1968 Road Runner '383' vs. 1968 Competition

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69 Cuda 440

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1968 Road Runner '383' vs. Mid-Size Muscle

Make___________Engine____________Shipping Weight___Wt/HP

Road Runner 383 {383/335 HP} ................ #3424 ................ 10.22

Super Bee 383 {383/335 HP} ................... #3440 ................ 10.26

Chevelle SS 396 {396/350 HP} .................. #3549 ................ 10.14

Buick GS 400 {400/340 HP} ...................... #3512 ................ 10.33

Oldsmobile 4-4-2 {400/350 HP} ................ #3510 ............... 10.03

Oldsmobile Cutlass S {350/325 HP} ........... #3271 ............. 10.06

Pontiac GTO {400/350 HP} ......................... #3506 ............ 10.01

Fairlane 390 GT {390/325 HP} .................... #3429 ........... 10.55

Cyclone 390 GT {390/325 HP} ..................... #3487 ........... 10.73

American Motors Rebel SST {390/315 HP} .. #3443 ........... 10.93
 
Looks pretty evenly matched, the Buick & Olds might have an edge.
I've driven 390 Fairlane (14.80) & a 1969 Olds 442 (14.42).
That Buick with the tork can be a killer.
I would match it up to the rest of the group.
 
Mike,

The 'Sleeper in the Group' was the 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass 'S' ~ Ram Rod.

A very light car, with a 350/325 HP.
 
2 more 'sleepers'.

1968 Chevelle Malibu 'Sport Coupe' with the 327/325 HP 'L-79'
Note; {4-Speed only cars}

#3310 lbs. = 10.18 Wt/HP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

1968 Pontiac Lemans ~ 350 H.O. {350/320 HP}

# 3287 lbs. = 10.26 Wt/HP
 
Another sleeper: in 1968, you could get a 375HP 396 in a 2900lb base-model Nova!
 
That's an amazing bunch of cars!! There's a lot of cars in there that I'd LOVE to own!!
 
I've been around a most of those cars in some fashion over time, and with the proper gear, the "Ram Rod" Olds 350 was generally the fastest of the group, imo. With even a little bite, and tuned well, high 13's were more the norm then the exception.

It's ironic, i always believed the 350 Olds was the closest cousin to the 340.....dimension wise. With the 6" rods & 2.00 int valves on the RR/W31 engines, they were very similar. Sadly those engines had rocker gear that was "toy" like. lol. Then came the later 403.....Sized very close to our 383/400 Mopars, big bore/short stroke. :smile:
 
69 cuda 440 ... loves the 1968 383 roadrunner this is like your 5th or 6th match race/muscle car comparison of this great car, and this is a A body site !!! Keep the 383 roadrunner stuff up:thumleft:
 

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For durability,

In 1968, the Road Runner and Super Bee {383/335 HP} were the best of the
mid-size Musclecars.

The drive-train was 'beyond' durable, it was indestructible.

And I don't ever remember a 383 coming into my father's Machine Shop
that was 'blown up'.

Even the tired ones would hold up.
 
OldmanRick said:
I've been around a most of those cars in some fashion over time, and with the proper gear, the "Ram Rod" Olds 350 was generally the fastest of the group, imo. With even a little bite, and tuned well, high 13's were more the norm then the exception.

It's ironic, i always believed the 350 Olds was the closest cousin to the 340.....dimension wise. With the 6" rods & 2.00 int valves on the RR/W31 engines, they were very similar. Sadly those engines had rocker gear that was "toy" like. lol. Then came the later 403.....Sized very close to our 383/400 Mopars, big bore/short stroke. :smile:
Click to expand...

O-M-R,

I got to ride in a 1968 Cutlass 'Ram Rod' back in the day. The kid who had it, had traded
in his 1966 Olds '4-4-2' in 1968 to get the new 'Ram Rod'.

