Quote:
Originally Posted by ponyakr
"...I think that a '74 Trans Am would win, based on its horsepower and aerodynamics, as well as its forged rods and pistons..."
I'm thinkin the 744 spec cam would be the limiting factor. But, an SD455 Bird, with the 041 spec cam & 2.41 gears would have been pretty fast.
"...a Ram Air IV-powered anything...the cars those engines came in were bricks..."
Just curious, how much faster do you think a '74 Bird would be than a '70 Bird, with exactly the same engine/gears ? Or, said another way, how much slower would a '70 Bird body be, than a '74 Bird body ?  |
As far as the aerodynamics, I wasn't thinking so much about the 88 LS1 1970 Trans Ams that were built, though they were far more slippery than a 1969 GTO or Firebird. Nevertheless, I stand by my statement, as in this case, I think peak torque is more of a factor than all-out horsepower. You can put 2.41 gears behind a 421 Super Duty but it won't have enough power to pull the gear to redline. That's why the NASCAR SDs typically came with 3.42 gears, because that was the highest (numerically lowest) gear they could pull to the redline.
To answer your question, I think that the 455 SD's superior torque would allow it to post a higher top speed than a Ram Air IV-powered '70 Trans Am. The difference is probably not that much, but keep in mind that the '74 has the advantage of slightly better aerodynamics, better peak torque and the availability of radial tires would no doubt add a few mph.