What's with David Vizard and Big Block Chevy's?
Discussion
I can hardly believe getting, just in the last 24 hours, a half a dozen PM's from readers asking what my 'obsession' is concerning Chevy's big block engines. Some have even questioned my loyalty toward Mini's and mini owners. Well let me make it clear I still think that Mini's (the original one that is) are still one of, if not the most fun car to drive. But there is a limit - engine size - and at the end of the day they are only small engines. The biggest I have built, with David Anton at APT in Riverside CA. was 1622 cc. After putting out monstrous numbers for a NA engine on the chassis dyno David took it out for a test drive. He arrived back at the shop just a few minutes later with a disappointed look on his face. This bothered me. I asked "well - what the hell did it go like"? He responded "no good". "What do you mean no good - it's got 140 hp at the wheels"! David response - "it's no good - you can blow the tires off it in third gear - can't put the power down anywhere (it had race tires on at that)"! I realized too late I was being taken for a good houmoured ride - should have known better. The moral here same as ever - there is no substiute for cubic inches (except a turbo).
So that brings me back to the Chevy Big Block - I have to say here and now I am a racer through and through. When it comes to engine size my motto (adopted from Hot Rod's Stroker McGurk) is:- 'If some is good then more must be better and too much must be just right'.
Even a wrecking yard rebuild with only about 480 inches and on a tight budget leaves the dyno with a 700 plus hp score card along with 630 ft-lbs of torque (at least it does if you know what you are doing). Still at a very moderate cost (under $9,000) I can put together a pump gas totally streetable 800 hp 735 lbs-ft 525 incher.
What I like about big blocks is that they are really big. On the dyno or in the car you feel they make the ground shake - yes I would have to say at least a 5 on the Richter scale. When the budget is not so tight the numbers go really high. The 712 incher (11.7 litres)that I am working on now with my ProStock friend Terry Walters (check out his 200 mph crash at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48sLUOJZvw) has already pumped out some 1060 ft-lbs of torque and is hovering just below 1350 hp. I will be really ticked off if we don't pass the 1400 hp mark on what is still not that costly an engine. You can hear a couple of my BB Chevys run on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCG1LSNU3zk&fea... and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzEXHBbivM&fea... Turn the volume up. Unfortunately you will have to imagine the low frequency noise as your speakers won't handle it. On the street these engines speak nothing but authority. No-body challenges you to a race to the next lights!
And to answer a couple of guys who asked what I am racing now (among other things)here it is:-
This is a 1979 Chevy Malibu - It has to weigh in at 3100lbs with driver. I race this with my friend David McCoig. After the last race we took it to the track with what could best be described as a our prototype 358 (5.8 litres) engine for 2012. We run this on the 1/8 mile and our best run on that last time out was 6.31 at 109.1 mph. Rules call for a spec tire so hooking up is a little problematical. After much in the way of trials and tribulations we got the 60 ft down to a 1.31 seconds with the fastest in the class at 1.29. Still our mph on our $7200 engine is at 109.1 about a mph over the record set by a $20,000 420 inch car at 108.1.
So why are David McCoig and I running a small block instead of a BB? Simple we don't have the money to buy whats needed for a good rolling Big block chassis. It's no good short changing things here. The better you are at building a BB the more important it becomes to have a good chassis. Even a low buck BB will, in race trim, be over 1000 hp and that's with no nitrous.
I have had so many pro engine builders ask me what is the key to my street motors making such good low speed output while making really good top end - all on pump gas.
Answer - don't use intake ports that are too big and make sure the cam events are what the motor wants not what you think it should have like it or not (and so many folk get it wrong here).
David Vizard
So that brings me back to the Chevy Big Block - I have to say here and now I am a racer through and through. When it comes to engine size my motto (adopted from Hot Rod's Stroker McGurk) is:- 'If some is good then more must be better and too much must be just right'.
Even a wrecking yard rebuild with only about 480 inches and on a tight budget leaves the dyno with a 700 plus hp score card along with 630 ft-lbs of torque (at least it does if you know what you are doing). Still at a very moderate cost (under $9,000) I can put together a pump gas totally streetable 800 hp 735 lbs-ft 525 incher.
