396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

On another forum there is a clueless idiot saying that the 1966 Chevy II was available with the 396 big block. He also says the 1965 Chevy II had the L74 375 hp 327 with a Rochester FI unit that was only available on the Corvette. It's amazing how many clueless people there are out there.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/**...1.cfm#27843782

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

LOL, Nice Vette and Chevy 2. Sounds like a Jimi I used to work with ---Trevor

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

He is mistaken.It was the 66 corvair that had the 396 option.LOL

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

actually the 402/454was available in the 70 Monte Carlo Convertible and the 327/375 Fuelie was available in the Chevelle in 1965--- Didnt know that did you???

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

A guy in my town bought one new from the Chevy dealer. It was a factory mistake.

Wait, come to think of it, it was a secret police special that civilians weren't supposed to be able to buy.

Never mind, it was really an experimental test car that wasn't supposed to be sold. Men in suits from GM kept showing up trying to get the car back.

I think that covers all the BS I used to hear back in the day.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

I'm pretty sure the 396 chevy ll was in the guide for a while but you had to have the signed letter by Zora Duntov...or was it Shelby...anyway you could get it. You just checked the box for option J99 which was also known as the "unobtainium" option.

Little known fact----> 20 1985 split window stingrays were made with LS7's for area 51(for chasing land based UFO's I heard) and 1 went missing and was reported to be hidden in a "corvette museum". They found the location and instead of stealing it back, they(black suited guys) used their "earth crumbler" to make a big sinkhole under the museum. A bunch of priceless vettes were damaged but the public is none-the-wiser and they got it back to area 51 without being seen.
True story, google "corvette sinkhole". In one of the pic's, in the corner there's a blurry blob which is one of the aliens they used to run the earth crumbler and make the hole.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Well ya know, there were the 6(or7or8) 65 Nova fastbacks that were built from convertible bodies that had injected big blocks and Corvette IRS in them for road racing that eventually wound up running as early Funny Cars! I actually saw one in a garage in Parsippany N.J. in the 70s. Do they count? Look them up!

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Well the 375 HP FI option was listed in the sales orders for the Chevelle---I ordered one in a 300 deluxe 2 door sedan and waited almost 6 months they kept delaying production time & time again until the summer of 1966 and then finally said they would not be producing them--The Engine option was about $400-500 if I remember correctly--Finally ordered a 1966 Chevelle 300 2 door sedan with a 300/327 and 4 speed--- that car flew won a lot of money street racing with it!!! Eventually sold it to a guy in Phoenix City Alabama who ended up making a stocker/super stocker out of it---

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Hmmm......just imagine a 396 in my car backed up by a 4 speed :eek:

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

i could be wrong but i think gm put the 396 big blocks only in the 66-67 chevy II convertibles. jim

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

A friend in town has much the same story. He ordered an 1970 LS6 El Camino in late 69, and was able to order air conditioning as an option. After waiting a very long time, he got notice that if he wanted the LS6 there would be no air.

There was a reason for the weirdness of buying the highest performance engine with a power-robbing option. He was an engine builder and had lots of 396 engines lying around. The LS6 quickly came out of the car and went into a race car. Looking at the option cost (around $250 as I remember) it was a very cheap way to get GM's most advanced parts and just a fraction of what it would have cost to buy them over the counter.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Hey everyone. On the "Moparts Forum" website, there is a thread called the "Epic Silly Thread". It's up to a zillion or something posts.
I'm thinking, that this thread has the potential to compete with it for silliness. Great reading though and a lot of imagination put forth. I'm loving it. Keep it going.
Walt

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Someone forgot about the limited run of LS-1 Geo Metro's...

http://28mfswhk2pm34o9w02zhdy85.wpen...racker_ls1.jpg

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

"My buddy had one of those. He wrapped it around a telephone pole"

This comment gets inserted into every car conversation, regardless of the make.

And, evidently, they never made any 383 Road Runners, every one had a Hemi 4spd...

Wade

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Have you ever seen a Big Block in a stock early Nova....Yes....but they were never built by GM....and there is very little room in there period...

A small block is no bargain......a big block is ridiculous....

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Good one, Wade. I had a guy come up to me in the pits and after looking at my car and watching me run, he goes "I used to have one just like it, but mine was faster".

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

396 big block in a 1966-67 Chevy II was part of the very rare and seldom seen "Montana Moose Hunting Package."

However it was rejected by Farmer Dismuke before any were ever built.

