The best is that I lived in that era. There were muscle cars all over come Friday and Saturday night. My ride was a 68 L78 Chevelle triple black. Now at 71 it brings back so many memories.
I'd love to have the opportunity to take a real L88 around the track a few times. And I'm not even a Chevy guy really. More of a Mopar/Ford guy and Pontiac was always my favorite GM division
The dyno in CA tested a number of L88's from 1967 through 1969. The average was 560hp at sea level. These new generations will never know what we actually did in the 60's and 70's. They are just making it up.
a true L88 fuckin beautyful! I try telling people the difference between the L88 and the tri power but they don't get it. now I can just refer them to this video. great work man, CHEVY FOREVER!
every punk assed cap-on-backward punk claims he knows some one who has an L-88, usually in a nova or chevelle. Or his grandmother who uses nitros oxide doing wheelstands through their low income neighborhood to go buy lottery tickets.
Maybe my favorite Vette of all. Not really a Chevy guy but I love classic muscle cars no matter the make or model. Even the AMC muscle cars like the AMX, Javelin SST, and Rebel Machine
The Cams used in the L88 #3925535 (.540 int .560 exh) and 69 ZL #3959180 (.560 int .600 exh) were always intended for an open header exhaust system. In fact running these Cams as well as any other Race Profile Camshaft through cast iron exhaust manifolds / Muffler system actually lost you Horsepower. The most powerful L88's were the 2nd design late 69 Corvette using the #3946074 Open Chamber Aluminum heads; which Chevy Engineers claimed flowed 30% better than the 2 previous aluminum versions #3904392 (67only) and #3919842 used on 68 and early 69 Corvette.(074 head also used on ZL1 corvette and 69 COPO 9560 Camaro). Dyno numbers from different sources have various HP numbers but GM/Chevy Dynoed both 69 L88 & ZL1 engines with open tube type header systems and attained numbers in the 540-550 range with OEM installed engine components (minus CI exhaust.Mufflers. With further Head work, extended Blueprinting,etc. attaining numbers close to 600hp is feasible ...
Agreed. You could make them a bit more streetable by opening up the valve clearance, which took a bit of duration/lift out of them. A little more noisy in the valve train but it tamed it down a bit for the street. Much like the old 30/30 Duntov cam in the 327's..... Of course, we were running headers and free-flowing exhaust to help the situation.....still a lumpy cam for the street.
Stock with headers: iron heads 560 HP @ 6600... aluminum heads 530 HP at 6600... (aluminum bleeds off heat/HP... but iron heads heat soak and lose power if held WFO for more than a few seconds...)
i ran a l88 cam in my 67 chevelĺe.375 hp bottom end with oval port heads.m21 4:10 rear.was a dog til about 2500rpm.but then it just fried tires until you let up.was fun but not suitable for street driving
@@marksimpson7477 - Yeah, cams above about 215/225 durations aren't real great for commuter cars... even the L79 350 HP 327" 221/221 durations cam didn't come on hard until 2500 RPMs and above... but the 11:1 compression ratio saved the MPG and some low RPMs response...
@cv 67 - I was a GM engineer back then... 560 HP was what we got, as well... 375 HP with the complete stock kink-bent dual exhaust system which was actually designed for a 396" engine... Don't remember Joe Sherman ever testing one, but lots of other testers also go around 555-565 HP... These guys got similar power from a stock bore/stroke SBC 400 crate engine: www.dailymotion.com/video/x3rfhrk .
In college a good friend of mine had this exact Vette.....even same grey color. I used to drive when we "double dated" in the car once in a while....you've never lived 'til you double-date in a ''67 Vette.....not recommended....LOL. When we drove it around just he and I, it was a lovely car. Plenty of power and handling. The three deuces just moaned when whacked open. The only complaint I had on the car was the "buzzy" shift lever...drive a guy nuts on a road trip. We kept a small pillow that we'd pack around the shift lever on long trips. I used to see those small pillows on a lot of "Vettes in those days....must have been a common complaint. The 427 had "right now" power....no lag whatsoever.
