What Unfinished Man reader wouldn’t like to have a collector car nestling in their garage? Your daily commuter car complete with door dings, food spills, weather deterioration issues, and high mileage can sit out in the street. Oh yeah, the collector vehicle gets the garage spot.
My collector car favorites are sixties and early seventies muscle cars. Now, for your approval, I’d like to present some personal picks of cool classic collectible cars featuring a Shaker hood. Think of me as a good friend helping you to spend a little of your hard earned doh-ray-me. (Or give you something to dream about, anyways.)
Muscle Car Movers and Shakers – Shaker Hood Styling
I always think of styling first, because if your car doesn’t look good, who really wants to be seen in it anyway? Now that you have found your choice of a cool and hopefully classic body style – we can all agree that mechanicals are next in importance to put the “go” in the “show”.
Unlike most of today’s high performance offerings, open the hood of an early muscle car and you can actually see an engine. At idle, said engine was likely not purring like a kitten nor smooth as a sewing machine. Oh no, carburetors, aggressive cam shaft grinds, and high compression meant those engines were vibrating and quivering like a bolted down Frankenstein waiting to get a jolt of fuel!
What’s the best way for all your senses to enjoy that raw power potential at idle while sitting in the driver’s seat? You can hear it, you can feel it. Wouldn’t it be just too cool if you could actually see it? Thankfully, some Detroit stylists came up with an option that does let you see what’s shaking in the engine bay. It’s an option known as a Shaker, or a Shaker hood. Not many muscle car models came from the factory with Shakers. Too bad there weren’t more, because I love the look and I love the concept! Check out and enjoy these fine examples of Shaker hood equipped muscle cars.
