401?

[Riveted1]

Please edumacate me.... what is a 401? Burb

[BobS]

Should be 402. Big Block Chevy.

Bob

[Riveted1]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at... A little sarcasm there... These guys appraise classic cars for a living?

[68GMC454]

no these guys want top dollar for anythign they have... i havent been to thier lot in years.. i went there when i first moved to utha 10 years ago.. stopped by a couple of times, didnt like their prices... but im cheap to, but for the kida money they want for older muscle cars, i expect a really nice car... but that seems to be the case on anythign old now adays, everybody thinks they have a barrett jackson type car or truck, and it just isnt worth it.. but i noticed here in utha that they usualy think thier rusted out peice of junk is a show car or truck to..

[BobS]

I saw 401 and was thinking V-6 then realized they just didn't know what they were talking about. They didn't mention the rare third door though!

Bob

[Long Roof]

Didn't AMC have a 401?

Whats with that trim piece on the ridge of the hood. Can't be stock. I wonder what its from.

[BobS]

That's something I haven't seen before, the hood probably looks better without it. Yep, AMC had a 401 also.

Bob

[Longhorn Man]

it's like the caddy engines... you'll have many many ppl SWEAR up and down they have a 501.... but there was never one built. The 500 was the biggest one.

[67Cowboy]

I don't know about you guys but that is dirt cheap, because that thing has all the bells and whistles and is in nice shape. My neighbor and his brother just spent 10K to build one that wasn't even as well equiped as this green one and they only got 17k for theirs at the Silver's Auction in Portland.
If I didn't have 4 projects going right now I'd catch the bus and drive that little gem home to keep! The best engine I ever had was a '68 396 HP and one of the best show trucks I ever built was a 427 in a 4X4 a real screamer. Hey even the big boys that run Grand American Modifieds still run these BBC engines. I have a '71 402 out in the shop right now waiting to be fully built, rollered and balanced to some day replace the 283 in my '67. We had one in the early '70s with a Cadillac Rochester on it that got 21 MPG when you drove it right and it had enough power you felt like you could twist the frame.
Yeh I vote for the 402 BBC in a Burb with front and rear air, it will be like you found a '57 BelAir or a Super Bird Hemi some day !!!

[Riveted1]

How do you know it's cheap? The current bid is at $3,100, but it has a reserve and there is no Buy It Now. They could have that thing listed for $30k for all we know. But at least you'd have a rare 401 Burb!

[1969 GMC]

Originally Posted by Long Roof

Didn't AMC have a 401?

Whats with that trim piece on the ridge of the hood. Can't be stock. I wonder what its from.

olds had one too...my friends mom used to drive a late 70's Buick that had the Olds 401 in it.

[67Cowboy]

Well I see what you mean about reserve pricing, I don't do business with Ebay any more after I lost a bunch of money to them and their scams. I dug up a little info on the 402cid engine and the 401 of other makes, I'll try and post it all below: _396 and 402

The 396 in³ (6.5 L) V8 was introduced in the 1965 Corvette as the L78 option. It a bore of 4.094 in and stroke of 3.76 in (104 mm by 96 mm), and produced an 425 hp (317 kW) and 415 ft·lbf (563 N·m). This version of the 396 was equipped with four bolt main bearing caps and was very comfortable with being operated in the upper 6000 rpm range.

Introduced in 1970, the 402 in³ (6.6 L) was a 396 in³ bored out by .030 in (0.8 mm). Despite the fact that it was 6 c.i. larger, Chevy continued marketing it under the popular "396" label in the smaller models, and as the "Turbo-Jet 400" in the full-size series.

* 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
* 1965-1972 Chevrolet Chevelle
* 1967-1972 Chevrolet Camaro
* 1968-1970 Chevrolet Nova
* 1970-1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
* 1965-1972 Full-size models

427
L36 427 in a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette
L36 427 in a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette
L71 427 in a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
L71 427 in a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette

The highly successful and versatile 427 cubic inch (7.0 L) version of the Mark IV engine was introduced in 1966 as a production engine option for full sized Chevrolets and Corvettes. The bore was increased to 4.25 inches (108 mm), with power ratings varying widely depending on the application. There were smooth running versions with hydraulic lifters suitable for powering the family station wagon, as well as rough idling, high-revving solid lifter models that resembled racing powerplants.

