Yeah manuals are fun and I agree but today tech is much better you can get more gears tighter gear ratios and a tq converter with very snappy shifts. Drag racing has always used autos as a primary. The muscle car was made to drag race. They just happen to have manuals for price and simplicity. Not much has changed other than the autos have gotten better and manuals are being phased out sadly but then again all muscle cars are being phased out along with the ice v8 so really what do you do. Today the hardcore lovers of performance that like manuals that don’t want the limitations typically go for a sequential dog box where you can continuously pull gears quickly getting all the satisfaction and control but no slow shifts, mistakes, or limited gears. In drag racing you will hardly ever find anyone in the manual class or using things like no lift shift black magic clutches and things like this that cheat the experience for a time to be competitive.
Great video but as I had a 70 Chevelle SS 454 LS-6 with a Muncie M-22 Rock Crusher and did a lot of drag racing I beat #2 and #1 on your list consistently!
the part he leaves out is all those magazine reported 1/4 mile times did not include a simple tire change. so ya the results will vary , and the 454 ls6 put out the most hp. with the possible exception of the zl1 all aluminum 427, copo in vettes and i have heard a few copo camaros
These top 5 models were a “drivers & options” race as all of them were capable of similar times and came down to which options they had and who was driving.
I love all the stories true and false 😂 Although growing up 1960-78 in the Motor City I witnessed alot of races where a monster cars got taken to school because of either bad driver or torching the tires. Friday and Saturday nights on telegraph road was the place to see the big dog's battle. I have to say that stage 1 Buicks were not to be messed with. We are talking wheels up lite to lite racing. Especially after Detroit dragway let out. Best of times ❤
Man wish i could of lived in the good old days of America mussel or just good old America for that matter. Now cars cost so much money u meed a second Job and mortgage lol!! Iv heard the Buick’s were one of the fastest muscle cars that or the chevelle 454. But so many different brands and models to choose from must of been like living in heaven lol
@@joshgessinger4509 For sure, only wealthy people can afford a car anymore. We used to be able to afford necessities, not anymore. My first car Was a 65 289 hi po mustang for $300 Today $300 won't buy you a headlight 🙄
I had a 70 1/2 Z 28 also ordered in Okinawa and picked up in Charleston 18 months later, no ac, power steering plenty of power. Fun car when there were not too many cars on the road. The insurance had a COW due to the HP to weight ratio.
In 1986 I had a 79 Poncho Trans Am. Loved the styling. T-Tops were the greatest but man the 403 Olds they stuck in it was a turd. My uncle had a 454 he'd pulled out of a 70 Monte Carlo SS, that he'd wrapped around a tree so I shoved it in the T/A, way too much vacuum tubing (not for the engine but man did everything in the car have something to do with vacuum) but we got it. Best summer of my life. Gas went from around $1.35 to $0.65 in a month and staid there. I was king of the back roads, or so I thought. Then like an A-Hole, I sold it when I went college. Should have kept the car, quit college after 2 quarters.
1973 455 SD is faster and is on the list. 455 SUPER DUTY is a modified 455 HO from factory. 455ho is a high performance street engine. 455SD was a detuned race engine.
I still have my 70 Challenger 340 4speed car from high school haven't raced it in 35 years but in nearly stock form, stock motor only had headers and 456 gears it did a 13.7 in the quarter, with internal upgrades high compression 12.5 pistons Victor intake fairly big hydraulic cam .500" lift duration 244 degrees at .050" lift and 106 centerline car ran 12.7 at 107 that was really good for a kid in high school in the mid 80s that was also a daily driver, actually never towed it the the track to race always drove it, being the only source of transportation I owned!!!
In 1981 I turned 18. For my birthday my father bought me 1973 Trans Am SD. It was white with the blue firebird. It was 4spd . No factory a/c. It had 2 pull levers on each side of the front kick panels that opened vents. I kept it a year. We had a really bad snow storm and I couldn't get out of the driveway ( several hundred yards long) for almost a month. So I sold it and bought a 4 wheel drive. I would give anything to have that car back! 😢
Those 73 Trans Am 455 are so cool. My similar story. I bought a 71 Boss 351. I was 17. My father was a service manager at a Ford dealership and knew a mechanic who had it for sale. Later, I needed a 4x4 to help get to work as I was married and starting a family. My Boss 351 Mustang wound up being sold under very similar condition that I obtained it.
