A muscle car is not a piece of Italian exotica, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, cars which are just too complex and too specialized; nor is it a German Porsche, which is too efficient and too clever by half; nor yet a classic British sports car, a Morgan, TVR or Jaguar, which could never be regarded as fitting the bill. Sports cars, by and large, are not muscle cars, with two notable exceptions: the legendary AC Cobra of the 1960s, and the Dodge Viper of the 1990s. These followed the muscle car creed of back-to basics raw power. In effect, muscle cars always were, and always will be, a quintessentially North American phenomenon. The basic concept is something like this: take a mid-sized American sedan, nothing complex, upmarket or fancy, in fact the son of car one would use to collect the groceries in any American town on any day of the week; add the biggest, raunchiest V8 that it is possible to squeeze under the hood; and there it is. The muscle car concept really is as simple as that.

"Muscle Car Source Book is a muscle car buff's encyclopedia that chronicles the how's why's, and when's of American muscle car manufacturers like Dodge, Plymouth, Ford, and more"--

"The Complete Book of Classic Chevy Muscle Cars covers the primary muscle and performance cars produced by Chevrolet in the 60s and 70s, such as the Camaro and Malibu"--

The value and collectability of muscle cars has never been higher. Models that sold for $30,000 at auction 10 years ago are now going for quadruple that in many cases. The charts showing auction results, sale prices, and car value have a continuous upward trajectory. As such, some rare models of muscle cars are now valued in the realm of historically high-valued classic, sports, and show cars. Who would have dreamed that a Hemi 'Cuda convertible would be selling for Duesenberg or Ferrari money these days? Of course, when values of muscle cars increase to such an extent, the care and detail spent on restoration becomes vitally important, putting them into the exotic and show car realm. Naturally, the most visible aspect of a full-blown restoration is the paintwork. Veteran author Tony Thacker teams up with LA-based award-winning painter extraordinaire Mick Jenkins to bring you this complete guide to show-quality painting. Included is all the information on how to create a show-quality finish, including chapters on making a plan, the tools needed for the job, complete disassembly information, repair versus replacement decisions, metal prep, the latest and best paint products, application, custom finishes, and more.