Engine History Made! 100,000,000 Small-Block Chevy Engines, and Counting!

Dateline: 8.19.11
Chevrolet announces the 100-millionth Small-Block Chevy engine to be built and installed in a ’12 Corvette in Fall 2011

Former chief of Chevrolet engineering and president of General Motors, Ed Cole.

This week Chevrolet announced that the 100-millionth Small-block Chevy engine will be built sometime in Fall 2011 and will most likely be installed in a 2012 Corvette! So three cheers to Chevrolet.

Hip, hip, HOORAY!
Hip, hip, HOORAY!
Hip, hip, HOORAY!

Although the small-block Chevy engine was designed to be an efficient passenger car engine, the design’s simplicity and durability has been providing Chevy fans with some of the fiercest engines ever. SBCs have powered just about every kind of race car from Indy and Le Mans, to drag strips and dirt tracks all over America.

Which SBC will be the magic 100 millionth engine has not yet been announced. It could be the mighty 430-horsepower LS3 engine used as the base engine for the Corvette, or possibly the most powerful production engine ever built in Detroit history, the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 that powers the C6 ZR1 Corvette rocket ship. I’m sure that Chevrolet will make a BIG media splash about this car.

Enjoy our Small-Block Chevy engine gallery.

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The man credited with designing and developing the SBC was former General Motors president, Ed Cole. As a youngster Cole liked to tinker with radio sets and was briefly a field rep for a tractor manufacturer before enrolling in the General Motors Institute where he got his degree in engineering. In 1949, along with GM’s Harry Barr, Cole developed the acclaimed 1949 Cadillac OHV V8 engine. By 1952 Cole was promoted to chief of engineering for Chevrolet. His first major project was the design and development of the replacement for Chevrolet’s tired, old, Stovebolt-Six engine. The finished engine was essentially a simplified, smaller version of the Cadillac OHV engine he’s helped design in ‘49.

When nested between the front fenders of the new ‘55 Chevy, the 265-cubic-inch, 162-horsepower engine looked, well, tiny. It probably only took a few weeks for hot rodders to realize that there was a ton of red meat in the little lightweight engine. The new small-block Chevy quickly developed the nick name “Mouse Motor.” Within a few years, the new SBC completely changed hot rodding and racing. It was, “good-bye Flathead Ford” and “Hello Small-Block Chevy.” Continue reading “Engine History Made! 100,000,000 Small-Block Chevy Engines, and Counting!”

Greenwood Stars and Stripes ‘69 Corvette Racer & Four Other Corvettes Go On the Block at RM Auctions Monterey Event 8.19.2011

Dateline: 8.18.11
Hot Vette Race Car Auction Action in Monterey!

In the tradition of the Grand Sport Corvettes, C3 "Shark" Vette race cars look TOUGH!

It’s the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance week in Monterey, California. On Friday, August 19, 2011 five Corvettes will be going on the block at the RM Auctions Monterey event.. Of the five cars, four are race cars, with the most prominent being the John Greenwood 1969 427 ZL-1 BF Goodrich “Stars and Stripes” race car. The other race cars include a ‘59 Fuelie, a ‘61 Fuelie, and a ‘73 SCCA/IMSA Coupe. The lone stocker is a black ‘60 Corvette.

If it happens that you will not be attending the event, fret not! You can watch the auction action LIVE! If you go to the RM Auctions homepage, HERE. Look for the “VIEW LIVE AUCTION” link with the green button with the triangle in the middle. The auctioning fun begins at 6:30 Pacific time and will run for four to five hours. Of the five Corvettes that will be going on the block, the Greenwood car will probably get the highest bids. Pre-auction expectations are that the car will go off for between $750,000 to $950,000!  With the current economy, it will be interesting to see how high the numbers go.

Here’s a review of the five Corvettes…

The Greenwood car is Lot #144. For full details, CLICK HERE.

The black ‘59 racer is Lot #176. For full details, CLICK HERE. Continue reading “Greenwood Stars and Stripes ‘69 Corvette Racer & Four Other Corvettes Go On the Block at RM Auctions Monterey Event 8.19.2011”

Vette Videos: 1953 Corvette TV Commercial

Dateline: 8.12.11
It all had to begin somewhere…

Harley Earl was a leader in women's rights in the workplace.

What an OUTRAGEOUS proposal! Take a Chevy sedan chassis and drivetrain, soup up the in-line-six “Stovebolt” engine, and dress it with a sexy lightweight body made of an exotic new material – fiberglass. That’s was GM chief of design, Harley Earl’s idea of an American sports car.

The Stovebolt-Six engine was goosed by adding three Carter one-barrel carbs, a more aggressive solid-lifter cam, increased compression to 8:1, dual valve springs, stronger exhaust valves, and a high-efficiency water pump. The 115-HP Stovebolt six was reborn as the Blue Flame Six and packed a mighty 150-HP @ 4200 rpm and 224 LB/FT or torque. (calm down, calm down) The transmission was the tried-and-true Chevrolet Powerglide automatic with the shifter on the floor.