Being a MOPAR fan since I was 7 years old when my parents bought a 69 Roadrunner brand new, 383 auto, and my LEO dad chased and ticketed a speeder on the Interstate one night from a 70 roll, and myself having a stock 71 Charger R/T in 78 (440 4bbl) and now a much faster 70 Roadrunner 440 6bbl, I definitely admire BOTH the 73 455 SD and the 351 Cleveland based Boss. With a much needed upgrade in compression ratio and a hotter cam, the 455 SD was truly a RACE motor, and I have TREMENDOUS respect and awe for Pontiac doing that in 1973 as all other American V-8s were taking their last gasp. The Boss 351 likewise really needed a better cam and larger carburetor, and a single plane intake and headers would make it a FORCE to contend with!
I loved the 351 Boss. It was a great car. I had a 69 chevelle with a 350/300 hp motor. Had the turbo 350 tranny. I raced a '71 boss 351 with a 4sp manual. We were neck and neck the whole race. I still love mustangs, I own one. But Chevy and Dodge have a special place in my heart with the push rod motor!
Wrong about the Mustangs. The first redesign came in 1967-1968, then again in 1969-1970 with the Boss 302 and Mach 1...then the 1971 SCJ and Boss 351 Mustangs.
I have a 71 442 that I've had sense high school back in the 80s. Was a quick car. I raised the compression and put a cam in it. I won my fair share of street races with it. Not to mention I drove it like the general lee, minus the jumps. Now she's in pieces in my garage, hopefully I'll get it put back together in a few years.
All amazing cars thaf seem only available in dreams. My father had a 1970 superbird roadrunner with the 440 six pack and never lost to anything, unfortunately he had to sell it in the 90s due to divorce. 😢
First of all I'm not Lisa, that's my wife and I wanted to say I was around and racing Saturday nights back when these cars were new or only a few years old. I had a Chevelle SS396, and every car mentioned on the video and in the comments showed up one night or another including the Buick Stage One and if the couple Cudas 426 Hemis showed up the rest of us were running for third place. Unless the guys with the 440 six packs were there too, then the rest of us were spectators. Fortunately for the rest of us the mopars were fickle, always throwing themselves out of tune and out of the night.
"The Brothers" car collection is truly the ultimate example of what you describe. It's like a time machine taking you to the ULTIMATE car meet of the 60s and 70s.
One of Fords fastest Mustangs that no one ever mentioned is the 351cj Cleveland. This was offered in Torino's also till 1972. Was known as the big block killer. Chevy guys didn't like it 😅
As a #1 Mopar fan and owner, a 71 HP440 4BBL in 78 and now, a 70 440 6bbl Roadrunner 4 speed w/4.10 gears, I will say the Cleveland based Boss 351 is one hell of a well designed performance engine.
@@avman1339 thanks Mr Morepower 😁 I used to get a ride in a 1966 charger 383 to Boy scouts. And my neighbor 3doors down Had a 70 superbee 440 6 pack with the hood ram air with teeth. I absolutely Fell in Love with those cars. I would take any muscle car from 1963- 72 Over any new car.
I graduated high school in 1986, lots of these cars were in the parking lot. As a rule, they were “ unrestored”, maybe an engine overhaul. Oh and primer….lots of primer 😊
I have to add the sd455 was another bad boy also Buick GS, Mopar A12 440, of course Hemis and wedges. The v6 Buicks killed everyone. Just sharing what I witnessed. I'm actually a true blue Ford Man, I can hear the "so sorry for you"😂 it doesn't matter I Love them all even the 390 AMC 😅 which was a serious contender. Just To many to list. 🇺🇸🙏🤘💥
Another video by someone who was either not alive or nowhere near the age of driving during this era of mid 60’s to very early 70’s when muscle cars were around so they get their information from people who exaggerate stories told them or those who grossly favor one car brand above all others or hear stories from people that know someone that owned a muscle car didn’t tell anyone that it was modified it but claimed it was stock, soon that particular car was something from folklore and legends of old about how fast his “stock car” was worlds quicker and faster than all others of the that time. Now I’m NOT a Chevy fan in the least, but not ONE Camaro with any size engine made the list? Yet you have two Pontiacs with the same size engine, one is a high compression lager valve heads the other is low compression with smaller valves yet they run the same times? Not possible. You have two 429 slug motors from Ford one in a Mustang the other in a Torino running times that must have been going downhill. Both of these cars would have been killed by the 428 CJ or SCJ from a year or two earlier. It’s like you figured if the 428 was fast then the 429 MUST be faster because it’s bigger. NO!! They are completely different engines and the 428 could probably win with a plug wire pulled off. Do some real research or write about something else.
