Winner for July ROTM
#1
08-21-2007, 07:33 AM
Winner for July ROTM
Wedge's Red Beauty!
Wow... I've never won anything in my life...
After looking all over the country for the right car when I was a touring sound engineer in 1987, I found this one in my hometown when I was just about to give up. I answered an ad for a bare bones '68 327, but really wanted a big block... that's when the guy told me about his brother's all original '73 LS4 loaded T-Top that was also for sale. I bought it that day. I rebuilt the engine in 1997, and when I pulled the pan, I was greeted by an untouched engine with 4 bolt main caps and a forged steel crank. All the books said that LS4's and LS5's were 2 bolt main engines, so that led to an 8 year search for information about the block in my car. It ended with a footnote in Alan Colvin's book 'Chevrolet by the Numbers' that stated that "some were made, but they were the exception to the rule". It turns out that this is a late production car, and that they ran out of 3999289 blocks, so they pulled 12-16 blocks from the racing program to fill the orders. Luck of the draw...
The body was treated to a frame on resto in 2004, with a taller hood to make more room for the Edlebrock Performer RPM combo sitting on top of the block, heads by Air Flow Research and a MSD electronic ignition. I do drive it... 102k on the odometer. But thats what they're for... right?
Wow... I've never won anything in my life...
After looking all over the country for the right car when I was a touring sound engineer in 1987, I found this one in my hometown when I was just about to give up. I answered an ad for a bare bones '68 327, but really wanted a big block... that's when the guy told me about his brother's all original '73 LS4 loaded T-Top that was also for sale. I bought it that day. I rebuilt the engine in 1997, and when I pulled the pan, I was greeted by an untouched engine with 4 bolt main caps and a forged steel crank. All the books said that LS4's and LS5's were 2 bolt main engines, so that led to an 8 year search for information about the block in my car. It ended with a footnote in Alan Colvin's book 'Chevrolet by the Numbers' that stated that "some were made, but they were the exception to the rule". It turns out that this is a late production car, and that they ran out of 3999289 blocks, so they pulled 12-16 blocks from the racing program to fill the orders. Luck of the draw...
The body was treated to a frame on resto in 2004, with a taller hood to make more room for the Edlebrock Performer RPM combo sitting on top of the block, heads by Air Flow Research and a MSD electronic ignition. I do drive it... 102k on the odometer. But thats what they're for... right?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
