Im always amazed at what I hear at car shows, usually from the younger guys but certainly not limited to those younger guys, about how fast the older muscle cars were.
I have had several conversations with guys who think the older muscle cars were much faster than they really were, its smart to remember current tire technology and suspension technology makes turning the tires to smoke far more difficult than it was back in the day with the older muscle cars with those original tires, and easily smoking the tires rather than actual 1/4 mile trap speeds seems to be the way many guys judge car performance.
take for example the 302 Z28 camaro, if you believed half the guys at car shows you would think the 302 chevy Z28 as it came off the show room floor was a 11-12 second car, the truth is that it had in most cases just about no useable power until the engine was spinning at least 3500rpm, and it got about 12-13 mpg
(luckily gas cost about 30-36 cents a gallon back then),
these cars in stock form with the then available tires usually ran high 14 second to low 15 second 1/4 mile times.
now the legend comes from the guys that installed the correctly modified engines , guys that knew what modifications were required to get the engine running to its full potential, like the available, OPTIONAL cross-ram dual quad intake, ordered and installed the OPTIONAL OFF ROAD CAM, 3927140 Mech. 257/269 .493"/.512" or the CRANE 110921 Duration at 050 inch Lift: 244 int 0.518 in.lift./252 exh.0.536 in lift (which had a different part number back then but the same specs) open headers and racing tires, plus traction bars, and several other suspension mods who also raced the cars, a stripped out car with a roll cage and race tires and the engine having been modified could run the numbers most guys SAY THEY REMEMBER ! and having been there and helped many guys modify these cars I can assure you more than a few guys upgraded to 11:1 compression ratio 327 and 350 displacement engines, but lefty the 302 fender badges in place
it was very common to swap in a 327, 350 or even a 377 or 406 sbc into a Z28 after the cars original engine was damaged, and clutches in these cars rarely lasted more than a year to 18 months, because of the driving style most of the owners had.
so if a second owner had a really fast Z28, chances were good it was not the original un modified engine. and it was hardly rare for some guy to lie about modifications he had made.
ID also point out that a properly built roller cam equipped 383-406 sbc engine, with new heads, intake and correctly designed headers will leave any old factory 302 z28 so far back looking at tail lights its not even a contest
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=3814
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=519
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=5593
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=4512
now these were nice cars, especially the 1969 with the 350 cubic inch engine or better yet the 375 hp rated 396 big block that was in truth a faster car that was much easier to make into a killer street racer.
BASIC Z29 intake
OPTIONAL EXTRA COST Z29 intake,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_ ... eration%29
http://www.fastcoolcars.com/69-camaro-z282.htm
http://z28crossram.com/
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=623&p=834&hilit=crossram#p834
http://www.camaro-untoldsecrets.com/art ... ossram.htm
http://www.classicperformancerestoratio ... 8_crossram
http://www.vintagemusclecarparts.com/pa ... sram9.html
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=960&p=1651#p1651
I have had several conversations with guys who think the older muscle cars were much faster than they really were, its smart to remember current tire technology and suspension technology makes turning the tires to smoke far more difficult than it was back in the day with the older muscle cars with those original tires, and easily smoking the tires rather than actual 1/4 mile trap speeds seems to be the way many guys judge car performance.
take for example the 302 Z28 camaro, if you believed half the guys at car shows you would think the 302 chevy Z28 as it came off the show room floor was a 11-12 second car, the truth is that it had in most cases just about no useable power until the engine was spinning at least 3500rpm, and it got about 12-13 mpg
(luckily gas cost about 30-36 cents a gallon back then),
these cars in stock form with the then available tires usually ran high 14 second to low 15 second 1/4 mile times.
now the legend comes from the guys that installed the correctly modified engines , guys that knew what modifications were required to get the engine running to its full potential, like the available, OPTIONAL cross-ram dual quad intake, ordered and installed the OPTIONAL OFF ROAD CAM, 3927140 Mech. 257/269 .493"/.512" or the CRANE 110921 Duration at 050 inch Lift: 244 int 0.518 in.lift./252 exh.0.536 in lift (which had a different part number back then but the same specs) open headers and racing tires, plus traction bars, and several other suspension mods who also raced the cars, a stripped out car with a roll cage and race tires and the engine having been modified could run the numbers most guys SAY THEY REMEMBER ! and having been there and helped many guys modify these cars I can assure you more than a few guys upgraded to 11:1 compression ratio 327 and 350 displacement engines, but lefty the 302 fender badges in place
it was very common to swap in a 327, 350 or even a 377 or 406 sbc into a Z28 after the cars original engine was damaged, and clutches in these cars rarely lasted more than a year to 18 months, because of the driving style most of the owners had.
so if a second owner had a really fast Z28, chances were good it was not the original un modified engine. and it was hardly rare for some guy to lie about modifications he had made.
ID also point out that a properly built roller cam equipped 383-406 sbc engine, with new heads, intake and correctly designed headers will leave any old factory 302 z28 so far back looking at tail lights its not even a contest
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=3814
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=519
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=5593
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=4512
now these were nice cars, especially the 1969 with the 350 cubic inch engine or better yet the 375 hp rated 396 big block that was in truth a faster car that was much easier to make into a killer street racer.
BASIC Z29 intake
OPTIONAL EXTRA COST Z29 intake,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_ ... eration%29
http://www.fastcoolcars.com/69-camaro-z282.htm
http://z28crossram.com/
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=623&p=834&hilit=crossram#p834
http://www.camaro-untoldsecrets.com/art ... ossram.htm
http://www.classicperformancerestoratio ... 8_crossram
http://www.vintagemusclecarparts.com/pa ... sram9.html
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=960&p=1651#p1651
