5 Best Vintage V8 Muscle Car Engines

[@randycoursey7230]

Nice assembly of Detroit Muscle here. I've own a 1970 MACH I since 1977. 351 Cleveland 425 HP after the rebuild in 2016. Wife drove the car daily from 1980- 90. Then it became a Sunday driver. Wife loved it, she loved driving circles around most cars back then. Most were compression choked out dogs. The FOX MUSTANGS with the 5.0 V8 was pretty fast though.

[@jeremyboehm5512]

The 426 Hemi is hands down king of the drag strip.

[@wyattkranz2450]

Well...sort of, in the mid to late 60’s the cammer easily beat it, really the only reason that you don’t see the 427sohc in drag racing is that Ford stopped making parts for the cammer, they were more interested in nascar, so they put all their attention into the cobra jet.

[@Ted_Stryker]

​@@wyattkranz2450Yes. The, cammer", was ford's answer to the Hemi. Nascar shut it down before they could actually put them in cars, but Mopar actually had an answer for ford's cammer. It was their dual overhead cammed 426 Hemi, known as the doomsday engine. There are still two in existence. One travels around at various auto shows. The other is in a private collection somewhere. I've also heard that someone was able to acquire some prototype heads from the project. Nascar actually shut down both projects, because they, apparently, were of the mind that things could get out of control if they didn't. Hence, why there were only about 1500 or so cammers produced as well. Btw, many of the 427 cammers ended up with Hemi bottom ends, because the 427s couldn't handle the extra power very well. No hate. Just think that the story behind both of these engines is quite interesting, but often overlooked.

[@paulsmallriver6066]

If you are old enough you can sit in your favorite chair, close your eyes, and you can hear those beautiful engines as they cruised Main Street and the local drive-ins. What a glorious time that was.

[@paulsmallriver6066]

@catmodelt ah those are ace vehicles. Good on ya.

[@mijomcgyver6270]

It's a tough task to only pick 5 engines out of the dozens that were noteworthy during the musclecar wars of yesteryear. I can't find fault with this group, but I can think of many others that could easily have been on it: The Ford Boss 429 & 428SCJ, Chevy L72 & L88 427s, Pontiac RamAir IV, Chrysler 440, and the mighty-mites - Ford Boss 302 & Chevy DZ 302 - are all worthy of mention (as are many others).

[@johnkendall6962]

I'm of the age of Viet Nam war vets 1 person I knew saved all the money from his time in Nam and wanted the hottest car he could get when he returned He didn't want a corvette or Hemi so he bought the Buick 455 stage 1 the dealer told him about an even hotter set up called stage 2 which was only dealer installed but he would need to leave the car there a couple of days. His best times were low 11s on a size wider than stock street tires . That meant it would probably be a mid 10 second car with slicks. Always wondered what happened to that car.

[@elbello1975]

Junk yard since early 80s

[@dianelee2100]

Love learning about how great American cars were in the day. So I redid a 1969 AMC AMX 390 GO PACK WITH EVERY AVAILABLE OPTION. IT IS BUILT .040 OVER AND IS A BEAST. GREAT VIDEOS. THANKS

[@1926howiemack]

I started working on these muscle cars when they came out new. I knew all of them well. All the different engines had their unique qualities and weaknesses. What we did back then is go to the local junk yard and buy these engines out of cars that were wrecked usually at a bargain price. One engine that gets overlooked but was a great engine and lots of power was the Ford 428" motor that was commonly put into station wagons. They had a longer stroke than the 427" but were powerful and could be bought for about $250 dollars most of them had less than 30,000 miles on the engine. We made a lot of sleeper cars using these engines. I was glad I got to be a mechanic during that era. We had many fun times street drag racing. Today everything is so regulated to the point you can't hardly breathe without someone destroying your hobby.

[@mechanicman8687]

1926howiemack Country Squire LTD had the 429cid in 1971

[@randystegemann9990]

@@mechanicman8687 I had a 1972 Country Squire with the 429cid. Best deal I ever got, 120K miles in eight years and it only cost me $600. It needed no major work until I parked it because of rust. I sure miss that car!

[@todd5082]

Don’t go to the Ford dealer. U will see a 2020 GT500 Mustang that puts out 760hp with catalytic converters, 7-speed trans, with a 3yr warranty. GPS, A/C, heated seats, power everything. 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, top speed is 180+. Guys on the internet r making a few tweaks and getting 900hp from a bone stock factory engine. And don’t get me started on the supercharged Hemi Dodge Hellcat.

[@aludawithbiglove9839]

hi senior, i have 500 cid engine , wath can you tell about this engine ? i want Strengthen this engine and add in 1969 old cutlas .. wath you thing wath will be ? :)

[@markperry2827]

The SCJ 428 had a lot of power and was upgradeable due to the reinforced webbing on the block. Non CJ blocks were not as great and could not handle over 500 HP for very long.

[@craigmanning2439]

I loved my 289 A-Code in my 65 fastback mustang. Plenty of power, got 26mpg. Loved that car. Too bad I got married.

[@Thestargazer56]

I had a 1971 Challenger R/T 383ci. I did minor upgrades (cam, intake, Holly 650cfm, headers, etc.) I got an honest 20 mpg unless I "mashed" the accelerator. When my wife told me that she was pregnant, I sold the car. I was already spending too much time tinkering on the car, it was becoming a money pit, couldn't find good gasoline anymore and had to keep dropping the timing.

[@opencurtin]

@@Thestargazer56 the vanishing point is my favourite movie with a challenger in it !

[@johnriley8591]

The Chevy 327 Turbo Fire was pretty hot. Factory Edelbrock Hi Rise intake, with a huge Rochester 4 jet Carburetor. Rated @ 360 HP. The 63 Bel Air could really scoot with the Powerglide.

[@NHfiddle]

I was lucky back in the day. I've owned three Dodges, two Dodge Dart 340s, '68 and '70, and a 68 Dodge Charger w/426 hemi and a 4 speed behind it. All three were manual transmission and my fave was obviously the Charger. the motor outlasted the body so I restored it, being only 7 years old it had been thru a lot but we got it done and I had a "real" muscle car.

[@Papasmurf7597]

Enjoyed your video. Brough back many memories. I bought a brand new 1969 Plymouth Satellite convertible, April '69'. Special order car. 383 cubes with a big(for a 2 barrel) Rochester carb(when first taking the air cleaner off, it looked like a four barrel). If my memory serves me right, it had 300hp. 4 barrel only brought it up to 330hp, I think? Don't know exactly how fast it would go, but had the needle pinned many times, and still more to go! Again, thanks for the video.

