Re: [Chrysler300] 1955 AMA Specs (Last update?)

[paulholm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

My understanding (poor memory retention, Senior moment time?)
"It were da head man!!"

I can't see where it would have been headgaskets, the stock shim
gaskets were pretty thin as it was, maybe as thin as they got already.

All the talk or verbage I ever ran across always mentioned the heads as the
way they achieved the higher CR. Now, I cant' recall anyone actually saying
they had a set of those heads, and I'm not sure that Bob at Powerplay has
them listed. I'll have to dig out the little 'hemi' book he was selling to see if
they are ID'ed in that resource.


--
Paul Holmgren
2 57 300-C's in Indy
Hoosier Corps #L6
A generation which ignores historyhas no past -- and no future. 
                           - RobertA. Heinlein  
  -------------- Original message from "RLS" <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx>: --------------

> Is there any information on how the 355 hp head was achieved?  Was it a mere 
> milling of the 340 head, was it a thinner head gasket, WAS there really a 
> different part number for the 355 head.  My understanding is that the only other 
> changes for the hp increase was the use of the Dodge truck exhaust manifolds(I 
> have pair of them) and a larger diameter on the exhaust piping.  Seems to me 
> with a 1 point increase in compression plus the exhaust system upgrade(and 
> likely carb jetting and ignition timing changes to capitalize on these changes) 
> that a mere 15 hp change in output sounds a bit conservative.  Would really be 
> of interest to find if any of these old race engines had dyno runs to measure 
> true hp and how it may have compared to "factory stock" engines.  As an aside to 
> achieve 139 mph in the flying mile on sand at Daytona with a car with the 
> aerodynamics of a ship's sail seems quite a stretch with a 340 hp(gross hp in 
> those days).  I also would be interested in the rear axl!
>  e ratios on these flying mile cars(there were several of them that ran in 
> Daytona in 1956, a number of which exceeded 135 mph is rumored).  With an engine 
> that is pretty much out of rpms at less than 5,500, seems that a stock 3:54 
> Powerflite rear axle does not seem likely.   Anyone else out there with 
> information to chime in?
> 
> With the suggested octane levels from 1956, does this mean that one could run 
> today's regular fuel instead of premium?  I know that there is a calculation 
> that is made to arrive at today's octane number.  This current octane number is 
> a combination of the so called "research" and "motor" numbers in some formula to 
> arrive at today's octane number posted on the gasoline pumps.
> 
> Roger Schaaf
> 300 B Calyfornua
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Dan Elliott 
>   To: Rich Barber ; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>   Cc: us@xxxxxxxxxx 
>   Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:19 AM
>   Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] 1955 AMA Specs (Last update?)
> 
> 
>   Rich, I certainly believe that the AMA specs would have been updated for the
>   1955 300 at least once, to add the three speed manual transmission used in
>   NASCAR starting about April 1. Then there would have been a NASCAR bulletin
>   approving the use of the manual trans. I just returned from NASCAR
>   archives,
>   they don't have alot of that info publically available, so one needs to go
>   to private
>   sources.
> 
>   On a slightly different question, it would be interested to know if the 355
>   HP heads
>   had any markings on them that are different than the 340 heads. My guess is
>   "NO", but one never can tell. The part numbers were different of course,
>   but
>   no 300B ever came down the assembly line with 355 HP heads because the last
>   300B was built and shipped before Chrysler dealers were notified that the
>   optional
>   heads were available. An unanswered question is whether the 355 HP heads
>   were
>   used in NASCAR, to date no photos have appeared showing a car in actual
>   competition
>   with 355HP painted on the hood, a NASCAR requirement after it approved the
>   use
>   of the heads. Photos at ElkHart Lake in August, and Darlington in September
>   both
>   show cars with 340HP. Carl K. could have snuck them in, unless he won with
>   the
>   subsequent teardown, so I'm assuming he didn't. He did sneak in higher
>   octane gas,
>   which may have been his thinking with the 355 HP heads. But perhaps by the
>   time
>   they were approved by NASCAR in mid June, someone had gotten onto his trick
>   with the gas, and he couldn't use it anymore. He certainly didn't want any
>   disqualifications,
>   because Buck Baker was behind Herb Thomas during mid season, until the
>   infamous
>   crash at the Shelby fairgrounds. So if the 355HP heads were used at all,
>   perhaps it
>   was after mid September, 1956.
> 
>   Dan Elliott


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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