<VV> replacement engine terminology

[Jim Davis]

The crate engine term came into general usage when GM began publishing a 
catalog of long block engines through their performance dealers.  Coming 
from NASCAR country (two, one mile lighted NASCAR race tracks; one dirt; 
one paved in my home town), Holman and Moody, offered a similar catalog 
of Ford engines starting in 1964 which they shipped in crates to race 
shops, individuals, boat builders and it continues today. 
<http://holmanmoody.com/history.html>.  It took GM 25 years to catch on 
to the blue oval idea.  By the way H&M were the original builders of the 
Ford GT-40 Mark II, III, and IV.   They are still building the 
continuation series of the GT-40 Mark II. As of 2011, they still offed 
tours of the facility.

I remember taking my new bride back to Charlotte in March 1965 to tour 
the H&M operation.  The storage room had about 600 blue engines in it 
from the HP 271 hp - 289 cuin  all the way to the 427 cuin SOHC beast.  
Over 30 different combinations in all. While we where there, I got to 
see and hear a dyno pull of a 427 cuin tunnel port, high rise topped 
with two holly three barrel carbs (3916).  Just over 660 hp at 7,200 
rpm. The thunder of that engine at full song is forever etched in my 
memory.   Of course I was there in my one month old 1965 Corsa convert.
Jim Davis






On 4/15/2015 1:51 PM, Kerwin Nailor via VirtualVairs wrote:
> Did either catalog show the words “crate engine”? Or do you remember common bench racing use of the term when guys argued about who had the biggest - - -?
>
> Kerwin