[@mikeb46]

Awesome info there. I was aware of the 455 Buick but had never heard specs on it. Wow. Those were all big engines. There were a few small block cars that broke into the high 13's in the 1/4 mile but they were in small cars like the Dodge Dart and the Mustang or Comet. The insurance companies started whacking anyone under 30 with high rates hoping to discourage young guys from buying the really hot cars. Face it, young drivers with only a year or two of driving experience were far more likely to crash a hot performance car. Faster reflexes are a poor substitute for better judgment and experience. Anyone who was willing to do the work or hire it done could modify a chevy 350 or 396, a ford 390 or even a 289/302 in a mustang and get it into the mid 13's. Cams, big valves, headers could easily add 50 hp to an engine. I had a 69 Road Runner that was modified by a guy who used to race at Nascar. It was a factory 383 but when he got through with it, it was faster then a factory GTX with 440. Back then $400 could buy a lot of performance. I bought street legal Mickey Thompson slicks, they had just enough sipes to make them streetable. They were so sticky it was unbelievable. If I held the tach at 3000 let the clutch up fast and mashed the gas at the same time it launched as if a car had hit me from behind. It only took a few weeks of abuse before the pressure plate gave out. When the dealer removed it it was so warped it rocked back and forth on the floor! One of the adjuster screws had backed off so they warranteed it for me! I did NOT leave the slicks on when I took it in. A friend had an early Mustang with 289. He had a guy do some work on it. It got really fast before he got hit by some body who ran a stop sign. I never got to race him but I bet it would have been close. If he slammed second gear and popped the clutch at full throttle it would break both tires loose and get a bit sideways. Ah, the good old days. Those muscle cars were not terribly more expensive than the grocery getters back then. But now, they are at least 35% more expensive some being twice the cost of a basic car.

[@harrycallahan692]

The 426 Hemi definitely rocked!

[@jerryparks6123]

Fords 427 sohc Cammers blew them away 7days awesome and Twice on Sundays at the Dragstrip !

[@harrycallahan692]

@@jerryparks6123 Another awesome big block. What is your opinion about Ford's 429?

[@jerryparks6123]

@@harrycallahan692 Well I had a 68 Thunderbird with the 429 Thunderjet and 2 72 Merc. MARQUIS 429s they'll get right up and Boogie !

[@johnfuchs5398]

One engine that was missed was the 4 cylinder used in the 1972 vega. I had a friend with one. He actually drove it over a curb stop. Well, half way, then the trans went out. Never mind.

[@SpecialAgentJamesAki]

john fuchs 😂

[@jerryw6699]

@@SpecialAgentJamesAki my aunt had one too, it melted.

[@tomschwartz4853]

Put a 350 in a 73 Astra same as Vega the 4 cylinder was a dog.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@tomschwartz4853 Cosworth made it good

[@wymple09]

@@tomschwartz4853 Depending on the model, there was up to 110 HP in a GT. It was equal to it's intended competition, mostly the Pinto. And no big block ever touched 1/2 it's fuel mileage. Rust proofing made it a decent fun little car. Sleeving the block made it last. The block warping problem was only showing up in cars with insufficient anti-freeze to prevent hot spots. The coated cylinder walls did not hold up because the bean counters thinned it out too far. The original coating design was fine.

[@farmerdude3578]

Depends on your interpretation of the word best. Most of these engine was not seen on a common basis. I was at the end of the muscle car movement. Built and help build plenty of street cars. Drag raced on back roads and cruised town nearly every Friday night.. So I made my list of 5 engines to the common gear head. First Chevy 327 , second ford 351C, third Chrysler 440, fourth Chevy 396, and last was my favorite and still is today. Because I loved the manual shift of the ford top loader. 289 Hypo.

[@7natcho]

Farmer Dude357 as for your 5 picks i do like the GM 327 in it's stock form . As a stock engine the performance was there but as a engine to be built the GM 350 ,,,, high nickle 010 and 020 was a nuch better block to build . When it comes to building a Mopar block i found i made much more horsepower building a 383 Magnum pre 1968 block than the 440 . Manipulation of the valve trane and cam modification along with stroke was cheaper and from my experience out performed many 440 engines ... I do like your picks though Sir

[@farmerdude3578]

7natcho I wouldn’t say these are the best. Just so popular when I was a gear head in the early 80s. I’m not a Chevy fan. But if I remember right these Chevy guys was digging up these 327 engine in old farm trucks. These engines had the all steal crank shaft. And also had the 202 valves in the heads. Add a nice intake and a 4 barrel carb and you had a fast car.

[@7natcho]

@@farmerdude3578 You are correct ,,, in it's stock form the truck 327 was a good engine . As i said when machine work and performance comes into the equation the 350 010 &020 are high nickle blocks . Controls heat dissipation and cracking more efficiently . I have build engines from all the big 3 . All engines have short comings and most times it is the preference of the builder !

[@briansd2772]

Thanks for including the Pontiac SD-455!

[@randycoursey7230]

Loved these engines. I could actually work on them! Now today you can't find the engine, so much stuff to dig through.

[@Primus54]

catmodelt: I also have a low mileage ‘14 Impala V-6 which is 300+ HP stock! And yes, opening the hood brings a sea of plastic engine covers, but when you loosen a few bolts and remove them, it is an impressive looking engine. I have the red LTZ trim and it always turns heads for such a large car. The ride is phenomenal. Chevy really did something with the redesign thanks to their European division. A shame this is the last year for the Impala.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

Great video - however, MOPAR is definitely underrepresented here. I'll highlight just a single example: -The 340 small block was an incredible high performance motor offered throughout the Dodge/Plymouth range in different model years. In a comparatively "compact" car like the Demon/Duster, you could easily take the fat cats in their intermediates & full sizes from a stop light. Even in a larger model like the Charger/Road Runner, the 340 was a killer motor.

[@bhaggen]

@JazzzRockFuzion.....You took the words right outta my mouth. The 68 340s with the now sought after heads.

[@kennethlaw5216]

JazzzRockFuzion you could say that about a lot of small blocks, for reliable driving and stop light to stop light. give me a mopar 340, and chevy 327, ford 289, and many others. but I think this article was king of the hill bog block. it's all in what you were looking for

[@davidstephens4639]

340 was excellent among smallblocks, but a 400 HP 440 vs a 400 HP 340, the 440 is more driveable and way higher average torque. Same acceleration with less rear axle gearing, despite weight, makes less noise and longer life.

[@reindaz]

the 340 is a fantastic engine, but the ones from 1970 was the are even better!

[@jamesgillgam8199]

I totally agree, those 340s were outrunning big blocks and the 440s were putting the hurt on plenty of Brand X and Ford cars.

