I wouldn't say that - now I've driven some 307s that had clearly NOT been maintained, and though "Man, my 3.8L Regal is about as as fast as this"
On the other hand, I remember driving a 1985 Delta 88 with the roller 307 that had a surprising amount of kick to it. Maybe it had optional gearing, or maybe the motor was just in great shape.
But, yeah, the roller 307 was all about get as much power and torque right off idle as possible.
Still, it wasn't entirely fair - had the 307 even gotten throttle-body injection they probably could've eliminated quite a bit of vacuum hose and gained some torque. Had they done SEFI along the lines of the front drive 3.8 engines, and I'm thinking even the "simpler" ones from 1986-1988 - prior to the 3800 series, the engine would've been quite impressive, especially for its time.
Eh, lack of knowledge at the time? Lack of foresight? Rushed band-aid solutions? Probably a little of everything.
I will admit that, while I don't like the fact that the Chevy V8s got "favorite son" status, they were less bulky and lighter than the SBO.
On the other hand, I remember driving a 1985 Delta 88 with the roller 307 that had a surprising amount of kick to it. Maybe it had optional gearing, or maybe the motor was just in great shape.
But, yeah, the roller 307 was all about get as much power and torque right off idle as possible.
Still, it wasn't entirely fair - had the 307 even gotten throttle-body injection they probably could've eliminated quite a bit of vacuum hose and gained some torque. Had they done SEFI along the lines of the front drive 3.8 engines, and I'm thinking even the "simpler" ones from 1986-1988 - prior to the 3800 series, the engine would've been quite impressive, especially for its time.
Eh, lack of knowledge at the time? Lack of foresight? Rushed band-aid solutions? Probably a little of everything.
I will admit that, while I don't like the fact that the Chevy V8s got "favorite son" status, they were less bulky and lighter than the SBO.