Dig into our wealth of mechanical knowledge about classic vehicles and engines. Learn about carburetor’s, classic fuel injection and ignition systems, and things like big blocks vs small blocks.
Furthermore, we cover a wealth of knowledge and technical details on some of the most iconic muscle car engines of the time such as the Chevy 427, Chrysler 440, 426 Hemi, and the Ford Cobra Jet.
The late 1960s represented the peak of the American muscle car era. Before the oil crisis interfered in 1974, all of America’s car giants were hard at work trying to work harder than each other. Luckily for us, that meant that the cars kept getting better and better. Pontiac had some serious competitors in their…
How do superchargers work? It’s a question most have asked at least once at some point, usually after seeing a massive blower peeking out the hood of a 1960s muscle car. At first, superchargers – also referred to as blowers – might sound complicated. However, they actually operate under some pretty basic and easy to…
Before the advent of fuel injection, cars needed a way of receiving both air and fuel as a source of combustion. As many people know, that is, at the most basic level, how an engine operates. In modern times, internal combustion engines work differently. With fuel injection, an engine relies on fuel injectors, a fuel…
While Chrysler wasn’t the first in the big block game, they certainly played it well. Ultimately, the Hemi comes to mind first when thinking about performance Chrysler engines. However, in 1966, a new engine entered the stable which disrupted the 426 Hemi’s dominant position. The Chrysler 440 V8 is the largest big block engine in…
Ford’s longtime 302 V8 engine will undoubtedly go down as one of the top engines in American history. First introduced in the late-’60s in models like the Mustang, Ford’s small-block 302 lasted all the way until 2001. Over its three decade production span, Ford put the 302 into just about anything they could, including coupes,…
Over the years, Ford has produced some incredibly iconic cars and engines. The Model T has long been considered one of the greatest manufacturing feats in modern history, and Ford’s flathead engine transformed V8s for the future. In 1968, Ford released the first versions of their now famed V8 Cobra Jet engines. Ford Cobra Jets…
Since its initial release in 1965, the Chevy 396 big block has been one of the top racing engines available. During its production run, it appeared in Camaros, Chevelles, El Caminos, and even briefly in the Corvette. Known for its thunderous output, stout reliability, and solid design, Chevy’s 396 big block has maintained its status…
For nearly fifty years, Chevy small block V8 engines were some of the top choices available for domestic vehicles. They powered everything from muscle cars, to sports cars, to economy sedans and vans, and even trucks and SUVs. Incredibly, Chevy has manufactured well over 100 million small block engines since 1954. Among the different versions,…
The Ford 289 Small Block played an instrumental role in establishing the Mustang legacy. As a continuation of the Ford Windsor V8 line, the Ford 289 would replace the Ford 260 V8 which was the standard engine for full-size Ford sedans in the 1963 model year. The 289 small block was nearly identical in construction…
The 426 Hemi is a legend, plain and simple. The 7.0L elephant engine is arguably the best engine Mopar has ever produced. It was so dominant in the 1964 NASCAR season that the organization banned the use of race-only engines in 1965. In street trim, the 426 Hemi powered some of the most popular muscle…
The small block 350 V8 played an important role for Buick during its 13 year production run from 1968-1980. Buick first put it on the market in their Gran Sport and Skylark models, where it was alternatively known as the “California” option. By 1970, it challenged Buick’s big block 400 and 455 V8s with its…
The late 1950s were a time of serious reformation and change for Pontiac. Their image was growing stale by that point and a change in management in 1956 sparked an initiative to get the Pontiac appeal back on track, especially with a younger audience base. The strategic move to promote leading performance V8 specialist Pete…
