Super Muscle Cars, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

09/26/2026

This Nova never lost a single show. Then it disappeared.

By the time it vanished, the car had won top honors at each of the 27 shows it had entered and had been invited to the 2010 National Show Car Tour.

The car featured a heavily reworked steel body, a roof shortened by two inches, an extended trunk lid, a custom-designed grille, and handcrafted taillights. It was painted in a two-tone orange and ch*****ne color scheme. Its name, Novastar, had nothing to do with any of these features. The name came from the engine hidden under the hood: a naturally aspirated, 4.6-liter Cadillac V8 producing 525 hp.

Winning at this level was not a one-time occurrence. Before the record-breaking streak ended, the car won the ISCA Washington Cup, a Grand Touring Award in Seattle, and the Boyd Award.

In 2009, it vanished from inside a locked trailer at an auto show and was never found again. Somewhere out there, an award-winning Nova with an extraordinary heart remains missing.

09/26/2026

A Super Sport used to be a checkbox.

In 1964, Chevrolet turned it into its own car.

It wasn’t hard to find competitors. That year, both Ford’s Galaxie 500 and Plymouth’s Fury were targeting exactly the same full-size car buyer demographic. Meanwhile, Chevrolet also had to contend with a facelifted model and an all-new midsize Chevelle.

Of the 1,574,468 full-size Chevrolets produced in 1964, 889,600 bore the Impala name, and 536,329 of these were two-door hardtop models. Approximately 35% of these hardtop models rolled off the assembly line as Super Sport models. Every Impala featured triple round taillights, which set it apart from the less expensive Bel Air and Biscayne models. Engine options ranged from a 283-cubic-inch V8 producing 195 hp to 327- and 409-cubic-inch options.

For most people, the grille emblem didn’t mean as much as the taillights. Counting to three was the quickest way to tell which full-size Chevrolet model was in front of you.

The Super Sport was no longer just an option that year. Buying this model had become a reason in itself.

09/25/2026

Showroom brochures hid an unexpected detail.

Order forms quietly listed new protection.

Uncovering a forgotten option code reveals why Chevrolet’s best-selling model in 1967 relied on a feature that most buyers overlooked. That year, General Motors implemented the first comprehensive redesign of its full-size model lineup since 1961, wrapping the front grille around the fenders and transforming the sheet-metal body into a sharp, cola-bottle profile.

In 1967, the Impala was available in six different body styles: two-door and four-door hardtops, a pillar-less sedan, a convertible, and two station wagons. A 283-cubic-inch V8 engine producing 195 hp was offered as standard. Buyers who upgraded on the order form could choose from a 327 producing 275 hp, a 396 producing 325 hp, or the top-of-the-line 427 producing 385 hp. Chevrolet produced a total of 575,600 units across all configurations that year.

For the generation that actually drove these cars, the four-door hardtop was not the flashy convertible featured in luxury photo shoots, but the real workhorse of everyday life.

The SS made headlines. The Sport Sedan, meanwhile, found its way into the driveway.

09/24/2026

The same family has held onto one thing.

Everything else about that era eventually got sold.

A single piece from it never once sold.

Fifty odd years is a long time for anything to stay in one family. For a car built at the height of Detroit’s horsepower race, that span is even longer. This particular Torino, however, has managed to do just that. It was sold brand new to a family in 1971 and has never changed hands since.

In addition to the tens of thousands of standard Torinos that rolled off the same production lines that model year, Ford produced approximately 3,054 of this Cobra badged fastback model. Selecting the 429 big block option further reduced the number. Adding the combination of the Shaker hood vent and automatic transmission brought the count down to fewer than a hundred. The engine produced 370 horsepower and 450 lb ft of torque. This power was supported by a heavy duty three speed automatic transmission and a Traction Lok rear axle set to a 3.25 ratio.

