So I’m seeing some great advancements in production muscle cars lately. For example, the Hellcat, mid engine Corvette, Mustang GT. Which is the fastest and opinions on best bang for the buck? Any owners feel free to chime in.

C5 z06 - bang for buck

In before the misguided Tesla fan boys.

I question whether anything produced after 1973 can be called a Muscle Car.

High performance? Certainly. But that term belongs to a specific era. One before my time.

Needs a Tesla/ EV subforum

Once the c8 comes down to MSRP it will be best bang for your buck. Love the shit out of mine.

2.7 0-60, and handling

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Camaro ZL1. If you want to road race, get the 1LE package.  Beats cars 2-3 times the price.

C8 Z06 - Buy two. One to drive and one to fund your retirement.

First, we need to decide what is a "muscle car" and what is a "sports car"

Whichever one makes you happy.  They are all stupid fast and will get beat by EVs in the near future.  There is always a faster car out there.

Ask Smokey Yunick...

They will only get beat on racetracks that have less than 10 laps.

Corvette or ZL1 with 1LE package.

You'd have to talk really loud to chat with Smokey these days....

For years I enjoyed old school muscle cars. Modern power with modern accessories has made those old cars obsolete for me. I have a 13gt500. It handles,brakes,with cold air and is dependable with more than enough power.   I would like a Hellcat or c8. Maybe a retirement gift.  
In recent times I think the Lebanon ford mustang gt with the factory installed blower is the best value going.

Don Yenko
Carroll Shelby
Dick Harrel
Baldwin Motion

Best damn garage in town.

Whatever one is a rental

I'd love to get one of each once I've got money to burn.  Yea, technically not muscle cars, but they put the power to the ground really well, for what they're designed for.

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I decided 2020GT (5.0 Coyote) PP1 package for a cheaper track car.
I would’ve went ZL1LE, but 6 months ago they were $25K more than what I paid.
If a C8 went for MSRP, I’d buy one.
I think the 5.0 is a solid choice for value-performance.

It’s going into the shop here in 2 weeks for the GT350 oil and trans coolers (only $3K installed), then I should be able to stick out the full 20min sessions. PP1 Brembos do good with GLoc pads.

Squared up 285/35/19’s with GY SuperCar3’s and a camber kit at -2.7 front, really helped on the track.
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I have a 2015 base model Mustang GT. I grin ear to ear every time I drive it. As a daily driver it's great. It has been a great time period for performance cars.

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All fun cars, but hard to answer your question since price swings and performance levels of those are almost all different.  I have a 2015 Mustang GT.  For the money, can’t be beat for fun.  Got more change to spend?  That new C-8 is one hell of a bargain at MSRP.  But those two are not even in the same class.  

Just find your budget, find a car you feel comfortable in and enjoy!  I’ve looked at the new corvette. No way in hell my 59 yo fat ass could climb in and out of it.  Mustang, easy.

I love my C5 Z06.   Just had a 396 stroker with ported heads and a rowdy little cam installed.   It obliterates the tires are anything under 45 mph.    

Previous owner changed the wheels back to stock before I bought it.  

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My son works at True Street Performance in McKinney TX and the things they are doing with the 5.0 Mustang and especially the GT500 are more than impressive.  Insane power.  1K+ hp cars that your wife can take the kids to school in.

Very nice!

I like corners so Hellcats are out.

GT350, GT500, ZL1-1LE out of current pony cars.

C6 or C7 GrandSport/Z06/ZR1 or Viper ACR for 2 seat sports car.


Having said that, I will have new Mach 1 or GT350 money into my 66 Mustang by the time it is all said and done.   15k in suspension and brakes has it handling as well or better than my 2015 GT Perf Pack.   If I had better seats and my chassis bracing/harness bar installed then I would take the next step to even better tires going to 275s all four corners from my 225s I currently have.   400+hp in a car that is maybe 2800-2900 pounds with only a lap belt for "safety" tends to weigh on your mind to a certain extent.   The car makes enough grip to throw you out of the driver's seat and respect the damn car.

I dont have the same top speed as current GT350s and the like, only a 3.5 rear gear with 25 in tall tires has me topping out around 125 in 4th.    But I can say that my 66 put a hell of a shit eating grin on the face of a friend with a GT350R.   He was shocked at how instantaneous it gets up and goes.   Should be around a high 11 or low 12 street car as it sits and it is not built for 1/4 mile.

Gonna grab a spare rear gear with like a 3.25 gear ratio for more mph per gear to have as an option for when I finally get it out on the road course.    

No traction control, no antilock brakes, loud as fuck exhaust, a stereo that you can hear even at full uncork, and no ECU that is trying to interfere with what you want the car to do.   Love it way more than my 2015 GT.  

No A/C though and that sucks in a town that hits 105-110 in the summer.   But I know when I am gonna have my body work done at least.

I wanted to love my 2015 but I dont.   First and last new car I will ever buy.  Too much shit being thrown in from the ECU basically needing to be tuned to not be annoying as fuck, to a shit "premium" sound system, to all the infotainment crap that is pointless.