An offshoot of this package can still be seen mounted on the front of over-the-road tractor trailer rigs running up in the Northwest part of the country.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Wade,

If you attend a cruise night around here every Pontiac Ventura, Catalina, Bonneville and GTO was built with Tri Power (Ask Lynn, he visited) There was only one Cutlass built, but 442's? Too numerous to count. And every Chevelle is an SS. Think we did see that 383 Road Runner! Not sure what the option to downgrade the 455 Stage 1 GS was, seems no one took it to order a 350 car:-) Did see a Kaiser Darrin, a Hudson, a '70 Shelby GT350, a 440 '69 Daytona. Luckily for the guy with the Demon the other 300 cars hid it in the church lot. Kidding aside it is interesting to see and hear about the cars, especially those "not exactly" restored ones:-)
Did see what Bureski's car looked like in its former life.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

The first COPO was actually a tri-power 427 in the 67 Deuce ;)

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

There were zero big block 396 in 66-67 chevy II convertibles coming off the Chevy assembly line. Jungle Jim had a big block in his 1967 Chevy II funny car but we are talking factory stock here. The first big block in the Chevy Nova was in the 1968 model year like Bill Jenkins ran.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1.../liberman9.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...mpys68Nova.jpg

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Can you imagine changing spark plugs in 66/67 Chevy II? LOL
Or building headers for one? Ouch.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Not.gonna happen. I own one and its a #&@gg to change them with a small block.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Yes, Joe. We all know this already,,, a few of us actually lived through this era too.
Welcome to the party.
Danny Durham

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

I used to hate to see a V8 Chevy II come in the shop for a tune up. LOL

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

funny thing is is that there's a yellow 1 gen monte convertible that runs around here, followed him up the hiway Monday after work....
most likely used chevelle 'vert stuff

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

heidt's front end takes care of that issue.......;)

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

danny i wonder if joe knows there was no 66-67 chev II convertibles built by gm. jim

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

I guess you missed this post from above.
"i could be wrong but i think gm put the 396 big blocks only in the 66-67 chevy II convertibles. jim"

Or my top post:
"On another forum there is a clueless idiot saying that the 1966 Chevy II was available with the 396 big block. He also says the 1965 Chevy II had the L74 375 hp 327 with a Rochester FI unit that was only available on the Corvette. It's amazing how many clueless people there are out there."

I ordered my 1965 Chevy Nova 327 4-speed in May of 1965 and received it in June 1965.
https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6157/...d7b545af_b.jpg

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

My very good friend has a '67 Nova for over 30 years.

It is a small block and always has been.It was a C/SM car and originally a '66 run as a bracket car in the mid '70's

He is a pretty big guy and when he has to change spark plugs I usually call for an ambulance to sit on standby. Never fails to cut himself or burn himself and has the car jacked up just to get to a couple plugs.

My Lt-1 Firebird was not a whole lot better.....


I have a dragster and you can keep your Chevy II's, Nova's and Gen 4 F bodied cars....LOL

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

No Joe, I didn't miss the point, I got it. Theres never a shortage of guys that will tell us about these "ghost" combinations that were never offered by the factories,, like the thread about the 440 Dusters a few months back.
Rich: I remember on my '66 Nova SS, years ago, I had the Hooker fenderwell headers on my 331, and with my arms and hands being pretty good sized, I would reach underneath the headers from the front of the car to access the plugs. I ran some old 461x castings then, so I don't know if angle plug heads would've been any easier. It was just an accepted part of my routine back then. Wish I still had that car,, it was a fun ride.
Danny Durham

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

So what's your point? lol

Not sure if this one is equipped with the Corvette fuel injection or the optional 396. :D

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps2d468b7b.jpg

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Everytime I hear someone tell me about their 70 Chevelle SS LS6 454 that they once had. I always ask them if the car had factory A/C, 98% of them will say that it did.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

My aunt had a 66 Acadian convertible, looked the white Nova above but red with red interior. She probably bought it that way and before 67. I would doubt she bought a hardtop and had it converted herself so perhaps a dealer did, maybe reskinned a crashed 65. It one upped my uncle who had a Volvo P1800 and my aunt (from other side of family) was proud of that.

Used to be a few big block Chevy II's around with fenderwell headers and stock suspensions. Making the headers fit inside the frame would be a challenge.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

got a 94 LT1 camaro also. had my dad change the plugs in it once.... he said that he will NOT change the plugs again. LOL

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

I am pretty sure the 67 Nova came with a 327 ci 350 horsepower option. A high school friend had one and a drunk blew a stop sign and T - Boned him and toatled it. Another friends brother has a factory 454 4 speed in either a 70 or 71 Monte Carlo which he bought new.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

The 66-67 Nova with 350HP 327 was a popular combo since that was the first Bill Jenkins "Grumpy's Toy ".
http://www.nhrafinals.com/galleries/...tos/rsz_11.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5587/...06238198_b.jpg

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

Wade, I believe that the way to get the cant-gettium 383 option (right next to the unobtanium options on the order form) was to specify the "hemi-delete" option.

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

This car was an export only release by Chevy, only 43 were made.

JimR

Re: 396 big block in 1966-67 Chevy II ?
 

never saw one but here's another http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...CN00940001.jpg