What is the 1/4 mile potential for a fairly mild 396/402 with 9 to 1 CR? What are some of the ET's that you have ran?

I will most likely never take my 68 to the track so I'm just curious as to what some folks with similiar set-ups as mine (see sig) have ran...

Hey Mike, I have almost the same exact set up as you. BBC 396 with Performer RPM heads, Performer RPM intake, Holley SA 870. Have not run the car so I can't say for sure. I just ordered the Comp Cams 1.72 rockers as well. How do you like those rockers??? Do they fit under the stock valve covers???

Donny,
The Comp roller tip rockers fit perfect under the stock valve covers with no problems...

A while back I borrowed a friends 396 street engine to use in my 73 Firebird race car because I blew up my smallblock in the middle of the season. The engine was a stock rebuilt small dome 396 closed chamber engine. It had 100cc heads which gave it about a true 9.8:1. The closed chamber oval port heads had the stock 2.06/1.72 valves in them with a 3 angle valve job. The cam was a TRW replacement cam that was for a 375/396,and the rest of the valvetrain was stock except for harland sharp roller rockers which we had to grond down a few corners on to fit under the stock valve covers. The intake was a very old outdate Weiand dual plane,the carb was the 850 off my race smallblock,the headers were a set of cheap 1 7/8" blackjack headers for a Chevelle tat we smashed half flat to fit in the car.

The car itself was light for a 2nd gen,all fiberglass nose fiberglass doors,gutted interior ect./ It weighed 3150# with me in it. The convertor was a 33000-3500 street unit from his street car,that I installed into my trans brake powerglide. The rear was a 12 bolt with 5.13's and 12x29 slicks.

It was WAY too much gear. The engine seemed like it was done by a little over 6000 I shifted it at 6000 and it was at about 6500 in the lights. The car ran 12,1. I think that if the cr had a 3 sped with about 4.56's it would have went deep into the 11's. The engine was real mild and wasnt built to race. I could have found another 100 hp with head work and a better intake and still be just as streetable.

Pretty fast. When I saw 5.13's I immediately knew what was next. Would that 396 be around 400 hp now? And were you worried at all about grenading your buddies motor throught the lights at 6500?

Nah. It was a steel crank engine with good rod bolts and forged pistons. I run lesser 454's to 7000 rpm on a regular basis. The smallblock that I hurt was a 2 bolt main cast crank stock rod engine that I spun to 7500 for hundreds of runs and even shot with nitrous. I melted 2 pistons and threw 2 new ones in and was back in the saddle a month later.

I have to say the car was a blast to drive on the street with the big block and 5.13's.

Back in 79 I had a 69 Chevelle SS with a 375/396 which I rebuilt with a big cam milled heads and a 1050 center squirter.
Th400 stock converter and 4.11 12 bolt posi rear.

With polyglass gt 60's it ran 12.50's @ 119

I would guess in the 13 second quarter time spectrum. Your set up would be closer to what an old school COPO 425 HP 427 was. Look at the quarter mile times were for one of those. You should be kinda close to one of those. You have less cubes but better/lighter heads. COPO might beat you in a 1/4 mile race but your car would certainly be much more enjoyable on the street with much better manners on the road. You have a great street set up and should be able to drive it all over on today's pump gas with no over heating problems. A wide ratio with 3:73 should be a decent cruiser too. I'd rather be able to drive to the beach or the mountains than having an over geared car that makes you sick to drive down the highway in. Who cares if you run 10s if you can't drive your car out of town? Quarter mile times remind me of fish weights. I fished for bass my whole life and everyone else I've talked to catch bass that weight 5-10lbs all the time. I carried a portable scale with me and weigh them all the time. I've caught probably over a thousand bass in my life and can count on my fingers how many weighed over 5 lbs. They weren't much over that either. I live in the south too. Less hibernation time which equals bigger fish. A 13 second car is fast street car is the point I'm making I guess. Look at the quarter mile times for all the original muscle cars. The creme de la creme were high 12 second cars. most of the bad boys were 14 second cars.

What is the 1/4 mile potential for a fairly mild 396/402 with 9 to 1 CR? What are some of the ET's that you have ran?

I will most likely never take my 68 to the track so I'm just curious as to what some folks with similiar set-ups as mine (see sig) have ran...


Mid 12's easily @ 108-110 mph.
Depends on traction, Launch, shifting abilities.

mid 13 second car with average driving and tuning skills
with traction enhancers and slicks or drag radials, practice, and more practice, maybe high 12s.
9:1 CR and Aluminum heads is not ideal, I'd want 10:1
The cam is decent in a 396 but far from cutting edge. It IS however a decent street strip deal, thousands on the road.

Thanks so much for the reply guys...I wasn't aware of the 110 CC volume on the aluminum heads when I purchased them and I should have done a little more research before I installed them... I should have put the 215 cast heads back on but it is what it is now...

Thanks again!

Thanks so much for the reply guys...I wasn't aware of the 110 CC volume on the aluminum heads when I purchased them and I should have done a little more research before I installed them... I should have put the 215 cast heads back on but it is what it is now...

Thanks again!
I never did see where you said what Edelbrock heads you have, and they make about 15 different ones for the BBC.

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/cylheads/chevy/main_chevy_bb.shtml

So, what do you have now and what would you rather have if you where to buy them again?

I never did see where you said what Edelbrock heads you have, and they make about 15 different ones for the BBC.

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/cylheads/chevy/main_chevy_bb.shtml

So, what do you have now and what would you rather have if you where to buy them again?

If I had to do it all over I would have bought the Performer High Compression heads with the 100cc volume...Right now I'm using the RPM Performer heads with 110 cc volume.

i have a 67 camaro with a ZL1 427 with turbo 350 4.10 gear on mickey drag 275/60radials.i only got the the car running the day before super chevy and ran a best 11.80 @115 in denver. i have run a best et 11.63 @116 .i plan to make so changes and get the car in the tens. im racing in colorado and plan to take it to las vegas next year and see how it runs at lower levels.the car seems to love the light weight engine it doesnt even try to spin the tires and its a blast to drive around town.
dave beem