We Haven't Had A Good Car Thread In A While...........My '67 Chevelle

Hippy said:
I have noticed this over my years that a LOT of us Shooters were/Are Motor Heads as well. I have owned a Bunch of Muscle Cars from "The ERA" butt what we had then are not anywhere close to the Autos that are come from the Big 3 2day--can U imagine a 800 + HP Plymouth,Ford or Cheby in the 60's with the technology we had then as far as brakes tires transmissions and the Options compared to today- Ps,Pb,Pw,X-M Radio, Traction control,Line loc and Air conditioning

I LUV the 60- early 70 Muscle car era in today's world they are Model "T's" compared to todays MUSCLE

Jim
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That’s why many of us old hot rodders, who love the look of the old cars, have replaced many of the vintage parts to take advantage of modern technology.

In my Malibu, even though the engine it is still, (basically), a Big Block Chevy, it has a thoroughly modern Hydraulic Roller Cam and the latest multi port fuel injection. The heads are full CNC machined and outflow anything from the ‘60’s while maintains port flow velocity. The brakes are disc all the way around with a HydraBoost power assist. The transmission is a full electronic 6 speed automatic with overdrive and lock up converter.

The suspension is all of the latest parts, increasing drivability and handling.

If you have read some of the other posts in this thread, you see where I am contemplating taking out the 540 and installing one of the new 755 HP LT-5 GM engines. That is on hold for now due to the Corona Virus outbreak. This might give me time to come to my senses:p

I have done so much to my car that it just looks like a ‘67 Chevelle Malibu.

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The 88 body was lighter than the 98. The term " Rocket 88" with the new 303 inch V8 may have been the first muscle car. That engine was in the early 5 window coupe that I posted sometime back on this thread. It was the go-to for beating a loaded street driven Flathead

Mort
 
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First Muscle Car?

Another "first muscle car candidate" for some of us older folks:

1939 Buick Century. Often called "the first muscle car" or "the banker's hot rod," the Century combined the smaller Special body with the 320-cubic-inch eight, putting out 141 horsepower with "compound carburators" (dual carburators with progressive linkage}. The result was an excellent power-to-weight ratio giving a top speed in the vicinity of 110 mph and lively acceleration. Why 141 hp? That was one hp more than the top Cadillac of the same year. GM was into the big engine / small body concept even before WWII. The "Century" name was coined because the car could top 100 mph. The 1950 Rocket 88 engine produced 135 hp by comparison.
 
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Thanks for the info....I love this site because I have learned so much about so many things...it's all good.

Mort
 
The "Futuramic" Rocket 88


"The 88, which made its debut in 1949, is significant because it served as a blueprint for the classic big V-8 engine in an intermediate car formula that defined the 1960s muscle car era.
The 88 borrowed its body and chassis from the cheaper, smaller Series 76, but in place of the 76’s flathead six-cylinder engine, Lansing inserted the all-new Rocket V-8 from the bigger 98.

The Rocket was clearly a game changer: a high (for the time) 7.25:1 compression ratio, overhead valves, short stroke, and 303 cubic inches, all of which conspired to produce 135 hp at 3,600 RPM and 263-lb.ft. of torque at 1,800 RPM. The Rocket was an over-square design with a 3.75-inch bore and a 3.43-inch stroke. Its larger bore and overhead valves afforded airflow far superior to L-head engines, while its short stroke allowed the Rocket to rev more easily than older long-stroke configurations.

The Rocket V-8 was first conceived by Gilbert Burrell, chief draftsman of the Oldsmobile Engineering Department’s Motor Group. Burrell, in his spare time, sketched several new engine, drivetrain and body concepts, but focused a lot of attention on the 90-degree V-8 because its compact shape allowed it to fit easily into a wide variety of chassis and bodies.
When Oldsmobile Chief Engineer Jack Wolfram saw Burrell’s sketches in early 1946, he was impressed and showed them to Oldsmobile General Manager Sherrod Skinner. Skinner soon set up an advance design group to build a new 90-degree V-8 engine and put Burrell in charge. The group’s design was heavily influenced by experiments Charles F. Kettering was performing at the GM Research Center with high-compression, short-stroke, stiff-crank engines. Kettering’s work showed that a boost in compression from 6.25:1 to 12:1 could improve fuel mileage upwards of 40 percent and horsepower by 25 percent.

Oldsmobile’s first step toward the Rocket was a 288-cu.in. V-8 prototype known as SV 49. Four of these engines were successfully built and tested before higher-ups within General Motors yanked funding for the project over objections from the Cadillac division which was working on a new V-8 of its own. Oldsmobile changed tack and developed a V-6 as well as 60- and 70-degree V-8s, but GM brass soon relented and, by March 1947, greenlighted the Olds 90-degree V-8 project out of which the Rocket was born.
The Rocket found the perfect home in the engine bay of the 88, with its Harley Earl-inspired styling that drew cues from wartime fighter planes. Up front, there were pontoon-like fenders, with the headlights mounted above air intakes and a full-width grille. The roof was rounded like a cockpit canopy, and there was an abundance of glass with curved panes front and rear.

( plenty of muscle.... ) The 88 dominated NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season, winning five of eight races that year and carrying Red Byron to the series’ first championship. An 88 convertible paced the field at the 1949 Indianapolis 500, and, with Hershel McGriff behind the wheel, an 88 won the inaugural Carrera Panamericana in 1950.

