I am facing a bit of a problem here.
I have a '67 camaro weighing exactly 3215lbs (pwr steer, pwr windows, deluxe, rear defroster, and more gadgets) but the original engine is gone. The engine which is in it now, is positively identified as a '76-'79 305ci 2bbl.
According to the books, it should have something around 130-140hp, and 245ft/lb.
It has a 10 bolt rear (8.2"), 3.08 and a th350.

The engine should be original, as the stock factory headers are still on it and the engine runs very smooth, so no special cam is used.... the 2bbl is also still there.

The nice thing is that it runs from 0-60 in 8 seconds flat and the top speed is more than 120 mls/hr as it still keeps accelerating very nice and smooth even above 120.

According to other books, the '67 SS350 295hp runs 0-60 in 7.8 sec.....

How is this possible?? SS350 has double the horses and more tq? and I don't think the gears will be able to make such a big differance...

Anyone has some ideas how this is possible??

Tires!

Doesn't seem too far off to me. I have owned several mid-late 70's 2bbl 305's and bone stock they are quite torquey for their size. With a light car, gearing matched to the engine (like your 3.08's), and a decent tune I think 7.8 seconds 0-60 is entirely possible.

And the fact that the way power was quoted changed from gross to net in the years between the manuf. dates of both engines, so the difference between the two is smaller than it seems at first. I actually have a simular situation since I took the original 327cid/210hp out of my '69 (to rebuilt) and put a 305 in. This engine was rated at something like 150hp I believe, but there was almost no change in performance. But 0-60 in 8 sec. no way! So either your 305 isn't stock or no 305 at all I would say.

8 seconds is just not that fast. Many modern econoboxes produce about 130 hp, but only about 115 ft.-lbs. of torque, and still accelerate that fast (though they only weigh 2500 lbs. or so).

130 to 140 hp implies a likely peak on the order of 170-175 ft.-lbs. at 4000-4500 rpm or so. With a torque peak of 245 ft.lbs. down around 3000 rpm, you've got way more torque than that econobox, and torque is what drives acceleration. (High horsepower, same torque engines allow better acceleration because the higher speed allows, and requires, lower gearing, which better multiplies the torque available at the wheels...but torque is what drives things forward).

So, an 8 second car with "only" 130-140 hp, but with 245 ft.lbs. of torque is plausible. What's implausible is 295 hp and only about the same 8sec 0-60 time. Two causes: vastly different tire technology and the discrepancy between gross hp and net hp (and some specsmanship that went on in marketing departments when it was time to put numbers on paper.) You should be much less surprised by the 305 doing 8 sec times than by the 67 with 295 hp only doing 8 secs.

By the way...67's didnt' come with 350's, did they?? I didn't think the 350 was put in the Camaro 'til '68 or '69??!! (I'm not a Camaro expert - just a casual fan.)

You don't really have a problem...you just need to find a 350 or 400 to build up so you can get that 0-60 time down around 5 seconds! :D

I looked again at the engine, and these are the # I could find...

Engine casting: driver side, direction firewall, number 460776 (used http://www.mortec.com/castnum.htm as reference for the id of the engine)
Intake casting: middle of intake, direction firewall, number 373598, on top of intake '1978', 'snowflake' icon located on top and at driver side completely in front of the intake. (aluminium intake)
head casting: on side and end of head, rectangle with semi-circle 'cut-out' in the middle on top of the rectangle.

front 215/60/14 maxis radial
rear 235/60/15 grand turbo american gt

I hope the previous data helps anybody...

I have had a few little fast cars :D . Renault 5gt turbo: 120hp...0-60=7.2 sec stock (boost the turbo and you're in the 6secs
and Peugeot 205 GTi, 130hp...0-60=7.8 sec.


Oh, I almost forgot, The 350ci was specially designed for the camaro. the '67 was the first one which got one (if I am not mistaking) :D

[ 07-10-2003, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: DL ]

By the way...there's no reason the 305 couldn't be built to put out some reasonable power, too, if, for some reason, 350's aren't readily available over there. Here they're dirt cheap, and easy to get ahold of...so you might as well build a 350, or a 400, and get that much more bang for the same buck. If 350's are scarce, get some Vortec heads, a Performer vortec intake with a 600 cfm 4 barrel, a Comp Cams XE262 or 256 and lifters, and some 1 1/2 or 1 5/8 inch headers, and you oughta be well into the 300 hp range for about $1200 U.S. (here, anyway - don't know about pricing over there, or shipping from here). A 2 1/4" inch dual exhaust would also be a very good idea (here, that would be another $300 or so).

lately i order all my bigger parts at summits,small parts here at my local store (c&p)

I think there is a misunderstanding here.
I am never ever going to build this 305 to get many hp and tq, it is just not worth it...

I am going to build a 383 with forced induction.... enough hp and tq here :D

I was just wandering how this piece of.... is reasonable fast, comparing to local 'sport-compact' cars. I know hp doensn't say much as the torque needs to push the car forward, but this fast??!! I thought maybe there is some logic explanation for it.....

A 305 2bbl can never beat an SS350 4bbl according to common sense.
This engine is as stock as it can get, stock heads, stock exhaust headers, stock 2bbl, etc.

Could someone please verify with their own SS350 and a stopwatch how fast they go from 0-60.... as I don't believe books and 'official hp' ratings anymore...

I have very normal tyres, nothing fancy with loads of grip, just simple cheap tyres :D

Thanks again for any input!!