I had no idea of what it was at the time. It was very quick. And off the line, it felt like
an Elephant had stepped on the rear bumper. The nose came up fast.

Both the Road Runner and 'Ram Rod' were classed in {E/S} back in 1968.
 
i don't remember any in the group really being much of a performer, but never drove a ram rod.
the 400 gto was o.k.
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
O-M-R,

I got to ride in a 1968 Cutlass 'Ram Rod' back in the day. The kid who had it, had traded
in his 1966 Olds '4-4-2' in 1968 to get the new 'Ram Rod'.

I had no idea of what it was at the time. It was very quick. And off the line, it felt like
an Elephant had stepped on the rear bumper. The nose came up fast.

Both the Road Runner and 'Ram Rod' were classed in {E/S} back in 1968.
Click to expand...


The one I rode in was owned by a senior in my first year of high school.....around 1974, I think...lol. It was a F85, 4spd, with 4.33's. It had Cragar's, 8's in rear, with 60 series Polyglas tires. Other then a good tune, that was it.

I quote some et's/mph's here on occasion that probably look a little quick to some guys. Probably because one of our Maryland tracks, 75-80, was known to be a "little fast" :D and the other main one's I raced on, Budds Creek & Capitol, were only 100' or so above sea level.
 
O-M-R,

The 1968 'Ram Rod' had great front fender emblems.

glenmorris02.jpg


 
I have always Liked the Ram rod- My mother had a 68 Cutlas supreme with the 350 rocket way back , she used to race lots of cars and win she called it old betsy LOL
 
Depends on who preps the cars. LOL.

The list brings to mind a group that Car and Driver brought together for some head-to-head testing at Bridgehampton road course in New York. IIRC, the Cyclone arrived in a Bill Stroppe transporter and ran great until it caught fire. The Super Bee was a little quicker than normal, too. Among other things the 383 had a Hemi exhaust system (2.25 vs 2.0). The GTO was absurdly fast with a "Bobcat" modded 428 under the hood. Yes I know a 400 was the only block size in a 68 GTO. Ace Wilson in Royal Oaks, Michigan would do the job for a mere $650 back in the day.
 
Every car I ever owned, besides the performance, had to meet the criteria that I could sit in a chair, stare at it for hours, and it still made me feel good :D. As far as the one's listed here, most didn't do it for me.....

The RR would be my favorite, closely followed by the Ford/Mercury cars & then the Rebel. I clearly prefer straight/boxy clean lines.

As far as the 68's, i don't care for the Olds, i hate the Buick, the Chevelle & GTO taillights sucked vs the 69's, and the Super Bee was just a little too "foofoo" for me paired next to the GTX.

Now that I put my visual opinion out there.......If I was to buy one of these cars new to run the "wee" out of, it would be a.......wait for it.......68' GTO, with a Round port RamAirII 400, a M21 4spd (2.20 1st gear), and the 4.33 safe-t-track gear. That with manual steering, manual disks, and obviously no a/c, would have been as stout as anything on the street in a mid sized car shy of a well geared Street Hemi. I saw numbers showing only 246 RAII GTO's were built, auto and 4spd? If so, wish i could have grabbed #247!
 
Performance Wise,

You could make the 383 {Road Runner or Super Bee} run nicely on the 'street'
with just a few 'Mods'.

'Package Stock' Dealer Option
* Camshaft 'Hydraulic' ........... .484" Lift / 284* Duration / 56* Overlap
* Matched Lifters .................. -.0005" Undersized
* Edelbrock Intake ................ #DP4B
* Holley 780 CFM Carburetor... #3310-1

* 3.91 or 4.10 Gears, and you were good to go.

Note: You didn't need Headers for the Street, as the 440 Exhaust Manifolds {2.50" Outlets} were
more than adequate for exhaust flow breathing.
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
Performance Wise,

You could make the 383 {Road Runner or Super Bee} run nicely on the 'street'
with just a few 'Mods'.

