427/385HP 4 speed Chevy Wagom

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Dan47

I rarely drive out of warranty on modern autos but might for one of those caddies. I still have a moderate amount of cash flow. How bad could it be?

They're pretty straight forward. The mag-ride shocks are the thing that is likely going to kick your ass out of warranty. Outside of that, not much.

[AUTOHOLIC]

VERY cool loaded wagon with a nice engine. A kid in my H.S. Had a 1967 Impala SS 427. They had a special louvered hood similar to the SS Chevelles, very rare. I am not a wagon guy other than a 55 Nomad but they have come into their own lately.

As others have said, the M20 was a very popular trans. My 1965 Corvette came to me as an original 76k mile car with the original 300 h.p. engine and the original M20 trans which it still has. With my new aluminum head 383 with LT1 solid lifter cam, and the original 3.36 rear the lower 1st gear of the M20 is a REALLY nice combination.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by AUTOHOLIC

I am not a wagon guy ...

I will say that I've never owned cars that got more love and compliments... and also more hate and "I don't like that" than the wagons. Not the least of which are comments from my wife (also very much a car person) who constantly gave me shit about them.

It's definitely something that it seems people either really like or really don't.

And yea, I do like that 67. I don't love the color combo, but the car overall

[ToolMaker]

I truly wish I could park this next to mine!
I'd drive the hell out of that one too!

[snide]

I would rock that wagon.

[WydGlydJim]

So I am a wagon junkie, some of you might know...I daily drove my '70 SS clone wagon for over 5 years..........I saw a similar wagon to the one in the OP, only it was in that cool old light green color.....Paneling on the side check, 427 check, roof rack check, 4 speed check, factory tach! check, and it had the hide away headlights too, so not sure same year, but it was my favorite wagon of all time!


My old '70

[LATB]

My dad had a 1968 Ford Country Squire wagon with the 390. It was a land yacht. I loved that car.

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by Vette40th

Pretty loaded Wagon for the day. Never heard of an M20 transmission. I wonder if it is a long version of the M22/M21.
I have only seen one 427 4 Speed wagons in my life. It was a 67, and the man bought it to pull his 67 427 Corvette race car.

M20 is just the wide ratio version. M21 close ratio, M22 wide ratio with a gear set made for power shifting at the drag strip. The cases are identical of course. And that wagon is bad ass...

[markids77]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

We had a 427 wagon at Lebanon Valley speedway (NY) back in the late 60s. It was a auto the driver only had the use of one hand. It was well set up and took its class often.

Holy crap. We used to go to Lebanon to watch the races when I was a kid. We go home each October and often see the cars being towed in or out on Rte 22, unless the track has already closed.

[markids77]

I recall there were 2 versions of the 427... short or tall deck, one with cast crank and 2 bolt mains; the other forged and 4 bolt. Anybody recall which deck height was the hotter setup?

[StudleyJames]

This is a station wagon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOvG_2Y-aN8

[Vette40th]

My 5th Gen 4runner is classified as station wagon here in SC.
The CTS V Caddy wagon, 6 speed is sweet. When we worked at NPTU, Goose Creek SC, the sound guy for our buildings had one. It was his work truck, and he drove it like it was a work truck..

[AUTOHOLIC]

Originally Posted by WydGlydJim

So I am a wagon junkie, some of you might know...I daily drove my '70 SS clone wagon for over 5 years..........I saw a similar wagon to the one in the OP, only it was in that cool old light green color.....Paneling on the side check, 427 check, roof rack check, 4 speed check, factory tach! check, and it had the hide away headlights too, so not sure same year, but it was my favorite wagon of all time!


My old '70

I like your wagon but I am not into hauling a lot of people around and I prefer to use this for my hauling.

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by AUTOHOLIC

OK, but is that El Camino Real? It looks fake to me...

[BADRACR1]

Back in the seventies a friend's Dad had a '68 Bel Air wagon that had a factory 396 with a Turbo 400 and ac. It was a monster. My friend pulled in the drive one day and decided to do a little burnout. Right side motor mount broke, engine rose up on the right side, cracking the throttle open and launching the wagon through the garage door and into the back wall of the garage. The car didn't have much damage, but he never was never allowed to drive it again.

[Moond0ggie]

Originally Posted by markids77

I recall there were 2 versions of the 427... short or tall deck, one with cast crank and 2 bolt mains; the other forged and 4 bolt. Anybody recall which deck height was the hotter setup?

I believe the tall deck 427 was the truck engine & it had taller pistons with 4 piston rings .

I read an article in late 1970s Hot Rod or Car Craft , where they did a tall deck 427 build using a stroker crank,
forged 3 ring pistons , torque cam & dual plenum intake & it delivered a huge amount torque .
Cant remember what the displacement was or what they put it in though .

It seems like the intake manifolds would be different between short & tall deck & they may have had to machine spacers
to use a performance short deck intake manifold .

[vettemed]

Originally Posted by Moond0ggie

I believe the tall deck 427 was the truck engine & it had taller pistons with 4 piston rings .

I read an article in late 1970s Hot Rod or Car Craft , where they did a tall deck 427 build using a stroker crank,
forged 3 ring pistons , torque cam & dual plenum intake & it delivered a huge amount torque .
Cant remember what the displacement was or what they put it in though .

It seems like the intake manifolds would be different between short & tall deck & they may have had to machine spacers
to use a performance short deck intake manifold .

Yes, definitely intake angles are going to be all off from short deck to tall deck. Tall deck applications typically to accommodate longer stroke, i.e. truck engines for more torque.

The final BBC, the 8.1L (496), is a tall deck application.