The Blue Flame Six engine had 150-horsepower, 223-lb/ft or torque, and a redline of 5,000 rpm!

While the fiberglass was exotic for 1953, there was a more practical reason for using the plastic material – COST. Even though finishing the body was more labor intensive, it was no where near the cost of making the huge metal stamps for steel body parts. Chevrolet engineers determined that if the car failed, they would have a minimal financial risk using fiberglass. Continue reading “Vette Videos: 1953 Corvette TV Commercial”

Vette Videos: Building the 1957 Corvette SS Racer Video

Dateline: 8.11.11
Take a trip in the CorvetteReport.com Video Time Machine to 1957!

Many times, a bold project must have a bold leader. Zora Arkus-Duntov was one of the all-time great corporate outsider misfits. Not only was he the only executive at GM that had actually raced cars, he had raced at Le Mans! Plus, he was constantly wandering off the reservation!

Corvette SS racer at Sebring 1957.

After Sebring in ‘57, it was obvious that modified stock Corvettes would never be competitive against the Jaguars and Ferraris. GM’s chief designer, Harley Earl proposed building a “Corvette” based on a D-Type Jaguar with a Corvette engine and a modified body. When Zora heard about the proposal and looked into what would be needed to create such a car, red flags popped up all over the place for the wild Russian. But Earl was no fool, he was a master tactician, and may well have made such an outrageous proposal as a way of pushing Chevrolet towards building their own purpose-built Corvette racer.

Obviously, because of Duntov’s background, he was the only man to lead the project. After he put together his team of designers, draftsman, and fabricators, the chassis of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL was used as a model for how to construct a tube space frame. Continue reading “Vette Videos: Building the 1957 Corvette SS Racer Video”

Corvette Timeline Tales: July 23, 1936 – Happy Birthday to Corvette Racer, Dave MacDonald

Dateline: 7.23.11
Dave MacDonald – “The Master of Oversteer”

“I think Dave had more raw talent probably than any race driver I ever saw.” – Carroll Shelby

The original Grand Sport Corvette is considered by many to be the ultimate “could have been” Corvette. Well, when it comes to drivers that raced and loved Corvettes, El Monte, California race car driver, Dave MacDonald is arguably the greatest “could have been” Corvette race car driver. That’s not just my opinion – that’s what I learned from researching Dave MacDonald’s racing career, from his contemporaries. Many drivers and team owners from Dave’s day are on record stating that had Dave’s life not been cut short at the ‘64 Indy 500, he would have likely been one of the greats. MacDonald’s shining star was about to go super nova!


Here’s the signature-style MacDonald rear-wheel-drift.

While I was familiar with Dave MacDonald from books in my Corvette library, it wasn’t until I started researching Dave’s background while working on a story for VETTE Magazine that I learned what a terrific guy he was. If you look in your Corvette books that have chapters covering the early ‘60s road racing scene, look for the “00” Corvette with the tail hanging out. That’s Dave “The Master of Oversteer” MacDonald. Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tales: July 23, 1936 – Happy Birthday to Corvette Racer, Dave MacDonald”

Corvette Odd-Ball: SHOCKING! Naked C1 Fuelie Corvette!

Dateline: 7.18.11
An Expose-look under the pretty fiberglass of a C1 Fuelie Corvette!

Now here’s something you don’t see every day. A C1 Corvette without a body and interior. Just the engine, drive train, suspension, wheels, tires, and the steering wheel. And not just any C1 Corvette, a Fuelie Corvette!

Up front I must apologize because when I was at the April 2011 Strictly Corvettes and American Muscle Cars Show at the Atlantic City Convention Center, I was also a vendor and had little time to get away from my booth. So I kind of zoomed through and took pictures of what looked interesting. The chassis-only display really caught my eye. You just don’t see this every day. I did the same thing with Kevin McKay’s drivable 1969 427 L-88 drivable chassis-only, Corvette. (see links below) Continue reading “Corvette Odd-Ball: SHOCKING! Naked C1 Fuelie Corvette!”

Corvette Timeline Tales: Car Window Sticker Requirement Passed into Law, July 7, 1958

Dateline: 7.8.11

Happy Birthday to an Essential Part of Your Corvette’s History!

To see the larger version of this classic 1958 Corvette MSRP window sticker, click the image.

Fifty three years ago, on July 7, 1958 a federal law was passed requiring car makers to put window stickers on all new cars. New car window stickers have been around for so long, I thought that they’d been around since the beginning. Actually, I never really thought, “Gee, I wonder when window stickers began?”

