Is it the horsepower, the foot per pounds of torque, or the appearance that makes an automobile a muscle car? The publicity that surrounds muscle cars can confuse a lot of people when a brand-new model is shown to the public, but the ‘real’ cars have demonstrated and established their performance and power every year for decades now. Asian, European and American cars attract various divisions of muscle car fanatics for various reasons.

Whenever you think about muscle cars that came from the US, you would automatically picture such cars like the Camaro, AMC Javelin, Mustang and Corvette. Muscle car enthusiasts would also mention Gran Torino, the Challenger and Charger and Chevelle. Well, these are just the short end of the stick. The entire list of muscles cars from the US stretches for miles. These muscle cars have something in common - year after year of solid performance. They also have an excellent PR, with the exception of the AMC Javelin -the car manufacturer could not seem to find a way to market their cars.

When it comes to muscles cars from Europe, you have there Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Fiat, Opel and many others. Many people who do not reside in Europe get confused whenever they hear the car brand Opel, but all they really need to do is check out the racing world in order to verify their authenticity. Each and every one of these car manufacturers have already been modifying and promoting their automobiles way before World War II. Asian car manufacturers have been running races similar to Monte Carlo and Formula 1 competitions for quite some time now; however, they only have gotten popularity in the last couple of years. They are typically recognized for their 4-cylinder and nitro-performance cars, which makes them a topic of debates over whether or not they can be considered as muscle cars.

So why do all of these vehicles considered muscle cars? When you think about muscle cars, do you classify them based on modifiers and stocks? Do you also include the finished assembly?  For an average individual, an automobile is called a muscle car if it is derived from a factory engine, drive train and front end. If you would just add a brand-new Edlebrock intake, it will not turn it into a muscle car. There should be a number of major alterations in horsepower, torque, top end and time in the quarter before it becomes one.

After you have assembled your muscle car’s engine, you would have to be 100 percent certain that a couple other things match the engine you have just assembled. Do you want it to be a show car, race car or daily driver? The car’s usage will greatly change how things are set up such as the transmission, rear end and suspension. You can balance it, but it would not be such a good idea to install a street race engine on your daily driver.

In order to obtain lower Elapsed Time (ET) at the drag strip, race cars typically have low set of pinions and rings, or rear end gears to reduce the time when running the quarter mile. It would be quite difficult to drive a car on the road everyday if it is equipped with low rear gear.

Majority of actual race cars run on 4.30:1 ratio (or lower) gear set, while majority of gear set on street cars are not below 3.73:1 ratio. In fact, higher gears like 2.90:1 are commonly found on street cars. Obviously, it would be hard for you to drive the car on the expressway in your area if the rear end gears are low since the engine will snap at lesser RPM; however, this is perfect for race cars. So, when you assemble your engine, have the store where you purchased the camshaft from to give you some excellent gear set recommendations.

If you follow their advice, your car would be in much better condition, but there are also other things to consider aside form rear end gears. It would also help if you are aware of the first gear ratio (1:1, .85:1, .90:1, etc.) if the transmission on your car is 4 or 5 speed. For automatic transmission, the stall converter should match your camshaft. This means that you would have to identify the camshaft’s powerband - is it running from 3,000 RPM to 6,500 RMP? Next, you would need a 3,000 RPM stall converter.

It is not possible to have the advantages that both race car and street car can offer. You can assemble an engine for everyday driving, but you will have to sacrifice some of the excellent dependable racing elements in order to add power to the engine.

For the muscle car fans out there who are thinking of buying one, but do not know where to start, this is your lucky day! You might not actually believe it, but one good source of finding muscle cars for sale is right on your doorstep - your newspaper. The classified ads section of small newspapers holds a lot of information about used or brand new cars for sale and Thrifty Nickel is one good newsprint. You can also try advertisements online like Google Sales or Yahoo Sales and even Craigslist and Backpage. These sites can be a really good option for you.

