Originally Posted by: Silverfox 
HI
The concept of an HQ454 Statesman is interesting. I know Leo Pruneau's HQ Coupe' ran a 400 SB for a while before being returned to 350 SB before disposal to a dealer. I think that would have gone well.
If they did do a 454 Statesman even for export only it would be a sought after car today.
The HQ was never designed for such an engine and although it would have been a rocket in a straight line it would have been a mongrel in corners and braking would have been an issue too.
It really would have been a luxury sleeper. Probably would have left both the GTHO Phase 3 and the Mercedes 450 sedan in its tyre smoke. Perfect packaging for the sleeper image would have been a few discreet 454 badges....wow.
Cheers Nick.
I would not say that the HQ was not designed for the big block 454 as it can easy fit in.
My dad had a stock 1971 400 Cleveland and my brother had a stock XB 351 and I know the difference is all in the torque, it's not in HP so much but in torque, so what I am saying is that torque is not fast, it's just like as in strength and that has nothing to do with fast, so a stock 454 would have massive grunt and pull high gearing easy as like a 2.78 ratio.
Having said that by the time the HZ came out with RTS a big block 454 would handle not that badly on the open highway, the Camaro test and Trans am 455 have RTS as well and they say such cars are not that bad to drive quickly.
Of the test I have seen and remember most cars ran around 8.5:1 compression from 1972 in the USA the big blocks would become more desirable for the grunt but what I see is that they are running very low gearing like 3.9:1 or 4.11:1 diff ratios to a top of 3.55 ratio, so top speed must be only about 160KM/H to 180 at best with even that.
I was looking into all the USA muscle cars and was thinking that back in the day what would I of wanted, sadly some of the top of the line performance cars did not interest me at all, they were much like drag cars than a hall arse highway rocket or Sports Touring as we call such. so I was thinking that I would have to look at less than the top shelf model and option the right gearing etc.
The HQ 350's did not perform any better than a 308, but only had a bit more torque and that was it. people who owned them ran and hide from coming out against a HQ 308's, I seen it the fear in their eyes said it all. the added cost of a 350 over a 308 in the day was just tossing your money away and the XB GT 351 was not much better and the XC 5.8L had no chance against a XB GT 351 regardless of what the power figures claim. XC to XE 5.8L were all slugs.
