sexybabyjamie
Active Member
Since I found this site a couple of days ago I have spent a lot of time thinking of my hot rodding days, the early 60's, which I believe happined during the best, and most interesting time of the era, the golden era. As I stated in the "introduuce yourself" forum, the 348/409 era, from 58 to 65, you missed a very special time if you were not around. If you are under 60 years old you were born too late. I am 64 and missed the first couple of years. So for the benifit of all of you yougsters, I will try to give you a better understanding of what really happined. So if you want to go on a real fun joy ride get in, fasten your seat belt, hang on, and enjoy. Oh I forgot. We didn't have seat belts then so just get in and hang on---tight.
OK fellas some of the information I am going to include is stuff thats been in my head for a long time so if you see something you don't agree with feel free to correct it. I guess I really did not have to give you permission. Performance buffs, myself included, have always been inclined to do so.
The beginning of this era began in 1955 with the introduction of the 265 V-8. At that time Americas youth were hungrey for an affordable car that would deliver good performance. Its introduction resultated in the greatest quantum leap in automobile performance ever and will never again be duplicated. Oh I know Olds, Caddy, and Chrysler all had overhead valve V-8's but the Ford flathead was still the hot rodders engine of choice as it had been since 1932. When the 265 was introduced it became, almost overnite, the hot rodders preferred engine.
Only a couple of other V-8 motors had less displacement and none of the larger ones could come close to outperforming it. The basic 265 had a 2 barrel carb and was rated at 162 HP. The addition of a 4 barrell carb uped it to 180 HP. Another version called the power pac had high compression heads, a solid lifter high lift cam, dual exaust and was underated at 195 HP.
A Chevy equiped with the 195 HP engine and a stick transmission, with a skillful driver, could go from 0 to 60 in 9.4 seconds. An outstanding feat for the time. The 180 HP verson could do it in 9.8 seconds. A Chrysler 300 took 9.9 seconds. Even the 2 barrell version could outrun 99% of the cars on Americas highways.
The 265 was desigined and ready to to market just 16 weeks after the go ahead was given by GM's manaement. Because of this Chevy engineers did not have enough time to dyno test it. By the 56 model season it had been properly dyno tested and the same engine rated at 180 HP in 55 was rated at 205 HP in 56. Because its breathing ability was now known a dual quad option raised the 205 version to 225. The power pac version saw a HP gain to 245 with dual quads. We all know what Chevy did to its engines in 57 but somehow history has forgotten this was also the year Chevy introduced the famous Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission in its full size cars. I saw many 57 and 58 Chevys run at NHRA strips with 4 speed transmissions. NHRA rules would not have permitted this. Fred Totten had a 58 348/280 with a 4 speed running in a stock class.
The beginning of the high performance era had just pulled a hole shot and we were now in low gear and about to feel the most incredable power band we have ever felt. During the next seven years these 0 to 60 times would be cut by more than half.
My interest in cars began when I was 14 years old in 1957. An older friend of mine had a 53 Ford flathead which I, and millions of others, thought of as a real good running car. I was even a Ford fan. One day I was hitchhiking to a skating rink and got picked up by a 57 Chevrolet. I told the driver about my buddies hot Ford. He looked at me with a grin, and said "at the next lite your in for a thrill". As fate would have it, my buddy, in his 53 Ford was sitting there. When the lite turned green we were off and about 2 seconds later I knew Ford was no match for the one I was in. The 57 went through 1st. and 2nd. gears befor shutting down at 80 MPH. We were so far ahead of the Ford it was not funny. It seemed like it just exploded to 80 MPH. This was the biggest thrill I had ever had in my life---up till that time. It was also the first time I had ridden in a car with a 4 barrell carb with no air cleaner. The howling sound of the 4 barrel carb in conjunction with that sweet sound coming from a Chevrolet stick shift transmission going through 1st. and 2nd gears and glass pac mufflers added to the sensation. From that moment on my dream was to get a car like this. I was now in the the Chevy camp. During this time millions and millions of young people were going through a similar experience. Prior to this type of experience, people did think a flathead as a pretty fast car. This was a car capable of a 0 to 60 run in the 16 to 17 second range and cabable of ets in 19 to 20 seconds at mabey 65 to 68 MPH. A good running 220 HP 57 Chev could do 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds. In about 15 seconds a 220 HP V-8 engine virturally changed my life forever. Are you youngsters starting to get the picture?
