Not exactly stock....But really badass....

As a follow-up to the last post I was talking to some people and they asked about the Pure Stock drag champion Corvette I mentioned in an earlier post. They wanted clarification because I'd said it was an L88 427, but it wasn't numbers-matching. What I meant was it wasn't even a "real" L88. The car was a 390 hp model, and the owner had rebuilt the engine to L88 specs. Anyhow-today with the help of the manufacturers and the aftermarket it's possible to build a premium "King Kong" engine for a fraction of what buying a "real" one would cost. Here's some examples. # 1. "Boss" 302 / 351 Ford. Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer high-performance aluminum "Cleveland" style heads that will bolt up to and have the water jackets to be compatible with 302 / 351W blocks. Edelbrock offers "E-Boss" manifolds that have the proper deck height and bolt-patterns to make this combo work. So it would be pretty easy to build your own "Boss" 302 / 351 engine. Further-like I said in the last post-with the stroker crank kits out there available cheaply-how about a 347 or 392 inch "Boss" motor? That would give your Mustang or Cougar or whatever some serious hp and torque. # 2. L88 / LS6 / LS7 427 / 454 Chevy. Junkyards are full of '70's and '80s trucks with 454s. If you want a 454-you've got it, just rebuild it with rings and bearings, or pistons, whatever it needs. If you want a 427-Eagle, GMPP and other companies offer 3.76 inch stroke crank and piston kits that will work in a 454 block and make 427 inches. You'll also need a different flywheel and balancer, ( 427s are internally balanced, 454s are externally balanced ) but that's a no-brainer. Crane, Lunati, and Comp Cams all sell exact replicas of the original L78 / LS6 and L88 / LS7 solid-lifter cams. Merlin sells the rectangular port high-performance iron heads. ( Much cheaper than aluminum ) and GMPP sells the intake manifold. Or if your not super-anal about it being exactly "Spec"-it's not original anyway-you could use an Edelbrock Performer RPM. This combo won't exactly be dirt-cheap; but it'll be less than half of what you'd have to spend for a "real" LS6, L88 or LS7.  # 3. Ram Air IV 400 Pontiac. This one is so easy it's almost criminal. 400s were standard equipment in virtually every Pontiac ever made from 1967-78. Edelbrock's round-port Performer RPM heads are exact replicas of the vaunted factory RAIV heads. You'll need some round-port headers, but Hooker and Hedman have you covered. Ames performance and NPD offer aluminum RAIV / 455HO replica intakes or you could use an Edelbrock Performer or Performer RPM. Crane, Lunati, Comp Cams and Edelbrock all offer RAIV spec cams. And again-with help from Eagle or Butler Performance-you could put a crank kit in it to make a 433 or 461. Would a 461 inch RAIV make your Firebird or LeMans or GTO "Jules' Wallet?  Does a bear crap in the woods?  # 4. "W30" 400 / 425 / 455 Olds. Edelbrock offers high-performance aluminum heads for these engines. I personally like the original Torker on these engines-the mid-range and top-end rush is awesome-but the Performer and Performer RPM work well too. Lunati and Comp Cams offer "W30" spec cams; however I prefer their one Bracket Master profile-it has slightly less duration-and a better idle than the W30, yet has MORE lift. ( The W30 has 232 duration @ .050 and .474 lift. The BM has 224 / 234 duration @.050 and .496 / .520 lift ) This cam pulls hard to 6,500 rpm. # 5. "W31" 350 / 403 Olds. The original "W31" 350 was grossly under-rated at 325 hp. ( The basic "station wagon" 350 had 310 hp; the W31 with special heads,intake and exhaust manifolds, and a 308 degree cam only made 15 more hp, yet needs a 4-speed and 3.90:1 or 4.33:1 gears? Puhleeze. ) Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their Performer RPM package on a 350. I'd build a 403-everything interchanges with a 350-and the 53 extra cubes should put you well over 400 hp, and have a better idle. # 6. "Stage 1" 400-430-455 Buick. The vaunted "Stage 1" 455 in the 1970 GSX is legendary among musclecar fans. With only 678 built-their pretty much a moon rock. However-Buick fans needn't despair. Edelbrock offers aluminum heads and Performer and B4B intakes for these engines. Comp cams and T/A performance offer cams. TTI and Hooker offer headers.  # 7. Cobra-Jet 390 Ford. This is my invention. If your building a Thunderbolt Fairlane clone or a GT500 Shelby clone or restoring a '69-70 Mach 1 or Cougar Eliminator-the chances of you finding a running or at least rebuildable 427 or 428 Ford is almost nil. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning on the golf course. However, all "FE" engines are externally identical and the 390 was used in just about every Ford car and truck built from 1961-76. There's millions of them out there. Edelbrock claims 452 hp and 428 lbs of torque from their Performer RPM package on a 390. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly, but 450 honest hp will turn any street cat into an absolute rocket. Further, Eagle and other companies offer crank and piston combinations to get as much as 447 inches from a 390 block.  Any of these combinations would make your street machine seriously badass, at a fraction of the cost of the "Real Deal".  Mastermind    

How to look "Stock"...But be badass....

