Muscle engines of the past

[pwd72s]

fun little article:

https://www.slashgear.com/1382419/most-iconic-engines-golden-era-muscle-cars/?zsource=msnsyndicated

[masraum]

Fun article. Pretty basic list, but reasonable. I was a little surprised that the SBC and 302 made the list. I expected it to be 426, 440, 454, 460, 429, 427, etc...

[red 928]

nuff said

https://www.slashgear.com/author/justinowen/

[Por_sha911]

I put a 396/375 in my `67 Chevelle SS.
Holley double pumper dual feed 4 barrell on an Edlebrook high rise manifold.
Hooker 2 inch pipes and 3.5 inch collectors with Green Monster glass pack mufflers.
456 gears in the rear.
Used straight 50 weight oil.
Ran on Sunoco 280 super premium fuel.

It was a torque monster!

EDIT: It had a Lunati SOLID LIFTER CAM. Who'd of thought 30 years later I'd own another solid lifter motor in my `87 Carrera...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I put a 396/375 in my `67 Chevelle SS.
Holley double pumper dual feed 4 barrell on an Edlebrook high rise manifold.
Hooker 2 inch pipes and 3.5 inch collectors with Green Monster glass pack mufflers.
456 gears in the rear.
Used straight 50 weight oil.
Ran on Sunoco 280 super premium fuel.

It was a torque monster!

Yep, the 396 was capable of being a beast. It's introduction was as a 425hp variant in '65, I'm pretty sure.

[Por_sha911]

[Steve Carlton]

My vote is for the 1969 Camaro ZL1. Only 69 made, so there's that.

[red 928]

Beginning in 1970, Chevy decided to bore the 396 out to make a total displacement of 402 cid.
No vehicles had the original 396 after 1969, with the exception of the Chevy C/K trucks, which had it until 1970.

Yet, while Chevy may have upped the displacement to 402, the marketing department evidently didn’t get the memo.
Chevy continued to brand the new 402 as either a 396 big block or as a new “Turbo-Jet 400.”
To make things even more complicated, there actually was another 400 cid small block engine.
Chevy marketed the small block as the “Turbo-Fire 400,” to contrast with the Turbo-Jet.
In 1972, Chevy finally cut the BS and started referring to the LS-3, the only 402 left, by its proper displacement.
They then promptly discontinued the engine the following year

.

https://musclecarclub.com/chevy-396-402-big-block-guide/#From396to402cid

[Por_sha911]

Back in the 60's Chevy was the a budget hot rodders best friend. Parts were interchangeable. IE: You could take heads from a small block Chevy and it would fit any other small block...

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by red 928

Yet, while Chevy may have upped the displacement to 402, the marketing department evidently didn’t get the memo.
Chevy continued to brand the new 402 as either a 396 big block or as a new “Turbo-Jet 400.”
To make things even more complicated, there actually was another 400 cid small block engine.
Chevy marketed the small block as the “Turbo-Fire 400,” to contrast with the Turbo-Jet.

The LS7 was a cool motor. Normally aspirated small block 427 (7.0 liter).

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

EDIT: It had a Lunati SOLID LIFTER CAM. Who'd of thought 30 years later I'd own another solid lifter motor in my `87 Carrera...

Wait...you think that your 911 has lifters?

It's an overhead cam engine. No lifters. A Chevy V-8 is a pushrod motor. Has lifters.

[GH85Carrera]

I am participating in a car show in Guthrie, OK this coming Saturday. They always have a lot of 60s muscle cars, and restomods done at home. Most of those cars will have the engine compartment open to display their engines. Most modern cars like the Porsches and many other makes hide the engine in the car and there is nothing to see.

Of course with modern technology, those monster fast muscle cars of the past would be embarrassed at the drag strip by a Camry grocery getter with a 4 cylinder engine. There will be few if any grocery getters at the show.

[wdfifteen]

In 1966 VW stroked the venerable 1200cc 40 hp to 69mm and a whopping 1300cc. That, a new cam, and a 30mm carburetor bumped the horsepower 25% to a whopping 50bhp. A 25% increase in one fell swoop. Do that in your "muscle car."

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by speeder

Wait...you think that your 911 has lifters?

It's an overhead cam engine. No lifters. A Chevy V-8 is a pushrod motor. Has lifters.

lmao

[Superman]

The L88 engine was a monster, but quite rare. Very small production run over three years, I think. Those 'Vettes would be worth a fortune today and probably VERY few exist now.

The 426 was absolutely the dominant engine at drag races back in the day because they were more available and nothing else made as much power.

Today there are 8-second Hondas. Time marches on I suppose, but I'd rather have a Hemi 'Cuda than any Honda. And no, your grocery-getter is not going to out-pull one.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by speeder

Wait...you think that your 911 has lifters?

It's an overhead cam engine. No lifters. A Chevy V-8 is a pushrod motor. Has lifters.

OK, good catch. Guilty of bad terminology (not ignorant of technology). Must have had a Senior moment.

What I was trying to say is that I never thought I'd have to do valve adjustments again. With the Chevelle, even with locking lifters (which were a racers aftermarket item to help reduce the need for frequent adjustments) they would get loose from the power and RPMs. Obviously, the lifter adjustment on the Carrera is also a needed regularly scheduled maintenance.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Of course with modern technology, those monster fast muscle cars of the past would be embarrassed at the drag strip by a Camry grocery getter with a 4 cylinder engine. There will be few if any grocery getters at the show.

Maybe you've never driven a 9 or 10 second quarter mile muscle car. The Camry has more horsepower but the muscle car has brute torque. The Camry will embarrass the muscle car the first time it tries to take curves at speed.

Also, muscle cars are about what the driver can do and what the owner has done to the motor to make it fast. Modern cars are owned by checkbook mechanics.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Maybe you've never driven a 9 or 10 second quarter mile muscle car. The Camry has more horsepower but the muscle car has brute torque. The Camry will embarrass the muscle car the first time it tries to take curves at speed.

Also, muscle cars are about what the driver can do and what the owner has done to the motor to make it fast. Modern cars are owned by checkbook mechanics.

I fully understand! I have only owned German cars, and my El Camino. Parts are astonishingly cheap for old Chebbys. I have only paid for one alternator, water pump, or starter in 31 years and 340,000+ miles. Love me some lifetime warranties. Heck I bought a brand new, not rebuilt, not re-manufactured but 100% new 350 engine for the El Camino and delivered to my garage, it was $1,700.0. I pulled the old engine out and put the new one in over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Rear wheel drive, and a V8 are lots of fun and plentiful.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Maybe you've never driven a 9 or 10 second quarter mile muscle car.

Correct. I missed out on that.
For most of my life I felt I was culturally above such lowlife redneck nonsense. I spelled rallye with an "e."
I'm more open minded now. Sounds like 10 seconds of fun. We all have regrets.

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Maybe you've never driven a 9 or 10 second quarter mile muscle car.

Those are in insanely low ETs. What kind of car? Had to be a drag racer, not even close to anything ever sold for the street.