1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

[G A.]

There's an auction on ebay for an NOS 3X2 air cleaner element showing it with the original box. On the side of the box in the original printing, it shows to fit;

V8(427 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1967-69
V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1970

Anybody know of any history and details in the GM development department about the 3-2 454 for 1970 and what it was supposed to be?

Dan

[Michael D.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

If memory serves, GM had the intent to carry the induction set ups from the 68-69 427s into 70 (and beyond) on the 454s. All of it got nixed and did not make production.

[Michael B.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

No Tri-power 454's offered. They also planned to offer 3X2's on the Camaros but that never happened. No LS7 454's offered in cars either. The sixties were exciting times while it lasted. It's amazing how fast it collapsed under the weight of government regulation and how long it has taken to come back.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

There's an auction on ebay for an NOS 3X2 air cleaner element showing it with the original box. On the side of the box in the original printing, it shows to fit;

V8(427 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1967-69
V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1970

Anybody know of any history and details in the GM development department about the 3-2 454 for 1970 and what it was supposed to be?

Dan

Dan------


If any 1970 3X2 big blocks had been built, they would have been known as RPO LJ-2. Have you ever seen a 1970 Corvette with the LJ-2 option? ...and you never will.

[Norris W.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

There's an auction on ebay for an NOS 3X2 air cleaner element showing it with the original box. On the side of the box in the original printing, it shows to fit;

V8(427 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1967-69
V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1970

Anybody know of any history and details in the GM development department about the 3-2 454 for 1970 and what it was supposed to be?

Dan

I believe that by using the phrase "and what it was supposed to be" that Dan acknowledged the fact that the 3 2's never made it to production.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

There's an auction on ebay for an NOS 3X2 air cleaner element showing it with the original box. On the side of the box in the original printing, it shows to fit;

V8(427 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1967-69
V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl.)..........1970

Anybody know of any history and details in the GM development department about the 3-2 454 for 1970 and what it was supposed to be?

Dan

Some versions of the 1970 AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual) have some pages devoted to the LJ2, and some Chevrolet sales information refers to both that engine and the LS7. I would have to go look (and I am far too lazy to do that. It is too hot here.), but I believe the AIM LJ2 pages are stamped DELETED. I have a hunch I know where there are some such pages that are not marked, but I can't tell you -- I would have to kill you.

BTW: The parts books from 1970 and early 1971 are full of references to "V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl."..........1970" and "V8 (454 HD)"

The first NCRS National Convention I ever attended in 1985 (Copper Mountain, CO) there was a Mullesane Blue 1970 Convertible (white top)with a 454 with 3-2s parked beside a vendor's space in the swap meet area. There are not too many things I remember from that Convention, but I can still picture that "tribute" car. I looked at that engine compartment for a long time, and it was only the candor of the owner that revealed it was not built by Chevrolet. It was just outstanding. Oh and there was nothing like Sportsman Class back then, and the newest Corvette being judged was a 1967. And yes, Wayne Walker's 1967 L88 was there for judging. And I was there to convince the BoD NCRS should judge 1968-1972 Corvettes. And out of that membership meeting came the National Corvette Museum.

Edit add: The long-term memory is working pretty good tonight. See what you started Dan?

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

Some versions of the 1970 AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual) have some pages devoted to the LJ2, and some Chevrolet sales information refers to both that engine and the LS7. I would have to go look (and I am far too lazy to do that. It is too hot here.), but I believe the AIM LJ2 pages are stamped DELETED. I have a hunch I know where there are some such pages that are not marked, but I can't tell you -- I would have to kill you.

BTW: The parts books from 1970 and early 1971 are full of references to "V8(454 W/ 3-2 Bbl."..........1970" and "V8 (454 HD)"

The first NCRS National Convention I ever attended in 1985 (Copper Mountain, CO) there was a Mullesane Blue 1970 Convertible (white top)with a 454 with 3-2s parked beside a vendor's space in the swap meet area. There are not too many things I remember from that Convention, but I can still picture that "tribute" car. I looked at that engine compartment for a long time, and it was only the candor of the owner that revealed it was not built by Chevrolet. It was just outstanding. Oh and there was nothing like Sportsman Class back then, and the newest Corvette being judged was a 1967. And yes, Wayne Walker's 1967 L88 was there for judging. And I was there to convince the BoD NCRS should judge 1968-1972 Corvettes. And out of that membership meeting came the National Corvette Museum.