Of course, back in ‘58 no one probably ever thought that the factory window sticker would one day be an important part of the documentation of cars. Of course, it’s a pretty good guess that Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tales: Car Window Sticker Requirement Passed into Law, July 7, 1958”

Corvette Wheels Pt. 1 of 3 – 1953 to 1967

A Historical Look Back at the Wheels Vettes Ride On

After the characteristics of body shape and color, wheels are arguably the most definitive aspect of a car’s personality. A great looking set of wheels can make an average car (such as a Chevy Nova) look like a hot car with just a set of Cragar wheels. Having good looking wheels is the fastest way to get people to tell you, “Hey man, nice wheels”

Looking back at Corvette wheel designs, it’s amazing to realize that the first three generation base Corvettes road on stamped steel wheels. It wasn’t until Corvette’s 11th season that buyers had any wheel option at all. The ‘63 to ‘67 knock-off and knock-off-styled wheels were quite the ticket. Then from ‘68 to ‘72, it was back to stamped steel wheels only. They were beautifully styled wheels but due to their growing width and larger tires, were adding a lot of unsprung weight. Corvette buyers finally got a wheel option again in ‘73 with the very nice looking aluminum alloy wheels that definitely enhanced the Mako Shark looks of the C3 cars.

Corvette buyers saw the last of the stamped steel wheels at the close of the ‘82 model year. With the introduction of the C4 in ‘84, its been alloy wheels all the way, providing Corvette buyers with some of the most beautiful automotive wheel designs made. Continue reading “Corvette Wheels Pt. 1 of 3 – 1953 to 1967”

Corvette Timeline Tales: July 3, 1952 – Chevrolet Management Approves Harley Earl’s Fiberglass Sports Car Project

Dateline: 7.3.11
This is the FIRST of a new series that will be looking back at important dates in Corvette history.

In his day, Harley Earl was called, “The DaVinci of Detroit.”

It all had to begine sometime. On July 3, 1952 Chevrolet management gave the approval to move forward with Harly Earl’s fiberglass sports car concept. Official work orders were issued to build two experimental bodies to be produced using a new material called “fiberglass.” Plus, two full-size functional cars for testing and evaluation. The project’s code name was “Opel Sports Car.”

Ed Cole had just been made Chief Engineer of Chevrolet and was very Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tales: July 3, 1952 – Chevrolet Management Approves Harley Earl’s Fiberglass Sports Car Project”

Was 1962 the “Best” of the C1 Corvettes?

The straight-axle Fuelie was tough enough to win it’s class at Le Mans in ‘61. Was the last of the C1 the “best”? Let’s have a look-see!

Click the images to see much larger images of these classic Corvette ads.

No matter how well received a performance car is, the day will come when the decision is made, “Let’s build a new version!” For the first generation Corvette, that day arrived in late 1959. Two years before, Ed Cole was driving his Q-Chevrolet project that would have put a transaxle in every Chevrolet car, including the Corvette, by 1960. Chief of GM styling, Bill Mitchell attended the Turin Motor Show in ‘57 and especially liked the humps over the wheels and the unique tapered roof of the Pininfarina and Boano cars. So he instructed his designers to come up with something based on those ideas. Penned mostly by Bob Veryzer and Pete Brock, the new shape is unmistakably the genesis of the Sting Ray.

While the Q-project was quickly shelved, Mitchell couldn’t let go of the Q-Corvette shape. Early in ‘59, Bill made a deal to buy the mule chassis from the Corvette SS racing project for $1. Designer Larry Shinoda was charged with designing a roadster version of the Q-Corvette for the Corvette SS chassis. On his own, Mitchell successfully raced his Sting Ray for two reasons. First, he wanted to go racing, and second, to test the public’s response to the new design. It didn’t take long before it was obvious Continue reading “Was 1962 the “Best” of the C1 Corvettes?”

Will “The Quest” Be the Ultimate Corvette Movie?

Passion and love bring a famous old Briggs “Swift” Cunningham 1960 Fuel Injected Corvette war horse back to life and into the lead roll in a movie!

Restored old race cars has become an exciting aspect of the Corvette hobby. If you have ever wondered if master craftsmen are still working today, I suggest checking out the work of Kevin MacKay, at Corvette Repair. Kevin and his crew have brought back to life famous Corvette race cars, including the Roger Penske ‘66 L88 Corvette, several of John Greenwood’s Corvettes, and Briggs “Swift” Cunningham’s 1960 Fuel Injected Le Mans class-winning 1960 Corvette, the star of the new documentary film, “The Quest.”

Here’s the official movie preview…

Here’s what I find to be so cool about these kinds of cars. The men that build or buy race cars do it to win races. Some cars become champions, others just competitors. But what usually happens is that this year’s used up race car is sold off and the team owner buys a new fresh car. The new owner of the used racer usually repaints the machine, Continue reading “Will “The Quest” Be the Ultimate Corvette Movie?”