Whats a "rat"?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,298
Likes: 1
From: Sodertalje/Sweden
Whats a "rat"?
I seem to have missed something in my vette training school.I sometime come across the word "rat".Is that a vette with Bigboy engine and man tranny ,or something else.Please help me sort this out :smash: :smash:
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 2
From: Moro IL
Re: Whats a "rat"? (BB wowbagger)
So i`m runnin`a "rat" with my 462?Mohahaha...
Nothin`beats cubic deplacement.. :chevy :chevy
Nothin`beats cubic deplacement.. :chevy :chevy
:cheers:
Pat Kunz
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
Re: Whats a "rat"? (BB wowbagger)
Rat = all the big block engines (396,427, 454, etc...)
Mouse = all the little fellers (265-400 small blocks)
Before you'all start flaming me, I PREFER small blocks! And not just Chevies either...
My #1 son and I are building a good, solid 327 right now that will do some serious ego damage. But if you really want to go, better spend your dollars on a big boy. My dream project involves a streetable IHRA Ford Shotgun mountain motor. Oooh boy, I've really done it now....
Hans
Mouse = all the little fellers (265-400 small blocks)
Before you'all start flaming me, I PREFER small blocks! And not just Chevies either...
My #1 son and I are building a good, solid 327 right now that will do some serious ego damage. But if you really want to go, better spend your dollars on a big boy. My dream project involves a streetable IHRA Ford Shotgun mountain motor. Oooh boy, I've really done it now....
Hans
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,075
Likes: 1,191
Re: Whats a "rat"? (BB wowbagger)
As the story goes, the Chevy engineers started to call the then new Mark IV Big Block engines "Porcupine" because of the seemingly random angle the pushrods were sticking out of the heads of the engine like the quills on a Porcupine. A Porcupine is a big rodent and related to Rats so the engineers nicknamed the engine "Rat". Naturally, of course, the small block became known as "mouse". :)
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
Likes: 14
From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: Whats a "rat"? (BB wowbagger)
The "Rat/Mouse" thing is related to "Elephants", a nick given to early Chrysler hemis. In the late 50's - early 60's, blown SB Chevy's were doing pretty well against the 392 hemi's and, as the then current legend went, an elephant's nemisis was the "mouse" so the SB got that nick. When Chev came out with it's larger "rodent", it's name was kinda obvious :). As already posted, the BB was also often referred as the "porcupine" due to it's splayed valve arrangement. I used to drag race a `67 Chevelle 396. It's name was "Mickey Rat" :)
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Re: Whats a "rat"? (Vetterodder)
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 deserving of rat, i.e. a big mouse.
Even much later had an interesting reaction. After shutting down everyone in Galveston (they did not know me there :cool: ) 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.
:cool:
Even much later had an interesting reaction. After shutting down everyone in Galveston (they did not know me there :cool: ) 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.
:cool: