best handling muscle car

[Nacho-RT74]

Sorry, but I don't consider ANY Mercedes a "Musclecar".

I can agree with you somehow, but wasn't me who included the Gullwing on the musclecar category... I think I heard from discovery channel the Gullwing was considered a muscle car and the first one ever made.

Now beside if Gullwing is muscle or not, I bet any European "musclecar" if you think does exist, like maybe a 600 SEL  ( 12V engine and sedan, so not sport category ) will be better handling than any USA car made anytime. Being owner of one ( same age of my Charger ) and have driven several I give the better handling as a fact even without drove yet.

and I'm agree we can not include Sportiers or Super cars on same list, like Vettes, Porsches, Ferraris etc... They are very diff characteristic on body etc...

However I would include some Masseratti on list to the evaluation

[Mike DC]

A lot of the 1970s muscle cars could handle better than the late '60s versions.  When the gas crisis & insurance rates killed the huge horsepower wars, the OEMs decided that bigger sway bars & wider tires could make a sellable "performance car" out of their ponycar models w/o the drawbacks of the big blocks.  See late '70s Trans Ams, the smaller Mustangs from the mid-70s well into the 80s, etc. 

One more case where it's REALLY too bad that the Mopar E-bodies were killed after 1974.  It turned out to be a pretty bad move in retrospect. 

[C_stripes]

Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing" is considered the first muscle car made and still with the best handling. Doesn't mean the more comfortable or powerfull, but is a fact the best handling one.

NO WAY. NOT A MUSCLE CAR!!!!  That is a sports car. Plain and simple. I would say the defanition of a muscle car would be an American made 2dr mid size car from 65-73.  Corvettes are also sports cars. As for the best handling muscle car.  The Trans am is probably the best. But Mopar cant be perfect. So GM has ONE on us. But I have been told that the 72-74 Rally Challengers with front and rear sway bars are pretty good.  Never driven one though. So I cant be shore

[Nacho-RT74]

Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing" is considered the first muscle car made and still with the best handling. Doesn't mean the more comfortable or powerfull, but is a fact the best handling one.

NO WAY. NOT A MUSCLE CAR!!!!  That is a sports car. Plain and simple. I would say the defanition of a muscle car would be an American made 2dr mid size car from 65-73.  Corvettes are also sports cars. As for the best handling muscle car.  The Trans am is probably the best. But Mopar cant be perfect. So GM has ONE on us. But I have been told that the 72-74 Rally Challengers with front and rear sway bars are pretty good.  Never driven one though. So I cant be shore

why not 74s ?

[gordo1968charger]

changing the subject completely,when people tell me american cars are only good in a straight line,i say "no,its just you,you can t drive"

[dkn1997]

Trans Am, far and away.  a friends brother had a 2nd gen t/a, 77 I think, but architecture was not changed too much since 70 and that thing handled like it was on rails.  kept up with my buddies 87 GTA and that was certianly a decent handling car. 

But...is a 2nd gen camaro or t/a a muscle car?  have to define what that is before any discussion can be meaningful.  not defining it for the ages because that will start a post war, but define it for the purposes of this thread. so before we go any further, Miller should set the defination for this discussion since he started the thread, give info like:

year
US or foreign?
Body platform

maybe somehing like 66-72  GM A bodies, Mopar B bodies, Ford midsize....etc..

