Corvette The American Dream Machine

Cinco…… Five…….Nickel……Double Nickel……..55……….speed limit…no…….Sammy Haggar…….Maybe.  Fifty five…….hmmm.  Two Lane Blacktop? ……. That’s better! ….. ‘55 Chevy? …… Now your really warm.  ‘55…. 1955?

1955 was the model year that the legendary small block Chevrolet engine was introduced to the world.  An engine that was considered by many as the “Perfect Engine.”  It could be economical or it could be powerful.  It was extremely flexible and versatile.  It was compact and had what seemed to be unlimited potential. 

This engine would remain in the Chevrolet line for 45 years without any major modifications!  Now that is what I call real visionary thinking! 

Corvettes used this powerplant from 1955 through 1996.  It began as a 265 cubic inch engine and grew to 283 cubic inched for the 1957 model year.  In 1962 it was enlarged to 327 cubic inches and then again to 350 cubic inches in 1967 (Camaro only).  The Corvette received the 350 during the 1969 model year.  The engine would remain basically in that form until 1982, when it received a “cross fire fuel injection system” with very early and simple computer commands.  The more attractive Tuned Port Injection appeared on the 1985 models.  A revised version came in 1992 as the second generation engine, which used a reverse flow cooling system to cool the cylinder heads before cooling the engine block.  This engine appeared in the Corvettes as the LT-1 from 1992-1996 with a high performance LT-4 version using different cylinder head, high lift camshaft, and a unique intake manifold. 

GM SUVs would continue to use a more traditonal form of the small block chevrolet engine with sequential fuel injection until 2000, when the 45 year old engine was phased out by the third generation (GEN III) small block Chevrolet engine.

What is going to power the next 50 years of automobiles?  We will have to wait and see.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 7:30 pm and is filed under Corvette History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.