Was thinkn kinda outside the V-8 bun today. Kinda curious about Straight 8's. Here are my curiosities: 1) (in theory) If I were to embark on this adventure....which straight 8 would be the best? 2) what kind of power ratings could be possible? 3) is it cheaper to build a strong Chrysler HEMI (doing that)? 4) is the "California Bills book on hot rodding Chevy, GMC, and Buick 6&8s worth a hoot? 5) fair trade for a '56 Desoto 330 w/tranny? Some of you may say Im crazy for that....but after 5 deploymnets...I may just be
Just a few thoughts. Buick built a strong engine and so did Pontiac. Nash had one with dual plugs but don't know much else about them. Reasonable power output could be possible but there was never much speed equipment made for them. Last and probably most important is they were looonngg and fitting them into anything they didn't origionally come in would be difficult.
i liked the packard straight eights the best , buick made an over head valve straight 8 heavy and not a lot of power , my favorite is the dusenberg straight 8 cant afford one but i can dream
buick 263 is good (1950-53 special and super). also pontiac flathead straight 8 (but less power and more weight). packard is nice too. but what is it for? these are all easily 10" longer than your average V, so they'll look silly in a T bucket. count on a lot of money to get extra power, you can get the Buick up to 300 hp with a shitload of torque, but no speed equipment off the shelf, you'll have to build things or have them made by your specs. I think 300 hp from a hemi is easier and cheaper than from an L-8. but makes sense, the hemi is 20+ years newer, tech changed a bit in that period. pretty much the same difference as between a flathead ford and an SBC.
1954 Pontiac (last year for the L-8) was a whopping 127hp with the high compression head (7.7:1 CR). They made a few parts for them but not many and they get pricey to build in a hurry. I've seen twin carb intakes. They do pop up at swaps/e-bay and even here but I could count how many on one hand. Cheapest I've seen yet was a corroded one for $450.00.
Search for Bonneville Betty here for Buick inspiration. Pontiac and Olds straight eight engines are smaller in displacement than most sixes. Dave Dozier had a fast Chrysler eight. Only one I ever saw. There is a Packard powered roadster seen here lots of times that looks good to me. Still I would go Buick if I was doing it at all.
1) (in theory) If I were to embark on this adventure....which straight 8 would be the best? Just my $0.02 Buick and Packard. Buick because of the OHV, Packard because of the displacement (327 and 359 ci)and bottom end strength (9 main bearings). 2) what kind of power ratings could be possible? 250 hp should be fairly attainable cheaply. Anything over that will start to cost cubic dollars. The '54 Packard 359 was rated at 212 hp and 330 ft-lbs of torque stock. 3) is it cheaper to build a strong Chrysler HEMI (doing that)? Yes, $ per hp would be cheaper with the Hemi, just not as much fun. 4) is the "California Bills book on hot rodding Chevy, GMC, and Buick 6&8s worth a hoot? No Idea. 5) fair trade for a '56 Desoto 330 w/tranny? Some of you may say Im crazy for that....but after 5 deploymnets...I may just be Depends, do you feel like it is? Good Luck
I kind of liked Bill Fishers book. Some things in there, like modifications for full oil filtering and such, are still true. But I was reading the GMC part. Didn't pay any attention to the Buick 8 part. Buick 6 engines would be so old as not to be covered. Maybe you could PM Jeff Brock of the Bombshell Betty Bonneville Buick here on the HAMB. He seems to know something about going fast and living with Buick power
They look kinda cool, but there is a reason they stopped making them over 50 years ago. Seems like building one for speed/power may be an exercise in throwing money away when less expensive options are available. Ever think about doing a 6? Could probably make more power for less $$$$. Want to be different? Try a Pontiac OHC 6 or a Chrysler slant 6.
i had a buick straight 8. it sounded cool with straight pipes. aftermarket parts are RARE and really hard to find or at least hard for me to find. try teambuick .com their is alot of great info along with some really smart guys on that site
I've got one for sale if anyone is looking. $400 offer. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5806240#post5806240
I love my Packard Straight 8. It's still a mostly stock 327 rated at 155hp 275ftlbs. It runs great, a lot of people never seen a straight 8 and I love the way everyone says Holy SHT when I pop the hood. I picked a 4 barrel intake and I plan on making some headers to bump up the HP a little. The down side to straight 8s is they are heavy but they are still really cool.
