As some of you would know driving a muscle car around is like painting on back window "Race Me" to every dickhead who thinks his car was hot. You know the type. Bloke who put new rings, regrind cam, 350 holley on his 253 and boasted he had 400hp.
Late 1980s early 90s the V8 was still king ( at least in rural Oz ) No rice burners with doof doof CD players around then. We kinda got tired of the dickheads wanting to have a go each time we took out the pride. So with old XB hardtop body and few nice bits laying around we thought we would build a car to really shame out those dickheads without the worry about destroying an original matching number bock.
We used a good old trusty 351 Cleveland. Dropped on some XAGT 4 dot closer chamber heads, 780 holley and hit the streets. Nice clean looking car. The dickheads came and let them have it. In one of these little runs we dropped a rod. No problem have few 351 around we put in another bottom end. That was my plan.
Things got out of hand a little. 5 month later the XB rolled out again. Now she was black. Had 31 spline axles, bull nose toploader from a big block mustang, haze 600hp clutch and best part. "Her new engine". John Cain in NSW was the man in those days bringing in the good gear from USA. We took a drive to New Castle and picked up a Nascar 4 bolt block, A pair of super cobra heads with adjustable rockers, Weiand tunnel ram, pair of 660 Holley centre squirts, roller rockers, stud girdle, Carrillo rods.
Handed the whole lot over to speed boat engine builder. The result 648hp..
Damn that car was fun. Only got about 3 mile to the gallon, but mate the power.. Fuel stops were the local airport, avgas its diet.
Attached her dyno sheet.