It took 40 years. but my search finally bore fruit.
Somewhere around 40 years ago. my good friend Fred claimed the family Monaco wagon had a 440 with an “8 Barrel” carb. He was half right, twice over. The Monaco had a 440. It had half an 8 barrel, i.e., a 4 barrel carb.
I teased him mercilessly because there was no such thing as an “8 barrel.” Two 4 bbls? Sure. Four 2 bbls? sounded needlessly complex, so maybe a Ferrari had that. Neither one was a 1×8.
Still, I felt bad, because it was a silly teenage boast, made impossible because he treated the parts list like a math question. 4×2=2×4=1×8. All =8, right. So, for the last 10 years, I have been on a conscious hunt for an example of Chrysler calling a 2×4(or any other math equivalent) setup an “8 barrel.”
The guys in the Mopar clubs said I was dumb. Chrysler materials on Google from the 1960s were of no help. I thought it was pointless, yet I kept looking under the hoods of any V8 MoPar from the 1950s through the early 70s.
On Saturday, I went to the Gateway Classic Cars show in Deer Valley. Tucked away between Cadillacs and Camaros was a yellow Dodge Dart Swinger. Ho hum. Seen it. Uncle Bill had one with a vinyl roof and a 225 “slant six.”
This one had gaudy yellow paint and an oversized hood scoop. What Gives? Who does that – wait, what’s that on the scoop?
Read it and weep.
Why yes, they ARE real! It’s not a misprint.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t stumbled upon it personally. You are forgiven, Fred. Vindicated. Exonerated. Right.
