While the automotive industry is only becoming more modernized and self-sufficient, there are opportunity costs to be incurred. Even though we get state-of-the-art technology and never-before-seen luxuries, we miss out on what made the older analog models so special.
A classic example of this is the difference in muscle cars throughout the decades. Nowadays, you have extremely fast remakes that lack soul; contrasted with antiques that are filled with personality but aren't as quick.
Thankfully, you won't necessarily have to choose between the two if you go the route of 'restomods'. With a restomod, you get the best of both worlds—the aesthetics of the old combined with modern power-unit mods.
In this particular instance, we want to hone in on just one sect of restomods: 1960's American muscle cars. Not just any restomods, but the best we've seen thus far.
10 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner ‘Hellrunner’
Starting off, we have an interesting car in and of itself: the 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner. The stock version is awesome as is, but just imagine how much cooler it'd be with some fresh mods! Well, that's just what the 'Hellrunner' aimed to be.
As the name indicates, this Roadrunner has been overhauled with a modern HEMI V8 (courtesy of a Dodge Challenger Hellcat). Along with an engine swap, the Hellrunner is suited to tear up any track, equipped with a racing suspension, modern safety features, and more.
9 1961 Oldsmobile F85 Cutlass
A true car enthusiast can look at any vehicle and see its potential for improvement; whether it be strictly for appearances, performance, or a mix of both. Take the early-'60s Oldsmobile Cutlass, for instance. Stock, the F86 Cutlass is just a boring classic. However, with the right upgrades, it turns into something else entirely.
James Jackson proved this with his 1961 Oldsmobile Cutlass - seen above. After a trip to Greening Auto Company, the Cutlass came out as an entirely new monster. Among the various mods it received, there's an engine-swap (Chevy LS7), suspension overhaul, a redone interior, painted exterior, high-flow exhaust, and so on. Needless to say, we'd take this in a heartbeat!
8 1967 Dodge Charger
Before the 1968 to 1970 Dodge Chargers we know and love, that iconic muscle car was hardly recognizable as the predecessor to one of the greatest American cars of all time.
The 1967 Dodge Charger is nothing like the famous '69/'70 alternatives (at least on the outside). Sure, the body may be nowhere near the later versions, but it's still a Charger and - thus - can be transformed into a masterpiece.
Case and point, this restomod '67 Charger (pictured here). Though this one was already sold at auction, no one's stopping us from doing a tasteful remake.
7 1965 Chevrolet Corvair
Now, this is the rare kind of muscle car we were looking for! Dear reader, we present to you a true 'unicorn' car - a 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza!
Alright, we'll admit that the Corvair wasn't originally in the muscle category. However, when you modify it like this one has been, we count it as a bonafide muscle car. Just look at this beauty! The bagged suspension, jet black paint, and one-of-a-kind setup. All of it just screams "1960's!"
6 1968 Pontiac Firebird Restomod
Earlier last year (2020), the Barrett-Jackson Fall auction hosted many jaw-dropping cars - Ranging from old trucks to new supercars. A lot of them caught our eye, but none as much as this 1968 Pontiac Firebird restomod.
Under the hood, this '68 Firebird left behind its original power-unit in favor of a crate LS3. Tests show the horsepower output near 550, putting it ahead of most modern muscle cars..
What really endears the Firebird to us, however, is its aesthetics. Instead of changing the whole thing, this restomod is more subtle on the outside. Other than the dual-headlight delete, its appearance remains relatively unmolested.
5 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 Restomod
Chevrolet has had a ton of outstanding sports cars throughout their time in business. Of course, there's the Corvette and Camaro, but what about other models that didn't last as long? For example, the late-'60s Chevelle/Chevelle SS.
The Chevelle has always been an awesome, throaty muscle car. Yet, with a restomod, it can be even more imposing. Heck, you don't even need to swap the engine, since the stock LS-engines were already perfect as is. That's what happened with this Chevelle here; opting to improve minor aspects rather than swap out everything.
4 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS 'Bumblebee'
As car-lovers, we don't care as much about summer blockbusters as we do the latest, upcoming, sports cars. However, occasionally these two areas join together; creating an iconic 'movie car' that draws everyone's attention. In the Transformers franchise, the new 'Bumblebee' Camaro is one such car.
Being a Transformer, Bumblebee is able to change his appearance throughout the movies. Now, his character is a modified 1967 Camaro SS. Notably, this 'new' Camaro features a set of wide fender-flares and a sweet matte black paintjob (of course, with yellow accents).
3 1963 Chevrolet Corvette LS3
A while back, we went over a list of classic sports cars that both should and shouldn't be modified (based off certain criteria). In it, we were adamant that the Chevrolet Corvette C2 was perfect for modifications. We still feel this way now; further amplified by examples like this 1963 Stingray 'Split-Window'.
Despite how sacrilegious some Corvette purists may see this as, a well modified C2 is hardly a sin. In fact, we'd go so far as to say that a C2 NEEDS some upgrades, as evidenced by this LS3-swapped Split-Window.
Using a modern LS-Crate engine, a sixty-year old 'Vette will have the ability to match (if not surpass) its younger siblings.
2 1967 Shelby GT500CR 900S
For those of us who can't decide between the classic Eleanor Shelby or the O.G. GT500, there are companies like Classic Restorations who swoop in to the rescue. By combining design queues from the original Shelby, Eleanor, and other modded Mustangs, they created a perfect harmony: the '67 GT500CR '900S'.
To best understand Classic Restorations' intentions, look no further than their mission statement on the 900S. "We sought to build a Shelby the way Carroll Shelby himself would, uncompromised, visceral, convention defying. We’ve taken the shape of an iconic pony car, but we added muscle, reduced weight through carbon fiber cladding and spared no expense."
The specifics include a custom 427 cubic V8 with the option of a supercharger, as well. Sounds amazing, but, as they implied, no expense will be spared; on your part or theirs.
1 Ringbrothers’ 1969 Dodge Charger ‘Defector’
Out of every body shop or famous tuning brand, nobody does muscle cars quite as well as Ringbrothers: an American tuning company that's responsible for the best restomods to date. Of the dozens under their belt, their Dodge Charger 'Defector' is (easily) our favorite!
This exact 1969 Charger has been on our radar for a while now. After having published many articles featuring the Defector, we know it inside and out. To build the Defector, Ringbrothers took up over 4,000 hours of labor, thousands upon thousands of dollars, and the most skilled technicians available.
When it was all said and done, the ending result was what we see now - A dark green, 6.4-liter HEMI V8 powered, '69 Dodge Charger unlike any other!