>I forgot to mention that the car has not yet been fully restored and the
>327 will have to be rebuilt anyway. I am in the process of doing a frame
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>> with the 327 in it. I'd keep it stock and if you buy the 396 at a steal
>> you can offer all as a package--and save lotsa labor. s
Hi Steve. I'd think that with a rotisserie resto, your car would then
be crying even more for the original 327. Sounds like you are going to do
it right and have the 'right kind' when you finish. Wish I could help spin
some wrenches on that darling! Bear in mind that these are just my
opinions. However, I can tell already that you are going w/the BB! So!
Gotta agree it would be fun to have a year-correct BB. If I were
doing that, I'd be awfully tempted to turn it into the spec.-correct 396/425
hp which lotsa people never knew about. It was a 1965 'vette option--just
10 hp below the 427/435 hp. with the 3-2bbls. setup. They were both GM's
(under) ratings, of course. But that 396 was designed to wind tighter than
the 427 to reach its max hp.
I bought one of them, brand new, when I was in college. A local Chevy
dealer had bought several and I paid him $450 for one, complete with
electronic dist., alum. intake, cast-iron 'headers', clutch, flywheel,
press.-plate, bell housing et al--all exc. for fuel pump & the Holley carb.
which I bought new for ~ $60. Steve, it was one heck of an engine. It'd be
fun in your little Camaro and quite a sleeper. The specs called for like
only 650 idle rpm--so it would hide its potential there with a relatively
smoothe idle. But rpm-wise, it always amazed me how it'd twist up about as
high my 327 that it replaced. And the torque range was unbelieveable. At
6500, you could punch it and it'd toss you back. And, in 4th gear (on wet
pavement) it was dangerous to punch it at 40 mph, as street tires would
break loose. All in a heavy '55 Chevy with good traction on a dry strip!
All this yada just to accentuate its torque from one end to the other.
Getting excited yet? Anxious?
Enjoy it and be proud to tell prospective buyers, only after they start
to dicker for a lower price, "Oh! I forgot to tell you. It even comes with
its original, factory-installed 327 that I've got wrapped up in my garage.
And I go out there and turn the crank the 1st Sunday of every month to keep
it free."
Luck, sam
Steve's "68 Camaro - 05 Dec 2007 23:59 GMT
Yah man!!! Now I'm realy pumped!!! My dad wants me to have a SB so I can
save gas. lol I want to get stoked about building this car and a BB realy
gets me excited. I have been wanting a BB car all my life. I saved this
rust bucket 68 Camaro in 1997 after it had been sitting for 5 years with no
carb and the iterior stored indoors, I only payed $1750 for it. (Snicker
snicker) I took it home and oiled up the pistons, threw a Carter AFB 650CFM
on it and drove it all next summer when gas wars kept prices realy low. :)
Now its time for me to show this car some respect and do a complete
rotisserie resto. I have full respect for a car having the factory original
motor in it but being in a possition to store the original and install a BB
seems right for me. I know I'll have to beef up the suspension a bit but
I'm not going to be racing this car so I want this car to look and sound
original. It'll make for a nice sleeper.
By the way sdlomi2, do you recall the casting number on those heads? I was
later thinking of buying a set of 840 Iron heads but if I could upgrade to
alluminium even better.
Cheers