A Muscle Car In Every Garage

A Muscle Car In Every Garage

- Diego Rosenberg

Last month I presented the idea that there is no need to pout and begrudge that investors and the wealthy are ruining the hobby and making your favorite car out of reach. Thanks to the Internet, enthusiasts are able to cast a wider net, yet maintaining an open mind will help you realize there is no shortage of cool cars. The payoff will be the thrill of finding a special-interest vehicle that may not have previously appeared on your radar (plus, less negativity in the hobby). Here are some ideas to get your noggin going.

1968 Cyclone Coupe

When Mercury redesigned the Cyclone for 1968, the division discontinued the convertible but added a contemporary fastback. Both Cyclone hardtop and fastback were available as base and GT models, with the fastback heavily overshadowing the coupe. Standard was a tepid 302 two-barrel, but big-blocks up to the 428 CJ were available to snag your attention. Only 1,368 of these obscurities were built (334 of them GTs), so it’s no surprise that the coupe met its demise at the end of the model year.

1970 Coronet Deluxe

Tired of overpriced Mopar cartoon cars, even 383s? Then here’s your solution. The Deluxe was the lowest Coronet on the totem pole, and the top engine available was the 330hp 383 four-barrel. This is like taking the “El Cheapo” Road Runner/Super Bee formula and distilling it even more. The 1970 model has unique styling, and if you opted for the four-speed you received a 5hp bump that made the 383 identical to the Super Bee’s. If you have trouble finding one of the 13 built (U.S.-spec), get inspired and build one.

1968-1969 Tempest/ LeMans