If you are worried about the idea of shipping your purchased car or maybe transacting with someone who is from another town is not cool with you, then the classified ads of your local newsprint can provide you with good leads. Then again, it all depends on your location. For example, if you are living in a huge city, the probability of someone selling a used muscle car can be more likely as compared to you living in a much smaller town. That is why the best thing for you to do is to check the local classified ads regularly.

If in case this plan proves unsuccessful, then the World Wide Web is your best hope. Using the Internet, you can practically buy anything from anyplace you desire. Another good thing about the Net is you can also search locally. All you need to do is to type the name of the state that you are in and the city. If ever your city is not on the list, you can check for the other sources that are close to your city. Doing this will provide you with the option of transacting with someone who is a local or from a nearby city. You can also meet up with the seller in person and take a look at the car before you purchase it. You can avoid the possibility of getting conned in the process.

One good online site is eBay. This site may not be a specialist store for muscle cars, but this site holds a huge collection of old and vintage cars. For sure, you can find a muscle car there with your name on it. eBay utilizes a safe account system and other security features that will ensure your protection when you decide to buy your muscle car on their website.

Muscle cars have always been the epitome of coolness from the time it was first released in the market, and every kid who has learned the concept of being cool has always wanted to own one of these mean machines.

If you are thinking of buying a mucle car, but have no ideas as to which one is cool, then here are some car model that you may want to consider. Although, driving a popular muscle car like the Mustang would instantly make you cool, there are still less popular models that can give you the coolness factor.

Camaro (1^st generation - 1967 to 1969)

This muscle car model was such a huge success the day it was released and is up to now a very popular and sought-after automobile amongst muscle car aficionados. Chevy built and unveiled it in order to compete against the growing popularity of Mustang during that time. Both car models were identically fashioned from a passenger car - Camaro from Chevy II, while Mustang got its look from the Falcon. You would be able to buy a Camaro with a small or big-block engine or drag racing/road course-ready. Once you get a hold of one of these bad boys, it would not be hard for you to get a date on a Friday night anymore.

Dodge Charger (1966 to 1967)

Some muscle car fanatics love the 1966-1967 Charger so much that they would drive this - and only this. The car’s features and style is extremely cool - just looking at the gauges would make you fall in love with it. Although its popularity, as well as sales were not as high as the 1968 to 1970 models, it still has a cult following and can match against other muscle cars.

AMX

Economy cars made by American motors such as the Matador, the Gremlin, the Pacer and others were kind of weird-looking, but they made it right with the release of the AMX. While it was a little off, mostly because it was only a 2-seater and has a very short wheel base, it is actually gorgeous.

If you reside in a cold region where snow is prevalent, you may want to store your muscle car for the winter. While this situation can be heartbreaking for all muscle car aficionados, the good thing about it is that you can sleep comfortable knowing that your hot rod is safe from the harmful elements bought about by the snow.

Clean the car before tucking it away. Any dust or dirt left on the car’s exterior will freeze duing the winter seson, and you will have a hard time removing it once spring comes. Also, make sure to clean the interior of the car - mostly to get rid of any leftovers that rodents may eat.

Keep the car in a clean and concrete garage. There are 2 reasons why a concrete and clean garage is the perfect place to store your muscle car. First, dirty garages attract mice and other vermins, and lastly, moisture cannot crawl up into the car if you garage is made of concrete, unlike gravel and dirt-surfaced ones.

Place a cover on the car. A simple and inexpensive cover will protect your car from dust or dirt. If you do not have a concrete garage, then your next best option is to either buy a sandwich bag-type of cover or allow the car to remain uncovered in order for the moisture not to get trapped underneath the cover.

Change the oil and fill up the gas tank. An oil change is an excellent way to ensure the oil container will not get filled with sludge. Furthermore, it ensures that the engine parts will not get covered with old and dirty oil for a couple of months without running. Filling up the gas tank will prevent moisture from settling inside the tank. You can also put in some gas-line antifreeze like HEET and fuel stabilizer.

Put the car on jack stands and spray some oil on the cylinders. Although this is just optional, you can still try this method, especially if you are a hardcore muscle car storer. With the modern tires present in most cars nowadays, this is not really needed anymore. The only reason why cars are place on stands was to prevent the tires from flat spotting. In case your car is running on bias ply tires, it is an excellent idea to put your car on jack stands, but if it has modern radial tires which never encounted any problems with air leakage, you can just bypass this process.

