History 1963 Chevrolet Mystery Motor

Here are some pic of the Mickey Thompson MM at the NHRA museum

 

It was different than the Mark I, 348-409, the Mark III (Packard engine redesign) and the Mark IVs. I was told they were built in a special building at the Tonawanda engine plant.

 

One more bump!.......

 

I'm thinkin the engine shown in Wrench409s pics and Donuts29s pics of the Mickey Thompson engine are one and the same.

 

http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2015/02/04/inside-the-63-chevy-427-mystery-engine/

 

Thanks BSL! Don't know why I didn't think of adding that link.

 

I always wonder why Chevrolet introduced a redesigned big block in 1965 instead of staying with the mystery motor design.

 

Great info, thanks for sharing!

 

Great history, seldom discussed....

 

The mystery motor I think also known as the porcupine motor from my understanding was basically a 427" W motor with different heads. I could be wrong but I think that is what I have read.

Too bad none of us own one.

 

Cool, I never heard about this before. Thanks
-Pat

 

I did an interview recently with Rex White, who was just inducted in to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, for the book I am writing. White was the first to test the Mystery Motor at the GM proving grounds just before the 1963 Daytona Speed Week. He said the engine was dynoed in late 1961 and the head engineer was amazed at the results. But it was too late to try to get NASCAR approval for the '62 season. Here is part of our conversation: "The 409 just couldn't keep up with the Fords and especially the 421 Pontiacs that year (1962) on the superspeedways. I had the only superspeedway victory at the fall Atlanta race. I was excited about the dyno tests with the Mystery Motor and after making a couple break-in laps at the proving grounds I was ready to see what it had. When I came off the banked turn and floored it the first time I could not believe the power it had. Comparing it to the 409 was like night and day. I ran a lap of 177 mph there and could hardly wait for Daytona". That lap of 177 was just a few mph shy on the world closed course record at the time and it was not held by a stock car.
Note: I looked at my notes again and the 177 mph was the speed he was clocked down the straightaway not a lap average.

 

That's pretty cool. I have read somewhere about how the motor faired in the NASCAR ranks in '63 but I just don't recall. It was a helluva motor though and even if it wasn't it should be one that no one ever forgets. KUDOS to GM for making the effort.

 

One of my regrets is not getting to know Johnny Rutherford when I used to live a few blocks from him in River Oaks.