Muscle Car History

Cars are a necessary part of our lives today. However, we also drive cars which suit our personal tastes and for pure enjoyment. Your car makes a major statement about your personality. Your vehicles are also a major investment and you want to do everything you can to keep them looking good for a long time. No matter what type of vehicle you have, whether it is a new car or a classic you should cover it with a car cover when not in use.

The muscle car era has probably given us some of the most desirable and collectable cars in history. Even today, muscle cars can be seen and are still in high demand. They have a distinctive look with their wide profiles, sharp lines and plenty of chrome. Their looks are muscular and the V8 engines fast. Some of the cars that fit into this category include the Dodge Charger and the Pontiac GTO.

To be classified as a muscle car the vehicle has to meet some criteria. It is a mid size vehicle with a V8 engine and was produced between 1965 and 1973. The muscle car models had the added V8 engine and special trims. They usually handled better because they had optimal suspension and braking.

The first baby boom generation coincided with the muscle car era. At this time, WWII had just ended and the soldiers came home and before long there were babies being born everywhere. At this same time the cars of this time period were pretty conservative when it came to speed and styling.

The new baby boomers were attracted to the muscle car for two reasons. One being the price and the other was the power and speed. Before this if you wanted a faster car you had to have it custom built and that took a lot of time and money. This changed in 1964 when the Pontiac Tempest offered a GTO package that added a V8 engine and floor shifted transmission. It also had GTO badges and special trim.

In 1965, along came the Ford Mustang. The Mustang is technically called a Pony Car because it is small and compact with a big engine. However, they are usually put in the same category as a muscle car. During the first two years of production of the Mustang there were over 1.5 million models sold.

Just as the muscle car craze was in top speed, there were three things that happened to put an end to the muscle car era. As the cars got bigger and more powerful, the insurance companies started adding large surcharges to these high powered cars. This helped to push the muscle cars out of the young driver’s price range.

At this same time Congress was starting to take a harder stance on controlling vehicle emissions. In 1973 leaded gasoline was banned and automakers had to shift from making more powerful cars to ones that had lower emissions. The final reason for the end of the muscle car was the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. Gas became very scarce at this time and auto makers started making cars that were smaller, more compact and fuel efficient.

ACDelco and Motorcraft OEM Auto Parts OE Parts Headquarters

Just remember no matter what type of car you have, you should keep it protected with a custom car cover when not in use. 

There are plenty of excellent cars out in the market nowadays. The new vehicles today feature everything from Gps navigation systems, LCD screens prepared for DVD, increased suspension techniques, and even black boxes to record possible incidents.

No matter how high tech the modern can get and no matter how sleek and streamlined the lines become, the vintage Chevy is still the grand daddy of each and every modern car attempting to be smooth and suave.

The Chevelle, Beaumont, Acadian, Firebird, Monte Carlo, Bel Air, Corvette, and Camaro have never experienced automatic transmissions systems and satellite-based navigation.

But, the style and panache which these cars have are enough to give any Ferrari a run for its money.

It is easy to love the vintage cars. Simply a glance through a classic car dealer’s window, or the sight of an not known man cruising in an El Camino is sufficient for most people to realize that even Porsches have missed something, and something essential at that.

Actually beginning your journey into the land of vintage automobiles, however, can be quite difficult. One of the first things that you should know is that it takes passion and commitment to become a true vintage auto aficionado.

begin your homework – brush up on the various models, the specific features which each one has, and the various organizations and collector’s guilds and associations that you can hook up with.

Once you know enough to begin thinking about getting your own vintage, the next step is to be prepared. Love is one thing, but money is another. Whatever you get the classic car from a certified seller or find a lying around dumps, the classic vehicle can cost a lot of money.

Vintage dealers can offer fully restored vehicles that come with the exact same trappings that they had on the day that the car was released. Vintage parts are usually even preserved just to bring back a car as aged your grandfather into the21st century.

The cost, however, is as great as any medical operation that your father’s father might need to start breathing again. If you happen to find one left lying around, restoration will prove to be equally challenging.

Restoration is one of the challenges that a vintage auto enthusiast has to face. Doing this is no laughing matter especially when you consider the fact that most of these cars have parts that are no longer manufactured. For example, sometime you need to order the custom parts for your car.

Start car restoration by contacting a good mechanic who can do the job for you. You can get your hand smudged with a bit of car oil, if you want to.

But it will take an experienced mechanic to restore a vintage back to its shining glory, and unless you have the background in restoration and mechanics that a professional restorer has, you better leave it to the professionals.