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Here's the story...
Nothing exceeds like excess, and the '70-454 Corvette was a perfect example. Between the car magazines, published brochures, and what was really available, there was almost as much confusion as there was power.
What John Q. Public was actually able to drive home from the Chevy dealer was the 390 horsepower, LS5 454, which wasn't too shabby. The LS5 option was reasonably priced at $289.65, and 4,473 LS5- equipped Corvettes were sold in the half-year of 1970. The extra cubic-inches pumped up the torque to 500 lb-ft. Even though on paper, the LS5 looked like it had lost 45 ponies from the 427/435 '69 big-block; on the street, the difference was nil.
Power figures for GM cars was kind of a black magic shell game. For years GM wouldn't sell cars with more than 400 cubic inches. That changed in '66 when the 1965's 425 horsepower L78 396, became the L72, 427 that pulled 425 horsepower. So what was the real power of the 427? The L72 almost got a decal reading "450 horsepower," but corporate politics downplayed the figure. The '67, '68, and '69 L71, 427/435 tri-carb engine was rated at 435 horsepower, but was closer to 450 to 475 horsepower. All of the Detroit power numbers were somewhat misleading because published figures were "gross" power ratings. Engines were tested without mufflers, accessories, or even a fan. Real cars have all sorts of power-robbing aspects, but it all makes for great bench racing.
There were several 454 variants that were very interesting. The 450-horsepower, LS6 454 never made it into the Corvette for '70- , but was an option in the Chevelle. Then the LS6 showed up as an option for the '71 Corvette, but was de-tuned to 425 horsepower. Even more exotic was the LS7 454, rated at 465 horsepower. This option was listed in the Corvette shop specs, but only one was "officially" made. The LS7 was a stroked version of the L88. Supposedly, Duntov gave a wry wink, and signed the order to have all LS7 prototypes destroyed. Sometime between 1973 and 1975, an LS7 was stolen from Chevy Engineering by a few guys who jumped the fence.
Perhaps the most unusual 454 prototypes were the
LT-2 and the LJ-2. The LT-2 was a 454 version of the all-aluminum ZL-1. Increasing the stroke on a high-revving racing engine probably wasn't a good move. The LJ-2 was a 454 version of the solid-lifter 427/435 tri-carb L71. This beauty was rated at 460 horsepower.
By the end of 1970, the party was over. Rising insurance rates, tougher emissions regulations, and no-lead gas put a lid on things. In the long run, big-block engines took the Corvette away from "sports car" to "street bruiser." Duntov liked the power, but didn't miss the weight of the big-block. But oh, the wonderful sound of a big-block Corvette!
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