Technical Inches why so important?

Just say "It's a Four 'N a Quarter liters" .

 

Okay fellas, we were talking about this thread here at the house, and the wife said, and I quote...

"Well, if men are doing the measuring and THIS (**holds fingers apart about 2 inches**) is 6 inches... then a 427 must be a cute little motor."

I love her so much!

 

heh....that's what I tell my wife....why women can't measure....holding my fingers about 4 inches apart, I say they've been told all their lives that this is 8 inches!

 

There is no replacement for cubic displacement.

 

Other than the Red Rocker taking a ride in his 6.6

 

Inches are numbers and some have enough mystique and credentials to stand alone. They can convey the whole context of when, who, and how many cylinders in shorthand. Examples are 327, 289, 409. Some numbers have plenty of swagger without having to be the biggest.
And then some inch numbers have to have a qualifier like "Chevy" 302 or "Olds" 455" or in the case of a flattie you might say "Mercury" and the year and skip saying the number (inches size). Not that these are lesser engines if the number is not enough. It's just the number alone doesn't always tell the story without a bigger mouthful.
Numbers are most often used because they inform, just like when you have to warn someone with a gun or pick an airplane for a long trip. Saying "357" or "727" lets people know how much it's going to hurt.

 

For me it’s about the sound, can’t beat the sound of a BBC.

 

That's just people being people. I call it proximity blindness.

It is the same reason why people look directly at the side of my Falcon, where the badge cleary says Falcon, and ask me what year my Nova/Rambler/Valiant is.

 

So you have never been crusin' in your five point oh, with your rag top down, so your hair can blow?

 

Alright. Alright! They HARDLY EVER make songs about liters.

Wait a minute...... liters are numbers, too.

 

I just leave this here...

 

Sure, a year out of legal HAMB spec but remember the 7 litre Ford Galaxy, yes, I know it was a 428.

 

Small block Chevys will rarely win a "dick measuring contest" at the monthly bench racing shindig but I like to "whip this out" once in a while.

Aluminum 427 SBC.

 

Most people like to talk about their cars. and if you built it with your own hands, you should be proud of it.

 

My 270 GMC is several inches longer than any big block V8. Do I win?

 

If a person wants to disguise it, it can be hard to tell.

People want to hear something impressive when asking about displacement. My pickup has a 455 Buick and usually I get an "Oh wow!" response. Heck, if I have the hood open at a show or cruise even most "seasoned" car guys don't even know what it is.

The funniest to me is that people have to ask the year at a gas station or whatever but don't know what to do with that information. I've also had "Do you want to sell it" "No" "Oh okay, what is it?". Which I find absolutely hilarious.

Sure, I like talking about what I've built with people who are genuinely interested. That's the key. Most people at gas stations and in parking lots are just bored and want to tell their partner about this cool car they saw, and I personally tire of talking to those people.

 

I drive an F150 with 3.5L (213 CID) turbo with 375 HP. I put a 375 HP 440 in a Super Bee 50 years ago.

 

I wouldn't.

That will raise your center-of-gravity quite a bit, as well as make it hard to get good driveshaft angles.

Also, you will need to run an electric fan.

 

Folks who call my Chevy a Falcon have an excuse...I don't have any badges on the car.

 

I know a guy with a 1,091-inch inline-6 in his truck.

 

One of the most impressive motors I’ve seen was small on inches ( something I can relate to). 292 Super Stock, stock carb and heads basically with the front wheels 3 feet in the air. That’s more impressive to me than the big inch stuff.

 

There's truth to "there's no replacement for displacement" when an engine is being built for power & torque.

However, what I believe happens over time is that folks allow assumptions to creep in and apply that thinking overall - not considering a built-to-the-hilt small block will wipe the floor with many bone-stock big blocks. Because in cases as such, there were ten+ other factors lead the small displacement engine to bigger power, a faster car, etc.

 

Motor size? I run Mopar motors. Most people have no idea what CI motor size they came with. I nearly always got a blank stare, unless it was a Mopar guy. Many might remember grandma's old Plymouth came with a 318, and the performance era cars came with a 383.

I have adapted a motor size consistency. If it was a small block Mopar, it was a 318, regardless of its actual CI. If it was a big block, it was a 383, regardless of its actual CI. Beyond that, I let them guess, and they are ALWAYS right, because frankly, its not important to me. I've been around this game long enough to know any motor can bite you if its built right.

These days, many people can identify with liters. My coupe has a 3.9, and my truck has a 5.2 (both of which are not the "cool' or the "hot" motors of today). Both are pretty motors big these days, but then both vehicles are considered as pretty big vehicles by today's standard, even though the Plymouth was one of the smallest cars sold in 1948. When they start talking about gas mileage, and my stuff being gas hogs, I can't argue with that either, though both are in the 20 mpg range. Compared to this modern stuff which normal people judge our stuff against, my stuff isn't fast, isn't comfortable, doesn't handle the best, and doesn't get good gas mileage.

But I do have a cool old car and a cool old truck.

 

I have an OT car that I get a lot of compliments on. Stripe down the sides says Comet GT and the plate is MERC72 and the compliment I get is "nice Maverick". 51 years and it still irks me..

 

I'm just happy when my engine starts. Then I can think about how many cubes it has. When someone asks what size motor I have, and I start off telling them its a straight 6, they always ask why I didn't put a Chevy motor in it. Then I confuse them further when I tell them that it IS a Chevy motor. If you are really impressed by displacement, you need one of these suckers between the rails:

You may find it a bit difficult finding an adaptor plate for the transmission (probably have to make one).

 

Because they don't make songs about liters.

Or Reverend Horton Heat's "Five-o Ford"

 

Penis envy!

Pat

 

It's all about the torque.

 

When I was in high school ('50's) it was either flathead, Olds or Cad. Nuff said.

 

My OT Power Wagon 3.9 TD . I Dare say there was never a 239 cu in ., gas engine to hold a candle to Ole Smokie