Posted by knuckleduster
on 11/3/2009, 11:12 am, in reply to "1970 454"
VIP Member and Board Expert
Most of the factory numbers were played with so that the flag-ship Corvette can be top dog.
Also notice that the RPM redlines are usually awfully low like 4800rpm on a motor that can hum at 6000rpm or the 1969 Z28 with a 290hp rating at 5200rpm and 290 torque @ 4200rpm... these motors were raced at 7200rpm!!
Lastly it was also an insurance premium game. Insurance penalized the buyer of a high performance motor option. See Ford's very conservative ratings for all their FE motors. Most hover around the same power at lower rpms, but the knowledgable buyer knew that the heads and architecture were very different.
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