Hot Rods Yet Another SBC ID question

Two freeze plugs on a 400 is a plus to the right buyer. Especially a racer running under a 360 or so cubic inch rule. Use an internally balanced crank and dress it up like a 350 ... not that anybody would do such a thing. Most 400's are 3 freeze plugs and those people that know everything talk themselves into it being something other than a 400. In the right place , at the right time , the blocks were bringing a thousand a piece. Probably not true any more, everybody running aftermarket blocks now.
If you wanted to be technically legal, you could run a de-stroked crank and get it under the cubic inch rule. Its been done, it was successful, never got caught. Not me, but when the combo got broken up I got some of the leftover parts, so I know it wasnt one of those tall tales that get told around the campfire. Good Luck.

 

Was the LS-7 ever factory installed in anything? I’ve heard of them, but tend to forget about them.

 

Yep, back when I was at the dirt track every weekend helping a buddy with a limited sprint with a 360 cubic inch rule, a 400 with two freeze plugs was a huge deal. Was always somewhat funny to watch my buddy pull wheelies on the straights pulling away from all the other cars with his "360" that wasn't...

 

Nope!

 

but they made and sold them over the counter for 20 years

 

Smart man!....

 

Yep! Lots can be done with it....

 

Either that or I begin to get a bad taste in my mouth...

 

Yep! 470+ hp.... More like 500 or more...

 

Sorry for derailing this small block thread, but this is a true (and memorable) story I've posted on the HAMB before.
1970 or 71, I was sixteen, there was always hot cars going by my house, usually going to the cul de sac around the corner from me, I had just got my drivers license and had already driven by there once or twice when there was activity, one day a new Chevelle Super Sport drove by my house, beautiful red/black stripes, jumped in my 57 to check it out.
The guy recognized me from prior visits, he was interested in my car because it was a bit of a poser and knew it had a four speed, after talking for a bit he asked if I would help him retrieve his girlfriends' Fairlane she had just wrecked.
I didn't know it when he drove by but immediately spotted the 454 fender emblem when I got in it, rode with him and figured he would have me drive the Fairlane back, he hands me the keys to the Chevelle and said follow him back, nothing else was said, he apparently did not see my legs shaking.
All I remember was trying to keep from stalling the car when I first let the clutch out, that was the easy part, it was fighting the urge to really stretch its legs out because this was a brand new LS-6/4 speed car and yes, it's reputation as a brute of a car was well earned.
Figured I might get a second chance sometime later but found out he had moved out of the area and was really let down but I'll never forget that brush with what history has deemed one of the hottest cars to come out of Detroit.

 

As lots of you guys know, my drag coupe has a 400 SBC, bored, stroked, and blown. I also have a spare block, ready to go in the event of, well you know.

 

If I had to cheat to win a race, I’d never feel I’d won…

 

Agreed. I was just the pit crew.

 

I admired the guys that looked at the rules and said "it don't say nuthin' 'bout that".
The guys that read the rules (hard fast cu. in. limit) and said "they can't catch me" are bums.