If all of that weren’t futuramic enough, the 88 played a starring role in the future of rock and roll music when the song “Rocket 88” topped the Billboard charts in June 1951."

For the complete article from Hemmings Motor News: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/1950-oldsmobile-88/

High Noon

Futuramic.JPG

 
First Muscle Car?

An excerpt from an article on the pre-WWII Buick Century:

COMPOUND CARBURETION

Curtice and Chayne had an even hotter Century up their sleeves. For 1941, larger Buicks got a redesigned “Fireball 8” with a higher 7.0:1 compression ratio, smaller spark plugs, and “Compound Carburetion”: a pair of dual-throat carburetors with a progressive linkage. The engine operated on the front carb in normal driving, but when the throttle was pressed down, the rear carb would cut in as well, giving a significant improvement in power.

With Compound Carburetion, the big Fireball 8 made 165 gross horsepower (123 kW) and 278 lb-ft (376 N-m) of torque. Since Cadillac and Packard had dropped their big multicylinder (V-12 and V-16) engines the previous year, the 1941 Buick Century was now America’s most powerful car, beating Packard by 5 hp (3 kW) and Cadillac by 15 hp (11 kW). GM testing claimed the 1941 Buick Century could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in about 12 seconds and had a top speed of 101 mph (162 km/h). To put that in perspective, such speed made the Century every bit as quick as the Oldsmobile Rocket 88s and Hudson Hornets that tore up the stock car circuit in the late forties and early fifties — racy performance indeed.
 
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I found this old picture of Bob and I working on the D/Gas 55 Chevy after working the night shift at the shipyard. We were both still 20 something and had more energy than brains. Sometimes thats what it takes or you wouldn't even start.

Mort
 
dmort said:
View attachment 23469 I found this old picture of Bob and I working on the D/Gas 55 Chevy after working the night shift at the shipyard. We were both still 20 something and had more energy than brains. Sometimes thats what it takes or you wouldn't even start. Mort
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What a great classic shot...double hump heads, a cross ram (can't tell for sure but it looks M/T-ish?)and what looks to be aluminum retainers. Likely a Mallory Rev-Pole distributor? They were small enough to fit most cross rams.

That you with the coffee cup? -Al
 
With race season on hold until at least June, I'm headed South to a rented track April 18th.

We found some extra h.p. on the dyno but also shifted the rpm range. Whether that requires a rear gear change, different rear tires, a different convertor, etc. to take advantage of it remains to be seen. My hope is I can take the two-step up 300-400 rpm while still being able to get the car out of low gear at a rpm that minimizes the drag from the transmission while still handling the 1-2 shift w/o 'laying back' on the convertor too much.

The key may be a set of short/light tires that are at this point.....errr....not quite available to the public. ;) I want to give some feedback on these to the tire company.

3bYO6Akl.jpg
 
Al Nyhus said:
What a great classic shot...double hump heads, a cross ram (can't tell for sure but it looks M/T-ish?)and what looks to be aluminum retainers. Likely a Mallory Rev-Pole distributor? They were small enough to fit most cross rams.

That you with the coffee cup? -Al
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Hey Al
The guy with the coffee cup is Bob Mulry. He is a long time racer in several NHRA classes. His present car is a K/SA Pontiac. He knows of you and said he once had a phone conversion with you.....small world.
The heads on the 327 are round port by Joe Mondello The cross ram is a Phil Weiand creation. I already had a Spaulding Flame Thrower and that went on the motor .It never missed a beat. It used two coils with a stacked distributor. It was tall like a mag unit and looked pretty cool.

Mort
 
Al Nyhus said:
With race season on hold until at least June, I'm headed South to a rented track April 18th.

We found some extra h.p. on the dyno but also shifted the rpm range. Whether that requires a rear gear change, different rear tires, a different convertor, etc. to take advantage of it remains to be seen. My hope is I can take the two-step up 300-400 rpm while still being able to get the car out of low gear at a rpm that minimizes the drag from the transmission while still handling the 1-2 shift w/o 'laying back' on the convertor too much.

The key may be a set of short/light tires that are at this point.....errr....not quite available to the public. ;) I want to give some feedback on these to the tire company.

3bYO6Akl.jpg
Click to expand...

Only dedicated and competitive racers get stuff to test . Says a lot about your effort.

Mort
 
dmort said:
Only dedicated and competitive racers get stuff to test . Says a lot about your effort. Mort
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Hey...somebody's gotta' be the sacrificial lamb, right? :eek:

Our track rental got axed as Iowa's new mandates on outdoor venues is 10 people maximum.
 
Al Nyhus said:
With race season on hold until at least June, I'm headed South to a rented track April 18th.

We found some extra h.p. on the dyno but also shifted the rpm range. Whether that requires a rear gear change, different rear tires, a different convertor, etc. to take advantage of it remains to be seen. My hope is I can take the two-step up 300-400 rpm while still being able to get the car out of low gear at a rpm that minimizes the drag from the transmission while still handling the 1-2 shift w/o 'laying back' on the convertor too much.

The key may be a set of short/light tires that are at this point.....errr....not quite available to the public. ;) I want to give some feedback on these to the tire company.

3bYO6Akl.jpg
Click to expand...


Like they say Al, you never know until you try it.

later
Dave
 
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