<VV>Windage Tray (minimal Corvair)

[tonyu at roanokeinternet.com]

----- Original Message Follows -----
From: Padgett <pp2 at 6007.us>
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: <VV>Windage Tray (minimal Corvair)
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 10:53:02 -0500

>>Starting with the 1967-69 Z28 motor, probably the  highest
>>revving Chevy engine ever sold to consumers,
>
>Pontiac had a windage tray (baffle, engine oil grp 1.430)
>in 1955 and the  top Corvette engines in 1960.
>
>Phun Phact: the 1967 option code Z-28 (actually Z-280,1, 2,
>& 3 ) 302 was  rated by the marketters at 290 hp (actual
>was more like 440) 

If that were true, then why did my 3700 lb '66 Plymouth
outrun every 302 Z Camaro I ever raced...?  ;)   
..including a tweaked LT-1 "Mr Bigshot" 1970 Z that had
this mean rep on the cruise strip here in town?  

Not long ago, there was a street machine shoot-off that
involved two 302ci Z-28 Camaros (one a full-blown race car),
a Challenger T/A, an AMC Javelin and a Boss 302 Mustang.  
The Challenger w/340x6 rated at 290 hp won the quarter-mile
shootout for the cars wearing license plates.   All cars
were in street trim except the race car which was there as a
reference.   

The  Challenger didn't do so well in the slalom, however.   

The 3x2bbl 290hp 340 Challenger, for NHRA dragracing, was
later refactored at 330hp for class racing, with the 275hp
4xbbl 340 being refactored at 310hp.   Not sure where the
hysterical 302 Camaros and Mustangs went in NHRA dragracing.
 

However, those 340s were some stout engines and made fools
of lots of people who failed to respect them.  

>because they  wanted the sans coulottes
>to buy the 295 hp SS 350 (incidently with a very  weak
>crank, why journal sizes increased for 1968). Back in the  

Those SS-350s still ran pretty well. In fact, on the streets
they likely would give the Z-28 a run for its money.   I'm
still kinda fond of the 350-350hp for all-out smallblock
bowtie street performance... as long as you have some gear
in the car and you watch the weight.  

>day, one of  the indicators of a really high performance
>engine was "not available with  air conditioning".  

Most of the serious street racer bunch wouldn't tolerate
anything under the hood that wasn't avsolutely necessary.   

The guys I knew would be laughed off the street if they had
AC in their car.   :)
We wuz hardcore back in them thar days.    


tony..