[eossln]

Hello all,

I have a 70 El Camino LS5 with the 454 / 360 hp motor. The 70 passenger car 454 Impala and the 70 Corvette 454 LS5 have 390 hp. Why the difference of 30 hp when the heads, cam, pistons, compression ratio, Carb and Intake are the same. Does anyone know the answer?

Thanks
eossln

 

[furball8994]

The '70 LS5 motor used in the Corvette was identical to the Chevelle LS5, but for marketing reasons the Corvette rating was 390 horsepower.
The same may be true for the Imp.
I belive they did the same thing with the L78 396/375. It was rated 425hp in the vette.

 

[70ChevelleRagtop]

Simply a numbers game...

 

[MEJ1990TM]

Yep and I noticed that they have a Corvette air cleaner ,or at least decal, on the Chevelle in Dazed and Confused.

 

[Cam]

Politics and marketing are the main reasons for the different rating. The exhaust manifolds were more restrictive on the Chevelles & Monte Carlos, but gross h.p. isn't supposed to include the manifolds. Curiously enough, the Canadian '70 brochure lists the LS5 as 390-h.p. in the Chevelle brochure.