Ciprian Florea
7,284 ARTICLES
Personal motto:
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donohue
You'll never catch him drooling over the latest supercar but he could spend hours talking about why he loves 1940s windshield visors, Mopars, and Studebakers. Naturally, most of his stories are about barn finds and rare classics.
He can give you several reasons why speed and power are more about motorsport than silly street wandering, and Can-Am machinery tops his ridiculously fast all-time favorite car list. He claims he could die happy after a Rattlesnake Raceway ride in a Chaparral and a cup of coffee with Jim Hall on the other side of the table.
Before landing on these pages, Ciprian's work has been published on outlets like TopSpeed, AmericanMuscle, and ThisWeekInMotors.
Yellow 1970 Ford Mustang Is No Lemon, Packs Numbers-Matching Boss 302 V8
7 May 2024, 13:42 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Having introduced the Cobra Jet engine in mid-1968, Ford unleashed three new models for the 1969 model year. The Mach 1 arrived as a performance package, while the Boss twins debuted as limited-edition muscle cars with homologation purposes. The...
1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T Is a Museum-Grade Gem, Costs a Fortune
7 May 2024, 11:21 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Produced from 1970 to 1974, the first-generation Dodge Challenger was the shortest-lived Mopar of the golden era. It also spent only two years on the muscle car market because Chrysler discontinued its high-compression big-block engines in 1971. De...
Highly Optioned 1973 Dodge Challenger Rocks Original Top Banana Paint, No Rust
6 May 2024, 19:07 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1970, the Dodge Challenger joined the muscle car market thanks to range-topping options like the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI and the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB. But that didn't last long. After only two years in showrooms,...
Real-Deal 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible Shines in Mariner Turquoise
6 May 2024, 14:35 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced for the 1964 model year, the Pontiac GTO is widely regarded as America's first muscle car. This statement isn't exactly accurate because Chrysler sold 400+ horsepower intermediates as early as 1962 (the Max Wedge Mopars). Howev...
Mysterious 1970s Ford Maverick Found in a Junkyard Flexes Big Scoop, Meaty Hoosier Tires
6 May 2024, 12:29 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / In 2021, Ford revived the Maverick nameplate for a compact pickup truck slotted under the Ranger. However, this new vehicle has nothing in common with the original Maverick, which was a compact car. Introduced for the 1970 model year, the Maveri...
1959 Edsel Villager With Matching Yellowstone Camper Is Undeniably Vintage
3 May 2024, 19:42 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Ford Motor Company now offers two automobile brands: Ford and Lincoln. But did you know that FoMoCo owned an additional 18 brands over the years? The list includes automakers Ford has purchased, including Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover, and d...
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Has It All: Big Power, Matching Numbers, Cool Color Combo
3 May 2024, 16:23 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Produced from 1964 to 1977, the Chevrolet Chevelle spawned quite a few interesting iterations. The 1965 Z-16 is my all-time favorite Chevelle, but the 1970 SS is a close second. And I may be in the minority here because the 1970 Chevelle is arguabl...
Arizona Junkyard Is Home to Several Pre-WW2 Gems, Cadillacs and Packards Included
3 May 2024, 12:50 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to junkyard finds, everyone seems to be focusing on muscle cars from the golden era and 1950s vehicles. I guess that's what people restore the most nowadays because the pre-1940s rigs aren't getting as much attention. Well, ...
1963 Chevrolet Impala SS in Special-Order Color Looks Like a Gold Bar on Wheels
2 May 2024, 14:52 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1958 as a top-of-the-line Bel Air model restricted to two-door body styles, the Impala developed into a full lineup in 1959. In the 1960s, it gained a Super Sport version, and it was part of two important events: Chevrolet's 50th...
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Hidden in a Camaro Junkyard Is a Holy-Grail LS6
2 May 2024, 13:19 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1964 as Chevrolet's first venture into the midsize market, the Chevelle had developed into a fully-fledged muscle car by the end of the decade. In 1970, the company introduced a significant facelift, giving the Chevelle a more pr...
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A Took 5 Years To Restore, It's a One-of-One Gem
1 May 2024, 20:16 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Launched for the 1970 model year, the Dodge Challenger was a bit late to the muscle car party. And because Chrysler discontinued all high-compression big-block V8 engines in 1971, the nameplate had access to the big-boy V8s for only two years. But ...
Wrecked 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Is a Rare Mopar Begging for a Second Chance
30 Apr 2024, 14:59 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to derelict classic cars, we keep talking about barn finds and junkyard-bound rust buckets. Well, this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner proves that a restored oldtimer can also get into trouble. Once a gorgeous drop-top, this Mopar is now a ...
1970 Plymouth Superbird Almost Burned to the Ground, Owner Says It Will Run Again
30 Apr 2024, 12:31 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Built in just under 2,000 units, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird is a rare classic. Unfortunately, that didn't prevent many examples from becoming rust buckets as they were abandoned in barns and backyards. But did you ever see one burnt (almost) ...
Unrestored 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Emerges With Rust Holes and Continental Kit
29 Apr 2024, 20:30 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1955 with Chevrolet's first mass-produced V8 engine, the Tri-Five sold like hotcakes. Chevrolet moved no fewer than 1.77 million units that year. Impressively enough, almost half of them left the factory in range-topping Bel Air ...
1970 Ford Torino GT Mixes Stunning Grabber Blue Paint With Rare Features
29 Apr 2024, 14:35 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / In 1970, Ford gave the Mustang a styling update. Revisions included a so-called "less aggressive" look with single headlamps mounted inside the grille. Needless to say, some folks didn't like it, and Mustang sales dropped by a whoppi...
Abandoned Junkyard Hidden in the Woods Is Home to Hundreds of Classic Cars
29 Apr 2024, 11:53 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / A junkyard has many purposes, but it's also where abandoned cars are collected before being scrapped and recycled. But some junkyards are also abandoned before they're cleared, and the vehicles end up rotting away for decades. The scrapya...
1978 Dodge D150 Truck Parked for Decades Packs a Rare Diesel Surprise
28 Apr 2024, 14:53 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced for the 1961 model year, the D-Series truck is one of Dodge's longest-running nameplates. That's because it remained in production all the way until 1993. These workhorses were quite popular, and they're anything but rare ...
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Found in California Is a True LS6 With Matching Numbers
27 Apr 2024, 18:00 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Like most midsize cars of the era, the Chevrolet Chevelle was developed out of necessity and morphed into a fully-fledged muscle car. In 1965, one year after the Chevelle's introduction, Chevrolet rolled out the 375-horsepower Z-16. Some five ...
1978 Dodge D100 Warlock Surfaces in California With Rare Engine
27 Apr 2024, 12:34 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the arrival of America's most powerful production vehicles. Chrysler had the 425-horsepower HEMI, while GM dropped a 450-horsepower big-block in the Chevelle. Ford sold several nameplates with the Cobra Jet. ...
Adrian Newey Rumored To Leave Red Bull F1 Team
26 Apr 2024, 15:18 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Red Bull Racing design chief Adrian Newey is set to leave the Austrian team by the end of the season. Newey, whose current contract with Red Bull lasts until the end of 2025, reportedly wants to leave due to an ongoing internal power struggle betwe...