71 LS6 Chevelles

[HoosierDaddy]

A friend and I were talking about LS6 Chevelles and we wanted to know how many 71 LS6's were made and how they compared to the 70 LS6 in price. I thought some 71's were L89's....would that be correct?

Thanks, Chris

[Charley Lillard]

I have never seen a Documented 71 LS6 Chevelle.

[mmcporter]

No such thing as a '71 Chevelle LS6. Just the LS5, which hasd grown to 365 HP that year. There was an LS6 'Vette that year, the only year for the LS6 in the 'Vette.

[KLONECO]

JUST A QUESTION....................why is a LS7 more sought after..........being is.... 1 never existed? better parts? more tech? what?

[HoosierDaddy]

That explains why I've haven't seen one!!! Was the LS6 Vette a L89?
Thanks, Chris

[Rowdy Rat]

I'm with Charley... I've never seen a documented 1971 LS-6 Chevelle, although there was apparently at least one engineering/press fleet car and the option was listed in the AIM.

As far as the LS-6 Corvette (and the race package ZR-2 option which included the LS-6 engine), all were equipped with the "074" open chamber aluminum heads that were used on the second design L-88 and all ZL-1 engines... The L-89 aluminum head option was discontinued for Corvettes at the end of the 1969 model year (for Corvettes, that was mid-December 1969).

All L-89 Corvettes (as well as other Chevrolet vehicles with that option) used a closed chamber aluminum head; the "392" casting for 1967 and the "842" casting in 1968-1969 (as well as 1970 for a small number of Chevelles).

The intended production version of the 1970 Corvette LS-7 engine would have used the "842" aluminum closed chamber casting had it ever been released to the public.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

[Chevy454]

[ QUOTE ]
why is a LS7 more sought after..........being is.... 1 never existed? better parts? more tech? what?

[/ QUOTE ]

The LS-7 has kind of been like the "crate motor of choice" for some time now. They are kind of like a ZL-1/L-88/LS-6 all rolled into one, and are pretty potent. Until the 502s came along, it was Chevy's top dog big block crate engine. Plus, I think they made a "kajillion" of them!

[Rowdy Rat]

[ QUOTE ]
The LS-7 has kind of been like the "crate motor of choice" for some time now.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rob,

Absolutely true... Chevrolet sold thousands of the service LS-7 engines (which by the way were quite a bit different than the intended production LS-7 scheduled for the 1970 Corvette).

The service (parts counter) LS-7 454 cid engine was sold as a long block and had a cast iron block, cast iron open chamber heads, forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, a high rise aluminum manifold, the .560/.600 lift camshaft from the ZL-1/second design L-88, and a (depending upon the source of information) 12.00 or 12.25 to 1 compression ratio... Basically all the best parts.

It really is a shame Chevrolet stopped selling it... Great engine!

Regards,

Stan Falenski

[Schonyenko2]

Stan, what is the part# for the heads used on those LS7 crate motors? Schonye