Lets talk about 348 409 stuff-1958 to 1965

[Bleach]

I grew up around moth balls in all our closets so the smell seems normal to me. 🤢

[John348]

11 hours ago, Buick35 said:

I bought a 54 Chevy coupe in 1971 while in the army in Oklahoma. I burned the engine up because of a water leak and went to the junkyard and bought a 348 and put it in with a power glide transmission.I rebuild the engine later and found out it had one 409 head and one 348 head but ran o.k.

 

Lo perf 409 heads and Hi perf 348 heads are the same

[SC38dls]

Ozone machine takes the moth ball smell out in 3 or 4 days. My 38 had hundreds of them around it, under it, on all the flat surfaces possible on the frame and a whole bunch inside the car. 

[countrytravler]

[countrytravler]

I boult and sponsored this car in the 80s. Took 2nd at the Nationals in Bristol.

409

Small heads

Big cam

650 Holy 2 barrel.

Power Glide.

4000 stall

Trans brake

2 piece drive shaft

Camaro 12 bolt 4.88

3600lbs with driver

Over 1000 runs and only one break down. Electric fuel pimp gave out.

We would race the car and after the race, we would park it and go watch the races. Only open the food at the beginning of the day to jet the carb if needed.

Owner

Mike Zubal out of Dearborn MI.

Passed away in 2006

[padgett]

Personally got out of drags when people started losing for going too fast.

[countrytravler]

3 hours ago, padgett said:

Personally got out of drags when people started losing for going too fast.

Still doing it after 60 years. 

[countrytravler]

From my FB page.

 

 This is the Impala my father and I have been running at PSMDR & muscle car races since 1998. The car has been in our family since 1981. It is a 409/425, original paint/interior with 12k miles. We ran the original drivetrain until 2003. It went a best of 13.06 @ 105. The built to rules combo ran a best of 12.72 @ 111. Only after I figured out how to keep 2pc driveshafts and the rear diff/axles to live with his power-shifts...

 

Cool 61

 

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[countrytravler]

Rare 63 Z11. 427 with the W block. 

Irvin Johns Z-11 Chevrolet from Broadway Chevrolet Louisville KY. Junked in 1965 after engine pulled and 283 dropped in. Was wrecked shortly afterwards (hit in the rear hard). Aluminum front end was sold to the owner of Ragamuffin ‘63 409 in Chicago.

Edited April 22, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

10 hours ago, padgett said:

Personally got out of drags when people started losing for going too fast.

You don't have to bracket race.

 I got out of drag racing because 12 seconds wasn't enough of a good time. How would you like that exhilaration for 1/2 hr. instead of a few seconds? Go road racing!

[padgett]

I did (SCCA national, IMSA, FIA) - liked all forms of competition.

 

Must admit there is a lot I do not understand about the modern stuff e.g. with a fast processor and traction control why do some still go "up in smoke" ?

 

Half hour or 24, every time I came into the pits my crew had a quart of chocolate milk and a bucket of water ready. A Corvette coupe is hot.

 

However had a 327 and not a 348/409 so off topic.

Edited April 21, 2021 by padgett (see edit history)

[Robert Street]

5 hours ago, countrytravler said:

Rare 63 Z11. 427 with the W block.

do you know who that car was delivered to?

Robert

[countrytravler]

Z11

[padgett]

This is different from the 427 cid "mystery" engine, correct ?

[countrytravler]

49 minutes ago, padgett said:

This is different from the 427 cid "mystery" engine, correct ?

Yes, that's why I said W 427.

Mystery Motor was the 454 configuration engine. Used in NASCAR only. Z11 was 1/4 mile only.

 

 

 

53 minutes ago, padgett said:

This is different from the 427 cid "mystery" engine, correct ?

Lot of info on Google about the Z11 and the Mystery Motor.

[countrytravler]

https://howellefi.com/bill-howell-history-part-2

Some Z11 info

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[countrytravler]

Mystery Motor stuff.

