I love muscle cars. I just can't pick a favorite brand, and don't intend too. Logic tells me Chevy builds the best engines, but my heart always goes to Mustangs and Mopar.
I'll be getting a job soon and maybe in a year will be able to afford some muscle. I'd like to get started with a three valve Mustang and make it look a bit more like the Iacocca edition. Looks cleaner. If not, an SN95 or an LS1 Trans Am would be amazing too.
What do you guys like? What do you own? What have you owned?
64 el Camino, 70 duster, imsa amc spirit, 66 mustang, ls1 trans am, c5 vettes....
Been all over the map on muscle cars.
Whats the end game?
What's your definition of muscle car?
I had a '70 Challenger once, light in the back end. Had a 1964 Galaxie convertable with a 352 4speed when I was 17; muscley or bulky?
What ever way you turn, you're keeping the hobby alive, personally I'd prefer you resurrected a few more Mopars.
Pattyo said:What's your definition of muscle car?
Normally, I wouldn't consider pony cars as muscle, but really anything american with a V8, two doors and RWD. The Corvette would be an exception considering it's a sports car first and foremost, but include it if you guys want.
Now, considering the only true muscle car left is the Challenger, I would get even more lax and say modern Mustangs and Camaros are muscle cars too. The Charger as well even if it's a four door.
So anything V8 and American, it seems. Muscle trucks too. I want a barebones V8 F150 so badly...
In reply to 914Driver :
There's something about the sound of a Mopar... Especially classics. I wouldn't mind one at all haha, they look so mean. I also consider a HEMI Charger, 2007-ish.
I would say the Galaxie is both muscly and bulky haha, my grandpa had Galaxies and loved them. I bet it was an interesting choice at 17.
What do you want to do with it?
Pattyo said:What do you want to do with it?
Sorry if it seems like a "what car should I buy thread" haha, don't want to make it all about me.
Anyways, I want something to cruise around and be able to take a corner or two. Power matters but not that much. Sound is the most important thing. I am even considering an automatic because I live in Mexico and manual muscle cars are rare around here. The S197 GT's are easier to find with a manual.
The Mustang is my favourite but I would only be able to afford a 4.6, which might fall short on the muscle part of the equation. Also, the 4th Gen TA looks the biz and it's easier to modify.
Edit: I love shifting my gears, but I do believe an automatic can be fun and suits torquey V8's well.
I had a 2000 trans am (ls1 t56)for a couple months. It was only good at going fast in a straight line and looking good parked in my driveway. No trunk, hardly a back seat, terrible ingress/egress despite huge doors. I would not own another one.
i also own a 1968 GTO with the same ls1/t56 drivetrain as the trans am. It has much more utility, I make friends every time I buy gas, and it makes me smile. It's not very comfortable to be in it for very long (no ac, loud, smells a bit like gas because no catalyst, etc). I still love it.
In reply to Spiritus_Spatium :
Were you formerly a host of a BBC automotive show? Is your nickname "Hamster"?... 
I'm all about luxury muscle. Big honking V8's in Cadillacs and Mercedes AMG cars. Jaguar and BMW and maybe Lexus have even made cars that fit the bill. I want more power than tire and a ride that will put my kids to sleep.
secretariata said:In reply to Spiritus_Spatium :
Were you formerly a host of a BBC automotive show? Is your nickname "Hamster"?...
lol I dont get the joke, but my name’s Ricardo... maybe...
pushrod36 said:I had a 2000 trans am (ls1 t56)for a couple months. It was only good at going fast in a straight line and looking good parked in my driveway. No trunk, hardly a back seat, terrible ingress/egress despite huge doors. I would not own another one.
i also own a 1968 GTO with the same ls1/t56 drivetrain as the trans am. It has much more utility, I make friends every time I buy gas, and it makes me smile. It's not very comfortable to be in it for very long (no ac, loud, smells a bit like gas because no catalyst, etc). I still love it.
Oh, consider yourself lucky with that kind of machinery. I thought those 4th gens had potential in the handling department? Do you have to mod them to get them to turn?
mazdeuce said:I'm all about luxury muscle. Big honking V8's in Cadillacs and Mercedes AMG cars. Jaguar and BMW and maybe Lexus have even made cars that fit the bill. I want more power than tire and a ride that will put my kids to sleep.
Is it wrong that I want to build an LS powered E39 for the same reasons? :D
Spiritus_Spatium said:pushrod36 said:I had a 2000 trans am (ls1 t56)for a couple months. It was only good at going fast in a straight line and looking good parked in my driveway. No trunk, hardly a back seat, terrible ingress/egress despite huge doors. I would not own another one.
i also own a 1968 GTO with the same ls1/t56 drivetrain as the trans am. It has much more utility, I make friends every time I buy gas, and it makes me smile. It's not very comfortable to be in it for very long (no ac, loud, smells a bit like gas because no catalyst, etc). I still love it.
