Media post: Four Forgotten Muscle Cars
Buick Wildcat 445
Yes, Buick made a muscle car. The Wildcat 445 was produced by Buick from 1962 to 1970. It was a full-sized automobile offered big time performance. Power choices for the Wildcat 445 began with the standard 445 V-8, so named because of its torque output not it’s cubic inch displacement. It featured a four-barrel carb and 10.25:1 compression. Beyond that, there were two more powerful engines: A 340 horse “Wildcat 465” and a 360-horse “Super Wildcat.” The Super Wildcat featured two four-barrel carburetors, a chrome-plated air cleaner, cast-aluminum rocker-arm covers, and dual exhausts. Wildcat 445 owners could choose from a three-speed column-lever stickshift, a four-on-the-floor manual or a Super Turbine automatic.
Ford Torino GT
In 1968 with the Muscle Car horsepower race escalating, Ford introduced its all-new 428-cubic inch Cobra Jet engine and made it available in its Torino GT. With 335 hp, the potent 428 Cobra Jet offered a huge leap in power over the smaller 390-cube V8, which was the largest engine in 1967. The GT was available as a 2-door SportsRoof (hardtop) and convertible. While the “Torino Cobra” only came as a 2-door SportsRoof.
Dodge Demon 340
A hotrod Demon? We got some help with this from www.columbianachryslerjeepdodge.net. The Dodge Demon was introduced in 1968 and it could be optioned with a 340 cu in V-8in the Demon models. Demons were unique because they could be ordered in a number of prominent colors and festooned with a cartoon devil on the side. The 340 cu in engine produced 275 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. In 1971, the Demon 340 was also equipped with a synchronized floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drum brakes and a Sure-Grip limited slip differential.
AMC Rebel Machine
This is an interesting one. The AMC Rebel (known as the Rambler Rebel in 1967) was a mid-sized car produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1968 to 1970. A high-performance, muscle car version called the machine was produced in 1970.
The Machine was developed from a collaboration between Hurst Performance and AMC. The standard engine in The Machine was AMC’s 390 cu in V8 engine. Rated at 340 hp, it came with special heads, valve train and cam. The engine was fed by a Motorcraft 4-barrel and had a 10.0:1 compression which requiring high-octane gas.
On the hood of the Demon was an unusual feature: a large ram-air intake hood scoop with a large tachometer visible to the driver. That’s right, the tachometer was visible by looking through the windshield. Standard on the Demon was a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission with a Hurst floor shifter. In addition, the machine offered a limited slip differential as well as power disc brakes.
