For decades it has been pretty well universally acclaimed that to make lots of horsepower cheaply the best choice was a small block Chevrolet V8. Sure, other brands of V8s could be made to perform admirably, but getting there was going to be more costly and more difficult than using the SBC.
In the inline six cylinder world things are a little bit different. Other brands of inlines will get you to the 400 hp level easier and more reliably, but if you really want to go with a 292 and really want to achieve 400 hp then set your sails and don't let money or technical issues slow you.
P.S., I love the early gassers. I grew up in Ohio where in the '60s you could drive by open garage doors and every other one had a gasser inside. At a nostalgia drag race I attended last weekend there were about 40! of them in competition and several more on display.
I have a '33 Willys coupe and a '49 Anglia and my son has a '48 Anglia, all of them inline 6 powered. None of them are pushing out 400 hp but loads of fun nevertheless.
Last edited by THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER; 09/30/19 10:08 AM.
