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1969 chevycaprice 327

3K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  1971BB427 
#1 ·
first timer in a forum,

looking to get some direction in dressing up and improving the performance in my 1969 caprice 327 motor. looking to make it look nice and sound good. i know i need a bigger or better cam to give that idle sound i want. but what else can i do under hood. thanks in advance.

and where can i get this stuff from
 

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#3 ·
Thank you,

As you can tell I really don't know what on talking about or where to really start. When you say buy for performance, what does a Cam add to performance? But I will start with the exhaust, I knew that much LOL. Overall I'm looking for a nice running car but when I hit the gas it moves. If you can understand what I'm trying to say. I don't just want a standard 327 in my caprice. I want to look good and perform well. So I really don't know how to explain it. Thanks in advance for any more help. I'll post pictures of each step I take. I have attached another picture of a 327 and that's how I want my motor to look but also perform.
 

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#12 ·
looks Vs performance



you do not want shorty headers,,,

Being a military fella you will get great respect and the best help possible,,,Thanks for doing a tough job

best bang for the buck performance wise would be a few good bolt on power makers like an Intake manifold with the stock Q-jet if you have that option already. Quality 1 5/8 long tube headers and exhaust.

I would bolt in a 4 speed over drive automatic and a rear gear ratio change. Let the final drive ratio work out to the same as what you have now with out overdrive.
so if you have 2.73 gears now and a 1:1 high gear,that would be about equal to having a 700r4 with a .7 over drive ratio and 3.9 gears.
The car would haul off the line fairly quickly(relatively) and still have about the same mileage. It would have a little more power from exhaust system and intake, sound nice and be just as nice to cruise as it is now,,,
 
#4 ·
First thing we to do is ID which 327 you have.A good start would be getting the casting # from the heads.This is located under the valve cover.If this is the standard 2 bbl,low compression 327 that was used passenger cars/trucks,it won't support very much cam,so your best bet would be 4 bbl/intake,headers & exhaust.A lower gear in the rear would also make a nice improvement to get that land yaht moving.Let's start by figuring out exactly what you have.
 
#6 ·
That is a sweet car...where did you find that? A rare sight these days. If you're really that new to motors I might say, consider saving for a crate 350 or 383 that's all dialed-in to run on current gas, make torque and sound like you want, and slip the original 1960's motor aside just to save. Just a thought.
 
#7 ·
Very nice car but a 327 is a little small to make a performance machine. Bigger cam pushes the power into higher RPMs which the machine is not geared for; it would likely reduce the existing performance while enhancing the top end which is fine if you drive with the engine pushing redline all the time.

You engine probably has the 300 horse 327 cam in it that is it could produce 300 horses on an engine dyno with a 4 barrel carb, 10.7 compression, factory exhaust manifolds and no accessories. On the same dyno with today's testing it would produce about 250 hp. As installed it's probably down another 50 horses because factory exhaust systems of that era just aren't all that good.

I think the first thing you need to do is identify what you've got that is get the engine and cylinder head casting numbers, the block is on the top of the driver’s side bell housing flange. The head numbers are about in the middle of the rocker box so removal of the valve covers is necessary. On the passenger side front of the block facing upward and just outboard of the coolant pump mount is a flat spot with a code stamping which identifies the engine build with where, when, and what model the engine was built for. You also need to id the transmission type and the rear axle ratio. With this data you can plan on where to go rather than taking the path that says stick a big cam in it which afterward you find it's incompatible with the rest of the engine and driveline and a misery to live with.


Bogie
 
#8 ·
wow

Where do I begin? thanks to everyone for giving so much feedback, I wasn't sure if someone would reply back to me or not; being a first timer and asking a lot of simple questions.

I'm going to stick with the 327 that in the car but thanks for that suggestion.

I like the idea of starting with the exhaust, so I set up an appointment on Monday to run dual exhaust (flow masters)

I will get those numbers for the engine as soon as I get off work.

I bought the car in Kansas City, KS, from Kcclassicauto.
I'm station in Wichita KS, I been in the Air Force 12 years (Active Duty)

Again thanks for the feedback and being very patient with me! Thank you to everyone and look forward to building my 327 to how I like it with y'all help.
 
