Undefeated on the street !!!

In the later 70s we were the poor apartment kids. We had a 4-door 55 Chevy with a 396. 12.5:1 with solid lift cam. The heads were ported as much as anyone could do with the 396 head. (Which meant valve seal replacement 2 twice a year.) 4 speed Hurst Vertigate shifter to borg Warner Super T10 trans. 3.73:1 12 bolt posi. At best after a new valve job? Probably low to mid 11s. Which was FAST in 1976. It only lost when something broke. If held together. Undefeated. Including a few upsets. Including a Copo '69 427 Camero that had run high 10s at the track. I got a slight hole shot and he couldn't drive around me. Very cool guy. (For the life of me I cant remember his name at this time.) It was his shop that did the 396 heads. And let us put on some 9" slicks of his for the race that was actually a little shorter height profile to help on rear gear disadvantage.

He smiled and said. "That is a fast pile of **** you got there."

I believe the the L78 396 is the best engine Chevy ever made. (My opinion bias of course. And never had or even seen a real L88 427.) But never lost to a Corvette. And one Copo 427.