Winters in the north can tear up some iron, regardless of brand. It's gotta be real cold and have NO antifreeze, truly baffoonish behavior. Check the bottom pics. I am not responsible for that crack or repair, it came with a barn cleanout with a half dozen decent ones. You rarely see cracked SBCs because it's not worth the trouble to fix one. I've got them stacked like cordwood. Be sure to be environmentally responsible and thouroughly wash them before dropping them in the pond
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...d=1,1&item=4530056188&sspagename=STRK:MEUS:IT
The W and MKIV share the same short rods, difficulty getting good quench, and heavy valvetrain. How history treats them will have to wait, but price an original LS6, L88, L71, Z16 etc and see the numbers are climbing. Sadly the W didn't have time to evolve farther before being morphed into the MKIV. A new Dart 409 with raised decks and siamese bores, along with a reduction in price for aluminum heads might make it a fairer fight....I'm still planning a stroked W for my 59 "Ill-
Camino"
The Ws are cool, no doubt, but my low buck 496/505cid 9:1 truck block jobs with big valves in ported oval port heads make 525hp and near 600lb/ft torque. I know there are bigger number stroked Ws, but at what cost? Nostalgia is great, and I'm not speaking ill of the W or any other "obsolete" (Hot Rod mag cover '77) engine. My hemi's cost (and weigh) tons to build moderate power. The Ws scalloped valve covers are the big draw. GMC V6 305-478 guys love them too, along with Spitfire, Saratoga, and Windsor from team M. Mine've got holes in the middle, kids love it.
Technology triumphs over fond memories. Look at the newest LS7 Vette: 500 in car horses, 2 valve, pushrod, naturally aspirated, with a warranty and smooth idle. 400hp in the rear drive Sunbird they pass off as a GTO. Ugly little engine though.
Fatride said it best. It should all be kept in context and compared to the other engines of the era. Ford, Mopar, and Chevy all started the BB programs humbly about the same time with 352, 350, 348s and grew them into formidible weapons. GMs started strong but conservative engineering and research let the others get away from them in the mid-60s though. Hemis and cammers, oh my! Flipping through my collection of Hot Rod from 58-65 shows no clear-cut winners. Pontiac was in it big, Olds was fading fast. Drag or oval? "Stock" class, AFX, pick a year and venue to nail it down. Chevy did very well in stock bodied competition, but the lack of the Ws in diggers shows the limited ultimate potential.