I began cutting grass to earn enough money so I could buy my first car and 3 years later I did. Guess what kind of car it was--------. Wrong, it was a 53 Ford flathead convertable. I paid $275 for it. Used 57's were selling for about $1,200 to $1,400 at that time. Far out of reach for me and millions of others. At this time I was paying 20 cents for a pack of cigerates. Opps I mean 17 cents. You put 20 cents in a cigerate machine and inside the wrapper were 3 brand new pennies. I also began reading Hot Rod, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc, paying particular attention to road test reports. The 348 had been out for about a year and one article that cought my attention was the one located on the 348/409 home page titled Road Test Chevys 315 HP 348 engine. It said it was the best performance bargan on Earth. Another article was about a 59 Chev 348/335 HP that turned an et of 13.9 seconds with a trap speed of 101 MPH. No article about Pontiacs or Mopars I saw had an et this low. These two articles were the only ones I found over a two year period giving any praise to the W motor. Many articles bashed it. Several others had road tests of 348's were published using the worst transmission ever made; the Turboglide. Not once did I ever see a road test with a Power Glide, the use of which would have shaved over 2 seconds of the 0 to 60 times published. The best one I ever saw was a 0 to 60 run in 11.3 seconds, the worst was a 13.1 sec 0 to 60 run. The vast majority of 348's were sold with the Turboglide. This along with the bad press gave the 348 it's bad reptutation. This devided the Chevy camp into 2 factions. Small block and big block. I saw more heated debates in in these 2 camps than I saw between Chevy vs Ford or Mopar fans. It is interesting to note that Chevy offered the Turboglide on the 185 HP engine. I never rode in one or saw a report on one but I have aleays been curious.
I think its time for a "wee wee" break so get out, take it, and get back in or you will be stranded. Part 2 is coming up soon.
OK fellas some of the information I am going to include is stuff thats been in my head for a long time so if you see something you don't agree with feel free to correct it. I guess I really did not have to give you permission. Performance buffs, myself included, have always been inclined to do so.
The beginning of this era began in 1955 with the introduction of the 265 V-8. At that time Americas youth were hungrey for an affordable car that would deliver good performance. Its introduction resultated in the greatest quantum leap in automobile performance ever and will never again be duplicated. Oh I know Olds, Caddy, and Chrysler all had overhead valve V-8's but the Ford flathead was still the hot rodders engine of choice as it had been since 1932. When the 265 was introduced it became, almost overnite, the hot rodders preferred engine.
Only a couple of other V-8 motors had less displacement and none of the larger ones could come close to outperforming it. The basic 265 had a 2 barrel carb and was rated at 162 HP. The addition of a 4 barrell carb uped it to 180 HP. Another version called the power pac had high compression heads, a solid lifter high lift cam, dual exaust and was underated at 195 HP.
A Chevy equiped with the 195 HP engine and a stick transmission, with a skillful driver, could go from 0 to 60 in 9.4 seconds. An outstanding feat for the time. The 180 HP verson could do it in 9.8 seconds. A Chrysler 300 took 9.9 seconds. Even the 2 barrell version could outrun 99% of the cars on Americas highways.
