I have always heard of these terms and thought that a rat motor was anything over a 350 engine. A mouse, a 350 or less. Is this correct and what is the history behind the rodent thing........

Dino,

A mouse is a SMALL block and a rat is a BIG block.

71 Camairo

Squeak Squeak...VROOOOM VROOOM !!!!!!!!!! Mighty Mouse eats the rat's cheese.

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Shawn Peterson
1969 Z28, 406SB
http://www.geocities.com/corsican69

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Shawn:
Squeak Squeak...VROOOOM VROOOM !!!!!!!!!! Mighty Mouse eats the rat's cheese.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Shawn - Are ya looking to start the old "Taste Great / Less Filling" debate or what? http://www.camaros.net/forum/wink.gif I too am a SB fan and the '69 will be sporting a healthy 383 in a matter of days...

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...Dennis
Topless'69 (http://home1.gte.net/ddunio/topless69)
rsss.fun@gte.net

I think I might have started something....but there really is no substitute for horsepower, i.e. cubic inches, is there! LOL

Hey Dino, you've started something for sure!!! for the record, a RAT is a Chevrolet Mark 4 V8, originally produced with 396 / 402 / 427 / 454 cubes, and easily recognizable by the 6" wide valve covers and evenly spaced exhaust ports. a MOUSE is everything else, including, as Shawn will tell you, a best of both words cheese eating, tire frying, high revving 40F_____6!!

Those little MIECES will tear the RaTS to PIECES teehee http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif and beat em to the cheese. NO DOUBT http://www.camaros.net/forum/tongue.gif

71 Camairo

[This message has been edited by 71 Camairo (edited 04-20-2000).]

This all sounds "cheesy" to me but,
It's been said once before and I quote
"There's no replacement for cubic displacement"! http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif


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67 Camaro LS6 454/TH400/12bolt 3.73

[This message has been edited by cardude (edited 04-20-2000).]

Big Block Chevy's have splayed valves (they don't line up) someone way back thought it kind of looked like a porcupine. And since a porcupine is related to the rodent... Rat, and a SBC is it's little brother, so a Mouse.
There's no substitute for cubic inches, except a SMALL BLOCK CHEVY!!!

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67 410sb 11.63 @117.6

The mouse may eat the cheese, but the rat will eat the mouse. RAT POWER!!!
Ahhhhh.....love that torque!

I like cheese.

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DVC-2000.Racing
482 cubes of fogger injected thunder in a 71 z.
racing@mbox303.swipnet.se (http://racing@mbox303.swipnet.se)

I always thought that mouse came about because Chryslers Hemi's are called elephants. When the SBC came out it could easily be hopped up and beat the early hemi's. Since elephants are scared of mice, the SBC was nicknamed the mouse. When its big brother came out in early 60's, it was nicknamed the Rat. Hey, this is just how I learned the story. Did anyone else learn it this way?

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Bryan Shook
Favorite Quote - Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.
My Father's 1968 RS 327! (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/6673/camaro.html)
My First Generation Camaro site (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/6673/firstgen.html)