Bill,

The manufacturers lie about horsepower and torque ratings now just like
they did 'back in the day' as my daughters say, with the difference being
they used to claim significantly less power than the engines were actually
producing.

For example somewhere around 1970 one of the car magazines went around to
the Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge dealers and took standard 'demonstrators'
for a test ride to their local speed shop.

The Hemi engines rated at 425 hp by Chrysler all put out 500+ horsepower on
the dynos and the engines had not even been broken in.

Those weren't HP versions, they were the engines that our parents (the
current generations grand and great grand parents) had in their Imperials
and Furies, and Coronets...

And before we forget you could go to your local dealer and buy a NHRA
"Super Stock" Dodge or W30 Oldsmobile



"L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> For those whom believe we really didn't have the horsepower, back in
> the old days: http://www.cobranet.com/roadtest.htm You probably think
> there was no reason for a side oiler, too.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> c wrote:
>>
>> Just remember that for quite a while engines have been rated in terms of
>> net
>> HP, not flywheel like they were back in the 50s and 60s. There is quite a
>> difference in the ratings. I believe they changed the ratings around
>> 1972.
>> Also any street engine is fine with a 2 bolt block. there are a lot of
>> engines out there that never had 4 bolt caps, and some can't even be
>> converted, yet they seem to live under some very severe high horsepower
>> conditions. It is also a known fact that the best stock small block Chevy
>> block to use for racing is one that originally had 2 bolt mains, and then
>> convert it to 4 bolt mains with the splayed outer bolts. I've seen
>> several
>> small and big block Chevy engines making some serious power, and still
>> having the 2 bolt main caps without a problem.
>>
>> Chris