Nice cars other than x-fire
- Thread starter 1st Vette
- Start date
Level spelled backwards is Level as well.... When it comes back down that Dodge will be a level racecar
Dave91TM
Power User
Stick Shift is part of my theft insurance.
Dave91TM
Power User
What an amazing list of features ... you would need an entire one page add to list all the features now. Yes thing were a lot simpler then.
And a push button automatic as well.
LE BARON
Power User
By 1970, every GM division was fighting for muscle car supremacy. Chevrolet had the Chevelle SS 454. Pontiac had the GTO Judge. Buick unleashed the GSX. Yet many seasoned enthusiasts quietly believe Oldsmobile built the best balanced muscle car of them all: the 442 W-30.
The W-30 package transformed the already potent 442 into a serious performance machine. Under the hood sat Oldsmobile's legendary 455 cubic-inch Rocket V8, factory rated at 370 horsepower and a massive 500 lb-ft of torque. More importantly, the W-30 received a functional cold-air induction system, special camshaft, aluminum intake manifold, unique cylinder heads, and carefully tuned components that made it significantly stronger than the numbers suggested.
Contemporary road tests recorded quarter-mile times deep into the 14-second range, while well-prepared examples regularly dipped into the 13s. That placed the W-30 among the quickest production cars available anywhere in America.
What made the 442 special wasn't just straight-line speed. It combined serious performance with excellent build quality, refined road manners, supportive seats, and a level of comfort many competing muscle cars simply couldn't match.
Only about 3,100 W-30s were produced for 1970, and far fewer survive today. More than fifty years later, many collectors consider it the ultimate gentleman's muscle car and one of the finest high-performance automobiles General Motors ever built.
The W-30 package transformed the already potent 442 into a serious performance machine. Under the hood sat Oldsmobile's legendary 455 cubic-inch Rocket V8, factory rated at 370 horsepower and a massive 500 lb-ft of torque. More importantly, the W-30 received a functional cold-air induction system, special camshaft, aluminum intake manifold, unique cylinder heads, and carefully tuned components that made it significantly stronger than the numbers suggested.
Contemporary road tests recorded quarter-mile times deep into the 14-second range, while well-prepared examples regularly dipped into the 13s. That placed the W-30 among the quickest production cars available anywhere in America.
What made the 442 special wasn't just straight-line speed. It combined serious performance with excellent build quality, refined road manners, supportive seats, and a level of comfort many competing muscle cars simply couldn't match.
Only about 3,100 W-30s were produced for 1970, and far fewer survive today. More than fifty years later, many collectors consider it the ultimate gentleman's muscle car and one of the finest high-performance automobiles General Motors ever built.
LE BARON
Power User
In 1968 everyone was obsessed with massive heavy muscle cars like the Charger and the GTO. But the mad scientists at Dodge decided to play a completely different game. They took their absolute smallest and cheapest economy car platform and created the Dart GTS.
Buyers had 2 major choices under the hood and both of them were legendary.
You could order the massive 383 cubic inch big block V8. That engine was so physically huge that it barely fit between the narrow shock towers. There was absolutely no room for power steering or air conditioning. If you wanted to change the rear spark plugs on that model you literally had to unbolt the driver side motor mount and jack the entire engine up with a hoist just to reach them. It was a complete maintenance nightmare.
But the really smart buyers chose the brand new 340 cubic inch small block V8.
Dodge officially rated the 340 at 275 horsepower to keep the insurance adjusters from panicking but that was a total corporate lie. It was easily making over 300 horsepower right out of the box. Because the 340 engine was so much lighter than the big block the car had perfect weight distribution. It hooked up off the starting line instantly and could easily outrun cars with twice the engine displacement on a twisty road.
Look at this brilliant silver example. It has a formal black vinyl roof and those cheap steel wheels with basic poverty hubcaps. To the untrained eye it looks like a polite commuter car. But the redline tires and the bumblebee stripe on the tail tell the real story. It is the ultimate lightweight street brawler and one of the smartest engineering moves in Mopar history.