[@Widebody20]

For me I loved the Pontiac tin indian powered with a 421 engine.

[@timothypaulo7060]

Robert Lyon I think the 421 is probably the best Pontiac engine ever made!

[@Widebody20]

@@timothypaulo7060 No question about it. Arny Beswick with a 1963 Tempest.

[@timothypaulo7060]

The 421 equipped with 2 four barrel carbs was an absolute powerhouse. Totally under appreciated engine.i believe it’s even huskier than a 409 with. Dual quads. (Another awesome engine!)

[@rguy2684]

I was going to bring up the Pontiac 421. Recently set up a pure stock on a stationary dyno at 585 Hp and 590 tq! Best production motor ever.

[@michaelotten2724]

389, 400, 421, 455.

[@quincee3376]

I love the 73 Trans Am 455 Super Duty. Really the last good performer .

[@MBailey1977]

Five great choices! If I were choosing five more to the list it would be the 440 six pack, w30 455, ram air 4, boss 429, L72 427.

[@amranabubakar330]

MBailey1977 i choose dodge chargers

[@alexbenjaminlubbers]

Amran Abu Bakar The engines that were equipped into those cars, NOT the cars themselves...

[@sabrehawk-427]

yes the w30 oldsmobile 422 it had a balanced and blue printed engine from factory

[@davidvincent3434]

@@sabrehawk-427 I'm an olds fan myself had a 64 Jetstar 88 with 330 and a 68 Delmont 88 with 425 great engines both came out of fatctory ultra high compression pistions good runners .

[@rondyechannel1399]

The Olds would not run with the top competitors 'cause it could not rev and had small ports and valves. I've built several w-30 example 455's. Once raced against an $8500 upgraded Mondello 2/4 tunnel ram engine jet boat, in an identical boat I owned with a 460 with SCJ heads and tunnel ram. It was NO contest and my entire boat/trailer with home built engine cost about $6500. He was the son of the town mayor and humiliated after all the bragging he did before 'The Event'. He tried again later after having his pump blue printed and lost just as bad. The Olds is not an easy engine to build with the huge main bearings, wanky valve train angles, and small heads. The factory crutched the heads with lots of cam duration in the W30 but you had to build compression to match. Just a little too much compression and it would self destruct. It would make my 1978 Cutlass Supreme fly though!

[@dennisschell5543]

I was there and can unequivocally say that you have NO CLUE!!!

[@steverussell6642]

Of what the power or better engines?

[@barcrrt]

Great engines! The SD455 was America's last big breather. Total respect for Pontiac!

[@jeremythompson9895]

It's too bad the 455SD came out during the gas crunch era, or it might've gone down as the baddest of them all

[@victorialouden1912]

Barcrrt I had one in the 80's my dad work at Norwood Assembly plant in Cincinnati the birthplace of the "F" body!!

[@gregorysepeda3006]

My ‘73 Grand Prix SJ had a 455SD.... it was a beast even on unleaded gas. Everyone gave into the no more horsepower narrative. Not Pontiac

[@billyfoster3223]

Me too!

[@timheersma4708]

Research Outlaw Trans Am...it has been re-incarnated to an 800+ HP monster...not original of course, but I would assume just as fun ;-)

[@tomdrummy4984]

Late 60’s 427 in a vette.......rocket on wheels !

[@autiebell1357]

Rat Motor.

[@tomnekuda3818]

I really enjoy the videos you guys put up. When you guys do a video the cars involved must stand by their merits instead of some favoritism. Good job!

[@bartstarr972]

Missed a big one guy's...the Ford 427 cammer was the standard for monster V8's. Headers , a little bigger carb and a slightly more aggressive cam put this badass motor at 600+ horsepower...that why Nascar outlawed it as soon as it hit the track...... mostly due to complaints from Plymouth , due to the fact that it smoked the 426 Hemi.....

[@jerryw6699]

it was never in a production vehicle and very few were ever assembled.

[@randycoursey7230]

@@jerryw6699 Bill France approved the 426 Hemi despite the engine not being in a car at that time. Ford countered with the SOHC 427 which never saw a stock car and Bill shut them down, never raced in NASCAR. 1969-70 FORD & CHRYSLER competed with the AERO cars. GM couldn't compete. After 1970 France ended the AERO WAR CARS. GM was back. Ford won the most races in this short era with the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler & the Ford Talladega. Or Cobra. The Torino body was used. In 69 David Pearson won the Grand National Title in a Ford. Richard Petty driving a Ford that year finished second.

[@timbean9827]

@@randycoursey7230 ford made 10,000 427 thunderbolts and made cars that were not street legal with that engine like the falcon demon for drag racing

[@jerryparks6123]

427 sohc , single 4v 616 H. P. ,DUALL QUADS 657 H. P.

[@bartstarr972]

@@jerryparks6123 Amen Brother !

[@stevesolo16]

My 1970 LS6 in one of our trucks took very little massaging to make a powerful. We milled the heads then clearanced the pistons. Headers, a good cam and bigger carb. This made a very peppy fun truck to drive.

[@CJ-ib2jy]

Was a LS6 an option in a truck or is it a transplant?

[@sanfranciscobay]

Well done video. Rest In Peace Muscle Cars. Your memory lives on.

[@1calvin]

I love the fords and gms motors but that elephant motor was a beast IMHO

[@brucegillies1694]

I really liked driving a lot of these legendary cars with the high performance engines ! My favorite of All was the often forgotten 500 cu. In. 400 h.p. 1970 Eldorado. It was easy to take off without roasting the tires . No it wasn't the same as sitting still and wasting your tires ! Thank you CADILLAC DIVISION of General Motors!

[@davidstephens4639]

Blame the lame 2.73:1 rear axle.

[@Mike-vi9do]

Remember, Chrysler had to DE-TUNE the HEMI for street use. It was a real race engine. All others had to cobble their street engines to make horsepower.

[@1Klooch]

Engines that are what they are. No nagging, fault prone computers and sensors, no alien technology. And room, ROOM, to fit your hand AND a tool at the same time! Oh merciful God deliver me from my GM Ecotec 2.2!

[@charlesbireland1780]

Had a 1968 Shelby GT500KR with a 428 Cobrajet not much room there to change the plugs. I did keep it tuned though.....well enough to beat a 427 Yenko Camaro by 8 car lengths (twice) one night on a stretch of unopened Interstate 95 north of Jax. Fla. His wife embarrassed him when she told us the Yenko had never been beat before. I would have never left home with that 427 tuned so badly.Tuned properly, I think the Chevy should have won. My next car was a 1970 Nicky Nova SS (COPO) 375hp/402cid. After re-jetting the Holly Carb & setting the distributor for 38 degrees total advance @2000rpm, a set of Hooker headers and a "Flexalight"fan the Nova ran the quarter mile in 12.01seconds. The NHRA record for B Stock Automatic was 11.65 sec.

