Hot Rods Does anyone build 396's anymore?

Heck, if I had an old Nova, I would stick a stroked 383 in it and tell everyone it was a 265 with a "quarter race cam".




Then I would see if they would race me for pinks

 

The 396 I had in my Nova bomber car had a strong pull to it up to 6200 RPMs at the end of the straights. This was at Islip, at Riverhead I was able to run it to 6400 with the same gearing.

 

Root,I have one sitting in the barn waiting on the right car. HRP

 

454. Unless that 396 is free or really cheap, why put money into it. As long as you're machining something, max your dollar spent and get 75 more cubes, and more power.

Plus 4.25 bore will shroud the valves less than 4.09. There again, more power.


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As nostalgic as it is, you would probably be considerably slower than the rest. I have that problem trying to get the Fly to be competitive with a sea of 406's and mega sbc's out there. A true nostalgic, period correct piece is cool for looking at....but not competitive these days.

 

The one I have has had a considerable amount of work done to it and it was extremely competitive.

This engine was in a drag car,when we quit racing my partner kept the car I got the engine. HRP

 

I can pick this one up pretty cheap. It's a mild street motor that was rebuilt 20+ years ago.

 

Nothing wrong with 396. I have one I'm working on. It'a 1965 Z-11 motor. Stock it was 425HP and after I clean up the heads, add large headers, some simple induction, this baby will be pulling over 500HP easily. Parts are plentiful,
and they are nice looking motors.

 

False. '63=Z-11 427 W
'65=Z-16 396 Mark 4

If you actually had a 1 of 201 Z-16 you oughta sell it to a collector for 20k and build 700hp with some real hardware and have 10k left over.


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That's about the only reason to run a 396. Based on that, do it. I dig the hell out of Drag 'n' Fly btw. Bad ass car.


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Thanks Kevin.

 

The black and gold '55 Chevy that we built at Austin Speed Shop has a 396 in it. It runs great!

 

Actually, if you did anything modern internally, you should be able to make a good 1.25HP per inch 396 x 1.25 = 495HP. 454 x 1.25 = 568 (568 - 495 = 73HP!) Even if the 396 was free, your gonna spend the same money building it, to potentially makes as much as 73 HP less. Now, its not really a 1 to 1 ratio, but you get the idea. That said, if the 396 was rebuilt way back, but has low miles since then, you may be able to do mild freshen, or nothing at all, and it ought to be good for 400-425 with a good tune, even if its stock. If that is the case, and the price is very reasonable, then, its a good investment. I always thought "396 Semi Hemi" looked cool on the fenders/Hood. I had a '62 Chevy C10 Long bed years ago, with a stock 325HP 396 and a 4.17 gear, with dual exhaust (manifolds), & one of my tuned up Q-jets. It ran pretty friggen good!

 

.., by the way, a current NHRA legal 325HP/396, W/Q-jet, cast iron intake, oval port closed chamber iron heads (no porting & stock valve dia.'s), and .399 lift hydraulic cam is approaching 550 HP. 1.32Hp with massaged stock parts is pretty impressive. A 375Hp version massaged within NHRA's stocker rules is close to 600 Hp with iron heads, (1.445hp per inch), or 625Hp with the "401" aluminum head (1.506 per inch).

 

Needs a huffer

 

I have a set of Inglese injectors for a big block.

 

Same argument 396 or 454 as 283 or 350. If you want a 396, build one. If it were my money I'd go 496, 454 with stroker crank. I've got a 427 steel crank that I'll never use, IM if interested. I'll use the money for that stroker.

 

That's impressive!

 

I'd run it and I'm not even a Chevy guy. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it, but a mild 396 makes a real cool street powerplant especially if your car is on the heavy side, like a station wagon or 60s Caprice hardtop.

Back in the seventies one of the coolest cars in town was a triple black 68 Caprice hardtop with a mild 396 and TurboHydro.

