The Fabulous "409"
'409" by the Beach Boys ('62)
She's real fine, my 409 . . .
She's real fine, my 409 . . .
Saved my pennies and I saved my dimes,
Before I knew there would be a time
When I would buy me a brand new 409 . . .
giddi-up, giddi-up, giddi-up 409 . . .
giddi-up, giddi-up, giddi-up 409 . . .
When I take her to the track, she really shines,
She always turns in the fastest time,
My 4-speed, dual-quad, pos-traction 409 . . .
giddi-up, giddi-up, giddi-up 409 . . .
giddi-up, giddi-up, giddi-up 409 . . .
Nothing can catch her, nothing can touch her . . .
409, 409, 409 . . .
The 409 CID Chevy Engine
What Was the "409?"
The 409 was basically an engine. It was the 1958 348 CID (cubic inch displacement) bored and stroked to 409 CID. The engine was built and was available from '62 through about '64. It could be bought in the Impala or the Bel Air chassis. The Impala looked better, but moonlight dragsters preferred the Bel Air because it had a lighter body.
On dragstrips around the country, in stock class, the 409 was turning times of under 13 seconds, very good times for those days.
The Beach Boys song describes a "dual-quad" 409, which would have been two 4-barrel Holly carborators. A 409 with that kind of carboration would have really taken off.
Fifty-seven 409 engines were further stroked by Chevy to a 427 configuration. Shortly after manufacturing started, the model was cancelled. The 57 cars built were sold to competitive dragsters, who really made hay with that kind of power. However, the issue was so few, they are really not very significant.
"My 4-speed, dual-quad, pos-traction 409 . . . "
--------------------------------------------Beach Boys