I get a lot of people asking me how can they keep their musclecars looking stock, yet still get killer performance. It's possible-but the key words are "looking stock."  There's several areas where you can stealthily gain large chunks of hp and torque and mechanical advantage.  # 1. Increase displacement. The old saying-"There's no substitute for cubic inches, except cubic dollars" is still true. However-here's where you have to be willing to compromise a little. I can fully understand not wanting to bore and stroke and then abuse a numbers-matching block. If that's the case-then put the precious numbers-matching original engine on a stand in a plastic bag in your garage. You now have two choices-you can buy a high-performance crate engine-GMPP, Blueprint Engines, Ford SVT, Mopar Performance,Edelbrock, and other companies all sell mega-hp crate engines ranging from 302 to 572 cubic inches. That's the easy-and expensive way. The crate engines start at $4,000 and go up to $15,000 plus depending on how radical you want to be. You can buy anywhere from 300 to 800 hp, the only limit being your wallet and imagination. If you can afford to do that-then write that big check and have fun. If your like to rest of us-you may have to get a junkyard engine and re-build that. The upside is the aftermarket is full of stroker crank kits to turn a 302 Ford into a 347 or a 363, s 350 Chevy into a 383, a 351W Ford into a 392, or a 427, a 360 Mopar into 408, a 400 Mopar into a 451, a 400 Pontiac into a 433 or 461, a 454 Chevy into a 482 and a 460 Ford into a 514. I'm sure theres others I missed, but you get the point. Which is all other things being equal-whether it's a 302 / 347, 350 / 383, 400 / 461 or whatever-the larger engine is going to make substantially more power and torque with the same equipment. # 2. Cylinder Heads. A couple of perfect examples-Small-Block Chevy "Vortec" heads breathe better than any other factory head and many aftermarket ones. Last time I checked you could buy a brand-new complete pair from Scoggin-Dickey for $650. That's a screaming bargain. Most machine shops charge more than that to do a decent valve job on your old heads. You will need a Vortec bolt-pattern intake, but GMPP, Edelbrock, Weiand, and Holley have got you covered. Granted, an aluminum intake won't look stock-( you could paint it the factory color to be stealthy ) but the Iron heads will and the hp and torque gain will be huge-40 hp from the heads and another 25-30 from the intake. The same goes for small-block Mopar "Magnum" heads. They breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones, and they will bolt up to older ( pre-'92 ) blocks, and Edelbrock makes "Magnum" compatible intakes. Ford "Explorer" heads breathe better than a lot of factory and aftermarket heads for the 302. Late '70's "6X" heads breather better than any Pontiac head except the vaunted Ram Air IV / 455HO / 455SD heads. You may have to read up on certain engine lines, and maybe consult a Hollander interchange manual ( the "Bible" that junkyards use to know which parts are compatible with multiple applications ) but every manufacturer has certain heads that breathe better than others, and are relatively plentiful in junkyards. # 3. Carburation. A lot of people don't know it-but the Autolite 4bbl on many 289 and even 351W Mustangs only flows about 470 cfm, which really isn't enough even for a stock engine. Replacing that with a 600 cfm Holley or Edelbrock carb will give you a big boost in performance. The Carter AVS that came on most 383 / 440 Mopars from 1966-71 only flows about 585 cfm. A 440 V8 with a 585 cfm carb is like a 250 lb NFL running back trying to run while breathing through a straw. Switching to an 800 cfm Edelbrock Thunder AVS-you'll get by in shows under the "original type" rule-and you'll notice a big bump in oomph. Same with the Carter AFBs that came on '64-66 GTOs, 409 Impalas, and others. They flowed about 500 cfm. Switch to a 750 Carter or Edelbrock.  # 4. Exhaust. Even if you don't want headers or can't run them because of class rules-many musclecars have restrictive stock exhaust systems. A good set of duals with free-flowing mufflers and a balance tube or an x-pipe can free up 25-30 hp even behind stock iron exhaust manifolds. # 5. Camshaft. Here you can make a large amount of extra power that no one can see. The main thing is follow the cam manufacturer's recommendations-their usually spot-on, and especially if you have an engine under 400 cubes with an automatic transmission-err on the side of caution. Larger engines can tolerate more "cam" without ill effects because they generally have more low-end torque to start with, and can afford to lose some-you usually trade some low-end for an increase in the mid-range and top-end. Manual transmission cars can tolerate more "cam" than automatics because idle quality isn't as important and the driver can launch at whatever rpm he desires by manipulating the clutch. For example-the old standby-the "350 hp" 327 Corvette cam for small-block Chevys. This cam would absolutely ruin a 283 or a 305 regardless of transmission. It will work pretty good in a 327 with a 4-speed and 3.55:1 or stiffer gears, great in a 350 with a 4-speed or an automatic and 3.42:1 gears, and be really sweet in a 383 / 400 even with an automatic and 3.08:1 gears. See what I'm saying? # 6. Mechanical advantage. Swapping some 2.73:1 or 3.08:1 gears for some 3.55:1s or 3.73:1s will give you a boost in acceleration without hurting fuel economy or freeway cruising rpm too much. A torque converter with a slightly higher stall speed will help immensely if you have an automatic. But don't go overboard-unless you have something really radical-a converter with a stall speed between 2,000-2,500 rpm is usually enough for most applications. Especially with big-blocks-a converter with 3,000+ rpm of stall speed will probably just give you excessive wheelspin, and have quite a bit of slippage motoring around town. If you actually NEED a 4,000 rpm converter, then maybe your combo is a little TOO radical!!  Hope these tips help everyone out. Mastermind

Answers to FAQ's....( Frequently Asked Questions )

I often get asked the same questions by many different people. When that happens I assume that there's a lot of people who want this information, but don't know where to find it. Well I aim to please, so maybe these FAQ's and their answers will help some people out. # 1. Why are some engines basically treated like boat anchors and others are sought after and frequently built up by enthusiasts and magazines?  Sometimes it's because it's an obsolete design-I'm sure there's street rodders to this day that play with Flathead Fords-but at any car show or drag race your going to see a lot more small-block Chevys and Winsdsor Fords-i.e.