[@Bartonovich52]

Really? Adjusting valve lash, changing points and condensers, rebuilding carbs, setting timing, and after 100,000 miles it’s burning oil, overheating, and needs a rebuild..... vs an engine that doesn’t need anything other than fluid and filter changes for the first 100,000 miles, coolant is good for 5 years, and should it have a problem a $20 made in China code reader will tell you exactly what it is and it will cost you like $100 and a six pack to change out the offending O2 sensor.... and at 100,000 miles it runs better than anything made before 1984 did out of the showroom.

[@rustyjeep2469]

Bartonovich52 Hahaha right. Exaggerate much?

[@paulk5311]

@@Bartonovich52 there is a difference between a mechanic and a technician. the latter is just some hack that knows how to plug in a computer. probably could not set valve lash if his ride depended on it.

[@stewartcampbell7794]

@@charlesbireland1780 ; U Did Not Change # 6 Plug without Lifting the Engine . NO WAY ! Can't B Done . My Pinkie is Still Down there Somewhere & I want it Back .YYZ , Rock-Crush'in Ratman . I Had Me 2 Nova's 68 &69 402's Heavily Modded 4 Street . 12.5 Compressed & Changing Spark Plugs were a Dream compared with those A Pillar Nightmares . No Yenko or Copo cause I did My Own Hot-Rodding" . Worked at G/M Oshawa at the Tyme ! Happy Day's 4 Sure .

[@jackschwartz1783]

Personally. I'd take a '63 Chevy 327, 340hp Rochester Q-Jet(pre-quadrajet manual secondaries) Fuelie heads 4 bolt main. over ANY engine you picked here. Designed for Corvettes but you could order it in any chevy made that year. 25+ mpg if you didn't open up the secondaries. But if you did 'open it up' it would keep up with these motors. Plus, out of the factory, you could take it up to higher RPMs than any of these motors. In fact it was the First Stock motor offered to the public that produced more hp than it had cubic inches Once you've had one your admiration of Big Blocks fades rapidly Take Care All

[@clevlandblock]

Well chosen picks and very good commentary, especially on the SD-455. Air Flow Research helped develop these heads and they allegedly claimed the flow was comparable to the hemi. The SD project was originally slated to come out as a high compression 70 engine with the Ram Air IV cam. The final release of that motor in the face of emissions, politics, the gas crisis, corporate infighting, unleaded fuel, and the impending death of the musclecar, makes for an interesting story. It also makes one respect that powerplant a bit more. Note that the factory rating of 290 hp was listed at 4400 rpm. The redline on SD equipped tachometers was set at 5750.

[@ChachoGSX]

Glad to see Buick on the list.

[@BrewBlaster]

Thanks again for your great work.

[@olliehopnoodle4628]

It's a fair list. The video is well done and worth watching.

[@billyfoster3223]

Love the looks of the 70-74 Trans Am!☺

[@harwoods11]

I gotta 455 formula 1974.😊

[@billyfoster3223]

@@harwoods11 Great!😁

[@allanbowes6952]

Good choices, the main problem with the 426 HEMI was the warranty was 12000 miles versus 50000 for the 440 and 383 etc. along with a lot more money to buy.

[@dukecraig2402]

The biggest problem with the 426 Hemi was it's horrible combustion chamber, the only reason they made the power they did is because they came from the factory with the rubber band already wrapped up pretty tight in them, ie big cams, solid lifters etc etc, hardly anyone understands that the reason behind the Hemi design wasn't to intentionally make a big dished out head and put a big dome on the piston, that's actually detrimental to flame propagation. About 17 or so years ago when a friend of mine came running into my shop all excited saying "Did you hear? Chrysler's bringing the Hemi back!!!" I immediately told him "It's not going to be a true Hemi, I'll guarantee you of that, I'll bet everything I own it's gonna have flat top pistons and closed chambers like a bathtub style", when he ask how I figured that I told him "Because the old Hemi's were horrible, inefficient combustion chambers, and there's NO WAY they'll be able to get them to pass a modern emissions test", don't ya know the first time he showed me a cut away view of one in one of his car magazines he was standing there saying "You were right, it's not a "real" Hemi". "Hemi" combustion chambers like that were in aircraft and Harley engines long before Chrysler used them, matter of fact that's where Harley and Chrysler learned it from, aircraft engines, Harley dropped the Hemi combustion chamber in 84 with the Evo engine and went with a flat top piston and a partially closed "D" shaped combustion chamber and performance rose sharply, especially with just small mods they made much more power then the Shovel engine that had the same exact bore/stroke and bottom end assembly. There's a reason no one makes a true Hemi combustion chamber anymore yet power to displacement ratios are much higher than they were back then.

[@michiganmotorsports]

455 was a beast. 3" main journals on the crank.

[@KobyMathews]

A transmission video would be nice to go along with this.

[@TheDochoffman1]

BUICK RULES! I SPENT OVER 30 YEARS , STARTING IN THE EARLY 60'S, IN A BUICK DEALERSHIP IN THE SERVICE DEPT, ALL PHASES. NOT REALLY PUBLICIZED, THERE WAS A STAGE 2 OEM GM KIT AVAILABLE FOR "OFF ROAD USE". I IMAGINE THAT SOME ENDED UP IN "STREET" RODS.

[@micaelcaruso6489]

I have a 1969 Buick GS 400 stage one convertible . the car can fly

[@nitrowrench79]

My dad had a 70 455 Stage 1 GSX. That car was an absolute monster. Those Stage 1 engines were very underrated.

[@eddiebowens1919]

i think this was a fair representation

[@rocksince64]

My friend has a ultra rare 1973 Firebird Formula 455SD. Most of the SD engines made there way into Trans Am. I believe his is 1 of the 43 they produced. The car is in fantastic shape and only has 43k miles on it. He is a 3rd generation Texas Oil Man and has a very nice car collection kept in a climate controlled environment. His sister had ordered the car and wanted the Formula hood with the two snorkel scoops. By checking of the top engine option no one explained it would come with a shaker hood . The car came in and she did not want it . Her brother my friend said he would take it. Hence he is the owner of a rare and legendary Pontiac Performance car. It's the only Pontiac in his collection . A very good one to own.

[@meeester11]

loved me some old big blocks but times are good again, amazing actually.

