A friend of mine has an LS6 454 he is thinking of selling and we were talking last night about these motors. I was telling him he needs to get the part number and date code off the motor to get a realistic value of what it is worth. He says his motor is a '73 and that it was the first year for these to come out.

From my recollection, the first year for the actual LS6 motor was in 1970 as a factory option.

Can anyone help with specific technical data that would support when the first year for production of the LS6 was?

Now I need for the info to be verifable, since we have a bet on this. I say it was 1970 and my buddy Ed says it was 1973. Please help me win my beer!

Bruce

It was 1970. If you need proof, look for a posted build sheet on this board or ebay for a 1970 LS6 Chevelle or buy a "Chevrolet by the numbers book" by Alan Colvin. You could also look on Mortec.com, Hemmings book, old car trader. Proof is everywhere that the LS6 was available in 1970.

A friend of mine has an LS6 454 he is thinking of selling and we were talking last night about these motors. I was telling him he needs to get the part number and date code off the motor to get a realistic value of what it is worth. He says his motor is a '73 and that it was the first year for these to come out.

From my recollection, the first year for the actual LS6 motor was in 1970 as a factory option.

Can anyone help with specific technical data that would support when the first year for production of the LS6 was?

Now I need for the info to be verifable, since we have a bet on this. I say it was 1970 and my buddy Ed says it was 1973. Please help me win my beer!

Bruce
The first year was 1970 they made a few in 71 but thats it. If your friends engine is a 73 then it is probably an LS4 very low-po smog motor,

Actually the LS6 was available in the calendar year of 1969 (Dec). Also while the LS6 was not used after 1970 in a Chevelle, it was available over the counter for quite a few years. I believe they were still available in the early 90's. Now if you order the LS6 crate motor you'll get a 400hp SBC :clonk:

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/ChevySmallBlockV8s/LS6.html

Ed, Classified Ads are not allowed in the forums. Please use the free classifed ads section. R.J.

For sale ads are not permitted in the forum. You need to post this in the classified ad section.
James

The LS6 started in 1970 model year. But my understanding is the LS6 454 motor was in production through the 1980's as a crate engine. 1970 was the only year the LS6 was a factory installed option. I believe I have heard that 71 a few Corvettes got that motor also.

In any case. If your friend thinks its a 73 motor. He could still be correct. Its likely just a over the counter crate engine.

I may very well have this confused with the LS7 454. But I thought there was info about this subject on here before about the 2 of them being available for that long. I may be wrong though.

LS6 was factory installed in Chevelles ONLY in 1970. The 71 Corvette got the LS6 option, but it was no longer available in the Chevelles. The '71 LS6 in the Corvette got the open chambered aluminum heads, but the block assembly remained the same as from the 70 (closed chambered pistons remained), so the compression ratio was lowered into the 9's.

Someone mentioned LS7. (I have one in a 69 Camaro) The hotrodders within GM intended to put the LS7 in the '70 Corvette as the replacement for the L88 which ran 67 through 69. Zora and the boys couldn't get it approved by the front office. There was NO SHP or HD option for 70, and for the first time the Chevelle had a higher horse engine than was available in the Corvette. The LS7 was already done, so Chevy offered it as an over the counter motor ONLY. It's basically a second design L88 with the stroke of a 454 and for some reason, Chevy only offered it with iron heads, as opposed to the alum. heads that all the L88's came with. With it's 12:1 compression, open chamber rect. port heads, and second design L88/ZL1 camshaft it's arguably the strongest crate motor ever to come out of detroit until the current crop of 572's.

The LS6 started in 1970 model year. But my understanding is the LS6 454 motor was in production through the 1980's as a crate engine. 1970 was the only year the LS6 was a factory installed option. I believe I have heard that 71 a few Corvettes got that motor also.


188 1971 Corvettes to be exact had the LS6 option with another 12 receiving the ZR2 (Special Purpose LS6 Engine Package). Thats almost as many L88's produced in 1967 (20), 1968 (80) and 1969 (116) combined.

So................... you guys know the difference between a '70 and '71 LS6 intake manifold?

Correct me if I'm wrong but one of the two ways to distinguish the 70 from the 71 intake is no numbers cast for the ports on the 70 where the 71 has the 1-8 on the intake runner.

That wuz' too easy for you.http://www.chevelles.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif It always amazes me the way people screw the listings up on E Bay between the two.

No point in me adding anything.
So, just for conformation:
LS6 in 70 Chevelles (well documented)
LS6 in 71 Vettes (but lower compression as already mentioned, still awsome, well documented)
The LS7 was ORIGINALLY to have been a legitimate RPO in 70 Vettes and never made it (projected cost was $3000).

The LS7 WAS sold over the parts counter (as a crate engine) and was an all iron engine. A dear friend of mine bought 4 of them many years ago and is now down to 2. Both are for sale (THIS IS NOT A FOR SALE AD, just for info). Also, as mentioned, the ONLY BB that managed to make it into the 70 Vette was the 390hp/454 (can you believe that!!!!).