The Midwest’s Old and New Muscle Car Culture

The Midwest is a wonderworld of car culture. When the sun sets and headlights shine, many drivers bring their beauties to any well-known gearhead hangout. The late-night events of the Midwest are hosted by several young guns, who all want to congregate the masses for a moment in time that can only be described as relaxing and welcoming. Variety shows its face in the essence of this crowd, including some very impressive muscle cars – old and new. They trickle into the collection. Even though the crowd’s majority consists of imports, highlighting the impressive muscle cars of the after dark is what’s deemed most impressive. 

Welcome to the season finale Peaked Society event. A multi-location car meet hosted and conducted by local car lovers, all based in Chitown’s outcrops.

Classic Muscle

Although the crowd of classic muscle has dwindled down since its prime, there are a couple of vintage models that run from meet to meet in the area. This Chevy C-10 is a flatbed project that holds a small block Chevy and manual transmission. The C-10 may soon be packing an LS truck motor, according to the owner. It may even be this winter’s project for him. Until that day arrives, the truck will make its way around the area’s finest Chicago-style hotdog and burger joints. 

This Firebird is a real show stopper. The vehicle is a one-owner, low mileage dream. The car has made its way around shows plenty of times this season. The 305ci is tuned port injected and is set up on a relatively bone-stock platform, but the owner hopes to one day convert it to a small tire bracket car with a consistent ET. A little help from the endless products of the aftermarket and this car could turn up doing just that.

Modern Muscle

A group that calls themselves the SRT Squad is an organization designated for all modern Mopar Hellcats, Trackhawks, and 392 Scat Packs. This group travels in a synchronized convoy and cruises through each meet location before parking together in sequence. The group features plenty of unique 2015 and up Chargers, as well as some Challengers and a white Trackhawk. The Challenger above is the car that usually leads at the head of the pack. They’ve perfected their passion for controllably cruising and making appearances anywhere. When they arrive on the scene for the show, they bring their own to the table by singing those HEMI’s loud and proud. 

The SRT Squad isn’t the only cluster that celebrates the American V8. Countless Mustangs, Corvettes, and Camaros, as well as their truck siblings like F150s and Silverados, are dispersed throughout the herd. These cars also share a cosmetic and functional value of their own. Some of them wear drag radials, some others are jam-packed with a large cam and serious cubic inches. Almost all of them have an aftermarket exhaust system, a tune, and some engine bolt-on upgrades. 

This event proves that car culture is about more than dedication to your favorite car brand. The diversity of vehicle types and builds allows everyone the chance to get a glimpse of several eras of the automobile in the same parking lot. For that and for the community itself, it’s the very reason that there is so much life and love in the Midwest’s car scene.

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Matthew McMurray

Matt McMurray is a young writer, photographer and entrepreneur with a passion for the modern world of all things automotive. Having grown up in his dad’s garage, he spent extensive time at the drag strip – both behind the wheel and under the hood.
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