By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to another edition of the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, where I find Obscure Cars that should be considered Muscle Cars, and then try and convince you that they belong in the Parking Lot. Chrysler Corporation was at the forefront of the muscle car era, offering iconic high-performance machines such as the Road Runner, the Charger, the Super Bee, the Plymouth GTX, the Baracuda, and even the Chrysler 300. There is one division within the company, Imperial, that produced more of an understated luxurious automobile. However, by 1969, Imperial shared most of its body, chassis, engine, and even its dimensions with its Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth stablemates. With this in mind, one could purchase a coupe version of the Imperial, equipped with a 440 CID V-8, and have almost as much performance as either the Dodge Polara, or Plymouth Fury GT, in a more refined package. So, is the Imperial an Obscure Muscle Car? Let’s find out.

Continue reading "The CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: The 1969 – 73 Imperial Coupe" »

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

I hate heat waves. We’re locked into a miserable one here in New England currently. Temps over 90 degrees and humidity to match, it’s like we’re in bayou country. The flipside of course is winter, which has it’s own form of brutality in bitter cold and snow. That doesn’t stop hot rodding though.

I took this photo on 12/29/08. It was colder than hell and we were in the midst of swapping an RV-spec 440 out of my father in law Tom’s killer Plymouth GTX for one that was built to factory correct HP 440 standards. We were performing this operation in a garage with no heat and one of the doors open as the lengthy bustle of the GTX needed to be hanging out in the breeze so we could get the engine crane around the front of the car. At this point, I was probably hoping for one of these dastardly heat waves.

By the end of the day we had the new lump lowered into the car and by the end of the next day we had it fired up. Needless to say, the new mill really woke the car up and it can now back up those famous call out letters GTX.

When’s the last time you had a pair of big block Mopar engines on the garage floor?

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and to show that once and for all a full-sized car can be classified a performance machine. 1970 was quite a year for the performance car market, with more models available than ever before, including compacts, mid-sized, and full-sized cars. That includes this full-sized bruiser, The Plymouth Sport Fury GT.

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot : The 1970-71 Plymouth Sport Fury GT" »

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and to foster appreciation for cars that might’ve escaped your notice. The Dodge Dart was all new in the 1967 model year, with crisp lines and enduring engineering that would last the next decade. The design was both timeless and modern, but can it be called a Muscle Car? Well, let’s take a look at a rare Mopar, the very muscular Dart GTS 440.

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: The 1968 Dodge Dart GTS 440" »

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and have some fun in the process. It wasn’t the Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang or Chevy 409 that began the performance car wars, it was arguably, the Chrysler 300. Making its debut in 1955, the 300 was so-named because of its 300hp Hemi V-8. The 300 Letter Series, as they would be known as, were produced as llimited edition, factory hot rods, through 1965, when the last 300 “L” was produced. After an absence of four years, a full-size Chrysler muscle car made an appearance once again in 1970. Introducing the Chrysler 300 “H” Hurst edition.

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst" »

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and to have some fun in the process. While it could be argued that the featured car is actually more of a grand touring car in the tradition of a Jaguar, I will submit evidence that it is more of a gentleman’s muscle car because of one simple feature: the engine. Yes, what we have here in a fast, powerful, and luxurious coupe that happens to be built in the UK, with a big old Chrysler 383 or 440. Introducing the Jensen Interceptor.

Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot: The Jensen Interceptor" »

I saw this ‘Cuda on eBay last week. Bidding was at $300k with reserve not met (the auction has since ended). I e-mailed my buddy Scott, who is a true expert when it comes to Mopar values (he also happens to own a 440-6 ‘Cuda) and asked him what he thought the car was worth in the current market. Here’s what he wrote back:

Keeping in mind that it’s a buyer’s market……

Negatives:
Engine #’s don’t  match
No broadcast sheet
Color is only middle-of-the-road popular
HEAVILY overshadowed by Hemi ‘Cuda convertibles in popularity and value
Overshadowed in desirability and price by other numbers-matching examples

Positives:
Real car based on what’s described, one of 29 total built, one of 17 4-speeds
Real Shaker Hood car (rare)
It’s NOT army green!
Not many in any condition for sale right now
Next to a Hemi ‘Cuda convertible it’s the rarest/baddest ‘Cuda convertible you could own, and for a lot less money
My selling price guess: $175-$200K
Insurance value estimate: $250-$275K

BTW, the current bid of 300K is most likely fake/wishful thinking

More pics after the jump!

Continue reading "WIW? 4 Speed 440-6 'Cuda Convertible on eBay" »

These aluminum nose Mopars are quite rare and don’t come out of the woodwork very often. This ’64 Dodge 440 Super Stock car was on eBay last week and didn’t meet the reserve. However, it sold for $59,500 in an auction this weekend. Not chump change for a car that basically needs a full resto. Hmmm, maybe the Mopar market isn’t cooling down after all… More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Aluminum Nose Max Wedge Project Car Sells For $59k" »