Greetings! Looking to buy our first Scout. Clearly I am unprepared. I am working with an experienced mechanic who I am confident does good work, but I am wondering what I should expect out of a 196 engine from a speed and performance perspective (at best). We are looking for something that we can tool around town with and take for some minor off-roading adventures. I am wondering if that will be possible with the original engine. Sorry if this is a dumb question!
1969 800A Engine
- Thread starter Ranamae
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For sure this will be fine for driving around town. No scout is fast by any means, even with a 345. I swapped a mopar 360 in mine with a RV camshaft and it was still slow. They are just big heavy bricks, no matter the model. But for cruising around town it will be fine, in my opinion. Also for minor off-roading I would assume it would be fine. It is still a carbureted old engine, so on steep inclines it may stall due to flooding, just like a carbureted 304 or 345 would. Torque is the most important thing when off-roading, and you could always re-gear to get more torque for that. There are plenty of people that have been off-roading for decades with the 196. Especially if your off-roading consists of small climbs, trail rides, etc. (not high-speed).
Long story short yes, it is capable for your applications, in my opinion.
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