Have you ever seen a T/A block like this?

True, but this one is stamped 355 for the CID.

That is why I am curious, I have never seen one of these before.

Didn't Ted Spehar (Motown/Mopar Missile) have a business or was a branch of Direct Connection/Mopar performance with letters something like that: "SVI"? Perhaps it was a later/leftover over-the-counter block from the '70's used as a prototype for NASCAR before they went to small blocks?

Been trying to do a little internet research but getting late and gotta get up early for work.


Where is Stewart?

Dick Brooks finished 7th in the Daytona 500 with his Daytona race car using a 305. That was the cubic inch limit put on the wing cars that year. I don't know how long it was afterwards that they reduced the cubic inch limit to 355 for the "regular" cars. I'm thinking it was around '73-'75.

I believe ....

The Dick Brooks Daytona used the 305 cu. in. engine because there had already been significant development by Kieth Black and others for the Trans Am effort. I don't recall what NASCAR's max engine size was in '71, but I think the "wing car handicap" was 100 cu.in..

I certainly would not rule out the marking just from some private independent engine builder. The T/A block was the choice setup for small blocks for some time.

Would/did people like Hamburgers and Keith Black and Petty have some new T/A blocks in inventory for sale at some time?

Where the first Kit Car motors T/A blocks? I don't have a copy of the Kit Car Motor Manual.

Here is a link touching on the 305 cubic inch rule for special aerodynamic NASCAR cars, not just the Mopar wing cars:

http://wwnboa.com/hartman.htm#71

As for the 355 SVI, I will bet money that it has something to do with Ted Spehar of Motown/Mopar Missile fame. His business in Michigan was indeed called SVI. Too much of a coincidence. He always did a lot of development work for Chrysler and the mid-'70's was when Chrysler started testing small blocks for NASCAR as well as Pro Stock racing. Bob Gliddens Arrow in 1979 is what it evolved into.

Here are quotes from Joe Pappas on an old moparts thread mentioning SVI and that engines were assigned #'s for I.D. Perhaps that's what the "58" refers to? :

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Don's shop in Troy Michigan was strictly for the "car" work. Ted Spehar supplied all the Missile engines from his shop (Specialized Vehicles, Inc.). The two shops were about 3 miles apart. When Don, Dick, and I went to a NHRA or IHRA event, we would typically have 3 engines with us - one in the car and two fully dressed engines in the truck. We always had a good supply of horsepower from Spehar.



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I think that Ted Spehar had a lot to do with Carlton's motors. As for the Rod Shop, I believe they did their own stuff, with input from others

StewartP


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I think Stewart is right that Spehar had alot to do with Carlton's motors, at least until responsibility for the Missile program tranferred to Carlton (1973-74?). It seems like Clyde Hodges said that he and Donnie were doing their own motors in 1974 for the "Don Carlton" Dart Sport. (Hmmm, wonder if they did the small blocks, too. Joe?)

Clyde's story about Motor 37 (or was it 39) was pretty enlightening and humorous.

Mark


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Mark,

I don't think that Donnie and Clyde did much of anything with the small blocks - Teddy Spehar did those for our test program.

All engines that Ted Spehar built were numbered. Our all time best bullet was #33. I loved that engine! For some reason, that piece always ran a tick better that all the rest - and all the rest were fantastic engines. No matter how many rebuilds it went through, it always came out on top.

Somewhere in my archives, there is an old notebook that I used to keep with notes on different engines. I kept notes on stuff like valve lash, leak tests, cam changes, etc. I distinctly remember certain engine numbers like #33 (my favorite), #36, and #39. The rest of them sort of run together.

I don't remember any particular Clyde story about one of the engines so if you want to share it with me please do. If you would rather do it in private that's ok - just send me a note. Obviously, there are a NUMBER of stories I really can't tell in the open without getting OK's from those involved...

Joe Pappas

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Joe Pappas
MOPAR MISSILE


Since the pics appear to show OEM exhaust manifolds,I would guess that the block found its way into a street car. Perhaps never used for testing/development and sold as a leftover.

Have you had the engine apart or notice any unusual features? That might provide a hint if it did have some race mods done to it or sold before any were made.

I emailed Stewart Pomeroy (StewartP) with a link to this thread to see if he might have any insight to this block.

What about posting the question in the Race section?

I have no idea what that would have been - I do that Spehar did a great deal of work on the small block motors, I will ask some other people

StewartP

I got this reply so far


Their was a 355 pro stock A engine ran at Chrysler then shipped to SVI after Chrysler made the decision to let SVI take over all of the performance work to concentrate on production work.
Flack & Comstock were running the A engine in a 74 Duster in the pro stock class in that period under the Ramchargers banner.

Thanks for all the info so far guys!

I spotted another one at Carlisle.

The original three center main caps were gone, but the block had been drilled & tapped for four bolt mains.

2

3

4 - close up of the stamped numbers;

Mike Thomas, Sr. from Rochester Hills, Mi (ex Chrysler Labor Negotiator and avid car builder) built an orange AAR back in the mid 80's. He was able to procure a 355 cu. in. T/A motor that was used in dirt tract racing and stuffed it into the AAR. Mike was also known for having one of the first 426 Hemi blocks that he stuffed into a '68 Barracuda. He had the contacts to all the old race program motors and I am sure he can shed some light on these blocks.

It would be interesting to compare the stampings to any Hemi engines that may have been built at SVI for similarities. Each engine would have had it's own ID number.