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classic/vintage US V8 ID tests
- Thread starter Tmoose
- Start date
JayMaechtlen
Industrial
I had to guess at a bunch of them. 16/17 on one, and ? 15/19? on the other-
I chuckled at the Merc 430- that's one of the first motors I swapped into anything. (nevermind what!)
Jay Maechtlen
I chuckled at the Merc 430- that's one of the first motors I swapped into anything. (nevermind what!)
Jay Maechtlen
thruthefence
Aerospace
"I chuckled at the Merc 430- that's one of the first motors I swapped into anything."
Knew a guy in High School mid 60's, that had one in a '56 Ford Crown Vic. Apparently an easy swap.
Knew a guy in High School mid 60's, that had one in a '56 Ford Crown Vic. Apparently an easy swap.
We put an early Caddy in a '56 PU...easy fit. A 460 in later years in my son's '57 Ranchero, mostly bolt in, not to difficult. My '58 Ranchero was OEM with a 352 so it was zero problem to swap in any Ford big block. When I was in high school, I helped my cousin put an ex NM State Trooper 312 in his '51 Merc. That's about my limit of experience with '50's Ford swaps. Lots of 40's and 30's swaps that you can now do with "kits"...what a waste. You learn nothing from kits.
Rod
Rod
patprimmer
New member
I failed badly, but most of those engines where never available here or where very rare.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Pat, no worries......The test was fudged heavily toward Americans that were around engines in the early 50's and 60's. A few outside that range, though. I think I would fail a modern engine quiz. I just don't know much about the engines from the 90's onward.
A couple in there that I would be surprised if many got them. The one of Stude and one of a 312 were kinda camouflaged. The big Buick could easily have been mistaken for something else as the hot rodded early hemi. I am surprised that anybody recognized the early Plymouth V8. That's a rare bird in hotrod circles.
Rod
A couple in there that I would be surprised if many got them. The one of Stude and one of a 312 were kinda camouflaged. The big Buick could easily have been mistaken for something else as the hot rodded early hemi. I am surprised that anybody recognized the early Plymouth V8. That's a rare bird in hotrod circles.
Rod
BrianPetersen
Mechanical
I failed that one miserably, too. Just because one knows how this stuff works doesn't mean that one knows subtle details like whether the exhaust ports are evenly spaced, or the number of bolts on the valve cover, etc.
I got some of the obvious ones (the Boss 429 and the Chrysler Hemi have distinctive valve covers) and I know that if the distributor is not straight up at the back then it is not a Chevrolet small block, but beyond that, I don't wrench on these, so I don't know those fine details.
No Mopar "slant six" to be found ... I could recognize one of those
I got some of the obvious ones (the Boss 429 and the Chrysler Hemi have distinctive valve covers) and I know that if the distributor is not straight up at the back then it is not a Chevrolet small block, but beyond that, I don't wrench on these, so I don't know those fine details.
No Mopar "slant six" to be found ... I could recognize one of those
patprimmer
New member
I got the Chevies, Y blocks, Hemis (not necessarily by age though), the OHC Ford and most of the Studebakes especially the one with the Paxton. The rest where guesswork.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Lou Scannon
Automotive
I got 35/36. The only one that foxed me was the 348-409 poser (the difference being the dipstick location). I think that was the only question in which two of the multiple choice answers were the same basic engine block.
The photos of the Studebaker and Mercury 383-430 engines were a little tricky to identify, since these engines are a little obscure, but it was easy enough to deduce them by elimination.
Here's a followup questionnaire:
Which of these basic engine designs (i.e. from the quiz) (not necessarily exact displacement, model year or model) have you owned and/or worked on?
My answer:
Late Buick big block (400-430-455)
Early Olds (303-324-371-394)
Mopar big block
Mopar small block
Chevy smallblock (yes, really!)
late Olds (260-307-330-350-400-403-425-455)
The photos of the Studebaker and Mercury 383-430 engines were a little tricky to identify, since these engines are a little obscure, but it was easy enough to deduce them by elimination.
Here's a followup questionnaire:
Which of these basic engine designs (i.e. from the quiz) (not necessarily exact displacement, model year or model) have you owned and/or worked on?
My answer:
Late Buick big block (400-430-455)
Early Olds (303-324-371-394)
Mopar big block
Mopar small block
Chevy smallblock (yes, really!)
late Olds (260-307-330-350-400-403-425-455)
patprimmer
New member
Small Block Chevie
Holden V8 (I believe similar to a small Pontiac).
My father had his boss both had some Studebakers including an Avanti with the Paxton.
I am currently working on a so called Ford Windsor but it's a World Products or Dart block, Blown injected with a maggy. It bears little resemblance to anything Ford ever fitted to a new car.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Holden V8 (I believe similar to a small Pontiac).
My father had his boss both had some Studebakers including an Avanti with the Paxton.
I am currently working on a so called Ford Windsor but it's a World Products or Dart block, Blown injected with a maggy. It bears little resemblance to anything Ford ever fitted to a new car.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Hemi, I'm not sure why I knew what the 348 was. I don't think I even knew about the "dipstick". Perhaps its because we had a 348/315 in a '58 DelRay and a buddy had a 348/335 in his '59.
It would be easier to list the ones I have NOT had a hand in messing with.
Olds 455 and Buick 455
Boss 429 and the cammer---Although I did get a real close up inspection of a rebuilt cammer at JBA in the 80's.
