quarter-mile. The front shocks seemed inordinately soft, and heavy applications of throttle at the starting line would cause the nose to rear up, dragster fashion, prompting a weight transfer to the rear for improved traction. The only other quarter-mile acceleration times that we have ever seen published on a GT/A Fairlane were 16.5 seconds at 82 mph.

Though they were less than a second slower than the Comet's top time, the Chevelle, the 4-4-2 and the Buick were out of the action at Westhampton. After some rather vigorous driving by the Hurst crew, the 4-4-2 was finally clocked at 14.59 seconds at 100.55 mph, but there wasn't a prayer of making it run any quicker in its present shape. The Chevelle ran a best time of 14.66 seconds at 99.88 mph while the Buick surprised a few people by cranking off a 14.92 run at 95.3 mph. This was better than a number of those present expected from the Gran Sport, considering its relatively unprepared condition and its two-speed automatic transmission. While the Fairlane's 3-speed automatic was a truly high-performance option, the unit employed on the Buick was unsuited for high-

   performance driving on any kind of race track. During the planning stages of the test, we were approached by the people who operate the Brockway truck company in upstate New York with a proposal that we test one of their high-performance diesel tractors along with the six automobiles. The object of this effort would be to blunt some of the general criticism that trucks are sluggish, oversized traffic bottlenecks. Though we assured them we wouldn't be able to give them equal time or billing with the cars in question, it sounded like a unique opportunity to learn what sort of developments were taking place in the trucking industry and we welcomed them to come along. Operating. in co-operation with the Goodyear truck tire division, Brockway announced that they were bringing a Model 359T lightweight tractor powered by a supercharged Detroit Diesel engine. Their driver would be Dutch Hoag, an outstanding veteran of modified stock car racing in the east and an expert operator of big trucks. They arrived at the strip, complete with a trailer loaded with enough weight to give the rig a total burden of 45,000 pounds. Hoag used the 15-speed
 
 PHOTOGRAPHY: ALFRED FISHER
     
 
OLDSMOBILE 4-4-2   CHEVELLE SS 396   PONTIAC GTO
Price as tested   
$3730.97		   Price as tested   
$3551.45		   Price as tested  
$3621.62
Engine displacement  
(cu. in.)  400		   Engine displacement 
(cu. in.)   396 		   Engine displacement 
(cu. in.)   389
Bore & stroke (in.) 
 4.00 x 3.97		   Bore & stroke (in.) 
  4.09 x 3.76		   Bore & stroke (in.)  
 4.06 x 3.75
Carburetion   Single 4-bbl   Carburetion   Single 4-bbl   Carburetion   Three 2-bbi
Compression ratio 
 10.5 to one		   Compression ratio 
  10,25 to one		   Compression ratio  
10.75 to one
Horsepower @ rpm 
 350 @ 5000		   Horsepower @ rpm 
  360 @5200		   Horsepower @ rpm 
360 @ 5200 
Torque @ rpm 
 440 @ 3600		   Torque @ rpm  
 420 @ 3600		   Torque @ rpm 
 424 @ 3600
Transmission 
4-speed manual 
 		   Transmission 
4-speed manual 
 		   Transmission 
4-speed manual 
 
Rear axle ratio  3.55 
 		   Rear axle ratio   3.55 
 		   Rear axle ratio  3.55 
 
Wheelbase (in.)   115 
 		   Wheelbase (in.)   115 
 		   Wheelbase (in.)  115 
 
Track, F & R (in.)  58-59
 		   Track, F & R (in.)   58-58   Track, F & R (in.)  58-59
Length x width x height (in.)   Length x width x height (in.)   Length x width x height (in.)
  204.5 x 74.5 x 54.0 
 		   197 x 75 x 53.0 
 		   206.4 x 74.4 x 53.8 
 
Test weight (Ibs.)  3490 
 		   Test weight (Ibs.)   3605 
 		   Test weight (ibs.)  3620 
 
Suspension   Suspension   Suspension
 
 
F: Incl., unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, anti-sway bar
R: Rigid axle and locating links, coil springs, anti-sway bar
 		  

 
 
F: Ind., unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, anti-sway bar
R:  Rigid axle and 
 locating links
 

  

 
   

F: Ind., unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, anti-sway bar
R: Rigid axle and locating links, coil springs
  
Brakes F & R  (type & dia.)
9.5-in. drums 
 		   Brakes F & R (type & dia.)
9.5-in. drums 
 		   Brakes F & R (type & dia.)
9.5-in. drums 
 
  
Steering Recirculating ball 
 		     
Steering Recirculating ball 
 		     
Steering Recirculating ball 
 
1/4-mi. acceleration 
 		   1/4-mi. acceleration 
 		   1/4-mi. acceleration 
 
14.59 sec. @ 100.55 mph   14,66 sec. @ 99.88 mph   14.05 sec. @ 105.14 mph
  
Lap time (Bridgehampton)  2:06.0 
 		     
Lap time (Bridgehampton)   2:08.1 
 		     
Lap time (Bridgehampton)   2:06.8 
 
Panic stop (80-0 mph)
 5.1 sec.		   Panic stop (80-0 mph)
  5.2 sec.		   Panic stop (80-0 mph)
  5.5 sec.

 
CAR and DRIVER   MARCH 1966
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