 

it's a big block thing, you wouldn't understand

 

good old 396's are getting hard to find.....had one in my first built hot rod back in 1976

 

Ya, once you've had buried you foot and turned one loose it's hard to go back to sbc. Just got gas tonight at Sam's for 1.98. If those prices would hang around, I would do another one.

 

Sure liked the one I had when I was a kid. Launch it off the brake, let the T400 shift itself @6250, sit back and steer (& grin).
(& most times pickup the wager that was involved)

I'd take another today if the price was right. Like other's said though, if it was a rebuilder, you may as well get your $$ worth (cubes).

 

Threads like this one sure are entertaining if nothing else.
Truth is ..nobody here actually knows the correct answer to your question.
Why?
Because you haven't set forth your guidelines or parameters for this engine.
What do want to do with it?
Bracket race?
Get an 11 second time slip?
10's ?
9's?
Burn rubber leaving the cruise night?
Don't burn rubber..just have a big camshaft lope?
Drive half way across the country, getting some semblance of gas mileage?
Work on it constantly?
Never open the hood?
Do a wheelie ?
Brag about how much you spent on it?
Do it as cheap as possible?

See my point?

Carry on...

 

I Kinda like the old addage "run what u brung ..... & hope you brung enough". I'm fortunate to have a 402 & a 468 in couple of early 70s Monte Carlos & the 468 torque will eat the 402 alive yet I'll choose the 402 car to drive more often cause it's a factory 4 speed and it sure ain't no slouch she likes to rev. But as a kid I'll never forget my intro to big blocks, I can still remember my cousin saying "once you feel this you'll never go back" as he mashed the gas pedal from a stand still on his healthy 396 69 camaro with 4.56 gear. WOW! That was an impressionable moment in my life. I'll always have a sweet spot for the short stroked V8's weather big or small blocks. You better buy it. Just for the memories if no other reason. Good luck on the ol' gasser.

 

Is it that rare? You are correct, it is a 1965 Z-16 motor with it's original M-22 tranny and 4.11 12 bolt. I purchased from the old yellow coupe I saw for sale by my house this past summer. He told me he got it out of a Impala. I convinced him to sell me the drive train and he could keep the car. I know it's a rare motor and I might just sit on it for a while. It does run....like a bat out of hell. I drove it like I stole it before taking the drive line out.
Heads says- #3856208
Intake says- #3866963
Carb is a Holley- #3878261-H

 

That have a sound of their own, that's a fact. And they pulled hard and strong. Gas by me is dropping as well... down to $2.69.

 

I build things that make me happy. I tend to lean towards the early 60's drag cars.

This all started because of that evil invention Craigslist. I bought another 36 bed the other night for a hundred dollar bill. The bottom was rusted out , but the sides are in great shape, so that started all this in motion. I could use the bed for a gasser build.

I have 4 36 cabs and multiple sets of fenders that are so so. Not good enough for a really nice hot rod, but would work great for a beater/drag car. I have a set of Inglese injectors for a BBC, so I started pondering building a 10 second door slammer that could be streetable. It wouldn't have to be reliable or tame, just streetable. For the most part, it would be one that comes out on a Sat night or for the HAMB drags, maybe drag it up to IL for the Meltdown. It would be a low buck build, so that is where I started thinking about the 396. The 396 probably wouldn't get me down in the 10's though unless I dumped a bunch of money in it. So, that's where I started asking about the 454 option.

I like to think all this out to even see if it is a viable option before I spend my kids inheritance. Make sense?

Root

 

Raprap..I asked this last fall.......

is that the yellow coupe you posted about?

 

Oh yeah. I dunno the casting #'s or the suffix code for a Z-16, but I bet you can i.d. it from one or both. Even if it's not a Z-16, any rectangle port '65 396 is worth big coin to a restorer. But if it's legit, you hit the jackpot. Especially if you have the 'correct' Z-16 trans and rear. I guarantee someone out there is restoring a Z-16 chevelle body minus the original drivetrain. Find that guy and cash out! -Kev

Sorry to hi-jack Root...I'm done now.


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