-289,302,351Ws-than you are Flatheads. Other factors can simply be that even though they belong to a modern, popular engine family their too small to make serious power. For example-unless your restoring a '57 Chevy to the nth degree for Concours Show Competitions why would anyone want a 283 Chevy V8? When theirs millions of 327's and 350's out there that cost no more to buy or build, but make substantially more power and torque with the same equipment. Ditto for a 273 or 318 Chrysler. A 340 or 360 costs no more to build yet makes way more power. The same goes for 326 and 350 Pontiacs. Pontiacs are externally identical from a 326 to a 455. A 389,400,421,428 or 455 costs no more to buy or build than a 326/ 350-yet makes twice the power. Further-the big-port, big valve heads that the larger engines use to make all that power can't be used on the small-bore 326 / 350s-the valves will hit the block. People talk about notching the block for clearance, but why? A 400 / 455 is still going to make way more power and torque,all other things being equal. Another factor could be that there is zero aftermarket support. I know guys who have swapped 472 / 500 inch Cadillac V8's into Chevy Pickups for an instant power infusion. I know a guy who put one in an '81 Firebird. But the reason no one is building modern-day "Studillacs" ( In the '50s it was popular to stuff the powerful Cadillac V8 into an aerodynamic Studebaker coupe and make top-speed runs at Bonneville ) is two-fold. Yes, these engines make massive torque. They needed it to move the 6,000 lb luxury land-barges they came in that might also be towing a trailer!  But they are not high revvers. And I don't mean you need to redline them at 5,700 or 5,800 rpm like a 455 Pontiac or 455 Buick-I mean their all done by about 4,000-4,500 rpm. And no one makes hot rod parts for them. Edelbrock makes a Performer Intake manifold, but that's about it. Their bore and stroke and head design-that makes that massive low-end torque just isn't suited for high-performance work. Pick any other big block-429 / 460 Ford, the BOP 455's, 440 Mopars-whatever-stock or modified-they will run off and leave the big Cads. # 2. Why is every magazine writer so adamant that a single-4-barrel carburator is the "Only Way to Fly?" I personally love tri-power and dual-quads. I helped tune a 454 Chevy with 4 Webers on it that won a truck pull competition one time. My dad was a god when it came to jetting and tuning multi-carb setups, and I learned from him. But it's definitely a lost art and if you don't have synchronizer tools and an infrared exhaust analyzer and a lot of time, you shouldn't attempt it. Multi-carb setups look and sound way cool and if their done right can make big power. But what the magazine writers are trying to do is keep amateurs out of trouble. I see it every Hot August Nights with Hemis,409 Impalas, Six-Pack Mopars,Tri-Power GTOs and Corvettes etc. Guys have this killer car that there so damnded afraid of blowing up, that it never sees the high side of 3,000 rpm. Some of them are only driven on and off the trailer. Then, the second it fouls a spark plug, the owner starts screwing around with the carbs. Pretty soon it won't even start, much less run properly. The other thing is the KISS principle-"Keep it simple, stupid". I used to say this to guys back in the '90's when "Pro Street" was popular. "If a Super Stock Firebird can run 11.30's with a Quadrajet, why do you need a Tunnel-Ram and dual 660 Holleys?"  For 99% of the people a single 4bbl makes a lot more sense. Even with most cars now being fuel-injected. If your car is fuel-injected from the factory-great. If you want more oomph-Edelbrock, Accel,Trick Flow, Holley and other companies make manifolds, larger throttle-bodies, etc that work in conjunction with the factory system. Those are great. But aftermarket fuel-injection systems cost anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 depending on application and are complicated to dial in and tune. A simple, $400 carb on a $200 manifold makes just as much or more power and is practically a bolt-on. Anyone with hand tools and common sense can make one work. That's what the writers are saying. Their trying to protect idiots from themselves. # 3. Why do old guys like you constantly scoff at the "Overkill" in magazine project cars? The reason is we speak from experience. Ask some "expert" what you need to build a hot small-block Chevy. I guarantee he'll say "You gotta have a 4-bolt main block" "You gotta Have "Pink" rods" "You gotta have a forged crank" "You gotta have screw in studs in the heads" and a bunch more "Gotta Haves" I can't remember off the top of my head. He'd be half-right. Yes, if your building a NASCAR Nextel Cup car that has to go 7,800 rpm for 500 miles at Daytona, you need all the beef you can get. But I remember guys running Chevy engines for two whole seasons in IMCA circle-track cars with two-bolt main blocks, cast cranks, and cast pistons without a rebuild, and with no problems!!  I have raced drag cars and circle track cars for 30 years and I've never seen a stud pull out of a head. For a street car where rpms don't go over 6,500? You don't need any of that stuff. Here's another example. Summitt Racing list new Richmond / BW T10 4-speeds as having a 325 lb torque rating. Which means you couldn't use them behind any kind of a big-block, right? Wrong!!  In the early '60's 409 Impalas,421 Catalinas, and 406 Galaxies all used T10 4-speeds, and they all had a lot more than 325 lbs of torque!! Most had 450-500 lbs-ft!!  And the "modern" Richmond T10's have much tougher gears and mainshafts due to modern metallurgy! So if you want to put a T10 behind a 390 Ford or 396 Chevy or 400 Pontiac-I wouldn't worry about it!!  I've said it before-I've never seen anyone break a Chrysler 8 3/4 rear!! Not even a buddy of mine who has a 9 second, nitrous-fed, 505 inch Duster!!!  I've had 400, 4-speed Trans-Ams and abused and drag raced them for years and never broke the GM 8.5 inch 10 bolt rear!!  I know guys with 10 second "5.0" Mustangs that haven't broke the stock 8.8 rear!!  So how come every single magazine project car has "Gotta Have" a custom Currie built 9" Ford rear???  I understand that the magazines have to feature and sell their advertisers products to stay in business. But a lot of the "Gotta Haves" you read about are unnecessary. # 4. Why do you always say carefully measure the "Bang for the Buck" factor?  Ok-here's a perfect example. For anything other than a small-block Chevy, a pair of Edelbrock aluminum heads costs $2,000 on up. So if your building say a 383 / 400 Mopar or a 455 Olds or a 400 Pontiac-that $2,000 would buy you a carb and intake, a cam kit, a set of headers,a high-stall converter and some gears and traction bars to put all that power to the ground!! Or the set of heads. See what I'm saying?  # 5. Why do you slam certain parts or car lines?  I'm not "Slamming" anything. I'm just telling the truth. For example-it's an irrefutable fact that GM and Chrysler stuff is much more interchangeable than Ford stuff. You can take a Turbo 350 out of a 305 '81 Camaro and replace the Powerglide in a 327 '64 Impala and not have to change anything. Ditto for taking a 727 Torqueflite out of a '67 361 Belvedere and putting it in a '78 Dodge D150 Pickup with a 440. Guess what? A 289 /302, 351C,a 390, and a 351 /400M  all have a different bellhousing bolt-pattern!!  Another example-GM points were good to about 6,000 rpm. Mopar points were awful. They'd bounce and close up, especially above 5,000 rpm. You never saw a Mopar racer in the '60's or '70's without extra points in his toolbox, and they were usually Accel or Mallory!  The Autolite 4300 is the worst carburator ever made, bar none. I worked for Ford in the '70's. If you had a 351 Mustang or 460 T-Bird that stumbled, was hard starting, got crappy gas mileage and all around ran like shit, and you bitched hard enough Ford would replace it with a 600 Holley at no charge, and warranty it!! That's how bad those carbs were, brand-new!!  If something is awful-I'll say it's awful. No prejudice, like "Calvin" pissing on a bow-tie!!  Mastermind        

More "Area 51" cars that don't exist....

