Showing posts with label Muscle Cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muscle Cars. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Chevrolet Chevelle: The Muscle Car Legend

 1970 Chevelle


Chevrolet Chevelle the Legend

The Chevelle was one of the few muscle cars that Chevrolet put into production between 1964 and 1973. Outside of the '73 Chevelle, the muscle car enjoyed some great success through its strong run and continues to be celebrated by all kinds of car enthusiasts. From drag strips to car shows and car auctions, you'd be hard-pressed to go to any car event and not see a few awesome-looking examples.    

Most Chevelles hold their value very well because they look great stock and when customized, and they are a very important part of the Muscle Car era. Read on to learn a little more about the Chevelle and how it etched its name in muscle car history. 


'64 Chevrolet Chevelle

1964 - 1967 Chevelle

In 1963, when the Chevelle made its way into production for the first time as a '64, there were a of couple different motors to choose from. The largest and the most powerful of them all was a 300 horsepower 327 cubic inch small block. This really didn't hit the nail on the head for consumers, as it was a little underpowered for the power-to-weight ratio. 


'67 Chevelle SS

In 1965, Chevelle upped the ante with a 396 cubic-inch motor that produced the type of power that the public was waiting for. The new Z16, 396 V8 produced 375 horsepower. The engine pushed the Chevelle from 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds and drop a quarter-mile time of 14.66 @ 99.8mph. 

Minor Change In Style

The 1966 Chevelle would see some body modification, and although the power rating stayed the same, times at the track would be cut from a 14.66 down to a 14.40 quarter-mile time. This was due to a solid lifter cam and bigger valves given to the 396 cubic inch motor. 

More Changes For '67


In 1967, Chevrolet would stick with the same body style for the muscle car but would make some performance changes. 

Front-wheel disc brakes were factory installed to help stop the wider tires and new 14-inch rims. A new reworked bumper and blacked-out rear panel were also part of the new features the '67 had to offer. 

Unfortunately, because of GM curb weight standards, it would experience less power and slower times at the track. The biggest engine offered was the L34 396, which only produces 350 horsepower and did 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds with a quarter-mile time of 15.3 @ 94mph.

1968-1969 Chevelle



1968 Chevelle


For 1968, Chevrolet would try something new with the Chevelle. A new body style would make its way off the production lines. This new look brought about a shorter wheelbase, a longer front end, and a shorten rear-deck lid, giving it a fastback look. Although the 1968 Chevelle got a new look, it received the same power sources as the previous year. 

The Chevelle's suspension would still be a sore spot with lots of body roll—and slow shifting from the Muncie four-speed left a lot of complaints from consumers. But the one thing that did change was the consumer's choice of rear gears. The axle ratios ranged from 2.73:1 to a dealer-installed 4.88:1 drag Cogs gear ratio.

Upping The '69's Power Output


With consumers still having complaints about power, Chevrolet would up the ante again for the '69 Chevelle. Although the badges and the build sheets would say the Chevelle was built with a 396 cubic-inch motor that produced 375 horsepower, it was well known that the motors were bored out to 402 cubic inches. The deceit was mainly to meet emissions standards and to gain a horsepower edge. This plan really paved the way for what was to come in 1970.

1970 Chevelle 



454 LS6

In 1970, Chevelle would see the most sufficient changes toward being a major contender in the muscle car world. Cosmetic changes included the first functioning cowl induction hood with racing hood pins. A newly styled front-end would be implicated, along with some new style rally five-spoke wheels. 

But the biggest change came in the size of the motor. General Motors lifted the band against producing any motors over 400 cubic inches, giving Chevrolet the green light to build and produce a Chevelle with what would become one of the most popular motors ever made, the LS6 454. Along with the functioning cowl induction hood and the huge displacement, also brought about better-performing engine components that helped produce 450 horsepower and left plenty of room for upgrades.

1971-1972 Chevelle 



71-72 Chevelle



Unfortunately, for 1971-72, the Chevelle would see some extremely harsh decreases in power. In response to GM's new rules that all engines must run on unleaded fuel and meet every EPA restrictive emission standard, the muscle car era was starting to become a thing of the past. There was one good thing about the years of '71-'72—although the big 454 motor's power was lowered due to EPA emissions standards, you could still order them, and if you knew what you were doing, upgrading them to make the power a 1970 455 did was not a huge task.

