I've definanttly been noticing a lot more muscle trucks and think that car craft should be a part of the growing trend the new project suggestion im talking about is a early model s10 the reason they are cheap, plentiful, easy to work on, light, they handle pretty good for a truck and ive never seen a s10 built into a v8 screamin muscle truck in any magazine i think this project would be a huge succes for the magazine and would love to see it happen please build  

I would personally like to see a s10 or s10 blazer build in cc also. As I am in the group of performance s series enthuesiest  the chassis are readily available and very cheap.and the swap to v8 is not that difficult or pricey. As I have owned several and still currently drive a not so street freindly jimmy s15. There is a big following behind these vehicle's,and not much recognition from any magazine's.      Customized  

They've covered this before.  The reason they don't build them is because in Communist Kaliforeigna it wouldn't be street legal.  Even if it passed emissions, it wouldn't be allowed.  So it'd have to be a drag only vehicle, and if you're gonna build one of them might as well build a better chassis than a truck.

They are currrently doing a 95 S10 build on the Trucks TV show. I think a magazine could give you a little more in depth look at what it takes to do the swap.   

A 4 door Dart, Valiant, Falcon, Fairlane, Nova from the 60s. 4 doors are soooo cheap, and usually in much better shape than a simular 2 door.

The novelty would not be in the build itself, as the magazine has built many of these cars in 2 door versions, but the idea that a 4 door is a viable option for a car crafter on a budget. The focus of many of the projects is building on a budget. If people could be convinced that building a 4 door is cool, wouldnt it be a lot better to see kids just getting into cars for the first time on a limited budget driving 4 door Novas with 350s that still actually have good, straight bodies and original paint instead of clapped out, dinged up Hondas with 2 colors of primer, a wing and a fart pipe?

Were losing kids to rice in part because of the notion that buying some old iron is too expensive these days, but 4 doors could change all of that, if the car crafting culture would embrace them. Magazine coverage would be a good start.

I know of a running ,straight, good looking , rust free '70 Nova 4 door is right now for 300 bucks, and I know its not the only one. And theres a 350 in it too.

Were losing kids to rice in part because of the notion that buying some old iron is too expensive these days, but 4 doors could change all of that, if the car crafting culture would embrace them. Magazine coverage would be a good start.

    Amen brother, well put! Your suggestion is right on.... I don't know what the stigma is against 4 doors, but it's time to face the facts that 2 doors are fading away quickly and being priced well out of reach of most guys down on bucks or someone just starting out. The Aussies are'nt scared of 4 doors... check out the GTHO falcons.. SWEET! The extra pair of doors don't slow them down much **LOL**

     My personal experience was with 4 door boxy Impalaa and now the bubbular Caprice. Lots of fun, power AND the convienience of a big trunk and room for the kids! Needless to say, going this route makes life easy, as parts for those cars are at giveaway prices.. (just seen an 86.. 350, 700r4, reasonable mileage and a straight body for 500 bucks....) also as I have posted before, knowing what to swap on from other cars can really make these cars get up and go. CC should try something different and do a 4 door disco nova or really get bold and do a 4 door disco-ventura or a 4 door disco-omega.... a hot 455 would wake things up.... and be very affordable... food for thought.. ya listenin' CC!!!??? Time to bring back some pride in american muscle... enough rice already!!

They already have a 455 sitting in the shop.  Good luck seeing it between fenders, and they're sure as hell not gonna drop it into a four door.  

Middle/late 70's monte carlo with a duramax/allison combo.  

i think car craft should build a late 70s sleeper like a 1975-1976 chrysler corodoba/dodge charger (grill is the only difference) or a 78-79 ford thunderbird i know after looking in the paper that theres no shortage of these t birds the corodoba might be harder to find but almost every one ive seen has been straight and had a decent interior or they should build a 1978 plymouth fury 4 door cop car like on the dukes of hazzard (the show i dont know about the movie ) there all older and mosty grandma cars so there cheap  

If it is close to the time that we need to consider the four doors as targets of our craft,  can the time when we consider front wheel drive cars be very far away?  I say this as my primary daily driver is an 89 Sunbird.  My weekend girlfriend is a 55 Bel Air.  Both have 4 doors!  