'Package Stock' Dealer Option
* Camshaft 'Hydraulic' ........... .484" Lift / 284* Duration / 56* Overlap
* Matched Lifters .................. -.0005" Undersized
* Edelbrock Intake ................ #DP4B
* Holley 780 CFM Carburetor... #3310-1

* 3.91 or 4.10 Gears, and you were good to go.

Note: You didn't need Headers for the Street, as the 440 Exhaust Manifolds {2.50" Outlets} were
more than adequate for exhaust flow breathing.
Click to expand...

Sounds like my first car. Similar camshaft specs from Sig Erson. The DP4B was fantastic, 3.91 gears were perfect and mine also had a set of Dougs Headers. Bench seat and column shifted torqueflite.

Fear not any Chevelle or Camaro I ever met up with. This car's life was of street racing 7 nights a week, even in the winter, barring snowing and ice.

The very short list of significant challengers were a built 396/375 '70 Nova on 9" slicks, a '69 Ford notchback Torino Cobra with a 428 SCJ Drag Pack, 2-4's, headers and 4.30 gears and a '69 Firebird with a 400 Ram Air II or III (can't remember).

I wish I had it back. It would still look like a 383 but would now be a 550 hp 470" stroker.
 
OldmanRick said:
Every car I ever owned, besides the performance, had to meet the criteria that I could sit in a chair, stare at it for hours, and it still made me feel good :D. As far as the one's listed here, most didn't do it for me.....

The RR would be my favorite, closely followed by the Ford/Mercury cars & then the Rebel. I clearly prefer straight/boxy clean lines.

As far as the 68's, i don't care for the Olds, i hate the Buick, the Chevelle & GTO taillights sucked vs the 69's, and the Super Bee was just a little too "foofoo" for me paired next to the GTX.

Now that I put my visual opinion out there.......If I was to buy one of these cars new to run the "wee" out of, it would be a.......wait for it.......68' GTO, with a Round port RamAirII 400, a M21 4spd (2.20 1st gear), and the 4.33 safe-t-track gear. That with manual steering, manual disks, and obviously no a/c, would have been as stout as anything on the street in a mid sized car shy of a well geared Street Hemi. I saw numbers showing only 246 RAII GTO's were built, auto and 4spd? If so, wish i could have grabbed #247!
Click to expand...
A friend restores G.T.O's . His daily driver/ street hero ride . 4:10's /M21/ 400 blue printed.(pocket work/headers / 650 vac Holley spread bore(!!)/ R.A.IV cam). Best all around daily driver ,I have ever seen.(streetable, run low twelve's & no adjustment). Miss it.
 
Stock Camshaft Comparison


Mopar 383/335 HP .................... .450"/458" ........... 268*/284* ....... 46* ........ 115*

Chevrolet 396/350 HP ............... .461"/.480" .......... 300*/300*........ 72* ....... 115*

Chevrolet 327/325 HP ................ 447"/.447" .......... 306*/306* ....... 78* ...... 114*

Buick 400/340 HP ...................... .419"/.449".......... 260*/276* ........ 54*....... 113*

Oldsmobile 400/350 HP ............. .472"/.472" ......... 286*/286* ........ 58* ...... 115*

Oldsmobile 350/325 HP ............. .474"/.474" ......... 308*/308* ........ 86* ...... 115*

Pontiac 400/350 HP ................... .421"/.421" ......... 273*/283* ........ 55* ...... 116*

Pontiac 350/320 HP .................. .421"/.421" .......... 273*/283* ........ 55* ...... 116*

Ford 390/325 HP ........................ 481"/.490" .......... 270*/290* ........ 46* ...... 115*

Mercury 390/325 HP .................. .481"/.490" ......... 270*/290* ........ 46* ...... 115*

American Motors 390/315 HP .... .425"/.425" ......... 266*/266* ........ 44* ...... 112*
 
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