In Australia we used to have a kind of mini-stovebolt 6 in the Holdens... four main bearings, six cylinders that were just about square in the region of three and a tad inches of bore and stroke.
They had the inevitable side plate to cover the valve gear, it had the dreadful cork gasket that went over the joint of the head and block, it had siamesed inlet ports and four of the exhaust ports too.
At 2.16 litres, it was a neat little engine, improved over the old Chev by having pressure fed big ends.
In time, because it became the most readily available engine in the country (over a million made, IIRC, between 1949 and 1962), it was hot-rodded by everyone from boat racers to drag racers to road racers in sedans and in race cars. At the speedways they droned around in droves behind the few Offies that made it here.
Enter Des West.
Des was one mean driver, he rallied with distinction, he built a neat early model Holden for racing on the road circuits.
And he revved it for all it was worth! Max Stahl raced against Des, he reckons he'd have Des beside him going up the straight, he'd change to third (top) gear and Des would keep on going in second. For a short time.
I don't remember the actual figures, but it was something like nine crankshafts in ten racing miles. They just didn't like going over 8 grand.
And the point of the story? It's better to have the engine come out alive at the end of the day.
