Muscle, Street, Classic or other.

[Taily]

It is a good question, one that will bring a lot of different opinions to light.

I don't know, I would have thought (home grown) muscle would suit the GT/GTHO ford mob (maybe the 4V XA-C coupes?) and the 327 (and up) chev powered and A9X/L34 Holdens and the E38 and E49 Vals?

Not too sure what defines a classic either. A classic to me is something from the 60's or earlier (55-67 chevs, 58-62 Caddys, 32-4 ford Tudors and 60's Mustangs and early Cusso's etc etc as far as imports and I suppose the 48/215 & FJ and the XM-P woodies etc when looking at home grown), however a classic to someone 20 years younger is going to be something else entirely. How do you find a medium ground when it becomes very wide ranging due to age?

Some people would suggest that the 70's "statement" cars should probably have their own catergory as (for the most part) they were fairly standard units with tart-up bits and decals on them without any great amount of go-faster mechanical assets. Cars like the maroon LE coupes, Goss coupes, Cobras, SLR5000s, Pacers etc etc. I would think the Sandman would fall into that category or as Byron mentioned above, some type of "Sport Commercial" category.

"Street" I would think is more open to your garden variety car aimed at the "mum and dad" market when new, with some small adjustments like 600hp nitrous glugging injected big blocks and tubbed and 4-linked 9 inch rear ends. Hence the variations such as pro-street, super street etc, which also highlights the cross-over into drag racing classes. I feel for the poor blokes and blokettes building something from the heart to specifically enter into shows these days as there is always going to be someone who thinks their ride should be entered in another class.

Question for ya Vombs.... With your "two doors only" muscle analogy, where would you put a Phase 2 or 3 GTHO? Hard one to answer if you look at it the way the Yanks do (2 doors, big revving cubic inches and manual tranny). The question itself is as hard to pick as a broken nose nowadays. To me it is a muscle car, but that doesn't always fit with what everyone else thinks.

Regards,

Dave.

[buickzz]

Muscle cars, as the yanks seem to define them, are smaller bodied cars with the engine out of a larger bodied car. The Pontiac GTO appears to be the first car associated with the tag. This is probably true for the modern era of cars, the reality is GM have been doing it since 1936 when the put the large straight 8 of that era into the smaller bodied version of the Buick. It is the formulae of most hot rods also.

On this basis what Australian car would qualify for such a tag - I can think of the Torana (full sized car motor in a smaller body) and the Ford guys might even suggest the 250 engined Cortina (heaven forbid - although they were pretty quick).

This should get some response I expect . . .

[mauser]

On this basis what Australian car would qualify for such a tag - I can think of the Torana (full sized car motor in a smaller body) and the Ford guys might even suggest the 250 engined Cortina (heaven forbid - although they were pretty quick).

... and the mighty Centura. :-)

Mauser