What a pretty car, mid- year 'Vette's have always been my favourite of all the 'Vette's. That L- 88 is something special. Would love to hear one with all it's 'day 2' mods done, some open exhausts and headers would really liven this thing up and make it sound even better
I don't know if it had been mentioned prior, but in the mid-80s, I started subscribing to Hot Rod magazine. Sometime in the 80s, there was an in depth article on the Corvette and the man considered its father, Zora Arkus-Duntov, who was still alive. He explained the 430 horsepower rating and how it was pretty much arbitrary. If I recall, he explained he kind of picked the 430 figure, and then they dyno'd the engine to see where it made 430, and that was its 'peak' horsepower rating, lol. The article also mentioned, of course, how he really wanted to have a rear engine Corvette, which he would, alas, never see in person other than some prototypes 'back in the day.'
".....It did have an ash tray,, 'cause after you were done drivin' this thing you just might need a cigarette...." Ha! Kevin, you old fox, we got it! A friend of mine and I put an L88 option engine into a beautiful Malibu in the 70's and then gave it a shot of nitrous for 'special activities'. A kid in a hot Mustang one day kept buggin' us at the light until youth and testosterone prevailed. In the rear view mirror two things happened: 1) the kid had a look on his face like someone had driven over his dog, and; 2) a highway patrolman pulled us both over. Long story short: the Mustang kiddo got a ticket and then the highway patrol got to us.....looked at my friends' license, and then asked, "What do you guys have in this thing?" He owned a Chevelle and we shot the bull for 30-45 minutes bench-racing.....and, no ticket......just, "Have a good day!" Ha....what a great day! Keep the Faith, Kevin
Its almost a shame that Chevrolet hit the nail on the head with the C2 so long ago. They havnt produced anything so beautiful since. Few others have though in my opinion.
Flying Dollar Motorsports probably this and a 1954 chevy pickup are the greatest chevy vehicles ever made but the corvette is the most respected in my book
Ahh I am proud to have experienced theses cars growing up. My buddy in HS had a Yellow 68 L71 that was willed to him from his dad a Denver Fireman who died. We could barely make the 3-2's work. Most people swapped a Edelbrock manifold with a 4150 Holley for that reason. To this day I remember how fast and reliable that car was. At least we drove it, like Louis Chevrolet intended....
My dad has a L88 in a 68 nova, not matching numbers. Other than it being blue printed, some head work done, doesnt even have case harden valve seats so it needs leaded gas higher octane, different carb and a tri-y exhaust, its basically stock and that car freakin rips! We estimate about 565 hp at crank.
The prob with this car is it’s so valuable you can’t drive it. I built a 64 coup with 500HP 327 and a manual 6spd. All high performance suspension , lowered, big block hood, big disc brakes, leather, 4 point roll bar with harnesses. My car is considered a resto mod and you can drive it anywhere. If I owned the L88 it would be depressing knowing all you could do was look at it.
Stunning example. Is that color Lynndale Blue Metallic? I’ve owned 2 Corvettes…still my dream was to own a ‘67 big-block roadster. Came close 20 years ago with a guy in Ohio but had a buddy talk me out of it…more appropriately…I let him and talked my self out of it and bought a ‘02 Z51 roadster with 5100 miles on it from a 68 year old women! A doctors wife who said “I can’t handle the car”. I grew up on the NW Side of Chicago…Austin & Fullerton. My dad owned 2 Standard Oil service stations from 1962 to 1988. Occasionally on the days he could make it home to sit for a supper on time at 6:00 PM…he’d stop for a “quick one” at the corner gin mill…”Frank & Annie’s” on Fullerton & Mason. When the church bells rang at 6:00 and he wasn’t home, my mom would tell me to run down to Frank’s and tell dad supper is on the table. A day that I STILL think about regularly occurred in August of ‘67. I ran down, turned the corner and there it was…a brand new roadster ‘67 in that color. Stinger hood, big block with a white inlay, pipes, red-stripes, a saddle interior and the “Z-FRANK” sticker on the back. It stopped me in my tracks! I was standing there at 10 years old and David walked out the screen door. David was one of Frank & Annie’s sons. A giant and a hero to this 10 year old. David had returned home 3-weeks earlier from 2 tours in Viet Nam. He enlisted…served his tour and one more for his brother who also enlisted but was medically unable to serve. Frank, Annie & his brother bought him the car as a homecoming (ALIVE) present. He stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders and just asked if I liked it. He then shouted through the screen to my dad…”your old lady says suppers on the table get your ass home….I’m takin your kid and driving him home…the long way”! I can STILL to this day remember everything. The sounds and vibrations of that 427, the heat on the seats, the smells, being thrown back into my seat with evert shift…and the perpetual smile that has still not left me. I remember we went all the way west to Mannheim Road, north to Lawrence, east to Cumberland and ended up Irving to Austin and then home in front of our house some 40 minutes later. Wonderful memories that I still keep. A dream car, with a guy who was never too busy to stop for 10 minutes to toss a football around with hail-Mary passes or hit a few high & long pop-ups to me…my hero!
