88silvergt

iTrader: (8)

Was the 454 ever factory installed on a first gen camaro? I had always heard it was an option but I have a guy swearing they were never put in the first gens. Anybody know for sure?

streetassasin

iTrader: (30)

I think a 427 was the biggest offered and that was in the COPO/Yenko type cars

Hobb3s

iTrader: (23)

Pretty damn sure it was never offered in the camaro from the factory. The earliest offering that I can find for a 454 camaro came from Baldwin Motion for the 1971 model.

KillA98Z

iTrader: (1)

427/425hp was the largest in first gen

Sharpe

iTrader: (7)

No expert, but I think a 396, which came in some SS's stock from the factory (unlike 427's which were dealer installed), was just a de-stroked 454. They share the same block; the 396 just has a smaller crank. Could be wrong though. Someone eles might chime in here who knows a lot more than I.

Sneakyws6

I am thinking the 396 was the biggest factory motor offering as well. Back then you could get dealers to install larger motors and or the dealers would come up with their own packeages like the baldwin motion cars and offer that to their customers.

fast01z28

iTrader: (6)

from "standard catalog of Camaro 1967-2002"

1967:302(290hp), 327(275hp), 327(210hp), 350(295hp), 396(325hp), 396(375hp)
1968:327(210hp), 327(275hp), 350(295hp),396(325hp), 396(350hp), 396(375hp), 427(425hp), 427(435hp)
1969:307(200hp), 327(210hp), 350(255hp), 350(250hp), 350(300hp), 396(325hp), 396(350hp), 396(375hp), 427(425hp, 430hp, 435hp)


so...no 454. (i didnt include teh v6 engines) so many engines, makes you wonder how GM could afford to have that many different configurations.

Mr. Trick

iTrader: (19)

The 454 didnt come out till 70, and was never available in Camaro's from the factory.

SuperSport4life

iTrader: (7)

Correct, never offered from the factory on any camaro and btw the 454 debuted in 1970 so it would be impossible for it to be found on a factory installed 1st gen unless special ordered or whatever but its not possible. The 427 was the biggest engine availble on 1st gens and that was the copo yenkos so you guys should know about that.

lbls1

Regular 1st gens up to '69 were available with engines up to a 396 ci. The COPO camaros as well as the dealer installed specials could have been had with several 427 ci versions.

The 454 debuted in '71, and only the dealer installed camaro specials would have been available with them (like the Baldwin Motions).

TTSSZ

iTrader: (8)

I think there was 1 factory 454 camaro.
It was in 1970
It was done for smoky yuknik(sp?) and the motor was a gm
factory installed ls6 or ls7.
The guy who bought the car from smoky without the original
motor found it many years later under smokey's work bench at
the estate sale and was able to buy it. I never heard about
it again after that.
Probably one of the rarest camaro's next to the convertible
z28 that was done for one of the gm big wigs.
It will probably wind up in a museum somewhere.

shiv15

iTrader: (7)

Maybe it was the 60% market share they had back then. And everything was much cheaper to produce.

Candyredz28

iTrader: (4)

My dad has a 1970 Camaro with the original owners manuel and it list the 454 as an option. They were never factory installed unless it was a baldwin motion. I dont understand why they didnt because the block was the same size as any other big block like the 396.

slw ls1

iTrader: (6)

In 70 GM only offered the LS-5 and LS-6 454's, which were both grossly under rated in terms of actual HP an FT/lbs for insurace purposes.

I was thinking that GM never installed a 427 in a camaro from the factory back then, it was only a dealer option. They get the car shipped in with a 350 or something equivlant and the dealer would put the 427 in and rebadge the cars. But I was just looking at the camaro white book and they had the 427 listed as an option motor in 69 but not the other two years.

whitt1

In 69 you could order a aluminum block 427 ZL-1.I remember the magazines testing that one,at 15yrs old I could only dream of buying one back then.I think they sold less than a hundred.The 1969 model was continued well into 1970,so the 454 wasn't offered until the 70 1/2 gen.2 body style came out.

lbls1

Slipped up in post #10. The 454 did first come out in '70 with the other chevy models. I also forgot that 2nd gen actually originated as a '70-1/2 mid year production.

whitt1

427s were special order only,copo cars.In 69 and 70 dealers could order any drivetrain in any body style,which is what Yenko and a few others did.The copo system had been set up to take care of police and government agencies.

mrdragster1970

.

What he said^^

Camaros were ordered to not have over 400 inchs by some big shot.
I have dozens of Camaro books and several of them have the story.
The 396" was the only BBC allowed, which turned into the 402".
The 427" were special order and you had to have some pull to get it approved.

Don't have time or energy to search for my box of books, but there was a 400" limit set for some assine reason.

.

Iron Head

iTrader: (11)

My dad had a 70 Monte SS w/454. Bad *** car,heavy as a tank though!

HOTROD1974

Due to a strike by the UAW GM was not able to switch the line over...so they made the '69 model year run longer( Boy, that was sure a wise decision). By the time the strike was settled the second gens were called '70 1/2's.