These people are like rabbits or noxious weeds. No matter how you try to get rid of them, they keep popping up. After the post on the cars that don't exist-a bunch of people challenged me with some more. Ugh!!  So here's some more that don't exist-that idiots of all ages insist they do!!  # 1. Boss 429 Cougar. Boss 429 Mustangs started life as 428 CJ models and were shipped to Kar Kraft for the Boss-Nine conversion. Ford lost money on every one. The cars were only built to homologate the engine for NASCAR racing. Further, since Ford drivers like Cale Yarborough and David Pearson were running Torinos and Mercury Cyclone bodies-which would have swallowed the huge engine easily without the extensive modifications the Mustangs needed- that certainly would have been the path of least resistance. Since no one was racing Mustangs outside of the Trans-Am series where the displacement limit was 305 ci-thus the little brother "Boss 302"-why did they choose a Mustang to make the Boss 429 legal?  We may never know. Anyhow their were two Boss 429 Cougars built for drag racers "Fast Eddie" Schartmann and "Dyno" Don Nicholsen. Neither had much success. They just weren't that fast. Schartmann wrecked his; Nicholsen pulled the Boss-Nine and put an older side-oiler 427 FE in his Cougar and won a few races. As far as I know, Schartmann's car was crushed. Nicholsens's may be in a drag racing museum. No one is quite sure what exactly happened to the car after that racing season. The point is-there were never any Boss 429 Cougars sold to the public. Not one, not ever. # 2. Ram Air V GTO. Since 1968 Herb Adams and other Pontiac engineers had been toying with "Tunnel-Port" cylinder heads for the Trans-Am racing effort. They found that the big heads were too much for the 5 liter engines. The 303 ci engines ran much better with production RAIV heads. However drag racers like Arnie Beswick and Doug Nash found out that the big 400 and 428 engines could make incredible power with them. Like 426 Chrysler Hemi and 427 Chevy power levels. So Adams and some other engineers pitched the idea to make the "Ram Air V" a production option. With a hot General Kinetics solid-lifter cam, the engineers were blown away by the results. However John DeLorean-then president of Pontiac and the GM brass wouldn't warranty a solid-lifter Pontiac engine. Adams argued that Chevrolet had several solid-lifter small and big-block engines that had a full warranty. No deal. He then suggested that they sell the option with no warranty and a disclaimer. Ford had done that with the Thunderbolt Fairlanes and Chrysler had done it with the Hemi Darts. DeLorean and the brass refused to budge-they wouldn't sell a car without a warranty, and they wouldn't warranty the engine the way it was. The problem now was they had enough parts to build about 600 engines. Adams suggested they sell them over the counter through dealership parts departments to racers and DeLorean agreed to that. Arnie Beswick ran one in his "Super Judge" and Royal Pontiac technichian Milt Schornack had great success racing an RA V '70 GTO. Royal Pontiac also swapped an RA V into a '69 Judge for a customer that made the cover of Hot Rod magazine. Nunzi Romano and some other Pontiac builders built a few for racing use and for their customers as hot rods. As late as 1972 some engineers were still trying to get it into production. ( DeLorean was long gone ) Rumor has it that that a 455 inch Ram Air V GTO was built, as was a "Stage 2" ( Buick's 455 performance package had been called "Stage 1" ) Buick Skylark., and the Pontiac and Buick engineers had a drag race. Rumor is that both cars were ungodly fast-running 1/4 mile times in the low 11s and high 10s; Rumor also has it that the Buick won by a car length and a half. The Buick was destroyed in a fire at the Buick proving grounds; no one knows what happened to the Pontiac. Some of what they'd learned-especially the round exhaust ports-were incorporated into the SD-455 program in '73-74. Adams and company also developed a 366 ci tunnel-port engine for Nascar and campaigned it a '73 Grand Am. Adams wanted this engine to replace the 400 and 455s which were based on a 1955 design. That idea was nixed by the brass as well. The point being-there was never a factory built RA V Pontiac sold to the public. # 3. 1972 Boss 351 Mustang. The 1971 Boss 351 Mustang was the last "Bad to the Bone" engine built by Ford for sale to the public. They had 11.3:1 compression, a hot solid-lifter cam, an aluminum intake and were grossly under-rated at 330 hp. They were only available with a 4-speed and 3.91:1 or 4.30:1 gears. Only 1,806 were built.  In 1972 most Mach 1 Mustangs had a hydraulic-cammed 351C with 8.0:1 compression and were rated at 266 hp. A little-known and not advertised option was called the "351HO" package. This engine had 8.8:1 compression and a solid-lifter cam and Ram Air and was only available with a 4-speed and 3.91:1 gears. It was under-rated at 285 hp. The buff magazines called it a "De-tuned" Boss 351. However-the package was officially called "351HO" and the emblems on the blacked-out hood clearly said "351HO". I remember my dad doing a PDI ( Pre-delivery inspection ) on one at Serramonte Ford where he worked. Nowhere on the car or the window sticker or in the owner's manual was the word "Boss" ever mentioned. You can say I'm splitting hairs-but the "Boss 351" was made for one year only-1971.  # 4. 1971 Challenger T/A / 'Cuda AAR. The  Chrysler Trans-Am package was only offered for one-year-1970. It included a 340 V8 with 3-2bbls, a blacked-out, scooped hood,special body striping,front and rear sway bars, a loud exhaust that exited in front of the rear wheels and E60-15 front and G60-15 rear tires that gave the cars a mean rake. Transmissions were a 4-speed or a Torqueflite.  The confusion comes from an advertisement which ran in Motor Trend in December 1970. It advertised the '71 Challenger T/A. Or did it? The car was a 1970 model with a '71 grille airbrushed in. Chrysler had intended to offer the package. Some 1971 Chilton  and Motor service manuals list tune-up specs for the 340 / Six-Pack.  However-Ford  pulled out of Trans-Am racing after the 1970 season. That's why there wasn't a '71 Boss 302. Roger Penske and Mark Donohue-who had won championships for Chevrolet switched to AMC. GM still gave some back-door support to guys like Milt Minter and Tiny Lund-but there was no real GM effort. Without the racing tie-in needed to sell the cars-and the race cars had de-stroked 305 ci engines not production 340s-Chrysler decided it wasn't worth the effort, and the option was scrapped. Further adding to the confusion-the '71 R/T stripe package closely resembled the '70 T/A design. And some dealers like Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge would install the "Six-Pack" setup if you paid extra. Edelbrock sold the manifold up until 2012. I've seen quite a few '71-74 models that are done up like a T/A-a few with 318s and 360s with the 3-2bbl induction. But that's gearheads playing grab-ass. 1970 was the only factory built version. # 5. 1975 455HO Trans-Am. This car technically exists, but not the way idiots say it does. Let me explain. The "Real" 455HO was available in Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds, GTOs, and T-37 Tempests and LeMans GT models in 1971-72. It featured 4-bolt mains and forged pistons instead of cast; it had RAIV heads and round-port exhaust manifolds and the RAIV's aluminum high-rise intake, coupled with the famed "068" cam. This made one beautiful street engine. Even with only 8.4:1 compression they were rated at 335 hp and 480 lbs of torque. With 480 lbs of torque at 2,700 rpm-you don't need to rev to 6,000 or 7,000. And they were under-rated at that. One of the buff magazines dyno'd a stock 455HO and it produced 429 hp and 544 lbs of torque. In '73-74 the more fearsome SD-455 was the darling of the media. Then Catalytic Converters and stiffer 1975 emission standards hit and everything went to hell. The 454 was dropped from the Corvette leaving a small-block the only engine for the first time since 1964. The Z/28 option was dropped from the Camaro. The Challenger and 'Cuda were no more, and the Javelin / AMX was dead. The Charger was now a re-badged Cordoba ( Yuk! ) and the Mustang was more Pinto than Mustang. The Trans-Am was the last man standing. Pontiac not only killed the SD-455, they dropped the "regular" 455 from the T/A's option list. The L78 400 which had a respectable 225 hp in '74-now wheezed out 185 hp and was shackled with single-exhaust and salt-flats gearing-2.56:1 with the automatic and 3.08:1 with a 4-speed. The buff magazines howled to the high heavens. Pontiac quickly came out with a "455HO" package-shamelessly desecrating a legend. The engine was a "station wagon" 455 with 7.6:1 compression that wheezed out 200 hp, backed by Muncie 4-speed and a 3.23:1 axle ratio. Even though they weren't bad performers-Cars magazine's test car ran a 15.62 in the 1/4. Not bad considering the power-killing emission controls and the state of tune. However it was nowhere near the high low 14s and high 13s the SD-455 ran just a year before, and the magazines derided the car and said the name 455HO shouldn't have been used. Of the roughly 23,000 T/A's sold that year-( Ironically the most ever in a single year ) only 857 had this package. Pontiac offered the option again in 1976, but now they simply called it the "455 Performance Package " and the magazines stopped griping, and agreed that the T/A was the only true performance car left-it even eclipsed the Corvette in performance and handling. T/A sales doubled and hit almost 50,000 that year. "Smokey and the Bandit" wasn't released until April 1977-so that sales bump wouldn't be felt until the '78 model year. Anyhow-idiots insist that these are "real" 455HO's. The only thing these cars share with the earlier 455HO's is the displacement and the lettering on the shaker scoop!! Like I said-their a garden-variety "station wagon" 455. Now if you want to add some Edelbrock heads and intake and a hot cam and headers you'll be like Jules' wallet-but stock their pretty much a dog and nothing special. Hope this clears some things up. But it probably won't. Mastermind              

Go ahead and love your "Factory Freak"....Just don't expect the rest of us to!!

