Top-5 V-6 engines according to . . . . (Re: Hagerty's enews)

[elagache]

Dear 65GS.com members who are weary of "another Internet newsletter,"

Hagerty's seems to be having something of an identity crisis with that other classic car institution who's name starts with 'H".  First, they upgraded their bimonthly magazine.  Now they are planning daily email newsletters.  I timidly signed up on the promise I can excape if they overwhelm me.  As a teaser, they provided an article on what they claim is the sorely underappreciated V-6 engine.

To prove their point, they provide a list of what Hagerty's considers to be the most worthy V-6 engines related to classic cars.  The article is here:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/02/20/top-5-v-6-engines

The first 2 are Italian engines that are arguably in the exotic category.  The next is one I had never heard of: the GMC Big Block 478 V-6.  Here is the Wikipedia article about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_V6_engine

According to Hagerty's these engines were produced between 1960 and 1974.  Wikipedia adds that a V-12 version of this engine as developed - the so-called "twin Six" had a displacement of 702-cubic-inch (11.5 L) and could produce a respectable Torque was 585 lb?ft (793 N?m).

The engine after that is a famous Buick GNX 3800 which I think we call can be proud of.  Hagerty rounds out the top-5 with a modern Mitsubishi twin-turbo V-6.

 Some interesting reading from Hagerty's.  We'll see if they can keep up this literary pace!

Cheers, Edouard 

[schlepcar]

Edouard,
You actually have heard of the GMC v-6 because it was used in most of the early 60's GMC pickups as the standard engine. Most of us were not aware that there were major differences between a Chevrolet and a GMC pickup. Chevys were the poor mans truck vs. GMC (the contractor-work) truck. Differences included as standard equipment were a 305 cubic inch v6 instead of a 250 straight six,four headlights instead of two,and standard multi-leaf rear springs rather than coils. I am sure there were other differences as far as options,but it was not until the early 70's that Chevy and GMC were merely grille and emblem distinctions. Dan

[elagache]

Dear Dan and 65GS.com members with so much knowledge to share! 

You actually have heard of the GMC v-6 because it was used in most of the early 60's GMC pickups as the standard engine. Most of us were not aware that there were major differences between a Chevrolet and a GMC pickup. Chevys were the poor mans truck vs. GMC (the contractor-work) truck. Differences included as standard equipment were a 305 cubic inch v6 instead of a 250 straight six,four headlights instead of two,and standard multi-leaf rear springs rather than coils. I am sure there were other differences as far as options,but it was not until the early 70's that Chevy and GMC were merely grille and emblem distinctions. Dan

Well perhaps I should have known all this but I didn't!  So thanks for the info.  Of course I was born in the early 60s and would have become car savvy until my teenage years, so that by then GMC and Chevy trucks did look basically the same.  Since pickups aren't my cup of tea, I would have never known without the tip so thanks!

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear 65GS.com faithful who take care of cars of all ages,

Today Hagerty has an article on the new EPA regulations regarding fuels with 15% ethanol - so-called E15.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/03/20/e15-ethanol-is-coming-like-it-or-not

This has been looming for a while so most of you may have been somewhat aware of it.  What really floored me is the effect it will have on our "modern" cars.  According to this article: "There’s no need to panic, but you’ll want to be vigilant. If you own a car built since 2012, check the owner’s manual to see if you can use E15. If the manual doesn’t specifically say it’s OK, avoid using it."  At our house, the youngest car is already 9 years old and clearly wasn't designed for E15.

The article includes a link to a website that attempts to list all the gas stations in the United States and Canada that sell only gasoline:

https://www.pure-gas.org/

It may be some help in trying to avoid damaging any of your cars not designed for ethanol.

I'm afraid this another one of those "grin and bear it" situations . . . . . .

Oh well, . . . . Edouard

[GS66]

Here our WI based major competitor introduced the E-15 as Unleaded 88, so that?s what we had to call it too. It should be marketed as E-15 but that would not appeal to people so Unleaded 88 it is. I don?t use it in my cars.

[elagache]

Dear Jim and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

Here our WI based major competitor introduced the E-15 as Unleaded 88, so that?s what we had to call it too. It should be marketed as E-15 but that would not appeal to people so Unleaded 88 it is. I don?t use it in my cars.

Thanks for sharing - definitely very curious.  Another example of showing my age, but at least in California, the last leaded gas you could buy was 88 octane.  I remember refilling my wagon after work one cold and gloomy December night during the 1990s.  It was the last time she would get leaded gas.  Starting on the first, only unleaded gas was available.  At the time I remember wondering what kind of a future lay in store for my wagon.

How many people even know that 88 octane gas ever existed?  I assume cars are designed for either regular or premium so you won't find any owner's manual stating a car needs 88 octane.  It is hard to imagine why anyone would buy anything else but their usual gasoline.  Are people foolish enough to switch brands just because it has just one more octane?

I don't think I really want to know!

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear 65GS.com faithful,

Hagerty's daily email newsletter has been sputtering a bit, but they finally came out with a new edition today.  In it they ran an article on what their editors consider to be the 11 best wheel designs:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/05/01/11-of-the-best-wheel-designs

I'll withhold comment with the exception that the majority of the wheels are on imported cars.  That might be something of a bias.

Opinions 65GS.com gang? 

Cheers, Edouard 

[GS66]

None of them would make my top 50.

