Kiril

Classic orange muscle car driving on a desert highway.

How to Run Out of Gas in the Desert on I-15 in a Muscle Car

A stroked LS3 and a 10-mile traffic jam outside the California/Nevada line are what it took to strand Project Orange Krate, a 1971 Camaro with a project-car pedigree that traces back to the long-defunct Camaro Performers magazine. It’s second in magazine-build longevity only to the legendary Project X. Running out of gas mid-desert on I-15 turned a good weekend at Holley LS Fest West into a lesson every pro-touring builder eventually learns the hard way: horsepower changes your fuel math more than your gauge admits.

A collection of classic and sports cars displayed indoors.

Oldies but goodies: Classic Auto to open in El Paso

by Kiril

“Oldies but goodies: Classic Auto to open in El Paso” takes readers on a nostalgic ride with Gary Miller’s new showroom, filled with classic autos and memorabilia that once belonged to Bob Taylor. After 37 years in Bloomington, Taylor retired but can’t escape his past as Miller buys up his collection. Located off Route 24 in El Paso, this 6,500-square-foot tribute to automotive nostalgia is set to rev engines and hearts alike, proving once more that classic never goes out of style—much like a Boomer in bell-bottoms.

A classic blue muscle car parked indoors.

The 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV Most People Never Even Knew Existed

by Kiril

1969 was the biggest production year the Pontiac GTO ever had, but hiding inside that record-setting run were some genuinely rare combinations — including the fire-breathing Ram Air IV that only a fraction of GTO buyers ever ordered. This piece breaks down how many GTOs Pontiac actually built that year, why the Judge package matters, and what separates a common GTO from a true unicorn.

Classic white convertible car parked outdoors with lush greenery.

Fiat Chrysler renews Cuda trademark

by Kiril

Fiat Chrysler quietly renewed its trademark on the ‘Cuda’ name with the US Patent and Trademark Office on June 16, following its 2015 renewal of ‘Barracuda.’ Automakers protect old nameplates as a matter of routine, so a filing alone does not confirm a new model is coming. Still, the timing fueled speculation that FCA was considering two successors to the Dodge Challenger – one keeping the Challenger name, another reviving Barracuda or Cuda as a smaller convertible. Whether paperwork turns into pavement remains to be seen.

Classic orange muscle car parked on a suburban street.

Plymouth Road Runner 1969

by Kiril

Before it became a drag strip legend nicknamed “Agent Orange,” this car started life as a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, the highest-production year the model ever saw and the year it took home Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award. Here’s what a Road Runner came with from the factory that year, and how the mid-year 440 Six Pack option shaped this car’s 700-horsepower build.

Green classic muscle car with racing decals on display indoors.

1971 Plymouth Cuda Custom in Green with Envy Paint

by Kiril

This green 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda wears one of the era’s loud High Impact colors, a signature of a model year that only lasted twelve months before Plymouth changed the design again. Only 16,492 Barracudas were built for 1971, and the truly rare variants, like the 114-unit Hemi ‘Cuda, get scarcer still. Here’s what made 1971 such a distinctive year for the ‘Cuda.

Classic green muscle car parked in a natural setting.

Pick of the Day: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS5

by Kiril

When GM lifted its ban on big-block engines in mid-size cars for 1970, Chevrolet dropped a 454 into the Chevelle SS in two flavors: a wild 450-horsepower LS6 and the more common 360-horsepower LS5 featured here. Here’s what actually separated the two, and why the LS5 ended up carrying the big-block Chevelle banner for years after the LS6 disappeared.

Classic gray pickup truck with a custom emblem on the door.

Chevrolet 3100 1951 Pick Up Truck

by Kiril

Five years into Chevrolet’s Advance-Design era, the 1951 3100 pickup looked nearly identical to the trucks built around it, but a few details separate it from the rest of the run: new Ventipane door vents, updated duo-servo brakes, and a 216-cubic-inch six making 92 horsepower. Here’s what actually changed on Chevrolet’s half-ton in its fifth model year.

Drag racing car with flaming exhaust at the starting line.

Muscle Car Series set for annual showdown this weekend at BIR

by Kiril

A drag strip carved through the Minnesota woods back in 1968 is once again hosting some of the fastest street-based machines in the country. The Muscle Car Series at Brainerd International Raceway spans three separate races, culminating in a season-ending Shootout that crowns an overall champion rather than just a single-event winner. Cars in this series can clear the quarter mile in the six-second range at speeds over 200 miles per hour. Who has the consistency to win across all three rounds?

A sleek red sports car with shiny rims on a reflective black surface.

The Legendary ‘Cuda Muscle Car Is Coming Back, and 2020 Can’t Come Fast Enough

by Kiril

Revival rumors about one of Mopar’s most feared nameplates have circulated for years, each one reigniting hope among Barracuda and Cuda loyalists. The original Cuda earned that reputation the hard way, evolving from a compact fastback into a genuine 440 and Hemi-powered muscle car by the end of the 1960s. Decades later, the rarest examples still command seven-figure prices at major auctions. Why does a badge this old still generate so much speculation every time a new rumor surfaces?

Classic white vintage car with red interior on display.

Mercury Comet 1964 A/FX 427

by Kiril

Only 21 examples of the 1964 Mercury Comet A/FX 427 were ever built, yet this NASCAR-engine-powered drag car dominated its class almost immediately. Built by the same shop responsible for Ford’s legendary Thunderbolt, it shed every unnecessary pound in pursuit of quarter-mile supremacy. Driven by legends like “Dyno” Don Nicholson, the car reportedly racked up dozens of wins in a single season. What does it take for a car this rare to still command six-figure prices at auction six decades later?

Classic black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with sleek design and hood scoop.

Burt Reynolds Will Drive His Own 1978 Pontiac Trans Am Onto Barrett-Jackson Auction Block

by Kiril

When three of Burt Reynolds’ personal movie cars hit the auction block in Las Vegas, one 1978 Pontiac Trans Am towered over the rest of the sale. Built to be screen-accurate to the Bandit car from Smokey and the Bandit, it fetched $192,500 — more than five times what two nearly identical, non-Reynolds Trans Ams sold for in the very same auction. The gap reveals just how much a direct celebrity connection can move a muscle car’s value. How much of that price was for the car, and how much was for the legend behind it?

A sleek race car with $50,000 prize displayed on the windshield.

Chevrolet Corvette $50,000 win @ NO PREP!

by Kiril

A Corvette rolled into a No Prep grudge race and walked away with a five-figure purse, on a track surface built specifically to punish overconfidence. No Prep racing strips away the traction compound that makes conventional drag strips predictable, turning every launch into a test of driver skill rather than raw horsepower alone. For a production-based Corvette to out-drive purpose-built tube-chassis cars in that environment says something about how far modern Vette platforms have come. What does a win like this mean for the future of Corvettes at the grudge-racing table?

Chevrolet Chevelle 1966 – SS 496

by Kiril

A 1966 Chevelle badged ‘SS 496’ is showing off a number Chevrolet never actually offered that year — the factory topped out at a 396, and only 3,100 of the hottest version were built. The 496 under this one’s hood tells a different story: a modern stroker build chasing more power than even Chevy’s rarest big-block ever delivered.

Sign for Bob & Orin's Cumberland Ribs restaurant.

A Coke Sign and Memories of My First and Only Muscle Car

by Kiril

A carburetor rebuilding shop shouldn’t still be in business in the 21st century — fuel injection took over new car production decades ago. But a quick drive past a fading Coke sign in Little Rock is a reminder that classic cars, old farm equipment, and stubborn collectors have kept this particular trade alive long after Detroit gave up on it.

Posts By: Kiril