Not every version of the 427 was available in every car, and ordering the highest performance versions often required that other options be added to or deleted from the car (for example, power steering wasn't available with the high performance models). This relationship between engine configuration and vehicle options often resulted in what was jokingly referred to as a "racing taxicab," the description usually applied to a minimally equipped, plain looking, two door Biscayne sedan fitted with the 425 horsepower (317 kW) version of the 427— (RPO L72), resulting in a vehicle whose performance was the polar opposite of a taxi. This lightweight, big-block Biscayne was also commonly referred to as "Bisquick."

Perhaps the ultimate 427 for street applications was the 435 horsepower (324 kW) L71 version available in 1967 to 1969 Corvettes. This engine was identical to the 425 hp (317 kW) L72 427 (first introduced in 1966) but was fitted with three two barrel carburetors in lieu of the L72's single 4 barrel. Both engines utilized the same high lift, long duration, high overlap camshaft and large port, cast iron heads in order to maximum cylinder head flow (and, hence, engine power) at elevated engine operating speeds. Consequently, the engines offered very similar performance and resulted in a car whose performance was described by one automotive journalist as "the ultimate in sheer neck-snapping overkill." Typical magazine road tests of the day yielded sub-6 second zero to 60 miles per hour times and quarter miles in the mid 13 second/106 MPH range for both the L72 and L71.

RPO L89 was an L71 fitted with aluminum heads (often dealer installed). While this option produced no power advantage, it did reduce engine (and hence, vehicle) weight by roughly 75 pounds. This resulted in superior vehicle weight distribution for improved handling, although any difference in straight line performance was essentially negligible.

The most legendary version of the 427 was undoubtedly the 1969 ZL1 engine. It was developed primarily for Can-Am racing, where it was very successful in cars like the Chaparrel 2F and McLaren M8B. The ZL1 had specifications nearly identical to the production L88 version of the 427, but featured an all-aluminum cylinder block and cylinder heads, which dropped total engine weight into small block Chevy territory (approx. 575 pounds dressed). The engine was also fitted with the new open combustion chamber cylinder heads, a light weight aluminum water pump, a camshaft that was slightly "hotter" than the L88's and a specially tuned aluminum intake manifold. Like the L88, the ZL1 required 103 octane RON (minimum) fuel, which made both engines largely unsuitable for street use in an era where 102 octane RON (Sunoco 260) represented the highest octane gasoline sold at common retail stations. Impressive as the ZL1 was in its day and despite the "larger than life legends" surrounding it, actual engine dyno tests of a certified production line stock ZL1 revealed 376 SAE net HP, with output swelling to 524 Gross HP with the help of optimal carb. and ignition tuning, open long tube racing headers and with no power sapping engine accessories or air cleaner in place. ZL1 DYNO TEST - COPO CAMARO WEBSITE A second engine dyno test conducted on a second production line stock (but recently rebuilt and partially blueprinted) ZL1 revealed nearly identical figures for the various "Gross" conditions. 2nd ZL1 DYNO TEST Magazine tests of the ZL1 were quite rare due to the rarity of the engine itself. "High Performance Cars" tested a production line stock version and recorded a 13.1 second/110 MPH quarter mile, which correlates quite well with the previously referenced 376 Net HP figure. "Super Stock and Drag Racing Magazine" recorded an 11.62 second/122.15 MPH quarter mile in a ZL1 Camaro that was professionally tuned and driven by drag racing legend Dick Harrell, although that car was equipped with open long tube S&S equal length headers, drag slicks and minor suspension modifications. The 122.15 MPH trap speed indicated very low 11 second ET potential (e.g. with larger drag slicks) and suggested something on the order of 495 "as installed" HP in that modified configuration. This large difference in power suggests that the OEM exhaust manifolds and exhaust system were very restrictive in the ZL1 application, as was also the case with the similar L88.

