has anyone ever put a 396 in one of our cars????

these motors aren't exactly hard to find but I can't seem to find anyone who has ever put one in our cars...

if there is a specific reason why not, let me know....

if not, i'd like to hear anyone who has done it....

sounds like a killer settup to me

thanks a bundle
Cody

 

Well our cars were built with a fairly flexable frame so you would have to upgrade the entire chasis if you did transplant a 396 into a 3rd gen. Then you have clearance issues both for the engine and probably for the transmission. In the end you spend alot of money just to put a stock 396 which weighs more, gets worse gas mileage, and puts out the same if not less power than a built 350 whitch bolts right up and needs almost no custome work. Any small block chevy bolts in pretty easy, so you don't see a whole lot of bigblocks except in purely track cars ment to go in a straight line.

 

Our frame is plenty strong. GM has test fitted thirdgens with everything from ZR1 engines to 454 big blocks to Grand National engines. Ask the big block guys on the motor swap board on what they think. I wouldn't have a real place to say except for the fact that its been done before.

 

Really? Hmm i have heard so much about the cars flexing and twisting with out subframe connectors that i assumed a much larger and heavier engine would cause major problems. Oh well.

 

Small or big block?

Doesn't make much sense to put a 396 big block in, if you have to buy the engine. It's the same external size and weight as a 454 - why not go with the extra cubes? The 396 also suffers from the small-bore-valve-shrouding that handicaps the 305 - why live with that if you don't have to?

Some day, my Camaro will no longer have to go through emissions inspection/testing, and the kids will be through college. When that day comes, a 502 Ram Jet in the '57 and the 396 in the Camaro sounds like a plan to me...

 

Yep, it all on my page at www.koolmeister.com

Miles