The ones we had "daves41chevy" must have been flukes or more appropriate, "LEMONS". The "SS" monte carlo I had was a dog also.It never earned the reputation of the "eairlier muscle cars".
As I mentioned earlier, the best "factory stock" SBC I ever had was in a 1967 Corvette. It was a 327 cu. in. with 350 hp (KNOWN AS L-79). I had a few LT-1 350's that performed well, but that 327 was the best ever!
Dave