BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/BangShift-Question-of-the-Day-What-s-the-Biggest-Under-Dog-Engine.html

[ford141]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Ford 300 inline six ;D

[dieselgeek]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Cadillac v8s come to mind. Who knew a stock crank and block would take 2100hp?


GM Atlas engines are unsung heroes, for sure (4.2 liter straight six).

[studemax]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Nailheads have gotten little respect since Tommy Ivo went to a Hemi.

[BBR]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

I'm gonna have to go with the 318 Dodge.

It lived it's life overshadowed by it's 340/360 inch cousins, yet still displaces 16 cubes more than Ford's ubiquitous 5.0L.

Way way overlooked and underrated IMO.

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

I obviously gotta vote AMC 390/401/TA-304 V8 Family ;D

Be aware that I am not a "Life-Long" AMCr, I was attracted to the stuff years ago when I re-entered the car hobby.

One of the main things that attracted me to the brand was the underdog status and the success derived from their hardware in both Pro-Stock, off-Road, and various Road Racing ventures.

Underdogs are easy to find, but underdogs that occasionally took down the giant is another.


I also have a soft spot for the 350 small block Olds(W-31) and Buicks.

[nickleone]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Lead picture is not an AMC 390. Distributor is in the wrong place.

I just sold my 390 V8 powered SX/4 AWD Rally car last Saturday.

Nick

[racerjim]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

2 and 3 valve modular Fords.

[CutlassSMan]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Lead photo is an Olds. It gets my vote.

[Birdman]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Jeep HO 4.0L inline-six.

[dee_dee_railed]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

I second the sixes. Ford's Big, Jeep's 4.0, Dodge's Slant, and even GM's Stovebolt, as well as others, can make impressive numbers with the right mix of parts and a bit of persuasion.
BMW still offers a 3.0L twin turbo DOHC 24V Six rated to 300HP, and recommends oil changes every 15,000 miles.
I've heard that Vic Edlebrock once bench tested a Willy's F Head to 12 grand without failure.

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

The Six stuff is great for all of its utility, but underdog? No way :P.

An underdog is something that steps up and blackens the eye of one of the big dogs. No utility-based American I6 has ever done that (If so educate me, I love this kind of thing).

The 2 and 3 valve mod V8 was put in mustangs for a zillion years by the mighty Ford Motor Company. Underdog? No freakin' way.

The motor has to have won SOMETHING to get biggest underdog.

the best underdog engine is between Buick, Olds, Pontiac, AMC, Cady, and perhaps a few other independents. Didn?t Studabaker make some giant killer stuff at one time?? ???

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

The motor has to have won SOMETHING to get biggest underdog.

Like a Buick line of "Hemi Killer" cams for the 455 :D Ever since Muscle Car review placing the Buick GS quicker than all the Hemi's. I have to say it solidified it's reputation as an underdog. There still isn't a clear cut winner in OEM form.

You can just barely make out "Buick GS Stage 1" beneath the 427 Cobra and the 427 Corvette :D

[nickleone]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

I stand sorrected I was looking at the blue engine and thinking that it was the AMC you were talking about .
Not the small picture next to the article.
I couldn't see the forrest for the trees.
Nick

[studemax]

Re: BangShift Question of the Day: What's the Biggest Underdog Engine?

Didn?t Studabaker make some giant killer stuff at one time?? ???

Ab Jenkins and some other drivers set driving records on public roads in Studebakers back in the 20's.

Studebaker used their President 8 straight eight in all their Indy cars back in the 30's. This was the era of the "junk formula" when the rules makers tried to have a basically stock motor.

Their Champion inline six was a stout little motor, hard to kill - but 170 cubic inches was hardly a killer.

Their supercharged 289 V8 did well in the '57 Golden Hawks and '60's Larks, Hawks, and Avanti's - Andy Granatelli even set some records on the salt with them.

Overall, Studebaker was better known for dependability and low operating costs from good mileage than any racing efforts.
Dean Moon had a 259 V8 in his Deuce coupe for awhile, and others made headlines with Studebaker power, but none have garnered the reputation of the Big Three automakers when it comes to big power.