The race-prepped ZL1s that were utilized in Can-Am racing were capable of developing something on the order of 600 "as raced" HP as the result of complete engine blueprinting, fuel injection, more aggressive cam-shaft grinds, custom fabricated, power optimizing long tube racing headers, dry sump lubrication and various other power and durability enhancing changes. It is this figure that is often erroneously cited as the "actual" output of production line stock ZL1 passenger car engines (e.g. 1969 COPO 9560 Camaro).

The 4718 dollar cost of the ZL1 option doubled the price of the 1969 Corvette, but resulted in a car with exceptional performance for its day. Just two production Corvettes (factory option at dealer) and 69 Camaros (non-dealer option from factory - COPO 9560) were built with the ZL1.

Chevrolet capitalized on the versatility of the 427 design by producing a wide variety of high performance, "over the counter" engine components (marketed as "heavy duty" or "extra capacity" components to mask their intended racing application), as well as ready-to-race "replacement" engines in shipping crates. Some of the components were developed to enhance the engine's reliability during high RPM operation, possibly justifying the use of the description "heavy duty." However, most of these items were racing parts originally designed for Can-Am competition that found their way on to dealers' shelves, and were meant to boost the engine's already impressive power output. As a result of this activity, the 427 quickly became dominant in drag racing.

Beginning in 1969, the highest performance 427 models were fitted with the new open (vs. closed) chamber cylinder head, s which along with design improvements in crankshafts, connecting rods and pistons adopted from the Can-Am development program, resulted in an engine with substantially increased performance and reliability. This development culminated in a specialty version of the engine called the ZLX, which was essentially a ZL1 engine built with the L88 engine's sturdy, four bolt main bearing iron block (it has been suggested that "ZLX" was a code name for ZL1 crossover). The ZLX, available as a short block assembly or complete "replacement" engine in the crate from a few dealers, was a resounding success and became a best-seller by after market racing components standards—the closest thing to an all-out competition engine ever offered to the general public.

Chevrolet gave all 427 engines except the ZL1 a torque rating of 460 ft·lbf (624 N·m).

[67Cowboy]

PONTIAC_GM
400

For 1967, Pontiac introduced the 400 in³ (6.6 L).

The '400' V8 was essentially a bored-out 389 with 4.121 inch bore and 3.75 inch stroke (104.7 mm by 95.3 mm). It replaced the 389 in 1967 and remained in production through the 1979 model year.

The 400 was the only engine installed in '67-69 Pontiac GTOs. It was also the biggest engine available in '67-'70 Firebirds. The 400 was a popular performance option for many of Pontiac's cars. The 400 engine produces a good balance of low end torque and higher RPM horsepower.

In 1967 the cylinder head design was improved for all engines. The valve angle was changed for better breathing. 1967 was the last year for closed chambered heads. The "670" head was a '67-only casting, and the last PMD head to have a closed chamber. Pontiac went to open chambered heads in '67 to improve power, engine breathing and emissions. The valve size increased as well, to 2.11" intake and 1.77" exhaust valves on high performance heads. Low performance and 2bbl applications got 1.96" intake and 1.66" exhaust valves and pressed in rocker arm studs.

400s were produced until 1979; this was the final Pontiac V8 based on the 1955 design.
Ram Air V

(303, 366, 400, 428) In 1969 Pontiac created several versions of their "tunnel port" engine: a special short-deck version of the V8 for Trans Am racing and a 400 standard deck version. The factory also experimented with 366 and 428 in³ versions. The cylinder head was patterned after the highly successful Ford 427 tunnel port head. So large were the intake ports that the pushrods ran through the center of the ports via pressed-in tubes.

303 - The revised engine had shorter connecting rods, smaller 2.5 in. (63.5 mm) journals, special "tunnel port" heads, and a solid-lifter version of the 400's Ram Air IV camshaft. It shared the 4.125 in (104.8 mm) bore of the 400, but with a 2.84 in (72.1 mm) stroke for a displacement of 303 in³ (5.0 L). The short-deck engine weighed about 40 lb (18 kg) less than the 400, and had an 8000 rpm redline. The 303 program was promising, with race-ready engines producing 475-525 hp (354.4-391.7 kW) and slated for advertised ratings of 355 hp (265 kW) in the Pontiac Firebird and 375 hp (280 kW) for the Pontiac GTO. Concerns about emissions, the response of the automobile safety lobby, and the warranty implications of a high-revving street engine led to its cancellation. SCCA Trans-Am series General Competition Rules required an engine to be a "Production" item, and required a production of no less than 250 units. The total number of Ram Air V 303 engines produced is not known, estimates range from the SCCA required 250 units, up to 500 units, with rumors of a handful of Ram Air V 303's making their way into the Pontiac Trans-Am production line. These engines are extremely rare and parts not readily available.

