MuscleCarOfTheWeek

2 seats, 6 speeds, 10 cylinders, 645 HP, and one big - - wing can only mean one thing… the Dodge Viper GTC / ACR American Club Racer edition.

Yeah, the 2017 Dodge Viper is a sports car and not a Muscle Car, but we hope you don’t mind going along for the ride on this one. 2017 marked the end of a 25 year run for the 2-seat, 10 cylinder super coupe, even though it took a few years off along the way. But Dodge didn’t just let the Viper slither off into obscurity when it came time to wrap up the program. No, the 2017 models pack the most venom of any of the earlier snakes, spitting out 645 HP and 600 lb-ft. of twist from 512 cubic inches of aluminum V10.

Viper GTC / ACRs are highly capable track cars, and a 2017 model holds the record with the fastest American street legal lap time on the Nurburgring in Germany, with a time of 7:01.3. The ACR cars were built to be ready-to-race, and they lacked some of the accessories of their streetier counterparts, like no air conditioning or radio to save weight. Body panels are carbon fibre, and the functional spoilers and splitters of the Extreme Aero package help generate 2000 lbs of downforce at speed. This reduced the top speed to 177 MPH from 190 and change, but enhanced stickiness and stability like crazy.

The GTC / ACR rides on a 4-wheel short / long arm suspension design suspended by coil springs and Bilstein 10-way adjustable shock absorbers. ACR rear spring rates are more than double the regular Viper at 1300 lbs, the fronts are triple at 600 lbs. Kumho Ecsta V720 P295/25R19 and 355/30ZR19 tires glue the Viper ACR to the streets. Stopping is a serious ordeal with Brembo carbon ceramic matrix rotors grabbed by 6 and 4 piston calipers. It all results in 0-60 times in the mid 3s, ¼ mile in the mid 11s, and 60-0 in just 101 feet.

We’ve talked about the “glory days” of Muscle Cars when you could special order just about anything to end up with a “1 of 1” car of your own. Well believe it or not, that philosophy applies to the GTC / ACR, with 8000 color choices, 16 interior trims, 10 wheel choices, and 24000 stripe options, you could totally spec your own.

In fact, once a buyer chose the color, stripe, and option combination for their new ACR, that specific design was made exclusive, and no other Viper would be built the same way.

One of the car review websites gave these awesome bullet points on the ACR:

Ride quality is very stiff

Outward visibility is poor

Firm seats can be uncomfortable after time

Entry/exit is extremely difficult for drivers and passengers

Poor fuel economy, even for a high-performance sports car

Sounds about perfect to us.

Sadly, this 2017 Viper GTC / ACR represendts the last of the breed, but we’re happy it landed here in The Brothers Collection. And not just because we got to play with it! We hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did, and we’ll see you next time on Muscle Car Of The Week!

It’s loaded with hot performance parts, but it’s a factory built Mustang Racer!

The 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R is not just regular Mustang with a wing and a set of wheels. Oh no, buddy. The Cobra R was completely engineered with hand picked parts to be a great performer on the street or track.

While the stock Mustang GT was powered by a 4.6 liter V8 and remained true to the same basic formula since it’s introduction, the 2000 SVT Cobra R represented the closest factory-built racer ever. It used a special 5.4 liter V8 engine, a 6-speed manual transmission, and a parts catalog full of goodies to go fast, turn hard, and stop like a track car should.

It didn’t look like your typical Mustang under the hood. Air is sucked in through the hi-ram intake, compressed in the 5.4 liter engine by forged pistons, Carillo rods, and a forged crank. High-flow 32 valve heads and shorty headers send the smoke down the pipes, leaving 385 HP in its wake.

That 385 HP peaked at 5700 RPM, with it’s 385 lbs. ft torque rating coming in at 4250 RPM.

Cylinder heads were Lincoln Navigator units, and the engine required a revised domed hood for clearance.

