what combo is better ?
 

I have a 1966 Bel Air Wagon- What do some you think would be a better combo.

r-t /sa with a 283 or

n-o /sa with a 327.

Re: what combo is better ?
 

My vote for the 283 ...remember you have that small cfm 4GC carb that has to feed only 283 cubes vs 327 inches that mite be crying for more carb that is required to use the same one as the 283

Re: what combo is better ?
 

MY vote: 283 because R/Tsa are less crowded and less competive to get started in (at least Div.7). N and O are very tough class out here.....we have National Record Holder in N and always seem to get beat badly in class by Late Camaro/Firebirds and 400 Pontiacs. The 327 if 250 HP would weigh 3920 in O which is pretty heavy. Also if you have a glide combo only it is tough against 3 speeds......Just my .02 after all I'm a Mopar Boy.

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1966 327 Bel- Air wagons are 270hp and use holley , carter avs or quadajet carb. Tom

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327 275@270! though the 396/325 combo looks Ok...K add weight to L (no brainer stay in K)

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I'd go with the 283-easy to work on and drive and a good consistent combo to get used to 'cept for hot humid air.

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How much weight are you lugging around at T weight.You need a construction trailer to get it to the track.:>)

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Holy Cow Bobby -- Do you need a CDL to tow that baby around ? And i'll vote for the 283 -- except in August ................

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Be a man and run it with a stick......lol. All kidding aside there is less competition in a stick class. With todays upgraded parts I doubt you will break it very often. Cal Method from Washington state ran a stick 283 Wagon years ago before Jerico trans, etc. and was a killer in his class.

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All my old cars were "STICK" but now Im old....................:cool: and broke.....

Re: what combo is better ?
 

Wagonboy -

I've been asking myself those same questions. I've somewhat come to the decision to build the 327 for now to run in O/SA, only because the engine in the 66 Bel Air 6-passenger wagon I bought had a mixture of correct and incorrect parts for the bigger engine, and this is my first small-block in about 30 years. I also thought that the 283 might be more of a "challenge" to get dialed-in right from the start. The stick option sounds intriguing too! Nothing quite like "two-tons 'o fun!" :D:D

Good luck and I hope to see you out there this summer!

Lew

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Just curious but where would this combination fall with a 427?

JimR

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Looks like G/S(A) with the 390 HP and D/S with the 425 HP (stick only). That's for the 6 passenger version.:)

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That's a lot of tonnage to launch with a stick, might have to use a rear end out of an Army 5 ton truck.

JimR

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I think the 327 will do just fine....Question for you....just what do you want to do with this car?? do you want to run a Div race here & their ....maybe a National that's close to ya? Maybe run @ the local "bracket" track from week to week? or chase points?

Re: what combo is better ?
 

My experience is you're better off with the heavy 4 bbl combos, rather than the lighter 2 bbl cars in about P and down.
In the classes from about O (15lbs) and up , you are better off with a lighter and lower rated 4 bbl combo, than a heavyweight wagon.

In other words ,it's a 283 ,or forget it.

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Hi-I was short on experience when I started with my 283 and it's not a hard combo to get dialed in. Doug Schriener

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Doug -

The wagon I found had a mixture of old and new engine parts, mostly later model 350 block and heads. The one thing it DID have was the correct intake, although the carb was a '67 Q-jet, not the one I needed. So now the plan is to get the car up and running (somehow!) with the mule motor, and build a 327(or 283, or both) for later. Not exactly how I wanted to start, but at least I'll be out there and not in the garage! :cool:

Lew

Re: what combo is better ?
 

Lew-Let us know how the 327 does-I don't recall seeing this combo before-Good luck. Doug Schriener

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I agree with the 327. I like the fact that you can use a Holley carb. and you will need the extra cubes to lug all of the weight.

Re: what combo is better ?
 

I could be wrong,,but I'm thinking the only Holley carbed 327 in 66' was the L-79 combo, which was available in Corvettes, Chevelles, and Chevy IIs. I don't recall it being in a full size Chevy, let alone a station wagon. I'm sure somone on here will set me straight.
That L-72 427 combo would be wild, if its legal. I can see class eliminations for D/S when Ben Wenzel looks over in his 67 Z and sees a wagon in the burnout box with him!
Might be one big parts breaking machine, but could be fun. My 2 cents.
Danny Durham

Re: what combo is better ?
 

You won't like the fact that it was a 540 cfm Holley with the same rating as a 750 Q-jet.
The 66 Chevy II did not come with the Q-jet originally. Only the Holley or AVS .
The 67's came Qjet equipped ,so NHRA relented for the 66's too.

I f you want more cubes ,how about a 396/325?

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Now that would be a really good combo but a load to tow!

