A good used muscle car is hard to find. Remember these cars were built to run fast and look bad. Most are over 30 yeas old and have a lot of miles on them So if you are in the market for a used muscle car whether it is a Mustang, Barracuda, Camaro, Firebird, GTO or Corvette, take your time and know the weak points of that particular model.
A perfect example is the Camaro and Firebird weaknesses. With large engines their bodies had a tendency to twist. This was because the designers built them on a unibody. Yes, it was not a complete frame just one that goes back about mid way where the transmission ends. The rest is just sheet metal. I have seen many of the Camaro’s with the 396 engines that would side step down the road.
The same goes for the Firebirds and Trans Am’s, a twisted body because of so much torque from the large engines. This can be corrected in a properly equipped body shop but that costs a lot of money. This should only be done if you are restoring a muscle car. If you just want to build a muscle car then buy a model with a smaller engine. You can still buy frame extensions to prevent the twisting. Have them in place before the large engine is installed. This is one way to be assured of ending up with a fine American classic car. If you are like me once the engine goes in I am out on a test run. Just to make sure it is running properly of course. Even a test run can twist the body or at least I can do it.
Just be careful with used muscle cars. Know the model and its weaknesses so you will get what you think you bought.
