OK Solberg: 00:00

I want again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break. Guys new week, week of Christmas. Are you ready? Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, your bottle of water. Let's see what's happening.

OK Solberg: 00:09

Spring wheat $5.56 a bushel. 550lb steer calf gonna give you a range $4.07 to $4.14 depending on their condition. A butcher hog in Iowa 64¢ a pound. And a lamb that's fat weighing a 100lbs in Billings up some $2.40 a pound. But guys, there's more, much more.

OK Solberg: 00:33

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you. Deuteronomy 32:7 That verse setting the stage for our elders, Jay and Joe. Oh, wait. It's Monday And you know what that means. Jay and Joe's Motor Monday, the day we look at horsepower. One Monday at a time.

OK Solberg: 01:01

Now, did you know that these programs go out on the Internet? Yep. They do. And we have a listener from Illinois that suggested we cover General Motors 409 engine. Great idea. And this listener used to live in good old Malta, Montana.

OK Solberg: 01:20

Now, I didn't ask his permission to use his name, so he shall remain nameless for now. But I can tell you that he had Missus Stickley as a first grade teacher back in 1964, and he graduated Malta High School in 1976, and he had two brothers and his parents worked right here in Malta, Montana. He liked chocolate chip cookies and was in speech and drama.

OK Solberg: 01:48

Anyway, what about that 409 engine? So so what's the deal? The Chevrolet 409 big block engine first appeared when? In 1961 and it ran as an option for engines from 1961 through 1965. Now it was placed in a lot of Chevy cars including the Impala SS Super Sport, Chevy Bel Air, the Biscayne, even some Corvette models, and would you believe it Chevrolet's El Camino in the early models actually some of them came with a 409 engine.

OK Solberg: 02:30

In 1962 Chevrolet offered multiple 409 varieties both single 4 barrel carbureted and dual quad 2 four barrels and these came in full sized cars like the Impala, Bel Air, and Biscayne. And if you never heard about this 409 engine, then I can bet another thing. I bet you aren't a Beach Boys fan. Because in 1962, the Beach Boys wrote and produced a song simply titled 409, She's real fine my 409.

OK Solberg: 03:07

She's real fine my 409. The 409 wasn't just a street engine. It was an intimidating competitor in early 60s drag racing as well. Did you realize Dino Don Nicholson won street eliminator and stock eliminator titles at key events like the National Hot Rod Association Winter Nationals running a 409 powered Chevy. Now I got a question for Jan & Joe.

OK Solberg: 03:40

Did you know that in 1963 Chevrolet took the 409 engine and produced a rare Z11 drag racing package. Did you know that? A stroke version of the 409 block and turned the 409 into a 427 for more power. Guys, only 50 production cars were built which focused entirely on drag racing performance. In stock trim, a 409 equipped SS could run the quarter mile between 14 seconds flat to 15 three at nearly a 100 miles an hour. That's smoking for a street car in the early 1960's

OK Solberg: 04:25

The 409 was Chevrolet's 1st true performance big block V8, and it was offered in passenger cars, setting the stage for the legendary blocks like, name them there, Joe, 396, 427 and the 454. Imagine a guy who did his day job was tuning customers cars and it turns into a national drag racing fame. That's Don, Dino Don Nicholson.

OK Solberg: 04:58

When Chevrolet rolled out the new 409 engine in 1961, Don was working, testing people's cars, getting them ready for the customers. Well, he learned a lot about them. So was one of the 1st racers to exploit its power. And at the very 1st National Hot Rod Association, Winter Nationals, his 409 powered Bel Air took the top stock eliminator title. That win helped turn the 409 from a great street engine into a legend on the drag strip.

OK Solberg: 05:34

Nicholson's victories helped prove that Chevrolet's big block wasn't just for cruising, it could win against the toughest competition. So here it is. Long before muscle cars even had names, the 409 taught America that power had a sound and everyone knew it when they heard it. Giddy up. Giddy up 409. Nothing can catch her. Nothing can touch my 409.

OK Solberg: 06:03

So until next time, thanks to my friend in Illinois. As you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.