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I have one of my cars insured as an L88 ( the burgandy one, not the blue one)!!!!!
i hope it gets stolen one day!
I am also glad to see a buyer who makes the mistake of posting a phony or made up story Car early and in the raw prior to learning anything about it. Makes it very hard to falsify an L89 after showing the flaws that invalidate that claim! It is now documented with a large number of us as not being an L.89 car, forever!
Last edited by TCracingCA; Mar 14, 2018 at 12:30 AM.
Honestly I have no idea, never really been much of a 409 fan. Although my Uncle bought an SS 409 Impala new in '63 and kept it for about 30 years. It always seemed that the big problem for them was the limited head options. It was quickly replaced by the 396/427 and most R&D ended then. Now of course Edlebrock offers a set of Performer 409 heads. They are designed for use with 1961-65 Chevy W Series 348 and 409 big block engines.
GUSTO
as I remember, the Achilles heel for the 409 was pushrods... I have a friend from back in the day who had a 409/425 in a full size Chevy who carried extra pushrods in the glove box because of constantly bending them
Get the suffix code off the front of the block. It has a cast iron intake which means it has the small port heads. The valve covers are through '61 vintage.
Wow - now there’s a major change of character for the car! LT-1 to 409! How much weight did that add to the front end?
I really never noticed a handling difference. But the power difference was substantial. It was back in 76 did a lot of street racing the LT1 was ok but the big mopars would kill me. I knew an older guy that raced a 63 425 hp 409 he crashed the car. Engine only had 21k on it. 800 bucks later and in the Z it went. That combo was unbeatable I don't know why but it would flippen hook and go. I was shifting at 7000 and only one time put a push rod though a rocker arm. The problem was to much spring pressure. That's what I was told by a 409 Guru.
I really never noticed a handling difference. But the power difference was substantial. It was back in 76 did a lot of street racing the LT1 was ok but the big mopars would kill me. I knew an older guy that raced a 63 425 hp 409 he crashed the car. Engine only had 21k on it. 800 bucks later and in the Z it went. That combo was unbeatable I don't know why but it would flippen hook and go. I was shifting at 7000 and only one time put a push rod though a rocker arm. The problem was to much spring pressure. That's what I was told by a 409 Guru.
Lots more low end torque than the LT-1! 7000 rpm does suprise me tho!
Reality check. There were only 16 L89s produced--rarer than an L-88. If this is the real deal, I would suggest to the purchaser to buy a handful of Power Ball tickets tomorrow morning.
If that is a true 409 and it is in running condition, the "swap" value might defray the cost of what it will take to put this car back on the road. Good luck to the buyer and make sure your check, as many people have suggested, the frame and the birdcage.
One area that is difficult to check but does rust, is the cross member holding the rear diff. I have seen the top of those with hole in them and it is very hard to determine unless that member is off the car. You might use your proctologist scope to see if you can get up in there to check that area out.
Last edited by Dan Hampton; Mar 14, 2018 at 08:23 PM.
I really never noticed a handling difference. But the power difference was substantial. It was back in 76 did a lot of street racing the LT1 was ok but the big mopars would kill me. I knew an older guy that raced a 63 425 hp 409 he crashed the car. Engine only had 21k on it. 800 bucks later and in the Z it went. That combo was unbeatable I don't know why but it would flippen hook and go. I was shifting at 7000 and only one time put a push rod though a rocker arm. The problem was to much spring pressure. That's what I was told by a 409 Guru.
I had no idea the 409 could rev that high. I am embarrassed I don't know because my cousin campaigned a 409 powered 55 Chevy for many years. It was fast and he won a lot. Even with all that weight it was a wheel standing son of a gun. Big Crowd pleaser. Then it was upgraded to a 454 and the 409 was retired. His tow car was 409 powered also. I will give him a call to get the inside scoop on the 409's.
I had a good friend with a 425/409 that revved it to 7 plus grand repeatedly...until the flywheel exploded and removed one foot and most of the toes on the other. I didn't race again until I added a scattershield to my car.
Seems to me most 409s had silver or chrome valve covers...348s mostly orange...
I had a 63 Impala SS with the 340 HP version back in 66. That thing had so much torque, it would spin the tires until you let off the pedal...clouds of smoke, I used a lotta rear tires when I was 17...
Seems to me most 409s had silver or chrome valve covers...348s mostly orange...
Mike
That's what I remember too. 348's had orange covers and 62 409's had dull aluminum painted covers. I don't remember what 64 had but it may have been chrome?
That's what I remember too. 348's had orange covers and 62 409's had dull aluminum painted covers. I don't remember what 64 had but it may have been chrome?
My 63 had chrome. I remember the last time I saw them shining through the gap between the smashed fender and bent-up hood after a VW T-boned it...
First I had better add a disclaimer, as the new guy will instantly think that he has a Zora special prototype car next! So your car is not one of those!!!!!!
I remember Zora reluctantly installing a few 409s for testing in a few Corvettes! Zora did fight the move to the big block! He fought to keep the Fuel Injection, but it was made to go away! Those mystery engines and the Daytona oddball event was validation, as they ran decent to give the budget for big block development!
PS you don't have no mystery engine either!
Last edited by TCracingCA; Mar 15, 2018 at 11:39 AM.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
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