More than 50 years ago, muscle cars started to redefine the American automotive landscape. Even in stock form, these classic muscles are a force to reckon with. Thus, it is always adrenaline-rushing to see classic muscles in drag racing action – just like this one between a 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440 and a 1973 Buick Riviera Stage 1.
Tale Of The Tape: Charger R/T Vs Buick Riviera Stage 1
On one side of the drag strip is a luxurious 1973 Buick Riviera in black finish. It is factory-equipped with a 455-cubic inch Stage 1 V8 engine. According to the video uploaded by Cars and Zebras on YouTube, this Stage 1 V8 mill delivers a net of 260 hp of gross output and 380 lb-ft of gross torque to the rear wheels, as helped by 3.42 rear gears. A Riviera Stage 1 weighs around 5,044 lbs.
Sitting on the other side of the drag strip is a potent 1971 Dodge Charger R/T in dark green finish. This Charger comes powered by a 440-cubic inch V8 mill tuned to 370 hp of max gross output and 489 lb-ft of net torque. This power is sent to an automatic TorqueFlite transmission, as helped by a rear gearing of 3.55. It is much lighter than its rival at 4,224 pounds.
Pure Stock Muscle Cars Racing Against Each Other
These two protagonists are just two of the dozens of classic muscles that took part in the annual Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton. Based on specs, the 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440 may have the advantage over the 1973 Buick Riviera Stage 1. But since the Charger R/T and the Riviera Stage 1 are around 50 years old, their performance might not be as good as they were new.
In the first run, the Riviera Stage 1 quickly took the lead, with the Charger R/T never having the chance to catch up. The Buick won over the Dodge at 14.70 seconds and 15.3 seconds, respectively. The same thing happened in the second run, with the Riviera clocking at 14.78 seconds and the Charger getting slower at 15.78 seconds.
Dodge Charger Experienced Some Difficulties
Apparently, the Dodge Charger R/T was having some issues. Its performance was a far cry from the previous contest, when it clocked14.67 seconds. In fact, the Dodge didn’t take part in the third run. The Buick did, and it managed to post its best time of the day at 14.63 seconds.
Source: Cars and Zebras on YouTube