If you’ve been missing the absurd comedy of the Cars and Zebras YouTube channel, fear not, because your favorite striped, shades-wearing muscle car lover is back in the thick of it. This time, C&Z is checking out a drag race between a 1970 Buick GS 455 and 1968 Dodge Charger, two highly original muscle cars lining up for three runs down the quarter mile. Per usual, we get a walk around and specs for each vehicle before the entirety of the three-run shootout.
Let’s start with the Dodge. As the video host points out and Steve McQueen fans will recognize, the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T was the baddies’ ride in the legendary chase scene from the movie Bullitt, with this particular model packing the 440 Magnum V8 engine. Output when new was rated 375 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 480 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. Equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and Dana 60 rear axle with 3.54 gears, the Charger should have plenty of performance. That said, the charger isn’t exactly a featherweight, tipping the scales at roughly 4,130 pounds, including driver.
On the other side of the strip is the 1970 Buick GS 455, which the host refers to as a “grandma’s sleeper car.” Although the GS 455 might not look as aggressive as the Charger, it still packs a serious punch, with a 455 V8 rated at 350 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and a mammoth 510 pound-feet of torque at a mere 2,800 rpm. The Buick also sports a four-speed manual transmission and 3.42 rear gears. Despite the specs, the Buick is a heavyweight as well, crushing the pavement at 4,260 pounds, including driver.
After listing off the specs and a giving a walk around, the video gets to the racing around the four-minute, 27-second mark, serving up three rounds of side-by-side action, including the cars’ ET and trap speed. Which machine do you think will take the W? Check out the full video for yourself right here:
Comments
Nice! I’d still take that 68 Charger, gorgeous car.
For those interested, there are a lot of old drag racing videos on youtube, muscle car drags, pure stock , etc. Some dating back to the 80s pulled from old VHS tapes, lol.
Pro tip for Charger driver: Hit the brakes AFTER the trap.
That Buick was dead consistent.
14.16 all 3 times.
He would CRUSH in bracket racing.
agree with the consistant times. not his first time at a strip or tree light starts. he would be hard to beat in bracket racing. especially . on the street / side by side with similar displacement engines and HP, he would lose over half the time. The Chevelle big block 454 was the feared street machine in early 70s. I know. I got beat often driving a Mopar 440 R/T @ 375 rated HP. The chevelles stance and power to weight ratio were just perfect for street racing. Some of the earlier big block 396s were same. Factory spects were way off due to higher insurance. I was there and I remember the butt kicking I got several times by those “BIG BLOCKS”. Underated on purpose.
Hate to crush all you Buick GS 455 fans but video is misleading. First race the Buick red lighted. 2 & 3 race were better but Charger driver was slow out of the hole. got behind and Buick pulled away. Race over . Back in 1970 I had a 1967 Cornet R/T 440 magnum 4 spd w/3.54 Dana rear geer & factory rated 375 HP. A co worker just bought a 1970 Buick GS 450 and I listened to his mouth for about a week before asking him to put his money where his mouth was. We took an extra 15 minute lunch break on a near by one half mile stretch and I had a witness with me adding another 190 lbs to my weight. we went on the green light traffic light and the R/T pulled away 3 straight times similar to the Buick did in the video. He did have the automatic tranny so slight difference. Did not speak to me for a week and nerver heard anythig else about GS being the fastest street machine where we worked. I made an extra paycheck that day. Same thing with a 68 Plymouth GTX. The R/T was just faster period 4 speed vrs. auto both times. Something about the heads and compression on the 67′ just made more HP than later versions of same engine. Maybe someone {engine expert} can explain but I had run local drag strips in pure stock and knew how to swap the gears faster than the automatic. Won some / lost some usually on a missed shift 2nd to 3rd. shift linkege was sloppy worn out . Changed to a Hurst linkage and rarely lost ever again in PURE STOCK.