I was looking through my '67 Chevelle Factory Assembly Maunal and came across a section on L64 BBC engine with 3x2 Holly carbs. Did this engine ever make it in any cars? I am unable to find any other reference to this engine. Looked in 5 or 6 of the best reference books, nothing.

[This message has been edited by Fred Aldrich (edited 01-20-99).]

I'm definately not an expert on this subject but I read in another post that the L64BBC 3x2 was in the plans but never made it to production.

This was a planned option that got the axe. None were produced. This was ( I believe ) the motivation for Skip to build his 67 SS the way he did. If you want to see what it would have looked like:
http://chevelles.com/feature/skips427.html

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Chevrolet had planned in offering this 3x2 "tripower" option for the 67 Chevelle SS, but got cold feet and cancelled it.(See 67 Chevelle Assembly manual) This car was restored as a prototype of what could (and should) have been for the 67 Chevelle. This car is completely restored to original state(other than engine)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In 1967 a salesman at Nurse Chev-Olds in Whitby, Ontario tried to talk me into ordering a 427 435HP tripower Biscayne. He claimed the engine could only be ordered in a Biscayne. I never saw any paper work and I have never seen a car with this setup. He could have been prone to mind wander but I don't know. The dealer did sell a COPO Camaro, lots of Z/28 Camaros, and SS cars and was a garage for Can-Am cars when they raced at Mosport in the late '60's. I believe it was a black UOP Shadow that I saw in their shop. The Biscayne option may well have died before it started. Food for thought.

It also looks like the factory considered the 427 in '66. In my assembly manual on option L78 (page A6) in the footnotes it says "396 was 427"

The L-68 (400hp hydraulic cam oval-port tri-pwr 427) and L-71 (435hp solid cam rect-port tri-pwr 427) WERE for a fact available and built in Corvettes 67-68-69.The L-89 was an aluminum head option for the L-71, of which 16 (67), 624 (68) and 390 (69) were delivered. Therefore it only stands to reason that maybe, just maybe, tri-pwr was also planed for other bodies. Makes sense to me. For example, the King Kong of all big blocks was planned, scheduled, priced, advertised and included in the original Corvette literature for 1970, but alas, canceled at the last minute. The all aluminum LS-7, or was it cast iron with aluminum heads. we'll never know, it didn't make production. A $3000 option on a $5000 base price car. Sound familiar? How about $31000 for the ZR-1 pkg in the early 90s on a $36000 base Corvette. We do know for a fact that aluminum head LS-6 454 were delivered in 71. You know that Chev has brought back the aluminum ZL-1 block. So why not aluminum block, aluminum heads, aluminum water pump and aluminum tri-pwr sucking through a Cowl Induction hood?------------------Who the hell is this dreamer?????

------------------


[This message has been edited by DZAUTO (edited 01-25-99).]

What Ive read was that GM put the kabosh on all multi carb setups except the Corvette starting with 1967. This applied to all divisions of GM.

Greg is right, that is what killed the Tri-power GTO's and 442's too. Trying to appease the insurance companies and safety groups.

That's why we build 'um our way now!

------------------

I think what customers were actually offered was a result of Corporate Politics. Remember the 67s were 'locked in' in the summer of '66, when the chips were falling as a result of Ralph Nader's book 'Unsafe at any Speed' (sic). That started the whole safety crusade.
With regards to Keith's remark about the '67 Biscayne L71 (yum!), an interview with Jim Mattison of GM in the Jan/Feb '98 Muscle Car Review suggests that some '67 and '68 Biscaynes were built with tri-power under a police COPO that may have arisen from an order from the state of Nevada (hmmm, GM proving grounds..). Jim called them Impalas, but the B02 Police option was offered on low-level Biscaynes and possibly BelAirs.
Get that Jan/Feb '98 Muscle Car Review issue! It has 3! Canadian COPO cars, plus the forementioned interview with Jim Mattison.

Damn lapse of reason too! Why wouldnt you want nearly all or the same power as an 850 on a high rise with the potential of running 17+mpg on the open road. ( proven )

DOH!