What is a dual-quad and what are three deuces?

Hi, I've been listening to Beach Boys music and have a few questions. In 4-0-9, the phrase, "4-speed, dual-quad, positraction 409" crops up and in Little GTO you have, "three deuces and a four-speed and a 389". I'm guessing that both refer to carbs of some type, but what are the meanings of the words, dual, quad, three and deuces according to their usage in the songs?

What is a dual-quad and what are three deuces?
As I recall, dual quads is two four-barrel carburetors, and three deuces is three two barrels.
Reply:Four Barrel carburators are the quads. Dual quads meant you had two them. Positraction is a transmission. Four speed was a transmission.


I had a GTo but can't remember the rest of the phrases.
Reply:In 4-0-9 the phrase 4 speed means the transmission, dual-quad means 2 four barrel carbs and positraction means the rear end (differential). And I'm sure you know what "409" means. It was an engine in those days. 3 deuces means 3- 2 barrel carbs. The 389 was also an engine size.
Reply:dual quads is 2 ,4 barrel carbs, and 3 deuces are 3 ,2 barrel carbs
Reply:Others are correct, dual quad refers to two four barrel carburetors and three deuces means three two barrel carburetors. However, positraction is with regards to the rear axle being a limited slip differential.
Reply:The 409 was a medium duty truck engine that was modified by GM to become a "performance engine "





. It had a large cubic inch displacement at 409 cubic inches. Compared to a modern V8 it was pretty low tech, and didn't have a very efficient design, but in th early sixties, it was boss.





The "four speed " was a four speed manual transmission, with a floor mounted shifter. This set up was usually mated with a high performance Sheiffer heavy duty racing clutch, with a really hard to push in clutch pedal. This allowed for "bang shifting " without blowing up the clutch assembly.





The dual quad carb set up would be a set of two oppossed ( set up across from each other on a special aluminimum intake manifold ) that used Holley 850 cfm carbs with dual pumper fuel pumps to get as much fuel load into the carbs as possible. Really hard to set up and balance properly.





The "positraction rear end ' was a expensive aded option on the GTO. It locks the two rear axels, so that the maximum "straight ahead traction " could be put to the rear wheels. Good design, but a pain in the rear end in the rain, if you forgot and floored the car......it would do a 180 loop and you would get laughed at by your buddies.....





The " three dueces and a 389 " reffers to the slightly less potent GTO 389 cubic inch model. The 3 carbs were the Stromberg model 97's , which had been a standard "hot rodder " carb , since the late 1940's. Again hard to set up and keep them balanced, due to the complicated linkages and floats.





These were the days of people actually " building their own cars" by starting with a big displacement V eight and "hot rodding it " by shaving the heads, replacing factory cam shaft and pistons, multiple carbs, and making their car lighter by removing as much weight as they could get away with. Lowered and chopped bodies, and custom paint jobs, with flames.





Saturday nights at the drags and crusing the main street, afterwards.





I was there.





Jim B. Toronto.

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