The 1973 Chevelle No Longer Looked Like A Chevelle 



1973 Chevelle



For the last year of the Chevelle's existence, it got a completely new body style and the motors had even less power. These cars would be the least liked among the 9-year production run, and even to this day are not a big hit at drag strips, car shows, or auctions.

1969 COPO Chevelle 




1969 COPO Chevelle



In 1969, Chevrolet offered one of the rarest Chevelles to date, the '69 COPO. The COPO was designed specifically for the drag strip. It came with a 427 cubic-inch powerplant that produced an underrated 425 horsepower and was capable of producing quarter-mile times of 13.3 @ 108mph. The COPO Chevelle was undoubtedly the fastest production Chevelle that Chevrolet ever produced. Like the other Chevrolet COPO Muscle Cars, this Chevelle has a cult following and draws big crowds and big numbers at auctions.  

Chevelle hood pins


The Reasons for Chevelle's Popularity 

What makes the Chevelle so popular among consumers and muscle car fans? 

The price, the size, the style, and the power. As a mid-size car, you could put your whole family in one and head to the grocery store, go shopping, come home, drop the family and the grocery off, and then head to the drag strip for some race time. 

Gilmore Muscle Car Musume

Saying Good-Bye to the Chevelle and Many Other Muscle Cars

Although the Chevelle was canceled after 1973, it was not the only muscle car that got the ax. The GTO, Oldsmobile 422, the Plymouth Roadrunner, and many other muscle cars would see the same fate right around the same era due to the pursuit to find more fuel-efficient and economy-friendly cars. But the Chevelle and all of its Muscle Car brothers and sisters, still to this day are extremely popular among car enthusiasts.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction: What Days Are Best For You to Visit?

Image result for barrett-jackson

You can ask any car enthusiast where the most exciting place to shop for a vehicle is and almost all of them will tell you the Barrett-Jackson car auction. Some of the most sought-after vehicles in the world roll across the auction block and some of the world's wealthiest people come to place bids and battle other wealthy people with a chance to own them.

But you don't have to be wealthy to attend and participate in the week-long event, in fact, everyone is welcome, and planning and deciding which days are best for you to attend is the best way to maximize your auction experience.

If you plan on attending one of the Barrett-Jackson events, the first thing you will want to do is decide what kind of experience you are looking for. The biggest auction of the year is the Scottsdale auction in Arizona and starts on Saturday and goes until the next Sunday. The first Saturday-thru-Thursday are usually slower days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the major action packed, media covered, highly populated days that bring the exciting Super Bowl-like atmosphere to the auction.

But just because Saturday-thru-Thursday does not bring the Super Bowl-like atmosphere does not mean that they are days worth skipping. In fact, for some shoppers, those days could be the most beneficial days to attend. Depending on what types of vehicles you're in the market for, your budget, how good your bidding and auctioning skills are, and the type of atmosphere that you feel most comfortable in may determine whether you want to go for the first few days, the last three days or go all out and stay the whole week.


If you are on a restricted budget, the first few days could be your best option considering that a lot of the high-rollers do not show up on those days, and that could make those days great days to look for great deals. You could come across a car you really want on the last few days of  Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and unfortunately, as much as you may want it, a person with an unlimited bankroll may want it too. And if you’re on a restricted budget, your bidding won’t have a chance. Also, contrary to popular belief, the best of the best vehicles do not only get auctioned off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. What days the vehicles come on the block depend on when the owners registered their vehicles, when the owners can be available to stay with their vehicle for that whole day, and whether the vehicles are charity vehicles or special advertised vehicles.

It is very common for someone to get a chance to buy a vehicle on one of the slower days for a great price, and because of higher profile bidders and more of them, the same exact type of vehicle with higher mileage and lower options might go for a much higher price on one of the busier days. Another great perk of attending the auction on the first Saturday-thru-Thursday is the chance you will have to really look the car over thoroughly and possibly talk to the owner more in depth about the vehicle you are attempting to purchase. When it comes to Friday-thru-Sunday you might not get a chance to get an up-close look of the vehicle like you would want to because of the abundance of people, media, and the heightened security. Also, have fun trying to get a hold of the owner to have a conversation about your potential purchase on a busier day, he could be out enjoying the Super Bowl like festivities.

Although there are some perks about attending the Barrett-Jackson auction on the less busy days, there are also perks to attending the auction Friday-thru-Sunday. First, if you have a big bankroll, the excitement of bidding against other big bank rolls is the type of thrill you get when you’re at the casino gambling for high stakes. Other perks include rubbing elbows with famous people such as Jay Leno a well-respected car enthusiast, Sammy Hagar, actors, famous racecar drivers, race team owners, and many other well-known wealthy people with the taste for prestigious cars.