[@davidthayer6969]

They should have mentioned that the venerable Ford 427,in 1967 won the Daytona 500, 24 hrs of LeMans AND the AA/FD title in the NHRA......although the performance of all of the others is fantastic, NO other engine has ever, or will ever do this agains.

[@3fingermike1]

and 12 hrs of Sebring. The 427(in it's various forms) is Ford's all time race winning leader.

[@Beastcustoms]

Another little piece of trivia not well known is that Ford sold their remaining inventory of 427ci side oilers to non other than Chris Craft to power their Constellation cruisers. One need only to search your local boat yard for one of these rare gems. It's how I found mine. Your welcome!

[@allenkeiser1718]

Engine

[@jeremythompson9895]

@@allenkeiser1718 Definitely...... I think the Ford R-Code 427 should've been number 2. The high compression LS6 454 was only in production for one year(1970) Besides I always thought the Chevy L72 427 performed better than the LS6 anyway. And the Stage 1 455 Buicks were fast but they were notorious for cracked blocks, due to the use of 2 bolt mains and very thinwall casting. Always cracked in the lifter valleys. Couldn't take the high rpm abuse like the others on this list so I don't really think it belongs here, but others may disagree

[@heathdale5903]

@@Johnny_Fairlane the 427 sohc was ford copycating chryslers hemi. because ford cant come up with anything on ther own. cheating little bitches.

[@Ballenxj]

Sadly, I see no mention here of Oldsmobile's "W" Machines. You did however mention the Pontiac SD 455, and it was one of the few Pontiac engines that came from the factory with 4 bolt mains. Thumb up fr the video.

[@johnathanmphoto]

Brother, I've always been a computer nerd and tech head, but I'm also one who is big on statistical data of ANY kind. That said, I taught myself car and motorcycle repair (out of necessity) but was never really a grease head who was always under the hood or with grease under the fingernails. That said, I truly appreciate this video and was taken aback to hear the numbers you are reporting that these engines made, especially the 455 Stage 1 engine that put out 510 lb. ft. of torque at 2,800 rpms?!?!?! WOW! :) AWESOME VIDEO!

[@fredanddebramacdonald2445]

Back when real cars were made! And I remember pumping preumium gas costing 32 cents per gallon! Real gas! Try running cars like this on 91 octane at three bucks a gallon! Ping, ping, ping!!

[@davidstephens4639]

Not in SLC at 4500' elevation. 10:1 up here makes the same cranking compression, all else equal, as 8.5:1 at sea level. I put 305HO heads on a smogger 350 and left the smogger cam in, it ran fine on pump regular at 10.2:1.

[@chrismemphis8062]

@Bighorn44 None ...and .34 in 1966 adjusted for 2019 inflation is $2.74 today. The old days weren't that good.

[@chrisbaker2903]

I remember paying 21 cents a gallon at the cheapo station right next to Ventura High school in Ventura California in 1968/69. Mostly I bought regular which ran fine in my mom's merc station wagon with 10:1 compression at sea level. It was no performance car but the 383 version of the Lincoln 430 was still a torque monster. I wish I had one like it now in good condition. 2.73 gears, 55 in first 95 in second and no idea in third. Shifting at 4,000 RPM... LOL My dad liked it too. We pulled a 14' camping trailer up over 33 towards Taft and at one point, on a long straight stretch, he got all 4, probably the trailer too, airborne over a rise that would be a gentle slope at 65. The speedometer was somewhere past 105 when I saw it as we were slowing down. I believe that he honestly didn't notice how fast we were going. You're not going to do that with ANY modern car.

[@jeffreyanderson810]

methanol a low grade corn mix money flow 4 big corporation.

[@davidhubbard7573]

I remember 32 cents a gallon I was 11 years old I remember how passed off the adults were whe italmost trippled over night too

[@johnvanlindingham9490]

Having owned several a 440 is hard to beat.

[@chadhaire1711]

easy to beat...only 325 hp net...any modern V-6 can do that now....LOL

[@nfarnell1]

In late 1969 I bought a brand new dodge swinger, with the 340S engine. ( paid 2995.00) That little monster would show it's taillights to most big blocks on the street. The hooked up like nothing else. Big blocks could roast off a set of rears faster but getting down the road quick was the 340's speciality.

[@Bartonovich52]

Ahh.... Dodge owners. Never change.

[@BillMiller43]

My 70 Mustang 351C 4speed was always ahead of them all the way to 100. Big Mercedes radials on it. Never smoked 'em.

[@Welcometofacsistube]

Best small block made in that era.

[@Welcometofacsistube]

Bartonovich52 ya. Telling the truth over and over gets redundant

[@billedmonds1868]

Must of never faced off with a 1968 nova 396 /375 hp 4 speed then.Bill Edmonds

[@mikemccormick8115]

I was all set to critique but you got them all and mentioned next in line. Only reason for those slow sounding quarter mile times was due to narrow rear tires yielding little traction. Cars were a lot lighter back then too.

[@jasonmcmillan4373]

If you had to narrow it down to the best five, I think I'd agree with this list 100%. Very interesting info too, thanks. 👍🏻

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

327 L84 375 hp

[@dannydennis318]

​@@DANTHETUBEMAN That was a hot little 327 my friend had a silver 63 split window Corvette with the 375 horsepower and the two speed. But the thing about these muscle cars up here is all of them are approaching 450 horsepower in shitloads of torque it's just some of them are way under rated to please the government insurance and tree huggers.

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

@@dannydennis318 right, the Z-28 302 Camaro, rated at 240 HP, at 3000 rpm. and that's what it had. but it liked to be shifted at 7200 rpm where is had 400 HP!

[@davidwood1923]

Great Video!... Thanks for Sharing

[@ehwhite183]

Sooo many good engines during that time. The H.O. 289, the 302 (both Z28 and Boss), the venerable 327, of course the 350, the 383 and 389, both of which lasted for years as standard wonderful performance engines. Of course this show is about the rare ones, but many of us had real cars that were HOT and ran within just a tick of these - there were so many of them out there, and real young people could afford them. Now, a hot Camaro or Mustang starts at $40K and they just go up from there. My last hot one was an '88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe that listed at $18,000 and was a true 145 MPH runner. Of course, the newer ones can actually corner!

[@john1adams125]

Video correction. In fact, Ford DID produce another race car engine in a full production Ford. It is available NOW in the Mustang GT-350 and GT-350R with the Voodoo flat plane 526 HP @ 8250 RPM engine.

