This is the follow up book to The Complete Book of American Muscle Supercars. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-complete-book-of-american-muscle.html
First impression.... wow.
Terrific photography, using the "light painting technique" of long exposure while a light box is passed over the car several times.
Terrific selection of cars, all of the highest quality, perfectly restored, and many have cool histories. Below, from the 2 page content guide you can get a quick idea of the cars
the histories of the body designs, and the people involved in Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler company engine development programs, plus the factory engineer racers that quickly evolved the muscle cars through drag racing on the street and strip.
The only complaint I have is that with all the descriptions and race part codes, the writer and editor don't seem to actually have worked on Mopar engines enough to feel it necessary to say the head part numbers. If you aren't a Mopar enthusiast and gearhead, you might not care to know which heads that are being referred to when the 44 in the 1967 GTX is mentioned, and why they aren't the heads on the 440 in all the other Mopars. It's slightly vexing to read a thorough description of the engine parts and hear about the swaps to this intake, or those carbs, and from this to that trans.... and the only part that isn't referred to by part number is the head.
A small matter, but, it's simply the only distraction from the great writing and stories about the motors.
For example, what is the difference between the Super Commando 440, and the Commando 440? Well, it was heads and cam. Now, when they go so far as to tell you the code number of the engineering program (A134) isn't it such a small matter to mention the heads were the 915 vs the lower horsepower 906? I'd still like that info in the book, isn't everyone curious what the parts are that made the 67 GTX 440 the most potent, and hemi competitive 440? Page 34.
Things I learned
The 1964 engineering program A864 was launched to attain one goal, winning the Daytona 500. When no limits are placed on reaching a goal, and all efforts of a corporation are focused on the achieving the same feat, incredible things can happen, and in this case, the Daytona 500 was won by the 1st year hemi Plymouth and Dodges, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th
Richard Petty went to St Louis and picked up his 1967 Belvedere GTX, and made it into the winningest stock car ever
The 1970 Challenger with the backup light that had the Dodge letters over it was the first of many car to have the company name int he reverse lights.
One dealership in the USA sold half the performance Dodges, simply by having incredible customer service, Mr Norms
the only external difference between a 1972 Road Runner and Road Runner GTX were taillights and rear bumper.
Kenny Bernstein had a 30 year sponsorship from Budweiser, a year more than John Force and Castrol, and 2 years more than Richard Petty and STP at 28 years.
Kenny Bernstein had become successful enough in the 70s with a string of 17 Chelsea Street Pubs, that he had the very best flopper made, beginning with a Keith Black hemi built by Ed Pink, a Crowerglide Clutch, and a Lenco... and went on to win over John Force at for the 1979 Championship at the Gatornats
Kenny is the only team owner to win in NHRA, Nascar, and Indy cars
the taillight on the 1968 and 1970 Coronet and head light shape on the 1970, was inspired by the Super Bee wings
the interior to compliment the Mod Top was called the Pop Prints. I've never heard of that before... the supplier to Mopar was a company that already made this design in shower curtains and table cloths, Tuscany Plastics of New York
Click for full size to see some impressive signatures
Just check out the cover (under the dust cover) photo...
and you can see a preview on Google, or this video
http://www.glatch.net/books.html
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Mopar-Chrysler-Plymouth-Muscle/dp/0760352496
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