Horsepower to the People
The glory of the classic American muscle car was rolled out for all to see last month at the 10th annual Gilmore Heritage Auto Show at Los Angeles’ Farmers Market. Despite the smog of the 1960s and ‘70s that these brawny beasts of the road helped produce, there seemed to be a lot of sentiment for the powerful V-8 engine Pontiac GTOs, Ford Mustang Boss 302s, Chevrolet Monte Carlo SSes, Plymouth Roadrunners and Dodge Chargers on display. More than a few enthralled fans were yearning to slip behind the wheels of these American originals. We asked a few automotive giants what’s under their hoods.
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Joe Stipulski
Los Angeles
1966 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe
Classic muscle cars versus today’s “rice rockets.” Your vote, please.
Mid-’60s muscle cars are the best. You get the sound. You get the engines you can’t get now. I don’t look at a car built after 1970.
What happened to the muscle car?
The pollution standards of the
early ‘70s is why the muscle car
disappeared.
What makes the muscle car glorious?
Look at my Corvette: side pipes, an all-fiberglass body, the Chevrolet motor. My favorite, though, is the ’70 Chevelle with the 454 LS6 motor. Never had one of those. I had a ’70 El Camino.
Is your Corvette a babe magnet?
I’ve been married 35 years, but it does seem to attract the women.
If your car were human, who would it be like?
Jackie Gleason. He was loud. And if he wanted to move fast, he could.
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James Connelly
Los Angeles
1970 Thunderbird
Classic muscle cars versus today’s “rice rockets.” Your vote, please.
American muscle cars. They’re easier to work on, and it’s more impressive to make a heavier car go faster. My Thunderbird is a 4,800-pound car. An engine that gets it to go fast takes a lot of brain work.
Will American muscle cars ever make a comeback?
They already have. Look at the new Mustang. Engines are getting bigger. As crazy as the gas prices are, there’s a segment of people that doesn’t seem that concerned.
Is this car a babe magnet?
Now that I’ve got the Air Ride [suspension] in it, yeah. I come to a stop sign, a girl crosses the street, I hit the button and drop the car to the bottom. It’s a great icebreaker.
If your car were human, who would it be like?
John Wayne. Elegant stature, but lots of muscle and grit.
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George Cuellar
Norwalk
Restored 1959 Chevy Impala
Is this a muscle car?
It can be because a ’59 did come with a Tri-Power [carburetor], which I’m going to put in.
Classic muscle cars versus today’s “rice rockets.” Your vote, please.
The rice rockets? They’re good on the start-off, but once you get going, I’ll eat ‘em up.
What do you think about the new retro cars?
Love them. Especially the Chryslers. They found the niche. Classic lines. The PT Cruiser is interesting because it’s a wannabe hot rod. The new Dodge Magnum actually looks like it’s chopped.
If your car were human, who would it be like?
Jimmy Reed or Bo Diddley. It’s blue, and I like blues music. The name of the car is Cold Shot, after a Stevie Ray Vaughn song.
Is this car a babe magnet?
I’m married. If my son was driving it, he’d have three girls in the car.
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Jon Lennie
Los Angeles
1971 Dodge Charger
What makes your car a muscle car?
Mine was made at the tail end of the muscle car era. The government went after automakers to produce more efficient engines.
Muscle cars versus today’s “rice rockets.” Your vote, please.
Cars today are computerized, more fuel efficient and safer. But it’s function over form. They don’t have the lines, the beauty of a prowling machine like I have from the 1970s.
Memorable moment with your car?
In Palm Springs, a rice rocket pulled up next to me at a light. There was a group of college kids on the corner. One pointed to the rice rocket. The car goes, “ZZZzzzZZZzzz.” He points to me, and I go, “RUMMmmm RUMmmm.” That says it all.
If your car were human, who would it be like?
Angelina Jolie in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” Sleek, beautiful, powerful, sexy. If you lay Angelina on her side, she’s the same Coke bottle design I have here with my car.