Astonishing

Tam reminded me...

My beloved '79 Camaro Berlinetta was a real hot rod.

Swapped in a 355 from a truck, new cam, intake, 750 cfm (vacc secondaries for drivability).

Changed the rear from the factory 2.56 open diff to a posi-3.08.

Sub-frame connectors, coil rear springs and 4-link.  Stiffer front springs.

Biggest sway bars I could lay hands on.

4-wheel disc conversion from a 1st Gen Camaro repop kit.

Lowered about 2".

Ran a mere 14.0 in the 1/4 and cornered well, never did get it to a skid pad.

This is the car where I was certain I was about to die on Pike's Peak.  Long hood, facing uphill, I couldn't see the hair-pin turn.  Good brakes and we put putted the rest of the way up.

The '91 Caprice cum Biscayne SS can do that 14.0 as well!  This performance is also due to an engine swap, a 5.7l LT1 from a '96 Impala SS.  Doesn't corner as well, but it's sure a lot more comfortable.

What the Biscayne has going for it is mileage.  It gets 20 mpg highway all day and can sit in stop and go traffic as long as there's gas.  The Camaro would overheat if you sat more than 45 minutes in that and never broke 16 mpg.

And they both pale compared to the '08 Corvette in everything except rear seat room!  The Vette gets 30 highway regularly!

For perspective.  The Vette dyno'd at 461 hp (12.7 1/4 mile!).  The Biscayne at 331 hp.  The Camaro a mere 259 hp.  The Vette weighs more than the Camaro did too, and is SAFER!

Gods technology rocks!

Update:  The 1979 2 bbl 305 ci engine made a "staggering" 145 ponies.  The 1991 TBI 305 ci engine make a whopping 135 (and was expected to drag 800 more pounds around).