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Watch A 1966 Buick Gasser Race A New Toyota Supra
Old-school hotrod versus modern technology – which will win?
Nothing beats an old V8
- Thread starter Malo83
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Love it!
Watch A 1966 Buick Gasser Race A New Toyota Supra
Old-school hotrod versus modern technology – which will win?
The 430 Buick motor was no slouch even in a heavy car like the Riviera, a totally underrated engine with lots of potential.
I typically much prefer more modern technology, however a few years back I drove a very tastefully modified (not too much, just things that improve) 66 mustang V8 "resto-rod" much like the one I owned as a young man. Truthfully, I had forgotten just how much fun that car was. That Mustang was clearly light, ultra-responsive, and fast. One cannot purchase a car like that today. Today's stuff is often very numb, overweight, unresponsive and yes, often underpowered when compared to a properly "uncorked" performance V8 of the past. AND, that's the secret. Many of those older engines took very little effort to get some real power. 325HP in a 2500 pound "old Mustang" is really fun, any way you slice it.
Put another way, today's Mustang GT would need more than 480HP to have the same power to weight.
Also of note, today's premier American performance sports car, the Corvette, still uses the classic American V8 architecture in relatively unmolested form. GM continues to experiment with alternatives, but short of some very high technology or electric drive, the simple, compact and lightweight V8 retains some notable strengths. The V8, for all it's faults, (often forced to be in detuned form) is still winning endurance races the world over. The 'Vette C7r, Caddy's V8 entries and plenty of privateer V8 entries are often seen leading.
Put another way, today's Mustang GT would need more than 480HP to have the same power to weight.
Also of note, today's premier American performance sports car, the Corvette, still uses the classic American V8 architecture in relatively unmolested form. GM continues to experiment with alternatives, but short of some very high technology or electric drive, the simple, compact and lightweight V8 retains some notable strengths. The V8, for all it's faults, (often forced to be in detuned form) is still winning endurance races the world over. The 'Vette C7r, Caddy's V8 entries and plenty of privateer V8 entries are often seen leading.
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Buick Skylark didn't come with a 430 in 1966. For BB. They Came with a 401 nail head or the 455 later.
I Just rebuilt my friends 1967 Skylark GS 340 last year. Runs strong with the 2 speed planetary ST300 with switch pitch torque converter. The Buick small blocks make tons of usable torque, nicer than a factory 350SBC out on the road.
I Just rebuilt my friends 1967 Skylark GS 340 last year. Runs strong with the 2 speed planetary ST300 with switch pitch torque converter. The Buick small blocks make tons of usable torque, nicer than a factory 350SBC out on the road.
570 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque
Here is a size comparison between the Miata's 1.6/1.8L 4 cylinder (a compact by today's standards, 175HP engine) and the LS series engine:
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As Cujet said, those old V8s were built very simple and were easy to make power with just bolt-on parts. Better carb, header-back exhaust, and adjust the timing curve, it wasn't uncommon to see a 40-50 hp increase (240 rwhp to 290 rwhp). Even into the 90s with the 2nd gen SBC LT1 engine, they were rather choked from the factory with a tiny camshaft, small log-style manifolds, restrictive intake piping, and a pig rich tune. Just fixing those restrictions and tuning will pickup as much as 50 rwhp. Go further with higher ratio roller rockers, electric water pump, underdrive pulley, and other "freeing up power" mods, you can push into the 300-310+ rwhp range. The most I've seen made by bolt-on only LT1 was 329.7 rwhp on E85. Just a camshaft change makes it easy to get into the 350+ rwhp range, >100 hp from stock and still using the stock throttle body, stock intake manifold, stock heads, stock compression, and stock bottom end.
I expect my LT1 to be in the 320-330 rwhp (~375 crank HP) range with just bolt-on parts.
I expect my LT1 to be in the 320-330 rwhp (~375 crank HP) range with just bolt-on parts.
The car isn't stock, its a gasser. I suspect nothing is stock in that car.
Yeah - just thought it would keep a nailhead. The nails are not a big power engine though.
I think it's odd seeing a 2 box "modern" car set up as a gasser.
Not my cuppa. Better ways to get a car to hook, so you have better aero on the top end.
Every body does their own style. Lots do do with what you grew up with and have an emotional attachment to.
- Ken
I always thought that was kind of silly though. No question some older vehicles had some good traits. But modern stuff is just amazingly better.
Here's a video posted on Facebook recently of a little 331ci Ford small block with a Liberty 5-speed manual putting in some work. I love the sound of a high revving, naturally aspirated V8. Hopefully the video loads.
There is a TURBO Miata?
570 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque
Here is a size comparison between the Miata's 1.6/1.8L 4 cylinder (a compact by today's standards, 175HP engine) and the LS series engine:
There was a turbo MazdaSpeed Miata. 2004-5 time frame. 178 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque.
fiat 124 is a turbo miata
Buicks were torque monsters, not as much horsepower as others but for the street torque is king.
I OWNED a 1972 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. That experience would make me buy the NON turbo Miata because of the “Fiat memories”.... even though they come down the same factory line.
Lots of go faster goodies now for the big Buick engines. Back in the day it was hard to find a decent cam for them.
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