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I had a 66 belair s/w for a few years . Ran IHRA and was fast with the exception of Lee Tuttle. Car was 1.50 under . We were at Rockingham Nats In October 04. Lee was 1.51 under (not trying to protect combo) and i was 1.31 under(trying to protect my combo)Needless to say we got HP on Monday. Sad thing is Lee ran IHRA twice a year. Had 198 low gear and 6.14 gear and loooooose converter,with 30x9 hoosier radial.Boy do i miss that car now. I think it weighed 4260 lbs. and ran a 13.84 .

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427/425 D/S x2!!!

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It's definitely a tank! What kind of RPM's would you pull through the traps? I was thinking of starting with a 4.88, but if you've had luck with the lower gears I may have to reconsider.

Thanks for the help!

Lew

Re: what combo is better ?
 

Thanks for the info guys. I have the car. It has been a 283 r and t car most of its life.I have had it up for sale. No one has stepped up to the plate to purchase it. So maybe after I get my current car running under, I have toyed with the idea of spending the next 5 or 6 years building it with my son, so he could race stock when he gets old enough.

By the way 6:13 gears 2.18 low gear set in the trans are what help to make the 283 combo work.

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I run a 5.57 in my 4400 lb. wagon with the 350 ci. A 5.86 will make that 283 GO

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Hi-For that car these guys are right-ya need lotsa gear and buzz it!!!!

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Traps @ 7100. The guy i sold it to put a 557 and it seemed to run as good ,(so he says) and lower finish line rpm's. I shifted mine @ 6400 and that's were it was HAPPY. Also ran 28x9 's for the 1/8. The 614 gave me a little better reaction time on the tree. I have a nova with this same combo and it has a 538 gear and a 202 low gear. still tinkering with converters now and so far i have run 12.25 @ 108 & 7.69 1/8 @ 88 mph.No way competitive as the wagon was as far as heads -up goes.

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Danny,

Thanks for the GREAT information!! My most recent experience was over 20 years ago with a really sloooooooow bracket car (454 Suburban - Orca, the White Whale :)).

The motor in the wagon now is an unknown quantity, the only thing I'm sure of is that it run's, just not how well. I'll try the 5.38's for now, and when I have a good motor I can always change them.

Thanks again!!

Lew

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You are welcome .It took me over 3 years trying stuff ,because a lot of racers did not really want to help. I see their point as they had to figure it out and maybe i should too.I did have a few people help with some things and i do appreciate it, because if not for their help ,it may have taken me an extra 2 years. lol. Good Luck.

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contact tommy mattingly he went to the 327 (65 chevelle wagon) and can give you some insight and might have a 283 for sale ?

i vote for the 396-325 fits j/sa i think mabye squeeze into k/sa id have to look i used to run a K/S 65 impala wagon in the 70's before jerrico's and spools... boy was it a lot of fun... and a lot of work went to track with 2 spare everything !!!!

captain jack

p.s. 283 will want 218 glide & 617 gear... 7200 chip

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Jack,

Thanks for the insight! The 283 would be a screamer, but I wonder what the odds would be to lasting an entire season :D. I think wagonboy and I have a good idea now what the options are, and of course part of the fun is "experimenting"!

Sorry to hear about the bowling center. I don't know if you remember me, but we spoke briefly awhile back when I had just returned from Afghanistan and was thinking of building a car for the U/SA Challenge at the Sportsnationals. My timing was off (I stayed on Active Duty), but this will be the next best thing!

Take care and be safe!

Lew

Re: what combo is better ?
 

Mine did not like that combo, but now i did not have a NICE set of heads either. Never delt with an engine as particular as a 283. Mine would turn all you want but did not have power range after 67-6800 r's.

Re: what combo is better ?
 

The 283s do well in the big cars if you let them rpm. Tim Weinzapful has cal's old car. It has been through several owners and always was fast! It runs better than ever with a stick!

Tim quigley owned o and p stick for several years with his 66 biscayne 283 car.

It is easier to find good inexpensive cores for 283s


Our 283 idles at 7000 LOL you can beat them!

Wade Owens has a fast one for sale right now

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Your car is sweet. I got the ride along video saved and when i want to go faster than my ole paperweight i just go to the video.Ride it at least once a week. 7000 idle (thats a good one)

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good luck lew & boy...

if i can help let me know... im old and forgot a lot by now but ive been beating on the 283 for 30 years now in the old wagon

jack mccarthy
usa3609@aol.com
502-558-3450

Re: what combo is better ?
 

I've been accused of suffering from CRS - can't remember ***** - syndrome :D
Right now work is getting in the way of my having fun so I do as much as I can. More questions to follow!

Lew