_400 HO

In 1978 the 400 HO was created to fulfill the vacuum of the lackluster 76 455 HO, with improved flow cyl "6X" casting heads borrowed from the 350 yielding higher compression, specific camshaft, 3.23 gearing, and a new dual muffler exhaust making 220 hp (160 kW), providing the Trans AM and Formula Firebird with a breath of new life after some dismal performance years. The 4 speed manual transmission was also available behind the 400 HO and the 301 HO. The 400 HO did not live long however, emission standards and fuel economy restrictions for 1980 model year doomed the powerplant. The 301 Turbo replaced the 400 HO in 1980, disappointing potential customers who were just getting excited about performance returning to Pontiac. The 400 HO Trans AM was the last of the performance cars available with the manual transmission, also yet another disappointment to potential customers.

No hood scoop moniker denoted the 220hp 400 HO except the standard "T/A 6.6". The 185 hp 403 Oldsmobile powered cars had "6.6L Litre". Historically the "T/A" prefix on the hoodscoop noted that it was a Pontiac sourced engine, and those ending in Litre were non Pontiac, with the exception of the 1976 50th Anniversary Pontiac Trans AM model.
_
Amc(american Motors Corporation)

[67Cowboy]

BUICK 401 _GM



_ The 401 in³ (6.6 L) 401 was Buick's muscle car powerplant of choice, and was found in the company's Skylark Gran Sport and Buick Wildcat, among others. As unlikely as it seems, the air cleaner for the engine is annotated with "Wildcat 375" "Wildcat 410" "Wildcat 445" these inscriptions indicated not the in³ but the ft·lb. of torque produced by the engine. The "Wildcat 410" was the 2-barrel carburated engine that was standard on the 1962-63 LeSabre. The "Wildcat 375" was a no cost option on the 62-63 LeSabre that had lower compression to run on regular fuel (another Buick V8 had "Wildcat 375" written on its air cleaner but it wasn't a "Nailhead", it was the 4 barrel version of the 66-67 small block Buick 340). The "Wildcat 445" had a single 4 barrel carb. It was the standard engine on the Invicta, 1959-66 Electra, 1962-66 Buick Wildcat, 1963 Riviera and 1965 Riviera (the 64 and 66 Riviera models had a 425 in³ engine with a single 4 barrel carb. named "Wildcat 465" as standard equipment). These were also used as starter motors for the SR-71 Blackbird, mounted on a trolley.

In an effort to overcome the "restrictive" exhaust port design, Buick enthusiast drag racers in the sixties adapted superchargers with a custom camshaft to feed intake air in through the exhaust ports and used the larger intake ports for exhaust outlets. Perhaps this feat of ingenuity, and the unusual appearance of the engine modified in this manner, also intimidated rival racers and added to the Nailhead V8 legend that lives upon this page of US auto history.

[67Cowboy]

Oldsmobile _GM
_ Generation 2

The second generation of Oldsmobile V8s was produced from 1964 through 1990. Most of these engines were very similar, using the same bore centers, although "big-block" versions were produced with a 10.625 in (269.9 mm) deck height rather than 9.33 in (237 mm). Big-block and Diesel versions also used a larger 3.0 in (76.2 mm) instead of 2.5 in (63.5 mm) main bearing journal for increased strength. All generation-2 small-block Olds V8s used a stroke of 3.385 in (86 mm). The big-block engines initially used a forged crankshaft with a stroke of 3.975" for the 1965-1967 425 and 400 CI versions; starting in 1968, both the 400 in³ and the 455 in³ big blocks used a stroke of 4.25 in (107.9 mm), with crankshaft material changed to cast iron except in a few rare cases.

