409?
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Steve
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From: Hightstown NJ
I get pretty tired of hearing the same fable about the W engine development beginning as a truck engine. Here are the five design objectives set for the development of the new engine. This is from the General Motors Engineering Journal, dated July-August-September, 1958.
The design work was begun in 1956 and went through a couple versions (X and Y) of the small block first.
If you want to read the whole story, seek out this 1988 magazine issue in which I wrote an article on the history of the design effort that ended up with the W configuration.
Does anyone actually believe that Chevrolet would design a new engine for trucks and then have some marketing whip say, "Hey guys, why not put these engines in Passenger cars too"?
I hope this helps to put an end to these ridiculous notions about history.
Verne
The design work was begun in 1956 and went through a couple versions (X and Y) of the small block first.
If you want to read the whole story, seek out this 1988 magazine issue in which I wrote an article on the history of the design effort that ended up with the W configuration.
Does anyone actually believe that Chevrolet would design a new engine for trucks and then have some marketing whip say, "Hey guys, why not put these engines in Passenger cars too"?
I hope this helps to put an end to these ridiculous notions about history.
Verne
