1968 Oldsmobile HURST/OLDS

Back in 1996, Vinny was kicking around the idea of getting another toy to play around with in addition to his 1962 Olds Starfire. This was and still is Vinny's first love when it came to classic Oldsmobiles. He decided he would buy a clean straight 1986 Cutlass and prime the entire car in light gray primer and just for kicks, spray on the Hurst/Olds stripes and trunk in black primer. He'd look through Hemming’s and see that from time to time, there would be a few ads for 1968 Hurst/Olds’. In one issue he noticed that that there were 3 ads with 68 H/O’s, one was Bob Anderson’s ad which had 2 68’s for sale and the other ad was a simple 1 line ad “1968 Hurst/Olds $12,000 Rock Falls, IL.” Vinny called the number and spoke with the seller, Carl Brandt of Brandt’s Performance Engines who informed Vinny that the car had been in his family for a long time and that it was his son’s car but he lost interest in it. Carl took the car and used it mostly to run at Byron Raceway in Rockford, Illinois. 

In 1984 he did a “race car” restoration on it, by this he meant it looked awesome from the grandstands, but up close you could see that much of the glass and trim were hit with DA sanders, the car needed weather stripping and a lot of detail. At this time he also dropped in a supercharged 502 BBC and had the 68 running in the 9’s. 

Vinny guessed Carl was a purist of sorts, because he decided to go back with an Oldsmobile power plant. He took a 455 and bored it 125 over, offset ground the crank and fitted it with 455 Pontiac rods, Plymouth wrist pins and 454 Chevy pistons making it a 510 cid. He did some modifications to the block castings to get those rods to clear, and installed main studs. He also installed oil restrictors and enlarged the main bearing oil feed holes. He was running her with consistent 12:20’s with stock intake and exhaust manifolds. 

He used what Vinny believes are D heads (1 head has all external casting marks ground off) with Ford 429 rocker studs and Pontiac 1.65 rocker arms. he milled .125 off the rocker pedestals, installed Isky SBC guide plates, installed larger stainless exhaust valves and used Pontiac small valve spring (inside the Olds spring) to increase the open pressure to 300lbs. 

He told Vinny that the car still had the original OW transmission, but he toughened it up, added 13 extra clutches and a better shift kit. The car also had a 12 bolt Chevy with 2:73 positraction. Vinny asked about rust and bodywork and was told the car was very solid, but there was the typical lower fender rust that was cut out and replaced with new metal.

Vinny asked him if he was negotiable on the price in which he responded, “I’ll take $10,000”. So Vinny contacted Mike Brady and asked if he could go look at the car for him. He agreed to take the ride to Rock Falls, he looked it over and called Vinny back and said in so many words, “get here now and buy this car!” So Vinny made the drive from Long Island and bought it.

Later Vinny found out the history on this car from Karl Sarpolis. It was bought new on July 8th from Humphrey Cadillac Oldsmobile in Rockford, IL. It is Demmer car #511 and was sold to Wayne Garhart who was a Chrysler sponsored NHRA Driver. Vinny contacted his brother last year and he informed me that Wayne had raced the car up until 1971 when he retired and unfortunately drank himself to death a few years later.

When Vinny got the car home he had lots of fun with it! "That 510 ran great and with those highway gears and L50X15’s on the rear, she would still melt the 22” of rubber through the gears! The exhausts and mufflers ended right in front of the rear end with turn downs. Just driving down the streets here in NYC would set off an orchestra of car alarms!"

But there was on drawback to living here in NYC/Long Island… traffic! That 510 would run at 160*-180* all day long, but Vinny got stuck in our famous NY traffic, that temperature would climb up to 200* rather quickly.

Vinny started talking with his now good friend Karl Sup about doing an engine rebuild to replace the 510 inch. Karl informed him that he had a spare 455 block that came from a 69 H/O and was a low mileage short block. They came to an agreement and Karl sent everything out to the machine shop.