Crank # 6223forged to a L88 casting # the first ! and then add a MK lV V8 and then shake a little (or big) Holley into the mix ! PERRRRFECTION Not yet ! Crank # 6223 R PERRRRFECTION ! And to think this one got a Tunnel ram ! And two Holleys ! First spin on oil filter Big Block Chevy December 6 1967 Block Date L67 ! Wasn't C.O. P. O FUN !
Thanks for this particular MCOTW! The "wood" steering wheel in the video is actually plastic; the real, teak wheel was an option. The car in the video would be rather a pain on the street. Sort of like having to taxi a fighter plane all over the airport--it's gonna overheat. My friend Phil got it right over 50 years ago: his Lyndale Blue '67 w/black convertible top started life as a 390 horse 427 w/pwr steering AM/FM, A/C (rad. shroud, clutch fan). To which he then dropped in a L/88. Yesiree, he could drop Hemi's all day long, but could still be comfortable in summer. Do you know that a 1/4" of fiberglass is not much of a heat insulator for your legs when there's a 427 pouring out the BTU's on the other side. BTW, the 12.5 c.r. is something else. Social distance yourself 6' away from an exhaust tip, and you'll still feel every cylinder pulse of the exhaust forcefully hitting your leg!
Regarding the teak wheel, I thought they were standard through '66 and discontinued for the '67. If you're saying that you could still get one as an option, that still can coexist with my understanding of it. In any event, nothing compares to the C2 Corvettes, in my opinion, in terms of looks & style. For using as an everyday car, it was probably wise to go with a smaller engine package. Not only for the overheating issues, but also for better overall weight distribution and handling. I love the early year C3s, but the '65 - '67 Vettes are, to me, the belles of the ball.
@@jimcharles9705 I'm with you 100% on the C2. It may be just a function of my age. I do recognize that many aspects of these older Vettes were a function of their time & technology. Super hardened distributer/tach drive gear teeth that would break off & fall into oil pan unless scrupulously maintained, 63-66 power antennas that were not weather-resistant, failing in a couple years, ditto headlamp motors, aluminum brake pistons swimming in hygroscopic brake fluid in cast iron calipers (what could go wrong there?)...But, way cool nonetheless. IMO, the hi-perf small block Vettes were so balanced automotively, but my buddy's prev. refrenced L-88 '67 would consistently win time of day in the parking lot gymkhanas against, set-up, non-street Triumphs & Sunbeam Tigers! (He is one heck of a driver). A side note: the plastic "wood" steering wheel was standard '63-'67, and the teak wheel was a $45-ish option. the wood, of course, was extremely smooth, but either was unfinished or lightly penetrating oil finished--unlike the Italian Natdi wood wheels of the era, it didn't have a hi-gloss lacquer/varnish surface finish.
@user-nh4qs6uw4e Of course, you're right regarding the teak wheel availability as a new car option. However, the teak wheel was an over-the-counter parts option through Chevrolet/GM Parts, at least into the early '70s. I was buying so many Chevy & Pontiac parts back then, that the dealers would give me their old parts manuals as they were revised every 3 or 4 months. I'd then come to them with the part nos. of the parts I needed, making the parts counter guys' lives easier; I had lists of parts I'd order at a time. In that simpler time, if a customer were to order a teak wheel from Parts Dept. after purchase of the car, IDK if dealer would install it, from a liability standpoint. My guess is, back then, if you paid the money, they'd install it. But, if not, they'd certainly let the owner know that they'd be glad to sell it, and the owner could install it. It was definitely an easy install.
