Still, few gearheads stray away from muscle cars. Even bad things are collectible. Parts of a popular emotive machine with a big bill. The origin of muscle cars is debatable. Some sources claim General Motors started the process on his 1949 Oldsmobile 88. The genre came into full swing with the Pontiac GTO. Either way, muscle cars have been popular ever since.
Between greatness and failure, there’s plenty of muscle car motoring mayhem that isn’t wholesome second-hand. Naturally, aging affects running costs. Parts are hard to find, as is the skill required to keep these motors on the road. The bad news is that the perfect Classic He-Muscle He-Car doesn’t exist. Apart from choosing the worst Raiding your savings becomes inevitable.
10/10 Jensen Interceptor III Convertible
Start with an unexpected choice. The Jensen Interceptor is American muscle at its best, despite its British origins. Beneath the body of the Carrozzeria lies the beating heart of his MOPAR tuned V8, which ranges from 5.9 to 7.2 liters. Up to 390 ponies in a 6 pack.
For the most part, the Interceptor wore the body of a two-door coupe, of which only 267 convertibles were built. Given their rarity, it becomes financially difficult to maintain Interceptors. Add to the mix a rust-prone chassis made worse by chopping off the roof.
9/10 De Tomasso Longchamp
A similar concept to the Interceptor, Longchamp was another exotic with an American-made V8 engine. Designed by Tom Tjaarda of Ghia the Longchamp was his coupe, a slim two-door with a big heart. Under the hood of this classic Italian 330 hp in 5.8 liter version of Ford’s Cleveland V8.
The problem with this comes down to build quality. Ford’s V8s are reliable and run forever, but the rest of the car isn’t. Longchamp, who found a house with less than 500 people, was troubled by the high cost of parts and repairs.
8/10 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster
It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that we said goodbye to the Viper when Chrysler pulled the plug in 2017. Unlike most V8-powered muscle cars, the Viper is powered by his 8-liter V10 with a few more cylinders.
Make no mistake, the V10 is nearly explosion proof, plus plus an oil change is all you need. Still, it’s also the biggest contributor to maintenance costs. Not from mechanical wear and tear, but from a dedicated owner. There is no safety device, so pressing the throttle too hard will cause a crash. Repair costs are high here. Bodywork is horribly expensive, even for fiberglass.
7/10 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
The Camaro deserves a place among classic muscle car gearheads’ wishlists. Sitting somewhere in the middle is the 5.7-liter Z28..
Perfect muscle car? it’s not. As much as the Z28 is desirable, it’s the bits you can’t always see that bother you the most.
6/10 ford thunderbird
Ford’s revamped Thunderbird came out in 1989 and was met with mixed reviews. Smoother two-door His coupe was a matter of taste, but under the hood everything went wrong. In Thunderbird’s long history, it’s the only 10th generation that doesn’t have a V8.Ford stopped offering the 4.9-liter V8 in 1990, even though the supercoupes blew the V6.
For a list of reliability issues no matter which engine option you crave.
5/10 pontiac firebird trans am
The Pontiac Firebird was a muscle car that faced a two-pronged crisis in the late 1970s and needed a fix. 1982 Means New Shared F Body Design We focus on efficiency. The V8 was still a big plus point, but cost and weight savings were abundant elsewhere.
Despite its great design, the Firebird’s body hid some nasty surprises. The thin, cheap bodywork was prone to dents and scratches. Worse, the budget build continued through Firebirds suspension and steering. It may be cheap these days, but you’ll be investing more time and money in repairs later.
4/10 Dodge Aspen RT Super Coupe
It sports the names of various car manufacturers. The Aspen RT Super Coupe is his little-known muscle car from the ’70s. fill a niche already filled by Volare, Over 500 Aspen RT Super Coupes soldDepending on the state you live in, Dodge offered two V8 engine options with up to 170 horsepower on tap.
Aspen’s biggest problem was its poor build quality, working around the performance issues of its time. Given the low production numbers, you might think Dodge tweaked the assembly process. Wrong! Instead, production cars left the factory without corrosion protection. The Super Coupe has become a rust time bomb.
3/10 Ford Ranchero GT
Muscle car manners in pickup trucks, the Ranchero GT is one of those rare vehicles every gearhead should drive. Sadly for Ford, sales of its most popular model were never very successful. Its rarity makes owning it a potential money trap if something goes wrong.
The 7.0-liter Cleveland V8 was a reliable 375 horsepower, but not much was bolted to it. Fluid leaks, air conditioner failures, and other minor kit issues are common issues with Ranchero. Fault correction is a tedious task of tracking spares and parts. But finding a mechanic with the know-how to fix the problem is even more difficult.
2/10 Dodge Charger RT
The Dodge Charger RT enjoys cult status thanks to its screen fame big and small, and is hugely popular. Still, the auction is a bargain, dropping the price down to $45,000At these prices, it’s an attractive proposition that few gearheads can resist.
No other saying is cheap for a reason. At its highest, Mint’s example he trades for over $150,000. This makes bargain motors a worrisome temptation. Rust is an ever-present concern, as heavily corroded rear quarters, trunks, and roofs are difficult to replace.
1/10 Buick GNX
The Buick GNX is the only muscle car that doesn’t use a V8 engine. Instead, Buick opted for his 3.8-liter turbocharged V6, which produces 245-300 horsepower. Buick claimed he had one number, but Gearhead proved otherwise on the dyno he rig.
Whatever the numbers, the GNX is a proper muscle car. Boost drag race shocks supercar junior owner When the GNX took off like a scalded cat. But it’s far from perfect. Mechanical failures include oil leaks, weak turbos, and gasket failures.
Source: De Tomaso Automobili, Dodge RT Club, Hemmings, Bring A Trailer
