What if....1966

[markinnaples]

I'm working on a contract and it's been pretty low key now, so I thought I'd share something I think about on occasion. If you were of moderate means in 1966, which muscle car would you have bought and how would you have equipped it?

I think I would have had a tough time between a Chevelle SS and a GTO.

1966 Chevelle - 396/360HP, 4 spd, 3.73(?) gears, in either Bronze with a tan interior or Black with a red interior.

1966 GTO - 389 Tri Power, 4 spd, 3.36(?) gears, Azure Turquoise with white interior, maybe a white vinyl top or a white top on a convertible.

[ZAPPER68]

1966 L72 Biscayne, bench seat 4 spd, 4.10's, Bronze with a fawn interior

[70 copo]

L-79 equipped NOVA for the win.:3gears:

[MosportGreen66]

'66 L72 Corvette... Black/Black leather, big tank, side pipes, KO's, M22, F41, J56, PS, PB, PW, wood wheel, tele column, head rests, speed minder, goldline tires.

LOL - not like I've done this before...

Dan

[danachevroletfor1967]

That's a good question, Mark. I was in my sophomore year in high school back in 1966. The car bug hadn't quite bitten me yet. My dad was a Mopar man; he had first a 1949 Plymouth, then a 1956 Dodge Coronet, and lastly a 1965 Dodge Coronet. My driver's training car in high school was a 1966 Plymouth Satellite. Just to give some background.
So, I would have ordered a 1966 Plymouth Satellite with a bench seat and auto trans on the column. I couldn't pick a favorite color not remembering what colors were offered on a Satellite back then; probably a shade of blue with a white interior.
If I could afford it I would have gotten a 426 hemi with a 3.23 or 3.55 rear going more for highway cruising rather than drag racing. If that was out of my budget then a 383.

[Lee Stewart]

https://i.postimg.cc/Y26xzvb2/screenshot-9728.png (https://postimg.cc/dD0dqtbg)

1966 Hemi Belvedere with 4 speed, PB, PS and AM radio. I would want room for more than one friend, hence no Corvette.

[67ssmn]

black with red guts L79 CHEVY II SS

[60sStuff]

Nice question for day dreamers.

Since your asking about “Muscle Cars” and not sports cars (Corvette), I’ll go with the ‘66 GTO.

1966 GTO Hardtop,
389 / 360 HP Tri-Power, 4 spd. 3.55 posi.
Aluminum front brake drums.

Cameo Ivory on Red.

[olredalert]

----If I wanted to race some heavy hitters on the street I would have bought a 66 350HP SS Nova. Then I probably would have stuffed a 365hp solid cam and lifters in it
with a bit more carburation and made it into a relatively cheap money maker. Probably headers, ignition, some stiff gears, etc.. Maybe it wouldn't have been so cheap, but the fun factor would be worth it.....Bill S

[Lee Stewart]

----If I wanted to race some heavy hitters on the street I would have bought a 66 350HP SS Nova. Then I probably would have stuffed a 365hp solid cam and lifters in it
with a bit more carburation and made it into a relatively cheap money maker. Probably headers, ignition, some stiff gears, etc.. Maybe it wouldn't have been so cheap, but the fun factor would be worth it.....Bill S


Just make sure you race from a roll. That rear suspension sucked for off the line starts.

[carnut4life]

I'd go with a L78/M22 Chevelle just like Bill's, black with white interior.

[Igosplut]

----If I wanted to race some heavy hitters on the street I would have bought a 66 350HP SS Nova. Then I probably would have stuffed a 365hp solid cam and lifters in it
with a bit more carburation and made it into a relatively cheap money maker. Probably headers, ignition, some stiff gears, etc.. Maybe it wouldn't have been so cheap, but the fun factor would be worth it.....Bill S

Or perhaps you have built this??

https://i.postimg.cc/MM3gcTvP/Blue-Nova-film-scans086.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MM3gcTvP)

[napa68]

----If I wanted to race some heavy hitters on the street I would have bought a 66 350HP SS Nova. Then I probably would have stuffed a 365hp solid cam and lifters in it
with a bit more carburation and made it into a relatively cheap money maker. Probably headers, ignition, some stiff gears, etc.. Maybe it wouldn't have been so cheap, but the fun factor would be worth it.....Bill S

That would have been a holy terror to an unsuspecting victim!

[Too Many Projects]

IF I knew then, what I know now, I agree '66 Chevelle L78, M20 with 3.73 gears. Color would be Bronze with Fawn.

My Dad bought a '66 Malibu new, Bronze over Black bench. 283/3 speed on column. I passed my driver test in that car 2 years later...:grin:

[RPO LS7]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJIRitKQYrM

Chevelle for the win.

[67since67]

I'd go with a L78/M22 Chevelle just like Bill's, black with white interior.

I'm kinda partial to this one....but Bill's ideal nova would have been a screamer!!

Bill W

[carnut4life]

I'm kinda partial to this one....but Bill's ideal nova would have been a screamer!!

Bill W

An L79 Nova had to be one of the best bargain of the entire muscle car era but I don't consider them a "moderate means" car, they were too cheap. I'm surprised they didn't make 10 or 20,000 of them. Black on red sounds about right 67ssmn!

I'd like to see everyone's choice for 69, 70 and 71. There were so many to choose from, I'd have a hard time picking just one car from GM, Ford or Chrysler for each year.

[olredalert]

----69 would be Charley's (my old) El Camino!.....Bill S

[DW31S]

‘66 f85 W-30

[grantprix]

Being more of a Pontiac guy and the '66 GTO being my favorite year, it's a no-brainer for me. Those bad-ass taillights, last year for the tri-power and the GTO's interior... it's a winner. Just before I bought my current '67, I flew back to WV to look at this one owner '66 that I absolutely loved and was just about perfectly optioned, but unfortunately it wasn't what I hoped it would be for the money they wanted.

[sYc]

Probably started with a 427 Vette, going from mild to wild (A/MP).

[1967Z28]

A used '65 Z16 Chevelle, black with white interior, no vinyl top.

[dustinm]

I was thinking used 63 Z11

[Lee Stewart]

I was thinking used 63 Z11

For a track car - great. As a street car? No good - no front sway bar.

[dustinm]

For a track car - great. As a street car? No good - no front sway bar.


My Chevelle hasn't had a front sway bar for 15 years and I drive it on 200 mile trips

[Too Many Projects]

I was thinking used 63 Z11


With so few made, that could have been a hard find even by '66.

[tom406]

Some great selections, but just for the epic interior detail I have to go with the 1966 Dodge Charger. Make mine 426 Hemi 4 speed in Metallic Silver on Red.

[napa68]

Probably started with a 427 Vette, going from mild to wild (A/MP).

A/MP with that cute little master cylinder. LMAO

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

No Surprise Here I guess… only thing I’d change is Red Bucket Interior. Otherwise… Tuxedo Black 66 Chevelle SS: 396/375hp, 4 Speed, 3.73:1 Posi. :D