With information on major systems - suspension, steering, brakes, wheels, transmission, tires, engines, cooling, exhaust, fuel, ignition and electrical systems, rear axle and driveshaft, and upholstery - this title shows how those with a modicum of mechanical skill can do the maintenance and repairs necessary to keep their muscle car alive.

Today, a 1970 Hemi Cuda can change hands for as much as a quarter of a million dollars. But when it was introduced, the Barracuda was just a car, and it was Joe Oldhams job to beat the daylights out of it. A tell-all from the man who tested the best, this book delves into the notes Oldham made on the cars he vetted for some of the top car magazines. Here are the photos (including outtakes) and the hard cold facts on muscle cars from the 1964 GTO to the 1976 Trans Am 455 HO--twenty-four in all. The 1970 Buick Gran Sport GSX, Oldham notes, was "the best handling muscle car we ever tested." The 1968 Plymouth Road Runner, on the other hand, was "just a car that didnt run very well"--despite its 426 Hemi. Today, people might know the articles Oldham wrote, and they might know the performance numbers he got. But how he did those things was an untold story. This behind-the-scenes book is a close-up look at what it was like to live in the muscle car era and to help create the myth that still lives on today. The list of reviewed cars includes: 1962 421 Super Duty Pontiac Catalina 1963 409 Chevrolet Biscayne 1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint Turismo 1969 Baldwin-Motion SS-427 Camaro 1969 440 Plymouth Barracuda 1969 Firebird 400 Ram Air IV 1969 426 Hemi Road Runner 1969 440 Plymouth GTX 1969 440 6-BBL Plymouth Road Runner 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge 1969 428 Cobra Jet Mustang Mach 1 1970 426 Hemi Barracuda Convertible 1970 Buick GSX 455 Stage 1 1970 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV 1971 429SCJ Ford Torino Cobra 1971 American Motors 401 AMX 1972 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 1976 455 Pontiac Trans Am

When automotive manufacturers stuffed large V-8 engines into intermediate-size cars, the American muscle car was born. Built from 1964 on, the vast majority of these amazingly fast machines did not carry cutting-edge chassis and suspension systems, and now these cars are up to 50 years old. Today, owners do not have to settle for poor handling and ride quality. Muscle car and suspension expert Mark Savitske has built his business, Savitske Classic and Custom, on making muscle cars handle and ride at their best. With this updated edition, Savitske shows you what it takes to transform the handling of these high-horsepower machines. He explains the front and rear suspension geometry so you understand how it functions, and in turn, you realize how to get the most from a particular system. He also reveals the important aspects of spring rates, shock dampening, and ride height so you select the best spring and shock package for your car and application. He discusses popular high-performance tubular suspension arms and sway bars, so you can find the right combination of performance and adjustability. The suspension system has to operate as an integrated part of the car, so you’re shown how to select best suspension package for a well-balanced and responsive car. He also discusses how to extract maximum performance from popular GM, Ford, and Mopar muscle cars. You can harness the potential performance potential of your muscle car and put much more power to the ground with critical chassis and suspension updates and products. A muscle car that carries modern suspension technology not only provides far better handling and ride comfort, but it is also much safer. How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle is the essential guide to unlocking the handling and performance potential of your muscle car. If you yearn for better handling, comfort, and performance for your muscle car, this is the book for you.

This book is about finding out why our cars corrode, and what we can do to stop it. Some of you may collect cars because you are passionate about the industry. Some of you are just trying to keep the car you drove your first love around in high school alive. You may be trying to remember your grandfather properly, or you may be trying to keep a car in shape to protect your monetary investment. Whatever your reason for keeping the old car around, I want to help you do it.

This book provides expert insight into the tools, materials, techniques and procedures for professionally completing a muscle car restoration. It covers instrument panel and dashboard restoration, electrical system restoration, steering wheel, steering column and pedal restoration, firewall pad. And you afford insight and expert guidance for restoring carpet, headliners, doors, door panels, glass restoration or replacement, convertible top restoration, and upholstery replacement vinyl and leather seat repair. While many books have provided a chapter or section on muscle car interior restoration, no other book has been entirely dedicated to the process of restoring the interior.

"The Muscle Car Wars": tells the story of young man who suffers a traumatic head injury and while recuperating becomes involved in rebuilding and racing the powerful muscle cars of the 1960’s and 70’s. The book chronicles the major historical and cultural events of that era, including the Vietnam War, while weaving a tale of teen romance, amid tumultuous student protests and dangerous street races. Writing from experience, the author captures the essence of the time, putting the reader in the driver’s seat of the greatest street machines ever produced, while retelling classic gear head tales, and providing a running commentary on every subject from religion, politics, drug use, the sexual revolution and romantic love.

American Muscle Cars features stunning historic and contemporary photography and offers a thorough chronology of this classic car's evolution from the 1960s to the present.