Those were always so cool

Yes the were... and still are.

Why do I want to shout, 'Cubes!'?

Because this has 366 cubic inches on tap... let the rice grinders brag about their rpm... these things have the grunt that the rice grinders will never see.

I miss cars that you could rock to the right just by revving the engine.

Me too... my Toyota when in it's power band will twist the body. But not like one of these motor's will.

Six mouths feeding eight teams of hungry horses.

Yep in deed!

ChrrrRRRRrrrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRrrrrRIV- POP!
Ssssssssssssssss.(Starter fluid.)
Klik-Chrr-RRRRrrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRrrrr-POP!-RRRRRRRR! RRRRRRRR!rrrrRRRRrrrrrRRRRrrrr! (Ever notice how the engine "Talks back" after a good dose of Starter Fluid?)
Klick klick klick!
(Squeaky-Squeak!)
ChrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRrrrrRIVVITA-RIVITTA-RIVITTA-COUGH! V'ROOOM! V"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOM!!!

IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!

I remember those days when I owned a '75 Dodge truck. Good times.

Likely the timing was off.

It most definitely was. At least at some point. I did finally get it properly tuned. Then sold it a year later.

Bad timing chain will do the same thing.

Your timing is off...

I must confess that I once tried to "Tune" the family 1971 Pontiac Safari Station Wagon with a "Big Block" engine, and I could never get the timing right.

It takes a bit of an ear to tune the idle jets, I always used a tach to get the peak. On the ignition side dwell meter and a timing light.

such a simple design - and the way an engine should be...

V.

Absolutely anyone with a bit of mechanical inclination could work on them.