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.