by Patrick Rall as republished from Torque News
New LT4 crate motor package injects C7 Corvette Z06 power

Dateline 12.9.15: If you are shopping for a very special person in your life who is rebuilding a classic Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, Chevelle or El Camino and you want the most bang for your buck, the new LT4 crate motor package injects C7 Corvette Z06 power into any old school GM muscle car.

While the internet is chock full of Cyber Monday bargains, the first item on the wish list of many classic Chevy owners currently building project cars isn’t an iPad or a discounted Xbox One – it is the new LT4 crate motor. The same engine that delivers 650 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque in the 2015/2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is now available through the General Motors performance parts catalog so someone building a wicked GM restomod this winter could drop in some massive modern power.

The supercharged LT4 crate engine kit from General Motors includes the complete engine with a wet sump oiling system and the flywheel, but it does not include the engine electronics system. The wet sump LT4 part number is 19332621 and the price of this package starts at $15,625, while the same engine with the higher performance dry sump oiling system (PN 19332702) starts at $16,250. When you add in the required LT4 Controller package (19331517) which has an MSRP of $2,300, the turn-key price of the LT4 starts at $17,925 for the wet sump configuration and $18,550 for the dry sump setup.

Once you have the LT4 crate engine and the electronics package, you “only” need to drop it into the engine bay of your classic Chevy, run the fuel lines, hook up the transmission, hook up an exhaust system and connect the electronics – and you are ready to enjoy 650 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque.

Now, I imagine that more than a few readers are laughing at the suggesting of buying someone a $15k+ Corvette Z06 for a loved one for Christmas, especially compared to a discounted electronic gadget. However, for those folks shopping with a big budget and the desire to save their favorite classic Chevy project car owner a whole lot of trouble this year – the LT4 Corvette crate engine will go a long way in making any classic Chevrolet a head turner…even when it is sitting still.

Best of all, like most General Motors crate engines, the new LT4 comes with a warranty that appears to be good for 2 years of 24,000 miles.

Not For Use in Emission Vehicles

In reading through the fine print for the new Corvette Z06 LT4 crate engine, I noticed that it is only intended for pre-1976 and off-road vehicles. While the details don’t specifically state that this is not an emission-compliant engine, the fact that it is intended for pre-1976 and off-road vehicles – all of which are not subject to emission testing – leads me to believe that this engine isn’t ready for use in modern, emission-constrained vehicles.