Car Stories Archives

The Muscle Car Wars Part 1

MID-SIZED MUSCLE WAS BASICALLY DEFINED BY GENERAL MOTORS (GM) EARLY ON BECAUSE THEY CREATED AND OWNED THE MARKETING.

1958 – The Year of the “Big Block.”

The introduction of the Big Blocks in the Low-Price Three; Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth in 1958, enabled the Muscle Car for those brands in 1964.

The Horsepower Wars 1949-1957

Without the Horsepower Wars of the 50s – We might not have had the Muscle Car Wars of the 60s!

The 1968-1970 Oldsmobile 350 CID W-31 V-8: The Little Engine that Could!

The Oldsmobile Gen 2 330-350 CID small block was capable of exciting performance from it’s outset, but when equipped with the W-31 option – WOW!

1958-1964: The Storm Before the Storm – Mopar “B” and “RB” Wedge Performance Growth

The Penultimate or the Pinnacle of Chrysler Corporation Wedge Development – the 1964 Stage III 426 CID Wedge V-8.

Cadillac Goes Hot Rod . . . Or Did They?

1956 was the first year that a hardtop joined the Eldorado line. If you were choosing a performance Eldorado, the Seville hardtop would have been your selection.

1953-1960 Cadillac V-8 Facts

The factory soon found that its competitors were touting power! Not to be outdone, the 1955 Eldorado appeared with multiple carbs and the horsepower race was on!

1958-1965 Chrysler Corporation “B” and “RB” Wedge V-8s

The Chrysler Corporation’s “B” and “RB” blocks established the organization’s engine family from the late 50’s through the demise of the large V-8.

The Story of Ford’s “Tame” 427 CID V-8

We’re still trying to figure out why this hydraulic lifter 427 ever existed and why it ended up in the 1967 Ford Fairlane and Fairlane GT.

Why Didn’t Ford Offer the 3 Two-barrel Manifold on the Fairlane GT

The 1961-62 390 & 406 CID Performance FE V-8s and the 1963 Thunderbird M-Code 390 manifold was readily available as a “bolt on” upgrade for the Fairlane GT, but it never appeared.