A Tremec T-56 6-speed manual is the only transmission offering in the R, and the 3.55:1 rear gear spins the independent rear suspension… a first in a Mustang. These cars were good for 0-60 times in the mid 4-second range, with the quarter mile flags waving in just 12.9 seconds with 110 MPH trap speeds.

Cobra R drivers didn’t need or want luxury items weighing down their ride, so the Cobra R is fitted with necessities only. You won’t find a high-powered stereo, air conditioning, or other fancy stuff inside; just the needed instrumentation and controls to rock the track. The dash features a 180 MPH speedo and 8000 rpm tach, but interestingly, non-numbered gauges for temp, oil pressure, fuel, and volts. I guess Ford figured you’d add a set of numbered gauges if you were serious about racing. Recaro seats keep the driver’s keester in place when wheeling the R around the track, but the rear seat was ditched to save weight.

The 2000 Cobra R sits low thanks to dropped Eibach springs and twist-resistant oversize sway bars, and Bilstein shocks and struts. Adding to the outstanding handling is a 2000 Cobra R exclusive independent rear suspension… something standard Mustangs didn’t get until 2015.

Cobra R’s rolled on 18x9.5” aluminum wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich g-ForceKD 265/40ZR-18 tires that were specially designed for the car. Retina-detaching brakes were 13” vented rotors with 4-piston Brembo calipers up front, with 11.65” rear rotors out back. Braking performance is a great match to the acceleration capabilities of the R.

The rear spoiler is the obvious indicator of a Cobra R, but these cars have several other body mods as well. We mentioned the Power Dome hood, and the lower front fascia is also unique to the Cobra R. Side exhaust tips peek out of the Ford only built 300 2000 Cobra R’s, and this is one of the newest remaining, with less than 2000 miles on the odometer.

The wing might look a little extreme, but it has a purpose on this 170 MPH capable Cobra R. Is this Cobra your speed? Share your thoughts on this one or any of the cars here in The Brother’s Collection, we’re happy to hear ‘em. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time!

#CobraR #MustangCobraR #musclecaroftheweek

2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 319

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By 1967, the baby boomers were starting to have families of their own, and big, full-size cars like Ford Galaxies were flying off the showroom floors by the hundreds of thousands. Performance car enthusiasts now had a variety of smaller, powerful pony cars to choose from, like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. And while Ford offered high-performance versions of it’s full-size family cars for years, the sales numbers of the big-inch big cars was declining. Our ‘67 Galaxie 500 XL is fitted with the 7-Litre Sports Package and hides a legendary V8 under the hood, and is one of only a handful and a half ever built.

The 7-Litre Sport Package started with the 345 HP 428 cubic inch V8 as the cornerstone, available with an automatic or a 4-speed manual transmission. However, this just one of 8 made with the R-code 427, a 425 HP specially built powerplant that sucked air and gas through 2 4-barrel carburetors, smashed the mixture in high compression heads, and blew out the smoke through header-like cast iron manifolds. It wringed out nearly 500 ft. lbs of torque and sent it through the toploader 4-speed down to the 3.50 gear equipped rear axle, ready to launch this XL sized XL off the line with authority.

The plush interior of this 7 Litre is like a high-speed rumpus room, all jazzed up with the XL series bucket seats and wood grain steering wheel, and more red landscape than the surface of mars. Cool vertical wood grain inserts run up and down the door panels, and the long center console is capped with a spacy 4-place indicator light set. There are surprisingly few gauges, but the curious speed redline still graces the speedometer.. it was a Ford thing of the mid ‘60s. It’s a big, roomy, comfortable place to mash the gas and row the gears.

The long, sleek lines of this swingin’ ‘60s luxo cruiser are highlighted by the fastback rear design, and how everything else leans forward, suggesting speed and power. 7-Litres rolled on wider steel wheels with mag-style caps snapped in place, and front disc brakes have the unenviable task of stopping the big ride. Redline tires accent the bright red paint, their stripe echoed in the 7-Litre’s thin white pinstripe that runs the whole length of the car. There are a few exterior badges, but nothing blatantly obvious like a billboard stripe to warn the others of a 427 lurking in their midst.

