The 2009 C6 ZR1 was NOT the first supercharged Corvette
April 7, 1954 – McCulloch Motors begins selling supercharger kits for Corvettes! Before Chevrolet unleashed the 638-horsepower C6 2009 ZR1, the Corvette community wasn’t itching...
Tagged: 427 big-block
1963 Fuelie Corvette vs 1967 L71 427/435 Corvette – Videos
Today, some 1963 split-window coupes command very high prices. Only 199 Z06 Corvettes were built in 1963, making restored versions extremely valuable. And only 20 1967 L88 Corvettes were built, putting them close to the top of the “most expensive classic Corvettes” list.
1996 LT4 Small-Block Chevy – The Finished Classic SBC?
When the Cadillac-derived Small-block Chevy engine first arrived in 1955, I’m certain that Ed Cole and his team of Chevrolet engineers never imagined that their efforts would have such a profound and long lasting impact on the automobile industry. The little 265-cubic-inch engine had just 162-horsepower. By 1970 the 350-cubic-inch LT-1 engine was packing 370 gross horsepower. Beginning in 1973 Gm started rating their engines in “net” figures making it look as if the legs had been cut out from under all of their motors. While it’s true that there were emissions restrictions and reduced compression, the “net” power ratings were in real-world terms, closer to reality.
From ‘73 to ‘96 it was a long slow slog, but the last SBC to use the basic original design was the 330-horsepower LT4. So, what would be the ”gross” horsepower rating of a ‘96 LT4? That would be anyone’s guess, but somewhere close to or over 400-horsepower would be a good guess.
The POWER of the Corvette
slide show of Corvette engines from the valiant Blue Flame-Six to the mighty 638-horsepower, supercharged LS9. The LS9, rated at 638-horsepower, is the most powerful production engine ever produced in Detroit.