@user-nh4qs6uw4e It's twue, it's twue. But, if one thinks those items are the niftiest, and is not trying to win "originality" points, then... Although I have no problem with organizations choosing their criteria, I do think this term "original" is abused. If that means mint original factory-installed parts & finish, then there're probably about 3 Corvettes like that. If it means rebuilt to look like a mint factory original, that's a different animal. To put a fine point on it, among gun collectors, a factory mint, all original 1873 Colt Peacemaker is in a completely different value league than a worn, rusty 1873 that was completely refurbished/reblued to look like a mint original. I wouldn't judge both at 100 points. Just sayin'.
@user-nh4qs6uw4e I didn't HAD TO turn this into anything. What, are you with the stay on topic police? Is there only one point allowed in these threads, and you get to decide. You added your DOT regulations point. I acknowledged it. And, then added additional information: it was an over the counter item. That was not a rebutal to your point; it was merely explaining what might not be so obvious to younger people 55 years later.I know this because my buddy got one for his '67, to go with the KOWs and L-88 he got for his '67. I put a teak wheel & KOWS on my small block '67 in '71 when I was 20. And, my '70 LT-1 coupe, which I bought at age 24, still has its original Speedway GTs. See, like you, we all can add factoids or opinions here. If there's a debate topic going on here, please elucidate.
Certainly was nervous when I had to trailer the car to its owner after the restoration. Just my luck a tractor trailer in front of me blew one of its retreads on the way and slightly damaged the trailer, but thankfully nothing else. Of course, something like that never happened before, or since. The luck of life!
Still pressed 'like', and its a beautiful car and all, and yes, I know its rare and worth a ton of money, but I think that odometer is one of the sadest things Ive seen- you said it yourself, Kevin, these cars were designed to be 'beat on', or at the very least, driven- just to have it sitting in a collection is a crying shame- they should be retired to a collection after having at least a few thousand miles put on them, so someone has actually enjoyed them, not kept like a piece of jewellry. Just my opinion.....
Here are the thoughts that run though this car owner's mind, if he/she heard you say that: Perpetual anticipation + the idea that I can drive this anytime I want and, well, you can't, is a lovely position to be in. My Vette is gaining value by the friggin' month due to all the extreme wealth in the world and NO ONE ELSE HAS ONE, and if they do, they're probably an asshole, unlike me.
What a strange reply. I didnt say drive it every day, but the idea you cant ever drive it is nonsense- its not a piece of jewellery. People should be able to enjoy a car, no matter what the monetary value, so it has memories in it other than just sitting in a garage. Im not saying hammer it into the ground, but at least a few thousand miles. Perpetual anticipation without ever satifying it is just a wind up in my book. Glad to hear your Corvette is gaining value- yes, there is some extreme wealth in the world, just as there is extreme poverty. And why would any other owner, apart from you, be an asshole?
I thought the same thing, Thunda, when I saw only 4 miles! Then I considered that maybe they had just finished the restoration right before making this video. I look at it this way: first of all, if I owned this car, I would think about that engine and what it's designed to do and think "good god I wanna do that!", but then I'd think about the 2 million dollars it's worth and think "good god what if I hurt it?!". Add to this the fact that these guys own hundreds of rare old cars and therefore simply don't have time to drive them all like they should, so the rarest and prettiest sadly get neglected. Now that it's 2 years later, I'd bet they've put a few more miles on her.
My thoughts exactly, its stunning, that big block hood is only on 67s, but what a waste, cars are to drive, and you hit it spot on there! I took my old 75 to a show here in the UK, we washed it and drove 150 miles to the show and next to us in line, was a stunning 61, on a trailer, which was rolled off, the tyres cleaned of grass with a tooth brush whilst they put a tent up over it! We added a few stone chips on the way home, and wasted a little rubber too! I would have rather seen this sideways with a touch of smoke coming from the back wheels!
As used car manager at Downtown Chevrotet in Minneapolis Minnesota.. I passed on one at North star auto auction in 1974...it was a no miles 1967 silver coupe L 88 that some had bought new in 1967 and stored... the sticker was on the window about $10 k and he wanted about $14k for it.. anyway I didn't buy it for the dealership..but it did sell....
Well these 1967 L88 corvettes (keep in mind there are only 20 of them on the entire planet) are selling for 3.5 to 4 million dollars. So if you're referring to an ACTUAL L88 (and not just a 67 corvette), well you made the mistake of a lifetime there buddy.
Just curious...being a convertible.what did Chevy do (if at all) to reinforce the chassis? Especially with that monstrous big block sitting up front...
