The 2013 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals marks the fifth edition of this awesome show. Every year we wonder how they will top last years event, and every year they somehow manage to. Manager Bob Ashton spends the year attending events from coast to coast to bring the finest of the fine to his event in Rosemont, Illinois. Car owners tell us of Bob spending hours going over their cars, getting their stories, and even going to their homes to view collections to make sure his event will be one to be remembered.
So what did we have this year? L-88 Vettes, lots of them, plus a few LS-6’s for good measure. Swiss Cheese Pontiacs, possibly the most ever in one spot. The last Nickey Camaro, built only a few weeks before the dealer closed for good. The last Hemi, a 1971 Super Bee loaded with options. Like 1970 442 W30 drop tops? Almost every surviving example was here. A 1963 Pontiac station wagon with a 421, 4 speed and 8 lug wheels. In 1967 Ford produced exactly one full size, 428, 4 speed wagon. Yep, it was here. Parked next to the only 427, 4 speed low line Galaxie Custom 2 door post. Chevrolet made only one Z-28 convertible, for the Godfather of the Z-28, Vince Piggins. It was here, along with an example of every year Z-28. A display of 1973 muscle cars, including two Stage One Buick Gran Sports, both with 455’s, one with a four speed. The never-was 1971 AMX two seater. A bunch of the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags guys were there. Ryan Brutt once again got a bunch of barn finds together, including the 1970 Hemi Road Runner pilot car and an ex-Reid Whisnant Duster Pro Stocker. Two real deal Don Grotheer cars, plus a couple Barrie Poole Mercurys. The list goes on, but I won’t.
What will they do to top this? I don’t know, but history shows they will. This is the first of FIVE Galleries we’re going to run from the event. It really was that good.
VERY NICE !
The 1968 Z/28 Convertible was made for GM Exec. Pete Estes, not Vince Piggins. It is currently owned by Dana Mecum
The 405 HP Pontiac driven by Jack Waggoner who was a neighbor of mine during the early 1960’s. in Garland Tex
You should have seen/ridden in their later car. A tempest station wagon with a 421 ci engine. Factory race car with dual quads/ or 3×2 can’t remember, but with headers, slicks, and a transmission mounted at the rear end. All from the factory.
That 405HP 63 Pontiac is one of the 14 “Swiss Cheese” 421 Super Duty cars that Pontiac built. It got it’s name from all the holes drilled in the frame to lighten the car. That 405HP rating is a joke. The engine produces more than 500HP.
I run a thread over at High Def Forum called: Musclecars 1962-1972. There are thousands of photos and such in the thread. Currently at 5800 and climbing. If you have any interest in this incredible cars and the decade they enjoyed, come on over. TONS of rare cars and facts.
A good friend and myself owned a 63 Swiss Cheese for a couple of years. We raced locally in western Ohio. Wan’t much in our class to run…hell, most of the owners of the strips didn’t even know what class to put us in. We decided on B/FX. It was good for trophies, but that’s about all. We ended up selling it to Randy Williams who restored it for 16 years. It now belongs to Dana Mecum. Fun times, but it sure could have used a bit more down force on the front end for steering purposes. The most fun was coming out of the hole. After a run, we had half the spectators trying to get a look under the hood. There sat a little 421….about the same size as a 326. When both 4 barrels opened, it damn near sucked the tower in!!!!