327 300 HP Chevy History
Chevrolet, ubiquitously referred to as Chevy, is a division of General Motors. Its 327-cubic-inch engine was a small-block V-8 engine that enjoyed some popularity through the 1960s and was an option in two different models: the Corvette and the Chevelle. Both were known as "muscle cars" during that era, in part because of the extra kick that this 300-horsepower beast delivered.
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Small Block Engines
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The term “small-block” is often used to denote an engine of 350 cubic inches or less, which has become the cause of some confusion. In fact, the difference between a small-block and a big-block is not determined by an ethereal displacement ceiling, but rather by the external physical dimensions of the block itself. Oldsmobile once built a 455-cubic-inch small-block, and General Motors has produced 400-cubic-inch engines with both small- and large-blocks. The smaller block size was the result of closer bore spacing, which allowed for cheaper production costs and -- more importantly -- a lighter unit that increased the power-to-weight ratio.
History of the Small Block
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The small-block V-8 engine was debuted by Chevrolet in 1955, with a displacement of 265 cubic inches. It has been available in myriad different forms ever since, with numerous smaller as well as larger displacements offered in response to market forces and technological advances. Increases in maximum displacement progressed as follows: In 1957 the bore was increased to 283, in 1962 to 327, in 1967 to 350 and in 1970 to 400 cubic inches.
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The Corvette
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Chevrolet introduced the Corvette at the end of June 1953. The original engine was a 235-cubic-inch in-line six, offered in two configurations. It was not until 1962 that a 327-cubic-inch V-8 became available; of four configurations, one was the 300-horsepower. That year the 300 was the mid-range engine. By 1966 it was the smallest engine, which it remained until 1971. The engine has not been available as a Corvette factory option since the 1972 model year.
The Chevelle
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The 1964 Chevelle was offered with a factory 327-cubic-inch, 300-horsepower engine at the very end of the production year. This makes it an extremely uncommon and valuable automobile; only 1,737 were produced. Most cars produced with a 327 through the 1964 model year generated 250 horsepower. Even rarer still, the engine was a factory option in the Malibu SS model Chevelle, a convertible. Before 1968, by which time big-blocks had taken over the muscle-car market, the engine was one of the most powerful available from any factory.
Mythbusters: The Camaro
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Chevrolet introduced the Camaro in 1967 to compete with the massively successful Ford Mustang. One engine configuration offered was a 327-cubic-inch small-block V-8; with a two-barrel carb the engine generated 210 horsepower, and with a four-barrel carb, 275 horsepower. The second-generation Camaro, debuted in the 1970 model year, was offered in an SS -- Super Sport -- version with a 350-cubic-inch engine that was fed by a four-barrel carb and generated 300 horsepower. The Camaro was never offered by the factory with a 327-cubic-inch, 300-horsepower engine.
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