Classic Chevy Engine Parts

At the start of the race to create the fastest, meanest, and most powerful car, the race to build the most powerful engine also started. And during the Chevrolet's first involvement on the automotive industry, their first vehicle was powered by 299ci, six-cylinder engine that can reach up to 65 mph and accelerated from zero to 50 in a breathtaking 15 seconds. With the standard of that present time, that engine was quite impressive and thus it was considered as one of the fastest cars on the road. The years past and several improvements were made both to the cars and the engine. Few years after, Chevy's first V-8 engine was released.

 

But the Chevy's engine excellence did not stop there. When the classic era arrived and the muscle car was on its peak, the Chevy created more astounding engines that truly shook every part of the car. By 1925, Chevy revived its six-cylinder engine. It was later developed into the 3.2 liters big and 46 horsepower under hood monster.

 

Jumping off to the year after the Second World War when every thing was in order for the Chevrolet, we land on the year 1958. The company released their W-block 348 (which would eventually grow into the famed 409). Paired with the year-old Turboglide transmission, the 348 looked good on paper; especially the 315hp version equipped with three two barrel carbs. The engine that was released a year later and eventually became one of the most notable engines in the Chevy's history, where the optional V-8 engine produced up to 315 bhp. This thrived in the "more power" competition between the manufacturers.

 

The SS Impala and its optional 409-cid V-8 quickly marked its way on the performance circuit. One of the first cars equipped with this new powerhouse blew away the competition at the 1961 Winternationals Drag Racing Championships that was held in Pomona, California. After a year, the Impala SS was ranked among the world's fastest automobiles at the time because of its powerful engine. For 1962, the SS package could be combined with an even gutsier, dual-quad, 409-horse 409.

 

The inline six remained popular in the 60s but the Chevy's small-block V-8s run the competition. Fuel-injected 327s making up to 360 hp were highlights of the next generation of Corvettes, the Sting Rays. Carbureted 327s found their way into the '65-67 Nova SS's. The '66 Nova SS, when equipped with the available 350hp (L79) version of the 327 "Turbo-Fire" V-8, was one of the toughest performers in the compact class. In 1967, the most popular design of the small-block V-8, the 350, made its debut in the Camaro.

 

There were more powerful engines that were made exclusively for the Chevrolet. And throughout the classic era, the company held it ground as one of the top producing performance engine in the industry.