#10 ·
I like the idea of starting with the exhaust, so I set up an appointment on Monday to run dual exhaust (flow masters)
. Hello... welcome... we like to help beginners avoid mistakes... most of us more into better performance than shiny stuff... nice car... good riding... we used to have the full sized '67 Impala fastback...

. The dual exhaust won't do much unless you also add headers... and the pipes should be 2 1/2" or 3" mandrel bent with no flow-restricting kinks in them...


. Assume it's automatic transmission... two speed tranny with just P R N D L or three speed with P R N D 2 L on the shifter??? ... If it's two speed, a big performance gain is available from a tranny swap...


. 2 bbl. or 4 bbl. carburetor on top of engine? Can tell by removing air cleaner and looking... pictures available online... 4 bbl. carb. engine prolly requires Premium gasoline to avoid engine-damaging pinging and for full power...
.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Bogey started off where I was thinkin'.

Be realistic. This car, with a 180 lb. driver, weighs over 4,200 lbs. sitting at the curb. It will run the 1/4 mile in 17.8 seconds. This is not a performance car, it is a cruiser. To make it into a performance car would require tearing it apart to remove anything that is not absolutely necessary to performance, then building a 540 cubic inch big block for it ($7500), then a $2500 transmission and torque converter, then another $2500 for the rear suspension, differential, gears, wheels and tires. Then, when all is said and done, some snotty-nosed kid with a Honda Civic with a turbocharged Accord motor will blow your doors off.

Want to go fast? Begin with the lightest platform you can find and swap in the biggest motor you can find. For a good, fast ride on a budget, I tend to lean toward a 460/C6 in an MGB.

One last thing that Bogey touched on. If you absolutely want to ruin the car, stick a big lumpy cam in it. It will be slower than it was stock. Every part that you change in a motor must be coordinated with all the rest of the parts in the motor to address a common goal. It is the COMBINATION of parts that makes a car fast. No single part stands alone.

In the name of common sense, leave this car alone and drive it for what it is, a very nice looking cruiser.

.
 
#11 ·
Let me apologizes if some thought I was trying to make a speed car. That is not what I'm going for at all. I want my caprice just to look good under the hood. I'm sure they make components to dress the 327 up and and to the performance. That's all I want, simple stuff like a better air filter, intake manifold, and go from there. I don't want to race nobody. I want to hit that gas and it sounds good. If I need to hit the road and pass someone I can with easy. Thanks again for the feedback
 
#13 ·
I'd keep changes simple on the Caprice. A decent dual plane intake, carb, air cleaner, headers, and good dual exhaust system. Do not go out and put dual exhaust on your car now, and then pay again to modify it to fit headers later. You'll be wasting money.
If you want to add dress up items like chrome or polished valve covers, pulleys, etc. that can be done at any time. I'd personally leave the internals in your engine alone, as it's never going to be a street racer with the size and weight.
 
#19 ·
. If you have cast iron exhaust manifolds bolted to the engine, they are very restrictive and prevent the engine from producing its full rated power...


. Headers are usually made from steel tubing...


. I'd suggest going to a local car show or automotive swap meet and befriending someone locally with extensive automotive knowledge... the rat rod guys are usually especially knowledgeable and friendly... they can make anything out of anything for fun... print out this thread and show it to them...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Typical_Rat_Rod.jpg
.
 
#20 ·
OK, so you will be paying someone to do the work? Wish you were here ,,, Dont jump into this project too fast. Lots of people will volunteer to spend your money but you need a little education first,please be patient. Hang around a few car shows and meet some people,you will know when the right buddy comes along. You can get a lot of recipes and many of them very good,but wait a little until you "understand" what is being said and you find what best suits you. Chrome is easy to bolt on and can be done randomly. Do one or 2 items every other week end until the bling is enough. Dont worry about power for now,,, get into other similar cars,not some turds old Corvette and then say you want that kind of power. Enjoy the learning part and the car clubs and groups. REMEMBER!!! the last thing you will be buying is a lumpy cam not the first thing
 
#21 ·
Pretty sure I can make out cast iron exhaust manifolds in the picture of your engine. You don't have to put headers on at all, but they are fairly cheap, and will help the exhaust system work if you also put in a decent free flowing dual exhaust system at the same time. If you want to skip headers, then simply have the dual exhaust system done. But if you decide later to do headers, it will require cutting part of the new system off, and rerouting it from the headers.
 
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