Cooling ports Edlebrock Performer

[Tim]

So this arrived today and the back end has no provisions for cooling and it will block off the ports on the heads. What does this do? Good or bad? Does the coolant flow properly?

 

[409newby]

Thats normal

 

[1958 delivery]

Yes, correct

 

[Tim]

So if it’s normal what are the ports in the heads for?

 

[MRHP]

So they can be installed on either side.

 

[Tim]

Now don’t I feel stupid! Been a rough week, I knew I could switch them side to side but never dawned on me about the ports. I don’t have the old intake so the brain stopped working!

 

[DonSSDD]

The older we get the smarter we is, if we can remember everything we learned.

 

[Tim]

Don, been off with pneumonia all week and the drugs are pretty high powered! Pretty sure one day I seen a UFO drop off a brand new 63 corvette in the trees out back but when I checked someone already took it!

 

[Don Jacks]

Excuses,excuses Tim! Hope you're feeling better.A 65 Vette is a better car [unless that 63 was a "split window"] anyway so no great loss.

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

The older we get the smarter we is, if we can remember everything we learned.

Heck it seems I spend more time looking for stuff than I do actually working on it.

 

[Tim]

Excuses,excuses Tim! Hope you're feeling better.A 65 Vette is a better car [unless that 63 was a "split window"] anyway so no great loss.

lol! I’ve had a few brain farts this week! I’m on the mend now so looking for corvettes in the woods doesn’t seem like a realistic project anymore! Yes it was a split window! Specifically one I saw a number of years ago at the Gilmore museum in Michigan it was “one of one” black on black, 427,4 speed. Beautiful car!

 

[oldskydog]

Sounds like one of zero if it was a 427 in a 63.

 

[Tim]

Sounds like one of zero if it was a 427 in a 63.

it was a 427. Had the emblem and the description on the stand. It was built for a GM executive. Not sure if it was a pre Mark Iv engine but the timing would be right since they were in development about then. It’s was at the Gilmore museum about 8 years ago. Maybe it was a Z11. You couldn’t get close and the hood was closed. The stand said it was one only.

 

[Don Jacks]

It could have been either a Mystery or a Z-11. There were a couple of CORVETTE "Mules" built for testing with the Mystery for power.

 

[Tim]

Ok I did a bit of homework, the corvette I saw was definitely a 63 427 “mystery” Mark II. It was built and given the the engineer that worked on the r and d of the engine. It was all black with a 4 speed. When I seen it 8 years ago at the Gilmore it had 3000 miles on it.
There were other ones built by Mickey Thompson and raced. The engine is the same engine used in Junior Johnson’s Impala in 63. Although they raced these cars they had all the engines but there was no backing or approval to do so by GM.
I knew I wasn’t having another brain fart!!!
There’s a whole story in Hot Rod Magazine December 2015

 

[427John]

There was factory backing at least thru the Daytona race in Feb.,sometime after that the GM racing pullout went into effect and then they were on their own.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

I wonder what the hood looked like on that '63 with a BBC stuffed in the engine bay?

Pretty sure it wouldn't fit under a stock 1963 hood. Maybe it was a prototype stinger hood like we began to see on the production cars in 1965?

I recall Mickey Thompson had about half dozen 1963 coupe race cars, outfitted with fuel injection. One of them used to be in the St. Louis area, I think it was his "driver" car .

Cheers! TomK

 

[Tim]

Tom, I remember taking pictures but can’t find them. If I can find the picture it would have lots of answers. I don’t remember the hood and if it was a stinger or not. I do remember the car was on loan to the museum and was privately owned.