[Shotimes] Pontiac unveils SHO successor?

[Donald Mallinson]

No, you people are getting confused by the various versions.

yes, Pontiac had a Pontiac only engine in the 60's that was 
a 326.  Bastically a de-stroked 389.  It was a good engine, 
and made for fun in the lightweight tempest/lemans bodies.

The 326 I am talking about in the new GP IS the chevy small 
block, the 5.3 L version.  5.3 converts loosely to 327, but 
GM calls it a 326 so they can differentiate parts from the 
327 of the 60's.

And the new Chevy small block is a lot different from the 
versions we have had for over 50 years.

Spark plug placement is different, it is a "near" coil on 
plug design with a separate coil for each plug, but due to 
the closeness of the plug to the exhaust manifold, they put 
a 6" (or close to that) wire going from the valve cover 
mounted coil to the plug.

Still a 2 valve, OHV design, but there isn't anything wrong 
with that.

The Bonnie gets the smaller engine, but it is the DOHC high 
tech Northstar as is befitting the top of the line.

Frankly I am shocked that GM put such a big engine in the GP 
and will believe it when I get to drive it.  I still think 
even with an all aluminum engine it will be an even worse 
understeering pig than the V6 GP's.

Don Mallinson

Ron Childs wrote:

> The Pontiac 326 is a different engine than the Chevy 327. It dates back to the days
> when GM's divisions each had distinctively different engines, even if displacements
> were the same or close.
> 
> -Ron Childs  '91
> 
> 
> --- bjshov8 <bjshov8@comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>>So in 43 years we've managed to lose 1 cubic inch?   :-)
>>
>>I've lost interest in Chebby- is the 326 still basically the same old small
>>block?
>>
>>Also- isn't the Bonneville bigger than the GP?  Seems odd that they put the
>>big V8 in one vs. the other.