Hot Rods So I just bought a big block 396

My best friend passed away 2 years ago and I have had the unpleasant task of helping liquidate his estate. Anyway, his dad was trying to get the last big piece off of his shop floor. I bought it to help him out. I don't know squat about a 396 BBC.

I have plans to build another open wheeled car soon. So what kind of cool accessories were available for the BBC , say in 65? That's about the era I will be after.

I have searched ebay, the search function here, and googled it. Did they make script valve covers ever? I am assuming Cal custom made some finned covers. Any rare sought after stuff?

This car will be an open hood car.
Bling is good.

Thanks

 

I've got an old set of Cal Custom rocker covers for that motor.


jerry

 

Post up pics Jerry.

 

Some company out there does make the Chevrolet script valve covers in cast aluminum. Who, I don't know, but I have seen them. It seems to me there's something "different" about the 396, regarding the oiling system, from the other BBC's. Sort of like the early 265's. Probably the best thing about them would be the heads. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Man-a-fre!

 

The early 396's had a grooved rear cam journal, 1965. 66 and 67 had the groove in the rear bearing.
I used the small port heads and a torker intake with a L-88 first design cam (solid) in my 1966 SS. Very power full engine. They are very impressive with a tunnel ram.

 

Had Chevelle 375 hp 396 in a '33 Tudor; seemed to work OK.

 

so, what do you know about inside condition of motor? outside easy to fix

 

Well, my buddy had it balanced way back when. It was basically stock with a small rv cam. He logged about 30-40k on it driving across country as a contractor. He pulled the motor 10-15 years ago and sold the car. He backed off all the rocker arms and pickled the engine for storage. He loved this motor. Talked about it all the time. The casting numbers show to be a 68 block.

 

If you dressed it as a vette engine, shields, wires, covers, etc. You could build the car as a 65 era with a wrecked vette takeout engine.

 

The list of goodies isn't as long and sure isn't as cheap as the goody list for small blocks but There is plenty out there both new and used to be able to do up one just the way you want it. I've got two 66 396s in the shed that may get built one of these days. I've collected a few pieces over the years but they aren't very Hamb friendly. What I thought I wanted 25 years ago isn't what I want to run today.

 

Mine ran great. Stock chrome valve covers. Tonawanda!

 

Seems like the majority of stuff is aimed at the vette crowd, which drives the price way up.

I was pondering a street driven altered. All of my junk ends up the same.....60's race car inspired.

 

put one in a 55 back in 68.. for the time(back in the day)
i/we just put the aluminum hi rise, holley, mt V. covers,-n- headers...ON

 

the 396 was a late 1965 replacement as they ran the 409 in the early month's...ran a 396 in my SS 64' pala....pretty sure the early valve covers were painted....and non descript....I kinda like those....but you want bling.....but can't you just hear them saying - "man that's a big - 283/327/350"....

 

Crower BBC staggered injection always gives me a chubby.

 

The 396 is a short-stroke engine that will rev to 6-7K with the right cam. What makes it so cool is that it's bore/stroke is similar to the 400 small-block, but with much longer rods, and massive ports and valves compared to the small-block. Your limiting factor with this engine is the valve-train, and when it floats. The oiling system is excellent from the factory. A set of 049 oval-ports fitted with 2.25/1.88 will feed the engine everything it can handle, won't cost a bundle and will still have decent torque, provided you don't go too crazy on the cam size. On my last 396(punched out to 414) I used a CompCams 292(?) Magnum cam, an L-88 (big rectangle-port heads with large valves), L-88 Winters intake and a 780 Holley in a '68 Camaro with a 4-speed and Ford 9" (3.70 trac-loc)... the thing was SCARY to drive. With a milder setup it'll put out 400HP, 400 lbs-ft of torque, and pin your eyeballs to the back of your head...

 

PML yourcovers.com makes some.

 

The factory high performance big blocks just used chromed stock tin valve covers (look for the dimples on the top - drippers on the inside.

That said, Cal Custom and Ansen are my favorite early BBC valve covers. And you can run them with roller rocker arms, you can't run the stock valve covers with them.

 

I don't think there is a better looking big block valve cover as M/T's.
Look at old photos of BBC powered 60's FUNNY CARS, TOP FUEL, and
FUEL ALTEREDS.

 

put one in a 55 back in 68.. for the time(back in the day)
i/we just put the aluminum hi rise, Holley, mt V. covers,-n- headers...ON

id have ta dig (for the sales slip) but my 1s one from CROWER (complete) only cost me 425.00

 

You asked about RARE sooooo,



These belong to a friend, I've been looking for a pair for years and have never seen any others. There's also many brands of crossram and inline dual quad manifolds. I think MOON made a 4 Weber carb intake and of course WEIAND, CRAGAR and others made Blower intakes. EELCO also made Big Block Chevy Valve Covers and a finned aluminum front timing cover

 

I'll just say I have had a few and wished i had pulled them and set them a side, they are hard to find now a days. The dress up is up to you I have see them all different ways and the all look great, as far as the enternal's a good balance, steel crank and an L-88 solid lifter cam work very well. Also I had one that was setup like I just said, but I had the rectangle open chamber heads on it and it had no problem going 7000 RPM. All of mine had 4 Speed behind them, so I would say keep it, figure out what you want to put it in and just go have so fun, I think once you build it and play with it you won't want to get rite of it.

 

another vote for Man-A-Fre
here's mine going together a few years ago,
what a kick in the pants, never should have let that one go

 

Wow, those Man-a-fre are pretty rare. The cool factor is off the scales though. I don't wanna really tear into it, since it was a running, driving motor. I will probably just clean it up, change the valve covers and detail it out. It will be in a 1500 lb car, so I don't need a lot. Just something to run around in.

 

If memory serves me correctly,the Achilles Heel of those early 396/427's were the valve keepers
(green were the bad ones?) and rod bolts.

 

There is no shortage of parts available for those. Probably the second most popular hop up engine. No different to build than any other except the early model grooved cam journal like previously mentioned.

 

I'm mainly interested in vintage cast aluminum parts and weird induction stuff. I just want to build a low maint. roadster to bomb around town in. I am getting the bug for an open cockpit car and would like to build a low buck T or equivilant.

 

I would love to find a CRAGAR pair myself !

 

I agree, though they have more of a '70s look, no? My Impala, circa 1975 Can just make out the M/Ts, as well as the young babe in the front seat. Mmmmm. They had a beefy look. The M/Ts that is.