9 Fastest Muscle Cars of 1973.

[SteveSS]

Of course, the EPA was killing performance by then.

Pontiac Grand Am 455 15.7 seconds 1/4 mile

Javelin AMX 401 15.4

Buick Stage 1 455 15.2

Dodge Charger SE 440 15.2

Cuda 340 15.1

Olds 442 14.9

GTO 455 14.7

Camaro 350 Z28 14.69

Trans Am 455 Super Duty 13.54 ($100K nowadays.)

If you put a top-end kit on any of those now, you can double the horsepower. I know a Butler Performance kit on a Pontiac 455 makes 500+ hp. 560 torque. The Super Duty was a lot different than a normal Pontiac 455. The block was way different. I know on GA's and TA's you couldn't get the manual with the 455. Only the 400.

I'm sure a Mopar 440 can make more than those numbers.

 

[RemCharger]

77 motorhome block 440 , 20 thou higher than 6 pk piston, Victor head 700+ HP.
440s can make power when they need to.

 

[DeltaV]

Of course, the EPA was killing performance by then.

Pontiac Grand Am 455 15.7 seconds 1/4 mile

Javelin AMX 401 15.4

Buick Stage 1 455 15.2

Dodge Charger SE 440 15.2

Cuda 340 15.1

Olds 442 14.9

GTO 455 14.7

Camaro 350 Z28 14.69

Trans Am 455 Super Duty 13.54 ($100K nowadays.)

If you put a top-end kit on any of those now, you can double the horsepower. I know a Butler Performance kit on a Pontiac 455 makes 500+ hp. 560 torque. The Super Duty was a lot different than a normal Pontiac 455. The block was way different. I know on GA's and TA's you couldn't get the manual with the 455. Only the 400.

I'm sure a Mopar 440 can make more than those numbers.

Source(s) or citation(s)?

 

[WileE]

I don't know where you're getting this info, Steve. All I can tell you is that it's WAY off. And that's from personal experience with many of these cars in real time. I'll give ONE example. The Mustang Mach I with the 351 Cleveland ( which is not even mentioned here ) will toast that Camaro. How do I know ? I did it. Back then. In real time.

 

[BB BELLA]

Yenko camaro or vette was still available to purchase in 73 with a warranty! at least one of the big three was fighting the smog rules, wasn't quite as potent as the earlier versions!

 

[AR67GTX]

Pretty sure that’s a compilation of magazine road test acceleration results someone has put together - Car Life, Motor Trend, etc. it’s good for what it is. In 1973 they were still using test wheels and stop watches for acceleration runs other than some of the Hot Rod and Car Craft type publications that were actually borrowing 1/4 mile tracks and timing equipment.

 

[chargervert]

The Trans Am hung tough all the way until 74 when they threw in the towel all together and became 16 second slugs after that.

 

[Runcharger]

T/A SD was the only musclecar in the bunch. Im really tired of everyone calling everything from a VW to a Pinto a musclecar.

 

[YY1]

Or a "sport coupe".

 

[chargervert]

T/A SD was the only musclecar in the bunch. Im really tired of everyone calling everything from a VW to a Pinto a musclecar.

No doubt, nowadays people seem to think that every old car was a muscle car, definitely not the case.

 

[AR67GTX]

Yeah, maybe. But don’t forget back when the terms Muscle Car was formally coined by Pontiac for the 64 GTO, most of these cars were doing great to get into the 14s and many were in the 15s. No one applied the term only to Bobcat prepped, tripower, 4-Speed, GTOs. It also encompassed 396/325, Powerglide. 3.08 rear Chevelle SSs and every other intermediate that had a “package” name applied to it and a bigger base engine. I thought it always kind of insulting that the 64/65 Mopar 426 street Wedges were never really considered Muscle Cars when they could hold their own with any of the Ford or GM so-called Musclecars. And even when the Hemi showed up in 66 I think it was just as often called a super car, than a muscle car. But yeah, not every Torino, Chevelle, Lemans, Satellite, etc was a Muscle Car.

 

[SteveSS]

This video. Yes, the numbers came from magazine tests at the time.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

In 73 dart sport and plymouth duster weren't to shabby 340 powered. But, the days of 3.90 performance axles were gone I believe.