Inches Per Dollar: Biggest Engines for the Least Money
“There’s no replacement for displacement.” Ever heard that one? With today’s turbos and computer wizardry the old adage isn’t really true anymore, but in the old days, bigger really was better. For people who want monster displacement on a miniature budget, we scoured our price guide to see which classic vehicles have the largest displacement engines (in cubic inches) for the least amount of money (by condition #2, or “excellent” price).
We picked one vehicle from each major American brand with an engine 400 cubic inches or larger and a sub-$20K #2 value. Most of them come out in the $20- to $30-per-cubic-inch range. For reference, on the opposite end of the spectrum, one of the worst deals in displacement per dollar is the Porsche 356A GS/GT Carrera Speedster, which has a 97-cid engine and a $1.7M value, which comes out to $17,525 per cubic inch. With that out of the way, check out the cheap choices from the Big Three below.
Curious how we come up with our values? You can read more about the methodology behind the Hagerty Price Guide here.
1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-Door Hardtop Sedan
Engine: 455cid/190hp
Condition #2 value: $11,400 ($25.05 per cubic inch)
By 1975, the Olds Cutlass was in its fourth generation, and GM’s “colonnade” styling had taken over the A-body platform. Models included the Supreme, Salon, S, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds, while V-8s ranged from an economical 260 all the way up to the tried-and-true 455-cid Rocket V-8.
As classic cars, none of them are particularly expensive in #2 condition, but some of the higher-output coupes will stretch past 20 grand, and the Hurst/Olds tops $30K. The most size per dollar goes to the base Cutlass sedan from 1975 fitted with the 455, though by then it was only putting out a rather malaise-y 190hp.
1971-72 Buick Estate
Engine: 455cid/310hp (1971) or 225hp (1972)
Condition #2 value: $9300 ($20.44 per cubic inch)
In Buick-land, “Estate” refers to the many comfy, powerful station wagons built by the company from 1940 all the way up to the mid-1990s. Buick built the 1971-76 version on the same platform as its Electra 225 hardtops, and all of them are a cheap way to get 455 cubic inches. The Estate, however, is the only one coming in at four figures in #2 condition. Fast wagons don’t have to be expensive these days, after all.
1967 Pontiac Catalina 2-Door Hardtop Coupe
Engine: 400cid/290hp
Condition #2 value: $10,000 ($25 per cubic inch)
The third generation of the full-size Catalina debuted in 1965. It still came with Pontiac’s signature stacked headlights and deep-set grilles, but the body sides are more curved, and two-door models have a fastback roofline. There is a Catalina “2+2” model, which Pontiac marketed as a “big brother” to the GTO, but the vast majority of these cars were more pedestrian two-doors and four-door sedans. All came with either 389-, 421-, or 428-cid V-8s.
The 400cid/290hp two-barrel-carbureted coupe is the cheapest way to get into the 400 cube club if you’re a Pontiac fan. Indeed, it has one of the cheapest dollar-per-cube ratios of any classic car.
1978 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 425cid/180hp
Condition #2 value: $11,500 ($27.06 per cubic inch)
The “Fleetwood” name has a rich, long, and sometimes confusing history with Cadillac, but it started with coach-built cars in the prewar years and often designated Cadillac’s larger and more expensive offerings. For 1977, though, the new Fleetwood Brougham fell victim to the downsizing that took place across GM’s product range and is lighter, shorter, and narrower than its predecessor. Its engine displacement shrank in both bore and stroke, too, but at 425 cubic inches, it’s still a beast. A somewhat tired beast that only wheezes out 180 hp, but still a beast, and one that can be had for under 12 grand.
1967 Chevrolet Impala 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 427cid/385hp
Condition #2 value: $14,200 ($33.26 per cubic inch)
For 1967, full-size Chevys got a facelift around the same basic shape as 1965-66 but with distinctive tweaks. The Coke-bottle shape was amplified, and both front and rear fenders got a sharp-looking (literally) pinch line along the top. The ’67 Impala also retained the model’s top spot on the Chevrolet sales sheets, with 575,600 units moved. In addition to good looks, the Impala had versatility. Chevrolet sold two- and four-door hardtops, a four-door sedan, six- and nine-passenger wagons, and convertibles, not to mention the Impala Super Sport (SS). Engine choices varied just as widely.