The 429 CJ and SCJ would mop up the 428 CJ or 428 SCJ. The FE engines were good engines but the 385 series engine was a better designed engine, with its canted valve heads and with the same modifications the 429 would outrun the 428 all day
Yeah some people just be making claims or putting out false information on all types of topics… it’s like assuming the high output 289 had less power then the 302s from the same time… or I’ve heard the 327 Chevy small blocks were quicker or more powerful than the 350s at the time the 327s were around
For the 2 RU-vid replies debating the 428 vs 429, I am a Mopar owner, 440 6bbl (now) and 440 4bbl back in 78, but I am very curious to know more about the differences in the 2 engines you are debating. Please make your case about the 428 and 429 in as much detail as possible, I'd like to learn more.
THE " BLACK GHOST" IS A FRAUD 😂 THE CLAIMS THE SON OF GODFREY QUALS ARE COMPLETE B.S.🤦 HE'S A FILMMAKER WHO MADE UP THE STORY OF " THE BLACK GHOST" TO SELL THE CAR 😂🤦
Got the order wrong for the street race scene. Cowl inducted 70 Chevelle 454 SS was unbeatable, because of the quick application of torque to 🎡 power. Ruined many a Cobra and Hemi's day, had lot's of fun. Ran mine on aviation grade fuel only. Still wish I had it, only car I ever named.
Myself destroyed a 70 454 Chevelle with a 351cj Torino 😮 all I did was add1970 quence chamber heads, elderbrock aluminum intake, Holley 780, mild Crane cam, headers.
I have to say I've watched many of these comparisons and this is the first that had the Buick Stage behind the LS6 and Hemi Roadrunners of the day. In fact Popular Hot Rodding caused quite a stir over dubbing the Buick Stage 1 drag pack the Hemi killer!
Thats what iv heard saw or researched lol!! The Chevy 2 Nova SS 396 had a almost unbeatable poser to weight ratio not mentioned. The 302 camaro was a big block killer what about the 396 camaro. This guys just throwing shit out there had no clue. No Shelby GT 500 it smoked the mack 1.
The Buick stage 1 was way underrated in horse power. It was just a bit heavier body that kept it from getting out of the hole for the 1/4 mile and it would burn rubber each time it shifted. With slicks it’s a 12 second machine.
I am older than dirt, While working at blue max in dallas, We put a 455 pontiac,on the dyno,factory exh.intake,carb,& a 1 year only cam,( it idled to rough)510 hp.570fpt.5500 redline,he was turning low 10s automatic trans.94 octane...facts (1980)
@@darrellsomers5427 agree,but it’s a ‘tuner’ car instead of a production one.Admittedly,Cobras were not commonplace but were a production car from an established maker.
@@avman1339 your right of the showroom floor but a little tunning and better tires it was a monster. in 1994 the claimed fastest street car In America was a Boss 429. Myself beat some 13 Sec cars on the street with a 302. 2bbl single exhaust 70 stang coupe. Most muscle cars suffered either poor driver or poor traction. A friend had a 440 tri power built by Ramchargers and only ran a 14 sec 1/4 mile because it spin through all 4 gears
ahhh, the age of RV and tuna boat engines in cars..... Big heavy and modest performance. If you read a Car a Driver you'll see these cars are really a little slower than claimed here. But other channels make really absurd claims about the performance of these Tuna Cars. "Air Grabber" "500KR" "Cobra Jet"
Though the 413 max wedges were the kings in 1962, they would not run 11’s out of the showroom floor. Slicks and some prep would get you there. Also 1962 Catalinas were nowhere near 3500 lbs. More like 3800 lbs. This list is pretty spot on though.
I'm King of 1st Ave + 3rd ave / Bklyn N.Y. 1969 Plymouth GTX 436 Hemi, Mikey Thomson wide tires,Hooker Headers,410 rear, Hurst competition plus 4 speed stick shift, Black outside, white inside, Vinyl top, mags, on + on+ on. That car was my 2nd wife.
