GTO muscle car myth
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| − | Recently, an article by an auto magazine writer mentioned the Chrysler 300 "letter series" of muscle cars | + | Recently, an article by an auto magazine writer mentioned the Chrysler 300 "letter series" of muscle cars. The writer imparted many interesting things about those cars. He then said they weren't true "muscle cars" because they were loaded luxury cars; he determined that a true "muscle car" had to be more affordable to more people. |
| − | So do any of those similar thinkers or those, who, on the general "say so" of supposed auto | + | So do any of those similar thinkers or those, who, on the general "say so" of supposed auto aficionados, believe their claim that the "muscle car" never existed until Pontiac invented the GTO, have an answer for the 1955 and up Chrysler 300, Plymouth Fury, Dodge D-500 and DeSoto Adventurer? These were all called "super sports" long before Chevrolet eventually (smartly and to good advantage) copyrighted that moniker for their own line of muscle cars ''(could use more detail on Chevrolet's intellectual property rights to the term "Super Sport".)'' |
| − | The SS | + | The SS Chevies predated the GTO. ''(This is correct- the 1961 Impala SS began it for Chevrolet, IIRC. -- needs confirmation and references.)'' |
| − | Many people do not know the name Super Sport was a body package not a power package that GM offered in the early | + | Many people do not know the name Super Sport was a body package not a power package that GM offered in the early '60s. You could buy a Chevy II Super Sport with an inline six in it (there are a few around that have been documented)! ''(link to documentation here)'' |
| − | ==The term " | + | ==The term "Muscle Car"== |
| − | The beginning of the "Muscle Car" for GM was the breaking of the | + | The beginning of the "Muscle Car" era for GM was the breaking of the engine displacement vs. weight rule GM had. The Tempest received the larger 389 CID engine and became the GTO. |
The rule is believed to be 1 cubic inch per ten pounds. The GTO did not weigh 3800 pounds with the 389 engine. Maybe this rule is a myth? ''(confirm and expand)'' | The rule is believed to be 1 cubic inch per ten pounds. The GTO did not weigh 3800 pounds with the 389 engine. Maybe this rule is a myth? ''(confirm and expand)'' | ||
| − | This was a GM management rule not a | + | This was a GM management rule not a "Big 3" rule. |
| − | Where did that put the aluminum-nosed Dodge Polara, | + | Where did that put the aluminum-nosed Dodge Polara, Valiant and other factory MOPAR drag cars? Or even the Super Duty Pontiacs? they definitely met that requirement, and some were street legal and all were ordered through the dealerships. |
| − | For most of these mentioned | + | For most of these mentioned MOPAR drag cars, less than 100 of each car model was built. ''(confirm and expand)'' |
| − | The 421 Super Duty cars were heavy and easily were over the 1 CID | + | The 421 Pontiac Super Duty cars were heavy and easily were over the 1 CID per 10 pounds. Of the lightweight Super Duty cars, some models had less than 50 built. How can that be called a muscle car that the average guy could buy? |
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| + | While the GTO was mass-produced on the assembly lines, these special drag/street cars (like the 1968 Hemi Dart and Boss 429 Mustang) were sometimes assembled by outside contractors or specialty subsidiaries. For example, Kar Kraft, a Brighton, Michigan-based racing subsidiary of Ford, extensively modified the Mustang for fitment of the 429 Boss engine to become the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_429 Boss 429]. Shock towers, inner fenders, and front suspension mounts were modified. In addition, the battery was moved to the trunk, a sway bar was added to the rear end, and a hood scoop was installed. | ||
==1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88== | ==1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88== | ||
| − | The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 is often considered a precursor to the muscle car era. Oldsmobile placed GM's first post-war OHV engine in its existing A-body platform, resulting in a light, powerful vehicle that became the | + | The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 is often considered a precursor to the muscle car era. Oldsmobile placed GM's first post-war OHV engine in its existing A-body platform, resulting in a light, powerful vehicle that became one of the cars to beat in the late '40s and early '50s on the NASCAR circuit. |
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