The Grabber Blue paint covering the body is a factory color designed to be noticed from a distance rather than blending in with other cars in a parking lot. A functional hood vent, high flow cylinder heads, and a performance camshaft round out the mechanical features. All of these are located exactly where Ford engineers placed them more than half a century ago.

Cars from that era typically change hands several times before someone comes along to document their story. This vehicle, however, skipped that phase entirely. A single family, a single certificate of origin, and a long ownership history that no one ever felt the need to bring to an end.

09/23/2026

The Car That Beat Every Professional Present That Day Was Actually Somebody's First Attempt At This.

09/14/2026

Regulations trimmed a legendary engine's output that year.

Buyers paid more that year for noticeably less power.

Decades later, somebody reversed that math completely.

The compression ratio dropped from 10.3:1 to 8.5:1. The intake valve diameter was reduced to 1.88 inches. Midway through that same year, the entire industry changed the way horsepower was measured; this change caused engines to appear weaker on paper, even though the hardware itself had hardly changed at all. Chrysler's 340 small-block engine took all three hits at once, dropping from 275 gross horsepower the previous year to 240 net horsepower for this model year—even though the base list price actually rose slightly during the same period.

None of this was actually the engine's fault. Insurance companies were making the cost of owning big-block vehicles prohibitive, emissions regulations were tightening with every cycle, and automakers were struggling to maintain any semblance of a performance image within the shrinking permissible limits. A lightweight, compact coupe with a powerful small-block engine became the industry's answer—fast on the straight, cheap to insure, and for several years, one of the last truly fast cars that could still be purchased on a normal budget.

None of these constraints applied to the version produced decades later. The small-block engine in question, stroked out to 418 cubic inches, now produces approximately 530 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque; it is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission instead of the standard 3-speed manual. A narrowed rear axle, a locking differential, and a significant brake upgrade keep this power under control on a chassis that the manufacturer did not design to handle it. Each panel has undergone a rotisserie-level repainting process, including seam sealant, and is finished in black with a white pearl stripe running the length of the hood.

Once forced to reduce its power output due to federal bureaucracy, this body now produces more than twice the power allowed by its own regulators—and while it's decades overdue, the record has finally been set straight.

09/12/2026

Checking one box cost more than the car.

Almost nobody actually paid that kind of money.

The few who did got something rare indeed.

In 1969, you could buy a very nice second car for $4,000. That was almost exactly what Chevrolet charged for a single item on its order form—a 427 big-block engine made entirely of aluminum, offered by exploiting a loophole not listed in any brochure and of which most buyers were unaware.

General Motors had an internal rule limiting the size of the engine that could be installed in a vehicle of this size; therefore, Chevrolet used a system designed for fleet and special orders to slip the largest option through its own paperwork. To get this engine, you had to know to request it by its code number rather than its name, and then pay a surcharge so high it dwarfed the base model’s price. That year, 69 buyers went through this process.

Everyone else chose from the options actually listed in the brochure: the 350 small-block, which formed the foundation of performance; the 396 big-block, available in three different tunings; and cosmetic and performance packages that could be combined or kept separate depending on how much attention the owner wanted to draw.

While a full restoration brought the body, trim, and interior back to their proper condition, the powertrain took a completely different path unlike anything Chevrolet had ever produced before. A ready-made 502-cubic-inch big-block engine replaced the V8 engine (either the 350 or one of the three 396 configurations) that originally came with the RS/SS package; powered by modern fuel injection and paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, this engine had a larger displacement than what Chevrolet officially offered in 1969 and was equipped with upgraded coilover shocks, a four-link rear suspension, and large disc brakes capable of handling torque the factory chassis was never designed for.

Back then, getting real power out of a Camaro meant knowing who to turn to—and being willing to pay double the price for that privilege. Today, there’s no such hurdle when restoring a Camaro—the hardest part is deciding just how far to go beyond 1969.

09/12/2026

Picking the model alone got you nothing fast.

A separate decision stood between showroom and speed.

Most buyers never realized they'd skipped it.

