65 Biscayne

[The Colonel]

I just acquired a 65 Biscayne with a 12 bolt/4 spd., and a complete 1965 396/375 hp motor not original for the car. Car is originally 230 6 cyl. 3 speed floor shift.
My question is....what class/classes would it fit into with the 396? Is it feaseable? or should I go the 283/327 route? I have a 1966 283-2 barrel motor also.
I'm a bracket racer, and am about thinking about trying something different. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

I just acquired a 65 Biscayne with a 12 bolt/4 spd., and a complete 1965 396/375 hp motor not original for the car. Car is originally 230 6 cyl. 3 speed floor shift.
My question is....what class/classes would it fit into with the 396? Is it feaseable? or should I go the 283/327 route? I have a 1966 283-2 barrel motor also.
I'm a bracket racer, and am about thinking about trying something different. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Go to the NHRA website, under the "rules" tab at the top of the page, you'll get a drop down menu that shows the "Stock Car Classification Guide". The guide will give you the basic information about the car and the engines/transmissions available, the curb weights, the HP factors, and what the class factor is. The classes start with AA, which is 7.5 pounds per HP, and each lower class is 0.5 pounds more per HP, so A is 8.0, B is 8.5, and so on. At 9.11 pounds per HP, the Stock Car Classification Guide shows the 1965 Biscayne 396/425 (the 1965 396 is factory rated at 425, not 375, but NHRA rates it at 385HP with iron heads) to be a natural C/S car. It cannot run the 396 with an automatic transmission, by the way. It could possibly run B/S or D/S with the 396 as well. It's a fairly heavy car, I'm not sure how quick it would be, or how hard on parts. But the thing would be way cool.

[The Colonel]

Thanks Alan, I have alot of researching ahead of me. The car is in a million pieces, but new quarters, floors are already done. When I first saw it, I thought this would make a pretty cool stocker with the B/B 396 and 4 speed, but hard on parts will probably be an understatement. I also have 65-66 396 325 h.p heads that have been in my basement for years that are from my first car back in 1985; 66 SS 396/325 Impala H/T. The car was such a basket case, the motor was all that was worth keeping at the time.
Knowing what you know...what would you do with it?

Thanks Again...Bob Sanders

[Don Himes]

Another Joisey boy ran that combo with a great deal of success many, many years ago. Does anybody know if Bill Izikowski(Spelling?) is still around?

[John Mason]

Don,
Bill's car was a 66 427/425 out of Duffy's in Red Bank. Very successfull. Runner up to Bortman for World Champ. Last I heard he was a service manager for a Chevy dealer somewhere in "Joisey".

[Rory McNeil]

Back in the mid 70`s, a friend ran a 65 Biscayne in SS/KA with some sucess, using a 325HP 396 Turbo 400. Later he put the running gear in a 65 Impala wagon for SS/OA, which ran really well. I don`t know how well this combo would work in Stock however. I believe that the 65 396 "Big Car" was the first to use the Turbo 400 trans.

[Jack McCarthy]

i ran a 65 impala wagon 396-325 in k/s and k/sa YEARS ago...before aftermarket parts were ok... went through a ton of T-10's and eventually broke lower control arm mounts off of frame (had to be factory then)

but it was fun !!

fits o & p /.sa with 283... cheap date, and i have a few parts

[The Colonel]

Changed my mind already.

[The Colonel]

The 325 horse puts me at a natural I/SA it appears. I have a couple questions that are not clear.
NHRA has a Holley carb# issued, and also transmission choice is not clear. My 66 396/325 had a th400 and Quadrajet. Is the Holley a replacent for the 4GC Rochester? and they did not put a Powerglide behind the 396 big cars did they?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Thanks Alan, I have alot of researching ahead of me. The car is in a million pieces, but new quarters, floors are already done. When I first saw it, I thought this would make a pretty cool stocker with the B/B 396 and 4 speed, but hard on parts will probably be an understatement. I also have 65-66 396 325 h.p heads that have been in my basement for years that are from my first car back in 1985; 66 SS 396/325 Impala H/T. The car was such a basket case, the motor was all that was worth keeping at the time.
Knowing what you know...what would you do with it?

Thanks Again...Bob Sanders

Knowing what I know (and maybe that ain't much) I'd probably see if I couldn't get it light enough to go B/S.