Manifold Q?

425/409ER

Well Known Member
We had a guy here where i live back in the early 70's that ran a large port dual quad intake setup on the smallish 348 heads. I know he ground off the bolt tabs at the top of the ports to make it fit but it ran ok I guess. He always told us how the car ran 14.0 at the track and we all called BS on that one
 

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
In 61 the 409 was a single 4 on the 142 engines they built.

However, at the very end of the 61 production run there were 10 409/409’s built for O/SS class with 690 heads and an 881 intake.

I have never seen a 2x4 Chevy intake for a 348.
I guarantee if Chevy offered one I would have found it when I worked at the Chevy house.
There is no doubt they would have worked on one.
I have one of each of these engines including one of the first 14 265 with 2x4’s for 1956.

So, I agree, why wouldn’t they have built one, might be an experimental “0” or ”L” casting.
Would love to hear more about it.
29CDF99E-9A78-416D-B9B5-589D75CA00E2.jpeg


A6884F4C-8B10-41A0-AFCE-20964583B9EE.jpeg
14036791-5EE4-4F90-AB54-B579A7076FDF.jpeg

Here is the 56-265 with 2x4’s
A199DCE8-4E87-4B85-84BF-2A1EFF8B6AB2.jpeg

3087A2E6-662D-4EA7-8901-369766443ACC.jpeg
 

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
The 142 were put in production cars. The other 10 were not. Those engines were built and shipped to the big drag racers of the day, Don Nicholson, etc. The intent was for those racers to compete and win in the newly established O/SS class. Chevrolet was not competitive prior to this.
 

Blk61409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
Cecil, you are correct. Using production records.

I should have pointed that out, thanks.

We do know about the engine build and ship records for the 142 and the 10.

So far no definitive documentation has surfaced.

Missing documentation is certainly far greater than what we have on most of our projects.

Just like the 348 2x4 intake I certainly have never seen one, but that is definitely not a determinate.

One time a good friend of mine , Jim Perkins(rest in peace), former Pres of Chevrolet and I were talking.
We talked about various documents Chevy had. He acknowledged the fire that took out so much, but he also told me they had mountains of docs deep in part of the same mountain where NORAD is located in Colo Springs. Occasionally, he would authorize boxes to be removed for some kind of research, like Ken Kayser’s Corvette books.
I was looking for any info about the fuel injected engine I had. He had never heard of it which he said meant nothing because the “skunk works” guys were making stuff all the time. We laughed about all the different initiatives, how hard it was for him to save the Corvette, etc.

Anyway he acknowledged how difficult creating a paper trail is for most any project unless an engineer saved the info and it became something they wanted to build.

I guess the document I have with the V-8 Corvair was not something they wanted:roll:laugh

Jim even referred me to a retired engineer that had been in the “skunkworks” area. As that guy and I began discussing the FI and even some “0” casting parts I had. He immediately exploded and chewed me out unmercifully over having any “0” parts!!!! They were only for experimental use and not for the public!! I quietly ended the conversation and he was still yelling at me when the next sound he heard was a dial tone. Wow, passionate about his previous job for sure.

So, I have learned to “never say never”! There might really be a 348 2x4 intake by Chevy out there somewhere.
One thing I believe to be true, no V-8 powered Corvairs got out :lmao

On the right is Jim Perkins with his 56 265 running A/S in 1956.

52166A59-62AF-4613-A251-7B35FBF0FCB1.jpeg
 

iaco59

Well Known Member
A lot of great info being posted .thanks as to the 2x4 348 Im working on it but with holidays and COVID stay at home order it been a mess. but i will keep trying,post pic and #'s as soon as i can if this is guy actually has it 348 0r 409 i will try to buy it. 265 has no value to me. maybe some one on here would like it?
 
Top