[miller]

well i just like watching you guys go because of all the choices i don't think of... i hate limiting you  ,

but what i was really looking for as the intermediate bodys, chevelle, charger, gtx, GTO, olds 442 buick GS... i dunno whatever ford made.. gran torino?...

as for the charger vs chevelle... theres a little back story on that... but basically I've been having my friend get info on it, i know it has a crate motor 402 thats about 420 horsepower... however the kid knows nothing about the gears or anything to do with the supension.. let alone the tires.. lets just say his daddys been building his car.. its more of a pride thing i guess, he took my girl... ill take his street cred

i know i could never win in a drag race, no matter how bad of a driver he is my tired 318 with 2.76 gears couldn't win against a fresh 402 big block, but i thought take it to an autocross, where there will actually be some skill involved and i might stand a chance...

at least mine looks cooler

[mikesbbody]

Sorry, but I don't consider ANY Mercedes a "Musclecar".  I don't consider Stingrays or AC Cobras or any other two passenger sports car to be musclecars either.  It's a question of definition for each person as an individual but when I think of a musclecar, I think of American two door, four passenger cars with higher output V-8's and marketed with a performance image (whether that image is through race wins like a Max Wedge car or perception like a striped up GTO).

with ghoste 100%! also, that so called aussie charger can f... ... straight 6 hemi? give me a break! 

[70charger_boy]

I may be biased but for a regular car you could buy at the dealership the Pontiac Trans Am could out handle my charger all day long.

[69bronzeT5]

Hey man, how does your 76 T/A handle?? My mom had a silver 76 T/A back in there 80s. She said that thing handled like magic

[70charger_boy]

Hey man, how does your 76 T/A handle?? My mom had a silver 76 T/A back in there 80s. She said that thing handled like magic

Actually, mine is a '75.  The car handles really well.  The only thing that is scary about it is when you stomp on the throttle on wet pavement the car fishtails.  If you don't know what you are doing you can lose it real quick.
.
Now, as far as the Musclecar classification goes.  The 75 and later T/A's are not considered Musclecars, but rather sports cars

[greatwn73]

Cody, mine's a 74

[70charger_boy]

Cody, mine's a 74

Yours wouldn't happen to be a SD 455 would it?

[JT01]

70-73 Z28s

[Joshua]

'68-70 AMX's

[hutch]

Mustangs.  Sad to say, but true.

[greatwn73]

No just a 400 but a one owner 25,000 mile never been outside overnight , no rain , no snow all original (I even have the tires) Trans Am. I'll drive it someday I just hate red.

[70charger_boy]

No just a 400 but a one owner 25,000 mile never been outside overnight , no rain , no snow all original (I even have the tires) Trans Am. I'll drive it someday I just hate red.

Nice ride.   

[learical1]

OK, excluding 'pony cars',  what's the best handling North American muscle car?   As I recall, the 442 was the 1st muscle car with a rear sway bar.  I remember all the car magazines loved the way they handled.  I never drove one, couldn't say. 

[Joshua]

OK, excluding 'pony cars',  what's the best handling North American muscle car?   As I recall, the 442 was the 1st muscle car with a rear sway bar.  I remember all the car magazines loved the way they handled.  I never drove one, couldn't say. 

I had a '66 442, plain jane, but 4 speed and 3.91's.....they handle OK, I guess....no better than a Charger really.....

[Ghoste]

What about the 302 Boss cars?

[70charger_boy]

What about the 302 Boss cars?

Absolutely one of the best!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lowprofile]

I've owned quite a few cars over the years, and I have to say the best handling cars I've owned were my 69' Camaro's. With very little tweeking, they handle like slot cars. The small blocks are much better "balanced" packages then the nose heavy big-block cars. [I've owned both]

Just my

[440fan]

I own a 69 original unrestored stock 27k mile Dodge Coronet R/T, 1967 GTO and a 1970 mint original Boss 302. Driven many cars out of the 60's and 70's and the 70 Boss 302 is the best handling car of that era hands down... Great engine but also a fantastic handling car stock off the showroom floor.

[70charger_boy]

I own a 69 original unrestored stock 27k mile Dodge Coronet R/T, 1967 GTO and a 1970 mint original Boss 302. Driven many cars out of the 60's and 70's and the 70 Boss 302 is the best handling car of that era hands down... Great engine but also a fantastic handling car stock off the showroom floor.

You have any pics of your '67 Goat?  I have a 66 Tempest