Friday Fun Thread: Bring on da Muscle...

Heh. Here's a good one. Top Ten Muscle cars. I'm certain that this list won't be controversial... heh heh heh...

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1. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge. Bar none, this is the muscle car di tutti muscle cars. This is also my second favorite car in the entire world, and was responsible for me owning a 1972 Pontiac LeMans with a rebuilt 400 CI motor right out of college. The plan was to turn it into a LeGoat (restore the body, get the GTO cladding). The reality was a lawn ornament that I wound up selling - at a hefty $200 profit - to one of my sister's friends...

2. 1987 Buick Gran National. Not much that came out of the 1980s for American cars was anything even vaguely resembling a muscle car. The Gran National, however, gave a brief, shining glimpse of what had once been, coupled with an insight into what could be on the horizon. In the aftermath of the emissions control BS that crippled American muscle in the mid-'70s, the turbocharged Gran National offered performance again.

3. Shelby Cobra. Any list of muscle cars that doesn't include the Cobra is wrong. End of story. Small frame. Lightweight body. Ginormous motor stuffed under the hood. American car from the 1960s capable of close to 200 MPH top speed. Side pipes. Roadster. R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! Unfortunately, so few were made that remaining Cobras are far beyond the reach of all but the most Leno-esque of collectors...

4. 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302. The late 1960s/early 1970s were the golden years for American muscle. The Chevelles, 442s, 'Cudas, Roadrunners, etc. ruled the roost with big block power. Ford wasn't as heavily invested in the muscle car wars as Mopar or GM; however they did offer the Boss 302 Mustang, one of the more enduring icons of the muscle car era. Power was a respectable 290 HP in a (for the time period) small car, and the Boss 'Stang competed in the Trans Am series against the AAR 'Cudas and Penske Camaros...

5. 1970 Hemi 'Cuda. Speaking of the Plymouth Barracuda... What's not to love about a car named after one of the fastest predators of the sea? The Barracuda underwent two body style changes from its introduction in 1964 (when it was based on the Valiant) to the 3rd generation body style from 1970-1974 (1974 shown). The 426 Hemi put out 425 horsepower, achieving the sought-after metric of 1HP/CI that was the grail of muscle car motors.

6. Chevrolet Chevelle 454SS. This is a stand-in for any member of the "GM Quartet" - the Chevy Chevelle, Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO, or Buick GNX. The LS6 version of the 454SS put out 450 horsepower, and is generally considered one of the fastest muscle cars going. This engine would launch this steel monstrosity down the ¼ mile in low 13 second times, generally the realm of mildly customized specialty cars...

7. 1957 Chrysler 300 C. The 300 series is considered by many to be the "grandfather" of the American muscle car, with the "300" standing for the 300 horsepower coming out of the 331 CI "FirePower" V8 in the original 1955 300. The 1957 300C offered a 375 HP 392 CI V8. From its introduction in 1955 through the 1957 model year, the 300 was the fastest American car on the road.

8. 1969 Chevrolet Corvette 427. 390 HP in a fiberglass bodied car? Sign me up! The '68-82 C3 body Corvette (called the "Mako Shark" after the concept 'Vette in 1968, it replaced the 1963-1967 "Stingray" monikered C2). The fabled ZL-1 427 put out 585 horsepower, making this 'Vette a contender against the offerings from Ferrari.

9. Ford Torino GT 428 Cobra Jet. Just getting something the size of the Ford Torino moving at all is an impressive feat. Getting it moving at speeds approaching those of a muscle car (14.2 second ¼ mile!) is an engineering marvel unto itself. This particular car makes the list for sentimental reasons - a good friend of mine who restores old cars just resuscitated a '68 Torino GT and has been working on it periodically.

10. 1992 Dodge Viper. Hmmm. Open top. Side pipes. Ridiculously overpowered engine. Where have we seen this car before? I'd argue that the single most important thing that the Viper did was to re-invigorate the American muscle car market after the torpor of the late 1970s and 1980s...

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Okay, so there's my list of my Top Ten favorite muscle cars spanning some 5 decades. I have a hunch that there might be a few that y'all feel deserve a spot on the list, or some on the list that you think don't quite make the grade.

Have at it!

That is all.