MUSCLE CARS or just CLASSIC?

Back in the 60's and early 70's, Mustangs, Cougars, Camaros, Firebirds, Challengers, and Barracudas were not called Muscle Cars either. They were called Pony Cars. The Muscle Car moniker was reserved for mid-size and full size cars with engines bigger than 400 cubes. A 1969 Mach 1 with a 428CJ had muscle, but was called a Pony Car. A 1969 Fairlane/Torino with a 428CJ had muscle and was called a Muscle Car.

Call your Maverick whatever you want. They were originally marketed as compact economy cars that provided cheap, no thrills transportation. In my not so humble opinion, If Dyno Don, Wayne Gapp, Jack Roush, Dick Brannen, et al, had not been successful in Pro Stock with the Maverick, we wouldn't be having this discussion because they made the Maverick cool. I am more than old enough to remember the Maverick being introduced. My first thought was "Well, it is better looking than the 67-69 Falcons, but why bother. I'd still rather have a Mustang." But, the Maverick showed up in Pro Stock and I changed my mind.

 

Economy cars were selling in the late '60s, the Mavericks purpose was to give Ford a larger slice of that pie... Problem was Falcon had been around long enough to become ho-hum and had gotten a bit fat with the '66 make over, basically it was a shortened Fairlane, engine bay could easily hold a big block(yeah I wish same could be said for Mav/Comet)... The whole idea was give the younger and now more affluent buying public something more modern, lighter and somewhat exciting as far as styling(marketing wasn't looking at real car guys or gals that wanted performance, they bought a Mustang)... Anyway how one could think a model that didn't even have a V8 option for the first 20 odd months of production could be a Muscle Car is beyond me...

Adding or hopping up the orig engine(I6 or V8) is no different than the Hot Rodders that first stuck a Ford flat head in a T-Bucket, '49 OHV Caddy engine in a '50 Ford or SBC in a '32 Ford, makes them a Hot Rod, not muscle car... By today's(supposed) definition all Hot Rods are now magically transformed into Muscle Cars???

 

Hmmm.. best argument ever. So they are Hot Rods in your book then? Still not sure how anyone can claim that a heavily modified car fits into a stock category label.

Thanks for sharing your post
I learned something I never knew even about the Pony car labels on what people mostly agree are muscle cars now.

Maybe I should call mine a Hot Pony...ah.. no. Pony Rod? Naw..
I will just call it a Hot Rod Pony Class

 

You are welcome.

May I suggest calling it a Maverick. Maverick kind of sums it up doesn't it?


mav·er·ick [mav-er-ik, mav-rik]
noun
2.a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates: a modern-dance maverick. Synonyms: nonconformist, individualist; free thinker; loner, lone wolf.
b. a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas: You can't muzzle a maverick. Synonyms: rebel, cowboy; loose cannon.

adjective
4. unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist:

 

I just want to point out that after most of you that after most of your older folk pass on, us younger guys will still be around, and at that point no one gives a F what you think kind of like we already don't. Therefore you might as well give in now and stop replying to big. I just tell people mine is an Import Fighter anyway.

Example, this morning at the gas station, attendant goes wow you don't see many of these old muscle cars anymore, I reply "yea this here import fighter is a great classic."

 

When my neighbor oohed and awwed over the Comet and said something about Muscle Car, I was quick to point it only looked like it had some power...

How one refers to their car is their choice, but IMO should reflect points of their build, just remember the true definition of a Muscle Car... The Muscle Car description for that class of vehicle is really no different than talking SUV, Personal Luxury or even Mini Van... That Mini Van owner is no doubt going to be pissed if you refer to it as a Station Wagon...


For something that looks mostly stock but has a later performance drive-train, brakes, maybe steering etc, Resto-modded is the common description(yes even if it began life as a Muscle Car or a 6cyl Mavrick, Nova, etc)...

If built mostly period correct with Hi-Po drive train, Muscular Maverick, Hot Steed, Mean Stallion etc would no doubt apply... One of these would be majorly cool with a Hi-Po(solid lifter cam) 289/302, toploader and a good set of gears...

If it has a warmed up engine, maybe gears, custom steering wheel, late model seats, fair paint job etc, then Hot Rod most certainly applies... I'd also apply Hot Rod to anything that's setup as mostly a drag car...

I'm building mine as a spirited cruiser that will idle smoothly in traffic with the A/C on and not overheat, no matter how hot it is... If the engine has around 280-300Hp at 5K RPM I'll be more than happy...

 

Another opportunity for discussion and learning has, yet again, turned into pissing contest on this forum. I'm to the point that I'd rather try to stick a red hot poker up a grizzly bear's butt than to share knowledge with most people under the age of 30.

 

"Wikipedia"?? Seriously??!

I'm no troll, and I never called Mavericks "P.O.S." Why would I even be on this forum if I thought that way about Mavericks/Comets?

You must be from some other planet because no, the "rest of the world" has not moved away from the definition of a muscle car.

The muscle car era was from 1962 to 1971 (even though powerful engines were being offered from the factories since the mid to late '50s), and the Ford Maverick & Mercury Comet did not, do not, and will not fall into that category. Not "my" definition. The definition.

Frankly, I don't appreciate your personal insults by referring to me as a troll and a prick. Aren't there rules against that sort of thing around here?

 

Ouch. Some of us "youngins" welcome knowledge and advice from older generations.

 

Just do it, and it won't happen again.

 

The great thing about forums is that they are geared to a group of elite people that have a common theme. The common theme here is these cars are F-inn cool and we all appreciate them or we wouldn't be here. The benefit to the young guys is they get to learn from the vets and the benefit to the vets is they get to share. And just for the record I vote both....

 

What age does one start being a old fart? I feel old fartish myself at 33.

Going with this.. your right and I really don't care what people call theirs, just rubbed me wrong that someone thought they could tell me what to call mine Should of kept my mouth shut.
Oh well, by not keeping it shut I got multiple perspectives and learned some new information
Hopefully next time I learn something doesn't cause a pissing war.

I will stop posting in this thread now. Thanks again everyone for their feedback and the learning

Sorry for coming off as a jerk, I blame the heat 39 days of insane heat and late night postings. Wont happen again :sorry: