Generally, I discuss late models on this blog, the main focus being Fox platform Mustangs. But, since I love all the brands, and eras, I’m going to do a list (in no particular order) of the best “under the radar” performance cars of all time. Yeah, I know, these sorts of lists are generally nothing more than self-serving wastes of space. And, yeah, it’s been done a million times. But…. well, it is my blog. So here we go.

1. 1968 Pontiac Ram Air II Firebird. Until the introduction of the 89 Turbo T/A, this had to have been one of the fastest production Pontiacs ever. Sure, I’m aware of the 455 SD, and I understand how special it was, but I still think the 68 Ram II was quicker and faster in the quarter. Never heard of a Ram Air II? Google “Jim Mino” and “Rick Mahoney” and get educated on just how brutal this unassuming little Pontiac can be.
2. 1968 Olds Ram Rod 350. The little Cutlass that could. Released as a countermeasure to silence dealer-backed Olds racers who were complaining loudly about the disappointing performance of their new small-bore, long-stroke W-30 442s, the Ram Rod ended up as one of the better Olds straight line machines ever built. Essentially a 350 Cutlass with the W-30 equipment added, they also came with Scheiffer clutches, special cylinder heads, and engines that were truly hand built. Only around 500 were produced, and every one was capable of destroying most anything else on the street at the time, at least in near stock form. Plus, the sleeper factor was priceless. “C’mon, man, gimme the leave. It’s just a 350 Cutlass.”
3. 1971 Pontiac T-37 455 HO.Surprise, another Pontiac. While the Tin Indian crowd is most often associated with high profile image cars like the GTO and Trans Am, the fact is that Pontiac built some of the best sleepers in the business. The T-37 was the base, entry-level, taxi cab style mid size offering from Pontiac in 71. The great thing about being a Pontiac fan in 71 was that, unlike previous years, you could get any engine in any trim level in the A-body line. The 455 HO, while missing a few points of compression, was probably one of the best all-around performance engines to come off of Pontiac’s assembly line yet. Combine it with the plainer-than-white-bread T-37, and you had one of the great sleepers of all time.
4. 1970.5 Ford Falcon 429 SCJ.For 1970 only, the Falcon nameplate was moved to the midsize Fairlane line as an entry level budget leader, similar to the T-37 above. Also like the T-37, the Falcon was available with almost any engine in Ford’s line-up, including the 11.3:1, solid cammed 429 Super Cobra Jet. If “sleeper” isn’t good enough, aim for “clinically dead” and forgo the Ram Air option and its attendant shaker hood scoop.  
5. 1960 Ford 352/360HP.When was the last time you saw one of these at the local cruise night? After adhering strictly to the 1957 AMA ban on motorsports activities, the departure of Robert McNamara allowed high-performance to come out into the open once again at Ford. The 360 horsepower 352 was Ford’s first shot in a war that would rage, to one extent or another, to this day. Although the solid cammed 352 was available in any full size Ford, it was the basic Custom 2-dr sedans that did most of the heavy lifting on drag strips across the country. For all it’s importance as the package that truly marked Ford’s return to the performance scene, it seems to have been largely forgotten today, even by FoMoCo herself.
6. 1969 Buick GS400 Stage 1.Since a quiet day in Florida back in 1984, everyone knows about the 70 455 Stage 1 Buick. Especially the Mopar guys. But how many are aware of the smaller, 400 cube version. Despite what some think, the Stage 1 package wasn’t born in 1970, but 1969. Okay, sure, the 68-69 Buick styling is a little hard to take, and yes, it’s giving up 55 cubes to its much more famous descendant, but the 69 Stage 1 was a serious package capable of putting a serious hurt on most other cars at the time.
7. 1957 Dodge D-501.Many folks have never even heard of a D-500, not to mention the much more obscure D-501. What was it? Basically, an entry level Dodge 2-dr sedan with a modded Chrysler Hemi, and a truckload (literally) of special parts. Originally intended for NASCAR, a series of unfortunate events led to the program’s cancellation even before the AMA ban took effect. Production of the cars had already begun, and Dodge elected to simply dump them on unsuspecting dealers for retail sale. Less than a handful exist today, and less than a handful of people are aware of their existence.
8. 1960 Super Duty Pontiac.Most people associate the Super Duty program with the popular and well known 62 and 63 cars, but the program actually began much earlier. Although it was an over-the-counter deal only, it was possible to walk into a Pontiac dealer in 1960 and walk out with one of the hottest cars available at the time. Special engine and driveline parts along with certain lightweight body panels were all available for installation. The package was extremely potent, as demonstrated by Jim Wanger’s success with the Royal Pontiac Hot Chief No. 1 (speaking of which, WHERE IS THIS CAR???!!!). Perhaps due to the dealer installed nature of the package, along with the fact that the term “Super Duty” was not yet widely used or known, the 60s seem to have faded into obscurity, which is a real shame in my opinion. Incidentally, many of the Super Duty pieces were available over the counter in 59, as well. I picked the 60 for this list strictly because I think it’s the better looking car.
9. 1953 Hudson Hornet 7-X.A what???? That’s right sports fan, a Hudson. While a flathead straight six generally isn’t most people’s idea of a performance engine, the Hudson Hornet was one of the most feared NASCAR stockers of the 1950’s. Available for dealer installation was a special racing engine, designated 7-X, which generated more power than most OHV V-8s of the time. The 7-X was shepherded to life by two performance legends, Smokey Yunick and Vince Piggins, and Hudson’s performance program included a myriad of hop-up parts for the flattie. Rare as hen’s teeth 60 years ago, and even more so today, seeing a Hornet with it’s as-delivered 7-X still in place should be on every car guy’s bucket list. 

10 1966 Olds 442 W-30. A little more well-known than some others here, it still deserves a mention. The 1970 W-30 cars have long since joined the ranks of “mainstream” muscle, but like its Buick Stage 1 cousin, many people are unaware of the package’s origins. Originally built to do battle with Tri-Power GTOs and 390 Mercury Cyclones in NHRA competition, the first W-30 was supremely successful. Based on the RPO L-69 Tri-Carb 442, the W-30 added Outside Air Induction by way of a hand formed shroud that fit over the three Rochester 2-bbls along with some old hot-rodder tricks like a hotter cam, better valve springs, trunk mounted battery, and 4.33 gears. The package was available over the counter as the Track Pack, but only 54 factory-built examples rolled out of Lansing that first year, and far fewer made it out of the 60s alive. After a slow start in 64 and 65, the 66 442 came out swinging, racking up win after win in C/Stock and SS/E. The only negative here is that Olds didn’t build more; the 66 W-30 is one of my favorite Rockets of all time.

11 Bonus: 1970 Ford Maverick Boss 302. Never made one, you say? Well, you’re right, to an extent. But the package was available from certain performance-oriented Ford dealers such as Foulger Ford in California. The basic swap was a serious performer, too, capable of 13-second blasts on street tires. Rumor has it that Ford actually considered this combo for production, and a few engineering mules were constructed. At least one set of Boss ‘2 Maverick exhaust manifolds with experimental part #s exists.