Driving this car is an experience like few others, as the suspension is soft, and you can really feel the car’s size as you wheel it through the turns. Lifting the clutch and stomping the gas creates a fore-aft rocking as the super 7 squats under the torque, and you better have a clear road head, because this car is going to own it.

#7Litre #427Galaxie #musclecaroftheweek

1967 Ford Galaxie 7-Litre R Code 427 Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode 317 V8TV

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Modern Corvettes are known as sleek, powerful machines with an equal dose of speed and style. But back in the early days of production, the Corvette was an oddity… a neat looking car built with new composite construction technology, but seriously underpowered by a straight-six engine, and a wobbly suspension system that was far from confidence inspiring. But thankfully, all that would change.

For the first two years of production, the Chevrolet Corvette was much more of a looker than a go-er. But for 1955, the Corvette’s engine bay was upgraded with the all new Chevrolet 265 cube V8, giving the ‘Vette some much needed power to chase down Ford’s new Thunderbirds.

The 265 overhead valve V8 engine was the first version of one of the most popular V8 engines ever produced. The 3.8750” bore and 3” stroke made for a favorable bore to stroke ratio, and the little “Turbo Fire” V8 easily outpaced the previous “Blue Flame” 6-cylinder. The 2 barrel version developed 160 HP, but Corvettes received the Rochester 4-barrel, making 195 HP. Finally, the Corvette had some guts under the hood, and was no longer just a pretty poseur.

A subtle 1955-only tattle tale was the big “V” in the Corvette script… if you saw that, you were probably on your way to seeing tail lights, as you were lined up against a powerful new V8 roadster!

The new V8 shaved 2.4 seconds off the six cylinder car’s 0-60 time, and set the stage for a high-performance future. Only 700 were sold, but Corvette was changing from a good looking but quirky novelty to a true American sports car.

But the 265 had some issues… stress cracks in pistons became a thing, and the engine was designed without and oil filter, so one had to be added on if you didn’t want to change your oil every week. But those shortcomings were resolved in the 1956 version.

And although the big news was the Turbo Fire V8, the 1955 Corvette was the first year for the new close-ratio 3-speed manual transmission, with the 2-speed Powerglide being optional.

While the ‘55 Corvette finally got some much-needed power and innovation, suspension Improvements to the Corvette were coming along a bit slower. The ‘55 still rode on the basic design as the ‘54 and ‘53 cars, and it’s handling was less than stellar. A sneek peek into the future saw the involvement of racer and engineer Zora Arkus Duntov getting his mits on the chassis, with the resulting improvements giving Corvette power and road holding performance. But the ‘55 cars just weren’t quite there yet, and they pushed in the turns and tail-wagged out back when the power was on in the turns.

However, most of that was forgiven thanks to the amazing styling worn by these cars. This one is apparently dipped in Gypsy Red, set off by just enough brightly chromed trim and white walled tires. The first year for tubeless tires in a Corvette, by the way. Race inspired mesh headlight guards flank the toothy grin up front, and spacy little fins lead into simple taillights tipping the quarters. Cool exhaust tips through the rear bumper were a Corvette thing, as were the wispy chrome bumpers. We dig the rear license plate greenhouse. It’s a great looking car from all angles.

The interior remains simple and elegant, with gauges and the radio all neatly centered in the dash. It almost looks more like a speedboat inside, but then again, that’s kind of what a Corvette is by definition. The 6000 RPM tach was legit for the 265 V8, and the rev counter meter is a cool and unusual display. The seats appear more comfortable than they are, but this car was all about looking cool, not all-day ergonomic correctness. The giant steering wheel offsets the tiny shifter in manual cars.

The 265 cube V8 grew to become the stuff of legends, and it’s offspring power many of the Chevrolet muscle cars here in The Brothers Collection. We’ve enjoyed looking back to the beginning, and hope you did as well. Thanks for joining us, and we’ll w

This week, we’re taking you behind the scenes at The Brothers Collection for a look at how the team checks to see if cars are wearing their original paint using a digital paint mil thickness gauge.