[@moeshouse575]

dont for get the 1964 Hemi was a race only version. the 1966 Hemi was what Chrysler called a street Hemi. they LOVED to eat spark plugs

[@jeremythompson9122]

They did like to foul plugs when people drove them around in city traffic at lower RPM for too long. Like the solid lifter Ford FE 427 and the Ford BOSS 429 they are much more at home out on the open highway seeing how they were designed specifically to run at high RPM for long distances ie NASCAR. The 426 Hemi was not an ideal powerplant for daily driving purposes. The 383 and 440 were much better suited for that

[@GlassTopRX7]

The 71' Boss 351 was a legit race engine. In fact the 71' Boss 351 was the most powerful small block of the muscle car era. The LS6 made the same HP as the L72 427 and was not as powerful as L88 or ZL1. The added stroke of the 454 did help the the bottom end torque a little bit, but added more pumping losses so the HP remained the same. Production race engines included the Boss 351, Race Hemi, SD 421, L88, ZL1, Z11 427, and 427 R code.

[@kenpringle6568]

Excellent presentation 👏🏼

[@joeschlotthauer840]

I had a Buick GSX car #125, fastest car I was ever in for the day, and in 1980, it was affordable, paid $1800.00.

[@johnnytoobad2979]

I'm 54 now and remember them beside Vietnam boys parents houses for 1000 to 800 bucks in the early 80s with weeds and grass growing around them.Some were even free if you offered to move them and mow the yard. Seriously in rural North Carolina 1982 Wilson NC.

[@rverro8478]

I still have the next best thing. Mine is a 1970 convertible Stage 1. It will be my last complete restoration because, it show its age and, so am I.

[@garyenglert7950]

would you like to sell it

[@samiam9059]

great video! My first car was 1971 skylark but just the 350 but it hauled and was a beautiful green metallic with vinal top. Was a beauty

[@tillivanilli6481]

One time more a very nice video from you about Automotive History, Thank you very much! :) I'm from germany and I'm also even looking about the Automotive History, especially the great Automotive history about the USA & the amazing makers like the "great 3", especially GM with Fisher Body is a favorite part for me.... I've to say, the best cars was never produced at Germany, and never at japan or another asian coutries... The best cars ever made was produced in very very high numbers at USA between 1950 and late 1970s. That's my opinion. And yes, i'm from germany and says this! ;) & When I look at the present cars in production i've to say, the best, or last good cars what are still in production comes from USA, especially Made by MOPAR. The Dodge Charger or also Challenger are the best, especially when we look about the price for this cars. The Challenger with the not superchatged HEMI is the best i think. Because you get a good styling what is using the great and nice lines of the 60/70s Sedans what was so beautyful. OK it's also using a unibody design, but MOPAR was using this design also back in the 50s... But when i Look at GM or Ford, tears will flow out my eyes when i think what they produce now, and what good Cars and history they have and Made so great cars Back in the 60/70s... :( That's a shame that GM or Ford aren't using the Body on Frame design with V8 and even RWD still in the moment... because i think this things are too importand and good to cancel this for present GM and Ford Cars. OK, you could buy a US Pickup by Ford, GM or also Mopar and they're the best. But what about the sedan/Limousine Cars, especially in MID, or even FULLSIZE segment!? That's a shame that's only MOPAR what is producing real US Cars what are using their great designs and styling, RWD and V8's.... Ford and GM have to use Body on Frame design, V8's and RWD again with a styling what stands for their great amazing history of building cars. It's a big shame that GM had closed Fisher Body/ - Fisher Body was so good in building car bodies,... This company has also a so big amazing history... I Hope we'll see RWD, Body on Frame, and also V8's with a new Coke bottle Styling in MID and FULLSIZE Models by Ford and GM in future again. Because this is the only way to make americas great Auto makers great again i think. (& I'm a Designer for Cars, i'm also a restoring US Classic Cars....)

[@vikwillwin]

You can not forget the Z-11 all aluminum 427 Would put out 575 hp in stock form with open exhaust and was as light as a small block .

[@wam44]

Thanks for your research and production! Great videos as always...My personal claim to fame was a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass SX 455 2 barrel 365 hp 500 foot lb and a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 350 4 barrel 325hp 360 foot lb.. Wish I still had those cars...

[@dannydennis318]

Yes regular cutlasses in 442s have the 365 horsepower 455 that ran in the 14s. But each company including Oldsmobile how to double badass Throwdown. I'm at 70 W-30 was closer to 440 horsepower in reality. But a lot of people get confused about the horsepower rating and Pontiac wouldn't write anything more than one horsepower forever 10 lb of car weight. And the 442 weighed 3700lb so that 440 horse monster W-30 got a rating a 370hp. The regular 442 was rated correct at 365hp. 70 W-30 what's more powerful than the Hurst Olds one that was rated 390 horsepower. That would have the smaller cam in it

[@gordonmckenney4525]

I loved the AMC 343 .

[@elevenbucks5682]

In the late 70s we ran a Javelin with a 360 amc , Had a hydraulic cam ,intake and headers, ran 11.20 all day.

[@JeffinTD]

Was a grunty engine, especially with the dealer option cam.

[@Rich-hy2ey]

Buick's Grand National was just as much an all-out push for performance as anything in the 60's and they did it with a V6.

[@kellyh4035]

The GNX was a legend ahead of its time and in a league of it's own.

[@ThePaulv12]

The 440 six pack could've had it's own entry but i suppose it wouldn't fit.

[@jeremythompson9122]

Absolutely. The Pontiac 400 Ram Air IV too

[@larryyatsko6966]

I had a 70 cuda with a 440 six barrel engine. 3:54 gears and a positraction rear and 727 torgueflite transmission. I installed a set of Big Tube Hooker Headers, changed to carburetor linkage to progressive linkage. Yanked out the stock distributor for a Mallory Dual point. Carbs and distributor were set up by "Ramchargers" Car prepped by Bob George. That car never lost a race. It was freaky fast.

[@markperry2827]

440s were the poor mans engine. The 383 was the grandpas engine. Mopar had wonderful plants but the 428 SCJ smoked the 440 and it was not even close. Took a lot of work to get the 440s competitive. Not the best head design.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@markperry2827 Mopar expert?

[@chrisneilson7221]

The Chevy 427 Z-11 was worth mentioning. (A stroked 409 that beat max wedges and hemi's in the ¼ mile)

[@vikwillwin]

was actually a Mark 4 motor based on the 427 and 396 platform .

[@josephwebb6510]

I see a lot of people complaining about engines we have nowadays. Back then from my understanding 90% of vehicles/engines never made it to 100,000-200,000 miles. Our engines now may be computer controlled, and more sophisticated but they also pump out incredible horsepower and torque numbers while getting good fuel mileage and a lot, I mean a lot longer lifespan. I’m my opinion fuel injection is far superior to carbureted. They have a lot better performance then those older engines. We just need to learn to work in new engines.

