That would define car that could be hot rodded not a muscle car.

So a gremlin or a mavric is a muscle Car? NoI agree with"Camaro 69"that the car had to be sold as a preformance car. 70 318 Dodge Dart is Not a muscle car. 70 dart with 426 fiberglass frontend and back seat deleteall from the factory, that is a muscle car. In some circle even Camarosare not muscle cars. They are concidered Pony cars. In some circles ONLY COPO Camarosare concidered true muscle cars.

I bought my 74 Z28 clone in 79 I made the mistake of saying it was a muscle car around my motor head friends man did I get blasted as a moron. That was 29 years ago. I guess thas why I don't see a lot of wiggle room on weather a 75 pacer is a muscle car

 

In reply to '92 RS.... Your car isn't a muscle car because it was built by someone, it didn't come out of the factory that way. It's a strong motor and more than likely lots of fun to drive, but it's not a true muscle car because it was not MADE as a muscle car. It's a wanna-be muscle car, nothing more. Now, I say this owning a '75 RS that I plan on building to 500 horses, but it still will NOT be a muscle car, thought closer than any other Camaro in '75 since they killed the z28; the RS had the strongest engine in it in '75.It may borderline the definition;but a muscle car would be the strongest or close to the strongest, factory car you cna get, a V8 swap into a V6 car does NOT make a muscle car. I think Pony Car is the best bet on a definition for this year range...

 

Well, one term I am still confused with is "hot rod" and all it's variations.

So, if I were to put a big block engine in to my 1980 Z28 Camaro, rather than be a muscle car, it would simply be a hot rodded pony. Is that correct?

 

Sounds right to me,

One question I would ask the people that think all Camaros are Muscle cars. What yearsis the Muscle car ERA? Its a common pharse. Also Can a car that is not from that ERA be a Muscle car?

 

Sorry, but no.
A muscle car, 64-74 GTO comes to mind as an example, will slam you back in the seat without thinking about it. You can't find a "slow" one. A typical 75-81 camaro requires aftermarket work to achieve this feeling; you could get it with a 6 cylinder, this screams "I am not a muscle car!" Certain models are definitely really fast, i'm not debating that, but they did not come from the factory as 1/4 mile monsters in mass quantities. I consider these more of a sports car... strong power, great handling, smaller car. Cornering and handling does not fit with a muscle car, take your Camaro through a slolem course and you will stomp any culturally accepted muscle car. This does not mean your camaro is less impressive than a muscle car, it is just a different class of vehicle, designed to feel the road rather than just shred it with raw power.

 

Hmmm, this thread has given me much to think about, being an absolutenovice with little knowledge but much passion.

The 1980 z28 seems to be in a limbo of sorts, but knowing it can be considered either a muscle or a sports is comforting, and provides food for thought as I strive to shape my own standards and understand an industry I was born 30-40 years too late to take advantage of.

 

I agree... I have always been crazy about the legendary GM cars from the 60s and 70s; GTO Chevelle, Camaro, 442.... Yeah, I'd take any of them over anything you can get brand new these days, but they're getting really hard to find. I've had a few of the above, but there's now telling how much trouble i would've gotten into if I had been able to get them when they were new. I'd probably sit around crying about the one I wrapped around a tree... I can only dream about the day they were on every corner, and now they only get harder to get. The last GTO I built with my dad went for over 100k at Barret Jackson-for the guy we sold it to, not us That is a constant reminder to enjoy what you've got, you may never afford to replace it

 

ya know. that is a very good qeustion.. to be muscul i geuss u do need a factory motor with at least 300hp. the factory in the 77 for instance came with like 210.. thats realy weak. now adays we new motor heads dont care if its a "muscle" car or a K car.. if we want power were going to swap the motor anyways. so the new phrase is "Proformance". so then the question is.. once a2g has a 645cid bbc does is make it a "muscle" car.. i say YES and NO.i know this sounds contadicting but i love my 77 and im in the works of making into a beast. weather its a "muscal" car or not.

this aslo brings another good question up.. if a 2g gets a "ricer" motor does it make it a tuner car.. ? i thingk so