Limited Edition 427 ZL-1 Big Block V8 Coming From GM

[TuffG929]

In the late 1960s the ultimate muscle cars were the ZL-1 Camaros and Corvettes. The full racing motor featured an all aluminum block and cylinder heads and could be ordered as an option in 1969 on the Corvette or as a COPO (Central Office Production Order) on the Camaro. Because of the huge price of the engine, only two Corvettes and 69 Camaros were ordered with the ZL-1. Although the motor was officially rated at 430 horsepower and 450 lb-ft torque, independent tests showed upwards of 525 horsepower. Motor Trend tested a ZL-1 at the track with drag slicks in 1968 and pulled off a 10.89 @ 130 mph. It's easy to see why the ZL-1 name is legendary.

Now, using the recently-discovered tooling that was used to build the original engines, GM Performance Parts is offering a new anniversary edition of the ZL-1 engine. Some of the design features have been updated, and the block casting has been strengthened, but it's essentially the same motor in the ZL-1 Corvettes and Camaros of 1969...

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GM Press Release at Link

[xPUMPx]

wish i had the bank to even open the link and look lol

[ctaylorzl1]

GM Performance Parts has offered a 427 ZL-1 BB block in their catalog for a long time, as well as all the components, and all have been patterned after the origional ZL-1 tooling. But they have never offered it as a long block fully assembled pkg. I always wondered why they havent. To bad they are only making 427 of them, but if you really wanted one you could piece it together yourself from the Performance Parts catalog!

[Triple-X08]

why would anyone buy a crate engine for thousands of dollars when you can have one built for cheaper that will put the crate engine to shame.

[Phoenix]

but it's essentially the same motor in the ZL-1 Corvettes and Camaros of 1969

My favorite muscle car of all time.

[F14CRAZY]

They probably could have shaved off like a second with modern wheels/tires

[nailhead425]

Originally Posted by Triple-X08

why would anyone buy a crate engine for thousands of dollars when you can have one built for cheaper that will put the crate engine to shame.

Several reasons...

Aluminum blocks aren't cheap, built engines dont' have warranties, and in the world of Big Block Chevrolets big power requires big bucks.

I'm relatively certain that just like the original, the "430hp" is a joke.

[Firebird00]

I just don't believe its worth $20k. Methinks they are cashing in on the God-like ZL-1 name. I'd rather have an LS7.

[Triple-X08]

any crate engine is not worth 20k, if you think a 20k crate engine will outpower a personally built engine, your insane, check a merlin engine, or check into having someone build one for you, aluminum or not, you'll make a hell of a lot more power having one built than spending 20k for a crate motor.

even stupider to buy one over a LS7

[HoeyHimself]

Originally Posted by Triple-X08

any crate engine is not worth 20k, if you think a 20k crate engine will outpower a personally built engine, your insane, check a merlin engine, or check into having someone build one for you, aluminum or not, you'll make a hell of a lot more power having one built than spending 20k for a crate motor.

even stupider to buy one over a LS7

As true as that is, it is also true that for 1/4 of the cost you can have a 4th Gen Firebird/Camaro built to out run the new ZR-1 Vette...but people with money are exactly that, people with money. Who needs to spend a 1/4 of a million dollars on a Bentley when it serves the same purpose as a $600 LeBaron?....someone with too much money. Sometimes higher price tags make people happier then the most cost efficient method...despite which is better performance wise.

[nailhead425]

Originally Posted by Triple-X08

any crate engine is not worth 20k, if you think a 20k crate engine will outpower a personally built engine, your insane, check a merlin engine, or check into having someone build one for you, aluminum or not, you'll make a hell of a lot more power having one built than spending 20k for a crate motor.

Like this...

632 ci, 800hp, 775 lbs ft

Pump gas, diesel torque, and it will fit in a '68 Nova.

[87aero]

Motor Trend tested a ZL-1 at the track with drag slicks in 1968 and pulled off a 10.89 @ 130 mph

That's faster than a C6 Z06, making it the fastest car to ever role out of a GM factory. I'm not sure if a Veyron, Murcielago LP 640, or a new V12 Ferrari could pull off a 10.89, and like F14crazy said, it would've gone faster with modern wheels, tires, and lubricants. That could certainly be argued the fastest production car ever.

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by 87aero

That's faster than a C6 Z06, making it the fastest car to ever role out of a GM factory. I'm not sure if a Veyron, Murcielago LP 640, or a new V12 Ferrari could pull off a 10.89, and like F14crazy said, it would've gone faster with modern wheels, tires, and lubricants. That could certainly be argued the fastest production car ever.

That was back before emissions standards - and also back when cars weren't expected to routinely last 150,000 or 200,000 miles.

Ask the guys who designed those cars to tune them with no regard to emissions, with the assumption that gas is dirt cheap, and without being concerned if any major drivetrain or suspension component wore out completely in 50,000 miles. I'm sure the cars would have been tremendously different.

I'm not saying the ZL-1 is less than impressive. But it was built with requirements you only find on aftermarket engines today.

By the way, Road and Track tested the Veyron at 10.2 in the 1/4, on its normal tires. (But even after you adjust for inflation, it's well over 10x as much as the old muscle cars.) [EDIT] I think the Veyron was intended to be a street legal car that made 1000 horsepower. I think it looks awesome, but if they had made it smaller, more aerodynamic, and lighter, it probably could have been just as fast with a lot less power. I understand Volkswagen has only sold about half of the 300 Veyrons they made, because people with $1.2 million to spend can buy mods for other exotics that make them just as fast for a lot less, and they drive better because they're lighter.

[Triple-X08]

Originally Posted by nailhead425

Like this...

632 ci, 800hp, 775 lbs ft

Pump gas, diesel torque, and it will fit in a '68 Nova.

exactly!!!!!!!!

it will put the crate 427 in a different zip code, if you buy a crate motor from GM its like buying GM parts, when you can get aftermarket parts cheaper and better

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by Michael_S

That was back before emissions standards - and also back when cars weren't expected to routinely last 150,000 or 200,000 miles.

Ask the guys who designed those cars to tune them with no regard to emissions, with the assumption that gas is dirt cheap, and without being concerned if any major drivetrain or suspension component wore out completely in 50,000 miles. I'm sure the cars would have been tremendously different.

I'm not saying the ZL-1 is less than impressive. But it was built with requirements you only find on aftermarket engines today.

By the way, Road and Track tested the Veyron at 10.2 in the 1/4, on its normal tires. (But even after you adjust for inflation, it's well over 10x as much as the old muscle cars.) [EDIT] I think the Veyron was intended to be a street legal car that made 1000 horsepower. I think it looks awesome, but if they had made it smaller, more aerodynamic, and lighter, it probably could have been just as fast with a lot less power. I understand Volkswagen has only sold about half of the 300 Veyrons they made, because people with $1.2 million to spend can buy mods for other exotics that make them just as fast for a lot less, and they drive better because they're lighter.

The ZL-1 was designed for a drag race application to shame Hemis not to actually drive