When it comes to muscle cars, the late 1960s spawned some of the most powerful V8 engines out there. Mopar's 426 Hemi is obviously one of the most iconic, but Chevrolet's 427 L88, with race-spec parts from the ZL-1, was nothing to sneeze at. And both of them were capable of sending cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Challenger impressively fast down the quarter-mile.
So what happens when the Hemi and the L88 meet at the drag strip? Well, regardless of the cars they're in, things become exciting, to say the least. Especially if it's a Factory Appearing Stock Tire event, which allows certain changes to the drivetrain.
The footage below shows an L88-powered 1969 Chevrolet Corvette lining up against a Hemi-powered 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T for an extremely close encounter. But before we check out the outcome, let's take a closer look at the cars.
On one lane we have a 1969-model-year Corvette L88. In stock form, these cars were underrated at 430 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque thanks to a 12:1 compression ratio. This Corvette now hits the drag strip with a 13.5:1 compression ratio and an L88 that has been bored to 439 cubic inches (7.2 liters). There's no info on how powerful it is, but it's safe to assume that the rear wheels spin to the tune of at least 500 horsepower.
The 1967 Coronet R/T in the other lane features similar upgrades, including a compression ratio increased from 10.25:1 to 11.75:1 and modified rear gears. Whether the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi is stock or not remains a mystery, but it's plenty powerful at 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet (664 Nm) of torque in (underrated) factory form. A cool detail about this car is that it's a one-owner survivor.
Both cars are equipped with three-speed automatic gearboxes, so things are level in this area, but the Corvette is significantly lighter. Devoid of a radio and a heater, the Chevy tips the scales at 3,454 pounds (1,567 kg). The Coronet R/T comes in at 3,726 pounds (1,690 kg), to the Corvette is almost 300 pounds (136 kg) lighter.
On paper, the Corvette has what it takes to score a comfortable win, right? Well, the Chevy goes on to win the race, but only because the driver had a slightly better reaction time. The ETs are extremely close at 10.95 seconds for the Coronet and 10.98 clicks for the Corvette, but the latter takes the win thanks to a better reaction time. Their trap speeds are also almost identical at 125.63 and 125.80 mph (202.18 and 202.45 kph), respectively.
Should these cars race again, it could be anyone's win. But before that happens, hit play to watch the tightest drag race you'll see today.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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