These engines, while being a wedge-head, had a unique combustion chamber that resulted from a valve angle of only 6°. This was much flatter than the 23° of the small-block Chevrolet and 20° of the Ford small-block wedge heads. This very open and flat chamber was fuel efficient and had lower than average emissions output. It was the only GM engine to meet US emission standards using a carburetor all the way up to 1990.

The 400 in³ (6.6 L) version was the second tall-deck "big-block" Olds. Two distinct versions of the 400 CID engine were made:

* 1965 through 1967 Early 400's used a slightly over-square 4.000 in (101.6 mm) bore and 3.975 in (101.1 mm) stroke. All the pre-1968 engines used a forged steel crankshaft.
* 1968 and 1969 400's shared the Olds big-block standard 4.25 in (107.9 mm) stroke with the 455 but used a very undersquare 3.87 in (98.3 mm) bore to comply with GM's displacement restrictions in the A-body cars and reduce tooling costs. This Later 400 is considered by many enthusiasts to be less desireable because of the powerband characteristics induced by this exceedingly undersquare format, and the fact that the crankshafts were now made of less durable cast iron material. Early 400's used the same forged steel crankshaft as the 425's, while the Later 400's used the same cast iron crankshaft of the 455's, with rare exception- some 1968 and later Olds 400/455's were produced with forged steel crankshafts. These rare cranks can be readily spotted by the "J" shaped notch in the OD of the rear flange; cast iron cranks have a "C" shaped notch.

All 1965 thru 1969 Olds 400's were painted bronze.
_ 403

The 455 big-block Olds V8 was replaced in 1977 with the 403 in³ (6.6 L) small block V8. It used a wide 4.351 in (110.5 mm) bore, the largest ever used in a small-block V8, with the Olds small-block standard deck and 3.385 in (86 mm) stroke. The bore was so wide that it was "siamesed" (similar to another GM 400 CID small block motor) — there was no space for coolant flow between the cylinders. This sometimes led to overheating problems. Some very early 403s were painted metallic blue like the 455, but most were painted GM Corporate Blue.

The Olds 403 was used by Buick and Pontiac in addition to Oldsmobile. The engine was only produced through 1979. Output was 185 hp (138 kW) and 320 ft·lbf (433 N·m).

Applications:

* 1977 Buick Century Estate
* 1977-79 Buick Riviera
* 1977-79 Buick Electra
* 1977-79 Buick Estate Wagon
* 1977-79 Buick Lesabre
* 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass
* 1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
* 1977 Pontiac Bonneville
* 1977-1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88
* 1977-1978 Oldsmobile Toronado
* 1977-1979 Oldsmobile 98
* 1977-1979 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser
* 1977-1979 Pontiac Trans Am
* 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix available with California Emissions Only
* 1977-1978 GMC MOTORHOME

[Riveted1]

Originally Posted by 67Cowboy

_ The 401 in³ (6.6 L) 401 was Buick's muscle car powerplant of choice, and was found in the company's Skylark Gran Sport and Buick Wildcat, among others.

Maybe its got one of those under the hood.

[67_C-30]

That Buick 401, known as the Nailhead 401 because it its small valves, was a torque monster! I had one that I kept for years to use on project, and finally sold it off on Ebay. Mine came out a Wildcat 445, but I had a blown parts 425 with dual quad set up that I wanted to use on the 401. I sold the intake, valve covers, carbs and air cleaner on Ebay for $1600. It was a wicked looking set-up.

[sweet70beast]

The 401 and the 3 door were rare Corvette options.
That makes them worth more right?
Most of the time salesmen don't take the time to
get to know what their selling anyway.

[prairewolf]

with a lot of low rpm in-town driving a 402 becomes a 401 because of carbon build-up.

[Riveted1]

haha nice

[Longhorn Man]

actually since the carbon builds up in the combustion chaimber, it becomes a high compression 402.

[Riveted1]

Wow, I believe they call that being "pwnd." LOL J/K praire wolf!

[Longhorn Man]

My caddy 425 is WORN .030 over though.... does that make it a 428?
Wait... that would sound lik ea ford engine then.
At least it'd be a kick ass ford engine.

[prairewolf]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

actually since the carbon builds up in the combustion chaimber, it becomes a high compression 402.

I googled Engine displacement measuring and You are right,...... I learned something.

life is good,kent