[@curbstomp3126]

I always liked the 327 SBC 375hp

[@bobrandal4022]

Dam straight!

[@rondyechannel1399]

No match for the Ford Boss 351 canted valve motor, but a great engine, and I have owned several of both.

[@3.2Carrera]

The SBC may not be perfect to work on from a design perspective or the best performance engine for that matter, but today I greatly appreciate Chevrolet's backwards part commonality that goes back 30 years or so. Takes the guess work out of what part will work with this block or that head, etc.

[@rondyechannel1399]

Vince yes it makes it easy, but it also turns every keyboard mechanic into an expert. When I started building motors in the 1960's I worked with big and small Chevrolets. There were lots of them and they were cheap. Over the years I have grown to appreciate Fords because they were always so innovative. SOHC 427 Hemi , 427 Tunnel Port, BOSS 429 Hemi. 351 C., 289/302 Boss Inline 1400 cfm Autolite carbs. etc. @@3.2Carrera

[@georgewilson9121]

the 327 63-65 vettes owned the streets.

[@Widebody20]

1966 Dodge Plymouth was called street Hemi. 64 65 race Hemi came in only 2dr. cars with only two van seats in front no warrantee came with the car.

[@derekstewart8175]

Even with zero decking a SD455, setting quench to .040, using modern flat top 7cc vr pistons and milling the 111cc heads a BUNCH you are still only getting a real 9.3-9.5:1 compression, a better way to go is using a 4.50 inch stroke crank and that makes a 30 over 455 495cid then you get the compression up and monster torque, BUT SD455 stuff is so expensive almost nobody can afford to build it! Nah Pontiac should have produced a RA4 428 that would have been a legend!

[@mpetersen6]

Great comparision there about snowboarding and living in Miami My top 5. Boss 302, 302 Z-28, 327SBC, 383 Mopar and 389 Pontiac. The last three are what you really saw the most of. The engine that would have been an absolute beast would have been the 32 valve Olds W-43. I've never really gotten a handle on what makes a big block a big block. Bore centers? Deck height? The big Olds, Poncho and Buicks are all around 4-5/8 BC. Yet AMC V-8 blocks are 4-3/4.

[@HotAmericanCars]

Considering there are tons of American V8 videos done by complete idiots just to click bait you all over the web, this one is 9 out of 10. Great job guys and long live the American muscle

[@michaelmendillo4614]

The Chevy 350 has to be one of the best motors ever made,,,,they where fine for everyday driving, and could also been turned into beasts ! Same for Pontiac, except they had a 2 bolt main,,,, I am not talking race car caliber, just a good motor in general,,,, 😁✌

[@RCredneck85]

Chrysler never rated the 426 hemi in net. They were all rated at 425bhp

[@chadhaire1711]

WRONG..after 1971 426 was rated at 350 net....get your facts right......

[@351WINCHESTER]

My brother bought a new 73 Trans Am with the 455SD engine. It was British racing green & was the fastest car I ever drove. Top speed was over 165mph. When I was in junior hs a schoolmate's dad bought him a 65 Plymouth Satellite with a hemi. It was too much car for him.

[@bevancook1523]

hemmings rates the studebaker v8 as the worlds best v8 ever & google bonneville record breaker

[@jerrysumner9415]

have astock 400 159 mph easy!

[@charlesmarshall2697]

The high reving 340 Mopar with X heads in a 2900 pound Dart or Duster wore out most of these big blocks and all other small blocks on real street encounters!

The best domestic small-block V-8 ever built. A close runner-up would be the Chevy 327. PS, AAR Cuda was the superior ride.

[@ryanurukalo4347]

Oh, how I miss the days when gas was less than a buck per gallon, and enormous naturally aspirated V8's ruled. Now EPA rules...it's too bad

[@pipeofdoom]

yea but if an EU manifacture made that engine it would be more than that

[@boblazar1443]

The current crop of performance cars are pretty darn good and gas is cheaper than ever if inflation adjusted.

[@chadhaire1711]

Buck a Gallon? You mean back in 1970 when the min wage was $1.50 an hour? Now with inflation min wage is 7 times that but gas in only $2.25 a gallon not even twice that--CHEAPER. And any 2016 Dodge Rt with a stock 5.7 V-8 375 horse engine can blow these old rust bucket engines off the road!

[@423FGFDFHFHV]

In those day they would have run off petrol.

[@billtaylor4224]

bet you would give your right thumb to have one of these "rust buckets". A nice 4spd LS6 Chevelle would set you back $100K+. Of course nostalgia is part of that cost but there is something to be said about the uncomputerized rawness of these machines when driving them.

[@GetsumJ]

427 FE R code and W code. Keep in mind , the 1964½ T-Bolt ran an 11:28 @ 123mph..... off the showroom floor. When Ford released the 427 Cammer, Hemi had no chance.

[@s.hooper4683]

The 427SOHC (cammer) was definitely a force to be reckoned with but the other Bad Boy in the Ford stable was the Boss 429. The Boss 429, like the Cammer was horribly under rated both in Horsepower and Torque was rated at 375HP and 390HP respectively. Actual numbers for the Boss was 585HP and the Cammer put out an even more impressive 612HP. Yes, the Dodge Hemi's and big block GM's were kings of the tracks back then. At least until those guys in the Boss 429 Mustangs and the Cammer Galaxies showed up. Interesting huh? Nascar/Winston Cup even tried to have those Ford engines banned on the roundy-round circuit. It took a year or two to get the Boss thrown out but the Cammer was nixed immediately. They were just fine with the Chrysler Hemi though.. One of several reasons why I don't bother with Nascar and never really have. Anyway, have a good day.

[@s.hooper4683]

@Mark rapacki, oh good. Another Google nut who thinks he's going to educate me. Ok then captain internet, maybe you can explain to me how it's even possible for a neighbor of mine to buy a Cammer Galaxie from a Ford dealership in the San Fernando Valley. He had it for years. I remember listening to him talk about how he took it to the local Saturday night drags and blow the doors off the Chevys and the Dodges. I thought he built himself until he broke out the paperwork and let me look over the original build sheet. Or maybe you can enlighten me on how a few of these cars being for sale at Pomona had paperwork and build sheets from dealerships all over California. Truth be told, I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not but I will admit it's amusing to watch people like you tell me I'm wrong. Maybe you should think about turning your computer off and try getting out into the real word. Just a thought.

