YLO Z06

Was the LS7 ever a regular option on the 70-71 Vettes? I remember reading an article on a 70 or 71 LS7, but I don't remember if the guy bought it that way or got the engine over the counter.

67HEAVEN

I believe you'll find that although it made it to some sales literature, it only came across the parts counter. :(

Ganey

No. Was "de pro"ed & never available.

MELVIN

IT WAS PLANNED, BUT NEVER MADE IT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THE INSURANCE FOLKS WERE REALLY GIVEN THE CAR INDUSTRY HELL, AS WELL AS THE SMOG FOLKS GETTING INVOLVED

THE MOTORS THOUGH YOU COULD GET OVER THE COUNTER

Tom73

You could get it in either the Chevelle or Camaro but it never made it to production on the Vette. Only time that the Vette did not have the highest out put engine in the chevy line.

tom...

Rowdy Rat

Tom,

I believe you are referring to the 1970 version of the LS-6 which was a regular production option in the Chevelle that year (it was scheduled for use in the Camaro as well, but was dropped in the same manner as the Corvette LS-7). I seem to remember that a bit over 4,400 Chevelles received the 454cid/450hp engine in 1970. A revised LS-6 was availble in 1971 as a Corvette option rated at 425hp (and ironically listed, but not offered in the Chevelle that year).

From what I've been able to gather from the AMA specifications, AIM, and a few other GM sources, the LS-7 intended for use as a regular production option in the 1970 Corvette was basically not much more than the Chevelle LS-6 with closed chamber aluminum heads and a slightly revised camshaft with more duration and slightly more lift on the exhaust side.

The service (parts counter) version of the LS-7 was entirely different than the intended production version. It was intended to be a competition engine along the same lines as the second design L-88 of 1969 and had little in common with the intended production version of the LS-7.

I recall that Sports Car Graphic tested a preproduction 1970 LS-7 Corvette and published a short article with their impressions... I don't recall the specifics, but I'd sure like to get another look at it; perhaps someone has this issue of SCG in their personal library that they could post.

Regards,

71coupe

Rowdy Rat is correct on what I've read on this subject.
The sudden "pull" from the options list also explains why the Chevelle ended up with more horsepower than the 'Vette.
I bet there was a lot of hollering about that in Chevrolet's corporate.

70 Vette

I have the article squirreled away somewhere, if I can find it, I will scan and post it. It was the March, 1970 issue of Sports Car Graphic. The author of the article drove it at a press review in Riverside and then drove it 2500 miles back to Detroit!!

I can give you the following Test details from the article:

1/4 mile time - 13.80 @ 108 MPH with a 3.36 close ratio 4 speed.

I'll start looking...

e3pres

:smash:
Ralph Nader


Thanks to idiots like Ralph Nader, all the cool options got pulled in the early 70's.

I think I'm going to fully restore a Corvair then drive by his house while blowing the horn and giving him the :nono:
:D

SuperFast80

HERE IS THE FIRST PAGE, THE REST ARE LINKED BELOW::D



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