Bringing A Classic LS6 454 Back To Factory Specs

[Duffyjr]

The 400 small block was a great way to create a sleeper.

Didn't they have some issues with over heating. I bought a 72 C10 4x4 from a guy that put a 400 SB in it and remember him telling me to watch out for it over heating when pushing it. Something about no coolant holes between the two middle cylinders. Any way I never had any issues with it and it was a blast to drive in snow.

 

[joekingcorvette]

A buddy of mine had a butternut yellow 69 Chevelle SS 396 375HP. It had a rubber floor mat and the shifter was on the column and it had a black interior. That car would flat haul. He had it in high school and the car was almost brand new maybe 2 years old at the most and it had super low miles. It was used for drag racing mostly and ran 12.90's with open headers and a set of M&H racemaster slicks. The kid did drive the car a few days a week in the months where the weather was nice and he would take it to school once in a while. He had a couple of brothers that had very clean low mileage Corvette's etc too. One of them had a brand new brown 69 Chevelle SS396 but I don't know if it was a 375HP version and I only seen the car one time because his brother went to Viet Nam and he did come back but by then I graduated from high school 1973.

 

[PontiacHO]

Didn't they have some issues with over heating. I bought a 72 C10 4x4 from a guy that put a 400 SB in it and remember him telling me to watch out for it over heating when pushing it. Something about no coolant holes between the two middle cylinders. Any way I never had any issues with it and it was a blast to drive in snow.

Those steam holes were needed due to the Siamese bores. It’s been a source of spirited discussion about the need to drill corresponding steam holes in the heads for a 400. I’ve seen more overheating due to folks skipping that process when building the 400. They needed a good flowing 3 or 4 core radiator like a big block also. Finding a usable block these days is like a needle in a haystack. The blocks tend to crack on the deck around some of the bolt holes. A Dart block would be the way to go if a big cubic inch small block was the goal…and a fat wallet.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

Stingray Chevrolet was about 12-15 miles from my house when I lived in Tampa, FL. This dealership sold A LOT of Corvettes.
The owner would always host classic muscle car shows. He also had some of the rarest Chevy muscle cars as well.

https://www.stingraychevrolet.com/

Paramus Chevrolet near where I used to live [formally Malcolm Konner Chevrolet] is similar. There service department is good also.