Q Ships

[Dwight Southerland]

I will throw in three for consideration.

1) 1957 DeSoto Adventurer, 392 Hemi with 2-4s, 375 hp. A friend of my older brother had one of these in high school and it would school many of the hot rods from a 30 mph roll.
2) 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado 455 400 hp. Although the hp was bogus (same engine in a 442 was 365 hp), the power was still there. My boss had one that I drove on a sales job when I was right out of college. It had so much torque steer from a dead stop that if it ever broke the tires loose hard, it would head straight for the ditch.
3) 1968 Carprice 427-425hp 4-speed. A college friend whose family owned a small town Chevrolet dealership had one at school. Leather seats, 8-track player, opera lights, wire hubcaps. The car stayed in the shop a lot with busted driveline parts. The rumpity-rump sound of that car always surprised people wherever he went.

[Paul Ceasrine]

1966 Pontiac 2 + 2

421 H.O. / 376 HP (Tri-Power)

I rode in one back in 1968, not at the Dragstrip, but on the
Taconic State Parkway...
Maybe the fastest highway car at 2-Ton +.

120 MPH +, no problem.

[Alex Denysenko]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

1966 Pontiac 2 + 2

421 H.O. / 376 HP (Tri-Power)

I rode in one back in 1968, not at the Dragstrip, but on the
Taconic State Parkway...
Maybe the fastest highway car at 2-Ton +.

120 MPH +, no problem.

Another one of my favorites as well Paul.



http://www.oldride.com/library/1965_pontiac_2+2.html

[Alex Denysenko]

Next: Mercury S55



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_S-55

[Greg Reimer 7376]

1965 Chev Impala SS 409/400 horse, 4 speed, 3.31 12 bolt RE. Something like 792 400 horse 409's built that year, total 409 production around 2812. Serious road monsters. I went to church when I was around 19 or 20 with a couple, he was a few years older then myself, he claimed to have had a robin's egg blue 409 400 4speed '65 SS hardtop with a white interior. I still worked at a gas station in the area, a customer came in with a light blue '65 Chevy, white interior, it was a Super Sport, 4 speed, and he needed a can of 30 wt Pennzoil put in it. I opened the hood, here was a 409, aluminum high rise, etc.I put in his oil, off they went, and later when I found out how rare that car was I suspected that it probably was the same car. He traded it in in 1968 for a new Caprice, I waited on it in 1975.Hope it still exists!

[Barnstorm]

Don't forget the 58 Mercury Super Marauder 430" 400hp 3x2 carb motor. Drove one back in the day in a station wagon with a 2.91 axle...wouldn't spin the tires!

[Paul Ceasrine]

Car & Track,

1966 Pontiac 2 + 2, with the 421 H.O. / 376 HP (Tri-Power)

Top Speed,,,,,, 137 MPH,,,,,,

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

1965 Chev Impala SS 409/400 horse, 4 speed, 3.31 12 bolt RE. Something like 792 400 horse 409's built that year, total 409 production around 2812. Serious road monsters. I went to church when I was around 19 or 20 with a couple, he was a few years older then myself, he claimed to have had a robin's egg blue 409 400 4speed '65 SS hardtop with a white interior. I still worked at a gas station in the area, a customer came in with a light blue '65 Chevy, white interior, it was a Super Sport, 4 speed, and he needed a can of 30 wt Pennzoil put in it. I opened the hood, here was a 409, aluminum high rise, etc.I put in his oil, off they went, and later when I found out how rare that car was I suspected that it probably was the same car. He traded it in in 1968 for a new Caprice, I waited on it in 1975.Hope it still exists!

A very rare and unusual page in Chevrolet's performance history. It was not as fast as the 396-425hp option that replaced it, though.

[Dan Bennett]

I agree with all the previous examples but I'll throw in one from far out in left field.

In 1970 only, the Eldorado was powered by a 500 cubic inch, 400 horsepower engine.

Of course it was a turtle off the line but I embarrassed a bunch of performance cars when they couldn't catch (or shake) me from a 20 mph punch.

It was an absolute barrel of monkeys on the interstate.

[Greg Reimer 7376]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

A very rare and unusual page in Chevrolet's performance history. It was not as fast as the 396-425hp option that replaced it, though.

Any idea how many 425 horse 396's were built? That was an awfully late car. 396's came out in Mid February'65.