In February 2004, Vinny started to assemble the engine. What was good was that for the past few years he started gathering up all the correct parts. He  found a nice set of virgin D heads, 1111468 distributor, 7028255 carburetor, 400468 water pump, 398662 intake; all with correct date codes for the car. Besides the engine parts, he also located a rebuilt correct T3 rear with the correct 31 spline axles!

In 2005 he started to disassemble the 68. Pulled out the 510 and the TH400 and could not help but notice how disgusting and crusty the frame was. He  decided that he would wire brush, prime and paint the frame rails and the firewall. One day after Vinny had power washed the frame to remove any grease and grime, he had a revelation of sorts. The engine and transmission were already out, all that is left was to drop the gas tank, disconnect some lines and remove the body from the frame!

Vinny did this and sent out the frame and all the control arms and spindles and a bunch of other parts to the powdercoater. A few weeks later it was reassembly time. He finally finished the car in May of 2008 just in time for the NYC/Long Island Olds Club Spring Dust Off. In which his 68 took a second place trophy for his class!

The car still needs the same detail work mentioned, glass, and trim. The paint still looks awesome for being 24 years old plus. Vinny has been to a few local cruise nights and she has about 40 miles on her and runs great! Honestly, by looking at Vinny's car, some beg to differ about the car needing any further detail work. With such a great story came such a great American Classic Muscle Car. 

Crazy to think, but Vinny is actually putting his Oldsmobile up for sale. That's right, it's FOR SALE! Vinny says he doesn't really want to sell it, but he really wants to find a 1965 442. Whether or not that day ever comes, we know the car will be done just right when Vinny gets it. And whoever buys this 68' will be lucky! It's worth every penny. 

Vinny knows his stuff! So whenever you want to talk to him or get further information on the sale of his car, feel free to drop him a line in our Members Section - HURSTOLDZ

1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Victor bought his 1978 Monte Carlo 2 years ago from a seller on e-Bay that lived in Missouri. He made a bid that he thought would be too low but ended up winning the car. So he had the car shipped and it had been beaten up pretty bad. The previous owner raced it illegally in his area and had it equipped with a Chevy 402 big block, hooker headers, a 350 turbo tranny and a 4:11 posi rear which were all pretty worn. The headers were rusted through. So Victor decided he would set out to make this a solid cruiser with a lot of power.

First, he replaced the headers with identical Hooker Headers but ceramic coated. Then he swapped out the tranny with a newly rebuilt TH400 with a shift kit and swapped out the 4:11 rear for a 1986 Grand National posi rear with 3:42 gears. He rebuilt the rear suspension with new springs, shocks and billet aluminum upper and lower control arms. Victor also bought a new Holley fuel pump, a radiator, battery an electric fan and then replaced all the exhaust pipes. Later, the crank shaft went and he had the engine rebuilt and dressed up. It was already bored out .30 over and had low miles so it had power. Then he refreshed everything in the upper engine, rebuilt the lower engine, added a new blue and silver chrome Holley 750 cfm double pumper carb and a blue chrome dress-up kit for the engine (e.g. valve covers, air cover, oil dip stick and breathers). While this was being done at the engine shop, Victor's mechanic cleaned out the engine compartment and rebuilt the entire front end with new OEM parts (e.g. shocks, springs, control arms, idle arm, bushings, tie rods) and also rebuilt the brakes adding vented rotors. Victor then focused on the interior. He replaced the old dash and gauges with a digital dash from Dakota Digital. All the gauges are on one cluster made specifically for this model car. As well as the car being handicapped equipped.

Mechanically, this car has less than 200 miles on it and Victor says it's fun to drive. Victor and his wife love to hear the loud roar of the engine and usually set off car alarms on there way through the neighborhood! The guys at his shop have named the car “The Black Pearl.” And Victor and his wife kinda like it. We at EMC just like the car period! Victor also owns a G-Body Buick but we couldn't get enough of his Monte Carlo. We so few of them around lately, who could blame us.