Buyers had 2 major choices under the hood and both of them were legendary.
You could order the massive 383 cubic inch big block V8. That engine was so physically huge that it barely fit between the narrow shock towers. There was absolutely no room for power steering or air conditioning. If you wanted to change the rear spark plugs on that model you literally had to unbolt the driver side motor mount and jack the entire engine up with a hoist just to reach them. It was a complete maintenance nightmare.
But the really smart buyers chose the brand new 340 cubic inch small block V8.
Dodge officially rated the 340 at 275 horsepower to keep the insurance adjusters from panicking but that was a total corporate lie. It was easily making over 300 horsepower right out of the box. Because the 340 engine was so much lighter than the big block the car had perfect weight distribution. It hooked up off the starting line instantly and could easily outrun cars with twice the engine displacement on a twisty road.
Look at this brilliant silver example. It has a formal black vinyl roof and those cheap steel wheels with basic poverty hubcaps. To the untrained eye it looks like a polite commuter car. But the redline tires and the bumblebee stripe on the tail tell the real story. It is the ultimate lightweight street brawler and one of the smartest engineering moves in Mopar history.
LE BARON
Power User
In 1971 the American government and insurance agencies basically joined forces to kill the muscle car. If you were a young driver who walked into a Dodge dealership and tried to order a brand new Challenger with a 426 Hemi engine, the insurance agent would quote you a monthly premium that cost significantly more than your actual car payment.
Because of that massive financial brick wall, the car you are looking at right now is a total ghost.
Dodge only built exactly 71 Challenger R/T hardtops equipped with the 426 Hemi for the entire 1971 production year. It was the absolute final curtain call for the legendary Elephant motor. After 1971, Chrysler permanently wiped the 426 Hemi from the factory order books due to looming emission standards.
To distinguish the 1971 model from the famous 1970 version, Dodge designers made some very specific visual changes. They split the front grille into two distinct twin loop sections. They also added those aggressive but completely non functional fiberglass brake cooling scoops on the rear fenders just ahead of the back tires.
Underneath that massive dual scooped sport hood sits a race engine that completely ignored the incoming emissions panic. The 426 cubic inch V8 featured two giant four barrel carburetors and hemispherical combustion chambers that easily produced 425 horsepower and 490 foot pounds of torque.
It was a violent and highly temperamental race block forced into a street car chassis. Buyers had to constantly adjust the dual carburetors just to keep it idling smoothly in city traffic. But when the road opened up and the driver floored the gas pedal, that blinding Sassy Grass Green paint became an absolute blur. It is a masterpiece of terrible timing and raw power, making it one of the most highly sought after and valuable Mopars in the world today.
Because of that massive financial brick wall, the car you are looking at right now is a total ghost.
Dodge only built exactly 71 Challenger R/T hardtops equipped with the 426 Hemi for the entire 1971 production year. It was the absolute final curtain call for the legendary Elephant motor. After 1971, Chrysler permanently wiped the 426 Hemi from the factory order books due to looming emission standards.
To distinguish the 1971 model from the famous 1970 version, Dodge designers made some very specific visual changes. They split the front grille into two distinct twin loop sections. They also added those aggressive but completely non functional fiberglass brake cooling scoops on the rear fenders just ahead of the back tires.
Underneath that massive dual scooped sport hood sits a race engine that completely ignored the incoming emissions panic. The 426 cubic inch V8 featured two giant four barrel carburetors and hemispherical combustion chambers that easily produced 425 horsepower and 490 foot pounds of torque.
It was a violent and highly temperamental race block forced into a street car chassis. Buyers had to constantly adjust the dual carburetors just to keep it idling smoothly in city traffic. But when the road opened up and the driver floored the gas pedal, that blinding Sassy Grass Green paint became an absolute blur. It is a masterpiece of terrible timing and raw power, making it one of the most highly sought after and valuable Mopars in the world today.