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/chevrolet/1963-chevrolet-impala-ss-mystery-motor-ar129908.html

[countrytravler]

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/chevrolet/1963-chevrolet-impala-ss-mystery-motor-ar129908.html

 

Owning any car driven by the legendary Junior Johnson is awesome, but the rest all pale in comparison to this Impala SS. And the reason they do not compare is because of what is under that hood, the “Mystery Motor.” As we stated the Mystery Motor isn’t so much a mystery, as we know it is a limited production Mk II 427 cubic-inch V-8.

 

 

This truly is a `tweener engine, as it features the same bore spacing – the distance between the centermost point of on cylinder to the next – as the Mk I 348/409, but has the same 4.31-inch bore and 3.65-inch stroke as the Z11 427 cubic-inch engine found in production 1963 Impalas. On top of all of that, the Mystery Motor features the same two-plane cylinder heads found on the “Porcupine” engines, the Mk IV engine. It really appears as if the MkII was Chevy’s own guinea pig engine.

All of this and a little bit of tuning pumped the 427 cubic-inch V-8 engine to a massive 600 to 650 horsepower, a full 173 to 223 horsepower more than the 427 was rated. This is what many people attributed Johnson’s 1963 success to, but they later found that his was a pretty good driver too. Back in `63 many racers often assumed Junior Johnson would either take 1st place or retire before the end, due to engine failure, as there were very few cars, if any, that could hang with the Impala’s 165 mph top speed.

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[padgett]

That's what I remembered, the Z11 had scalloped valve covers and the "mystery" engine didn't.

 

Heard back in the day that a competitor tried to buy a mystery engine over the counter per NASCAR regs. What they received was a "collection of parts" that the crank didn't turn.

 

Any one else hear that ?

[countrytravler]

57 minutes ago, padgett said:

That's what I remembered, the Z11 had scalloped valve covers and the "mystery" engine didn't.

 

Heard back in the day that a competitor tried to buy a mystery engine over the counter per NASCAR regs. What they received was a "collection of parts" that the crank didn't turn.

 

Any one else hear that ?

Z11 valve covers are the same as the 409 covers. Little different on the comers that I can remember.

[padgett]

am I not writing in English ?

[countrytravler]

Member Ron Stalbaum racing in the day at Union Grove,Wis 
Two closely equipped black/red interior 409 BelAir CHEVROLETs
The 409 in the far lane was Dickie Strang,who was sponsored by Nelson CHEVROLET and it's salesman Bob Dehlia,who a year later ran his own Impala Z-11 427cuin.
That car of Strang's wound up in my hometown and prompted my interest in the RPO Z-11 factory
racer.

[BobinVirginia]

5 hours ago, countrytravler said:

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/chevrolet/1963-chevrolet-impala-ss-mystery-motor-ar129908.html

 

Owning any car driven by the legendary Junior Johnson is awesome, but the rest all pale in comparison to this Impala SS. And the reason they do not compare is because of what is under that hood, the “Mystery Motor.” As we stated the Mystery Motor isn’t so much a mystery, as we know it is a limited production Mk II 427 cubic-inch V-8.

 

 

This truly is a `tweener engine, as it features the same bore spacing – the distance between the centermost point of on cylinder to the next – as the Mk I 348/409, but has the same 4.31-inch bore and 3.65-inch stroke as the Z11 427 cubic-inch engine found in production 1963 Impalas. On top of all of that, the Mystery Motor features the same two-plane cylinder heads found on the “Porcupine” engines, the Mk IV engine. It really appears as if the MkII was Chevy’s own guinea pig engine.

All of this and a little bit of tuning pumped the 427 cubic-inch V-8 engine to a massive 600 to 650 horsepower, a full 173 to 223 horsepower more than the 427 was rated. This is what many people attributed Johnson’s 1963 success to, but they later found that his was a pretty good driver too. Back in `63 many racers often assumed Junior Johnson would either take 1st place or retire before the end, due to engine failure, as there were very few cars, if any, that could hang with the Impala’s 165 mph top speed.

