B/SA '69 COPO Camaro sets National Record

[Keith Tedford]

What kind of cam and engine work does it take to make that kind of horsepower from a "stock" L78. I'm not up on what is allowed in stock class racing.

[Xplantdad]

[ QUOTE ]
GOOD FRIEND OF MINE STEVE KOPPIEN JUST SET THE B/SA NATIONAL RECORD IN HIS 69 ( COPO BODY CAMARO) WITH THE L78 396 375HP ENGINE AND TURBO 400. RECORD IS 10:16 129.82 MPH. THAT IS FLYING ON 9 INCH TIRES SEE ATTACHMENT

[/ QUOTE ]

That's really cool!

[Blazer 1]

Ive always heard that the L-88 cam really picked up big block chevys--anyone hear know? <font color="red"> </font>

[Salvatore]

Yes back in the old, over the counter days but there are better cams out there now from different cam grinders.

[stk758]

Been a while since I posted here... Thanks Rob.
I have earlier 427 A Cam specs for interested parties. One of these cams in your cars would tend to blow the tires off but some small changes would fix that. I have a grinder that does this in 2 days.


Barry

[sean70ss]

You want to watch the duration on the old cams. It is to tight and causes detonation. Call Bullet cams they are awesome.

Sean

[MVCMC]

In 1969 I raced my L78 Chevelle in B/S class and was close to the national record that I recall was around 12.30et. Could someone explain to me how the same engine can run 10's? Is the stock rules different now then in 1969? My car fell almost at the top of the ci to wt. ratio. We were not allowed to use any componets that were not the same specs as factory. Only headers, re-jet the carb, advance curve kit in the dist, cool can, traction bars and 7" slicks, Hurst shifter were allowed. We did some other tricks that the tech inspectors could not catch such as remove the front sway bar and use 6 cyl. springs to let the front end pop up quicker to transfer the wgt. to the rear tires. I never lost a race with that car on the strip or street, but it appeard my car would be a dog nowadays!

[Salvatore]

Its way different now!

[mockingbird812]

Got any photos of your Chevelle? What gears were you running?

[Jerry@CHP]

Any car that ran in the 12s back in those days was fast. When Ben Wenzel won Indy in Sept 1967, he was running B/S with his little 302 and ran 12.30s and 40s. When my Chevelle was new, I bolted on headers, and seven inch tires and ran 12.40s-60s depending on weather.

What makes these cars faster today is tire technology, clutches, step headers, lighter piston ring combinations and the typical blue printing.

We just finished building two of the original ZL1 engines out of car #34 and #17 here at CHP and both made well over 500 hp. I will post the dyno sheets here soon. I used the stock 180 camshaft but a lighter ring combination. That really wakes these motors up. And the engines are totally stock for restoration purposes.

Jerry