Burnt71

When did they start painting the SBC blue ? and Why ? When did they stop using the Small block Chevy engine ? or are they still considered Small block chevy's ?

TexasMadMan

Yes, the engines (350) are considered small blocks. If you are wondering when the first big block was installed in a Vette, that would be the 396 in 1965. As far as I know, the first big block chevy engines were the 409 and that was not installed in Vettes. They went in full size cars in 61 or 62.

I'll take a guess that the paint changed sometime in the early 70's. Best I remember my 77 engine was blue.

ACECO

Well my 75's engine is orange so it must have been 76 or 77 then.

rustbucket80

I know in 1990 Mercury made the Corvette engines so they can't be small block chevys. I don't know much history after that. I think that chevy small blocks are catigorized in generations. 1955 would be generation 1.

Twin_Turbo

Mercury marine only made the LT5 (ZR1 engine), it was a collaboration by GM Lotus and Mercury, the stanard engine (L98 & LT1) were small blocks.

Gordonm

Mercury marine did the machining on the aluminum parts because of the knowledge of working with aluminum on their motors. They did nothing to design it just machine and assemble them.

Also before the 409 was the 348 motor. The 409 was a bored and stroked 348. Imagine a 348 being a BB. Now we have 454 and some larger SB motors running around.

TexasMadMan

Wow, I can't beleive I forgot about the 348. It was late last night when I posted. I believe the first year for the 348 was 1958. Right????

Here's a trivia question. What was the last year Chevy installed a 409 in a passenger car?

PROSOUTH

"ere's a trivia question. What was the last year Chevy installed a 409 in a passenger car?"

1964 would have been the last full year of availibility.

Here is a trivia question for you, When was the first year for a v-8 chevrolet engine? j

TexasMadMan

Prosouth:

I assume your question might be a trick question. If not, the answer would be 1955.

BTW. You missed the answer on my question.

texaswilkins

Late 70's and Early 80's vette blocks were blue. All of the downrated horsepower engines got gm corporate blue instead of orange. LAter they started using black. Never forget that "blue is for boring." Sorry I don't remember who the quote is from.

Bill

Gordonm

I remember hearing about this and I want to say something like 1912 but I could be off. It was way before 1955. That was the first for SB as we know it. Overhead valves were the big thing back in the early 50s.

Paul L

It was mid-1977. About 1974-75 some fellow sued GM after finding a Chevy orange 350 in his new Oldsmobile. He was livid with rage to find a Chevrolet motor in his car. This was the time that separate motor Divisions for Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, etc. were being phased out and the Chev 350 became the GM passenger vehicle workhorse. By 1977 Chevy orange was history and most GM engines were painted "corporate" blue. A disclaimer on the source of the engine for any particular car also appeared on window stickers at that time.

stingr69

76 Vettes had Orange engines. 77 Vettes had Blue engines.

-Mark.

PROSOUTH

Notice I said 1964 a FULL YEAR, was the 409 available all year in '65? I only remember BBC being in '65s.

I really don't remember the exact year of the first V-8 either, I saw one in a 1916 when I was a teen. The car finally rotted down and was hauled off for scrap. The old man lived long enough to keep it from anyone restoring it until it literally fell apart. It had external push rods that were wrapped in burlap and had to have oil poured on them for lubrication. jim

And the answer is? 409 she's real fine.

Paul Borowski

Very early '77s had Orange engines. The "Corporate Blue" GM color happened due to the lawsuit of the Orange Chevrolet engines installed in 1977 Oldsmobiles. There is no such thing as a "Chevy" engine or a "Buick" engine-they are all "GM Corporate" engines that can be used in any GM vehicle by any GM Division

Aflac

From everything I read, the 348 and 409 were a totally different motor called the "W" series motors.. nothing interchanges from them to the bigblocks that we think of now, do they???

Gordonm

Yes you are right. The BB as we know it now is nothing like the old W series. Compared to the SB of the time these were BB motors. Nothing is interchangeable from the W series to the BB as we know it now.

TexasMadMan

The last year Chevrolet installed the 409 in it's passenger cars was 1965. They had plenty left over from the previous year and offered them as as option. I suspect the option was pretty cheap considering the new 396 ci engine made it's debut in '65. Records indicate about 2000 409 '65 Chevies were produced, making them somewhat rare.

JB

Jim, you're kidding, right? I mean, not to get all personal, but if you were a teen in 1916. . . .you're like a hundred years old. Hundred year old Corvette driver--I'm scared man, I'm scared.

Oh, you saw one in A 1916. So you're not quite a hundred, then?

JB

PROSOUTH

Oh, you saw one in A 1916. So you're not quite a hundred, then?

JB[/QUOTE]

Just halfway there JB, little over halfway. My first wife bought me a 25th Anniversery Corvette for my 25th birthday if that tells you anything.

I have never seen a 409 in a '65 Chevrolet, but then I have never seen the V-12 they made in a Chevrolet either.