My favorite car is definitely the Oldsmobile cutlass, I bought my 1st cutlass from my good friend in highschool and I fixed it up and I took it to the atco speedway in Atco new jersey and it ran the 1/4 mile in the low 12s without nitrous and I absolutely loved it ❤️😎👍
You may notice that every car here was in 1970 and 1971. Except the 1973 SD 455 Trans Am. Now imagine how all the other's mentioned here would run with lower compression like the SD had to deal with. If the SD were in 1970 for GM or 1971 for ford and dodge it may have taken first place. Maybe. Just saying it did quite well with low compression and emissions to keep up with all you mentioned. Loved your video.i subscribed.
I have a 1970 Skylark Custom 350 and a 1970 GS455 convertible. Both are about to be restored to their former glory. I might turn the convertible into a Stage 1 or Stage 2. Let's see, if I can afford it first.
I call BS. My 72 Corvette Stigray LT1 was/is a 13.1 second car. I’ve only taken down the strip three times in my life and on the 3rd pass I got 13.9 seconds. Seeing how I’ve never been down the strip before or since, I figure someone that knows what they are doing could achieve the 13.1 second advertised speed.
I'm gonna guess that the Olds 442 was forgotten about, maybe the Hurst Olds? Nothing? So that Pontiac from mid 70s with all the emissions was faster than pre-emissions 442 with the 455 with 500 ft pounds of torque??
Wow. All these street machines are amazing and beautiful. I wonder how many are hidden away in residential neighborhood garages. My guess would be probably a lot. I really miss those days, because it was the last time hipo cars were built before the malaise days that started in the mid 70’s. At least I have my memories of what was.
For those that don't know, the 426 Hemi was still available up to 1971. They raised the idle speed a bit to smooth cylinder to cylinder balance for better emissions. Other than that, it was unchanged. At the other end of the 70s, dodge made a pickup called "The Little Red Truck" - apparently trucks weren't as heavily held back by emissions - not to mention insurance tended to be less. Pontiac offered the 455 until 1976. Last of the real muscle cars. Note, the 455 without the forged rods were limited to about 5000rpm. Those cast iron connecting rods sucked. Pontiac would sell the connecting rods into the 80s and I remember gasping at the $110 each price. This was before Eagle made their rods.
Pontiac continued on passed 1976 when GM canceled all 455 engines. The Pontiac 455 from 1975-1976 was only making 200 HP but still made an impressive amount of torque. In 1977 they came out with the W72 400 for use in the Trans Am and the 1977 Can Am. It was rated the same 200 HP as the previous year’s 455 but didn’t produce quite as much torque. They made improvements in 1978 to raise the W72’s output to 220 HP that continued until the 400 was canceled for 1979. Pontiac built and set aside several thousand W72 400s for the 10th Anniversary Trans Am for the 79 model year. Pontiac did the best they could to keep high performance alive until GM corporate killed it off completely.
Wish I still had my 1970 GS Stage 1. Oddly, my 2023 Genesis G70 3.3 turbo AWD (with just K & N air filters added) has a quarter mile time slightly quicker than the Buick.
My first real car I ever owned was a 2001 mustang GT that the first fifty miles I changed to full length Kooks headers, a Bullitt intake and 4:10 Motersport gears and I could run around a 12.6 most quarters. So not that impressive.
Where is my 1970 442 w-30? 455ci 4spd 370hp fastback was as fast a car as I ever owned. My '74 Tans Am 455 auto.310 hp was also fast. The '69 Corvette Stingray 427ci 4spd 390hp that I had, couldn't keep up with either one!
A 74 SD-455 would have a 290 HP rating. As would the 73. The often quoted 310 HP was a preproduction engine running a RAIV cam. There's many stories on the Internet covering this.
The 429 SCJ was only a mid 14 second car that looked mean but that was it, the colossal intake ports were not designed for street use but for NASCAR. On the street this motor was a slug, small blocks from Mopar, Chevy and even the Boss 351 or Boss 302 mustang would leave this engine in the dust on the street. Ford made a huge mistake by dropping the 428 CJ in favor of boat mooring.
Yep the cuda was bad ass for it’s time. The Hemi is still punching above it’s weight today. Unfortunately they are about 1000 lbs heavier today 🤣. Good video.
@thomasthurston6656 Buick GSX 455 Stage 1 vs 426 Hemi Cuda both STOCK is a great race, granted, BUT a little work and like many other engines (440 6 Pack, 454, etc) that would "run with" or even nose out the Hemi, when the mods start, the Hemi heads really show the excellent design for ultimate POWER.