The 400-cid V-8 in the fourth-gen Impala is actually still a small block, while big-block offerings included the 396, 409, 427, and new-for-1970 454. Unsurprisingly, values for ’60s Impalas vary widely as well, but the sweet spot in terms of cubes per dollar is the ’67 sedan powered by the L36 V-8, which in Chevy-speak denotes a 385-hp 427.
1970 Chrysler Newport 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 440cid/375hp
Condition #2 value: $10,600 ($24.09 per cubic inch)
The 1969-73 Newport came with the “fuselage” styling that Chrysler embraced in this era. A full-size available in four body styles, it also came with 360-, 383-, 400- or 440-cid V-8s. It was a relatively luxurious and expensive car in its day, but these days you definitely don’t have to have a house in Newport to drive a Chrysler Newport. No matter what the body style or engine, all 1969-73 Chrysler Newports in #2 condition are worth less than 20 grand. The 1970 440 sedan is just the one with the most engine per dollar.
1969 Plymouth Belvedere 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 440cid/350hp
Condition #2 value: $13,000 ($29.56 per cubic inch)
At the height of the muscle car era, Plymouth’s Belvedere line was Chrysler’s intermediate-sized choice, and other Mopar favorites like the Satellite, GTX, and Road Runner all rode on the same basic platform as the Belvedere. Choices of options for Belvedere were therefore complicated, but many collectible muscle cars resulted, and Richard Petty won the 1968 Grand National championship in a blue Belvedere. Some Plymouths of this era can be downright expensive, but a basic Belvedere sedan with a 440-cid/350hp V-8 can be had on a budget if you can find one.
1974-77 Dodge D300 1 Ton Club Cab Pickup
Engine: 440cid
Condition #2 value: $14,500 ($32.95 per cubic inch)
Dodge has built a lot of cars with monster engines under the hood, but a lot of the classics are pretty pricey. The cheapest entry into Dodge’s 400 cubic inch club is actually a truck, specifically the D300 1-ton with the Club Cab body, powered by a 440 with outputs of 220, 230 hp depending on the year.
1966 Mercury Montclair 4-Door Hardtop Sedan
Engine: 410cid/330hp
Condition #2 value: $11,200 ($27.32 per cubic inch)
Mercury offered the fifth-generation full-size Montclair as either a four-door sedan or two-door hardtop, and for 1966 it got a new 410-cid V-8 shared with the Park Lane. After 1968, the Montclair model disappeared as Mercury consolidated its full-size offerings. Most versions of the 1965-68 Montclair are very affordable today. Even the 428cid/345hp version of the ’66 sedan is worth just $12K in #2 condition.
1959 Lincoln Capri 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 430cid/350hp
Condition #2 value: $17,200 ($40 per cubic inch)
Named for the Mediterranean island where Roman emperor Tiberius got up to no good, and not to be confused with the later Ford and Mercury Capri, the Lincoln Capri was a full-size luxury car built from 1952-59. The last 1958-59 models, distinguished by their canted headlights and scalloped fenders, were absolutely gigantic, with a 131-inch wheelbase and a curb weight of well over 5000 pounds in sedan form. They’re quite a bit of car for the money then.
1967 Ford Custom 500 4-Door Sedan
Engine: 428cid/345hp
Condition #2 value: $12,100 ($28.27 per cubic inch)
Confusingly, Ford used the “Custom” nameplate for some of its factory offerings going back to the 1930s. During the mid-1960s, the Ford Custom was the most basic full-size two- or four-door Ford you could buy, with rather limited creature comforts and trim. Many found their way into fleet use as taxis or police cars. Today, most versions of the 1965-68 Ford Custom are cheap, but the 428cid/345hp cars offer the most engine per dollar.
Engines in theses cars like this are rare to start. Then they are often gone as we used to buy the old Pontiacs for the 428 and drop in a 350 Pontiac to sell the car for what we paid for it.
Cadillac 500 were also popular. The engine was used by a number of people in the 80’s and 90’s by dropping them in A body cars. They even made an intake at Edelbrock for them. the key is not to rev over 4500 RPM.
Are there any AMC cars that fit into this category?
I had a ’67 Montclair with a 410. If that actually had 330HP it was either a seriously overweight car or I’m the Easter bunny…
Well the reality is the gross horsepower rating probably meant it was somewhere in the low 200’s more likely with a bunch of torque.
My friend Mr. Google tells me that 15 to 20% is typical powertrain loss, which would put the power at the wheels at around 270, which isn’t too shabby.
It was a 4000 lb car, but so are modern 3 Series Beemers.
