Figured I might as well follow up with the actual difference between the 427 Zl-1 and the GM/Reynolds 430 Can Am in Bill Jenkins words from a 1970 article.
Source: Super Stock & Drag Illustrated July 1970
Jenkins was asked "can the standard 427 be competitive against the 430 or Can Am short stroke engine in Pro/Stock."
Jenkins replied: The Hp difference is negligible. It's the range with the 430 that makes the difference. He continued, the difference is 10 - 15 at peak and the peak for the 427 is 7,200 and +7,500 for the 430. At 7,200 there is no difference and at 7,600 - 7,700 the 430 makes 10 - 15 more hp than the 427 at 7,200. The 427 is definitely downhill at 7,700 - 7,800 being approximately -40 Hp say from 660 - 620.
The 430 climbs from 7,200 with about the same power to say 10 hp more at 7,500 and then maybe 15 hp more at 7,700; at 8,000 it is back to about the 7,500 power output.
SS & DI then asked how many of these engines are there ? Jenkins replied, 70 blocks were cast and distributed among 10 different Can Am teams and 6-10 of the blocks were given to potential or actual drag race users.
Note: very few Can Am blocks were cast with fuel pump bosses but the majority of all the early Can Am blocks were sleeved.
Note: Jenkins eluded to Reynolds experimenting with linerless blocks to increase bore size to 4.500.
I'd like to add that these engines weigh in the mid 400 lbs. range and when the mcLaren M8D/3 was subsequently tested by ex-F1 driver and double Le Mans winner JJ Lehto, the Finn declared M8D/3 to be “the fastest thing I have ever driven…”
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