babbah

There's nothing like a BIG BLOCK!

tjstarduster

dan, you're right. the 427 cobra did have a slightly faster e.t. also my memory fails me and i believe the test was done in 1968 shortly after the cobrajet mustang appeared on the scene. i do remember that the '66 427/425 vette did beat all but the 427 cobra. it's hell to grow old!

Railroadman

Keep in mind there's a big difference between the 427 cobra and the cobrajet mustang. When I had my '67 Vette I could wave "bye" to either one. The Mustang I waved over my shoulder, the Cobra I would be waving out my windshield!

magicv8

In the post above yours I said I pulled the bb in favor of an sb in a bb roadster. Doesn't that count?

Since my roadster was a bb and wears the hood and badges, I have had car show people tell me that nothing sounds like a bb while listening to my sb mated to 2.5inch bb exhausts. I bought the car with a BB because it had factory A-C. After a couple of months of having the rear (with 11inch wide tires sticking out of the wheel wells) try to pass me when I got on the throttle, I swapped the bb out.

I'm not trying to argue - just saying there are people who prefer lighter engines with less torque to help prevent the limited traction Sting Ray from getting sideways, and that the exhaust system has a lot to do with the "BB" sound. If sticky wide tires would fit under an ummodified Sting Ray, I may have left the bb in it.

Marks69BB

If I could own only one, it would have to be a BB vette. You only go around once!

nassau66427

Big Block - A mystique not a mistake.

Plus, the Turbo-Jet gets 'em wet!

Biggus Blockus

There is no replacement for displacement.

I'll keep my BB.

SBs are great - no disrespect intended - but there is somthing special about a BB midyear with sidepipes that no SB can compete with. Besides, I'd have to change my screen name and "Smallus Blockus" just doesn't work...

427lab

Most people think they like horsepower, but what they really love is torque.

babbah

Amen Brother! For the past 43 years I have proudly owned my BB Vette. It's a time machine!! Gonna take it out for a "spin" tomorrow for my New Years Day cruise! (bringing gas card with me - LOL)

Happy New Year to all!

saraholt61

I sold my 67 427 tri-pak last year and am now looking for a SB-I had the carbs rebuilt 3 times and they still leaked.My wife wouldn t drive in the car because of the gas smell.

capevettes

That's why I like the 390 horse so much. You don't need to go to a small block to get 1 carb.

Stan's Customs

absolute words of wisdom.

Note: Many big blocks are poorly tuned bellering boat anchors....I have noted that partly due to the increasing scarsity of them and the suvivors that run poorly the younger guys really don't have a very high opinion of big block engines.

That would change if they ever got to ride in properly tuned, geared 7,000 rpm big block machine. It's a life altering experience..and I don't care how good the small blocks run they compare to...

...and you better be able to drive... 'cause it ain't easy keeping one of those brutes straight on a remote two lane road on those late night drag races.. There's been more than one take out a farmers fence back in the old days.

Stan..

67tripwr

Had many small block Vettes, and when my 68 427/390 came along its' been big blocks ever since.

The big block is kinda like a virus, that's hard to shake!

67tripwr

They didn't build them right, or installed wrong!

tjstarduster

amen stan, i've cleaned out a few ditches in my day, thankfully i survived them all. the guy that tunes my big block has been building bb racing engines since the 60's (we went to high school together). even on today's gas he can make those sidepipes howl!

Stan's Customs

..we called 'em bar ditches...where would be your place of origin?

MiguelsC2

Whats all this about tuning? Big block, small block. Tuning is pretty much similar. I had no more trouble getting my 427 tri power tuned than my current small block with a Holley double pumper. None of these motors take a rocket scientist to tune. At 18 (31 yrs ago) I built the 427 (L-88 short block w/iron rectangular port heads) and got the intake and carbs at a swap meet. Rebuilt em. A bit of Jet and power valve work. Curved the distributor. Voila!
One note to those comparing shelby AC cobras to 427 Vettes. There is no comparison. The Cobra is almost 1000lbs lighter. Not fair to compare that to any other production car at the time. And lets not get started on Hemis. Terribly over rated motor in stock form. Way too heavy and the cars they put them in could not get the power to the ground. Despite the crazy prices you see for them. They were not that desirable when new. Something went screwy on Chryslers as collector cars. Back in the day you could not give them away due to poor styling and quality. Now even a 74 Dart(we replaced the D in Dart with an F) brings big bucks. Go figure.

Stan's Customs

...nothing in particular intended when mentioning tuning. Just in passing conversation...

However there have been a lot of poor running big blocks..some due to those that don't know diddly about tuning. Big blocks we're bad about cams going flat (valve spring pressure). Some so called tuners couldn't figure out why they didn't run too well when the cams were worn. Most young mechanics could tune a fresh engine fine...it was the ones with miles on them that gave them fits. Curve the distributor meant twist it in the hole to those guys...ha hah hah !

...in my group we rarely had a car with a fresh engine....they nearly all had the dickens run out of them before we got them. I guess that's why all most all of us became mechanics, or career car men of one kind or another. I got my first "fresh" one when I came back from Nam...a '69 SS Chevelle.


Stan..

babbah