Re: Rear axle enhancements to tolerate higher engine power output

Posted by humanpotatohybrid On 2024/6/26 14:38:44

All well and good -- but then I don't understand your comment about wanting a 300 HP engine. Highway driving is problematic for old cars more because of engine speed than engine power.

The 300 HP 1956 cars could hit 120 MPH, and since required power is times the cube of velocity, this implies you need only about 40 HP to cruise at 60 MPH. Of course you need more for hills. But still, more a function of gearing and having increased motor life from not flooring it, than a strict lack of power.

Point is you could swap in something marginally better, e.g. a 150 HP straight eight from the 50's, and the car should be just fine if you have an overdrive and/or a decent rear end ratio. Without needing to beef up or re-engineer the entire drivetrain.