Ross Mills

Chrysler Hemi from 2003—The Third Generation—part 5 of 5

The third-gen Chrysler Hemi, debuting in 2003, packed more punch and less pollution thanks to its coil-on-plug ignition system with two spark plugs per cylinder. By 2009, this engine was flexing its muscles with up to 390hp, aided by variable valve timing and a Multi-Displacement System. The 5.7-liter Hemi was a hit, but Chrysler didn’t stop there—it rolled out a 6.4-liter beast dubbed “Apache,” capable of a whopping 470hp. The Hemi lineup was a powerhouse parade of innovation and horsepower glory!

Chevy Big Blocks W series –2nd Gen-The best V8 ever produced-maybe

by Ross Mills

The Chevy Big Blocks W series, evolving into the Mark IV, might be the best V8 ever—just don’t tell the small blocks. Nicknamed the “rat motor” by GM insiders, this engine is a beast at 685 lbs. Its revamped valve configuration and “porcupine design” improve power at high rpm, making it perfect for racing. Despite its serious power, it’s got a playful side, borrowing bits from its “W” predecessor like the Moraine aluminum bearings and side oiling system. It’s the engine equivalent of a heavyweight champ with a sense of humor.

Classic black hot rod car with vintage design and wide tires.

Ford 3 Window Coupe 1934 images

by Ross Mills

Ford’s original 1934 3-window coupe made a modest 85 horsepower from its flathead V8. This one runs a 327-cubic-inch engine instead, a swap rooted in a hot rodding tradition that began right after World War II, when cheap, plentiful 1930s Fords became the platform of choice for speed-hungry builders. Ford built tens of thousands of these coupes in 1934 alone, leaving plenty of raw material for the builders who came looking two decades later.

Classic white muscle car with sleek lines and vintage style.

Chevrolet Impala SS 1968 images

by Ross Mills

Chevrolet wasn’t chasing the GTO with this car, it was aimed at Ford’s Galaxie 7-Litre and Mercury’s S-55, full-size rivals most muscle car fans forget existed. Only 1,778 of these SS 427 Impalas were built in 1968, hiding up to 425 horsepower under a body that could pass for a family sedan. A well-sorted example could reportedly reach 60 mph in about six seconds flat.

Classic red 1969 Mercury Cougar with black racing stripes parked indoors.

Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Tribute-1968 images

by Ross Mills

The W-30 package sounds like a minor footnote, “Outside Air Induction”, but on this 1968 Olds it meant a genuine ram-air system feeding a 360-horsepower 400 V8 capable of low-13-second quarter miles. It also came with a detail only insiders would recognize: bright red-painted inner fenders marking the car as something more than a standard 4-4-2. 1968 was also the year Oldsmobile spun the 4-4-2 into its own standalone model.

Classic white muscle car parked near a wooden fence.

Pontiac Firebird 1969 images

by Ross Mills

1969 was the last year for the original Firebird body, and Pontiac sent it out with its most thorough facelift yet, a new Lexan front bumper-grille and a wider, longer stance. This 400-cubic-inch, 330-horsepower example sat squarely in the middle of a lineup that topped out with a rare 345-horsepower Ram Air IV most buyers never actually ordered. Gateway Classic Cars supplied the images seen here, documenting one of the final examples of Pontiac’s original pony car shape.

2013 Dodge Charger

by Ross Mills

The 2013 Dodge Charger Superbee SRT is a blend of retro flair and modern tech, featuring an “aggressive” front grille and a V8 Hemi engine that roars from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds—no stingers, just speed! While there’s no convertible, there are 65 safety features, including a roll cage for when your driving gets a bit too daring. With fuel efficiency that ranges from “who needs gas stations?” on highways to “let’s not talk about it” in cities, this Charger is all about the buzz without the sting!

Red classic car with a humorous custom license plate.

Money can’t buy love, but it can buy horsepower and that’s a sure thing.

by Ross Mills

This 1967 Chevrolet Camaro carries a detail that shouldn’t exist on paper: a 472-cubic-inch V8, a displacement Chevrolet never offered in any Camaro. The explanation is a later engine swap borrowing from Cadillac’s big-block lineup — a popular resto-mod move for builders chasing torque numbers the factory options sheet never allowed. Here’s how a Cadillac engine ends up under a Camaro’s hood.

Humorous sign about vehicle repair costs.

As I look around my shop I can’t help that think a drug habit may have been cheaper

by Ross Mills

Muscle car owners joke about it, but the math behind a full restoration is no laughing matter. Between labor rates that average $125 an hour, parts bills that can top $10,000, and paint jobs running into five figures, a frame-off build can quietly climb past $100,000. The single biggest budget-buster is usually the one nobody sees coming: rust hidden beneath the surface. Here’s where the real money actually goes.

Chevrolet five window pickup 1951-images

by Ross Mills

Chevrolet’s postwar Advance-Design trucks hit the market a full year ahead of the competition, and by 1951 the line was refining details that collectors now prize above almost everything else — starting with the five-window cab option. New brakes, revised door windows, and a shorter cargo bed all arrived quietly that year. Here’s what made 1951 one of the more distinctive model years in the Advance-Design run.

Boxster Roadster by Porsche

by Ross Mills

The Porsche Boxster Roadster, a two-seater convertible, has been turning heads since 1996 with its boxer engine design. Initially, it featured a 2.5L flat-six engine doing 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. By 2000, Porsche upgraded to a 2.7L engine, and even introduced a speedy “S” version with a 3.2L engine, hitting 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds. This model’s charm lies in its quirky evolution—from plastic to glass windows and glove box upgrades, making it the epitome of stylish comfort on wheels.

Chevrolet Camaro SS 1969 images

by Ross Mills

1969 marked the last year of the original Camaro body style, and Chevrolet used it to hide some of its rarest performance options in plain sight. Behind identical SS and RS badges sat everything from a mild 350 small-block to a barely-advertised 427 built for the drag strip. Only a handful of buyers knew enough to ask for the right code on the order form. These photos, courtesy of Gateway Classic Cars, capture one of the last true first-generation Camaros before the redesign.

Classic green muscle car parked indoors with polished chrome wheels.

Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 – 1972 images

by Ross Mills

By 1972, the Oldsmobile 442 wasn’t even its own model anymore, just a $29 option box on the Cutlass order form. But the engines hiding behind that modest price tag, especially the W-30 455, could still turn in a sub-15-second quarter mile. Here’s what was actually left of the 442 as the muscle car era wound down.

Lincoln Continental Mark IV 1959 images

by Ross Mills

This 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV represents Lincoln at its most luxurious, and its most cautious, after toning down a wild 1958 redesign just one year later. Only 2,195 convertibles like this one were built, powered by a 430 V8 making 350 hp. Here’s the story behind one of the rarest personal luxury cars of its era.

Classic white convertible car parked indoors.

Ford Torino GT 1968 images

by Ross Mills

This 1968 Ford Torino GT looks like a straightforward restoration photo set, but the model year almost went very differently. A UAW strike nearly forced Ford to drop the standard engine, and buyers who wanted real power had to specifically order the 390. Here’s the story behind the car in these photos and how rare it really is.

Posts By: Ross Mills