The 265 was desigined and ready to to market just 16 weeks after the go ahead was given by GM's manaement. Because of this Chevy engineers did not have enough time to dyno test it. By the 56 model season it had been properly dyno tested and the same engine rated at 180 HP in 55 was rated at 205 HP in 56. Because its breathing ability was now known a dual quad option raised the 205 version to 225. The power pac version saw a HP gain to 245 with dual quads. We all know what Chevy did to its engines in 57 but somehow history has forgotten this was also the year Chevy introduced the famous Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission in its full size cars. I saw many 57 and 58 Chevys run at NHRA strips with 4 speed transmissions. NHRA rules would not have permitted this. Fred Totten had a 58 348/280 with a 4 speed running in a stock class.
The beginning of the high performance era had just pulled a hole shot and we were now in low gear and about to feel the most incredable power band we have ever felt. During the next seven years these 0 to 60 times would be cut by more than half.
My interest in cars began when I was 14 years old in 1957. An older friend of mine had a 53 Ford flathead which I, and millions of others, thought of as a real good running car. I was even a Ford fan. One day I was hitchhiking to a skating rink and got picked up by a 57 Chevrolet. I told the driver about my buddies hot Ford. He looked at me with a grin, and said "at the next lite your in for a thrill". As fate would have it, my buddy, in his 53 Ford was sitting there. When the lite turned green we were off and about 2 seconds later I knew Ford was no match for the one I was in. The 57 went through 1st. and 2nd. gears befor shutting down at 80 MPH. We were so far ahead of the Ford it was not funny. It seemed like it just exploded to 80 MPH. This was the biggest thrill I had ever had in my life---up till that time. It was also the first time I had ridden in a car with a 4 barrell carb with no air cleaner. The howling sound of the 4 barrel carb in conjunction with that sweet sound coming from a Chevrolet stick shift transmission going through 1st. and 2nd gears and glass pac mufflers added to the sensation. From that moment on my dream was to get a car like this. I was now in the the Chevy camp. During this time millions and millions of young people were going through a similar experience. Prior to this type of experience, people did think a flathead as a pretty fast car. This was a car capable of a 0 to 60 run in the 16 to 17 second range and cabable of ets in 19 to 20 seconds at mabey 65 to 68 MPH. A good running 220 HP 57 Chev could do 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds. In about 15 seconds a 220 HP V-8 engine virturally changed my life forever. Are you youngsters starting to get the picture?
I began cutting grass to earn enough money so I could buy my first car and 3 years later I did. Guess what kind of car it was--------. Wrong, it was a 53 Ford flathead convertable. I paid $275 for it. Used 57's were selling for about $1,200 to $1,400 at that time. Far out of reach for me and millions of others. At this time I was paying 20 cents for a pack of cigerates. Opps I mean 17 cents. You put 20 cents in a cigerate machine and inside the wrapper were 3 brand new pennies. I also began reading Hot Rod, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc, paying particular attention to road test reports. The 348 had been out for about a year and one article that cought my attention was the one located on the 348/409 home page titled Road Test Chevys 315 HP 348 engine. It said it was the best performance bargan on Earth. Another article was about a 59 Chev 348/335 HP that turned an et of 13.9 seconds with a trap speed of 101 MPH. No article about Pontiacs or Mopars I saw had an et this low. These two articles were the only ones I found over a two year period giving any praise to the W motor. Many articles bashed it. Several others had road tests of 348's were published using the worst transmission ever made; the Turboglide. Not once did I ever see a road test with a Power Glide, the use of which would have shaved over 2 seconds of the 0 to 60 times published. The best one I ever saw was a 0 to 60 run in 11.3 seconds, the worst was a 13.1 sec 0 to 60 run. The vast majority of 348's were sold with the Turboglide. This along with the bad press gave the 348 it's bad reptutation. This devided the Chevy camp into 2 factions. Small block and big block. I saw more heated debates in in these 2 camps than I saw between Chevy vs Ford or Mopar fans. It is interesting to note that Chevy offered the Turboglide on the 185 HP engine. I never rode in one or saw a report on one but I have aleays been curious.
I think its time for a "wee wee" break so get out, take it, and get back in or you will be stranded. Part 2 is coming up soon.
bang Afterall..this is how we all learn.
