OK, I need help with something...........

nuch_ss396 · #1 08-25-2006, 04:43 AM

I was just watching an episode of The American Muscle Car
and I saw something that caught my attention. During the
shows, they routinely show the featured car racing down the
track against various other muscle cars. In this episode,
they showed a 1974 Trans-Am out running a '69 Yenko Camaro
down the quarter mile. I ain't buying that!

Is this just a way to spot light the "power" of the feature
car? I guess I never paid attention to it before.

**Xplantdad** · #2 08-25-2006, 05:13 AM

I'm thinking if that 74 Trans Am is an SD455 it could be a close race depending on the driver

**MosportGreen66** · #3 08-25-2006, 05:23 AM

Was going to say the same thing. If the car happened to be a super duty, the torque on the thing must out-number that of the L72. Also, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't drag rading have a lot to do with the driver? If the Yenko's driver was subpar compared to that of the TA, then that might be the answer to your question.

nuch_ss396 · #4 08-25-2006, 05:25 AM

Bruce,

Those '74 SD-455's were rated in the upper 300's as far as HP, weren't they?
It just looked like the Yenko driver
pulled off the power and let the Trans-Am pull away. Are
those races staged? Anyone know who's Yenko was featured
in this segment?

Steve

**MosportGreen66** · #5 08-25-2006, 05:27 AM

Horsepower ain't everything though.

hp and Torque, weight ratio, rear end gear, transmission... all factor into overall speed

BBIGG BLOCK 396 · #6 08-25-2006, 06:43 AM

Maybe that Yenko Driver missed a gear!Or maybe he had some type of malfunction such as clutch,busted the distributor cap,could be a number of things.

Bobby Dodson

**mssl72** · #7 08-25-2006, 06:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I was just watching an episode of The American Muscle Car
.......I ain't buying that!

[/ QUOTE ]

Will that be cash or charge?

nuch_ss396 · #8 08-25-2006, 03:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I was just watching an episode of The American Muscle Car
.......I ain't buying that!

[/ QUOTE ]

Will that be cash or charge?

[/ QUOTE ]

Charge! But only after I see them race in person........

**Xplantdad** · #9 08-25-2006, 05:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Bruce,

Those '74 SD-455's were rated in the upper 300's as far as HP, weren't they?
It just looked like the Yenko driver
pulled off the power and let the Trans-Am pull away. Are
those races staged? Anyone know who's Yenko was featured
in this segment?

Steve

[/ QUOTE ]

Colin or Charley might have an insight on whether those races are staged or not. But from what I remember, the SD's HP rating was VERY conservatively estimated (insurance purposes). If I'm not mistaken...weren't the ratings near to or the same as a hemi (425 +/-)? On unleaded gasoline no less and with less compression?

**Bill Pritchard** · #10 08-25-2006, 06:11 PM

By '74 they were using net HP ratings, so numbers were way down from 70 and earlier. Not sure but I would guess a 74 SD455 would have been somewhere around 300 hp as rated from the factory

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