[elagache]

Dear Jim and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

None of them would make my top 50.

I was definitely not impressed with Hagerty's choices.  I have a bit of a soft spot for wire wheels - is it a very classic engineering choice.  The Pontiac Trans Am honeycomb wheels aren't too bad.  Still I was disappointed that Hagerty's seemed to heavily biased toward modern wheel designs.  Most of those designs haven't been around long enough for history to really pass judgement upon them.

Cheers, Edouard 

[schlepcar]

I was not impressed with the article after seeing their pic of the "honeycomb" wheels. If a Pontiac guy sees that he will cringe....they actually came out in 72 Trans ams and an earlier gto version and do not look like the ones pictured. More fake news filler type articles to sell publications. At least do the research if you are going to form an opinion that is obviously biased from the start. I guess it annoys me because anything you search for now days is not necessarily the correct answer,but the most popular answer. I will agree that the "knock-off" corvette wheels belonged on that list,but get real Pontiac rally II's,magnum 500,road rally's,are basically ALL a slight variation of the same wheel(even the 69-70 SS is basically the same). The late 78 turbo Buick or chrome 86-7 Grand National wheel was a lot more deserving of recognition over most of the ones mentioned. Of course that is just my opinion,but at least they are unique by comparison.

[elagache]

Dear Dan and 65GS.com faithful,

. . . .
I guess it annoys me because anything you search for now days is not necessarily the correct answer,but the most popular answer.
. . . .

Definitely sad but true.  I would have hope for better from Hagerty's

Oh well, . . . . . Edouard

[schlepcar]

Well...
it is just an insurance company trying to do business. It does make one wonder who comes up with this stuff
because obviously to the person telling the story the best wheels were only on imports,exotic road rally cars,or something else worthy of collector insurance. I guess I?m more of a realist of function over popularity. It may be simply that I can?t understand the total uselessness of such an opinionated article that does not even mention any real production ingenuity. Where are the mopar wheels that were installed with left handed threads in order to not loosen at high speed or the eight lug super duty Pontiac wheels that were used to clear the bigger drum brakes? I?m just thinking it was only for cars that someone thought was cool,but not necessarily me. I actually think the aftermarket cragar s/s and the American turbo thrust have stood the test of time,but as far as OEM wheels are concerned....nothing worth mentioning in the original article.

[elagache]

Dear 65GS.com fans of GM engine technology,

Hagerty's has a nice piece on the design modifications in the LT2 V-8 that is powering the mid-engine Corvette:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/09/17/engineering-brilliance-behind-c8-corvette-lt2-v8

The first paragraph sets the stage:

Given the C8 Corvette’s role as the pride of GM, this sports car is both a revolution in American architecture and exterior design and a prime opportunity for engine lab gurus to shine. Squeezing 495 horsepower from 6.2 liters—that’s 1.3 hp per cubic inch—without benefit of overhead camshafts, multi-valve combustion chambers, or boosting is a worthy accomplishment. Here’s how the clever GM engineers did it.

Now keep in mind this engine isn't as innovative in terms of horsepower per cubic inch.  For a reference, Biquette's engine is 1.12 horsepower per cubic inch.  So the Corvette engine is only squeezing about 13% more horsepower than Biquette's modernized Buick big-block engine.  The innovation comes in how well the engine does this and "minor details" like this engine meets current pollution standards and is much more fuel efficient!  Still, there is a point about heritage.  It is the evolutionary descendant of the muscle car engines of the 1960s and 70s.

The last paragraph has another unique point about this super-car:

LT2’s real claim to fame is that it makes nearly 500 horsepower—enough to power your average $200,000 supercar—at low cost. This is why Chevy is able and willing to offer the new mid-engine Corvette at a $59,995 starting price. So the next time your bar bro disparages pushrods as yestertech, remind him that there’s no other car in the world capable of crowding 200 mph and scooting to 60 in less than three seconds for such a pittance.

Until now I couldn't help but feel that having the Corvette under the Chevrolet brand was a kind of outrageous bias of GM corporate management.  GM has always has a problem with encouraging brand loyalty and a high-end sports car should never have been associated with their budget car brand.  However, perhaps this has come full circle in a way that would please both Louis Chevrolet and Billy Durant.  The mid-engine Corvette is the super-car for the masses in so far as any such car can exist.

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

Gotta go big, or go home Ed! GM has managed to squeeze 3.25HP/CI for quite some time at only 950 RPM. Youll appreciate where this is going. 11,360 CI @ 3500 HP at 950 spins. Think we could squeeze one in the BillyGoat??   Bill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_710

[elagache]

Dear Bill and mid-60s Buick owners who are fussy about the means of propulsion used on the various thoroughfares,

Gotta go big, or go home Ed! GM has managed to squeeze 3.25HP/CI for quite some time at only 950 RPM. Youll appreciate where this is going. 11,360 CI @ 3500 HP at 950 spins. Think we could squeeze one in the BillyGoat??   Bill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_710

I'm sorry, but when it comes to steel rails I'm a purist - steam or nuthing!! . . . 

However, the Wikipedia article pointed another sad fact of the tough times General Motors has been facing lately.  I didn't realized they had sold it's Electro-Motive Division in 2005:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Motive_Diesel

Sure has been some desperately tough times for all the auto makers of the world.

Edouard