60 Years of Small-Block: We Salute Chevy’s Iconic V-8 Engine

[Stagger Lee]

Designed in the early '50's when America was still great, the small block Chevy design was so sound it went through its 40 some year production run virtually unchanged fundamentally.

https://autos.yahoo.com/news/60-years-of-small-block--we-salute-chevy-s-iconic-v-8-engine-133409699.html

 

[Bible_Belt]

I have an LT1 out of a 94 Camaro still sitting around. I had it machined to fit a 383 stroker kit. I was going to drop it into a Z car, but the 91 twin turbo 300 I bought was really not the best Z. The old 260s and 280s are about half the weight as that 300. There were no safety standards at the time. Most of the ones left are out in the desert; almost all the other ones have rusted. Drop a 383 Stroker in a 1600 lb RWD car, and you're bound to have some fun.

 

[Stagger Lee]

I'm not a huge import car fan, but I love the 90's 300ZX or Z32. It was one of the best styled cars ever. I think Nissan's California design studio had a lot to do with that. It kind of reminded me of an '87 up IROC Camaro, also a good looking car, but improved.

A Chevy small block V8 would've been better than the complicated DOHC V6 twin turbo mess Nissan used. I love the small block Chevy but the Chevy LS V8 would be even better in a 300ZX.

The first Z-car the 240Z was the lightest of all. I've heard of people putting V8s in them. That would be even nastier than the old Shelby Cobra lol. Yep, the good ole days of cheap hotrodding and cheap gas (except for very recently) are over.

 

[Bible_Belt]

I got bored of the Z project and bought a 91 Twin Turbo Stealth. That was a car ahead of its time, 300 HP AWD, and built to be faster than the Corvette of the same year. I had a lot of fun until I spun a rod bearing, and the car has been sitting ever since. 90's import turbo cars are a lot of fun when they run, but they are money pits unless you can work on them yourself. And as far as mechanic work goes, they are also some of the most difficult cars to work on. My Stealth looked like a space ship under the hood to a typical shade tree mechanic.

Here was my Z:
http://i.imgur.com/SN3n6YX.jpg

my Stealth back when she ran:
http://i.imgur.com/MkKsHDL.jpg

And yeah, you're right about the 240. Here's my favorite pic of an old 240. It looks like something James Bond would drive:
http://i.imgur.com/ny0afP4.jpg

 

[Stagger Lee]

I'm guessing you like black cars . I think the 300Zx looks most gorgeous in red and the least in black . The 3000 GT was pretty neat and had a lot of tech for what they sold for, maybe a little heavy, but so was the 300ZX. It looks better in black I think. I just love the concept of a lighter front-mid engine 2-seater sports car over AWD. Although for a street car AWD can make sense.

Yeah those 90's Japanese sports cars are too hard to keep running and almost the anti-thesis of the small block chevy with their low volume and short production run. Whereas the chevy V8 was made by the 10's of millions and for decades, the 90's Japanese sports car were pricey, overly "techy" and had a short production and volume run. Nowadays even classic American cars are hard to keep running and original. Most every replacement parts is made in china now and of questionable quality.

 

[the_stig]

Yeah those 90's Japanese sports cars are too hard to keep running and almost the anti-thesis of the small block chevy with their low volume and short production run. Whereas the chevy V8 was made by the 10's of millions and for decades, the 90's Japanese sports car were pricey, overly "techy" and had a short production and volume run. Nowadays even classic American cars are hard to keep running and original. Most every replacement parts is made in china now and of questionable quality.

Disagree. The 90's was a great era for Japanese sports cars and the collector market is finally starting to reflect that. These cars were still very analog and are now enjoyed for their simplicity; back when horsepower wasn't everything and manual transmission was king. Not to rain on the Chevy Parade, but GM was just littering our roads with junk during this period. In terms of quality and reliability, not even in the same league as the Japanese.

Should have bought an early NSX while they were cheap

 

[Stagger Lee]

You can disagree and call 80's-90's America cars "junk" if you want, but I doubt you are working on and trying to keep a 90's Japanese sports car running like a 300ZX TT. They're not simple or cheap or all that durable really. Those cars new cost 2x as much as a Mustang, Camaro or Firebird with about the same performance. I know cars pretty well and anyone can restate what the propaganda automotive magazine write. The only thing junk is most aftermarket parts whether for import or domestic.

 

[the_stig]

I've owned a Supra and RX-7 and worked at a GM dealership in the early 2000's. I think the problems begin with the combination of inexperienced hands and aftermarket parts coming together. Both my cars in stock form were quite reliable, well past the 100k mark. Simply no way the build quality or fit and finish from the big three was anywhere close to their Japanese or European competition.

Fact is unmolested Japanese sports cars from the 80's-90's are becoming quite valuable and sought after. Their American counterparts? Not so much.

 

[Stagger Lee]

'80-90's Camaro/Firebird and Mustang were good cars and durable if taken care of for what they cost. $13,000-$18,000 vs. 300ZX $27,000-$33,000 in 1989 dollars is significant. I've seen plenty of Mustangs and Camaros with over 100,000 miles. The Corvette closer in price was the better sports car on the track despite being down 50 hp to the turbo Z http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/1991-chevrolet-corvette-z51-fx3-vs-nissan-300zx-archived-comparison-test

Anyway, I like the 300ZX. It had a nice interior, great styling and a stiff chassis. GM bean cutters cut costs in the interiors and too much weight savings was taken out of the chassis, were the main shortcomings.

Someone that works at the Wendy's near me has a dark red 300ZX twin turbo. It's always about the oldest car in the parking lot but the most gorgeous. Actually the car is exactly like the one in the article I linked above. Anyone who loves 90's sports car should read it http://media.caranddriver.com/files/1990-chevrolet-corvette-z51-fx3-vs-nissan-300zx-turbo-archived-comparison-test-car-and-driver-knockouts-chevrolet-corvette-versus-nissan-300zx-turbo-february-1990.pdf.

One excerpt

Not everything about the Nissan left us grinning. The first 300ZX Turbo we test­ed was reluctant to produce full boost. The second was felled by loose-fitting calipers. And the third (the car you see here) shed an eighteen-inch piece of inte­rior trim, broke its heater, and then, un­der full acceleration, began intermittent­ly to spit blue haze from its four exhaust tips—an ominous matter in an engine producing 100 horsepower per liter. Have we uncovered a build-quality prob­lem? We'll keep the maroon 300ZX for 30,000 miles and let you know.