The Pontiac 421 Tri-Power was essentially a de-tuned version of the 421 Super-Duty, which was used extensively in Pontiac’s race program. The top-of-the-line 427 Mid Riser was a dual-quad equipped version that produced 425 horsepower. Fairlanes, Galaxie XLs, and some select GT500s were among the legendary cars that could be had with a 427 Mid Riser. The Ford 427 is arguably Ford’s most iconic engine. The best and most streetable of the production-line 427s was the Ford 427 Mid Riser, which was available on select Fords during the 1960s. Available from 1967-69, the legendary L88 Corvette produced over 430 horsepower, although that number is thought to be grossly underrated. The Chevy L88 427 was a competition-grade version of the 427 that used a racing cam, solid lifters, high-flow aluminum heads, and other competition parts. A trio of Holley 2-barrel carburetors earned the engine its “Six Pack” moniker and helped make it a legend! Very few big blocks can make a Chevrolet enthusiast smile as quickly and easily as the L88. of torque (same as the HEMI) in a distinctive package that required less tuning than the 426. And boy did they find it! The new 440 Six Pack delivered 390 horsepower and 490 ft.-lbs. Chevy L88 427įor 1969, Chrysler wanted something more streetable and economical than the HEMI, but that could still deliver comparable power. If uniqueness counts, the AMX 390 might be your Cinderella story this March. The 390’s power was more than enough to make the lightweight AMX a formidable opponent with 14-second ETs from the factory. At 325 horsepower, it doesn’t have the oomph of the LS6-but it was perfect for the Hurst SC/Rambler. The AMX 390 is the brash underdog of this competition. In its debut year of 1970, the Chevelle 454 LS6 vied for king of the performance mountain with the Mopar HEMI. It featured an 800 cfm Holley bolted to an aluminum intake, and utilized a solid lifter cam for a 6,500 redline. When General Motors lifted the 400-cubic-inch ceiling on engines for its intermediate cars, the company went all-in by bumping its 427 engine up to 454 cubic inches. There were a few versions of the 454, but the most powerful offered to the general public was the 450-horse LS6 version. Our friends at Summit Racing will post individual, head-to-head match-ups from the tournament, and you can comment on your favorite to vote. Follow Summit Racing Equipment’s Facebook page.You make your pick by commenting on your favorite. Follow OnAllCylinders on Facebook and vote on each individual match-up when we post it.Write all your first round picks in the comments section below.You can vote for your first round winners in one of three ways: See the entire bracket at the bottom of the story, and our first-round match-ups below. Is it the one that’s most powerful? Or is it the powerplant that’s responsible for making the most cars legendary? Or maybe it’s a game-changing engine that combines power and efficiency.Ĭarbureted or fuel-injected…Chevy, Ford, Mopar, or whatever…it’s entirely up to you to name the best muscle car engine ever! How it Works Now it’s up to you to vote for the best engine in American muscle car history. And much like Bob Knight, they’re just plain mean. Much like Coach K, or John Wooden, they’re legendary forces that have created unstoppable machines. These are the driving forces behind the most formidable cars of all time. That’s right - we’ve stripped our tournament of the cars but left all the muscle! These are the Mike Kryshevski, Mike Khryzewsky, Mike Krysweski, Coach K’s of the muscle car world. So, for 2017, we present the OnAllCylinders Muscle Car Match-Ups… Engine Edition! Our annual Muscle Car Match-Up tournament hasn’t been around nearly that long, but we felt it was already time for a change. The NCAA basketball tournament has been a tradition since 1939.