What engine does a 70 LT-1 have?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,821
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From: Lincoln CA
What engine does a 70 LT-1 have?
I was at a car show last night and saw a really trashed looking 70 Corvette with a big block hood and LT-1 striping on the power bulge. I was duly impressed and thought that the car might be a great restoration when I noticed a couple of things. First, it had a radio and I thought the LT-1 came with the radio delete. Second, I thought that the LT-1 had a very high performance 350, but when I checked the plaque on the console it showed 300 hp and a 9.5:1 compression ratio. Isn't that a base 350 in a 1970? I am assuming the car was a fake and the only thing "LT-1" about it was the stripes on the hood.
Last edited by RagTop69; Aug 27, 2009 at 04:27 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,821
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From: Lincoln CA
No, not for sale. Just sitting in the middle of the show with all its cracks, chips and flat red paint showing. The LT-1 stickers looked really old. Maybe he found an LT-1 hood, or maybe a prior owner put them on the car.
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 398
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From: Sacramento California
According to my book, "Original Corvette", the 1970 LT 1 was a 350 C.I. 370 H.P. solid lifter motor with a high rise intake manifold and holley carb. The intake/carb made it neccesary to use the big block hood in these cars. The engine block cast numbers should start with 397010 and the 370 H.P.suffixes are:
CTU:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, TI
CTK:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, TI
CTV:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, ZR1
The intake manifold for the 1970 LT1 was aluminum (70 only, cast # 3972110)
In 1970 there were 1287 LT 1's produced and the option was a whopping $447.60.
It is believed that only 25 ZR1's were made in 1970, and the only way to verify seems to be through the tank sticker.
The LT 1's came with a copper radiator except for the ZR1's (which had the aluminum Harrison rad.).
Hope some of this stuff helps!
Kelly
CTU:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, TI
CTK:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, TI
CTV:370 H.P. holley 4BC, mech lifters, manual, ZR1
The intake manifold for the 1970 LT1 was aluminum (70 only, cast # 3972110)
In 1970 there were 1287 LT 1's produced and the option was a whopping $447.60.
It is believed that only 25 ZR1's were made in 1970, and the only way to verify seems to be through the tank sticker.
The LT 1's came with a copper radiator except for the ZR1's (which had the aluminum Harrison rad.).
Hope some of this stuff helps!
Kelly
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 5
From: Upstate South Carolina
LT-1s could be ordered with a radio. The ZR-1 package, which came with the LT-1 engine, could not be ordered with a radio. The only restrictions that I'm aware of with the LT-1 were no auto, no a/c (until late 72), and no power steering on the early 70s with CTU engine suffix.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
any car that has its engine ever apart can have just about any engine in it, and just about any internals inside it also.. a 39 year old car may have just about anything in it... if you are interested then do your research here and you will become more than a novice! A LT1 Hood does not a LT1 Car make.. it is a corvette with an LT1 hood, and that is all.. it may be more, but research has to be done to prove it.
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Brett Foote
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 153
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From: Atlanta GA
Look for the TI distributor too, if not there it may have been replaced but the amplifier box will more than likely still be mounted. The amplifier box is usually toward the front ahead of the radiator on the driver side and a bit difficult to get to. It was placed there to avoid heat as the transistors where susceptible and could fail, which is why a lot of distributors were replaced by an owner that wasn't aware of how they worked thinking the failure was in the distributor and not the box. Today you can replace the old circuit board with modern chips that don't have that problem.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Swapping on an LT1/BB hood was popular and relatively easy to do. My '68 had an LT1/BB hood on her when I got her.
Dull paint, cracks, chips...sounds like the old girl has potential. She might need a nip/tuck, but she was out and about and sitting at the show.
Bless her old bones.
Dull paint, cracks, chips...sounds like the old girl has potential. She might need a nip/tuck, but she was out and about and sitting at the show.
Bless her old bones.
Last edited by Easy Mike; Aug 28, 2009 at 11:25 AM.
Team Owner
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From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Mertztown Pa
That would not even be a correct plaque for a base engine. My 70 is 10.25:1 with 300 hp and I think 380 torque.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,455
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From: Upstate South Carolina
