I was at the Canadian Poncho Headquarters, today.. It was a TREEmendous experience.. I checked inventory, and WE (All of Us) are a "little heavy" on the beautifull keychains!! NOW GUYS, we all have car guy friends, who are hard to buy gifts for..... So with Christmas coming up, how about buying, some extras for gifts.. They would also be nice things, to give to any car guys, as a reminder of a friend, from the Canadian Poncho site... Remember how Boy Scouts trade pins? I am 427CARL , and I approve this message....
It was nice to see Carl again. We met up with Earl (eeluddy) and had lunch and talked cars. A nice way to spend a day off. What Carl meant by a "Treemendous" day is our next door neighbor was getting a 100 foot tree cut down. A large crane occupied our driveway:
Since they couldn't access their yard with heavy equipment, they would cut large portions of the tree and hoist them over our house, to the road and then shred them. It was something to watch!
Yes, that's a few tonnes of tree that just came over our house and is being lowered to the road:
Another piece:
It took about 45 minutes.
That wasn't the highlight of my day however. Can you see what Carl had on his trailer?
Those "factory" markings on the valve cover tell you what it is, they used to do this because as the motor would come down the line, the workers had to know what parts go with it...
-- Edited by sixtywagon at 22:42, 2008-10-06
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1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
thats great todd! Did you tell the wife??? Give me a call if you want some help detailing that beast, i love to paint stuff and the wife says i have problems? i do like spraypaint.
His fenders and air cleaner say 427 He's happy, so why not leave it at that. His 'correct motor" is located in Moncton N.B. and will be here in Spring.. Maybe Ray will want this "Mystery Motor"
Yes you astute sons-of-guns it is a 454 which will be cloned (like the rest of the car) into a 427. Carl is trying to pry a real 390hp 427 out of his friend in New Brunswick but this will do in the meantime! It's a great running stocker what will likely only get an intake and a set of headers to start. Once it's in the car and all the swap bugs are out we might look at a cam etc (unless we get the real 427).
I'll spend the next few months cleaning that puppy up and getting it to look "69 vintage" Carl (and any other volunteers I can find) will come out one weekend and we'll pull the 350 and trans. I'll get the engine bay cleaned up and ready and then he (and any other volunteers I can find) will come back another weekend to drop in the motor. Do you think I can get away with the 350 front springs if I run an aluminum intake and headers? That's got to save me a fair bit of weight.
As for telling my wife, I knew I forgot something yesterday!
It will be close for front springs. I have done the same thing. You need to have alumnium heads and intake to equal the weight of a small block.
As for it being a 454, I wouldn't sweat it in the least. Matter of fact, I wouldn't even bother changing it to a 427 if you did get one. Just make it look right and the only difference between the two is the number on the block and a slight difference in stroke. So what???!!! Big deal!!!!!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
It will be close for front springs. I have done the same thing. You need to have alumnium heads and intake to equal the weight of a small block.
As for it being a 454, I wouldn't sweat it in the least. Matter of fact, I wouldn't even bother changing it to a 427 if you did get one. Just make it look right and the only difference between the two is the number on the block and a slight difference in stroke. So what???!!! Big deal!!!!!
Good reply! No- excellent reply! The 454 was $2000 less running,than the 427 in N.B. all apart.. WE will get the 427 for sure, but the bigger motor is a "budget fitter" As you had mentioned before, "enjoying the car" with all the correct "lookiing parts" is fun, and it would never be represented as being original... Its a nice driving car...9/10
Why not buy a 502 and clone that into a 427? Are all big blocks the same? Hey Ray we should get a 502 and put that in the LeMans. Paint it orange and put 454 decals on it!!!...
Or what about a ZZ572? 620 horses at your disposal... Again mark it as a 454?
Why not buy a 502 and clone that into a 427? Are all big blocks the same? Hey Ray we should get a 502 and put that in the LeMans. Paint it orange and put 454 decals on it!!!...
The thought crossed my mind, but with a 502 being the price of Tuition, no thanks. I'm looking for a low buck solution.
Searching Kijij last night, there are plenty of good running 454's in Ontario, most in pick up trucks. One fella was selling his certified for $1,000 or best offer! Another was in "a good running truck" for $900 or BO. Those mid to late 70's 454 are rated at 250 to 230 net HP and the 7.4 Vortecs from the 90's are rated at 290 net HP. They are torque monsters though rated at 410 lb ft. and in the muscle car era Gross HP they are running from 320 to 415!
When I was about 19 or so our niegbour at the cottage asked me to take a load to the dump in his 454 74 Chevy pickup. It could pull 10,000 lbs. Going it was loaded but I still recall thinking I've never driven something with this much grunt. Coming back empty it was tire shreading time. Hee Haw
Ray how about a fuel injected 8.1 496 cu inches! These torque monsters are available as well.. The recent "mystery motor" came out of a 1 owner truck, that was put away, EVERY winter since 1983. Why? 'cause the truck(dual wheels-2wd) would not "go straight" in the snow so-- THE TRUCK WAS PARKED every WINTER, and only used during the summer farm seasoms..106G km and original clutch..
I think Carl was talking about 2 motors. The 454 I got is the one out of the dually. It should suit my needs fine. I'll take low end torque over hp on the street any day. Rick, a 4 speed would be sweet but not in the budget at this time. I'll keep the 350 for now JUST IN CASE something else comes along! I was at a cruise night talking to a guy about putting a 454 in my car. He asked if I would sell him my 350. I said maybe. I showed him it and ran it. He loved it and asked how much. I said "Oh, I dunno, say about $500". He balked and felt that was a rip off! A 69 vintage 350 with 68k and an Edelbrock intake, double roller chain, new water pump, and L79 cam with new lifters and pushrods isn't worth $500?
In talking with Glenn the previous owner of Carl's 427 Strato there is no need to change the THM 350. 13.3 at the drag strip with a 454 / 350 THM on a 2.73 peg leg is nothing to scoff at.
I'll keep my turbo 350 as well if and when the BBC goes in.