The Price Scale

Let us start with the price range. In what way can you figure it out for a muscle car? The answer is simple. Similar to realty, the value of a muscle car is based on what the industry believes it is worth and not by way of computing the overall expense of all parts. In addition, the muscle cars created in the 60’s and 70’s do not drop their value; it is always getting higher.

It is enough to say that knowing how a muscle car is to be used is very important whenever you shop around for it. If it is a form of investment, then an average price range vehicle is possibly the smallest value which you can have. You have to keep in mind that the most sought-after, earliest and matchless cars will be under the sophisticated price scale for that specific model and make.

You can go to Keith Martin’s Collector Car Price Tracker website to find out which model vehicles are worth, depending on their changeable condition. The site is among the excellent sources on the Internet should you wish to have a concept of the trends which are dependent on the cars’ sale prices. Furthermore, you can see the values on the previous years on a per model basis.

Aside from Keith Martin’s Collector Car Price Tracker, why not consider looking at the costs being listed in some of the reliable online websites under classified section? Majority of the asking prices are at one with the market, so at any rate, you must be capable of developing a trend.

The Terms of Payment

A lot of dealers propose a type of financing as consideration, although the most excellent term of payment is the traditional one which is cash as it will assist you in a few things such as letting you haggle for a satisfactory price and protecting you from a possible loan chaos and other risks.

If the car you purchased is considered as an investment, then it can be regarded as a piece of your portfolio in general. Do not withdraw 400k early on in order to purchase something that you really like; instead, make use of your available cash or have it transferred to some cash investments. It is true that the value of muscle cars are doing great for the last 10 years, but bear in mind that the growth of investment is never an assurance.

If you are new to the world of muscle car, then you would be probably at lost as there is wide range of options available to choose from. Well, to help you get started, here are the various types of cars that you can look into first before deciding on purchasing one.

Drag Racing Cars

From the word itself, this is where you will take your car to drag racing events. There should be modifications done on the car so that it can run the ¼ mile. It will need to have a hopped-up engine, as well as transmission, free flowing exhaust, roll cage and sparse interior.

Investment Cars

Well, your only purpose of buying a car is to sell it later at a higher price. Keep in mind that the model of the car needs to be rare or popular, well-maintained, or should be in excellent condition.

All-around Cars

Cars under this category is similar to a regular car wherein you can drive it to bring your kids to school, use it to go to the office or supermarket, for taking cross-country trips, etc. It does not necessarily need to have an excellent paint job, but if have money to spare, then you can put a roaring engine, good suspension or flawless paint job. Furthermore, the car does not have to be car show material, as long as it runs well, dependable and great to drive.

Pro-Touring Cars

Pro-touring cars are those that have the latest modifications like race tires, suspension and brake parts needed to create an outstanding handling cars. It would probably also have engine modifications. You can purchase a stock car and modify it, or buy an already modified one.

Automobile Exhibition Cars

Cars under this category would be modified ones in great shape, or those that have the original engine, transmission, etc. and is in excellent condition. Popular makes such as Charger, Camaro and others are an excellent fit in this field. In case the car is modified, then it has to be unique and very well made since it has to look expensive. Cars for exhibition purposes only are rarely driven - maybe just a couple of times a year. Its primary objective is to sit on the podium, look gorgeous and bring home some trophies.

The best way to determine the type and model of muscle car you would buy is to first start checking out all the choices currently available in the market. Ford, AMC, Chrysler and GM have all created a lot of amazing muscle cars back in the 60s and 70s - each unique from one another.

Start browsing the various classified listings on the Internet. It would be much better to see a lot of different muscle cars. Look into the designs that you want first and nothing more. Next, see what mucle car grabs your attention and write it down. It is a good thing to have a lot of options on your list.

Do not just look at the muscle car’s stance from the front - it should be examined from every angle. Do you want a muscle car that has bulging fenders? Do you want a street or race-looking muscle car? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself.

After that, determine what engine combustions, trim levels, etc. that you would want for your car. You can search online, as well as in automobile magazines for these information. Visiting local and national exhibits is highly recommended as nothing beat seeing these mean machines up close and personal.

Once you have managed to do all the things mentioned above, then the next step is to get more specific. You probably have listed down at least 2 to 3 cars that you like. So, it is now time for you to start focusing on them. Browse the online classified websites again. Try to find the color of your dream car and note down all the specific details - what they have and do not have, as well as the good and bad points. If you are planning to keep the car in its original form, then just look at cars with manual transmissions. It also applies for the color and engine combination, tires and the like. Go back to your initial research in case you need more information, or took a wrong turn and end up at a dead end, wherein things seem the same, but when in fact, they really are not. For instance, Chevy created 3 various types of big block engines (396 cubic inches).

The first to introduce a new breed of muscle cars in today’s generation is Ford. Chrysler, as well as General Motors made an announcement that they are planning to make one, too. Ford had released a modern-day version of mucle cars via the Thunderbird; however, it was not regarded as a muscle car during the time when muscle cars ruled the American highways. Chrysler has reinvented the Dodge Charger, but it does not look like the 60s and 70s Charger. GM has released a new version of the GTO and once more, it does not resemble anything like the GTO of the good old days.

Ford initially brought back a car that actually resembles a previous Mustang model. The latest Mustang looks like an earlier version of Mustang of the 60s and 70s. Chrysler has followed in the footsteps of Ford and announced that they are reinventing the Dodge Challenger, which a lot of people think resembles closely to a Challenger as opposed to Ford’s Mustang. GM, who also wants a piece of the action, made an announcement about their plans in bringing back the Camaro, which looks very much like their 1969 Camaro - a highly popular body design among muscle car aficionados.

Ford has made a great job in terms of the price tag on their Mustang. You would be able to buy a well-stocked Mustang GT hardtop for about $30,000, which is a reasonable price in the current market. Chrysler and GM on the other hand, have not yet put their cars on display, so the price tag is still unknown, but they have to deal with a certain problem. Chrysler has other car models that are qualified in the performance marketplace - the Ram SRT-10 and the Viper. The Challenger’s price tag cannot be too close to those two models as consumers would just spend the additional cash on those 10-cylinder models. GM also has a similar problem - their Corvette. It was simply re-designed and the performance is much higher compared to the earlier model. The Corvette Z06 model currently has an amazing 505 HP. They have to put an appropriate price tag on the new Camero in case they do decide to make it.

Classic muscle cars are adored by a lot of people – young and old, but it can be quite difficult to search for these mean machines. On the other hand, there are still a number of places that you can visit to find the car that you have always been dreaming of.

You can check out eBay and other auction websites. There are a lot of things that you can find and purchase on eBay, and you may even find the perfect car that you want to own or restore. There are unique, rare and even muscles cars that are in various stages of restoration. Of course, they all have different price tags, but the good thing about it is that you can always obtain all the necessary parts in these websites.

Another great place to go to is Craigslist. In fact, you can find pretty much everything in this website. Furthermore, there are a lot of new advertisements being added on a daily basis.

Car magazines, both in print and online, are an exellent source to look for classic muscle cars. They contain many ads on various types of cars for sale. A lot of these car magazines get published every week and usually, you can either buy the printed version of the magazine or check it out online.

You can also find classic muscle cars in automobile trade meets and exhibitions. They are held a couple of times in a year wherein they have automobile corrals with numerous cars for sale, as well as auctions. If you will be attending one of these events, make sure to bring cash with you and be ready to transact right there and then because if you leave, somebody might buy it.

Car clubs and local car exhibits is another place where you can find your dream car. Most of the time, these clubs have conventions at regular periods and members of the club are often well-informed about muscle cars that are up for sale.

It may take you a few weeks, or even months before you can locate the perfect classic muscle car for you to buy, but it is definitely out there. You just have to be patient, yet aggressive and look at all the places where these cars are available.

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