LE BARON
Power User
Look at the sweeping roofline on this 1966 Dodge Charger. Chrysler rushed this massive fastback to showrooms to fight the Mustang but ended up creating an engineering marvel with a terrifying hidden flaw.
Dodge packed the cabin with futuristic technology. The instrument panel used expensive electroluminescent lighting instead of traditional bulbs, causing the dials to emit a strange radioactive looking green glow. They also gave it fully electric hidden headlights that rotated completely upside down.
But that gorgeous fastback shape caused severe problems. When NASCAR drivers took the Charger to the super speedways, the roof literally acted like a giant airplane wing. The aerodynamic lift was so extreme it practically pulled the rear tires right off the pavement at high speeds!
To keep the race cars grounded, Dodge engineers hurriedly designed a small metal lip for the trunk lid. This desperate fix accidentally made the Charger the very first American production car to offer a factory rear spoiler
Dodge packed the cabin with futuristic technology. The instrument panel used expensive electroluminescent lighting instead of traditional bulbs, causing the dials to emit a strange radioactive looking green glow. They also gave it fully electric hidden headlights that rotated completely upside down.
But that gorgeous fastback shape caused severe problems. When NASCAR drivers took the Charger to the super speedways, the roof literally acted like a giant airplane wing. The aerodynamic lift was so extreme it practically pulled the rear tires right off the pavement at high speeds!
To keep the race cars grounded, Dodge engineers hurriedly designed a small metal lip for the trunk lid. This desperate fix accidentally made the Charger the very first American production car to offer a factory rear spoiler
LE BARON
Power User
Dick Teague designed the Javelin from scratch in 1968 to take on the Mustang and Camaro with a longer wheelbase and a distinct fastback profile. Nobody at Ford or Chevrolet lost much sleep over it. They probably should have.
Roger Penske and Mark Donohue took over AMC's Trans Am program in 1970, and the Javelin became the car to beat when the second generation arrived in 1971. Backed by Penske and driven by Donohue, the team captured the Trans Am Manufacturers Championship in both 1971 and 1972. Donohue won seven of twelve races in 1971 alone, with Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Plymouth, and Pontiac all running factory-backed teams against him. AMC was the smallest, least-funded car company in Detroit. It did not matter.
The curtain fell in 1974, the final model year, with 27,696 Javelins built in total. Only 776 left the factory carrying the 401 cubic inch V8. That same year Ford replaced the original Mustang with the downsized Mustang II, offering a four-cylinder as its base engine. AMC's own 1974 sales brochure described the Javelin as "a truly tough performance car." One of those statements aged considerably better than the other
Roger Penske and Mark Donohue took over AMC's Trans Am program in 1970, and the Javelin became the car to beat when the second generation arrived in 1971. Backed by Penske and driven by Donohue, the team captured the Trans Am Manufacturers Championship in both 1971 and 1972. Donohue won seven of twelve races in 1971 alone, with Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Plymouth, and Pontiac all running factory-backed teams against him. AMC was the smallest, least-funded car company in Detroit. It did not matter.
The curtain fell in 1974, the final model year, with 27,696 Javelins built in total. Only 776 left the factory carrying the 401 cubic inch V8. That same year Ford replaced the original Mustang with the downsized Mustang II, offering a four-cylinder as its base engine. AMC's own 1974 sales brochure described the Javelin as "a truly tough performance car." One of those statements aged considerably better than the other
LE BARON
Power User
Take a good look at this absolute monster. In 1966, Carroll Shelby decided his legendary 427 Cobra was just not fast enough. He took two stripped down competition roadsters and strapped twin Paxton superchargers onto their massive big block V8 engines. The Super Snake was born, producing a terrifying 800 horsepower in a car weighing just 2500 pounds.
Shelby kept chassis CSX 3015 for himself and gave the second, CSX 3303, to his buddy Bill Cosby. Cosby found the car so unbelievably violent and hard to control that he gave it right back.
