"I guarantee you one thing: when I'm gone, he'll drive it. Drive the wheels off of it! That's what it's all about," said Basil Ford as he smiled at his grandson Sawyer. Basil is the owner of this stunning 1970 Dodge Charger 500 SE, which was recently reviewed by Mike Musto as part of Hemmings' TESTED video series. In this episode, Musto takes a closer look at the details of this almost completely stock muscle car and considers how it holds up more than 50 years after it rolled off a Dodge assembly line.

The history of American muscle cars is closely intertwined with the history of another American car culture staple: NASCAR. Back in the late 1960s, cars like the Ford Torino, Mercury Cyclone, Plymouth Road Runner, and of course the Dodge Charger roared around the track in intense competitions. And as indicated by the old dealer axiom, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday," the cars that performed well also sold well to customers who were seeking high-performance street cars. This heritage inspired hot rod builder Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design to create this 1968 Charger with a 472ci Hemi V8 and some unique NASCAR-inspired elements.

Many classic car restoration projects focus on big tasks such as rebuilding the engine, refreshing the suspension and brakes, and preparing the body for paint. But smaller details, especially those the driver interacts with every time the vehicle leaves the garage, can't be overlooked. Door closure definitely falls into this category, since you can't enter or exit a vehicle without opening and shutting the door (unless you use the Dukes of Hazzard method). Unfortunately, many A-Body Dodge and Plymouth vehicles have metal door jamb striker posts that break loose over time, leading to doors that rattle and don't latch securely. In a recent article, Mopar Connection magazine showed how to fix this common issue.

"When you think of muscle cars, if there's a Holy Grail, it probably has to be this: the 1970 Hemi 'Cuda," said Jay Leno. On a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Leno met with Craig Jackson, the Chairman and CEO of the famous Barrett-Jackson Auction company. Jackson is the owner of this stunning, all-original Hemi 'Cuda, and he explained to Leno how he came to own this very special car. Despite its rarity and multi-million-dollar value, Jackson still drives and enjoys it.

How time flies! There have now been 74 annual Grand National Roadster Shows. The 74th GNRS took place on Friday, February 2 through Sunday, February 4, 2024, at the Pomona, CA Fairplex. Al and Mary Slonaker presented the first GNRS in 1950 in Oakland, CA. In 2004, the Grand National Roadster Show moved from Northern California to its present home at the Pomona Fairplex in Southern California.

"It's not perfect, and that's great. That's the whole point! You can slide this around in gravel, you can park it at Walmart and get dings, you can go enjoy some backroads. The kids can eat ice cream in it," said Derek Bieri of Vice Grip Garage. We can appreciate this sentiment, since keeping a classic car in flawless showroom condition is always a challenge, and accepting a car's small imperfections can make the day-to-day driving experience more relaxing. In a recent series of videos, Bieri shows how he saved this 1973 Duster from rusting away in a field, and rebuilt it with some parts from Classic Industries.

Automotive enthusiast Chris Figdore has an older brother named Steve. From 1969 to 1970, Steve served in the Marines in the Vietnam War. When Steve returned home from the service in the fall of 1972, he ordered a brand new 1973 Plymouth 'Cuda.

We've always known our classic cars are special and valuable, but it's interesting to see just how valuable some of them have become in recent years. Auctions of especially rare or noteworthy vehicles have run far into the six-figure range, and some have even broken the million-dollar mark. This 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible, equipped with a 440 Six-Pack engine and 4-speed transmission, recently sold for a whopping $800,000 at a Hemmings collector car auction. On top of its beautiful condition, this car has a pretty cool story behind it.

Among the rich and famous, there are many who have nice cars, but far fewer who seem to be true automotive enthusiasts. From what we've seen, renowned podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan falls into the latter category. In a previous article, we wrote about his gorgeous black 1969 Camaro built by Roadster Shop. That car features an 860-horsepower LSA V8 and a manual transmission. Rogan was clearly pleased with how it turned out, since he also handed over the keys to his custom 1970 Plymouth Cuda. The stunning results of this build were documented in a recent video by Autotopia LA.

This article's topic may be a sore subject for some readers. There are likely to be several gotchas in this list, where a gearhead or two (or several thousand for that matter) might have rushed headlong into purchasing and starting a classic car renewal project that goes awry and is hopelessly stalled. It's not something to beat yourself up about. It's called being human and making mistakes. Don't let the fear of making a boo boo or two get in your way of reading this article for some helpful hints on getting your old car project going or restarted. If you keep these muscle car restoration mistakes in mind, you won't fall victim to them in the future.

Our lead photo of a restored Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda is courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

The Most Common Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes