of real-world performance and what would have really been done on the streets back in the day. Hell that's why you bought the * things!!!  Plus it would take the edge away from the Hemi and the LS6, because they are too radically built. The Hemi would start running out of tune and the GTO would pound it into the ground - that's what happened when Jim Wangers took factory test cars out for late night outings - with more than a little encouragemenet from Pontiac. He knew the Hemis didn't make good street drivers - so he'd tease them all night long until he felt lucky, then wham - he'd put another notch on his belt. The Hemi driver shaking his head in disbelief as he heads home to figure out what went wrong.

[58Apache]

Near Dayton an old racer from the 60's still does business in his small speed shop.

In the back under a cover sits the one and only factory fiberglass Boss 429 that FORD built.

Ohio George told me that he raced it for/sponsored by the FORD factory. That's HIS story anyway.....and I'm stickin to it!

He's well into his 70's and only helps run the shop to keep his son employed.

                                  Steve

[Broman]

Maybe if he sold that car his son wouldn't need to be employed at all......

I got dibs!!!!!