The dealership then sold it to a customer named Tony Maxey. Tragically, the throttle stuck open while he was driving along the California coast. Maxey lost control and the car launched entirely off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean, completely destroying the vehicle. Because of this tragic accident, Shelby's personal car remains the only original Super Snake left on earth.
Shelby kept chassis CSX 3015 for himself and gave the second, CSX 3303, to his buddy Bill Cosby. Cosby found the car so unbelievably violent and hard to control that he gave it right back.
The dealership then sold it to a customer named Tony Maxey. Tragically, the throttle stuck open while he was driving along the California coast. Maxey lost control and the car launched entirely off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean, completely destroying the vehicle. Because of this tragic accident, Shelby's personal car remains the only original Super Snake left on earth.
LE BARON
Power User
You have to respect the sheer nerve of General Motors in the early '70s. Design boss Bill Mitchell wanted to bring the dramatic, tapered boat tail look back to the streets, complete with a Corvette style split rear window.
The original plan was to put this sleek body on a smaller mid size chassis. But executives interfered, forcing his team to stretch the design over a massive two ton full size platform. It created one of the most polarizing cars ever built.
Under the hood sat a heavy breathing 455 cubic inch V8. But the wildest part of the 1971 model was actually the trunk lid. Buick tried a new flow through ventilation system using huge louvers on the deck lid. At certain speeds, a vacuum formed and literally sucked exhaust fumes right back into the cabin! Buick quietly removed them for 1972, making the first year Boattail a bizarre historical oddity.
The original plan was to put this sleek body on a smaller mid size chassis. But executives interfered, forcing his team to stretch the design over a massive two ton full size platform. It created one of the most polarizing cars ever built.
Under the hood sat a heavy breathing 455 cubic inch V8. But the wildest part of the 1971 model was actually the trunk lid. Buick tried a new flow through ventilation system using huge louvers on the deck lid. At certain speeds, a vacuum formed and literally sucked exhaust fumes right back into the cabin! Buick quietly removed them for 1972, making the first year Boattail a bizarre historical oddity.
LE BARON
Power User
Ford Design Studios first showed El Gato at the Detroit Auto Show on November 15, 1969, and Mercury's own press materials described it simply as "one hot cat." The name translates from Spanish as "The Cat," which felt entirely appropriate for what they'd built.
Starting with a production 1970 Cougar, designers replaced the notchback roof entirely with a chopped fastback panel borrowed straight from a 69-70 Mustang Sportsroof, then laid the windshield back at a missile-like angle. The front end was stretched several inches forward and fitted with the pointed "Bunkie beak" grille, named after Ford president Bunkie Knudsen, who had been fired just two months earlier. The exterior color was Candy Lime Gold, which the Mercury PR team diplomatically renamed Lime Moonmist.
Shaved door handles, rolled front and rear pans, and center-exit exhaust tips were genuinely advanced touches for an era still drowning in chrome bumpers. It remains the only fastback Cougar design that ever left Ford's design studio. The original is presumed destroyed, consistent with Ford's standard practice for show vehicles at the time. This recreation keeps the idea alive
Starting with a production 1970 Cougar, designers replaced the notchback roof entirely with a chopped fastback panel borrowed straight from a 69-70 Mustang Sportsroof, then laid the windshield back at a missile-like angle. The front end was stretched several inches forward and fitted with the pointed "Bunkie beak" grille, named after Ford president Bunkie Knudsen, who had been fired just two months earlier. The exterior color was Candy Lime Gold, which the Mercury PR team diplomatically renamed Lime Moonmist.
Shaved door handles, rolled front and rear pans, and center-exit exhaust tips were genuinely advanced touches for an era still drowning in chrome bumpers. It remains the only fastback Cougar design that ever left Ford's design studio. The original is presumed destroyed, consistent with Ford's standard practice for show vehicles at the time. This recreation keeps the idea alive