CHEVROLET
Chevrolet Engines
In the 1955 model year Chevrolet introduced the so-called "small block V-8," arguably the most famous and versatile V8 engine ever produced in the post-World War II era. It came out with 265 cubic inches and was offered in three versions. The basic 265 had a two-barrel carburetor and was rated at 162 H.P in its initial 1955 iteration. Horsepower was increased to 180 with the addition of a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, and an underrated 195 hp version, called the "power pack", was installed in most 1955 Corvettes and was available in regular sedans on special order. It had a high lift solid lifter cam, high compression heads, and dual exhaust. This engine became a hit with hot rodders and almost overnight became the engine of choice, replacing the flathead Ford engine as the hot rodder's preferred motor.
The earliest years of the small block Chevrolet engine's development were especially eventful. In 1955 the 265-cubic-inch engine was one of the smallest V8 engines offered by the big three U.S. automakers (see 264 Buick Nailhead, 241 Plymouth non-Hemi and 241 Dodge Hemi), however it gave similar-sized cars with far larger engines--like the 88-series Oldsmobile with its 324 cubic-inch "Rocket" engine 324 Oldsmobile--a run for their money. For example, a Chevy equipped with the power-pack engine and a three-speed manual shift transmission can achieve 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 8.4 seconds, an astonishing feat for the time. Because his engine was placed in production only 15 weeks after authorization was given by management, the engineers did not have the necessary time to do the proper dynamometer testing and rate its horsepower prior to release. The untested engine rated at 185 H.P. when released in 1955 but was rated at 205 H.P. in 1956 after dynamometer testing. Because of its exceptional breathing ability, a 225 H.P. option was available by adding two four-barrel carbs. The power-pack engine for 1956 also had two four-barrel carburetors and was rated at 245 H.P. In 1957 the engine was increased to 283 cubic inches. This engine also had heads with larger valves and ports, and the four-barrel carburetor engine was rated at 220 H.P. Two four-barrel's gave 245 H.P. A high-performance version, with a high-lift solid cam and fitted with heads that had even larger intake valves, called fuel-injection heads by enthusiasts, was rated at 270 H.P. Fuel injection was also offered that year. Rated at 283 H.P., this was often referred to as the first engine offered by U.S. auto manufactures to produce 1 H.P. per cubic inch. This rating, however, was again incorrect due to delayed production schedules for the Rochester fuel injection unit. After proper dynamometer testing, it was rated at 290 H.P. in 1958. Enthusiasts affectionately called this engine the "fuelie." It should be noted that although Chevy is commonly credited with breaking the 1 horespower per cubic inch benchmark, a year earlier Chrysler offered their 1956 300B model with 354 cu inches and 355 horespower, and DeSoto's 1957 Adventurer provided 345 cu inches with 345 horespower, thus beating Chevy's well publicized feat in terms of both time (1956 vs.1957) and power (354 vs. 283).
Chevrolet Camaro
The debut Camaro shared some mechanicals with the 1968 Chevy II Nova. Almost 80 factory and 40 dealer options, including three main packages, were available.
The RS was an appearance package that included hidden headlights, revised taillights, RS badging, and exterior rocker trim. It was available on all models.
The SS included a 350 (5.7L) V8 engine and the L35 and L78 396(6.5L) big-block V8's were also available. The SS featured non-functional air inlets on the hood, special striping and SS badging on the grille, front fenders, gas cap, and horn button. It was possible to order both the SS and RS to receive a Camaro SS/RS. In 1967, a Camaro SS/RS convertible with a 396(6.5L) engine paced the Indianapolis 500 race.
The Z/28 option code was introduced in December 1966 for the 1967 model year. This option package wasn't mentioned in any sales literature, so it was unknown to most buyers. The Z/28 option required power front disc brakes and a Muncie 4-speed manual transmission. The Z/28 featured a 302(5.0L) small-block V-8 engine, 3" crankshaft with 4" bore, an aluminum intake manifold, and a 4-barrel vacuum secondary Holly carburetor of 780CFM. The engine was designed specifically to race in the Trans Am series (which required engines smaller than 305(5.0L) and public availability of the car.
Chevrolet Chevelle SS
The Chevelle SS represented Chevrolet's entry into the muscle car battle. Early 1964 and 1965 Chevelles had a Malibu SS badge on the rear quarter panel (the sought-after Z16 option had the emblem on the front fender, where 201 Malibu SS 396s were produced); after 1965, the Malibu SS badging disappeared except for those sold in Canada. The Chevelle SS, which became a regular series of its own in 1966 called the SS 396, was the high performance version and had its own line of engines and performance equipment. The performance engines available included 396 in³ V8s - rated at 325, 350 and 375 hp respectively (the mid horsepower 396 was rated at 360hp for 1966 only and 350hp thereafter). The SS396 series only lasted three years from 1966 through 1968 before being relegated to an option status just like air conditioning or a radio. The 1966 and 1967 model years also saw the limited run of the 'strut back' 2-dr sport coupe with its own model number, 17, as opposed to model number 37 used on previous and later 2-dr sport coupes. The 1968 model year was the first and only year of the SS396 El Camino with its own series/model identification of 13880. Almost all the goodies (big block engine, suspension, transmission options, etc.) of the SS396 could be ordered on the 1966 and 1967 El Camino but, sadly, the SS396 series El Camino was not available until (and only in) the 1968 model year. As with the 300 Deluxe and Malibu in 1969 and only the Malibu from 1970 to 1972, the SS option could be ordered in the El Camino as well.
