Rat Motor
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 7,996
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From: McAlester Oklahoma
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,390
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From: Tampa Florida
From the following website:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/D...ssary.html#rat
Rat, Rat Motor: Big Block Chevrolet engines 366, 396, 402, 427, and 454. These engines were called this due to the staggered patterned of the valves, which stuck up at different angles like the quills of a porcupine.
Mouse, Mouse Motor: The nickname for the small block Chevrolet engine, named such because the big block was called a "Rat" and so the small engine must be a "mouse".
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/D...ssary.html#rat
Rat, Rat Motor: Big Block Chevrolet engines 366, 396, 402, 427, and 454. These engines were called this due to the staggered patterned of the valves, which stuck up at different angles like the quills of a porcupine.
Mouse, Mouse Motor: The nickname for the small block Chevrolet engine, named such because the big block was called a "Rat" and so the small engine must be a "mouse".
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 6
From: Nevada City California
Actually in the Dec/Jan 1971 issue of CORVETTE NEWS on page 28,29 there is a two page ad showing a complete 350 engine and a complete 454 engine. The captions reads... THE 350 (mouse motors) VS. THE 454 (rat motors). There is a wedge of cheese in front with bite taken out of it. The first paragraph reads.....
"Mouse motors" and "rat motors"? They're the affectionate terms the enthusiast publications use- small block engines are "mouse motors", large cubes are "rat motors".
It's a great GM ad.
"Mouse motors" and "rat motors"? They're the affectionate terms the enthusiast publications use- small block engines are "mouse motors", large cubes are "rat motors".
It's a great GM ad.
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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Rats are big and Mice are small. The analogy is drawn to the respective engine sizes.
Small Block= Mouse
Big Block= Rat.
The plate on my 68 427 reads "RAT.427". I am forever trying to explain to people what the plate means
Small Block= Mouse
Big Block= Rat.
The plate on my 68 427 reads "RAT.427". I am forever trying to explain to people what the plate means
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 845
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From: Columbus Indiana
I still to this day use the respective terms. Old habits die hard. There was an old ad, I think for the old Z-28s, that used the old cartoon figure 'Mighty Mouse' for advertising. I've went back to my old magazines but I can't find the ad. AH, back in the day!
John
John
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
I know what you mean. My personalized tag on my 68 427 roadster was "RUG RAT" - I loved it like a child.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
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From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
It is said that when the Chevy SB came out & was taken to the drag strip, they called it a mouse motor. When it won, they called it Mighty Mouse. The Mighty is understood.
The BBC was therefore called a rat, i.e. a big mouse.
The Complete CHEVROLET Book by Petersen Publishing Co.
"And, believe it or not, 20 years of Ford dominance in the American youth market melted away almost overnight. The kids started buying
V-8 Chevys en masse as early as the spring of 1955."
"And the rest is history. Within weeks the new V-8 Chevys were moping up their stock classes on the drag strips- and running away from the Fords and Olds 88's at the stoplights."
Even much later I had an interesting reaction. After shutting down everyone in Galveston (they did not know me there
) w/ my cousin riding, she said she had to see the engine. She was accustomed to fast cars, drove fast, had a boyfriend w/ a modified GTO, etc. She was shocked at the small size of Mighty Mouse. Later ran a Mighty Rat in the other Hot Rod.
The BBC was therefore called a rat, i.e. a big mouse.
The Complete CHEVROLET Book by Petersen Publishing Co.
"And, believe it or not, 20 years of Ford dominance in the American youth market melted away almost overnight. The kids started buying
V-8 Chevys en masse as early as the spring of 1955."
"And the rest is history. Within weeks the new V-8 Chevys were moping up their stock classes on the drag strips- and running away from the Fords and Olds 88's at the stoplights."
Even much later I had an interesting reaction. After shutting down everyone in Galveston (they did not know me there
) w/ my cousin riding, she said she had to see the engine. She was accustomed to fast cars, drove fast, had a boyfriend w/ a modified GTO, etc. She was shocked at the small size of Mighty Mouse. Later ran a Mighty Rat in the other Hot Rod.
