Hemmings Muscle Machines August 2021

An iconic muscle car, this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner is the quintessential Mopar, with its vibrant color and giant 426ci Hemi engine. This particular example has 33,000 miles on it and recently underwent an extensive restoration to bring it back to life. Even though the Road Runner had once been used as a drag car, it was still very complete after 40 years of dry storage, and many of its original parts were reconditioned. When it came time to get the restored Mopar rolling, authenticity was the top priority, so the owner chose our Firestone Wide Oval bias ply tires, but we also manufacture this popular tire in modern radial construction. The redlines and body-color steel wheels are a perfect combination for this incredible Mopar muscle car. Wade Kawasaki is the President…

“It became one of those, ‘Someday, I’m gonna have my own…’ moments for me.” It seemed almost strange that I should find myself wrestling with an engine crane again after having gone a few rounds with one just a week prior, but I suppose it was an appropriate, if coincidental, turn of events to lead up to our home garage-themed issue. The convergence of those things made me think about all the engine pulls I’ve been a part of over the years, and what a critical piece of equipment the hoist itself was. I’ve had my own engine crane for about 15 years. These days, that’s no big deal — you see them tucked into home garages all over, largely because you can buy a foreign-built one that will handle typical American…

This is the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. Finally, a sport-utility with an emphasis on sport. Shoot from 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds with all four 19-inch tires pulling you to speed with deceptive ease, despite a curb weight approaching 5,000 pounds. And that’s the mid-line version! Passing in traffic is instantaneous. It’s noticeably lower than a new Explorer, but not sports car low; the flowing body lines and tapered roof — more hatchback than tailgate — make it instantly identifiable in a parking lot full of SUV rooflines. It’s sporty in a way that most SUVs just aren’t. So, despite the power, comfort is the order of the day. There’s fine visibility from ample glass area. There are comfortable seats for multiple body types. There’s a quality feel…

THE ELUSIVE SCORE I just finished reading Terry McGean’s latest column in HMM (“Seeking the Score,” HMM #214) and it reminded me of the week before Thanksgiving 2019. I saw a 1987›Buick Grand National on Craigslist that was about 15 miles from where I live. I had to check it out, so I called the original owner, John (in his 70s), but he told me someone was coming to look at it. We talked for five minutes as he told me it was an all-original T-top car with 76,000 miles, and that the Buick had been in the barn for at least 15 years. Then I asked him if the price was in fact $1,500. He said yes, but maybe he should have asked more. The car was rust-free and ran…

“In the early Seventies, after a less-than-stellar year at college, I drove my ’67 Cougar home from Colorado to New Jersey. The Cougar was actually my parents’ car, but I used it so much they just gave it to me. Once home I realized I had to get a full-time job, and landed one at a place that rented construction equipment. In the meantime, my girlfriend (and soon to be wife) had bought a new 1973 Javelin, brown with a white vinyl top. After a short time at the rental shop, I decided I needed/ wanted a new car, too. She had the Javelin but, being a guy, I needed something more, so I went looking for an AMX. It was August, the end of the model year, so there wasn’t…

BE HONEST: HOW MANY MILES a year do you put on your vintage car? A few hundred? A couple of thousand? Or maybe it’s more like a hundred or less. Everybody does their car thing their own way, but a few miles here and there to cruises and car shows wasn’t going to cut it for Tony and Karen Rousos. They wanted a driver. A muscle car with jump-in, hit-the-key, compromise-free performance that would turn heads at the cruises, but click off long-haul miles like a Kenworth. They found it in a ’71 Camaro that Tony built for Karen. To date, they’ve racked up more than 30,000 miles on the car in only about four years. It’s practically the couple’s daily driver in the Michigan months that don’t involve road salt. That’s…