back in the day, some people would run the L78 intake and Holley on the L34 or L35 sometimes with an aftermarket hyd cam.

there is a huge difference in the size and shape of the intake ports but they claim "it worked"

400 mile Camaro
 

Wow, just reading this thread, a great car with history. After reading so many magazines, now every other found car or still owned (in a barn/garage) has a story, and the funniest one is how they are unrestored except for paint or even better found the long lost engine in some guys garage in the next state is a joke. This car has a great story, is said to be a 400 mile car and at the end of the day, everything everyone finds wrong doesn't matter, because It's Not For Sale and if it was his phone would ring off the hook!

It is nice to see a Style Trim / RS car with the pinstripes. They are often not re-applied after a paint job or when someone sexes-up their Camaro with the wheel arch trim and drip rail trim.

67 big blocks didn't get hooks

I watched it again. Even though it's heavily implied, he never says the engine is original to the car. (I don't think) And when he states "nothing has been changed", he says in the interior. Of course, he was young when his dad bought it, and time has a way of blurring memory, and things get exaggerated. Never the less, fabulous car!

Maybe the speedo was changed too.

163 Intake on oval port heads..
 

Yes it does work and pretty good. There weren't a lot of aftermarket choices way back when and the 163 was a cheap fix from your local Chevy dealer...and there were plenty of used ones floating around. Trick was you had to use the correct gaskets to be sure the ports sealed..otherwise :ooo:

The 163 with a well prepped Holley, a cam with more juice and a few of the other hotrod upgrades [exhaust, ignition and gears] and you could make the low horse motors perk right up.

I would like to see some modern day trials with that combo...ok one of you L34 guys needs to volunteer :naughty:

-wilma

We had 2 local guys who ran each other on a regular basis.One car was a 67 Chevelle SS that had a built 427 with mostly GM L88 parts.

The other car was a 66 Chevelle SS with a built 396/360 with mostly L78 parts.I can't remember what exact parts each one had but I do know they both had a big gear,slicks, headers and factory cams.I know the 66 had a stock original short block with oval port heads and a L78 cam and intake.

You would think the 66 would easily be out powered by the 67.It was so close that either car could win.Usually the 66 would come out pretty hard and get the 67 by 1 or 2 lengths out of the hole and hold the lead till 4th gear and then the 67 would start pulling him in.It was always a close finish.

I had a ride in the 66 many times.That car was incredibly fast and if you didn't know the car, you would think there was no way it had oval port heads and an L78 cam.That car was always fast right from stock,but when he added the L78 cam and intake it was like he had swapped the motor for a built 427.

I’m curious if anyone here has been to Tony Meehan’s Auto Repair in Tampa.

Looks like he does work on classic cars. He posted some pics on Facebook of putting a sweet looking engine into a 70’s Vette.