#paint #Musclecar #original

Behind The Scenes Paint Tech Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode 311

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It was all about racing when this one hit the streets. Ford did well in the ‘68 NASCAR season with Dave Pearson driving a Torino, and the sleek Cobra was back for more in ‘69!

Aerodynamics had become a major factor in high-speed NASCAR racing by 1969, and the Ford Torino Cobra was as slick as they came. The long nose and slippery SportsRoof fastback profile made it easy for the muscular 428 Cobra Jet V8 to power through the wind. While the NASCAR racers racked up wins, the street versions won their share of unsanctioned stop light drags on main street USA.

Power came from the 428 Super Cobra Jet V8, rated at 335 HP. Was that accurate? We don’t think so, as Ford actually admitted to “conservatively” rating this one in a 1969 Cobra magazine ad.

The 335 HP rating given to the 428 Cobra Jet has long been challenged, as the NHRA’s power-to-weight HP rating put the 428 CJ at 380 HP. Power is made by a 10.6:1 compression ratio, with stout internals and 735 CFM carb, breathing through the Ram Air intake system.

The 4-speed transmission spins a 3.50 open rear axle, which still provides for hard launches thanks to the 440 pound feet of torque from the big 428. It also allows for highway cruising without spinning the engine into a tizzy. Dual exhaust pokes out below the bumper.

This one is tagged with District Service Office 21, which means it was sold new in the Atlanta sales district. Here’s a piece of trivia... Ford DSOs start with lower numbers on the East Coast, and higher numbers moving westward. For example, The LA DSO is 71, and export cars are 90 to 99.

This Cobra is equipped with a black bench-seat interior, and only what’s needed to get the job done. A Cobra-badged shift knob tops the 4-speed handle, and an aftermarket tach is hose clamped to the steering column. A trio of add-on gauges hang below the dash, and aside from power brakes and an AM radio, this one is as bare as they come.

But it does have cool styling! We love the roofline with the upswept rear quarter windows and the three speedy-looking simulated side vents on the sail panel. Cobra badging is cool, too, with angry snakes on the fenders and tail panel. Striped stainless trim spanning between the tail lights is interrupted by the fuel filler cap, similar to the Mustang in style. The functional hood scoop wears 428 badges on the sides and turn signals on the back, also similar to Mustangs of the time.

The Cobra rolls on 14” rally wheels with sport suspension, and they handled pretty well for being a midsize ride. In a straight line, 4-speed Cobras were timed at 14.5 seconds at 100 mph back in the day, with Motor Trend reporting an automatic version running 14.04, also at 100 mph.

Dave Pearson did it again in ‘69, winning the NASCAR season behind the wheel of a Cobra bodied stock car. We think the street version is a winner, too… what do you think? Subscribe to our channel and let us know! We’ll see you next time with something else to scratch your high performance itch on Muscle Car Of The Week from The Brothers Collection!

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1969 Ford Torino Cobra 428 CJ Ram Air 4-Speed Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 298

Machines need to be fast to fly, and in some cases, that’s a bad thing. Racers have known for years about the dangerous effects of negative air pressure on cars at high speeds, where air pressure builds under a car and can flip it like a pancake. You don’t need me to tell you that cars aren’t supposed to fly. Racers combat the lifting problem and the ensuing loss of control by adding spoilers and other aerodynamic cheats to the cars. And of course, what appears on race cars, eventually appears on street cars.

Manufacturers took every opportunity to bring the racer look to street cars, because speed sold cars. The good thing is that spoilers, and lower front air dams, were functional… if you went fast enough. On the street, the blunt front end of a Charger or Camaro starts to get a bit light over 100 MPH, if you’re so inclined. Lower front spoilers or air dams do wonders to keep the high pressure air from stacking up under the car and lifting the nose, helping the driver stay in control at high speed. Rear mounted spoilers reached up into the “clean air” to create downforce to push the rear of the car down and enhance rear wheel traction.

