1983-84 Hurst / Olds
Let’ s be clear. The 1983-84 Hurst / Olds are not fast cars. Their small-block V-8s deliver a satisfying feel of torque, and they’ re great cruisers, but they’ re not about to embarrass any muscle car-era W-30 cars between stoplights. And that’ s just fine.
The appeal of the 1983-84 Hurst / Olds models is their G-body styling, which was the last of GM’ s traditional bodyon-frame rear-drive intermediates, and their special-edition styling cues. Simply put, they were great looking cars that appealed to two generations – the original muscle car jockeys and the Gen X enthusiasts who grew up after them.
The 1983 H / O was designed to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the original, 1968 model. Only
3,001 examples were built( 201 sold in Canada), all of them black with a silver lower body and red dividing stripe. Each came off Olds’ assembly line in Lansing, Michigan and was shipped about 45 miles away to secondary manufacturer Cars and Concepts for the conversion. The Hurst Olds returned in 1984 with a silverover-black paint scheme that was essentially a reversal of the first-year model. The only real product difference was the change to a larger, 8.5-inch rear axle. Production increased to 3,500 units.
Performance-wise, every Hurst Olds packed a fourbarrel-fed, 180hp 307ci engine, a Hydra-Matic 200-4R overdrive transmission and a 3.73 rear axle. Along with its 180 horses was a solid 245 lb-ft of torque. It was a combination good for 16-second quarter-miles and 0-60 sprints of about
9 seconds.
1976- 78 Ford Mustang II Cobra / 1978 Mustang King Cobra
After the halcyon days of the Mustang’ s first generation, storm clouds massed with the introduction of the Pinto-based Mustang II in 1974. Only four short years after a customer could walk into a Ford showroom and pick a Boss 429, Boss 302 or Cobra Jet-equipped model, the 1974 Mustang wasn’ t even offered with a V-8( except in Mexico). The public was not thrilled. Nor did they clamor for the second-generation car like they did the first.
Something had to be done, and in the finest tradition of the Seventies, that“ something” was tape stripes. With the assistance from GTO marketing guru Jim Wangers’ company, the Cobra II was introduced in 1976. It was offered in V-6 and V-8 models, so outright performance wasn’ t its forte, but a healthy aftermarket helped enthusiasts squeeze a little more juice from their lackluster engines. With no pretensions that it was a high-performance car, the Cobra II was an attractive package that was made more popular by its frequent placement on Charlie’ s Angels. Thousands were sold during its three-year run. And while the Cobra II was popular with its period graphics package, the 1978-only King Cobra took the concept to the extreme, with a huge, expressive hood graphic, a large front air dam and other unique appointments – including a hood scoop graphic that glimpsed the future:“ 5.0.” There were 4,318 King Cobras sold.
Mustang IIs have always struggled for respect, but thanks to Gen X enthusiasts who embrace them, the Cobra IIs and King Cobras are gaining increasing favor among collectors.
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