What You Should Know Before You Buy An Old Muscle Car

So maybe you’ve been considering buying some old school muscle? What’s not to love? Heaps of power, classic looks, and an idle that could shake the pennies from your ashtray. You may or may not be planning to use it as your daily driver, but it will most certainly be your project. Here are some things you need to be ready for when preparing for some old-fashioned muscle ownership!

Spending all of your money on fuel

Sure, this one might seem cliché and obvious. We all know that muscle cars drink gasoline like it’s going out of style, but many still don’t quite understand the severity of the situation. When you take into account that your eight cylinders of freedom-thumping glory are often going to be paired with a dated transmission with sometimes as little as two speeds, you begin to realize that your car may be lucky to experience 12mpg… on the highway. Paired with an unusually addictive right pedal, muscle car owners tend to find themselves repeating the mantra “smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon” as they drive to fill up every other day.

Spending the rest of your money on special oil

If you’re looking at a classic, prepare to spend some serious dough on specialty oils, whether it be in the form of motor oils or gear oils. One important factor many virgin muscle car owners overlook is that oil isn’t the same as it was 40 years ago (thanks environmental regulations). Older engines use something called flat tappet camshafts which create higher amounts of friction than modern day roller camshafts, and they can become damaged when used with new style oils. If you’re using an old school engine, you’re going to need an oil that’s low on detergents and high on zinc, which is a roundabout way of saying you’re going to pay twice the price for an oil change.

In addition to motor oil, some older transmissions have components made of “yellow metals” (such as brass). Certain ingredients in modern gear oils can corrode these metals, destroying internal components of your transmission. Again, be ready to spend more money on these “yellow metal safe” gear oils, as well as some more money on fuel driving all over town to find said oil.

An onslaught of attention anywhere you go

This might not seem like a bad thing at first. Cruising through town, you’ll usually have the attention of young and old alike. There’s nothing subtle about a piston thumping time capsule chugging fuel as it rolls down the street; something cops know all too well. Expect to be pulled over at some point, but not for what you might expect. It’s not uncommon to be let off with a warning just because so many officers seem to have a soft spot for muscle. It’s a muscle car owner rite of passage to begin sweating at a traffic stop only to be asked the age old question of “What’s this thing got in it?”

Regardless, nothing beats the feeling of a compliment at a stop light or even a simple thumbs up from a passing pedestrian.

Constant requests to "light em up"

This one is especially true if you have any sort of meaty tire setup, loud exhaust, or bumpity cam lope. Expect to be minding your own business, watching your fuel gauge fall ever closer to “E” as you wait at a red light, then to have someone (usually a shirtless man hanging halfway from a truck) yell “LIGHTEM UP!” expecting a burnout.
Understandably, people who request a smoke show usually just like the car and want to see what it can do, but the request gets old after a couple stoplight sessions of tire shredding glory.

Learning to tune (the old fashioned way)

Let’s face it, older vehicles require more work, and muscle cars are no exception. Tuning nowadays isn’t anything like it used to be, but you may be pleasantly surprised. Tuning old muscle takes patience, finesse, and about 4 hand tools. While nothing quite drives like a carbureted classic, you’ll soon get to experience the joys of some quality wrench time in an enormous engine bay. Whether it’s spending the time to fine tune the carb or setting points on your distributor, you’re going bond with your machine.

Finding new appreciation

Despite the high cost of operation, constant attention, and time needed to dial in your ride, driving a muscle car will absolutely give you a new sense of appreciation for your vehicle. If you’re willing to power through these ownership obstacles, the rewards of owning a classic muscle car far outweigh the costs. In the words of Ferris Bueller:
“If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

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Comments

TheHappyDuck

have a 67 impala 2 door, 327 and powerglide, been sitting for 15 years..

11/14/2015 - 02:31 |
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ditch the glide and get a t56 and 427 lol

11/14/2015 - 18:59 |
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Anonymous

Due to a few problems listed here, I would have to say that using modern engines might be a good idea… Besides, an LT4 78 Camaro would be awesome AND dangerous!

11/14/2015 - 02:55 |
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aelfwyne

If you have a “Barn Find”, be prepared for everything that works today to break tomorrow. Many times someone goes through all the oil changes, cleanups, etc, necessary to get a car running for sale and it all looks good. But things happen when an old car sits, and things usually get missed. For example, moisture collects inside an engine and creates rusty spots here and there. While you can change the oil to remove the moisture, the rust stays. If it’s on a bearing surface (water pump anyone?) that will fail within a few dozen to a thousand miles. Sludge and sediment, if not cleaned out properly, will slowly redissolve with new detergents, and clog transmission passages, engine oil passages, etc.

Basically - if you plan for your “old muscle” to be a reliable driver of any kind, you need to do a full teardown. Or be prepared to call someone who owns a chain to come tow you home in the middle of the night if you can’t afford a tow truck due to your gasoline bill.

11/14/2015 - 03:01 |
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King of Contrarians

The oil issue is far less dramatic than this article lets on. Buy diesel oil like rotella which has the zinc and doesn’t cost much more than the cheapest regular oil. The gear oil can be bought from redline which has the additives to protect brass synchros. Gas mileage is more of the driver and tuning issues than an inherent muscle car issue.

11/14/2015 - 03:24 |
1 | 1

You can better the original economy by quite a bit, but it’s still going to be a thirsty pig by today’s standards. When I was a kid we had Crown Vics, Impalas, New Yorkers, etc etc that all got <12mpg city (10 was common) and that was the norm for a used full-size DD in the 90s. Someone who’s 20 now will have a VERY different frame of reference for fuel economy if they don’t otherwise have experience with the old iron.

11/14/2015 - 04:15 |
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Anonymous

The attention part is especially true for my 2002 :)

11/14/2015 - 04:10 |
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Anonymous

They don’t make them like they used to.

11/14/2015 - 05:08 |
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Anonymous

Spending all the time at the petrol station? I’ve got a Subaru with a fuel leak, I’ve filled it up twice this week

11/14/2015 - 05:49 |
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Anonymous

plenty of the muscle cars don’t have overdrive transmissions in them. Stick in a four speed or five speed and you can attain 20 mpg in a big block if you drive nicely.

11/14/2015 - 06:32 |
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Macej

Everything youve wrote is normal for my daily. Except “Light em up!” So I will take some old muscle as daily any time

11/14/2015 - 06:37 |
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Anonymous

at the end. just buy a european sports car

11/14/2015 - 06:57 |
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Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

buy a suzuki wagon r.

11/14/2015 - 17:47 |
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