And there’s a difference between spoilers and wings. I must admit, I’ve spewed a bit of nonsense on this show in previous episodes, using those terms interchangeably… but a spoiler creates downforce or drag, while a wing creates lift. Airplanes have wings, things you don’t want on a speedy car.

There are a number of cool spoiler designs on Muscle Cars, like the “salami slicer” style found on the 1969 Pontiac Trans Am. This was a one-piece pedestal mount spoiler that extended up from the quarter panel and crossed over the rear deck lid. While it looked cool, there wasn’t much aero effectiveness of this design, and it was far more cosmetic than functional. The Mustang Mach 1 and Boss 302 cars had a two-post pedestal wing as well, but it had an adjustable attack angle to possibly give some more effectiveness. The Boss also had a low-mount front air dam, which was more effective on keeping the air out of the bottom of the car.

This 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible sports the aggressively styled decklid spoiler, with cool looking wingtips badged with 455 HO engine callouts. Definitely a speedy looking piece.

The Chevrolet Camaro offered a front and rear spoiler kit as regular production option D80 for 1968 and 1969, consisting of the lower front air dam and a decklid mounted rear flap. These were probably not very effective on the rear of the car, but they did look cool.

The Buick GSX was a wild design with a front chin spoiler and a pedestal mount rear spoiler that was similar to the Trans Am design. The production version was a one-piece design, but Buick caused quite a stir with their 1970 show car GSX which wore a custom 3-piece rear spoiler and a radically deep front lower air dam, painted white for even more visual effect.

Of course, the big daddy of them all was the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird, with their pointed noses, lower front dams, and sky-scraping adjustable rear spoiler. This aero package was needed to help the NASCAR version cross the 200 MPH barrier on the racetrack, and the design had to carry over to street versions to keep the racer legal for competition. Most people were a bit tossed when these hit the streets, and what is a sought-after car today often dwindled on dealer lots when new.

Although many muscle cars had spoiler options, some were never factory equipped with spoilers. One example is the Chevrolet Chevelle, which was always clean shaven in front and never had a spoiled tail from the factory.

The Brothers Collection is loaded with all kinds of spoiler-equipped muscle, which one is your favorite? We welcome you to peruse our video library, just be sure to keep the shiny side up.

Spoiler Alert - Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 297

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Dodge called the new for 1968 Charger design “The Clean Machine”, and they weren’t kidding. This was perhaps one of the smoothest designs from any American car maker, with bold shapes, crisp lines, and a timeless aggressive look that still wow’s ‘em today. Speedy looking aircraft inspired contours in the hood and doors and a buttressed rear window design stood out. “A Mach 2 jet on wheels” as Dodge called it. Superbad is what we call it.

But is a bad looking ride truly a bad ride without the stones to back it up? Thankfully, the Charger R/T didn’t have that problem, as even the base version rocked a 440 Magnum rated at 375 HP. But of course, there were options, and the first buyer of our feature car wisely checked the box marked “426 Hemi” on the sheet, and this one came with the 425 HP, dual-quad legend under the hood.

We tend to think of Hemi cars in terms of the engine. 2-4 barrels, high flow hemispherical heads, solid lifter cam, 10.25:1 compression, 490 lb. ft. of torque, and all that jazz. This one is backed with a 4-speed manual transmission. Dodge compared the precise shifting action to a “sharp ax striking soft pine.” This But there is far more to the R/T than the engine alone.

The R/T name stood for Road / Track, and Dodge upgraded the suspension with stiffer torsion bars, an oversized front sway bar, and matched shocks for better handling. These items were all standard on R/Ts, and Dodge noted in a magazine ad that they “hoped they didn’t take the fun away from the do-it-yourself crew” for installing these items at the factory. R/Ts got heavy duty brakes with front discs as an option. Ours rolls on black steel wheels with hubcaps wrapped in redline tires… the look is spot-on.

