Horsepower dilemma

Yes it was an L78


I remember that Chevette it had a Crower calliope injection set up on a built 468bbc , full cage , back halfed and was painted a two toned blue color

 

I tried looking through all 7 pages of this thread, and I didn't see it listed as a reason, but it is actually one of the biggest reasons the Subaru feels faster. Tire size and weight. Assuming they both have stock tires, the Tacoma tire is 2 inches taller and an 1 inch wider. This also make them about 7% bigger in to good(ground clearance, approach angle) and the bad (weight, rolling resistance).

This dyno comparison has a good example (on a subaru crostrek) as to the differences when putting larger tires on two vehicles of similar weight, gearing, and engine output.

https://www.hotcars.com/big-tires-change-wheel-horsepower/

 

Yup, thats it. Lol. Cool little car. I dont know if you remember another 68 rs ss camaro that was blue and was originally an L78 but upgraded to a 454 with tunnel ram. That was a friend of mines car at the time. It ran with McCurry slicks. Stick shift.

 

Driving a VW Westfalia then the 2.7L AC 2wd 5 speed was a great step up in terms of horsepower and torque.
The 5 lug with a 5 speed was fun to drive. I had plenty of hp and torque for my needs. Frequently towed 2500 pounds.
Now the 3.5 V6 is a vast jump up in hp and torque.
I don't understand why people say the 3.5 V6 is slow. Compared to my cars of the 70's, it is a rocket.
As others have stated upthread, my 1978 GM Caprice 305 V8 had slightly less power than the 2.7L.

 

I also don’t understand folks that say 3.5 is slow. Plenty of power IMO.

 

Yup, exactly. No issues with get up and go with the 3.5, but then it is a truck and who cares? Those who need fast should buy a car. I bought my 2016 TRD OR to beat up trees in the mountains. Or maybe the trees are beating my truck, same difference.

Spoken by the guy who needs a full block to get up to 30mph. I love driving slow, going fast and you have to focus too much on driving. Much easier to get a good nap in when going slow

The roads be getting skinny. Good thing I have a long history with cut polish. 0 - 2mph in 30 seconds on this one. Not much HP needed here.

 

You guys are all going in the wrong direction. It's a well known fact that a skewp adds 50hp. Just change hoods.

 

Engine displacement doesn't have much to do with HP and Torque. A Chevy 5.7L engine from the 1980's only had 165 HP and about 275 lb ft. of torque. The 2022 Ford 2.7L they put in F150's has 325 hp and 400 lb. ft of torque.

 

Comparing a car to a truck tire size and rolling resistance will also, affect acceleration.

 

Displacement has everything to do with power. Take two identical engines and the larger displacement will make more power. Your comparison is really a poor one. You're taking an engine designed in the 1950s and comparing it to a modern one running nearly 20 pounds of boost.

The only thing a smaller engine will typically "win" at is power per CI but that's a pretty useless measure.

 

Not fair to compare a an 80s tech engine to a modern turbocharged one. Engines in similar states of tune are usually expressed as horsepower per cubic inch or litre. So more cubic inches, more torque and horsepower. Perhaps a better comparison would be Toyotas 2.5 l 4cyl (81hp/L) and 3.5 l 6cyl (79hp/L)

 

few fleets are running 600’s

true $200+k peterbilts kenwoth have them

the most prevalent engine is 450 regulated + econo programmed

rarely see a full 450 HP with speed governed also

 

I heard the 3.5 was really slow.

 

Then you should of seen my 4.7 v8 tundra.

 

Yes, but the 80s 5.7 Chevy probably made peak torque at like 1600 rpms.

 

My wife's 2007 RAV4 w/ the 3.5L 2GR hauls ass quite nicely. I've smoked more than a few STI's and other "fast" cars in it. Good to see Toyota is still putting sleepers out there

 

I always LOL at the ridiculously small Wankel rotory motors. Reminds me of this video by Project Farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U26etcwKdU

 

It's because people like to compare them to trucks like the F150 and RAM 1500 that are pretty darn fast. They seem to forget the Tacoma costs much less, lasts twice or thrice as long and can still get decent fuel economy.

 

True.

To be honest though, my taco has no issues keeping up with the rams. One time this guy in the ram tried to race me from a red light, cuz his lane was ending pretty quick there. I gave her the beans, did a nice little squeal shifting to second and good bye ram. The guys face was just as confused as mine haha. He wasn’t very happy, gave me that death stare down the road.

Stock 3rd gen does 0-60 in like 7.7 secs, whereas ram does it in like 6.7. Not a big difference on the streets, plus they are heavy and bulky.

I do stay away from the ecoboosts and electric vehicles, they haul ass![/QUOTE]