 

 

I’m drooling!!!! 

@countrytravler

I don’t know how I’ve missed this thread!! 
Ive got a 62 I’ve had since I was 19 and I’m 44 now. Awesome content here! Thank you and please keep sharing!!!! 

[Ed Luddy]

The last 409 factory built car was a 1965 Pontiac Parisienne Oshawa Ontario built car. I'm trying to relocate all the info on this one, but it's a legit, #'s match Custom Sport 4 speed car.

[BobinVirginia]

I can’t believe that I'd never found this thread!! The early Super Stockers are my car interest core! Such a cool era!!!

[countrytravler]

14 hours ago, BobinVirginia said:

I can’t believe that I'd never found this thread!! The early Super Stockers are my car interest core! Such a cool era!!!

Great that you found us. Join my FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/406019856199113/?multi_permalinks=2225827797551634&notif_id=1619114004654362&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/141145849948238

 

The 62 409 below ran low 7s in the 1/4 in the late 80s.

[countrytravler]

Post on our FB page.

OK where are our Chevy guys at?!! Check this out! Real deal, 1963 Chevrolet impala 409, 4-speed!! This one just came in for some service work. I can’t wait to get to the shop to take a closer look at it.

Edited April 23, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[countrytravler]

 

[Robert Street]

I show two 409’s at select national AACA events. Lots of fun comments are received on these two. Yes they both are real SS cars!

 

[countrytravler]

5 hours ago, Robert Street said:

I show two 409’s at select national AACA events. Lots of fun comments are received on these two. Yes they both are real SS cars!

 

Beautiful!!!!!

[padgett]

Back in the early 60s it was common for GM sporty cars to have an optional tach if a stick and a vacuum gauge if automagic. There were usually dealer installed  on the console where near invisible but a few were on the dash. All had (logo was optional) the same basic housing and dial cut-out.

 

 

 

[countrytravler]

[countrytravler]

Strange Stuff Z-11 originally ordered and raced by Bobby Atkinson and Charlie Venable out of Atlanta. Then sold shortly after to Steve Bagwell the to Max Smith. Then rotting away in Ohio. Heard it’s going to be restored.

Edited April 25, 2021 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[Ed Luddy]

Here's a 1965 Impala SS 409 for sale here in Ontario. Over priced, wavy body lines, cool car though!

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/brantford/1965-chevrolet-impala-409-v8-muncie-4-speed-bucket-seats-local-clean-car/m852114

 

[George Smolinski]

Nice looking in the photos. Don't let the valve covers fool you. There were no 425hp 409's in '65. It's either a transplant or a 340hp with 425hp decals. That air cleaner is also for the 425hp, I think.

[JACK M]

I am  not a GM guy, but I would own one of these.

[countrytravler]

1 hour ago, Ed Luddy said:

Here's a 1965 Impala SS 409 for sale here in Ontario. Over priced, wavy body lines, cool car though!

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/brantford/1965-chevrolet-impala-409-v8-muncie-4-speed-bucket-seats-local-clean-car/m852114

 

 

I would say that this may not be an original 409 car. Only single quad was available. The top set up is a 63 or 64.

[padgett]

Note the jacked up back of the hood on race cars. Heat would just roll out into the plenum area. SCCA made it illegal on Corvettes so I just used 6 inch hood pins and no latches. They outlawed that the next year.

[John348]

4 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

Here's a 1965 Impala SS 409 for sale here in Ontario. Over priced, wavy body lines, cool car though!

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/brantford/1965-chevrolet-impala-409-v8-muncie-4-speed-bucket-seats-local-clean-car/m852114

 

 

Hey Ed, 

Did you see this car in person? 

[padgett]

4 speed and AC.