Actually, one of my buddies used to have an Olds Toronado with a 455.  And you havent lived untill you've done reverse doughnuts in an empty parking lot with one of these cars. Once you get that weight in the front to start slinging around, prepare to get dizzy.

The first generation Toronado was a cool looking car. Maybe that should be a future project. Front wheel drive with a big block. Fun. Theres something about having all that weight in the front, right over the drive wheels, that makes the car hook really well. The car may be heavy, but a built 455 would still do something. My friends car did have some pep in its step and it was mostly stock except for carb and manifold.

The 60's and 70's "compact" GM cars we love so much (think 67 Nova) all came as front engine rear drive designs... but for the last twenty odd years all they've offered is frt/frt (think mid 80's to 00's Cavalier).  I mean,  sooner or later (sooner) we're going to need to start looking at these (mostly) lame ducks.  In the beggining we'll tell ourselves that "Hey man,  they're just for getting around town man." but soon it'll be: "Burnouts are cooler from the front tires!"

Either we need a way to side mount V8's into those Cavaliers and Sunbirds, or we need to begin looking for V6 upgrades.  And that breaks my heart. Aren't there some big cube northstar engined Caddies out there with frt/frt set up?  90's Eldo's and Devilles???  

Dear Car Craft:  Please build us an unruly Northstar powered, frt/frt, sleeper type, new style american muscle car.

The new Impala SS has a 303HP transverse mounted LS1 based small block, as does (I believe) the new Pontiac GTP.  The Buick platform (Lucerne?) has a relatively large Northstar V-8 in it.  In about 5 or 6 years these cars will be fairly cheap, and the Impala/Grand Prix should respond well to basic SBC tweaks.  I Have the ability to see the future, and I see one of those in a Cavalier in the not -to-distant future.  It won't be mine, unfortunately.  Also unfortunately, what magazine will show it?  Ricer Week?  Nope- american V-8.  CC?  Nope- front drive econobox.  Hot Rod?  Possible, but not probable.  It will happen though- bet on it.  

I think you've hit the nail on the head squarely.  I agree that there is not currently a magazine that would feature this  future car we've discussed.  In Car Craft's case it is only a matter of point of view.  Consider:  the indirect descendants of the muscle car era are the compact frt/frt designs we see today.  And I don't mean the brand new ones made in Asia (Cobalt/Pursuit/Optra/Aveo...),  I mean the newer Cav's/Sunbirds/GrandAMs/Neons and such.  Let's skip the 80's Chevettes and Acadians and go right to the 90's.  Literally millions of examples to choose from in the yards!  All it will take is a few articles regarding engine swapping.  And thats the CORE of Car Craft right there:  Engine swapping for bigger power.  And that is the root of the weakness in these cars:  sad little 1.8L 4 cylinder wheezers.  Of all the other magazines, Car Craft is ideally placed to do these articles.  American cars/ Junkyard crawling/ Engine swap. <--- SEE?! It's not exactly off their map.  Everyone just needs to hold their breath at the frt/frt part.  You're right: the rice mags won't touch it because it's American built.  

With the name of Mjolnir, are you a bodyman by trade?

Spray and pray.

Nope- I turned wrenches, not sanders.  My handle is a long and somewhat geeky explanation, so lets just leave it at that.

I have a Cavalier, and it came with the mighty push-rod 2.2 liter and a 5 speed.  I almost took a little old lady ina rascal yesterday.  Heads up- none of this bracket stuff.

I agree with you, but mentioning anything other than a RWD V8 around here is a flogging offense, and Freiburger knows it.