1968 Factory 427 Tri Power

Never being able to leave something well enough alone, when I developed a head gasket issue and a broken solid roller lifter I was faced with a decision to either rebuild the 327 or build a 427...It would be about the same cost regardless due to the need for machining everything inside the engine. So I opted for the 427 anad set the goal of building it to reuse the snipe and eventually build up a factory stock tri power setup this winter. Well, Covid has a way of changing things. With the work load changing and eventually becoming nonexistent, and then the advent of parts becoming scarce the new 427 was put on hold, but I still needed a motor.

Still set on the 427 I started searching for just such a monster but they are harder to find than hens teeth due to the fact that they either got blown up or they were used up by the local drag racers sending the prices for a salvageable complete long or short block higher than Richard Branson. Not wanting a 454 because they are as common as LS swaps I still wanted a gen IV motor. I then set about to find a 396 which are being left by the wayside because they are not a 468 or 502. I did find a few below or right at the $2000 mark but that still was bending the budget if they needed any internal parts. Eventually I found a suitable motor that possibly didn't need to be bored but before I could get up to see her, I started a search for some local heads. A nearby Mopar guy had bought a 396 from his buddy that was doing the LS thing and thought he could flip the heads so I went over to his house and we talked and he told me he still had the whole engine. A little more conversation and hm letting me see the future heart of my vette made me smile. Everything was there and no giant lip at the top of the cylinders. Actually very little lip at all and some of the cross hatch was still visible through the oil film. HE said he would love to get rid of the whole thing and $900 dollars later we were loading my new motor into the truck.

Turns out it is a 1972 402 domed engne with 207 high compression oval port heads. Although they are a shrouded valve head they give me the higher compression I want. I stuffed her into the vette which is tight, but designed for the big block. Surprisingly I didnt need the cropped chrome big block valve covers designed for the Chevelles with power brakes, the full sized lids fit fine. The only downside was the victor Jr intake wouldnt fit under the L88 hood. That was a big surprise. So i found a stock 396 ovla port dual plane that fit the Sniper unit under the hood, but as we now from Engine Masters, those two dont always play nice together and my motor was no different. After many weeks of tryng to beat the programming into submission i finally had a good excuse to spend dome money rebuilding the factory Holley 3 duece setup...secretly a teenage dream of mine any ways.

After a few weeks of find parts and and getting those

carbs dialed in my baby is back on hte road and humming along like she should be. Not fully powered by a 427 but still with the big rats baby brother shes a fun ride. After the clutch is broken is I will see how the brunt of the torque feels. Hopefully getting some of that power to the road instead of just into the tires, which that mouse motor ate up fantastically. Her best quarter mile time was only13 econds but at 108 mph. Which would lead you to believe she was a 12 second car, but not a 12 second driver. Maybe I can calm some of the start light enthusiasm and get some of that rubber to bite into the track.