one of my coworkers

**jimmybling31** · 08-27-2008, 10:52 PM

i work with a couple car guys at pps o&p. on of my coworkers has a 500hp cobra and another one drives a 85 corvette (not stock i don't even know what all he has done with it though. i know it's cammed with heads but don't know specifics) and the same guy drives a 2002 z28 garage queen on occasion. well the one with the z28 and vette is in his 70's and has been into hotrodding since the mid 50's. today at lunch we sat and talked about his years of drag racing and how they would race on the closed portions of 24 while they were building it. he told me about the glory days of the brainerd optimist when it was 1/4 mile and seeing stock cars running good was normal. he even went into detail about his favorite car he ever owned. his 69 chevelle. he told me about how he bought it and took it straight from the factory and ran a 12.4 in it in the 1/4. i hardly believe him but he said he would bring pictures of the old car and some timeslips if he could find them. we talked about the gas crunch in the 70's and how that was the only reason he sold all his hotrods back then. i really had a nice time talking to him about all his hotrodding back in the day. he told me that it's a hobby you can keep your whole life. heck his z28 isn't stock either. his z28 has heads and cam and pushes about 450hp. it's damn mean and he doesn't baby it when he drives it either. his advice to me was to never sell a hot rod. he says once you modify a car it's your car. noone else would appreciate it as much as you would.

**JwMonE99** · 08-27-2008, 10:55 PM

hmm a 12.4 in a stock what?

**jimmybling31** · 08-27-2008, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by JwMonE99

hmm a 12.4 in a stock what?

chevelle ss with a 454 with factory 4.11 gearing.

**JoshieDoom** · 08-27-2008, 11:08 PM

I always here how my T/A will not compare to some of the old muscle cars that my folks used to own. I miss the goat and the birds

Speaking of that does anyone know what a bolt on 74 sd 455 TA will run??

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 08-28-2008, 02:01 AM

I thought the 69 got the 396 with a few 427's and the 70 got the 454?

**67CamaroRSSS** · 08-28-2008, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Hot Black Trans-Am

I thought the 69 got the 396 with a few 427's and the 70 got the 454?

Back in the day you'd blow an engine drag racing and, if the car was out of warranty, go to the dealer to buy a better, bigger engine. I've seen many 396 Chevelle's and Camaro's that ended up with a 454 LS-6 under the hood as this was the best Chevy had in the early to mid 70's.

**67CamaroRSSS** · 08-28-2008, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by JoshieDoom

I always here how my T/A will not compare to some of the old muscle cars that my folks used to own. I miss the goat and the birds

Speaking of that does anyone know what a bolt on 74 sd 455 TA will run??

If it's a real virgin SD 455 I wouldn't molest it at all.

But, back in the day, they were capable of mid-high 13's stock so go from there.

**FasstChevys** · 08-28-2008, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Hot Black Trans-Am

I thought the 69 got the 396 with a few 427's and the 70 got the 454?

some 70 Chevelle's also had the 396

**310stanger** · 08-28-2008, 01:35 PM

I clearly was born in the wrong time it seems sometimes. I would love todays engine technology with yesteryears outlook on high performance and PRICE! lol

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 08-28-2008, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by 67CamaroRSSS

Back in the day you'd blow an engine drag racing and, if the car was out of warranty, go to the dealer to buy a better, bigger engine. I've seen many 396 Chevelle's and Camaro's that ended up with a 454 LS-6 under the hood as this was the best Chevy had in the early to mid 70's.

I figured that much, but I was thinking of the factory installed engines for the year seeing he said it was ran strait from the dealer.

**JoshieDoom** · 08-28-2008, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by 67CamaroRSSS

If it's a real virgin SD 455 I wouldn't molest it at all.

But, back in the day, they were capable of mid-high 13's stock so go from there.

Well the car is molested.. it flipped 7 times doing 130 and my dad walked away from it... engine is unmolested laying in the shop. He had a full cam kit put in it back in the day. Said it was the fastest DD in the county.. glad to have that status now.. haha

**jimmybling31** · 08-28-2008, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Hot Black Trans-Am

I figured that much, but I was thinking of the factory installed engines for the year seeing he said it was ran strait from the dealer.

i don't know for certain if he was entirely telling the whole truth when he said it had a 454 in it from the factory, but he brought pictures and it was a beautiful chevelle with a 454. it might have been one with a swapped motor at the dealer. he it getting pretty old now. might not be completely there. oh well. he is fun to be around still. he's like that cool old guy at work or whatever. he's pretty cool. rode in his corvette with him today.

**yellowv** · 08-29-2008, 11:28 AM

If you look at the 1/4 miles times of the old hot rods they are quite misleading. They are actually slower than what our cars run stock for the most part. The thing you have to remember is that back then the tires technology was horrible. You could take any of those old beasts i.e. LS6 Chevelle, Buick GS455, etc. and throw a set of todays slicks on them and you would have a high 11, low 12 second car bone stock.

**JoshieDoom** · 08-30-2008, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by yellowv

If you look at the 1/4 miles times of the old hot rods they are quite misleading. They are actually slower than what our cars run stock for the most part. The thing you have to remember is that back then the tires technology was horrible. You could take any of those old beasts i.e. LS6 Chevelle, Buick GS455, etc. and throw a set of todays slicks on them and you would have a high 11, low 12 second car bone stock.

Yeah did some research and I just dont like how the old timers that got out of muscle cars swears up and down how new cars arent as fast. Had a big arguement with my dad about it and how my "toy car" had nothing on his BBP. Well see when I go to the test and tune next march. Big part on technology, they just didnt have it back then. BTW if anyone wants a 74 455 sd original block with parts its up for sale for 10k. He turned down 8k a few years ago

**01ws6er** · 08-30-2008, 04:32 AM

You work at an Orthotics and Prosthetics place...?

And my friends dad has a 70 Chevelle with a 454 (not from factory) with a pretty big cam, I believe 4.11 gears, and a shift kit, and he ran a best of 12.9...

**nhraformula** · 08-30-2008, 05:45 AM

those old muscle cars from back in the day are not as fast as some people make them out to be.
popular science did a test awhile back pitting old muscle vs. new.
new muscle was the faster of the two with the viper being the fastest of them all.

**Tnhillbilly** · 08-30-2008, 08:40 AM

You could get the 1970 Chevelle with 396 (it was actually a 402) a 360hp 454 and a 450hp LS6 454. The ls6 ran low 13s with street tires.

**jimmybling31** · 08-30-2008, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by 01ws6er

You work at an Orthotics and Prosthetics place...?

And my friends dad has a 70 Chevelle with a 454 (not from factory) with a pretty big cam, I believe 4.11 gears, and a shift kit, and he ran a best of 12.9...

yeah my dad owns it and i am working there as a tech and working towards getting a pedorthic certification. i am going to gt in a couple years to finish and get my full c.o.p.