![]() Unlike the standard 350, the Ram Rod came with a high-performance cam, ram air induction, and a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carb, goodies which helped it spit out 325 hp (330 ps). ![]() Like the previous entries on our list, the Ram Rod 350 was introduced in 1968 and was available only on the F-35/Cutlass models equipped with the W-31 option. However, there was a notable exception that still doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Oldsmobile’s small blocks were used in the carmaker’s mundane models, so they are easy to forget when talking about high-performance engines of that period. Even on the same platform - the Challenger, for example - the 340’s power-to-weight ratio resulted in a better quarter mile time than the more potent, yet heavier 440 big block in multiple independent tests.Īnother GM division that’s not around today, Oldsmobile wanted a piece of the muscle car pie back in the second half of the ‘60s, developing its very own V8 range that included high-performance big blocks like the 400 and 445. Though cars that featured this engine were no match for the HEMI Mopars, the lower weight translated into better handling and sometimes, surprisingly-low quarter mile times that shamed larger, more powerful muscle cars. Apart from this, it was extremely reliable, and a lot cheaper than its popular big-block siblings. Initially rated (conservatively) at 275 hp (279 ps) and bumped up to 290 hp (294 ps) in the triple 2-barrel carb Six-Pack version, which debuted in 1970 on the Challenger T/A and ' Cuda AAR, the 340’s forte was its lightweight construction. Equipped with various forged components, and a four-barrel carb mounted atop a high-rise, dual-plane intake manifold that fed high-flow heads, it was conceived to perform well both on the street and the strip. Probably the most underrated Chrysler V8 is the 340, which was introduced in 1968. In more ways than one, it was the engine that everyone wanted to beat, but enthusiasts seem to forget that Chrysler build other race-bred, eight-cylinders during that period that deserve the same level of respect even if they weren’t as powerful. When it comes to Mopar V8s from the original muscle car era, the 426 HEMI is king. In reality, this figure rose to over 350 hp (355 ps) when put on a dyno, making it one of the most powerful engines for its displacement back in the late 1960s. With higher-compression heads and intake from the 400, a camshaft with a more aggressive profile from the 400 HO, as well as other improvements, the 350 HO could make 325 hp (329 ps) in 1969 models like the Tempest, Firebird, or Le Mans. However, the HO (High Output) versions were a different story. Displacing 353.8 cu in (5,7 liters), it was available with either two- or four-barrel carbs and although it was a solid engine, it wasn’t anything truly special in standard form. Today, Pontiac is remembered for awesome eight-cylinder bangers like the 455 HO or the Tri-Power 389, but there was also a smaller sibling that deserves more credit.įirst introduced for the 1968 model year, the 350 replaced the older 326. The division remained at the top of the muscle car food chain for the next decade with its exciting models and powerful V8s. ![]() Many enthusiasts credit Pontiac for starting the muscle car craze when it transformed the Series 22 Tempest into the GTO in 1963. ![]() It was a sad ending for what used to be GM’s performance division. Before it was discontinued in 2010, Pontiac tried to stay alive by marketing badge-engineered GM models from Australia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |