[64nailhead]

[QUOTE=MouseFink;1644140]My associate, Randall Brock, purchased a slightly used 1967 Corvette 427 L88 in 1969 for $6,000!
I drove his 1967 Corvette 427 L88 a few times and it was the fasted street driven vehicle I have ever drove or even rode in. The Corvette could turn 11.00 sec. ETs consistently with some good bite. R. Brock also owned a 1969 Dodge Charger with 426 Street Hemi with an automatic transmission and his L88 Corvette could blow the Charger's doors off.

Randall Brock's 1967 L88 Corvette
427 CI engine
430 HP at 4600 RPM (advertised)
560 HP at 6400 RPM
Total production: 20 (14 known to exist today)
850 CFM Holley double pumper
Cast iron heads
White with black interior
Convertible
No radio available
No spark plug static shields
M22 Muncie 4-speed
K66 TI ignition
Side pipes
4.56 Positraction
Built at the St. Louis MO Assembly plant
The unconfirmed rumor was that Brock's 1967 L88 Corvette was ordered by the TV host Dick Clark but when it arrived without a radio, Clark refused to accept it. QUOTE]

I knew there was a reason why I always disliked that Dick Clark

[hcompton]

What type of racing? A 327 is not a bad choice for a light bracket car. They can be made to live at high rpms with little investment. A good set of X rods and steel crank will hit the 7k rpm mark pretty easy. Cam and heads to support it and 450 500 hp comes pretty easy in full race trim. And can live long enough to finish the season.

Now if you have a spare dart tall deck block...

A lot of 327 have won a lot of races. Go to the track and ask one of the fast cars will have a 327.

It is more costly to get a 350 and even more for a 400 to turn the rpm that the 327 can handle. The short stroke has its advantages. A 7k rpm 327 is about 5 grand a 400 that can turn the same 7k will be 15k but make a lot more power. So in the end a 327 may be the correct choice for your car. But as all others have said the cube can make more power.

[1Gary]

We ran 327's yrs ago when we just babies living at home.Well really in our late teens.Ran D/MP and C/MP in a 56 and in 57. De-stroked was the hot ticket back then.Small journal steel 283 cranks,M/T aluminum rods,TRW forged pistons,Isky solid roller cam,Mondello ported heads,tunnel ram,rock crusher 4 speed with 4.56's or 5.12's.<4.56 for the 1/4,5.12's for the 1/8> Welded spiders.

Staged at 5,000 to 5,500 and side stepped the clutch and let her rip.They buzzed to the moon in a hurry.We had every second synro ground down so you would just pull on the shifter.The Lakewood bellhousing never got tested through.(yeah,thank god.)

We used to flat tow the race cars to the track and someone had to be in the race car to help guide it through the turns because of the welded rear end.

I'm trying to remember what they ran.Off hand I think they where in the 11 second region,but I honestly don't remember.That was way,way,before my current race partnership where we stopped count at 17 cars in 20 yrs where we where buying distressed incomplete race cars,finishing them,racing for a yr and flip selling them.

I do know there was a hell of alot of washed windshields,pumped gas,and oil and tire changes back then to come up with the money for the parts between one full time job and a part time job.LOL-back then Hot Rod magazine was the bible.It was all about the cars.Man we eat and drink that stuff up.Date night was a engine party at someone's barn doing a swap.

These days I wouldn't suggest a 327.We know a boat load more now and it's final outcome for the street just isn't worth the costs.

<Sorry for the walk down memory lane.>

[ap72]

Originally Posted by hcompton

What type of racing? A 327 is not a bad choice for a light bracket car. They can be made to live at high rpms with little investment. A good set of X rods and steel crank will hit the 7k rpm mark pretty easy. Cam and heads to support it and 450 500 hp comes pretty easy in full race trim. And can live long enough to finish the season.

Now if you have a spare dart tall deck block...

A lot of 327 have won a lot of races. Go to the track and ask one of the fast cars will have a 327.

It is more costly to get a 350 and even more for a 400 to turn the rpm that the 327 can handle. The short stroke has its advantages. A 7k rpm 327 is about 5 grand a 400 that can turn the same 7k will be 15k but make a lot more power. So in the end a 327 may be the correct choice for your car. But as all others have said the cube can make more power.

7k isn't asking much from a 350, and it won't cost any more than a 327- where the majority of cost is in RPM is the VALVETRAIN, which stays the same regardless of displacement.

[1Gary]

I can tell you this.There isn't many if any at all competitive 327's in the 9.90 bracket.Most of them are 383's(kind of on the small side) on up.We've had 383's to 434's and probably every combo in between you can think of over the yrs.In the 10.90 bracket there "might" be afew,but the 383's have such a strong foundation in the class.Alot of it is about the first 60' to 330' times and the torque.
Now in the S/S classes that is a different matter.Those engines have a ungodly amount of money in them.

[vinniekq2]

D/MP and C,wow,those engines were hitting 9500 rpm

[Mr. P-Body]

Gary, I remember EXACTLY the same things you speak of. Mondello Heads? Are you a SoCal transplant or did you ship them? He was in L.A. when I was a kid. Valley Head Service kinda "pushed him out" of the "top spot" in the area at the time. Then came KBE and the new world "began".

Chester, a friend of mine, builds a 290 CID small block for C/E cars that he says "If you launch under 9,000, shut it down, it won't recover. If you're up there, hang on, 'cuz you're goin' for a ride!" It peaks at 11,500. WOO-HOO! More than 3 HP per CID on gasoline! I'm impressed... (:-

I learned at a very young age, no matter how much one "loves" a certain car or brand, NEVER underestimate your opponent. That's particularly true with smaller displacement small block Chevys. Just when you think you've got 'em covered with superior torque and cubes, one will jump up and bite you right on the behind! Didn't happen much on the street, but the track was a different story. Good engines, 327s.

Jim

[1Gary]

Jim,
The heads I think we got them from a friend who had a E/Gas 4 door Austin and had two sets.It was either that or from Jim Oddy who was a local racer at that time.Oddy started his climb to fame with a injected SBC in a 37 Chevy running D/Gas.I'm trying to remember,but I think Oddy won with that car in Indy nationals.

[MouseFink]

In 1967, I purchased my "291" heads brand new as bare castings from the local Chevrolet dealership for use on my 1965 375 HP/ 327 CI GM short block crate engine. I shipped the heads and Crane valve springs to Joe Mondello in Van Nuys CA, via Central Freight lines.

I invested about $1200 in my Mondello "Posi-Flow" heads in 1967 dollars, including shipping. After I wreck my '56 Chevy, I sold the motor to a rancher with a pick up truck and he blew the engine about a year later towing farm implements.

[painted jester]

Its funny we older guys remember class racing weight to cu inch !
When , with every run you wanted to turn a faster time! In the early 70s they brought in bracket racing so the guy who didn't have much of a car or the ability to build it or the funds for a shop to build it could compete in brackets bringing more money to the declining drag strips! So now you have cars that could all weigh the same competing in the same bracket from a Volkswagen bus to a 427 Vette! As long as you sandbagged and drove by your rear view mirror and didn't go too fast you won! And comparing a G.M. 327s 1/4 mile times to other engines like a stroked G.M. 383 Just doesn't compute when using bracket times, when each is built and held to that bracket, And some even installing throttle stops!!! Soon the bracket racers took over the tracks and class racers converted to brackets ( It was an easy win LOL) I was a class racer who moved to brackets!!! All I had to do was slow down and I won LOL!

It was really weird if you slow down you WIN !!!

I'm a little off the threads subject "SORRY"! But its just an old mans thoughts at the time of the transition!

Ive seen a big block "Slug" in the same bracket as the little N.Asp. 6 cylinders Win because he went slow enough!!!!!!! That always seemed dumb to me LOL

You can build a car, It cant run for Sh%$ and they will find a bracket for you LOL

Jester

[cobalt327]

I lost interest big-time when the cost of the electronics to be competitive exceeded the cost to build the engine.