Factory sb 400 cid LT1 for '73?
 

Like I'm sure most of you have done, the first thing I bought after I got my Corvette was an Assembly Instruction Manual for my car, a '73 coupe. It's proven to be an invaluable aid in working on the car. But it's also raised an intriguing possibility that relates to what was apparently a stillborn engine option for the '73 Corvette. On page 416 of the A.I.M. for the '73 model, in the assembly instructions for the oil pressure gauge and water temp switch, listed engine options are as follows: LS4 V8 engine 454 cid, LT1 V8 engine 400 cid, and L48 V8 engine 350 cid. As we all know, the 1972 model year was the last for the C3 LT1 engine option. However, apparently Chevrolet was so close to continuing the LT1 option with the larger displacement 400 small block that it was incorporated into the assembly manual. What I'm assuming happened was that when the decision was made to go with the L82 350 cid, there was one page in the manual that didn't get changed to reflect that. In all the books I've read about the C3s, this is one "almost happened" story I've never heard about. Anyone out there familiar with it?