Oh, consider yourself lucky with that kind of machinery. I thought those 4th gens had potential in the handling department? Do you have to mod them to get them to turn?
There is potential there, but for me the good doesn't outweigh the bad. I would start with something else that was more useable as a car.
A muscle car is a mid-size or full size platform which was not purpose built to be a perfomance car, with a big engine. Full stop.
Galaxie - yes.
GTO - yes.
Charger - yes.
F-body - no.
Challenger - no.
Mustang - hell no.
Sounds like you actually want a pony car.
I love the fox chassis but its not a muscle car and old guys everywere will crucify you for even saying those words. My vote is still mustang but im heavily biased towards ford. If i was going traditional muscle car the galaxie's are my favorite 60's bodystyle ive owned.
I want a Galaxie so bad. So so so bad.
A muscle car is a mid-size or full size platform which was not purpose built to be a perfomance car, with a big engine. Full stop.
I mostly agree with you but i think it also has to have been quicker than 'normal' contemporaries because LOTS of mid and full size cars have had huge engines and still been slow as dirt.
It all depends on your defiinition - most would say it's a muscle car is an intermediate body, so a Galaxie wouldn't fit that description. Yes, you could get high horsepower / performance Galaxies but they were just big, fast cars (I have a '61 Pontiac Bonneville with the top of the line tripower engine and a four speed; it's the same deal - not a muscle car, but it is big and fast.) 
I do know the difference, as stated before. I’m just being lax with the definition for sake of the discussion. I just felt like talking American iron and being super strict with the definition would limit the conversation a bit. What I meant is that I wouldn’t crucify someone for calling a Corvette or a Mustang a muscle car, especially in this modern era where -as I said before- the only real muscle car left is in my opinion the Challenger.
With that cleared, it does seem like the car I’m interested the most is the S197. It’s the only reasonable V8 car that is relatively liveable, easy to find in manual, cheap, reliable and I like the look. The Camaro is too cramped inside and visibility sucks. The Charger is way too big and it’s not the best looking inside or outside (first gen).
Ideally, I'd like one of those with the glass roof and make it look like a Bullit replica, even if that means repainting it. Bullits are non existent around here.
Does anyone else think a Galaxie would make for a kick ass interstate cruiser? Restored with modern amenities without going full resto-mod. Just a nice stereo, big engine and keep the brakes and tires checked.
Also, what’s your opinion on reinterpretations of discontinued cars? Like those new Trans Ams made from Camaros. I also saw there where some Challengers converted into ‘Cudas. I’d love to see something similar done with the Mustang to make it look like a modern interpretation of the Shelby GT500 CJ. And hood pins on everything. I love hood pins haha
The owner of the ice cream joint a block from my work place bought a Galaxie a couple of years ago. Thing was MINT. It was light blue and completely unmolested/original. 64,000 original kilometers. Bought it for around $5k USD from some old ladies. It was gorgeous. We need more interest in classic cars. I personally would love to have a ‘57 Custom 300 Fordor, restomoded. I wouldn’t go full TV show and stick coil overs and Wilwooods on it like I’m sponsored haha, but would like it to be modern and have around 350 hp. A nice sound system, painted all black.
stuart in mn said:It all depends on your defiinition - most would say it's a muscle car is an intermediate body, so a Galaxie wouldn't fit that description. Yes, you could get high horsepower / performance Galaxies but they were just big, fast cars (I have a '61 Pontiac Bonneville with the top of the line tripower engine and a four speed; it's the same deal - not a muscle car, but it is big and fast.)
Have you taken it to the strip?
Spiritus_Spatium said:
Does anyone else think a Galaxie would make for a kick ass interstate cruiser? Restored with modern amenities without going full resto-mod. Just a nice stereo, big engine and keep the brakes and tires checked.
That's kinda what they were originally built for, just keep in mind that a car that big with a muscular engine is going to drink premium fuel at an alarming rate.
BrokenYugo said:Spiritus_Spatium said:
Does anyone else think a Galaxie would make for a kick ass interstate cruiser? Restored with modern amenities without going full resto-mod. Just a nice stereo, big engine and keep the brakes and tires checked.
That's kinda what they were originally built for, just keep in mind that a car that big with a muscular engine is going to drink premium fuel at an alarming rate.
Well, yes haha
But it's not the obvious choice nowadays. I mean, a Camry *could* be better at that, but with some mods a Galaxie should do the job rather nicely. I ask these questions because it seems nobody dailys classics around here, unlike USA :/
They are all garage queens here
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