The most interesting stat is that the 330 hp peaks at 4600 RPM, and I’m guessing that engine didn’t spend a lot of time anywhere near the power band
“Bimmer” is the correct term for a BMW car, while “beamer” and “beemer” are nicknames for BMW motorcycles.
FYI
It’s kind of hard for me to believe, but the last engine I bought was nearly 20 years ago. I was looking for a 389 to put into the ’66 GTO clone my daughter and I were building. Now at the time, one could find a small block Chevy under every bush, but a period correct, rebuildable, decent condition Poncho powerplant (at least in my neck of the woods) was pretty scarce. I finally located “a Pontiac motor” at a salvage yard in Oregon – the guy knew I wanted a 389, and he wouldn’t reveal what, exactly, he had. I bit and showed up at his place. He revealed a 1970 GTO Judge all crumpled up in a heap out back. It had rolled down the Interstate median maybe 7 or 8 times, but the motor and trans were essentially unharmed except for some accessory and external items. “It’s a 455”, he told me, “not what you wanted, but for $750, it’s yours”. I decided that if I had to make a ‘sacrifice’, it was preferrable to take a big c.i.d. engine from a Judge than a 326 from a Tempest. And boy, have I been happy I did. That thing is a torque monster! A few mods – all pretty much modern versions of stuff I used to do in the ’60s and ’70s – and it turned out to be a great combination of cruiser and bruiser.
I would not include smoggers!
A lot of these cars are going to be hard to find. First off, very few of most of these cars had the big block engines and most were scrapped for their engines. Many of them were pretty nice cars that were parted out.
I was thinking along that line too. Where could 90% of these cars be found that would not be in need of a total restoration? And why would you put big money into restoring them?
“For 1977, though, the new Fleetwood Brougham fell victim to the downsizing that took place across GM’s product range…”
You say that like it’s a bad thing!
That downsizing resulted in the best GM cars of the post-WWII period.
If a person likes Mopars, all fullsize Chrysler Newports and New-Yorkers since 1970 right up to 1978 came with big blocks, ( 400CI and 440CI ), unless they were California cars (360CI) . These Newports and New Yorkers are very plentiful and cheap. Just keep the short block, put on aluminum heads, intake, Edelbrock carb and a decent cam and you have a real screamer al day long for your hot rod. U can see them do that on Roadkill with a motorhome 440CI. there really good short blocks.
A ’67 Impala sedan with an L-36 427 for $14.2K? Not gonna happen. Same with the 428/345 Ford Custom. If a 440 was available in a garden variety Mopar B platform (NOT a Roadrunner, GTX, Charger or R/T) in 1968, I never heard about it.
You guys need to either up your research game or cite sources for some of your more outlandish claims.
Police cruisers. 440 dodge was common here in Ontario. Most Ford pursuits back then were 390, but a few 428s were floating around. Haven’t seen either one in the last 20+ years and if there were to be a 440 cruiser show up at moparfest in anything close to #2 condition for less than $20000 Canadian I would be surprised. a “possibly restorable” parts car with a good 440 would likely go for 3 or 4 grand.
I do recall seeing a few ’68-9 Satellite/Coronet cop cars. Are you telling me they were outfitted with 440’s? News to me — I had thought they would have come through with 330 HP 383’s.
You left out the 425cu/375 hp Oldsmobile. They were available in all of the levels of the full size cars. In ’65, we had a new Starfire and it was wild. I went head to head with a ’65 421 Pontiac Bonneville and walked away from it. We were both dumb ass kids with our parent’s new cars but what a rush!
” She’s a 4 speed, dual quad, posi-traction 409″ (425 HP)
Kind of an answer to a question no one asked. Sure I’d stuff a 430 Merc. Maraurder spec. in a two seater T-bird just for the fun of it and stay period correct. A- ‘why the hell not?’ – project even though there are countless other combinations that make more sense. The nostalgia of those days when guys hunted through junkyards looking for big block power in a wrecked station wagon. Poke and stroke ain’t no joke. Today the mountain motors are interesting. The extreme pro-stock class has 800+ cu.in. engines delivering over 2000 horse on racing gas. A modern throwback.
My parents had a 1970 T-bird with a 429 with 360 hp. They also had a 1970 Chrysler Town and Country wagon with the performance pack and a 440 with 375 hp. Those old high compression engines had pretty decent power. My Dad also had a 1973 Mercury Marquis wagon with a 460, but it was a slug compared to the Town and Country.