Author Topic: I finally got to watch Two-Lane Blacktop (Read 841 times)

Roscoroo · « **Reply #15 on:** February 01, 2008, 11:38:30 AM »

it was a RA3 GTO .. RA4's have a very distintive exhaust note (round ports)

the Gto shoulda been two days ahead easily ...that ole 55 with the rockcrusher and 4.10 ---.88 or so gears woulda wore itself out the 1st day.

(row the boat)

now speaking of Shelby's ... here's one ive worked on over the last 5 yrs ..its a very nice peice .
65 Shelby gt350r drooling allowed

Treize69 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 01, 2008, 12:26:15 PM »

Actually, I'm a die-hard Pony fanatic who doesn't like Shelbys. Does that make me some kind of freak?

I much prefer the Boss and Mach 1 to the the Shelbys- with the exception of the GT-350H, and that one I just like for the color combo.

Airscrew · « **Reply #17 on:** February 01, 2008, 12:38:01 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Treize69
Actually, I'm a die-hard Pony fanatic who doesn't like Shelbys. Does that make me some kind of freak?

Yes... it does...

I like them 65 - 70, fastbacks or convertibles, Shelbys, CobraJets, California Specials, GTs. I dont really care for the coupes or notchbacks.

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #18 on:** February 01, 2008, 12:44:17 PM »

The black 55 Chevy used in those movies actually had a Joe Reath built 427 Chevy with a tunnel ram and two 4 barrel carbs. It also had a 400 turbo automatic in it, despite all the sound track and movie shots that made it look and sound like a 4 speed car. Watch the crash in "American Graffiti" real close and you'll see the pan on the 400. Neither the 427 Chevy nor the 400 transmission were available in the 1962 setting of "American Graffiti".

At one time a guy here local owned both the black 55 Chevy and the yellow deuce.

lazs2 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2008, 11:14:28 AM »

well... not to put too fine a point on it but there was a big block chevy in 62.. 348/409/427 and.. there was a 3 speed turbo trans... you could also hook up trannies from other cars.. I had a 47 chevy coupe with a B&M hydro full manual body.

I believe the car in two lane blacktop had a 4 speed in it when the movie was filmed.. the turbo was added later.. could be wrong.

lazs

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2008, 12:35:55 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
well... not to put too fine a point on it but there was a big block chevy in 62.. 348/409/427 and.. there was a 3 speed turbo trans... you could also hook up trannies from other cars.. I had a 47 chevy coupe with a B&M hydro full manual body.

I believe the car in two lane blacktop had a 4 speed in it when the movie was filmed.. the turbo was added later.. could be wrong.

lazs

I had a 409. It was a 1963 409/425. The 427 version came in 1963, it was known as the Z-11. It was not the same as the 427 in the 55 Chevy. It was NOT a big block. It was a "W" motor. It shared main bearing spacing, rocker arm ratio, and valve sizing with the later introduced (1965) big block. Even then the big block introduced in 1965 was a 396, and not a 427. The crankshafts, oil pumps, and rocker arms can be interchanged, but little else can. Having owned both a 409/425, and now racing a 427/425, I can tell you they are cousins, but they ain't brothers.

The old Hydramatic transmissions had little in common with the 400 Turbo-Hydramatic, introduced in 1965. There were some "pull ahead" versions of the 400 installed in 1964, in come Cadillacs.

The black 55 Chevy used for the movies was built by Joe Reath, and had a 427 Chevy with a Weiand tunnel ram and two 660 cfm Holley carburetors. The transmission was a 400 turbo. There were a couple of 2nd and 3rd unit cars built for filming, including the one that was wrecked at the end of American Graffiti. The "star" car that is seen in most of the shots has an automatic in it. There is of course "Foley" sound in the track that is a recording of a 4 speed car, and there are interior shots of a car with a 4 speed. There MAY be 2nd or 3rd unit shots of a car with a 4 speed in it.

lazs2 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2008, 10:59:37 AM »

virgil... Of course the W motor is not the same... some same things tho... as the current big block but it is a big block.. has the worst but sexiest heads in the world too.

I don't know if the car had a turbo or not.. I just know that in shots with the interior of the car the shifter was for a 4 speed and taylor was working a 4 speed in the shots of him shifting. He was shifting a 4 speed.

lazs

Roscoroo · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2008, 12:10:32 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
virgil... Of course the W motor is not the same... some same things tho... as the current big block but it is a big block.. has the worst but sexiest heads in the world too.

I don't know if the car had a turbo or not.. I just know that in shots with the interior of the car the shifter was for a 4 speed and taylor was working a 4 speed in the shots of him shifting. He was shifting a 4 speed.

lazs

< has 2lane bt ..and yea he rows the boat alot in that 55. and speaking of "W" mills .. I think i'll curl up on the one in the shop today .. (even has the z-11 Exhaust manifolds on it )

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2008, 04:55:22 PM »

W heads are not nearly so bad as you might imagine. The problem with W motors is the pistons weigh about 1500 grams (my 427/425HP Stock pistons weigh 680 grams). A W motor would be great in Stock if you could keep parts behind it. They're stick only, and in cars that weigh 3700 pounds. Even a Jericho 4 speed doesn't like that, and the 55-64 Chevy rearend is pretty iffy as well. The two piece driveshaft sucks, too.

lazs2 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 04, 2008, 08:54:59 AM »

55 chevies don't have 2 piece drive shafts.... that came out in 58

The W heads themselves are not the problem per se but they do cause the pistons to be heavy sooooo in the end.. it is a head design problem.

55-64 rear is crap.. the worst of the bunch. ten and twelve bolt out of camaros would bolt right in tho.. did it a bunch of times.

On my healey.. I use a 56 rear but a posi with danna 44 spider gears and ford ends.. that way I can run 30 spline axles instead of the puny 17 that you could twist like a pretzel.. the ring and pinion is strong enough.. marginal but.. with posi...

lazs

Roscoroo · « **Reply #25 on:** February 04, 2008, 09:47:06 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
W heads are not nearly so bad as you might imagine. The problem with W motors is the pistons weigh about 1500 grams (my 427/425HP Stock pistons weigh 680 grams). A W motor would be great in Stock if you could keep parts behind it. They're stick only, and in cars that weigh 3700 pounds. Even a Jericho 4 speed doesn't like that, and the 55-64 Chevy rearend is pretty iffy as well. The two piece driveshaft sucks, too.

thats why we put a pontiac or 9 inchers in them ..hell the wheels on the local shoping cart were stronger . .. put the 9 inch in .. stroke it to 454 and now we get to pick up 4sp countershafts off the street ..LOL

as for those clankity billy club pistons .. you can get 800-950g now so there not too bad anymore .. and alum heads are available (at a decient $)

2 peice drive shafts showed back up in 60-61 ..want one ? (if i trip over it again)

our 3 58's here all have 1 peice .. but i could be wrong .

now how about the companion flanged 58 buick rears .. leaky leaky

lazs2 · « **Reply #26 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:34:22 PM »

came out in 58.. 59 model year.

The buick one is a nightmare.. my son had a 57 buick.. great looking car.. nice nailhead motor.. better grill than the olds (in my opinion) but that crap driveshaft and worthless turbo something 3 speed auto.

lazs