Edit add: The long-term memory is working pretty good tonight. See what you started Dan?

Terry-----


The LS-7, also cancelled of course, would have been the 454 CID equivalent of the L-88. The LJ-2 would have been the 454 equivalent of the L-71.

There may have been a 454 equivalent of the L-68, too, but, if so, I don't know what its RPO would have been.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

There was to be a 454 version of the L-36, but I would have to go look for all that stuff to find the code, and I am not going to do that.

[Norris W.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

There was to be a 454 version of the L-36, but I would have to go look for all that stuff to find the code, and I am not going to do that.

Wouldn't that have been the LS5?

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

Wouldn't that have been the LS5?

Norris and Terry-------


Yup, that's the 454 CID equivalent of the L-36.

[G A.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

Does anyone know what the horsepower and torque numbers might have been on the console plates of the LS7 and LJ2?

[Norris W.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

I bought one years ago from a Vendor at a show somewhere. I don't know if I can find it since it was just a trinket, or if it was accurate since Chevrolet probably never made an LS7 dataplate, but this one said 460 on the horsepower and I THINK 500 on the torque, same as the LS5 on the latter. Most all of the sticker vendors sell the 460 Horsepower Chevelle style air cleaner stickers.

I intended to one day build a "what GM should have built" 1970 Corvette LS7 tribute car with L88 hood and air cleaner, etc, but never got around to it. I still think it'd be a cool project.

Within the last several months somebody up north had a complete LS7 crate motor with carb and L88 air cleaner on E Bay and it rekindled my interest in a '70 Corvette project, but the ole' gal threw icewater on my enthusiasm with the typical "another project that would never get finished" comment. (of course she was probably right)

[Joe L.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

I bought one years ago from a Vendor at a show somewhere. I don't know if I can find it since it was just a trinket, or if it was accurate since Chevrolet probably never made an LS7 dataplate, but this one said 460 on the horsepower and I THINK 500 on the torque, same as the LS5 on the latter. Most all of the sticker vendors sell the 460 Horsepower Chevelle style air cleaner stickers.

I intended to one day build a "what GM should have built" 1970 Corvette LS7 tribute car with L88 hood and air cleaner, etc, but never got around to it. I still think it'd be a cool project.

Within the last several months somebody up north had a complete LS7 crate motor with carb and L88 air cleaner on E Bay and it rekindled my interest in a '70 Corvette project, but the ole' gal threw icewater on my enthusiasm with the typical "another project that would never get finished" comment. (of course she was probably right)

Norris-----

Console data plates for any 1970 engine RPO's were only available from GM for the engines we know were actually produced (base, L-46, LT-1, LS-5). Any others that might be out there must have been aftermarket (or, possibly, some that GM had made and scrapped but were "resurrected").

Some SERVICE parts for non-released 1970 engines were available from GM once-upon-a-time, though.

[Norris W.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

Some SERVICE parts for non-released 1970 engines were available from GM once-upon-a-time, though.

I guess GM must've sold tons of LS7 crate motors and pieces over the counter. The one in my '69 Camaro came from Floyd Garrett's museum in Tenn. and I think he had 3 of 'em at the time, still in the boxes. That was probably late '90's/early 00's. There was a guy in S. Florida two or three years ago that had 5 of 'em. They still show on E Bay fairly frequently, new in the crate. It's really a great engine and a shame that GM never went with it in the car. My Camaro has much better manners than my '69 L88, which is first design with the smaller camshaft. The camaro will idle at under 1000 forever, never load up, and actually pull off fairly well in traffic. We bum around in it and in probably the 7 or 8 thousand miles on it now I've never even had to put plugs in it. When we do close by car shows or cruises with multiple cars I always let the wife drive the Camaro because she can do it without boggin' it at low speeds in traffic. Except for the cost of the race gas it's about as user friendly as anything I've ever owned. I wish I'd bought more of the engines when they were more common.

[Michael J.]

Re: 1970 454 w/ factory 3X2 ?

I had not tumbled to the fact before this thread that GM had LS7s before the current Z06 engine. Is that the only engine code they recycled from the past?