Victor's future plans with the car is to finish restoring the interior, put in new leather seats and a new audio system. We think it's perfect!

Victor is a super nice guy and ready to go all over with his Monte Carlo. So if you don't see him out and about, feel free to talk to him today. To speak to Victor, go to our Members Section - Multiple Muscle.

1996 Chevrolet Impala SS

Alex is a strong member out of the Bronx... A devoted member who also, like most members, has two cars. This month, we are showing you all Alex's 1996 Chevy Impala SS. Alex also owns a Grand National, and his son is also a member with a 1992 Chevy Camaro RS Convertible. Ahhh, don't you love it when the car enthusiast gene passes down to your offspring? Alex handed down the Camaro to his son as a High School Graduation gift. Some gift! Don't you wish all fathers could do that?

The year 1996 Impala SS came with the floor shifter and analog speedometer. Alex put some upgrades such as a K&N Cold Air Kit, Jet Performance Computer, 30 Ibs injectors and a 40 series Flowmaster Cat Back Exhaust system. Alex does plan on doing some more upgrades. He plans on swapping the heads, intake, throttle and possibly a mild cam. The car stock is 260 HP, but, Alex figures with the bolt on add ons, it should be around 280 to 285 HP.

Aside from Performance upgrades and future Performance upgrade plans, Alex has also changed a few non-performance upgrades. He changed the stock Bow Tie grille and made it red, added HID Headlights, LED lights in cluster and throughout the interior. Everything being done by Alex himself. He loves to drive it just as much as his Grand National and he always wanted to own the Impala SS when they came out.

You can always find Alex out and about, especially with his 10 year old daughter, Amber. Infact, Amber has all the shows marked down and loves going to Dogwood Cruise Nights on Tuesdays. She is also a VIP Member of EMC in High Standing for our Promotion and Flyers! And like her brother, we are sure Amber will get a nice ride as a High School Graduation Gift as well!

Alex is an all around great guy, with two great cars, a very giving father and a devoted man of the EMC Family. He, alongside of many of the "Bronx Boys" make it out to Long Island shows and meets every week. Now that's a car guy! To Speak to Alex today, go to our Members Section - 87gnlvr

1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass F41

Morty, Morty... Morty!! If you haven't met him, you've heard about him or seen him somewhere in his Cutlass. There is nowhere Morty won't go and no one he won't race. Morty is widely known for trying to set up a race anywhere and race anyone. And that's why we love him! Who can't love a 71 year old man who goes everywhere, drives his car hard and dares you to try and beat him? Don't sleep on his full head of white hair is all we are saying!

Morty has been in the car industry all of his life. Over 47 years in the industry actually. Started with Rambler in 1960 as an electrical and AC tech. Then Ford for a year as a tech to Chrysler as a Service Manager, General Manager in parts and service. Then Morty went to VW in 1997 as an Assistant Service Manager and then retired in July of 2010. In that time frame Morty has gone from a Chrysley man to a VW man and now an Oldsmobile man. He's raced a lot in his earlier years from midgets at age 13 to stock cars, sprint cars and even raced at Freeport Stadium and Islip Speedway. Racing is just about second nature to Morty. And if he hasn't challenged you yet, give him time... he'll get to you, eventually!

But let's get to Morty's 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass F41! Morty bought the Olds off of Carmine (another EMC member) 2 years ago. It sports a 330 motor .030 over, Isky cam, forged internals @004R overdrive transmission, Buick GN rear with 4:11 gears. Weld wheels, custom hood and recently added rear spoiler along with a custom shifter and tachometer. If you didn't know what the F41 stood for, it was a special Suspension package that Oldsmobile released on the Cutlass. Of course, this is Morty we are talking about so his only future plans is to go faster. What he is willing to do to achieve that or what he has in the works is something only Morty knows for now.

