Mustang gets SPLIT IN HALF during street race!

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
It's insane the horsepower that can be achieved these days; It's not uncommon to see street cars with more than 1000 HP under the hood....something that was once only seen in Pro Stockers and the like.

I don't build very many performance engines any more...a few for my own use. But I've got two different friends that run performance engine shops and the work they are turning out these days is mind boggling.

You can buy...literally off the shelf...and all-aluminum 445 cubic inch Ford Cleveland that will put out over 800HP naturally aspirated...for example.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
It's insane the horsepower that can be achieved these days; It's not uncommon to see street cars with more than 1000 HP under the hood....something that was once only seen in Pro Stockers and the like.

I don't build very many performance engines any more...a few for my own use. But I've got two different friends that run performance engine shops and the work they are turning out these days is mind boggling.

You can buy...literally off the shelf...and all-aluminum 445 cubic inch Ford Cleveland that will put out over 800HP naturally aspirated...for example.

Who in the waning days of the 70s woulda thunk that someday you could stroll into virtually any dealership of the Big Three and walk out with an honest to god over 600hp machine that same day. That gets between 15-20 or better mpg on pump gas, and could be expected to go over 100K without doing more than fluids and plugs?

And that doesnt touch factory built specials like the Demon or the upper level Mustangs.

Or that you could spend a bit more on a five seater luxury battery powered car that could match them all on the strip?

We live in the Golden Age of horsepower.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
We live in the Golden Age of horsepower.

Indeed. I was a red neck hot rodder in the 70s..when the guys that had an honest 400+ HP under the hood were the kinds of the road. The 327-365 in my '57 Chevy was an evil running engine, for example. But it ran like poo on anything less than 100 octane fuel too.


The engine in my Pantera is fairly old school; built in the 90s by a Pantera race prep shop, its a 351C with 4 Weber IDA 2V carbs and 2-stage port-injected NOS. On the second button, it was dynoed at 725HP. On just the carbs alone, its right at 400HP, 70HP above what the stock Pantera engine was. By today's standards...that's a pittance.

If money allows..I'll have one of those 800HP all-aluminum Clevelands in the Pant some day. Or not..;-)
 
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