1970 1 2 Z28

Greg Zyla: My top 10 pony cars

Q: Hi, Greg, I really like auto nostalgia and enjoy your column. I know you do top 10 lists every now and then, and I would like to know your top 10 pony cars of all time. I’m hoping the Ford Mustang makes your list! Thanks, John M., a Ford lover from Pennsylvania.

A: John, here’s my all-time top 10 pony car list, and indeed the Mustang makes my list several times. Here they are, in no particular order.

1: 1968 Mustang Cobra Jet 428: Although rated at only 335 horses, the 428 Cobra Jet produced way more horses (425) with headers and a few ignition tweaks, and was a pony car to be feared. Did very well on the nation’s drag strips in Super Stock eliminator. If you wanted a Mercury, it was the Cougar Eliminator 302 or 428!

2:  1968 Camaro Z28: One of Chevy’s most collectible, the Z28 had a Muncie 4-speed, 302 with solid lifter cam and either one or two four-barrel carbs. This car set the stage for Chevy’s “Z” cars.

3: 1970 AAR Challenger/Cuda: With a 340 6-pack for power and SCCA Trans Am Racing for inspiration, these rare Dodge/Plymouth small blocks are now few and far between in matching number originals. With special side exhaust, stripes and lettering, the 6-pack AAR is an attention getter at car shows coast to coast.

4: 1969 Boss Mustang: With a 302 under the hood and excellent cylinder heads breathing lots of air into the chambers, the Boss 302 cast a legend in stone as one of the top collector pony cars of the era. Want more? How about a priceless 429 Boss Hemi Ford … if you can afford one.

5: 1969 Camaro SS 396-375: This big-block monster was heavy in the front and didn’t handle like a “Z,” but if you were going straight, few cars around would get to the quarter-mile finish ahead of you. I know, as I owned one.

6:  1969 Shelby Mustang: In either GT350 (351-V8) or GT500 (428-V8) form, the Shelby Mustang might be the most popular pony cars of all time. Rare and very expensive nowadays, this is Carroll Shelby’s Mustang effort following his wildly popular sports car - the AC Bristol-bodied Ford Cobra.

7:  1970 Hemi Cuda: With 426 inches of MOPAR Hemi power under the hood and 425 horses in a de-tuned state, few ponies could outrun one of these rare pieces. Also one of the most expensive cars currently going over the action blocks.

8: 1970 AMC Donohue Javelin: Be it the two-seater AMX or the back-seat Javelin, AMC receives a nod from this scribe. Be it a 390 or 401 under the hood, these “Ramblers” were good looking and affordable. The Mark Donohue Javelin released in 1970 was AMC’s answer to the AAR Cuda, and came with a 360 or 390 “Go Pack” V8. Roger Penske Racing took a Javelin to many wins on the Trans Am circuit, including a manufacturer championship for AMC in 1971 with Donohue driving.

1970 1/2 camaro z28 drag car

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