Swedish BBC-lover from Chevytalk

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Impala65SS

Member
Finally!
At last, I get to read all the original posts that Grumpyvette posts on Chevytalks performancesection! ;)

I'm an indigenous Swede, loves 65 and 67,68 Chevy full size, don't mind a BBC - prefer the original look on an engine. "Collects" engines (like pre 68 327s) and other machinery I will never finish and probably never use :oops: .
(I also have a secret love for the 64 impala SS with a 409 - but I will never be able to restore one in my pace soo... :cry: )

I have too many cars for my wallet and my time to spend on them, but every time I sell one - I regret myself almost immediately! :?

I'm a geek :geek: on BBC, but mostly on the original stuff.
I'm a sucker for science, and mechanics in particular, so I do care about improving on an engine - usually it's about making a car better for its intended use. A car (truck, or whatever enthusiasts may chose for their preference of a money pit) should be a more or less daily street driven contraption, for me to want to own it. So the methanol injected and blown 15:1 cars are only from perverted engine interest I care about - I just don't see myself going to Yellowstone in it... :lol:
 
glad to have you on the site!
look around, post questions,
post some pictures of your cars! :
tell a few freinds?mrgreen:

BTW I build MOSTLY BBC engines so IM sure we will have a similar interest or two!
 
just curious , how difficult is it to get components for those BIG BLOCK CHEVY engines over there!
and how difficult is it to find competent machine shops, that can work on them?
now obviously you can order new parts from some vendors here state-side and theres going to be far fewer cars with bbc engines in salvage yards over in Sweden, but what are the difficulties importing components ?
I know of several guys over in Europe , with really nice cars and a few of your European machinists are amazing, when it comes to precise work, but Ive got the impression that building hot rod cars is a bit less popular, and its far more expensive, (I could be wrong, so please let us know some details)
 
First - I'm sorry I haven't answered back, I've been logged out for a long time! Things are goin to change now that I started my vacation and thereby more work to be done :D

There has allways been a BIG interest in US cars in Sweden. Back in the 50s we had what in England and France was called "rockers". There were two types - the bike riders and the car riders. The cars were usually US cars. The rockers strived for the look of the bod boys in the 50's.

The parts are fairly easy to find, and of course the prices are usually a lot higher here. The inherent shipping costs and fewer numbers are of course making it so.

The "rockers" culture has been going on since the 50s with some changes, the oldest rockers are dead, but the "2n-to-dead" older rockers became settled and are now well to do owners of dealerships and other businesses. The older generations still buy cool expensive US cars and use them til they wear out the fresh new feeling, they are later sold off to the younger generations. Suburbans and pickups with 454s became rusted after a few years in salt and daily use in whatever business the former "rocker" (not always but often) used them in, the car was sold cheap and the engine and transmission was reused in some 60s full size or mids size that were often sold new in Sweden with L6 and 3-on-the-tree.

There has always been a fairly large trade with private import of cars and parts. I believe there are around 100,000 US-car enthusiasts in Sweden (9million people).

Machine shops are generally of a good technical standard, but the level on working on US engines puts the responsibility firmly on the customer - they do what we tell them to. 15 years ago, the biggest machine shop on dragracing engines and ordinary enthusiast (US) engines did not know about magnafluxing nor ultrasonic thickness testing. geez.
Today thjat has changed. Many racers of the 90s that then where employees in mechanic shops (I guess) have started businesses with state of the art testing, machining, building and dynotesting.
 
:D Howdy from Texas, Anders! Great to have you here. Don't be a stranger!

Best regards,

Harry
 
Good to see you here Anders. I for one have always appreciated your perspective and opinions. If you were a smoker, I'd bet you'd smoke Viceroys...a thinking man's cigarette.
 
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