What I like about big blocks is that they are really big. On the dyno or in the car you feel they make the ground shake - yes I would have to say at least a 5 on the Richter scale. When the budget is not so tight the numbers go really high. The 712 incher (11.7 litres)that I am working on now with my ProStock friend Terry Walters (check out his 200 mph crash at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48sLUOJZvw) has already pumped out some 1060 ft-lbs of torque and is hovering just below 1350 hp. I will be really ticked off if we don't pass the 1400 hp mark on what is still not that costly an engine. You can hear a couple of my BB Chevys run on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCG1LSNU3zk&fea... and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzEXHBbivM&fea... Turn the volume up. Unfortunately you will have to imagine the low frequency noise as your speakers won't handle it. On the street these engines speak nothing but authority. No-body challenges you to a race to the next lights!
And to answer a couple of guys who asked what I am racing now (among other things)here it is:-
This is a 1979 Chevy Malibu - It has to weigh in at 3100lbs with driver. I race this with my friend David McCoig. After the last race we took it to the track with what could best be described as a our prototype 358 (5.8 litres) engine for 2012. We run this on the 1/8 mile and our best run on that last time out was 6.31 at 109.1 mph. Rules call for a spec tire so hooking up is a little problematical. After much in the way of trials and tribulations we got the 60 ft down to a 1.31 seconds with the fastest in the class at 1.29. Still our mph on our $7200 engine is at 109.1 about a mph over the record set by a $20,000 420 inch car at 108.1.
So why are David McCoig and I running a small block instead of a BB? Simple we don't have the money to buy whats needed for a good rolling Big block chassis. It's no good short changing things here. The better you are at building a BB the more important it becomes to have a good chassis. Even a low buck BB will, in race trim, be over 1000 hp and that's with no nitrous.
I have had so many pro engine builders ask me what is the key to my street motors making such good low speed output while making really good top end - all on pump gas.
Answer - don't use intake ports that are too big and make sure the cam events are what the motor wants not what you think it should have like it or not (and so many folk get it wrong here).
David Vizard
Edited by David Vizard on Saturday 7th January 18:34
Edited by David Vizard on Saturday 7th January 18:35
stevieturbo said:
There is a substitute...boost 
The big engines do fit in the big cars....but does it make them faster than a smaller engine in a smaller car ?
A lot of them just make a lot of noise
Although 815hp for $12500 doesnt sound bad
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MLL-PS6320CTC/
I'm sure there are others with even more power for the money.
Steve, The big engines do fit in the big cars....but does it make them faster than a smaller engine in a smaller car ?
A lot of them just make a lot of noise
Although 815hp for $12500 doesnt sound bad
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MLL-PS6320CTC/
I'm sure there are others with even more power for the money.
There might be engines out there that run 87 octane that provide more power for the money - I just have never found them - if you can point me in the right direction as I would like to know.
Thanks
DV
stevieturbo said:
My last comment was simply down to the one I liked is simply an off the shelf unit available from a big retailer.
SO I'd think there are some smaller builders perhaps offering better for similar money ?
Or maybe Summit's buying power is so great nobody can match or better their value ?
Stevieturbo,SO I'd think there are some smaller builders perhaps offering better for similar money ?
Or maybe Summit's buying power is so great nobody can match or better their value ?
By the comments within the industry that I am hearing filter down the grapevine this output for this money and on 87 octane fuel is seeing very little competition. The designer of the 320 cc port street cylinder heads, Reher/Morrison Prostock head guru Darin Morgan, told me that something in the region of 720 or so hp was the highest he had heard of. Indeed the RM street 540 with this head design (ported on Walters/Vizard 555) were about 100 hp less. This engine has provided much in the way of unique editorial material that I will be passing on to the BB Chevy enthusiast. If there is something out there that does make more for the buck and size on 87 octane fuel I really would like to know about it. Asking someone else could save me a ton of money on the research for my Volume II BB Chevy book as well as speed up it's production. Do me a favor my friend - keep your eyes and ears peeled and let me know if you see/hear of anything on this subject.
Thanks
DV
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