end of true high performance

[chargd72]

Most of us know that 1972 was the year that a lot of performance was detuned out of our favorite engines.  So here's my question.  I have a '72 Charger that was built pretty early in the year.  The engine was built in 1971.  From '71 to '72, the compression for my engine went from 9.2 down to 8.6.  Since my engine was built in '71 and went into a '72 body, will it have the higher compression?

[RD]

i say... no.

[69charger440]

Measure the CC's and you will know for sure!!!!!

[Cooter]

I say no..As the 1971 engines set up for the '72 model year were already in the process of the great EPA crackdown on HP...Would you believe I've actually torn down 1968 "HP" 440's and found 5 out of 8 piston's all at a different piston to deck height? Worst one was like .050 in the hole..

So, just because the early engines were "Supposedly" higher rated Compression, doesn't mean they were. This is why two cars that were identicle and one will run better than the other back in the day...I've torn down '66 440's that were no where near the advertised "10.0:1" compression..

All of this is a moot point if the engine has had a rebuild using those Fel-Pro "Blue" thick .042 compressed head gaskets at some point in the last 30 plus years as well...

[chargd72]

I'll go ahead and trust it's not.  That was my first thought as well.  With the heads and gasket I'm using, it will bump up compression enough and my baseline was using the lower compression spec anyway.  Thanks guys.