I thought some of you might want to check out this article...... Muscle up By Jeff Daniel ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 01/24/2006 THE PAST: There's plenty of power under the hood of this 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, thanks to a 572-cubic-inch engine. "A muscle car has to have the power and the look," says Jim Campisano, author of "The Encyclopedia of Muscle Cars" -- "that two-door, long-hood, short-deck car of the '60s look." ( Richard Michael Pruitt / Dallas Morning News ) Jim Campisano is cruising down a New Jersey highway, which isn't that hard to do when you're packing a 700-horsepower engine. That's 700 horses, as in several stampedes more than most of us could even fathom. With that much oomph, cruising to the moon might be a possibility. "It's a supercharged 2001 Mustang," says Campisano, hopefully via hands-free speaker phone. "It's our magazine project car." Campisano edits Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords and has authored several automobile-related books, among them "The Encyclopedia of Muscle Cars." Muscle cars, you might say, are one of the guy's strengths. So, with the annual St. Louis Auto Show beginning Wednesday, we thought Campisano might be someone to flag down. And that's because one of the trends spotted in the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit was this: the continuing resurgence of '60s-era muscle car styling. Ford's Shelby GT500 Mustang. Chrysler's Dodge Challenger concept. A retro Camaro from Chevrolet's concept design team. Hemis have been a hit. The Charger is charging forward. In an atmosphere loaded with hybrid-heavy buzz, is it possible that the muscle car is getting pumped and buff? "That does seem to be the trend right now," says Campisano, who points out that Ford has done well with the Mustang for the past 15 years or so. But when the automaker came out with an even more-nostalgic Heritage design in 2005 - the car echoed a '69 Mustang Fastback - the model "kind of struck a positive chord with baby boomers, as well as younger drivers." The car was a hit. And now more of the same is on the way across the industry, both in the concept and planned stages. This is happening four decades removed from the original age of muscle, the one that fueled up in the mid-1960s and stalled out less than 10 years later. That was the age of such dynamos as the GTO, the Roadrunner, the Charger, the Camaro, the Chevelle and the American Motors line of power-packed AMX machines. When it comes to a strict definition, well, is there a strict definition? First, Campisano explains, the car has to have the power. And there's the look, one he describes as "that two-door, long-hood, short-deck car of the '60s look." It's the look that has recently reemerged in the 21st-century version of muscle. But if the outer skin brings back memories, the guts might not. Unlike its ancestors, today's muscle-bound rod thrives on computer technology. The result is what Campisano admiringly describes as "obscene amounts of horsepower, but with good gas mileage and emission-friendly engines." He tells of a friend with a 400-HP Corvette that averages 30 miles per gallon. It was bad gas mileage, however, that probably helped garage the original muscle era. Added together, the early '70s energy crisis and changing emission standards dealt quite a blow. Campisano also cites pressure from the insurance lobby and, perhaps just as important as any other reason, the average owner grew tired of dealing with the cantankerous nature of muscle engines - some of which featured as many as three carburetors. "These days, most people don't even remember to change their oil," he says. For all of their quirks and necessary tweaking, the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s were certainly admired and loved. Correction: are admired and loved. Count Jim Shockley of St. Charles among that group. A member of the Gateway Camaro Club, Shockley, 71, has had an ongoing affair with his rare 1969 Yenko Camaro - and its 450 horses - for more than 20 years. Just last week, he located the original engine block for the car. He couldn't have been happier. "My son and I have worked on this all by ourselves," he proudly says of the car. "Just the two of us." As for a daily driver for the retiree, it's what you might expect from such a muscle car fan: a 2002 Z28 Camaro. His very first car, Shockley recalls, featured a powerful Hemi engine. Old habits are tough to break. Like Shockley, fellow Camaro club member Terry Lupkey has owned his '68 convertible for nearly two decades. But that doesn't mean he resists change. Lupkey, of St. Charles County, likes the retro look now being designed, although he does wonder whether a new generation of muscle-car owners will emerge from the younger ranks. "I don't know how a kid could get one," he says of the Dodge Challenger concept. "Because of the insurance, I just don't know how they could afford it." As for affordability - or a lack thereof - vintage muscle cars have become an increasingly hot commodity. If you tuned in to a recent cable TV airing of the Barrett Jackson auto auction in Arizona, you might have witnessed a rare, mint condition 1961 Rolls Royce selling for $51,000. The next car on the block topped it at $64,000. That model? A 1965 Pontiac GTO. Closer to home, nearly 50 vintage muscle cars are available for purchase at Fast Lane Classic Cars in St. Charles. Prices range from less than $10,000 to nearly 10 times that amount. But even the priciest model doesn't come close to what Campisano describes as the bench mark for muscle: the 1971 Hemi 'Cuda convertible. He's heard stories of owners turning down bids of $5 million and says that they've changed hands for $2 million in the past. If that's somehow out of your league, then perhaps a viable alternative can be found in Ellisville. Classic Cars Plus can be found there, and a portion of its rental inventory is dedicated to pure muscle. Among the choices are a '66 Corvette, a '68 GTO, a '69 Camaro and a '70 Chevelle. "Muscle cars are probably the most popular cars we have," says sales representative Caleb Fox, who adds that the renters do include quite a few baby boomers. So, anyone not willing or able to drop thousands - or millions - on a four-tire adrenaline rush might prefer a one-day cruise. To put it in medical terms, those suffering from a severe case of muscle car atrophy can get a therapeutic quick fix. In this case, a really, really, really quick fix. St. Louis Auto Show When: Noon-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday Where: America's Center, Eighth Street and Washington Avenue How much: $8, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children younger than 6 More info: 314-421-4400 or go to www.ticketmaster.com jdaniel (AT) post-dispatch (DOT) com 314-340-8399
