Getting the Project Car Bug Again

[SMS]

Made a gentleman's agreement on a Road Runner this week. Both of us are too busy this week to finalize and coordinate pickup. Hopefully bringing her home next week/weekend.

71, B5 blue, 340-4bbl, buckets, automatic with center console, and rallye wheels. She's going to need a complete refresh/restoration, but it's a solid car.

 

[Shakel65]

Did it come out of Lexington by chance?

 

[SMS]

Did it come out of Lexington by chance?

No sir

 

[swampratt]

Cool body style congratulations.
That 340 is a runner those Mopar boys knew a few things when they designed that engine.

 

[SMS]

Cool body style congratulations.
That 340 is a runner those Mopar boys knew a few things when they designed that engine.

Yeah, that body style is my favorite from that generation of B bodies. The 340 was a selling point. Yeah it's not as sexy as the 383 (even though the 383 isn't as powerful as some thought) and 440, but I like the scarcity/rarity of it in that line.

 

[swampratt]

My 383 was a 1967 which I was told was the last year for the high compression.
It ran very strong in a 1967 Newport custom I had.
I did drive my Uncles 340 Duster that he raced against Richard Petty in and it would flat get it on in that Duster.
4 speed of course.
Another plus is those old Mopars would get 18 MPG with some tuning from the 383 and over 20 from that 340.
The later A833 trans would have a .73 OD if you are into that.
My uncle got one from OKC pull-a-part for 75 bucks and stuck it behind his 67 Barracuda with a 340.
It got a best ever 27 MPG on one leg from OKC to Oregon.
Average MPG was 24.
He was running a Carter 625 CFB AFB that was rejetted.

 

[MacFromOK]

My 383 was a 1967 which I was told was the last year for the high compression.

IIRC, that is correct. I remember the cover of one '68 car mag that read, "8:1 is the limit!" Lol, or something like that. It was probably an older mag when I got it, btw - I turned 11 in '68.

I was the engine/gearbox mech at the local Chevy dealer around '76/'77 (we actually got one of the Bicentennial Corvettes), and there was a chart on the wall showing hp for different year models.

The new 454s showed to be less than 300hp (I want to say 240 or maybe 275?).

The '65 'Vette 454 showed to be 500hp.

 

[swampratt]

Lots of 454" engines were severely choked down..How in the world do you make such little HP from so many cubes?

The 1965 BBC should be the 396" 425HP which was under rated.
1966 the 427" became available but hot rodders were stroking them larger and before the 454 came on the scene in 1970 some hot rodders were boring and stroking the BBC to over 500".

The 1947 Dodge truck I have came with a 1965 425HP 396" rectangular port heads and dual 4 intake.
No the intake was not factory offered that particullar engine was in the truck but my dads buddy pt it there it came he ran it in super gas class in a Chevelle with 4 speed and 4.11 gears.
Dual 4's and a different cam..No head porting as I had the heads off of it when I bought the truck in 1987.

He ran 9.8 at 145MPH in that chevelle.
Shifted that 396" between 8000 and 8500 RPM.
Solid flat tappet cam.
On the Engine dyno that 396" made 625HP

I sadly sold it to a friend that disappeared after he bought it on payments.
I got paid 75 bucks for that 396

 

[MacFromOK]

Lots of 454" engines were severely choked down..How in the world do you make such little HP from so many cubes?

The 1965 BBC should be the 396" 425HP which was under rated.
1966 the 427" became available but hot rodders were stroking them larger and before the 454 came on the scene in 1970 some hot rodders were boring and stroking the BBC to over 500".

I was surprised at the 454 being listed in a '65 Corvette, as I wasn't aware they were available then. Not sure whether they were prototype/test cars or what, but this was a factory GM chart.

 

[O4L]

IIRC, that is correct. I remember the cover of one '68 car mag that read, "8:1 is the limit!" Lol, or something like that. It was probably an older mag when I got it, btw - I turned 11 in '68.

I was the engine/gearbox mech at the local Chevy dealer around '76/'77 (we actually got one of the Bicentennial Corvettes), and there was a chart on the wall showing hp for different year models.

The new 454s showed to be less than 300hp (I want to say 240 or maybe 275?).

The '65 'Vette 454 showed to be 500hp.

How did they get a 454 in '65 when they didn't come out until 1970? Machining magic? [emoji16]