RideLust

He beat Hulk Hogan in front of 45,000 people at the Georgia Dome in the WWE, he’s played for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL and he’s one of the nicest (and biggest) full blown car enthusiasts on the planet. He’s Bill Goldberg and he’s just set his sights on building one of the baddest second generation pro-touring Trans Am’s to ever roll on tarmac. You see last year after hosting the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, Bill got seriously bitten by the pro-touring bug. Already a die-hard muscle car nut, the idea of melding old car styling with new car tech was something that really appealed to him. Plus, since he’d already seen a host of these bad boys in action, it just seemed right that he would jump on the bandwagon to create what he calls, project “ERNREE”.
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Muscle cars, both past and present, have a mystique about them. Whether you’re talking about the big block fire breathers of the 1960′s or their now modern re-imagined siblings, the American muscle car will always have a place in the automotive world. The original cars were politically incorrect, gas guzzlers and for the most part outrageous in their styling. As for the new ones… well, not so much. In fact if you look at the current crop of today’s muscle cars you’d notice that their not only fast, great performers and comfortable, but in some cases, more economical than you might think. Motor Trend Magazine recently brought together a flock of the old and new for a little side by side comparison. As the owner of a few classics, as well as a modern muscle car, I can tell you from experience that while the old cars are simply wonderful, they simply can’t hold a candle to the refinement that 45 years of technology brings.
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Hot chicks and smoking tires are like crack to a gear-head. We’ll take them a la carte or together and it makes absolutely no difference what order they come in. Ksubi is a fashion label down in Australia (which helps explain the Ford Falcons) and it seems that they’ve figured out the exact combination to get people excited about their clothing. The following video was made to introduce the return of the brands colored denim range of jeans. It features some Australian muscle cars from the mid-1980′s, 3 hot models (who really need to eat more) and a wonderful operatic soundtrack. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dig it. Click through for the video and get ready to enjoy tire smoke, scantily clad models and some music that you’d never ordinarily listen to.
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From 1974 to 1985 the muscle car scene in the United States was dismal at best. Cars where shadows of their former selves and manufacturers were more interested in marketing then performance. The dark ages of emissions control were still intact but thankfully the engineers and mad scientists behind the curtains were finally figuring out ways to bring back some old school muscle. By this point the Ford Mustang had been around for 20 years, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980′s that Ford released the car the would bring muscle back into the mainstream. The Fox body Mustang had an amazing 14 year run and while overlooked for quite some time, collectors are finally giving these cars a serious look. During the mid-1980′s Ford had finally gotten the Mustang sorted out. Carburetors were replaced with fuel injection with the Mustangs interior treated to a new dash, door panels and seat coverings. Oh… and let us not forget that nifty little 5.0 badge on the side.
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Some of you may laugh, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Pontiac Trans Am is an icon of American pop culture. From its humble beginnings as a Trans Am series race car, to its starring role in Smokey and the Bandit, the Pontiac Trans Am is the stuff that childhood dreams are made of. Over the years the Trans Am went through a bunch of different changes. In the late 1960′s it was released as Pontiac’s answer to the then new, Chevrolet Camaro. Then in the early 1970′s it evolved into a full blown stump pulling muscle car, with models like the 455-SD Trans Am and Formula 400. By the time the 1980′s came around though, the Trans Am was slow and running on borrowed time. Designers tried everything to keep the public interested, but alas, in 1981 the beloved second generation Trans Am took its final bow and called it quits.
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The Shelby GT500 you can buy today.

File this one in the “rumor” category, but Car and Driver says the next Shelby GT500 Mustang could have up to 620 horsepower. It’s no secret that Ford has to up the ante on the Shelby, or risk seeing taillights from owners of Camaro ZL1s; in the pony car wars, second place is the first loser. Car and Driver’s “inside sources” say the big jump in power comes from a larger bore on the Shelby’s V8 (up to 5.8 liters from the current 5.4) and a more efficient Eaton TVS supercharger (used, ironically, on Chevy’s Camaro ZL1). Read More…

On a recent episode of Top Gear the boys from the UK threw out a rather interesting question. If we were facing the apocalypse, what kind of car would you use your last barrel of petrol on. It’s an interesting question for sure, and one that I am sure would evoke many different answers. In my book though, I have to say that Richard Hammond (our little muscle car loving Brit) hits the nail on the head, when he climbs into a classic Pontiac GTO. The muscle cars of the 1960′s and 1970′s were not about practicality, political correctness or economy, they were about having fun. These cars were built to bring out the child in all of us, and I can tell you straight up, that if the apocalypse was indeed on its way, I’d be fueling up my ’68 Charger and heading out into the sunset for one last open throttle run. Click through for the video.
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A few years ago SpeedTV used to air a show called Dream Car Garage. It was sponsored by Legendary Motorcars of Ontario, Canada and catered to everything from high end exotics, to big block muscle cars. One of the best segments they ever put together was a match up of the baddest muscle cars from the 1960′s and 1970′s. What you have to remember before you press play on these videos though, is that the American muscle car was and is, a mythical beast. Names like Cuda, Chevelle SS, The Judge and Boss made European sport sedans of that era quake in their boots. Not because of how fast, or how well they did (or did not) handle, but because of their in-your-face, take no prisoners, power house attitudes. I own two muscle cars and while I love them with all my heart and soul, I’m always amazed at how fast people think they are. Like I said, these old sleds are mythical beasts, and while other cars out there may out perform them, there will never, ever be anything as cool as an old school American Muscle Car. Click through for a whole bunch of awesome!
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Autocrossing A ’72 Buick Gran Sport

There are some absolutes in the automotive world: drag racing your Miata, unless you’ve got an LS3 motor stuffed under the hood, isn’t going to be particularly entertaining. Autocrossing a muscle car, pro touring cars excepted, will be much the same, since they’re generally better at going fast in a straight line than they are at turning. The driver in the video below, Jeff Peoples, would beg to differ, and does a very respectable job of getting his 1972 Buick Gran Sport though the cones without drama. Read More…

Old cars are finicky beasts. They have personalities, tempers and a presence that new cars can’t hope to emulate. When they run great they’re wonderful and can provide their owners with countless years of enjoyment. Keeping them running though is another story entirely and is one that requires time, money and most of all, parts. Over the years I’ve built up quite a stockpile of extra parts for my 1968 Dodge Charger. Taillight lenses, fenders, transmissions and interior parts. You name it and I have it, or least I used to have it. Over the past year I decided to sell off many of the old parts that I’ve collected in an effort to free up some space in the ole’ garage. Some have been sold at swap meets, others on the internet and yet others still by word of mouth. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to lighten my load yet again and in the process make a little money on the side. What amazed me though is the distance that the purchaser traveled.
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