Very nice, but I had thought that all Baldwin Motion cars were 427's, but evidently was mistaken unless the picture of the 396 was by mistake. I had a 406 (396) in my '64 Le Mans with Chevy tranny and 9 inch Ford rear. It was tubbed, but kept the rear seat.
The thing never was what it would seem to be. The 427, it turned out, was just not in sync with the car. That is why they scaled down on the torc in the later Z28 models. Even the 396 was over matched for the car. That's why they scaled back to the predecessor to the 350. More like a modified 327. Might have been weight distribution vs. torc. There wasn't much, however, that would outrun the Z28, with aluminum cam, posi-trac, close ratio 4 speed, geared right. Remember one that would spin about 4-6' and was gone! All factory equipped. They don't make 'em like any of the 'muscle cars' anymore. Remember the goat? 3 deuces? They weren't bad either!
It was hard to get the big blocks to get traction. A friend of mine bought a 302 Z 28 new back in the day. Now in his mid 60's he found a survivor and totally redid it right down to have the same professional engine builder do a head job on it. The old one was very fast. The new one is too but never gets to prove it. He's also got a 66 small block 'vette and he's working on a 69 Nova 396.
I thought a 302 was a small block. At any rate, my '65 Hi Po didn't have posi-traction and you had to get it just right off the line or it was toast. Always went for a rolling start, of course. :)
That is a beautiful car indeed!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, but I had thought that all Baldwin Motion cars were 427's, but evidently was mistaken unless the picture of the 396 was by mistake. I had a 406 (396) in my '64 Le Mans with Chevy tranny and 9 inch Ford rear. It was tubbed, but kept the rear seat.
DeleteThe thing never was what it would seem to be. The 427, it turned out, was just not in sync with the car. That is why they scaled down on the torc in the later Z28 models. Even the 396 was over matched for the car. That's why they scaled back to the predecessor to the 350. More like a modified 327. Might have been weight distribution vs. torc. There wasn't much, however, that would outrun the Z28, with aluminum cam, posi-trac, close ratio 4 speed, geared right. Remember one that would spin about 4-6' and was gone! All factory equipped. They don't make 'em like any of the 'muscle cars' anymore. Remember the goat? 3 deuces? They weren't bad either!
ReplyDeleteMight have been weight distribution vs. torc.
DeleteThat's weird because the 427 worked just fine in the light Cobra.
It was hard to get the big blocks to get traction. A friend of mine bought
Deletea 302 Z 28 new back in the day. Now in his mid 60's he found a survivor and totally redid it right down to have the same professional engine builder do a head job on it. The old one was very fast. The new one is too but never gets to prove it. He's also got a 66 small block 'vette and he's working on a 69 Nova 396.
Brock, a different friend of mine had a 429 Mach I mustang. It wouldn't get any traction either. .
DeleteI assume that would have had posi-traction, correct?
DeleteI thought a 302 was a small block. At any rate, my '65 Hi Po didn't have posi-traction and you had to get it just right off the line or it was toast. Always went for a rolling start, of course. :)
Delete