Sixties American Muscle.

[Pickles]

Thanks to a mutual friend, I had a great experience this afternoon.
A friend of mine has a mate whose father is into the importation & restoration of American Muscle Cars. The son is a qualified fitter & turner, has learned from his Dad, & consequently has the skills to do his own restorations--which he does!
Thanks to my friend, I was able to ride in on of his mate's restorations--a 1969 camaro, blue with white stripes, powered by a modified 400 small block, with turbo 400, 12 bolt rear with 3.5s--power is around 250rwkw. Interior is beautifully original, as is most of the car, apart from some improvements to the chassis & suspension, which completely eliminate body roll & axle tramp.
The sound of this car--even just idling was awesome--is totally different to our "computer controlled" cars. Just sitting in it took me back to the sixties--I'm 62!!
A beautiful car to ride in--HEAPS of grunt, absolutely NO rattles, tight as a drum, & the mechanical/engine/exhaust noise that was VERY evident, was simply magic!
As a well known american once said, it "made my day"!
Cheers, Pickles.

[MTC]

Sounds Beautiful Pickles did you get any pic's?? I love the 60's American Muscle cars (& of course 60's & 70's Aussie ones to):)

[SCiFiRE]

late 60's camaro would have to be on top of my 'must own' list.

[Wonky]

My brother had a late 60s Camaro SS he was restoring when he was killed in an accident in his truck. We had to almost give it away as it was in bits and nobody was interested in it in that state. Some lucky ba$tard got a bargain..... Very unlikely the one you were in was it Pickles but would have loved to have seen it finished. I was told someone had finished it and it was sprayed yellow but don't know how true that was.

[MNR-0]

Pickles,

You shoulda come to the 55/56/57 Chev nationals a few weeks back at Heathcote. Each car there was an easy $200K+ and oh what a sight all lining up to get in.

A mate of mine has a 57 Chev coupe and another a 66 Camaro SS. Both showroom vehicles and I agree - bewdiful.

The 57 coupe makes 1200rwhp... :eyes:

[vxssgurl]

Pickles,

You shoulda come to the 55/56/57 Chev nationals a few weeks back at Heathcote. Each car there was an easy $200K+ and oh what a sight all lining up to get in.

A mate of mine has a 57 Chev coupe and another a 66 Camaro SS. Both showroom vehicles and I agree - bewdiful.

The 57 coupe makes 1200rwhp... :eyes:


MNR-O - you went?

The Mr was there with our Bowtie, but, alas, I was home tucked up in bed with that terrible cold going around...

Pickles - agreed... the late 60's Yankee muscle really had it going on...

[calais v]

Martin
Now you know what I am on about with my 69. Wait until JVR is finished with it and the Big Block is put in, along with a 5 speed TKO-600 and Ford 9inch with 3.7 gears makes for a mightly street machine.
Also is a real Chev not a Holden clone :)

Peter

[OzJavelin]

A beautiful car to ride in--HEAPS of grunt, absolutely NO rattles, tight as a drum, & the mechanical/engine/exhaust noise that was VERY evident, was simply magic!

This is what makes-or-breaks an old car. It doesn't matter how much horsepower it has or how flashy the paintjob - if it's a POS to drive around town it will normally it will get really annoying really fast. I've lived with the rattles, leaks, etc in my '69 Javelin all these years 'cos I convinced myself it was cheap and EVENTUALLY I'd fix it up ... I'm still fixing the much more livable '74 Javelin. Maybe when it's registered I can finally fix up the '69.

[mickeyVX350]

My dad has a 55 Ford Mainline Ute, not really sixties muscle, but the sound!!!!!

[Pickles]

Martin
Now you know what I am on about with my 69. Wait until JVR is finished with it and the Big Block is put in, along with a 5 speed TKO-600 and Ford 9inch with 3.7 gears makes for a mightly street machine.
Also is a real Chev not a Holden clone :)

Peter
Never had any doubts at all about what you'd be capable of Peter-I expect your car to be simply awesome when you've finished with it!
The other thing that impressed me with this car was the owner--only 21 years old, sensible, low key, but VERY switched on, & on his THIRD Camaro restoration---just LOVES his muscle cars--he's about to go over to the States to look at another couple of prospects!
Cheers, Pickles.
NB: Peter--I'll expect a ride in the completed product, with a comprehensive demonstration, of what I am sure will be an "adequate" supply of grunt.

[Marco]

Late 60s Camaro would be just the thing for my garage...or for something a little more left field, I wouldn't mind an AMC Javelin.

[OzJavelin]

Late 60s Camaro would be just the thing for my garage...or for something a little more left field, I wouldn't mind an AMC Javelin.

Stick with a Camaro/Stang/Cuda/Challenger if you actually want to be able to buy parts ... Mercury's, BOP cars and the orphans (AMC etc) are still relatively hard to get stuff for.

[Brendan]

a 1969 camaro, blue with white stripes, powered by a modified 400 small block, with turbo 400, 12 bolt rear with 3.5s--power is around 250rwkw.
What were you doing in my car............... give it back

That's my dream car - need to do it soon as they aren't getting any cheaper.

[calais v]

NB: Peter--I'll expect a ride in the completed product, with a comprehensive demonstration, of what I am sure will be an "adequate" supply of grunt.[/QUOTE]

No problem, will be next year now thou. Plan is to have rego with the 327 and Muncie before :xmas: and fit the 502 Big Block later. Should have the engine in the next couple of weeks. Gearbox, clutch, headers , bellhousing, etc all sitting in the garage now, after a long wait in transit from USA. This project has got me excited again after the racecar days are over :)

[colesy04]

I had a 66 Chevelle Malibu back in the Uk, owned it for 9 years, and was my daily driver for a long time. You didn't have to butcher them over there, so it remained L/H/D. It had a 350 from a 71 vette with a Victor Jr high lift manifold, plus a 750 double-pumper. TH 350 box with a 3,500 hi stall converter. The old 10 bolt rear end died, so got a race car manufacturer to do me a favour, he put in a Ford 9 inch in, with coil over shocks and ladder bars. It had an alloy interior and four point harnesses, doing 12's on the quarter with the old 10 bolt, I was never fortunate enough to get it down the strip with the Ford 9 inch in. I was gutted to let the bright orange beast go, but it had to be done due to my move to Australia.

[mmciau]

My dad has a 55 Ford Mainline Ute, not really sixties muscle, but the sound!!!!!

First of the OHV engines eh?

Mike

[OzJavelin]

First of the OHV engines eh?

Mike

In Australia .. the '54 model series was the first year for Y-block in the USA :)

[davus]

There is now way you can beat a black 2 door blown 57 chev....If i was to do a project car, that is the only one i would do.

"heads off to find "running on empty" DVD....

[Marco]

Stick with a Camaro/Stang/Cuda/Challenger if you actually want to be able to buy parts ... Mercury's, BOP cars and the orphans (AMC etc) are still relatively hard to get stuff for.

Would there be many AMC cars to buy in Australia in the first place? I'd always thought it would be something I'd have to specially import from the States if I wanted one that badly (and I don't think I want one badly enough to do that!)

[mickeyVX350]

In Australia .. the '54 model series was the first year for Y-block in the USA :)

Yeah it was a Y block, its a 351 now, of course!