Muscle cars and modifications go together like peanut butter and jelly. While as car enthusiasts we love and appreciate amazing factory efforts like the Corvette ZR1, Ford GT, or the Dodge Hellcat, we also struggle to not try and squeeze every additional ounce of horsepower that we can get from our rides. It's that drive to customize, modify, and tailor our vehicles to our own tastes.
What we're looking at today are ten classic muscle cars from a bygone era that have been masterfully crafted into rolling works of art with more power than may seem reasonable. Muscle cars are innately aggressive and carnal, these take that attitude to a whole new level. Let's dig in!
10 1969 Camaro
This is Valkyrja from Ring Brothers. It's a fully rebuilt 69 Camaro with an 890 horsepower V8 under the hood. That alone is shockingly good, but just take a moment and drink in the details of this build.
The fenders, the lighting, the ducting, and aero are all brilliantly nipped and tucked here and there. It's very tough to imagine that the 69 Camaro could get better looking than it already was, but here it is.
9 Ford Mustang
This Mustang nicknamed "Calling Card" has been carefully nipped and tucked here and there and had a true 5.0 Coyote motor installed under the hood with a 2.3-liter supercharger.
That combination creates a stunning sports car that pushes more than 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. It's a beauty through and through.
8 Dodge Charger Super Bee
This Charger Super Bee from Schwartz Performance is incredibly nice. The biggest complaint that all original muscle cars have is that they handle like a drunken dairy cow with a bad leg.
This problem is solved entirely by the Schwartz team when they install their bespoke chassis under the car and then mounting modern suspension components to it. It's a brilliant, albeit costly solution.
7 1969 Ford Mustang Mach1
This is another one of Ring Brothers creations, a 69 Mach 1 with a brilliant balance of power and performance. It only houses a 700 horsepower engine but that's more than enough thanks to modern braking and suspension.
It's been built in such a way as to allow 295 section tires on the FRONT wheels with gigantic 345s in the back. So this Mustang is far more than just a drag strip pony.
6 Chevrolet Nova
One of the less popular Novas out there, this one has been well-loved and cared for. Under the hood is a magnificent 383 stroker motor with forged pistons and fuel injection.
Inside is a totally rejuvenated interior with modern touches all over including a modern power steering system. This owner went all out and it shows.
5 Pontiac Firebird
Another one of Schwartz Performances' masterpieces is this Pontiac Firebird. This time they went all out though. Under the hood of this screaming chicken is a 7.9-liter V8 making north of 600 horsepower.
Just like everything else they do the chassis has been replaced with a modern more stiff version and so it benefits from the same incredible handling a newer sports car would.
4 De Tomaso Pantera
The Pantera is a unique moment in American sports car history. It was so close to becoming the next great American sports car company. Nevertheless, while that wasn't meant to be, the Ring Brothers did their thing to this one.
Under the hood is the same LS3 that many Corvettes have, only this one is fully built and tuned by Wegner Motorsport. It features a fully custom suspension and 6-piston brakes. It's what the Pantera dreamt of being.
3 C2 Corvette
Building a C2 Corvette is a real delicate task. You're doing everything you can not to ruin what's already an amazing car. This monster houses a 6.8-liter LS3 Corvette engine under the hood making some 817 horsepower and 807 lb-ft of torque.
The interior features modern air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, and seating. The outside has LED lighting and wheels. There's a ton to love.
2 Buick GSX 455
This car is a demonstration of restraint here. It looks mostly stock but features a few giveaways like the carbon fiber headlight bezels, the Coddington wheels, and the trimmed bumpers.
The engine hasn't had a major boost in power but it had fuel injection added. The interior is where the real show is with new AC, Bluetooth, push-button start, and custom RGB lighting.
1 Pontiac GTO
This 65 Pontiac GTO looks pretty incredible before we dig in under the surface at all. It's a classy ride that anyone would be proud to roll up to the car show in. However, it only gets better.
The interior is tastefully improved and modernized with classic looking upgrades. The engine is the same 6.0 liter LS2 V8 found in the most modern GTO. Bolted on top is a supercharger in case you weren't sure it would have enough power.