<VV> Horsepower

[Padgett]

> >Particularly when the engine they want you to buy, the SS-350, is rated at
> >295 hp which is just under 10 lb/hp to appease the Insurance companies.
>
>Back then, it was insurance.   Big HP ratings meant big insurance

Knew some people with higher insurance payments than car payments. Not sure 
where that 10lb/hp limit came from but some manufacturers did odd things to 
avoid like the famous tab on the Quadrajet of a 1967 Firebird 400.

Others were pure marketting in 1970 the Pontiac 400 used two different 
cams, one for automatics and another for stick cars. In the A-body both 
were rated at 366 hp. In the B-body 370 hp..

Like I said Chevvy rated the Z-28 at 290 hp so not to take sales away from 
the 295 hp rated SS-350 engine in the F-body. Chevvy also did the same 
thing with the L-88 rating it at 430 hp while the much more streetable tri 
carb (were more than one but this was the TOL) was rated at 435 hp.

Or the round port Pontiac Ram AIr IV engine rated at only 5 hp more than 
the D-port RA engine.

Back in the Good Old Daze there were three signs that a powerplant was a 
bit more than advertised
1) over $500 option (ZL-1 was a $3k option on a $3k car (wholesale price list))
2) warrenty lasted until it left the dealer's lot
3) was not available with air conditioning

BTW HP just determines what the top speed (if not gear limited) is going to 
be, it is the area under the torque curve that determines how long it will 
take to get there.

Padgett

Padgett