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This site is completely free and there are no costs. Please enjoy and provide feedback.What is the best engine for my Chevelle?
- Thread starter Alan F
- Start date
I love 327s & 350s....so versatile and easy to work on! I put a new long block 327 in my ‘55 Chevy back in the 60’s.
That being said, the A-Body Chevelle is a bigger car and I’m more of a purist so I vote Big Block!
I know little about the LS engines but for a purist I can’t see me ever going that route.
Good luck!
That being said, the A-Body Chevelle is a bigger car and I’m more of a purist so I vote Big Block!
I know little about the LS engines but for a purist I can’t see me ever going that route.
Good luck!
Chevelle_Nut
Shop Foreman
I like my Gen 1 Small Block 350s. Easy to work on, plugs, points and carburetor.
If it's a 66 to 72, build an SS clone big block if you care about resale value.
If not, go with a small block.
If not, go with a small block.
Depends on what you want as well, if it is a non SS car seems like well built LS cars are bringing the moon on re sale. You have a lot of guys who don’t want to work on them and want to drive them. If your keeping it for a long time it’s apples and oranges small block to big block. You can build both to produce 500-600hp which is more than enough. What is your plan for the car i guess is more of the pertinent question.
I had a 327 but thought I wanted more power so built a 350 (still pretty mild by these guys standards). If I had to do it all over again I’d stick with 327 with camel hump heads. I’m different though than most. I just want a reliable cruiser.
If I wanted performance but on a budget Id look into a 5.3 LS.
If I wanted performance but on a budget Id look into a 5.3 LS.
Think of it as a personality makeover for your ride. I've went from a rowdy 600hp 427 in a 3200lb '55 chevy that had no radio, twin 660s on a tunnel ram, 3.5 inch borlas and I could feel every explosion in the cylinders..all the way down to a 327 in a '66 with a smooth 5 speed.....they're all special, and fun.
It kinda was, it made an everlasting effect on everyone that got to ride in it.....I even fabricated lexan slider door windows......they rattled in unison with that 427.
kmakar
Janitor
That's what I'm putting in my '67. I have two 327 small journal's sitting on stands in my garage. One is out of a wrecked '67 Camaro, and the other is a '65 with double hump heads (291's). I'm dropping the '65 with the double hump heads into my '67 (after it's rebuilt).
Bad as it may sound, I'm not into the speed anymore, it's all about the ride and comfort. I like to cruise.
BBC and as much torque as you can stand, I went with 600 tq because I think that'll be all I want to try to handle in an older car, these new 700-800 +++ cars have all the traction control, launch mode etc. to tame the power for just about anyone to drive, these older cars even with modern suspension are still older cars
I ordered a 396-375hp motor in my 69 Chevelle SS. I had so many problems with that motor and the car in general I swore I would never buy a BBC again. In 1970 I traded the Chevelle in for a 70 Nova SS that I ordered with the 350-300hp motor in it. From there on everything I bought had a SBC in it. When I had my 2nd 69 Camaro I bought one of the 350 GM crate motors that went for around $1200 back then. I just used the short block from the motor put a Lunati Cam in it Crane Gold Roller Rockers a set of Edelbrock Performer RPM heads with the smaller chambers and a Performer RPM manifold with a 750 Holley double pumper carb on it. I used a MSD distributor with a box. I just researched the parts and thought they would be a good combination for the car that also ran a 4 speed with 3:73 rear end gears that were later changed to 4:10's which made a real big difference in the performance of the car with the new motor. That had to be the best running SBC I ever had and when I sold the car the kid that bought it said it pulled like it had a BB in it. Now being a lot older I finally bought another car with a BBC in it but I don't torcher it like I used to torcher my cars in my younger years. The BBC looks so nice in the car and fills up the engine compartment nicely. People can say go BB but you can also build a SBC that won't be a slouch either. As far as a LS motor I just think these cars look out of place if they don't have a motor from back in the day in them. 
I would ask: "What do want from the vehicle?"
If you wanted a quarter mile car prehaps a big block, but an LS done correctly might be better.
If you wanted a road track car an LS
If you want easy to work on, play with, then small block.
If you wanted an automatic tranny, smooth ride, lots of torque then 454/502 big block
If you wanted a quarter mile car prehaps a big block, but an LS done correctly might be better.
If you wanted a road track car an LS
If you want easy to work on, play with, then small block.
If you wanted an automatic tranny, smooth ride, lots of torque then 454/502 big block
You have to the first person who ordered an L78 in their Chevelle back in the day who didn't love that engine! Ha! I love both small blocks and large blocks, but that RPO L78 option was an absolute steal for only only $237! Now, the standard drum brakes on my '67, that's another story! It started FAST but stopped VERY SLOW! LOL!
I'm not saying I didn't like the motor I loved the sound of the solid lifters but I had a hard time keeping it together as did a few other guys in my area. I think the dealer had the car more than I did during the year I owned it. I even had one of the mechanics that ran a dealer sponsored 69 Camaro at the drags tell me if you were the only one blowing these motors you would have lost your warrantee long ago. He said people were blowing up these motors all over the country. The car started out being totally gone over body wise for flaws with a full paint job that was authorized by the factory Rep. As far as the motor went I think the short block was replaced 3 times with 2-1/2 sets of heads replaced too. The problem these motors were having is that the valves would shear the keepers and suck the valves into the cylinder. A friend of mine took me over to a guys house that had a 68 375hp car that he dragged also and we told him the problems I was having with the motors and he said go buy a set of titanium retainers and see if the dealer would put them in seeing the car was in having another motor replaced anyways. This guy knew what he was talking about because after changing the retainers it never blew a engine again. He said the problem was the valve train was too heavy which was helping the keepers to shear and then sucking the valves into the motor. After going thru that many motors and knowing others were doing the same it made me a little gun shy to want to own another BB.