It may still be an upcoming model, but we already know how rare the 2021 Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is going to be. According to a press release, the production will be limited to just 50 examples. What’s more, the car would feature a serialized badge that shows the car’s one-of-50 build sequence number.
The car is also said to be the most powerful Challenger Mopar Drag Pak ever built with its upgraded supercharged HEMI V8 engine. The reservation for this limited-edition car started earlier this month and even with an MSRP of $143,485, we’re pretty sure the slots will be gone soon.
If you badly want a Challenger convertible, you may need to go all the way back to 1970 or find a Challenger with this model year. 1970 is a special year because this was the first time that a Challenger convertible was ever released. Overall, there were reportedly around 1,070 people who ordered the Challenger R/T convertible.
However, according to Mecum Auctions, only nine of them opted to get a 425-horsepower Hemi engine. Today, we consider the 1970 Challenger R/T Hemi convertible to be a rare muscle car no one knows about because there are just very few of them.
When Dodge and Chevrolet reignited the old muscle car wars of the 1960s and 70s by reviving the Challenger and Camaro over a decade ago, nobody could have foreseen the monstrous beasts that are currently rolling out of Detroit factories. But amid the impressive Demons and Hellcats with their supercharged Hemi V8 engines and the track-focused Shelby Mustangs in GT350 and GT500 trim, there’s still something about the old classics that can’t be beaten by modern performance vehicles (even if from a performance perspective, there’s really no contest). Part of what’s missing from today’s marketplace is simply a lack of variety, as the massive conglomerates have shut down sub-brands like Mercury, Plymouth, and Pontiac. However, if Fiat-Chrysler were to bring back Plymouth for the current age, this 440-powered 1971 Barracuda currently listed on the auction website Bring a Trailer would serve as excellent inspiration for a potential reboot.
By 1971, The Barracuda had become a sibling of its contemporary Dodge Challenger, leaving its previous platform-mates of the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant behind. But, there were significant differences between the ‘Cuda and the Challenger, including a completely different exterior with no shared sheet metal and a two-inch shorter wheelbase.
This example is powered by a replacement V8 displacing 440ci and equipped with a four-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock intake manifold. A dual exhaust setup is fed by aftermarket TTi headers and features mufflers from DynoMax. Other light modifications include an aftermarket Griffin radiator and a high-output alternator. The setup routes power to the rear through a three-speed automatic with overdrive and a solid rear axle equipped with 3.90 gearing.
The interior is a simple affair, with black vinyl matching a Mopar Tuff-style steering wheel and a Rallye instrument cluster. If Fiat-Chrysler were actually to listen to the rumors and bring back the ‘Cuda, perhaps a simpler interior available on lower-trim levels other than with the Demon Crate could be a good bet to help keep prices low. In the meantime, this car’s auction has already reached $20,000 with six days remaining until the final gavel.
The return of the Mach 1 is unquestionably the biggest news regarding the 2021 Ford Mustang lineup, but the model year switchover comes along with additional changes. An official document tucked away on Ford’s media site discovered by YouTuber Speed Phenom reveals everything that’s new for the Blue Oval’s entire 2021MY lineup, including the Shelby GT500.
Without further ado, customers will get to pick from three additional exterior colors: Grabber Yellow, Carbonized Gray, and Antimatter Blue. All three shades are also available for the Mustang GT and the base EcoBoost version of the beloved pony car. While an extension of the color palette is not exactly breaking news, the PDF document (available here) also reveals the 2021 Shelby GT500 is getting an optional Carbon Fiber Handling Package.
Not to be confused with the existing Carbon Fiber Track Pack and the Handling Pack, the new kit seems to be a mélange of the two. Here’s what Ford says it contains: 20-inch black carbon fiber wheels, adjustable strut top mounts, catch can, Gurney flap, and splitter wickers. You can’t order the 2020 Shelby GT500 with both of the aforementioned packages as one excludes the other, but it looks like the 2021 model will combine the two for a well-rounded piece of equipment.
The press release issued by Ford doesn’t talk about pricing, but we’re hoping it will bring the customer some savings over the current $18,500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack and the $1,500 Handling Pack.
If AMC ever were to create an automotive apocalypse series called The Driving Dead, here’s a worthwhile candidate for the lead: a rust bucket that used to be a 1964 Pontiac GTO abandoned for 30 years in some barn near Mason, Ohio. But thanks to a small company that specializes in classical vehicle restorations, this GM corpse and original muscle car got the full Lazarus treatment and a much happier ending than the zombies populating The Walking Dead.
According to Chris Winston, who owns CW Restorations, which was given the task of bringing the GTO back from the dead, it was the worst case of rust he had ever seen. Everything that was metal had turned to rust, right down to the frame. What wasn’t metal, especially in the interior, was damaged by wild animals that at one point or another made the GTO a temporary home.
Winston managed to restore much of the frame and body but had to rebuild the motor, brakes and suspension. The engine, a 389 cubic-inch V-8, which could generate 348 horsepower, also came with chrome valve covers. This particular car had dual belts on the alternator belts for power steering as well as an upgraded braking system.
The hardest part of the job was finding a frame that would hold the V-8. Winston also had to replace the interior and trunk flooring, brakes and suspension. Fortunately, several unique features remained intact, including the wooden steering wheel, a rarity at the time.
Since the restoration, the owner has been besieged by offers up to the six-figure level. But Winston found the massive makeover to be a labor of love. “I prefer the classic car just because they have character,” he says.
One person who would likely agree with Winston is Justin Timberlake who proudly drives a 1967 Pontiac GTO. Although Pontiac was terminated during the financial crisis of 2008, the Ohio restoration serves as one reminder of the automaker’s legacy.
When people think of classic muscle cars, the first cars that come to their minds are usually Mustangs, Camaros, and Corvettes. Though cars like the Pontiac GTO or the AMC Javelin may ring a bell, others like the Mercury Cougar Eliminator are oftentimes unknown by the vast majority.
The Cougar Eliminator inherited a lot of the features found on Ford Mustangs. Since Mercury is a division of Ford Motor Company, that is not very surprising. What may surprise muscle car fans is the fact that the 1969 Eliminator inherited the Boss 302 4.9L V8. Producing 290hp, the Cougar Eliminator was one under-rated pony car.
This Charger Super Bee from Schwartz Performance is incredibly nice. The biggest complaint that all original muscle cars have is that they handle like a drunken dairy cow with a bad leg.
This problem is solved entirely by the Schwartz team when they install their bespoke chassis under the car and then mounting modern suspension components to it. It’s a brilliant, albeit costly solution.
This is Valkyrja from Ring Brothers. It’s a fully rebuilt 69 Camaro with an 890 horsepower V8 under the hood. That alone is shockingly good, but just take a moment and drink in the details of this build.
The fenders, the lighting, the ducting, and aero are all brilliantly nipped and tucked here and there. It’s very tough to imagine that the 69 Camaro could get better looking than it already was, but here it is.