[@Ted_Stryker]

​@@s.hooper4683 Yes. The, cammer", was ford's answer to the Hemi. Nascar shut it down before they could actually put them in cars, but Mopar actually had an answer for ford's cammer. It was their dual overhead cammed 426 Hemi, known as the doomsday engine. There are still two in existence. One travels around at various auto shows. The other is in a private collection somewhere. I've also heard that someone was able to acquire some prototype heads from the project. Nascar actually shut down both projects, because they, apparently, were of the mind that things could get out of control if they didn't. Hence, why there were only about 1500 or so cammers produced as well. Btw, many of the 427 cammers ended up with Hemi bottom ends, because the 427s couldn't handle the extra power very well. No hate. Just think that the story behind both of these engines is quite interesting, but often overlooked.

[@caseybhargraves6208]

Great video!!

[@micaelcaruso6489]

My father-in-law left my wife and I 1969 convertible GS 400 stage1 with factory air and power windows 😘🤙🏼 The car is so cool 😎

[@tgfoley1493]

Great video

[@kellyh4035]

The Buick GS was second to none in the 1/4 mile but extremely under recognized and appreciated.

[@allanbowes6952]

The warranty was a big issue in 1967 when I was buying a new car. I was living in Sask and insurance was not a factor, just reliable cars over long distances. The warranty was a big factor.

[@johndobrota3102]

I had a 74 SD 455 T/A. After a friend rebuilt the motor, it would rev to 7500. It had a Turbo 400 3 speed. In 2nd gear it could do 140 mph. The speedo pinned at 160, which I reached more than a few times, and one time I kept accelerating, but chickened out after I felt the fenders rubbing the tops of the tires due to slight undulations in the highway. By using the rpm, and some calculations, the car was doing 185 mph. I sold it after blowing a head gasket, and finding out how hard it was to get SD parts here in Canada, not to mention the expense.

[@badgerbait8351]

Would be fun to see the list of small blocks...that would create some serious discourse!

[@markg7030]

The SD455 was rated at 310 (Net) in 1973 and 290 (Net) in 1974.

[@clevlandblock]

Research this and you'll see that the 310 rating was only in some pilot cars and and cars issued for press road tests. All cars sold to the public for 73 and 74 were rated at 290hp due to cam change for emissions.

[@markpatterson2507]

Great info well presented

[@jeremythompson9895]

Here's my top 10 but not necessarily all in order 1. Chrysler 426 Hemi(1966-71) 2. Ford R-Code 427 (1963-64 top oiler, 1965-67 side oiler) 3. Pontiac 421 Super Duty(1961-63) 4. Chevy ZL1 427(1969) 5. Chevy LS6 454(1970) 6. Pontiac 400 Ram Air IV (1969-70) 7. Chrysler 440 Six Pack/Six Barrel (1969-71) 8. Chevy L78 396(1965-69) 9. Pontiac 455 Super Duty(1973-74) 10. Buick 455 Stage 1(1970) The only reason I have the Buick Stage 1 at number 10 is because it doesn't have all the beefed up internals like the rest of the engines on my list

[@1LOCKNLOAD]

No Boss 429?

[@joesc641]

I had a 427/425hp 69 Camaro. It was a beast! OK, not factory built. Took the motor out a a 67 corvette. Still very nice. When gas went to 75 cents a gallon, I dumped it.

[@bluesman7475]

We had guy in our town who had one of the COPO Camaros. 69, L88, 4 speed and 4:11 12 bolt. It was black/black and the only thing that kept it from being a total sleeper was on the roof pillars..... "King Kong" in white lettering. Street raced many years and never saw him beat. Wiped out my 74 SD-455 Trans Am by 3 car lengths.

[@sabrehawk-427]

@@bluesman7475 them copos are rare worth big money cause they where bad asses

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

@@bluesman7475 Do you recall the rear's gearing in your trans am by any chance? They were probably low gearing too uh?

[@maxxer127]

One thing GM did well was the 396-427 Chrome Valve covers you never grow tired of them old Chrome mirror Clean looking Valve covers One other thing GM did great in there cars what that HorseShoe shifter with the gauges seeing both of them in a RS or A SS car very nice

[@bjensne123]

The Corvette big block engines in '67 were 390, 400 and 435 hp plus the L 88.

[@01trsmar]

My 68 Charger RT 440 Magnum 4bbl,auto and 3.23 gears ran 12.80's bone stock ! Back in 1973 !!! I added wide tread tires that were 205 60 series yeah 205 were as wide as you could get then ! It still spun but my Dad raced a lot ans I knew how to drive ! Dads new 70 Cuda 440 6 barrel and 3.54 dana 60 ran high 11's 2 weeks after he bought it ! He added headers and tweaked the carbs ! By 1979 I ran 12.30's with my 68 Charger RT with 130,000 miles on it..I changed the intake and carb added headers engine had stock cam and never touched ! Remember some guys ran cars that 1st gear changed at 40 mph lol,it should go to 1-2 at 50 and after the shift youre north of 60 mph ! It takes 2 seconds to adjust the trans shift point ,my Charger I bought of the orig owner in 1972 shifted perfect ,I did see and buy many that shifted at 40 lol !

[@3.2Carrera]

Right on!

[@chadhaire1711]

You are talking out your ass....a 440 magnum only put out 325 hp net, and stock could barely get 13.8 in the 1/4 mile..... and all these "mods" you list are not "stock". A 2019 Chevy Camaro puts out 335 hp net---more than your "stock" 440-6 did so get real and stop spreading bullcrap

[@gregkistner1955]

Great engines all around!!!

[@russellboyd5262]

I have a 1977 corvette,with a 350 4 barrel,It has 120000 miles,daily driven,I love that car,Any videos on c3 corvettes,especially 1977 vette,would be nice,thanks russ.

[@scottbarker9058]

the 1970 ss 454 -ls-6 not only came in the chevelle but also the more nasty looking el camino!!

[@maxxer127]

That was another one that could not keep from spinning the tires

[@craigroth3183]

Great job guys. Spot on.

[@terraboundmisfit]

The Pontiac V8 has always been my favorite GM engine, but I will not agree that their late model low compression offering was their best. When it comes to the RB Dodge I'll take a 426 max wedge. I had the privilege to speak with Sheldon Gecker at the 92 Heartland nationals, and I asked him why he was not running a Hemi, he said "because on gasoline the wedge makes more power." Enough said.

[@Welcometofacsistube]

iamfun6996 he was right

[@mikestanly749]

Thankyou oldcarmemories, big american v8 power :)

[@ronroberts110]

These cars didn't have the brakes or cornering suspensions that are common today, but...they were also very affordable to anyone with a steady job. Gas was cheap, so the formula was big displacement and higher compression.