In Morty's down time he recently bought a 1982 VW Camper Westwood.... We are not surprised if we see him drag racing that thing either! Morty is a very important member at EMC, he truly lives for the car meets and drag races, a funny great guy who everyone loves and knows and is a great support system here at EMC. To speak to Morty go to our Members Section - MortyF41.

1986 Buick Grand National

JR is in love with Buick Grand Nationals. In the 90's JR's Uncle bought a 1987 Buick Grand National and it was love at first sight. JR always told himself that when he got older he would own a Buick Grand National someday. That day came in 2003 when JR bought his first GN. Unfortunately he got into an accident which lead him to the GN he has now, and makes our Car of The Month! The GN was stock with 58,000 miles on it. JR kept it that way until he got the itch to make it faster.

JR added Ported and Polished Heads with mtahching Intake, Alky Kit, 212 Cam, PTE 6262BB Turbo, PTE Front Mount Intercooler, H&R Full Rear Suspension and Bobs 2 Step. All this makes for some nice and quick upgrades, but JR didn't just care about Performance. JR put in some custom gauges along with LED interior lights, LED tailights and a set of Billet Specialties Street Lites wheels. Everything was done by JR himself and all the Tuning was done by Otto at Otto Performance. After everything was said and done, JR's GN made 600HP on the Dyno, and at EMC's Track Rental in October 2011 the car blew a head gasket 3/4's of the track. JR turned the car off once that happened and still ran a high 11. Not bad, right? JR's Grand National is nicely done, built right and has some cool upgrades that have finally come into the market for the G-Body cars. JR does plan on putting a new motor in the GN and is ready to go full on at EMC's next track rental.

JR also owns a really nice 1967 Ford Mustang that is on our site and For Sale. If your a Ford lover you should go look for it after reading this. JR is a very active Member and a great guy... Nothing he wouldn't do for any Member and makes the trips out to any Long Island meet all the way from the Bronx. A great guy that is a lot of fun and fun to have around. We at EMC are lucky to have such a loyal, caring Member. To speak to JR go to our Members Section - JR'sQUICK86

1971 Plymouth Duster 340

 

Al's Duster is an easy one to spot... Sure, the color helps, but Al's Duster is a catcher to the eyes! Dusters aren't too common like the usual Chevy and Ford's etc. around these parts... So the fact that Al's Duster is so nice, makes it just a rare combination indeed and always a treat to see out on the road or at local events. A well representation for all the Plymouth owners out there that these cars were not one to forget! And we simply love it!

Al's Plymouth isn't his first rodeo! He is Mike's father who graced us as Car of the Month with his 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass, AND, that Cutlass was once owned by Al. A family tradition of passing cars down from Father to Son, Al now has his Duster to play with. He has had the Duster for about 8 years now and in the course of that time, Al and Mike have done all the work on it except the body work. Obviously, Al and Mike are a good team because this Duster makes all of us at EMC want to have one!

The Duster sports a 904 Transmission and 390 Gears in a 8.75 Rear along with Edelbrock Heads, TTI Exhaust, B&M Shifter, B Cool Radiator and a 670 Holley Carb. Also done is a 4 wheel disc brake set-up and and a Hydro Booster Brake set-up.

Al got his Duster off of a friend of his who was going to junk the Plymouth.... I am sure after seeing what Al has done with it, his friend probably is a little jealous and re-thinks the almost sad fate he was about to put the car into. We would be! In the end, the Duster made out on top leaving Al with a sweet rare ride everyone looks at! Green never looked so cool!

