We’ve been at it again, surfing the listings in the online marketplace at Hemmings.com and finding cars we can imagine ourselves owning. This time around, we started a search for classic muscle with the usual suspects: a clean ’69 Mach 1 in classic Ford Candyapple Red. From there, we spotted a model that wasn’t necessarily intended to convey performance, yet somehow its image conjures thoughts of the drag strip: a 1964 Pontiac Catalina. This one wears American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels, which certainly help to make it seem like a performer, but a closer look reveals that the image runs more than skin deep, as a genuine 421 Super Duty engine lurks beneath its hood. Sticking with the theme of early ’60s cars that built credibility during the stock-class drag racing wars of that time, we came across a ’63 Plymouth Sport Fury with a rare factory four-speed; here again, period wheels hint at the intent, this time with Cragars. Take a look at the most recent batch of cars that made us think about going deeper into debt and then do some daydream-inducing shopping of your own over at Hemmings.com. 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Muscle Cars With ’60s Drag Strip Attitude Can Be Yours To Own Ford took an interesting approach when it introduced the Mach 1 variant of the popular Mustang for 1969. The new model had all the appearance and attitude of a muscle car, starting with the mandatory fastback body style. To that Ford added a blacked-out hood with a scoop and hood pins, along with aggressive side and tail striping that was even reflective. Styled steel wheels were also standard, as was the flip-open fuel cap. The brand-new 351-cu.in. “Windsor” V-8 was also included—a tall-deck version of Ford’s small-block that maintained the 4-inch bore of the 289 and 302 but added a ½-inch of stroke to make its 351 cubes. However, the version of the 351 that was standard in the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 used a two-barrel carb and single exhaust; buyers had to option up to the 351 4V to get dual exhaust and the corresponding cutouts in the rear valence that made way for quad tips. It seemed Ford was already realizing that while the image of a muscle car was admired by many, not everyone wanted to deal with (or pay for) the commensurate hardware to back up the look. It was a keen move—Ford sold more than 72,000 Mach 1s for 1969, most of them with the 351W, though breakouts for 2V and 4V are elusive. For those wanting more, the S-code 390 was also offered, as was the mighty 428 Cobra Jet. This Mach 1 was built with the 351 4V and the seller says the Candyapple Red paint is factory spec. What’s amazing is that this Mustang is said to have just beyond 16,000 original miles. “The only aftermarket parts on the car are the wheels,” says the seller, which may confuse some as the 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels look right on the Mach. However, they were only available on the Boss 302 in 1969; the Mach 1 received 14-inch styled steel wheels, which the seller says he also has. This is a desirable car in the right color and in what appears to be outstanding shape. 1964 Pontiac Catalina Even though the 1964 Pontiac Catalina was a mainstream, high-volume model, somehow the sight of one with Torq-Thrust wheels immediately evokes images of the drag strip. In the case of this particular big Cat, that image is more than skin deep: under the hood is a 421-cu.in. V-8 that is said to be a genuine Super Duty engine. If you’re not familiar, the 421 SD is something of a holy grail piece for the Pontiac faithful, made available to racers in the know in select 1962 model-year Pontiacs. However, engine production began during 1961, and some favored drag racers received 421 SD assemblies before Pontiac built any Super Duty-equipped cars. Perhaps chief among those Pontiac-sanctioned racers was Mickey Thompson, who is said to be the one that received the 421 SD that is now installed in the Catalina. The seller openly states that no paperwork exists to prove that, but somehow the lore still adds to this car’s aura. The 421 SD was short-lived, as the revised 1963 Catalina was cancelled in early 1963 by GM management in order to comply with the infamous AMA “racing ban” that manufacturers had agreed to. So, in a way, this 1964 Pontiac is a sort of “what if,” illustrating what a ’64 Catalina with a 421 SD might have looked like if Pontiac had been able to continue with that program. Beyond that, this is just a nice car—a good looking example of the stacked-headlamp full-size Pontiacs of the ‘60s that looked muscular despite of their size. It even has the optional tri-tone Ventura interior, a four-speed manual, and the listing says someone has performed a front disc-brake conversion. This is a great-looking car that’s probably a blast to drive when all eight barrels are opened up. 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury Before there was a GTX or a Road Runner, Plymouth had the Sport Fury for buyers seeking an air of, well, sportiness, mostly conveyed by its front bucket seats. However, Plymouth was genuinely interested in real performance, and to that end, offered a list of V-8 engines that ranged from mild to fairly wild for the time. Also, for the first time, 1963 Plymouth buyers could option a manual “four-on-the-floor” transmission, which even came with a Hurst shifter—very racy stuff at the time. This ’63 Sport Fury convertible has the 361-cu.in. V-8 with a two-barrel carb—not exactly a drag-strip stormer, but still an upgrade over the poly-head 318 V-8. The 361 is B-series engine, like the familiar Chrysler 383, and this one is said to have been factory equipped with the aforementioned four-speed manual. The seller also says this car has been repainted in its factory color just once, and has never had any rust, and the undercarriage images seem to support this. Overall, the car appears quite nice, and the seller also has a set of Cragar S/S wheels along with the stock steel wheels and wheel covers. The 1963 Plymouth intermediate models like this Sport Fury have an image that appeals to muscle car fans, due in large part to the stock-class drag racing exploits these cars were involved with in the ‘60s. This one has the right recipe for enjoyable top-down, four-speed cruising excursions. The post Muscle Cars With ’60s Drag Strip Attitude Can Be Yours To Own appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.