I got some hate mail over the last couple of posts from people who owned these weird cars. If you like it,great. I'm sure somewhere there's someone who loves their Edsel or Nash Metropolitan!!  When I worked at an Import / Specialty / Performance store we had a lot of customers hot-rodding VW engines for dune buggys and sand rails,guys restoring old Porsches and Datsun 240Z's,a lot of people doing British sports cars-MG's and MGB's,Triumph Spitfires and TR4's and TR6's. All noble pursuits if that's what floats your boat. We also had a few people who were upset that we couldn't find parts for a Morris Minor or a Renault Caravelle!! There's a reason for that-no one besides that one person gave a shit in hell about a Morris Minor or a Renault Caravelle!!!  No one made any replacement parts because there was no demand!!  Anyhow-"Rare" doesn't automatically mean "Valuable". Is the 301 powered Trans-Am and 305 powered Corvette I mentioned in the last post worth more than a 455HO T/A or an LT1 Stingray? There's fewer of the 301 / 305 models so they must be more valuable right?  No!!  All these weird combos-two-speed automatics, three-speed sticks,column-shifted bucket seat cars, bench seat 4-speed cars,two-barrel step-down engines,radio and heater delete models,etc aren't collectible, their just weird. However these people think this weirdness makes them priceless. Here's some examples. # 1. 1971 Dodge Demon. This one is for sale on a website that specializes in old musclecars. This is supposed to be 1 of 1. Its a 340 Demon that Mr Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge put a Six-Pack setup on. It also has no power steering, manual drum brakes, a 3-speed stick and the ugliest tartan-plaid vinyl upholstered bench seat you've ever seen. Asking price is $69,995!!!  70 grand for a 340 Demon???!!!!  On the same site their selling one of 44 1965 A990 Hemi Belvedere's for less than that!!! Their selling a restored, numbers-matching '69 440 GTX for less than that!!!  Really think about this-I'm not slamming the website / dealer-a lot of their stuff is there on consignment and it's the car's owner that's asking the insane price. But you want more for a 340 Demon than someone is asking for a for-real one of 44 ever built, restored, 4-speed Hemi Belvedere??  Or a numbers-matching 440 GTX?  And you wonder why you don't have any offers?  # 2. 1979 Trans-Am. This one was supposedly bought new and never driven. It has 65 miles on it having spent it's entire life in storage. The owner is asking $160,000 for it!!!  And it's a 403 / Olds TH350 model!!! Is he on glue? The reason I say that is the same day on different websites I saw a '79 400, 4-speed, WS6 10th Anniversary model with 8,000 miles for sale for $43,995!!!  I saw another 400,4-speed, WS6 10th Anniversary model with 66,000 original miles for $14,900!!!  What makes this idiot think that his T/A is worth 4 to 10 times what these other, better optioned and similar condition cars are???  # 3. 1969 Trans-Am. Yes the car is numbers-matching, and it is one of 697 ever made. The ass-clown that owns it thinks it's extra valuable because it's one of 13 that were built with a 3-speed stick. ( All the others were 4-speeds or TH400s ). He's asking $140,000 for it. Ok. You say-'69 T/A's sell for that all the time,much more if it's a Ram Air IV. All true. Except this thing is a piece of shit that I wouldn't pay $14,000 for!!!  He's got balls enough to post pictures of it. The car has been sitting for like 20 years. The master cylinder and brake booster are covered in rust. The radiator support is covered in rust. Rust and oil and antifreeze has puked out of the valve covers and permanently rusted them. The engine hasn't been started in 20 years. It doesn't even turn over, and may be locked up. The car needs a full, frame off restoration. Like I said I saw on another website-a numbers-matching for-real '69 T/A that had a TH400 and factory A/C and had just had a complete restoration sold for $129,000. I saw another pristine RAIII / 4-speed model go for $119,000. Most reputable resto shops charge $100 per hour or more for labor plus the parts. This asshole wants 140K for a car that needs 100 grand worth of work!!!  Because it's "Rare". Puhleeze. # 4. 1966 Corvette. I mentioned this guy before- he's bewildered that every Hot August Nights he tries to sell this car and gets zero offers. Its 390 hp 427 model with a Powerglide. Rare and weird. Still, any 427 Stingray has some value, right? Not $250,000 that this asshole is asking!!!  By comparison I saw a pristine,Tri-power 427, 4-speed '68 model sell for $52,000. I saw RK Motors in North Carolina has a Tri-Power, 4-speed, 427 '69 Convertible for sale for $79,000. I saw a for-real one of 116 '69 L88 models for sale in Hemmings for 150K. I see other big-block '65-67 Stingrays all over the 'net for 75K-120K. Think this guy is a little whacked on his pricing? I don't know what he paid for it, but he could probably sell it pretty easy for 50 grand. Maybe even 75 is the buyer absolutely had to have that color combination and maybe wanted to drop in a TH350 for a huge performance boost. ( TH350's are the exact same length as a Powerglide and use the same rear trans mount and driveshaft yoke. Exept now you'd have 3 gears instead of 2!! ) But a quarter million??  Because it's so Rare. # 5. 1970 Tempest T-37. This one is a 350 / 3-speed. And the guy is shocked that he can't get 100 grand for it. Really-when I saw a '70 Ram Air IV, 4-speed Judge selling for $79,000?  When I saw a 455HO '71 GTO selling for $59,000? A for-real RAIV '69 GTO with 4.33:1 gears, the "OW" code TH400 and 69,000 original miles for $45,000? I know it's a T/A-apples and oranges-but I saw a numbers matching, flawless RAIII, 4-speed '70 T/A with 39,000 orignal miles on it for $59,000.  And people aren't lining up to pay 100K for a 350 Tempest? I'm shocked. Go ahead and love your weird car-just don't expect somebody to pay you 5 or 10 times what it's worth!!  Mastermind            

A "Step Down" car isn't cool, it's just weird!!

In the same vein as the last post every once in a while I get in an argument with some idiot that tells me how rare and valuable their "Step Down" model is. They may be rare-but that's because no one wanted them in the first place!! They definitely aren't valuable. Here's some I've had to de-bunk many times, and they still make my head want to explode when someone brings them up. # 1. 1967-68 Pontiac GTO / Olds 442 "Turnpike" edition. At the height of the musclecar era when gas was 29 cents a gallon some marketing genius at GM decided it was a great idea to replace the GTO and 442's 350 hp 400 4bbl standard engines with 2bbl versions rated at 265 hp and replace the standard 3.36:1 axle ratio with 2.93:1 gears, and lower the price a couple hundred bucks. Shocker!! They didn't sell. That's because the GTO and 442 models were substantially more expensive than the Tempest / LeMans and Cutlass / F85 models that they were based on. If you wanted a LeMans or Cutlass that wasn't a hot rod-you'd buy the base model with it's 326 or 330 inch 2bbl V8. ( In 1968 Olds and Pontiac bumped these up to 350 inches. ) No one wanted a GTO or 442 with no balls that couldn't outrun a 289 Falcon from a light and got 16 mpg instead of 12!!!  If you find one today, even if it's pristine-they aren't worth anything other than being a clean GTO or 442 body. If you can buy one cheap it would be very easy to install a factory or aftermarket 4bbl carb and intake and change the rear end gears to regain the lost performance. But I wouldn't pay any extra money for one-in fact in my opinion-just like when they were new-their worth less than a "Standard" 350 hp model!! I mean who in the hell want's a GTO or 442 that can't outrun a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry from a light??  Yet-I've seen idiots advertsing them and asking Judge or Hurst / Olds money for them!!  Because their super-rare!  Ugh.  # 2. 1970 Olds Rallye 350 Cutlass. In the late '60's and early '70's insurance companies were really jacking up the rates on musclecars, especially on anything with engines over 350 cubes. This is why Chrysler came out with the wildly successfull 340 Duster in 1970, and in '71 began offering the 340 in the Charger and Road Runner lines. Pontiac came out with the T-37 Tempest. The buff magazines called it the "Poor Man's GTO." Anyhow-Olds came up with the Rallye Package for the Cutlass. Only 3,527 were built. It had a super-loud Sebring Yellow paint job, body-colored bumpers and Rally Wheels and a "Judge" type rear spoiler. Power was a 350 V8 backed by a 3-speed manual, a 4-speed manual or a TH350 automatic. These were NOT "Almost the 1970 Hurst Olds" as idiots have said for decades. The car was built entirely in Lansing, and the only Hurst component on it was the shifter on manual trans models!!  Other idiots contend that "10 or 12" were built with the vaunted W31 350 V8. However-again-I have never seen a window sticker or build sheet for one and no magazine or Olds executive has ever verified a W31 Rallye. Here's the weird part. They have a "cult" following, and people ask exorbitant prices for them. However they are not a 442 in any way shape or form. Their a base-model Cutlass with an odd paint job and a bolt-on spoiler!!  I mean if you want a 1970-72 350 Cutlass there's a ton of them out there. But these people ask prices that would would buy you a W30 442 or a Hurst / Olds.  # 3. 1971-72 Small-Block SS Chevelle. From 1966-1970 the letters "SS" on a Chevelle threw fear into the hearts of the competition, because it meant that their were at lest 396 cubes under the hood, and in 1970-maybe 454. Maybe to fight the rising insurance rates-I don't know but starting in 1971-yes you could still get a 402 or 454 Rat motor in an SS Chevelle. But some genius decided to offer the SS package on any V8 Malibu coupe. This means you could have a badass looking SS Chevelle with the blacked-out grille, Domed hood,"SS" emblems, and 15" Rally wheels with fat F60-15 white letter tires that had a 2bbl 307 inch V8 that wheezed out 130 hp, or a 2bbl 350 that wheezed out 165!!  Now why would anyone want one?  I guess if the price was right, and you were going to swap in a stompin' GMPP 383 crate engine or a 454 anyway they might be an ok deal. But I've seen idiots trying to sell these for more than what people ask for numbers-matching SS396's!!  # 4. 1972 Olds 442. Same thing here. From 1965-71 the numbers 442 on the fender meant there was 400 or 455 cubes under the hood. In 1972, the 442 was no longer a separate model, but now an "Appearance and Handling" package on the Cutlass. Yes you could still get the vaunted W30 455 monster that even with 8.5:1 compression still made 300 net hp and 410 lbs of tire boiling torque with Ram Air and a Rock-Crusher 4-speed or a TH400. But that was an extra cost option. The base engine was a 2bbl 350 that wheezed out 160 hp!!  Oh, yeah I gotta have a badass looking 442 that can't outrun a Vista Cruiser station wagon!! Porsche did the same thing with the 912-the feared 911 body with a 4-banger VW engine in it!!  # 5. 1973-74. Plymouth Road Runner. For the first 5 model years of it's existence the name "Road Runner" meant at least 383 cubes. In 1971 the 340 became a no-cost option if you wanted it, but the mighty 383 was still standard, as it had been since 1968. In '72 the 400 was the standard engine-it was just a bored-out 383. And the big motherthumper 440 was still optional. For some perverse reason, in 1973 the standard engine was now a 318 with a 2bbl that wheezed out 150 hp. Yes you could still get a 340 ( 360 in '74 ) or a 400 or 440 as an option. But as with the ill-fated GM offerings previously mentioned-it was possible to have a fearsome looking machine with 150 hp that couldn't outrun mom's station wagon. # 6. 1979 Pontiac Trans-Am. Another GM marketing genius came up with the Idea that the Trans-Am-already the hottest-selling car in america because of "Smokey and the Bandit"-would sell even more if you replaced the standard 400 Pontiac and 403 Olds engines with a 301 inch Pontiac that wheezed out 135 hp, and lowered the price $150. On a car that stickered for over 10 grand??  I've seen idiots trying to sell these "Rare" birds for more than what people ask for 400, 4-speed, WS6 models. I've seen them asking more than people want for documented RAIII models!!  Puhleeze.  # 7. 1980 Chevrolet Corvette. This one should probably be # 1, but I just went by model years. For a short time in 1979-1980 Chevrolet did not have a 350 V8 EPA certified for California. And no V8's were California certified with a 4-speed. This meant for a while the only powertrain you could get in a 1980 Corvette was a 305 that wheezed out 145 hp and was mated to a TH350 automatic. Enthusiasts and the buff magazines howled to the high heavens. Chevrolet worked quickly and got the 190 hp L48 350 certified with both a 4-speed and a slushbox, and the 230 hp L82 with the automatic, and the great disturbance in the Force was quelled. However every once in a while I see a want ad for a "Ultra Rare" 305 1980 'Vette with an asking price more than L82 / 4-speed Pace Car models; I've seen them with asking prices more than a numbers-matching Tri-Power 427 Stingray!! Are you kidding me??  No, sadly their not. Anyhow-if you decide to buy one of these, don't unless it's dirt cheap!! Mastermind          

Why do people persist with these "Area 51" car stories??

I've touched on this before but after a few conversations I had last week,I think it's worth re-visiting. I don't know why but people continue to perpetuate myths about cars that don't exist. It just drives me up the wall, because even if I show irrefutable proof that their wrong,these idiots insist that these cars exist. Ugh!!  Anyhow here's the list of the ones that just won't die. # 1. 1964 Olds 442 Sedan / Station Wagon. Surprised by the incredible sales success of the Pontiac GTO-Olds engineers scrambled to put together a performance package for the Cutlass. The name 442 stood for 4bbl carb,4-speed transmission and dual exhaust. However all the 330 inch 442 was going to see of a 389 engined GTO was the taillights. Anyhow in 1964 Olds sales literature and the GM order book the 442 package was listed as available on any Cutlass / F85 model-including 4-door sedans and wagons. The key word is "available". This happened a lot in the '60's. Just because something was on the option list doesn't automatically mean that some or any cars were ever built with that option. According to Oldsmobile reps all 442s were 2 dr models. I have never seen a 4 door / wagon with 442 equipment, I have never seen a window sticker or build sheet for one,and no magazine or GM representative has ever verified one. # 2. Tri-Power 1967 GTO. The 3-2bbl option had been a Pontiac Performance Staple since 1959. In late 1966 GM brass said that all multi-carb options had to be cancelled. Zora-Arkus Duntov and Chevrolet defied the order keeping their 3-2bbl option on the Corvette until 1969. The other divisions toed the line. Also In 1967 Pontiac completely revamped their engines. Displacements were increased from 389 to 400 inches, and from 421 to 428 inches. The cylinder heads were completely re-designed with bigger intake and exhaust ports and had large 2.11 / 1.77 inch valves and breathed much better than the "bathtub", 1.96 / 1.66 small valve '59-66 heads. The intake manifold was improved and the new 750 cfm Rochester Quadrajet carburator replaced the old 500 cfm Carter AFB. The new engine had actually had MORE power than the ones it replaced. However, enthusiasts and the buff magazines cried bloody murder when the Tri-power option was cancelled. The '65-66 setup was available through dealership parts departments and it would bolt onto the new engine. Some dealers like Royal Pontiac would have their service departments install it if you paid extra. So technically someone who says their father or older brother bought a '67 GTO brand-new off the lot with Tri-Power on it may not be lying; however their was NEVER a factory built version. # 3. 1972 440 / Six-Pack Charger / Road Runner. The 440 Six-Pack option was listed in very early 1972 sales literature with 9:1 compression and 330 hp. Much tamer than the 10.3:1 and 385 hp of the '71 model. However they had trouble passing '72 emissions standards and the option was scrapped, leaving the 280 hp 440 4bbl as the top engine option. Rumors persist that 10 or 12 '72 Six-Pack models "slipped out" , but I have never seen one, I have never seen a window sticker or build sheet for one, and I have never read of any magazine or Chrysler representative ever verifying one. To this day Edelbrock sells the manifold, Holley sells the carbs and Mopar Performance sells the air cleaner and throttle linkage, so it wouldn't be hard to put the setup on a 4bbl car. If someone can produce a window sticker or build sheet or fender tag proving me wrong I'll take this one off the list. But until then I stand by the fact that there was never a factory built model. # 4. 1971 LS6 Chevelle. In 1970 the mighty 450 hp LS6 454 was slated to be optional in the Camaro SS and the Nova SS as well as the Chevelle. Since the 396 was already an option on those cars it would have a bolt-in. Further, Zora-Arkus Duntov-chief Corvette engineer, fully expected the much more radical LS7 to make production as the 'Vette's "King Kong" engine, so he didn't offer the LS6. The brass decided at the last minute to cut down on "model proliferation"-whatever that means-and ultimately the LS6 was only available in the Chevelle line. You could get a 1970 Corvette with a 454; but it was the LS5 hydraulic-cammed 360 hp "station wagon" version. This left the 370hp LT-1 350 small-block as the 'Vette's top performance option. In 1971 for some perverse reason, the roles were reversed. The LS6 was listed as optional in the Chevelle in early sales literature with 9:1 compression and a 425 hp rating. However, the option was cancelled and no '71 LS6 SS Chevelles were ever built. You could get the LS6 in a Corvette and over 1100 of those were sold. Further muddying the waters-the LS6 was sold as a crate engine through dealership parts departments until 1991. So again, some clown could have a '71 SS Chevelle with an LS6 in it that he says he bought in 1972. But there was never, ever a factory built version. # 5. 1971-72 GTO Station Wagon. You could get the "Endura" ( read GTO ) front end and scooped hood on any LeMans model, including wagons. You could order Rally II or "Honeycomb" wheels on a wagon if you wanted. You could also get the 400 4bbl and 455 4bbl V8s. However the 455 was the garden-variety 250 hp version. The vaunted 455HO ( which had RAIV heads and intake and exhaust manifolds paired with the "068" cam ) was only optional in the GTO,Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds and the Tempest T-37 / LeMans GT. It was NEVER available in wagons. So if some clown is claiming to have a GTO wagon-he's full of shit. It's a LeMans Sport. Period. # 6. 1973 Super Duty Pontiacs. In early 1973 sales literature the SD-455 was listed as available in the LeMans, the GTO,the Gran Prix,and the Grand Am as well as Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds. Cars magazine even goofed and named the '73 GTO "Car of the Year". In reality the SD-455 had trouble passing emissions with the hot RAIV cam. It was swapped for the much milder RAIII cam, and the hp was down-rated from 310 to 290. They also had trouble with the connecting rod supplier and with EGR valve function. Only the tireless efforts of Herb Adams and the buff magazines raving about it kept it from being cancelled altogether. Finally in April 1973 the engine was EPA certified in the Firebird line only. 295 were built, 252 in Trans-Ams and another 43 in Formulas. Another 943 were put in 1974 Trans-Ams. Parts were so scarce that if you wanted to buy any SD-455 replacement parts-rods, oil pumps, heads, whatever-you had to produce a title or car registration with the vin number on it!!  So any asshole claiming to have a Grand Am or Gran Prix or anything other than a T/A or Formula with an SD-455 is just that-a lying asshole. They simply don't exist. I hope this clears these myths up, but I doubt it. There's always some idiot willing to believe wild stories. Mastermind