Chevy 427 Mystery Motor

[fdicrasto]

Made a visit to Chevy engineering fall of 1970 with a Trans Am driver/owner. We met with Bill Howell and later, just a few minutes with Herb Fishell. Vince Piggins was busy talking with either Bill Jenkins or another unnamed racer. Bill's desk was full of exotic BBC parts I had never imagined existed. He gave us some names and subtle clues as to what we had to do. Herb drew a sketch for me on the proper dome shape for the pistons. We went down to the generic dyno rooms and then we heard about a 1969 or 70 Nova the boys in engineering would occasionally take down Grattiott Ave. to beat up on the street racers. Twin turbo BBC according to Bill. This was an eyeopener for me which was later partially revealed in a Hot Rod magazine article years later that showed way more of the secret "experimental" jazz that Chevy was playing with. Smokey probably had a direct dedicated line to Vince's office. Just a bit of speculation there. Corporate hated this but Engineering loved it along with people like Smokey,Jenkins,Hall,Al Bartz,Jim Travers(Traco)and many many more. Phil D

[Baprace]

If it weren't for Jim Hall and his CanAm effort very little would have come from the BB Chevy in development. The aluminum heads and block along with the all-aluminum block, no sleves, and various versions of the heads were design and foundry innovations. Remember, NO racing allowed. Reynolds and Winters foundry were the sources. Lots of outside GM help here. Jim Bucher ran some of these parts in Top Fuel and WON! The parts didn't last long though. Cylinders walls always bowed out in the BB Chevy even cast iron blocks when run on fuel. That unloaded the rings, lots of fuel dillution. Foundry tech in the 60s was just emerging. A lost foam prototype back then would have had some serious implications. Everything was sand cores. Today's pro stock dodge head looks like an updated raised port 409 Z-11 head. Someone had it figured out. Richard

RAS, didn't Jim Bucher qualify number 1 at the US Nationals arount 1975, if I remember he only had one all aluminum BBC engine which broke in the semi finals, also he later passed away from the big C

[RAS]

Absolutely. Jims car is now in the Garlits museum in Ocala Fl. Back in the early 70s I watched Don Driczyk rebuild the Chevy Fuel motor in Dick Bourgeois' Doug's Headers fuel funny car every week. Stock truck block, no two holes the same bore, and stock 454 crank. New Venolia pistons, used Kelly Chadwick rods! and a Howards cam. Kelly and Dick swapped parts often. 2 speed lenco, with a 4.10 Dana rear and a pedal-Crower glide. I helped Dick put mallory slugs in a new Chevy crank once measuring the hole centers from a Reath crank that was worn out. Close enough I guess! Car ran 6.60 @ 215 shutting off at the first stripe. Always ran, never broke, and made $$$$$$. Having flashbacks here. Greek Chris Karamesines got the first Aluminum Fuel Hemi block, a Milodon and that killed the Chevy deal till the first Aluminum block (John Rodeck) appeared about 10 years later. Ray Zeller finally got a fuel chevy FC in the 5s a few years ago in the Mill Road Boys Camaro. Richard