Mopar 1968 vs. The Competition

[69 Cuda 440]

'TMC' = Too Many Camaro's for 1968

Camaro............................. 327/275
Camaro SS 350................. 350/295
Z-28 Camaro.................... 302/290
Camaro SS 396................ 396/325
Camaro SS 396................ 396/350
Camaro SS 396................ 396/375

'TMN' = Too Many Nova's for 1968

Nova................................ 327/275
Nova 'L-79'...................... 327/325
Nova SS 350.................... 350/295
Nova SS 396.................... 396/350
Nova SS 396.................... 396/375
Nova SS 'Copo 9738'........ 427/425

'TMV' = Too Many Vette's for 1968

Corvette......................... 327/300
Corvette......................... 327/350
Corvette......................... 427/390
Corvette......................... 427/400
Corvette......................... 427/430
Corvette......................... 427/435

'TMM' = Too Many Malibu's for 1968

Chevelle......................... 327/275
Chevelle 'L-79'............... 327/325
Malibu SS 396................ 396/325
Malibu SS 396................ 396/350
Malibu SS 396................ 396/375

 

[MTmopars]

I too enjoy these comparison threads, but really dislike the personal attacks.

 

[mikedevore]

Cracked back dead on:
There was a 302 powered Z28 out here that would have handed most any 340 cuda it's *** back in the late 70's and early 80's unless the cuda had W2's.
Absolutely dead on,if you did your homework. Not real hard to build your own 302,do the research.

Missing the point here.
These comparisons are stock for stock, not modified.
I can modify a 340 & kick a 302's ***, so what?
A friend of mine had a 1969 302 Camaro that ran in a IHRA class back in the 80's.
Not sure of the class, but it had a Dana rear & 4-speed.
Roller cam & aluminun manifold. Ran 12.30's while spinning @ 8000 RPMs.
Meanwhile, I was running a Duster bracket car with a stock short block 340 Mildly ported heads & MP solid cam with an auto.
It was running 11.70's 7 could run all season.
So yea, those 302's were real killers. NOT!

 

[1968FormulaS340]

The 302 was an extremely capable engine in the world it was designed for. The only reason the 302 was ever made was to meet homologation rules for Trans Am.

So the 67-69 Z/28 may not have been the most potent car on the street but it could compete professionally in Trans Am, where a 68-69 GTS 340 or 340 Formula S, couldn't even set a tire on the track.

 

[69 Cuda 440]

Z-28 Camaro in the NHRA,

In 1967, when they first hit the 1967 Campaign Season, the 1967 Z-28 #2955 lb.
302/290 HP car was classed in B/Stock {9.50 - 10.59 Wt/Hp}.

They were a potent car and several NHRA Racers put together a string of Division and
Regional wins, including the Musser Brothers out of Pennsylvania, who were one of the most
dominant, running 12.60's in B/Stock during 1967.

Dave and Ben Wenzel {Michigan} won the 1967 Indy Nationals 'Stock Eliminator' with their
67' Z-28 Camaro {B/Stock}.

And more than a few Racers did very well in Super/Stock 'SS/E', as they could stay
close to the 'new' 67' 440 Mopars.

Their success in 1967, forced the NHRA to re-factor the 302/290 HP to 315 HP for
the 1968 season.

In 1968, the 68' Z-28 {3050 lbs.} was classed in D/Stock {9.50 - 9.99 Wt/Hp} and
the 'lighter' 67' Z-28 {2955 lbs.} was classed in C/Stock {9.00 - 9.49 Wt/Hp}.

In 1968 , most who ran in Super/Stock, went with the 1968 Z-28 {SS/F} as it had a better
weight break than the 67' Z-28 {SS/E}.

* The Z-28 was a 4-Speed Only Car.

 

[mikedevore]

The 302 was an extremely capable engine in the world it was designed for. The only reason the 302 was ever made was to meet homologation rules for Trans Am.

So the 67-69 Z/28 may not have been the most potent car on the street but it could compete professionally in Trans Am, where a 68-69 GTS 340 or 340 Formula S, couldn't even set a tire on the track.

That I agree with.
I would say that the dealerships misreprsented there performance as a street brawler.
My cousin ran a guy three times to convince him that his 340 Dart wasn't a fluke.
The guy came away saying, they told me that nothing could touch this Z28.

I would have liked to seen Chrysler's Trans-Am effort to have ran the A-body with 305 engines.
The early ones with the 273 seemed to work well, even without factory support.
This could have been a game changer, but instead, Marketing got in the way.

 

[cudavert]

I think it needs to be said that the extra nearly 40 cubic inches on the Mopar's side has to account for a fairly sizable chunk of torque over the 302's peaky nature.

 

[69 Cuda 440]

Chevy Big Body

Impala...................... 327/250
Impala...................... 327/275
Impala SS 396.......... 396/325
Impala SS 427.......... 427/385
Impala SS 427.......... 427/425