Best Muscle Car for Beginner

Coldsnap wrote: I also should do more test drives. I'm driving that GTO this weekend. How rude is it to check out a car, do a test drive and not make a $$ offer?

Test driving a 1970's american V8 car has probably never been the deciding factor in buying one unless you just hopped out of a school bus.

If they don't represent eye candy for you then I really don't know why anyone would want one unless they had a pro street or vintage race project in mind.

I say that as half-owner of a very pretty, awful driving 1970 Chevelle SS. My dad loves it. I don't even want to drive it until I win the argument where we drop it 6" and put some dampers on there that actually arrest the keel that happens when changing directions.

In reply to Coldsnap:

Not rude at all. You can't know if you are interested in the car or not until you check it out and drive it.

Coldsnap wrote: I also should do more test drives. I'm driving that GTO this weekend. How rude is it to check out a car, do a test drive and not make a $$ offer?

Just be up front with him that you are looking at several cars and haven't made a decision yet.

Who knows, you might wind up really liking the GTO and making an offer. Personally I always thought the '71-72 Goats looked mean, tougher looking than the '68-70. Even if they did have lower compression ratings than the earlier cars they will still get up and boogie.

Coldsnap wrote: Gotcha. I really appreciate all the thoughts. I do seem all over the place >.< I just like a lot of these cars I guess and I havn't yet formed my ideal car. I am learning though cause I was able to see that interior of the Skylark was odd before posting it here, a month ago I woulda thought it looked fine. I guess what my ideal car would be: daily driver fast enough to spin some wheels and have some acceleration (which I'm learning that it's mostly back end work with that and torque, so something like a 2bbl can be fine) I dont plan or want to do any engine swaps or big projects, want something already shiny and nice so I can just baby it give it some TLC and minor repairs something v. cool lookin

It won't take much to spin the tires. A buddy just did a hairy burnout with his very tired 318 2bbl Diplomat. That car has trouble getting out of its own way. But the car is too stubborn to die too.

What you are looking for is a cool, clean old American V8 car with musclecar styling. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with getting a regular mom & pop grocery getter base model Skylark/Chevelle/LeMans/Duster/Satellite/Coronet/Farelane/Comet/Etc. instead of the performance model. Buy-in is better, and more likely it wasn't abused since new.

Some guys get hung up with the pedigree of the car. If it's not a numbers matching big block something or other it's not a muscle car. Technically that may be true, but for somebody a couple generations down from when those cars were in the showroom it doesn't matter. The term muscle car becomes a reference point to the era the cars were built. Similar to Xerox meaning to photocopy something or Kleenex to a tissue. The term muscle car didn't even exist until the '80's, a decade after the last of the pedigree cars rolled off the line.

Sage advice Rob.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this but I have no place to cover the car, so it's going to get rained on. Maybe the 4 days it snows here in NC i will drive it into this parking garage across the street from me at night.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/3605280655.html

look ok?

They are nice cars, but the galaxie is pretty massive.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Test driving a 1970's american V8 car has probably never been the deciding factor in buying one unless you just hopped out of a school bus. If they don't represent eye candy for you then I really don't know why anyone would want one unless they had a pro street or vintage race project in mind.

This!!!

I am in this situation right now. While its not a muscle car, I bought a 63 Falcon that I love the look of. Hell they raced them at LeMans, how awful could they be? pretty awful as it turns out. The worst driving car I have ever owned. It has potential, but as stock I kind of hate driving it. After I throw a few more thousand into it I am sure it will be fun but for now.........

If anyone's bored and want to help me hunt on Craigslist atlanta. I'd do a fly and drive for a good deal.

actually, i probably wouldn't it's fun to shop and day dream tho

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/3543347396.html

this favorite is still around. anything specific i should ask about monte carlo? aren't these things a bit longer than most cars I was looking for? I feel like an extremely long car might be a pain for a daily driver.

"It's got little issues that need fixing. Power windows don't work, some of the lights. Has bad rust around the windshield. I'd drive it everyday. Just got to many cars in Wilson. Engine runs strong, transmission shifts but I've never rebuilt it."

Bad rust around the windshield? Take a pass. That gets you into metal fabrication, welding, and glass replacement for your first project. Save that for your third or later...

Cougar?

http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/cto/3616536216.html

Rob_Mopar wrote: Bad rust around the windshield? Take a pass. That gets you into metal fabrication, welding, and glass replacement for your first project. Save that for your third or later...

This. That has to be one of the worst places to fix rust.

93EXCivic wrote:

Rob_Mopar wrote: Bad rust around the windshield? Take a pass. That gets you into metal fabrication, welding, and glass replacement for your first project. Save that for your third or later...

This. That has to be one of the worst places to fix rust.

Please don't remind me. The Volvo has this issue . . . I just don't know how bad yet

*comfort

Man.. test driving cars with people on craigslist is terrifying. Nothing like meeting someone online, getting in a 3 ton piece of metal with too big of an engine, too small of a bumper and too blunt of a dashboard. THEN GOING REALLY FAST

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/3620060788.html

car looks beat right?

Yes it's beat.

That will be a major project. I would not consider it.

That one is thrashed. If it runs it would be a good engine donor, though, always assuming you could get it cheap enough.

so cool http://charlotte.craigslist.org/ctd/3622759794.html

In reply to Coldsnap:

cool for sure

but one zero outta budget

big car lol

http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/3615659229.html