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Posts Tagged: Hardtop

Chevrolet Chevy II Origins to 1965 – the First Generation

by Ross Mills

This 1965 Chevy Nova SS wears a body Chevrolet never paired with a 406 cubic-inch V8, a Ford 9-inch rear end, or rack-and-pinion steering — all changes bolted on by a builder chasing quarter-mile performance over factory correctness. Sub-frame connectors, a trunk-mounted battery, and Mickey Thompson drag radials all point toward a car built to launch hard, not just look sharp at a cruise-in. RamblinAround walked through the full build with photos and receipts in hand at Fast Lane Classic Cars. Watch to see how far off the factory blueprint a serious Nova build can go.

Classic white and maroon vintage car showcased indoors.

Buick Super Riviera 1957 Hardtop

by Kiril

Long before Riviera meant a swoopy two-door coupe, Buick used the name on this formal, chrome-heavy 1957 Super four-door hardtop, powered by the distinctive 364 cubic-inch Nailhead V8. Small styling cues like four VentiPorts per fender and chrome rear chevrons quietly told other drivers exactly how much Buick they were looking at. Read on to find out how Dynaflow made this Super feel smoother than any geared automatic of its era.

Classic turquoise Ford Mustang convertible parked with a reflection on shiny surface.

Ford Mustang 1966 Hardtop in Tahoe Turquoise

by Kiril

Mike O’Toole almost sent this 1966 Ford Mustang hardtop to the junkyard, convinced it was too far gone to save. Instead he restored it, and the Tahoe Turquoise coupe now represents one of the biggest production stories in American automotive history: the model year Ford built more than 607,000 Mustangs and rolled out its millionth example. Read on to find out how close this car came to disappearing and why the ’66 hardtop matters.

Two classic Pontiac GTOs: a convertible and a hardtop, displayed side by side.

Pontiac GTO Convertible vs. Hardtop

by Kiril

In the GTO’s best sales year, Pontiac built roughly six hardtop coupes for every convertible that rolled off the line, a gap that explains why drop-top GTOs command such a premium today. One body style was built for Saturday night drag strips, the other for Sunday cruising with the top down. Read on to find out how that production gap still shapes values decades later.

Classic blue 1960s muscle car on display indoors.

Pontiac GTO 1966 Hardtop

by Kiril

The 1966 Pontiac GTO was the best-selling muscle car in America that year, and the hardtop coupe was the body style most of those buyers took home. It was also the last season Pontiac could offer Tri-Power, the triple-carburetor setup General Motors banned across the corporation for 1967. Between a fresh Coke-bottle restyle, 360 horsepower on tap, and nearly 97,000 cars sold, 1966 is the year the GTO peaked. Read on to find out what made it the high-water mark.

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