Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock36
Yep, some of those cars were "underrated" on an "overrated" system so to speak. 
Seriously though, I would love to know what some of the classics would be rated under the current SAE standards for certification. |
Yeah, some of the games played back then would be down right laughable under todays standards. Many of the things you could do to 'free up' power were considered fair game for the 'wink and nudge' power ratings. After all, the power was, arguably, there ... you just had to remove the factory restrictions to get to it. Open exhaust with headers, and no air cleaner, power steering, or water pump, on a cold February morning ... sure, the car made 511 hp under those conditions, and was thusly 'under-rated' at maybe 425, to keep the insurance companies off your back (among other reasons). But good luck getting those numbers out of a normal production engine under normal conditions with everything hooked up as it was from the factory.