Pontiac 421
Any AMC V8 but I fooled about with my dad '58 6 and my 51 Rambler. Story here---Both mtr mts broke on the Rambler and dropped the front damper/pulley onto the crossmember. That engine leaked so much oil and had so little power that I drove it that way for several months!!!
A whole list of "imported" (to the US) and some motorcycles.
Current project is putting a 59AB in my 23T. I did not build it this time. Had a "professional" do it cause it was cheaper. He did the entire engine for less than the parts would have cost me plus the chasing about bit.
Rod
It would be easier to list the ones I have NOT had a hand in messing with.
Olds 455 and Buick 455
Boss 429 and the cammer---Although I did get a real close up inspection of a rebuilt cammer at JBA in the 80's.
Pontiac 421
Any AMC V8 but I fooled about with my dad '58 6 and my 51 Rambler. Story here---Both mtr mts broke on the Rambler and dropped the front damper/pulley onto the crossmember. That engine leaked so much oil and had so little power that I drove it that way for several months!!!
A whole list of "imported" (to the US) and some motorcycles.
Current project is putting a 59AB in my 23T. I did not build it this time. Had a "professional" do it cause it was cheaper. He did the entire engine for less than the parts would have cost me plus the chasing about bit.
Rod
I'd have to say - all of them but the Studebakers, W-head Chevies, and both flavors of Hemi. (Standard 429s and FEs can count as "same basic engine" as the Boss '9 and Cammer, right?) And one (1) Stage III Max Wedge 426, which opened my eyes to how much things really have progressed in the past decades. Practically any new car with a displacement over three liters could out-accelerate it!
Lou Scannon
Automotive
evelrod, I'm totally not surprised that you inverted my question in order to answer it... good on ya'! ![[cheers]](/data/assets/smilies/cheers.gif "[cheers] [cheers]")
izzmus, kudos to you as well...
I've got a pretty healthy respect for the old school factory and shade tree mechanic developed hot rods. I think even moreso than brake horsepower most of the improvement in vehicle acceleration in the past 50 years has been due to improved traction, improved transmissions, and to slip management between the engine and the road.
BTW, my recollection may be mistaken, but the max wedge powered superstocks ran 12s or low 13s back in the day, as I recall... that's still a pretty respectable time for a factory car these days, I thought...
admittedly, unlike some of today's factory rods, the 60s superstocks weren't exactly daily drivers... but that's not the point I'm debating.
izzmus, kudos to you as well...
I've got a pretty healthy respect for the old school factory and shade tree mechanic developed hot rods. I think even moreso than brake horsepower most of the improvement in vehicle acceleration in the past 50 years has been due to improved traction, improved transmissions, and to slip management between the engine and the road.
BTW, my recollection may be mistaken, but the max wedge powered superstocks ran 12s or low 13s back in the day, as I recall... that's still a pretty respectable time for a factory car these days, I thought...
admittedly, unlike some of today's factory rods, the 60s superstocks weren't exactly daily drivers... but that's not the point I'm debating.
patprimmer
New member
I think emissions and insurance are the things that eliminated the real beastly factory hotrods of the past.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
for site rules
There's the superstock drag cars, and then there's what you could buy on the street. I'd peg the street car as being a 15 second machine.
I know Chevy was shipping street homologation engines with stacked head gaskets to drop the compression, unsure if Chrysler was doing the same. Nonetheless, there was an interesting blurb in the literature: Never use WOT for more than fifteen seconds!
I know Chevy was shipping street homologation engines with stacked head gaskets to drop the compression, unsure if Chrysler was doing the same. Nonetheless, there was an interesting blurb in the literature: Never use WOT for more than fifteen seconds!
JayMaechtlen
Industrial
Of those in the test, I've only owned/worked on the Stude 259, the Merc 430, Ford FE (390), Ford Y-block, the early Olds, smallblock Chev, and the nailhead Buick.
I also have owned/worked on (or at least tore apart)
poly head Mopar, Slant Six, Ford 170, Ford 240, Packard straight 8, Chev 6, Fiat 850, a Simca, and maybe others...
Jay Maechtlen
I also have owned/worked on (or at least tore apart)
poly head Mopar, Slant Six, Ford 170, Ford 240, Packard straight 8, Chev 6, Fiat 850, a Simca, and maybe others...
Jay Maechtlen
Jay, I took the pan off of a Packard once in the 50's and found a small ballpeen hammer. I still have it...the oil preserved wooden handle is still in it fifty plus years later. Fancy that. Perhaps I'll throw it in the tool box and shoe it to you next race.
I remember the Fenner/Tubbs Plymouth v Dick Harrell Chebby in Amarillo, '63ish Both in the low 12's...Amarillo is ~4000' AMSL.
My '61 283/270 Vette ran mid 13's at Amarillo and a best of 12.27/105.57 at sea level on cheater slicks and 4.56's. Street tires and 4.11's it ran in the low 14's at Amarillo.
My oldest is converting all our old 8mm and tape to digital, quite a project. If he has converted the drag reels I'll try to post some of it on YouTube.
Rod
I remember the Fenner/Tubbs Plymouth v Dick Harrell Chebby in Amarillo, '63ish Both in the low 12's...Amarillo is ~4000' AMSL.
My '61 283/270 Vette ran mid 13's at Amarillo and a best of 12.27/105.57 at sea level on cheater slicks and 4.56's. Street tires and 4.11's it ran in the low 14's at Amarillo.
My oldest is converting all our old 8mm and tape to digital, quite a project. If he has converted the drag reels I'll try to post some of it on YouTube.
Rod
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