Air cond for 1971 w/LT1?

[Patrick H.]

Volunteering one?

Terry,

They don't grow on trees to test drive. Nope, never been there or done that.

Patrick

[Terry M.]

Re: Volunteering one? *TL*

I kind of figured. Anyone who has driven an LT1 will not complain about adjusting the valves. It is hard to complain through the grin.

Terry

[Bill Lucia]

Re: Volunteering one?

AGREE, I still a have permanent smile from the first time I nailed a 1970 LT-1 coupe really hard. Did'nt buy the car....dumb move....but what a ride...

regards

Bill #8620

[Patrick H.]

Re: Volunteering one?

Looks like I'll be waiting a while longer....

Patrick

[Iron Duke NCRS #22045]

Here's the classy solution

How about taping a piece of four inch duct to the outside of the doors with outlet pointed at the driver's and wife's face. Gives it that "rear race car" look - know what I mean.

Duke

[Jeff]

The 396 got us away from quoting HP ratings...

Prior to 65 it was always gross HP. Starting in 65 the big blocks were refered to as 396s, '4-and-a-quarters' or the redundant (as there was only on HP rating for the 65 BBs) '396/4-and-a-quarter'. In 66 the small blocks were refered to by their HP rating and the BBs were refered to by as 425 or 390, sometimes preceed by 427 but not usually by those in the know, who generally used the minimum nomenclature necessary to avoid confusion but no more, although no one made the distinction between the 425s and the early 450s, owing to the fact that they were really the same thing, until they became collectible around the mid 70s.

By 67, the L-88 was in a class of its own but not many folks knew about and no one but Duke had ever seen one much less got to trash one, so they were never a truly hot topic. Other than the L-88, 67's nomenclature was the same as 66 with the exception of the L-89 actually requiring the use of the RPO code to differentiate it from L-71 which was always just called 435.

Enginewise 68 and 69 were 67 all over again other than the ZL-1 entering our vocabulary but for the most part it was gross HP again with those BB exceptions. When they came out with the LT-1 in 70 that was the real beginning of cars actually owned by mere mortals being identified with their RPO code. (I think the hood decal is proof postive of this.) Then as Duke said, once the HP numbers changed constantly but the RPO codes didn't it became easier and more popular to use them until finally once the HP numbers were embarrassing they became not only convenient but mandatory.

None of the now very commonly bandied about RPO codes like L-88, L-89, ZL-1, F41, J56, Z06, N03 or even the C3 ZR-1s were common (even though the LT-1s had become identifiable in their current timeframe) until the mid 70s.

Lots of things have changed over the years. For example, I haven't opened the hood on the last dozens or so cars I bought until they were due for the first oil change. I also hear now that 9 out of 10 women are battered. But I still like mine plain...

JP

[Jim]

Thanks - I'll not try this

I've heard enough form this and other sources. It is 104 degrees here today... I'm limiting my looking to a car that has factory air.....

Regards, Jim

[Iron Duke NCRS #22045]

Excellent historical overview, Jeff, but...

I think you and I both need to get a life. I used to refer to my 327/340 as a "340", but now I like to refer to it with the old option name/parts catalog nomenclature "Special High Performance" or SHP. Has a much classier ring to it, don't you think? This nomenclature would refer to any mechanical lifter carbureted Corvette engine. If your car has fuel injection. It it refered to as "Fuel Injection" or FI. If its a 283 fuelie, then the high horsepower versions would be "Fuel Injection with Special Performance Camshaft". If you have a 327/350 or 350/350 it is a "Special High Performance with Hydraulic lifters. Anything other than these - well, anything other than these other thand the 283/245 is not a real Corvette engine, now is it?

Duke

[Jeff]

Actually....

...I didn't want to confuse the issue but for true enthusiasts, no one ever voluntarily bought a non-solid lifter car. If you had one you probably got it used and converted it shortly thereafter. (Although my personal belief is that as a street engine the 350s had it all over the 365s and 375s and the 390s would eat the 435s as well as the Hemis.)

As a result, we usually refered to our (assumed mechanical lifter) engines by induction. As in, "What you got?" With the knowing response being 'FI' or '4BBL' or with that choice usually being a function of whether or not you intended to drag race or road race.

FWIW, I actually have too many lives. I spent today moving a barn and yesterday hanging upside-down by my feet from a truck crane, pegging a timberframe. And, now, thanks to Ronnie Steinmann, I am also a Day Trader or more accurately a swing trader. If can just live to be 196...

JP

[Roberto L.]

Re: How about L-46! Yes!

I have never see an LT1 in my country, I have to see one here because every time somebody says to have one it is a fake. But from my limited readings I think that an LT1 has a lot more power than the 20 bhp difference suggest. L46 seems more a base engine with a different bandwidth (torque in upper range), while base (I have one) has more torque in lower range, LT1 is a different kind of animal.

Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[Iron Duke NCRS #22045]

Yeah, I agree!

The mechanical lifter SHP engines of all displacements always felt a whold bunch stronger that the best hydraulic lifter engines of similar displacement - much more that the difference in peak power readings would lead you to believe.

Duke