One of the beauties of muscle cars was that they could be used for more than just fancy drives. Whereas most sports cars don't lend themselves well to everyday driving, muscle cars can be solid daily drivers. Aside from their immense power, the best ones can be comfortable, so they're not only spectacular for a drag race but simply for daily errands. True, many muscle buffs may not want to risk their beauties like this, but it can be fun to see a great classic car on a city street.
But some classic muscle cars just aren't well suited for shopping runs. It's not just that the performance is too much or the cars are too lovely to risk on the road. Many of these cars lack modern automobiles' safety features, and many are rougher to handle for all but the most experienced drivers. They can still be great muscle cars, but these ten classic muscle machines are not good for daily driving despite their great appeal.
10 AMC Javelin
Living up to its name in design, the Javelin is a long and sharp car that looks like it's about to sail through the air with ease. It was sold as an "everyman" muscle car used either on the track or daily drives, and the 315 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque were impressive on paper.
But in actual performance, the Javelin is slow and sluggish to handle. The cheap interiors that make safety a low priority and the tendency to fall apart make the Javelin a muscle car that sadly hasn't aged well.
9 El Camino SS454
In terms of power, the El Camino SS454 is revered by muscle geeks. That stunning 454-cubic-inch LS6 V8 puts out an amazing 365 hp, which means plenty of power. So what's the problem?
All that power going to the rear wheels causes big problems in handling. Also, the odd flatbed rear makes it look like a pickup coupe. It's a shame as the 454 is otherwise a beautiful car to drive anywhere.
8 Ford Torino GT
Movies and TV shows like Starsky and Hutch sold the Ford Torino GT as a fabulous car that could take the city streets with ease. As with so much else, Hollywood was lying. Yes, it looks terrific, but the actual performance is rough as it would take a highly advanced V8 to get this over 250 hp.
Even those that did suffer because of the 3000-pound curb weight. Which meant slower handling and responding, not to mention low on safety features and prone to breakdowns. This car works much better on screen than in real life.
7 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6
Chevrolet took a bit to get into muscle cars, but they made up for it with the 1970 Chevelle LS6. It boasted the most powerful engine possible for the time, an incredible performance thanks to the LS6 optioned 454 cubic-inch, 7.4-liter Big-Block V8 that produces 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.
But the top speed of 162 mph is a bit low, and, more importantly, it handles slowly and tougher on corners. There's also the fact the engine is so powerful that it burns through materials, so breakdowns are common. It's another case of a classic machine too good for daily driving.
6 1964 Ford Mustang
It's the car that helped inspire scores of muscle classics to follow, the basis for the cars in movies like Bullit and Gone in 60 Seconds, and still loved by fans. But the base 1964 Ford Mustang is, frankly, not very a good car to drive.
The old inline-six makes a wheezy 120 horsepower, with some going even lower. There's also how it lacks many modern safety features and harder to handle on the road. It may be iconic, but that doesn't make it a good daily car.
5 1965 Pontiac GTO
This may sound like sacrilege as surely the GTO, in either its regular form or "the Judge," is an icon among muscle car buffs. But a strike against it is the lack of standard safety features from more seat belts to airbags or other additions.
Also, it can be painfully slow as despite the 335 hp coming from its engine, it can't even go 100 mph. Throw in the weight and rough handling and the GTO is much better to show off than drive on a daily basis.
4 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
While some purists may disagree, looks aren't everything with a muscle car. The Plymouth Hemi Cuda is gorgeous, with a lean and mean appearance that screams pure intimidation on the road. The engine backs it up with 425 hp and 490 pound-feet of torque, making it a monster in a straight line.
But try it on a regular road, and the issues become obvious from hard steering to (literally) tons of body roll and prone to rusting. It's proof a great look doesn't always mean a great car.
3 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
Despite what the fans would want, there's a very good reason you don't see race cars on the regular road. The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is a masterwork for its time. The 7.0L Hemi v8 could produce up to 425 hp with 490 lb-ft of torque. That huge spoiler helped it on the road, with eight victories in various races proving its worth.
But like any race car of its time, it guzzles gas like crazy, runs through pistons and other materials in record time, and requires a trained race driver to handle the steering. It's a classic race machine but has no business on a regular road.
2 1971 Ford Mustang Fastback
As a muscle car, the 1971 Ford Mustang Fastback (also known as the Mach 1) is near perfection. As a daily driver, it should be avoided. Even James Bond had to try this fun car with the V8 capable of 370 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.
But that high performance comes at the cost of standard safety features and makes the car tricky to handle on twisting roads because of the weight. Put it on a straight track, and the Fastback is terrific, but not for regular driving.
1 Dodge Viper
This may sound crazy. How can one of the most loved muscle cars out there not be a great one to drive on a daily basis? The reason is that the Dodge Viper is simply too good. The 8.0l V10 can make 645 hp for many models and some pushing 1000.
That may be terrific for speed freaks, but any car can get stuck in traffic to make all that power worthless in a regular drive. Not to mention regular drivers often can't control this, and too easy to mess it up. This is especially true of the first-generation Viper that was as barebones as they get, with no driver aids or handling to speak of, just pure power.
Sources: motor1.com, autowise.com, motortrend.com, reddit.com