426 Hemi equipped Dodge Chargers received an extra leaf spring on the passenger side to help keep body roll and the rear axle under control during hard launches, and while this feature is the stuff of legends, I’ve often wondered about the overall effect on handling. Dodge claimed this car was good in the twisties, but I can’t imagine a rear suspension with two different spring rates was consistent and predictable in the turns. BUT, the heavy Hemi didn’t help with balance up front, either.

The wide dash is well equipped with gauges with actual numbers, starting with an 8000 RPM tach redlining at 5k, surrounding an analog clock. The 150 mph speedometer is inspiring, and we’re glad to see the 76,000 plus miles on the odometer… that means this car has had plenty of fun playing on the streets. Other gauges include fuel, temperature, oil pressure, and amps, and they all have numbers, too. An AM Radio and a heater fill the other holes, and we like the matte black dash trim face. This car sports the optional full-length console between the flat bucket seats, with a round shift ball on the end of the long chrome shifter. and the map pockets in the doors were a convenient place to stash your stuff.

In nature, bee stripes are a sign of danger, and the bumble bee stripes tell the competition that this Charger is part of the scat pack, and it’s not afraid to show you it’s taillights. From The Brothers Collection.

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1968 Dodge Charger R/T 426 Hemi Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 296

Dodge called the new for 1968 Charger design “The Clean Machine”, and they weren’t kidding. This was perhaps one of the smoothest designs from any American car maker, with bold shapes, crisp lines, and a timeless aggressive look that still wow’s ‘em today. Speedy looking aircraft inspired contours in the hood and doors and a buttressed rear window design stood out. “A Mach 2 jet on wheels” as Dodge called it. Superbad is what we call it.

But is a bad looking ride truly a bad ride without the stones to back it up? Thankfully, the Charger R/T didn’t have that problem, as even the base version rocked a 440 Magnum rated at 375 HP. But of course, there were options, and the first buyer of our feature car wisely checked the box marked “426 Hemi” on the sheet, and this one came with the 425 HP, dual-quad legend under the hood.

We tend to think of Hemi cars in terms of the engine. 2-4 barrels, high flow hemispherical heads, solid lifter cam, 10.25:1 compression, 490 lb. ft. of torque, and all that jazz. This one is backed with a 4-speed manual transmission. Dodge compared the precise shifting action to a “sharp ax striking soft pine.” This But there is far more to the R/T than the engine alone.

The R/T name stood for Road / Track, and Dodge upgraded the suspension with stiffer torsion bars, an oversized front sway bar, and matched shocks for better handling. These items were all standard on R/Ts, and Dodge noted in a magazine ad that they “hoped they didn’t take the fun away from the do-it-yourself crew” for installing these items at the factory. R/Ts got heavy duty brakes with front discs as an option. Ours rolls on black steel wheels with hubcaps wrapped in redline tires… the look is spot-on.

426 Hemi equipped Dodge Chargers received an extra leaf spring on the passenger side to help keep body roll and the rear axle under control during hard launches, and while this feature is the stuff of legends, I’ve often wondered about the overall effect on handling. Dodge claimed this car was good in the twisties, but I can’t imagine a rear suspension with two different spring rates was consistent and predictable in the turns. BUT, the heavy Hemi didn’t help with balance up front, either.

The wide dash is well equipped with gauges with actual numbers, starting with an 8000 RPM tach redlining at 5k, surrounding an analog clock. The 150 mph speedometer is inspiring, and we’re glad to see the 76,000 plus miles on the odometer… that means this car has had plenty of fun playing on the streets. Other gauges include fuel, temperature, oil pressure, and amps, and they all have numbers, too. An AM Radio and a heater fill the other holes, and we like the matte black dash trim face. This car sports the optional full-length console between the flat bucket seats, with a round shift ball on the end of the long chrome shifter. and the map pockets in the doors were a convenient place to stash your stuff.

In nature, bee stripes are a sign of danger, and the bumble bee stripes tell the competition that this Charger is part of the scat pack, and it’s not afraid to show you it’s taillights. From The Brothers Collection.

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1968 Dodge Charger R/T 426 Hemi Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 296

Atwood 3 (2019-03-05T00:00:14.000Z)