Al does have a future plan with his car.... He plans on maybe doing a Fuel Injection set-up over this winter with future, future plans on possibly doing an overdrive trans way down the line. We just hope to keep seeing it around! Al is one of the original members of EMC and like his son, a great addition... If your lucky to see this car around town, take a look at it you won't be sorry. To speak to Al today, find him in our Members Section - mopar AL 71

1968 Dodge Charger R/T

 

Empire Muscle Cars likes to think of Greg as the Ultimate Dodge Charger guy.... After seeing what he has done with both of his Chargers, one can say that name definitely suits him well! Greg got this Charger back when he was 19. He saw a black 68' Hemi 4speed Charger in 1985 cruising around a hot spot in Levittown, Long Island, and just knew he had to have one. After locating an automatic and a 4speed, he felt he didn't even need to go look at the automatic. Ahhhh, love at first sight! The car was in driving condition, but somewhat rough. Importantly, it still had it's numbers matching engine, transmission and documentation (build sheet, Certicard, fendertag.) It almost overheated getting it back home, but with luck he made it. The Charger needed the old Holley water injection kit that was installed on it. At the time, Greg admits, he knew nothing about cars.... couldn't even change spark plugs at that point.
But like all bitten by the bug, Greg had work done on the car, and sadly the classic story of being ripped off by shops and individuals occurred. This made Greg want to do all the work needed on his Charger himself. And so the learning began. After driving the car around in rough condition for a few years, Greg took it off the road in 1988 and did what he considers a mini-restoration. In August of 1993 Greg was ready to attempt a paint job. After months of bodywork and block sanding, Greg painted the Basecoat/Clearcoat Silver in the back of his Father's carport.
In 2004 after years of street racing, Greg decided it was time to pull the numbers correct motor and change things up a bit. He rebuilt the engine and built a higher performance version of the 440 Magnum. It is 10.6:1 compression that runs on pump gas, and he forged the pistons, stock crank and rods, solid lifter cam, Edelbrock aluminum heads that he cleaned up the bowls and polished the ports. Greg then ran a dual plane intake manifold for a good bottom end power for the street, and a Holley HP 950 cfm carb. The Charger has 2" Hooker Super Comp and a homemade 3" exhaust with an X pipe. Greg raced the Charger at the track for 4 years and reached his goal with that setup.
In 2006 Greg replaced the original Hemi 4speed transmission with a Tremec TKO600 5 speed transmission with a Spec Stage 3+ clutch. At the same time, he upgraded the U-joints to 1350 size after grenading the originals as well as twisting the transmission yoke. Greg races the car as much as possible now and drives it whenever time allows.
Greg feels he owes all of his skills to working on autos like his '68. It has given him the confidence to attempt things he never thought he could accomplish, auto related or not. His latest challenge has been to make the necessary modifications to the Carburetor metering blocks to make them fully adjustable in all the circuits. When Greg accomplishes this, his air/fuel ratios throughout all loads and throttle positions will be exactly where he wants them to be and run very similar to Fuel Injection. Greg says he is having some success, but has much more testing/tuning sessions to go.
At this point, Greg has accomplished body repair, paint and detailing to add on his check list. Along with Mig welding, leadwork on body seams, engine building and some blueprinting, manual transmission rebuilding, general restoration.   Some things I wish to accomplish in the near future: Tig welding, Acetylene torch welding, and a rear end rebuild and setup on the Dana 60 Rear end. 

 For a guy who learned along the way, he pulled of one really sweet achievement - The outcome of his Charger. Greg certainly should take all the glory, as he did it all his own. We are very impressed with Greg's Charger as everything Greg has done has been done nicely and with precision. A first time around learning experience this Charger deserves more than just a Car of the Month spot. Let's also take the time to remember that Greg also has a 1968 Dodge Charger he is building as a Drag car. It will be a large cubic inch engine with a supercharger and a Jericho 4speed transmission that is ready to go! Greg is shooting for the mid 8's in the 1/4 mile with this side project. It's a backhalved car with a 4 link rear suspension... Oh, and yes, this too is being built at home, all by Greg!
If you love Dodge, especially the Charger you should pay attention to Greg.... A truly gifted guy doing great things with these cars we give him major credit and can't wait to keep watching everything he does. Greg is a respected member, car builder and drag racer - Speak to Greg today in our Members Section - 68Hardchargerrt.