Through the 1960s and early 1970s, it must have been cooler than heck to work at one of the big three Detroit manufacturers. Sales were hauling along, muscle cars were being pumped out sometimes with and lot of time without the approval of top company brass, and creativity was everywhere. From engineers to advertising agencies, there seemed to be an infectious sense of, “I think we can get away with this,” in the air.
On the gearhead side of things, that translates into some cool and sometimes short lived factory options. Case in point the “Vacuum Operated Exhaust” which was available in late 1969 and very early 1970 on GTOs before being pulled from the parts book by upper management. These were exhaust cutouts that the driver opened with a little knob on the dash. Famously, Pontiac ran a commercial called, “The Humbler” during the Super Bowl where a dude is shown cruising around a drive-in restaurant, obviously trolling for a race. He pops the exhaust open and rumbles around, scaring all the sissy-pants guys away from challenging him.
Other manufacturers had cool and oddball stuff as well. Aluminum center sections in rear ends, lift off hoods with no hinges, optional supercharged engines, eight lug wheels, super light body panels, etc. Your mission is to choose the coolest factory option of the muscle car era!
Question of the day: What was the Coolest Factory Option of the Muscle Car Era?
(Here’s the Pontiac commercial referenced above)
Ah those were the days – now we see people driving around in their electric cars and they look excited by telling you how long they can go before it needs a charge! WTF
They need to go for a run in small block six carb equipped four speed hotrod with uncapped pipes.
I don’t care how green they think they are – that will put a smile on their face.
At nearly $8.00 a gallon for gas its still cheap fun. (in Aus)
Rob
Robert M has a dirty secret; I do have a battery powered car in inventory. Yes, “shocking” but true. Anyway, It’s great fun in it’s own way. Check out NEDRA.
Finally, regarding that 6 carb, small block rod with the open pipes…Right fine I’d say. Do you have such a car I could borrow for a weekend??
1970/71 Mopar Air Grabber, you can’t beat pulling up by someone for a race, they acknowledge and then you pop up your hood scoop.
The 426 HEMI.
My vote goes to the Road Runner horn.
Chevys ZL-1 aluminum 427 big block. Plus it’s the base for those wicked sounding Can-Am cars!
68 Cudas and Darts
69 Z28 chambered exhaust system. We don’t need no stinking mufflers!
I thought I read somewhere that they could be ordered with headers and an intake in the trunk for later installation too?
yes
Chevy 12 bolt rears with 4:88 gears.
Another vote for the Air Grabber
But my absolute personal favorite back in the day being ….. nine times out of ten you could order up any engine/transmission combo in almost any model made then assuming it’d fit as well as you knowing the right boxes to tick . Suffice it to say to all those too young to remember…. creating a factory ‘ Sleeper ‘ back in the day was an available option . e.g. Is that a full blown 454 underneath that wagons hood I’m hearing … or are you just happy to see me ? 😉
The 427 and a 4 speed in anything
Side pipes and GM Muncie M22 4 Speed Rock Crusher Transmission. When factories had cojones back them.
Hood-mounted tachometers.
Solid lifter cams.
And a friend of mine has a window sticker on his 1946 Ford Pick up that says, “Yours might be a Hybrid, but mine’s been recycled”. Love it.
Its a toss-up between Tri-power and Dual quads.
Hemi or 383 !…
Rear spoilers on GTO’s and Olds Ralley’s and the Daytona Charger and SuperBird Wing.
In my mind there are several “coolest option”
Chevy – ZL1 all aluminum big block
Ford – 427 SOHC “cammer”
Dodge/Plymouth – 426 Hemi and the Daytona/Superbird
AMC – AMX Javelin
Olds – 442
Pontiac – “the Judge”
the only way to order a Ford 427 FE SOHC “cammer” was in a crate.
The Wonderbar radio with a foot control button, Chevy’s “reverb” switch on a radio. Mopar’s adjustable torsion bar suspension. Merc’s electric rear glass. Nash’s “make-out reclining seats
the A12 6bbl 440 option was pretty cool on the 69 Roadrunners as was the AAR Cuda and T/A Challenger packages with the F08/E56 six barrel 340 option. Real racing stuff for the street.
The rear traction squirter nozzles on the first Gen camaros great for some vht on sat. Night
Landau roof with opera lights.
Ah, and vinyl seats.
“Cammer” was never factory installed.
I have to go with picking and choosing your own options.
427 4spd,4.30 rear gear in a Galaxy wagon.
There’s simply too much cool stuff to consider. We just didn’t realize how good we had it. But then, kids today can get a 375HP four door with air, power everything, a sound system we couldn’t have dreamed of for our homes, etc, etc.
I’m a Mopar guy, my first thought was the Air Grabber option, but really, the baddest car, and therefore option, in my opinion, was the B body 440 six pack cars with the lift off hoods. Far more reliable than the hemis, 9 times out of 10 they’d beat a hemi, and they’d stay tuned to boot.
LO 23 1968 barracuda or dart…legend has it someone got one of the darts titled somewhere in New York state and street raced with it, must have been a blast!
Detailed new cars at a small AMC dealer after school in 69/70. Saw new AMX`s with new headers and a aluminum intake wrapped in AMC logo loaded behind the seats come off the transporters One older mechanic would do the modifications after shop hours. Dude would cuss a blue streak trying to get those headers on.
C’mon you guys – those levi Jeans interiors in the AMC’s had to be #1 ;-}
Also saw a real drag pak AMX delivered in white with a deal from Mallory Ignitions that would disable the alternator with a dash switch. The old mechanic called it a blue light special cause the warning light would glow blue.
Seriously guys , I bought a cheap used Mark Donahue Javelin , light met. blue with a factory paisley print interior. Hideous…but cheap !
The most extreme by far, acid dipped, paper thin body panels on the Thunderbolt! And someone at the factory was allowed to go postal with a drill and make weight saving holes in – well everything!
Pistol grip shifters
Always a fan of cowl induction scoop on the Chevelle. But the Kleenex box holder in my 67 Grad Prix was awesome !!!!
Ya, those Kleenex box holders in GM products were cool, but we always joked that GM put them there so the owners could wipe their tears after racing Mopars. Seriously though I’d have to vote for ll the aero cars. Talledegas, Daytonas, Cyclones, Superbirds… even the 80s Monte aero
Any big block powered car with manual trans. Hide away headlights, shaker hoods,and hemi cylinder heads
Olds his and her shifter is my vote! And I’m a Ford guy.
Sorry I’m a couple days late! I think the coolest option was the Plenum Air Cleaner that was available on 67 and 68 Z/28 Camaros.