In 1967, when you walked into a Ford dealership looking for the performance version of the mid-size model lineup, the price tag on the base model wouldn’t lead you where you were going. The standard engine under the hood was the 289 small-block—a real surprise for a model that had been launched just a year earlier with the 390 engine as standard equipment. To get the big-block back, you had to check a box and pay for it separately: $74 for the light version, $150 for the real power.

Those who opted for an automatic transmission were distinguished from those who wanted to shift gears themselves by a letter appended to the end of their model name. Whichever option you chose, front disc brakes had finally become standard equipment that year—a feature Ford had carried over to this model after keeping it on the spec sheet of another model for a full two years.

Externally, black paint and a white stripe stood out, while the words “390” were embossed above the air intake on the hood—offering a clue for anyone still unsure which option had been selected. Red and silver colors divided the cabin in two—bucket seats, a full console, and a gearshift lever suitable for the automatic transmission model—while chrome trim and original emblems kept the car’s overall appearance consistent with its factory-fresh state.

At the time, most people who bought this car had no hesitation regarding the option box. They wanted only the version with an air intake on the hood and a tachometer on the instrument panel—and mistakenly assumed that the rest of the speed-related features came standard.

09/10/2026

A factory quietly changed this engine mid-run.

Nobody outside the plant noticed the difference.

The revised version revved faster for a reason.

To install this engine in a Mustang, the front end had to be completely dismantled. Ford sent the partially completed vehicles to an outside contractor; the contractor reshaped the shock towers and relocated the battery to make room—it was a platform never before designed for such a large component.

In the middle of the production process, the internal structure was altered without changing the emblem or documentation. While the first vehicles produced used a heavier rotating assembly, later models—including this fastback—used a lighter design that allowed the engine to rev faster. From the outside, nothing gave this away. Buyers who checked the option box had no way of knowing which version they would receive.

Ford printed “375 horsepower” on the window sticker regardless of which version rolled off the assembly line. Almost none of the owners believed this figure, and for good reason—modified engines running on regular gasoline routinely pushed the power output past 500; race versions, on a good day, exceeded 600. The number on paper was there to keep insurance agents happy, not to explain what actually happened when the throttle was wide open.

A dealership in Iowa sold this car brand-new in February 1969. The car changed hands, aged, and eventually underwent a comprehensive rotisserie restoration that brought its factory-white paint, black interior, and chrome wheels back to their original condition—it still carries the matching-number engine it had when it left the factory and features lighter internal components that allow this version to rev faster than its predecessor.

A single-color paint job and a small fender badge were the only external clues Ford provided. Everything else of significance had been deliberately concealed.

09/09/2026

Vintage throttle bodies disguised the truth.
An ECU brain managed the air.
Gunning the pedal past 300 hp

reveals what lies beneath: a late-fifties W-block V8 engine running instantly without any misfires or excessive fuel delivery to the cylinders.

Hidden beneath three vintage-style Rochester air filters is a Holley EFI system; this system delivers 315 horsepower through a Turbo 350 automatic transmission and a 3.08 rear differential. Behind the period-correct Inca Silver DuPont paint and 15-inch EVOD wheels with white-walled radial tires, Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes provide modern braking power to the heavy chassis.

Inside the cabin, the original-style silver upholstery conceals modern upgrades such as a Wonderbar radio converted to Bluetooth, aftermarket speakers, and a USB port connected directly to the factory cigarette lighter socket.

Factory-installed power windows, power steering, power seats, and air conditioning operate seamlessly without reducing engine vacuum, thanks to a modern electric vacuum pump discreetly mounted out of sight.

In 1959, using three Rochester carburetors on a 348 engine was the ultimate in showmanship on the streets, but it also brought with it constant idle adjustments, v***r lock in heavy traffic, and heavy exhaust smoke.

While building the convertible model to resemble Bob McDorman’s original museum piece, Street Productions discreetly eliminated all the mechanical flaws that made daily driving of big-block cars difficult in the late 1950s.

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