10 wimpiest muscle cars ever

[inviolet]

In my opinion, what makes a Muscle car a Muscle car is the attitude it presents, not the factory horsepower.....

Turbo 9 second IROC

[Super Blue 72]

The cosworth vega did not have a v-8. In fact most if not all of these cars were not available with true big block engines.

  Very true, it did have a pretty radical for the time 4 cylinder though which was cool.

I guess it depends if you go by the stricter definition of a muscle car, big V8 from a full size car in an intermediate size car...   

After like '72,  I think Pontiac was the only one running 400+ cubes in their cars, and I'm not sure if they were big blocks.  I don't know how Pontiac does their stuff but I thought I heard someone say somewhere that the 350 and 400 were the same block but bored out or something weird like that?  They have the same block?  I don't know... 

Inviolet made a good point, attitude has a lot to do with it. 

[MizzouRT]

The 1978 King Corbra Mustang immediately jumped to mind when I saw the thread topic.  302 V-8 four speed King Cobra sounded so promising, then you read the specs and 139 hp.  Sooooo disappointing.

[hpe600rt]

cuda-hunter, a 350 chevy is a small block you put big block,my dad had a delorien pice of junk 6 banger but a nice looker and try to get parts for it.i dated a girl in high school that had a monza v8 it was a 305 nice little car dont know if it was factery or if someone else did it her dad bought it used for her.

['Cuda Hunter]

All pontiac motors are big blocks 63-78. 

326-350-389-400-421-428-455

I can interchange most engine parts from one to the other.
The exception is the intake on a 455. 
Otherwise they will all interchange parts.

The first small block in a pontiac after this would have been the 401 buick motor they put in late 78 early 79 trans ams.  Crappy engine I might add.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I know where there's a V8 chebbie monza right now. 

[Super Blue 72]

All pontiac motors are big blocks 63-78. 

326-350-389-400-421-428-455

I can interchange most engine parts from one to the other.
The exception is the intake on a 455. 
Otherwise they will all interchange parts.

The first small block in a pontiac after this would have been the 401 buick motor they put in late 78 early 79 trans ams.  Crappy engine I might add.

Thanks for the info! 

I think though the the small block you are refering to might be the 4.9 liter 301 engine?  From '79-'81?  We had a cpouple of Trans Ams,  an '80 turbo and '81 non-turbo, both had the 4.9 engine.  Something weird with that engine.  I heard there were no hop ups as the middle cylinders were siamesed closer together or something weird so nothing interchanges with other engines... could be a Buick, I dunno... 


Hey, BIGS, do you have one in your yard? 

[hpe600rt]

oh ok im thinking of the 80s cars,trans am,camaro,trucks and so forth

['Cuda Hunter]

I think your right. 301

That 401 buick might still be a big block.

[ChallengerHK]

1- I used to race Camaros and Mustangs with my six banger Gremlin and tear them up.
2- any car that's fast enough to travel in time, I'd own 

[HemiOrange70]

11-80 Challenger
12-6 cyl Cuda 
13-88 charger

[MOPAR FANATIC]

  FORD maverick with a 302 4bbl.   

[MEK-Dangerfield]

11-80 Challenger

I saw on E-Bay a couple of years ago where there was a second generation Challenger for sale with a 440 in it. I don't know how they shoe horned that into the engine bay, but I bet that car flew down the track. (It was set up for drag racing)

[cudazappa]

There's a guy in Idaho that runs hill climbs in a second gen Challenger.  It's a full on race car with a wide body kit and a 340.

He also is building an open road race 76 Cordoba.

A 340 powered Mitsu-Mopar does sound fun.

As for the wimpiest muscle mopars I've owned my share of late bs and fjms and they really are good basis for hot rod buildups.  I wouldn't mind getting another 79 300.  Only car I enjoyed driving as much as my Challenger.  But stock it was a borderline pooch.

[cuda346pk]

There's a guy in Idaho that runs hill climbs in a second gen Challenger.  It's a full on race car with a wide body kit and a 340.

He also is building an open road race 76 Cordoba.

A 340 powered Mitsu-Mopar does sound fun.

Holy crap that sounded bada** so I to search you tube. it is properly called "Animal" Great vids. Best looking 78 Chally I can remember seeing. I thought the car in the vid was the Cordoba you were referring to. Drastic change. I like it 

Old Freezeout Hillclimb 6-21-08 Emmett,Idaho 'the ANIMAL' 1978 Dodge challenger