The car is paid off but sits with 14k miles aince new in Aug of 2015.   I will likely keep it to have a cream puff and "reliable" spare car while my other mustangs get driven hard.

Thinking my next "modern" car will be a 2013 Boss 302 Laguna Seca.   Would also consider an 11-12 bastard child GT500.  Enough un-sophisticated rawness to make me happy while still having AC.

Or, if the right opportunity hit I would build a 69/70 Sportroof with same suspension as my 66 with 315s on all four corners and a built 351/408 making 500+hp.

What suspension are you running?   I have had my '65 for almost 35yrs.   It has Street and Track upper / lower control arms, adjustable strut rods, coil overs, rack and pinion steering on 17's.  Mustang Steve 4 wheel disk brakes.

My goal is to have it handle well enough to chase my C5 Z06 at SCCA events.  I think it might hang on the smaller tracks but not on anything with a long straight with the current power plant.  The Corvette runs 10's in the quarter, and it runs upper 13's.  It has a healthy little 289, top loader 4 speed and 3:89 posi.   The lack of big power helps it on the smaller tracks where you can't put the Corvettes power down.  Two totally different cars but both are a blast to drive.    

 

Purchased a new 5.0 Mustang last year. Cheap fun, easy to see out, 460hp and 10 spd on sport + is all this old man will ever need.

Full Street Or Track as well.    Sept 2020 I did the front end only and was so impressed I said fuck it and ordered the rear end as well.

Every option save for 14in disk brakes and his new drop spindles which let you tuck a fat tire with an 18inch wheel.

Went with the full floating 9in rear with truetrac, 13in 4 pistons all 4 corners with 2 piece slotted rotors, lower/longer control arms.

Car is just insanely good.

When it goes in for body work I am cutting the drivers side floor to put in a Tilton 3 pedal box so it will fit and be in the right spot for my 6ft 3in ass so I can actually heel and toe the bitch.  Pedal height and arrangement on stock brackets is all fucky and high as hell off the floor.

Will look into oil coolers for engine/trans/rear at a later point.

How the car pulls with little 225s on the street...

There is a build thread in car forum.   Stupid imgur wont let my phone upload anymore so I have not posted pics in awhile.   May do a youtube update again soon.

Dodge Viper

Um.... other than a charger. What are you're options?

Bob Tasca Ford
Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge
Nickey Chevrolet
Fred Gibb Chevrolet

Just to name a few more.

That really sounds good.  

I would love to have SorT new drop spindles but they are speendy.   The tilton pedal box is going to be a very nice upgrade.  Best of luck with it.

Where I throw the updates

One thing I find interesting is all the muscle cars stay with the V8 engine whereas BMW has gone to a V10 (I believe) and I think Mercedes even went to a V12 but they haven’t capitalized much on more horsepower. Anyone know what the deal is with that?

This is true. I own a ton of Hot Rods and 1973 was the the year they neutered the muscle car industry. Just some High Perf cars but NO Muscle cars after 73.

Another vote for a zl1 (or zl1 1le).   But a 2SS 1LE is also a great track car.

Germans like being complicated?

How many miles are on it?

Mine dropped a valve at 90,000 miles.

New engine (and new clutch while everything was out) at the stealership was $11,000 .

That said …I still love it.  And the sound.  Interstate on ramps are my thing.  A day without 100 is like a day without sunshine.  A hotel is located right next to an on ramp for my commute.  Their customers must love me when I am heading to work at oh dark thirty :

74 SD455 Trans Am and Formula.

Yikes!  Mine has around 60k

The Germans also make muscle cars

you spelled foreign pony car wrong.

You would have to check out the Mustang 6th gen forums to see if the valve dropping around 90,000 miles is a common thing.

Or if my experience was a fluke.

It’s not like I abused the car ALL the time.

I just happened to be sitting in a Hardee’s parking lot with it idling and the A/C on.  I was eating a late lunch because I just gave bloods and had to fast 8 plus hours beforehand.  Because of this covid bullshit, I couldn’t just sit and eat inside the Hardee’s air conditioning like a normal person.

Soooo….

Covid killed my engine.

Sports car can take corners.

That's the fuckin pinnacle of Vettes right there. Beautiful car!

The mid engine C8 Corvette is not a muscle car. It is a mid-engine sports car. The earlier Corvettes may have been grand touring cars but it is hard to call them muscle cars either.

Wait until old age and health issues kick in.  I use to say I'd never own a new car until I needed one and I was too broke down to even attempt to build another one.  And not to mention the mental and financial beating I took from my '95 GT getting totaled.  Yea, fuckers didn't have insurance so I was dealing with my own company.  Fucking insurance didn't care if I put $12,000 into making the car like new. In their eyes it was a $5000 car.  I did get them up to $7500 and sold off the bones and parts for $2500.
Build a nice classic as an every day driver?   yea, insurance game again.  GEICO or Travelers wouldn't even discuss full coverage on my '66. Liability only.  And my collectors insurance stipulates I cannot use it to commute to work.  Maybe things are different in that aspect on the west coast.  But out here they just want you driving it to car shows or parades or a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive or leave it in the garage. Yes, you must have a garage you can lock it up in too.