Don't forget Studebaker, they had the best finish in the INDY 500 with a stock block 8 back in the 1930's. Have to check my books think it was 4th place in 1934.
Buick 263 has insert bearings and hydraulic lifters ohv and is cool looking. I have one in my '50 super
Having been the unhappy owner of a Pontiac with a straight 8, I'd say if you want an underpowered gas hog that won't get out of it's own way, and is VERY prone to eat it's exhaust valves, then crack the cylinder walls that's the perfect choice!
well id like to get this Pontiac st.8 I got sittin in the floor runnin but im not that damn interested. anyone want one with the trany included cheap.....
Rich I am with ya on the Buick mill. I have tinkered with several str8t 8s and seem to have an affection for the Buick mill that I don't have for the others. I can't say that it is the best of all of them but I just like it better. V-8s as a rule are easier and cheaper, but sometimes the road to extasy is a just full of pot holes.
Thats the point, isnt it? The classic high performance proportions are a long hood and a short deck. The honest reason for that is the inline eight engine used in the early performance cars. When I see a V8 in a long-nosed car and theres 18 inches of room at either end (Lincoln Mk. IV, anyone?), it just looks wrong. I agree with the poster that suggested the Buick or Packard engines as starting points for a clean-slate build. Ive always heard the Pontiac engines were the worst of the bunch because they were built down to a price instead of up to a standard. But I will admit to knowing nothing about the Chrysler engines or most of the pre-war stuff. As with most of this old stuff, its a labor of love because it will never produce the objective return on investment of a proven combination.
As an aside, not all packard 8s had 9 main bearings. Some had five. I vote for the packard still. I always wanted to do one with a Miller style head. With the packard you will go broke buying acorn nuts for the head.
Use a buick 320, not the 248/263. Make yourself, or have made for you a custom carb set up with multiple carbs. Hemi motors are cool but way over done. Straight 8 would be fairly unique
Was thinkn kinda outside the V-8 bun today. Kinda curious about Straight 8's. Here are my curiosities: 1) (in theory) If I were to embark on this adventure....which straight 8 would be the best? Best for what? My choice would be Packard, second choice Buick. I'm a Chrysler fan but certain parts are now very scarce and hard to get. Packard and Buick have the best support. 2) what kind of power ratings could be possible? Highest HP automotive straight eight ever, 212HP 1954 Packard Cavalier/Patrician 359 cu in. 125 - 150 more typical. Whatever engine you pick, increasing the HP by 25% or so is not too difficult. More than that is very difficult and so is making the engine survive. 3) is it cheaper to build a strong Chrysler HEMI (doing that)? Yes. The hemi has more HP stock, and is easier to hop up. A Chev small block or big block even easier and cheaper. Basically the OHV V8 starts where the straight eight left off. 4) is the "California Bills book on hot rodding Chevy, GMC, and Buick 6&8s worth a hoot? Don't know, never read it but have heard good things about it. 5) fair trade for a '56 Desoto 330 w/tranny? Some of you may say Im crazy for that....but after 5 deploymnets...I may just be Depends what you want. The DeSoto is a better engine and will offer better performance. A straight eight has lots of power for normal driving but is not as good a hot rod, racing or performance choice. The straight eight is mostly to be different and for the nostalgia kick. Does not have to be real expensive. A friend of mine rebuild his Packard straight eight for $1000 investment in parts. A mild hop up might cost another $1000 or less.
I have a packard straight 8 that is not running, still in car but will be replaced, but i do want to keep it and possibly use it in something. What i want to find is a good source (articles, books or manuals) on how to rebuild the motor? know of any sources? thought you might since you have one, mine is from 1949 deluxe eight... it should be a 288 c.i. 130 hp motor...
Chrysler was touting the reliability and dependability of their straight-8 engine in hopes of doing well against the V8 Cadillacs, Olds, and others. Just a few short months later they were calling the straight-8 engines old-fashioned and under-powered as they introduced their Henmi-head V8 line.
What are you doing this for, street or Bonneville ? If its a race motor you should get a rule book first. I personally think the Buick has the most potentail going by Salt Cat & Bonneville Betty, both multiple record holders. As for street, whatever turns you on. Keep in mind that theres nothing cheap about getting big power out of old engines
I recently purchased a Packard 327-4bbl and a 288-2bbl. The Packard's are long and heavy but I think the big Buick's are even heavier. The Packard's seem to be a solid, reliable design, with a good service history.
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