Another great thing about Saturdays and Sundays is that when they send the charity vehicles across the block, all proceeds go to charities that have great causes such as helping sick kids, helping the terminally ill, and other great causes. Also, to help get more money as the bidding keeps going, the organizations auctioning off the vehicle's throw in special incentives such as autographed guitars or special tours to high-profile facilities like famous raceways, car museums, factories, etc.

Whatever the reasons you have for wanting to attend the most prestigious auto auction in the world, with a little bit of planning and research you will find that it is an event where if you’re a car enthusiastic it would be hard not to have a great time.

If you do plan on attending the auction, you can go to the Barrett-Jackson’s website and find all the info you need to prepare. You will find catalogs of what cars will be on the auction block, tickets, merchandise, and more.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Camaro's Most Powerful Muscle Car: The 2017 Camaro ZL1



Later this year, Camaro will be adding a new ZL1 performance package to their 2017 lineup. Being held out of the lineup for 2016, Camaro plans on making up for its absence with a 2017 Camaro ZL1 that can take care of business on every level - from power and performance to style and comfort.

The 2017 Camaro ZL1 will come equipped with the supercharged motor that the Corvette ZO6 is currently using. This will boost the horsepower from the 580 horses the 2016 Camaro ZL1 produced to 640 horses for 2017. The badass 6.2-liter motor will come connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or a ten-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifting abilities.

No need to worry about peeling out before fishtailing into a tree as the Camaro's power is converted back to an electronic limited-slip differential with an adjustable performance traction management system. Although if it is a burnout that you are out looking to do you can always turn that bad boy off and go crazy. But if you are just looking to sprint forward in a straight line with virtually no steering responsibilities, the Camaro ZL1 traction management system will help you do just that.

As with just about all of General Motors high-end vehicles, you will receive the Magnetic Ride Control active suspension. This will without a doubt let you carve corners effortlessly on your Good Year F1 Eagle tires while comfortably seated on the inside secured to deep leather and sued-upholstery racing Recaro seats. And comfortably is always an understatement when it comes to Camaro or any GM vehicle for that matter, as all the interior creature comforts that come with all other Camaro trim models are also standard here.


Outside of obvious power, the next biggest difference you will see between the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and the other Camaros in the lineup is the appearance package. A huge front grille lets in much-needed air as a vented hood helps release the air keeping the front-end of the Camaro down at high speeds. Wider side skirts and a bigger front spliter are easily noticed along with a rear spoiler that is definitely needed to help keep the vehicle planted when hitting corners at the road course.

No price tag has been yet announced for the 2017 Camaro ZL1, but one would have to imagine it will be a little bit more than the original price tag on the 2015 Camaro ZL1 which came in at $57,000.00.

Monday, January 20, 2014

2014 Barrett-Jackson: 4 Chevrolets End Up Top Ten Best Sellers

A place where the most prestigious vehicles in the world are sold: The Barret-Jackson Auction held in Scottsdale Arizona took place this passed week. And some of the top sellers just happened to be four different Chevrolets. 


1967 L88 Corvette


1967 chevy corvette l88 2014 barret jackson

This is one of the rarest Corvettes every produced by Chevrolet. It is the only documented Red-on-Red Corvette known to come off the assembly-line. This rare muscle car boasting 430Hp but really was pushing out something more like 560Hp. Before the hammer dropped it brought in the highest price of the week at 3.85 million.



1969 L88 Corvette Rebel

1969 corvette l88 rebel  








 
 



This Corvette manged to fetch $2.6 Million, making it the 2nd highest selling car of the week. This Corvette brought in so many potential buyers by its appearance and its appearances at so many winner circles throughout the years. It could very-well be the most recognizable Corvette of all-time. 



2014 COPO Camaro


2014 chevrolet camaro copo 


Every since the COPO Camaro first came around in 1969 there has been somewhat of a cult following behind it. The 2014 COPO is no different and that is probably what helped this bad boy sell for $700,000. That's a good price with proceed going to
the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. 



2015 Chevrolet Z/28
 

2014 chevrolet camaro z/28 














Chevrolet did not stop with their charity, using the proceeds of this Camaro to help Detroit public schools. This VIN #001 Z/28 left the auction block with a price tag of $650,000. Between the anticipation of this Z/28 and the funds going to a great charity, this Camaro like the COPO went for well-over their sticker prices.