The Corvette has a steel chassis, the fiberglass body of both the hardtop and convertible ride along so no reinforcements were needed. The Camaro of the same era was a unibody with a subframe for the front engine and suspension, so the convertibles had additional reinforcements.
i ran a 2nd design l88 cam in my 67 396 chevelle.it was a dog till it hit 3000 rpm.but fuck when it came on it was a beast.not a very nice street cam.but i only drove it on Saturday nights
Of all the estimates and dyno runs I’ve seen or read all were over 500. The cam duration alone would make max power at 6500 + or higher. It might make 480 at 6000 on the same run as well. Most of the dyno runs I’ve seen shows 560 hp with the only change being headers.
@@jeremythompson9895 - 560 HP @ 6600 RPMs with headers right off the showroom floor... It was a race engine, that's why they rated it less than the top street engine... to hide it from the rich kids buyers...
@@BuzzLOLOL Yeah exactly...560 hp will a mod or two. I know they rated them way lower than they really were to keep insurance costs down. Yeah they probably didn't want young rich kids killing themselves in it either
@@BuzzLOLOL That's with a blueprinted motor with the tolerances so spot on you could spin the crank easily with the head off and it would take second to stop. Not just slapping header on it one. Chevy knew the first thing racers would do was tear it apart and do all that, was no reason for the to go above and beyond knowing they liked it done their secret way.
New top of the line Corvettes can hit 200 mph, not too bad either. They down rated the HP to allow them to have a chance to be insured , and be within Federal limits , I think . A real bomb
The "standard" big block was not the 435hp engine. The standard engine was the 390hp 427 and it was potent but quite different with closed chamber, oval port, 2 bolt main block with cast rather than forged internals. It was good choice for someone who wanted a big block more practical for daily use.
Just arrived from 1967 driving my new L88 Corvette. Burned almost a full tank of Chevron Custom Supreme. Do you think I can burn 93 unleaded? And why is everyone so angry?
The L71 could be purchased with power steering. It was the 1965 L78 396 car that could not be purchased with power steering. In 1966 Power steering was made available on the 450hp 427 which later in the production year was rated at 425hp for the insurance industry.
I"ve always found the '66 ratings funny. They weren't fooling anyone. They rated the 396 at 425, then they increased displacement to 427 and still rated that at 425. We know 450 was the real output (if not a lowball number also), so the '67 L71 must have put out about 475. Therefore the L88s with more compression and bigger cams were definitely well over 500.
Live Wire You just have to remember that there were different versions of big block Chevy's. 2 bolt main with cast pistons and crank and closed chamber oval port heads. 325hp 396 / 390hp 427. Also the 400hp 427 and 350/396 were low pro although calling any 4bbl. carb big block low pro sounds absurd. I mean look, you got close to if not that same 425hp engine in a Chevelle rated at 375hp.
RE: all this speculation as to 'factory-rated' vs 'actual' HP of the different engine variants - can't an accurate rating be determined on a HP dynamometer without removal of the engine? Never understood all this 'mystery', when an unequivocal number can be obtained.
I bought a 1967 silver with black L88 convertible from the original owner in 1970. It's coming up for auction in Texas and will probably sale for over 2 million. Wished I'd kept it! That's baloney about opening the hood before starting it. Never was beat on the street with it. With a well worn engine and no traction ran the quarter mile in 12.38 seconds at 117 MPH at Fremont drag strip in California. Derol F. Briscoe.
In my 67 L88 I ran a 12.00 at 119mph at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake City. Could not get in the 11's but I shifted at an indicated 6K rpm. I also used sticky'r tires, BFG 225 50 15's on 8" Rally steel wheels. That lowered the overall 1st gear ratio. 2.20:1 close ratio 1st X 4:11 was OK but the shorter tire gave me a little better ET. that was way back in 1988 or 89 when a 67 L88 was $13000.
I still have mine, I would post you a pic if it would let me. Silver Pearl Coupe with a ton of bad paint. Laquer sucks unless you like patina, really bad patina
Wow! You are so lucky to have kept it all of these years. Truly the most fun and memorable car I have ever owned! I purchased it from Richard Reitman in Palo Alto, close to where you live. Installed a fan shroud and green fiberglass Flex- Lite fan, no over heating problems after that. Manual steering not a problem and the ride was not really all that bad. Still remember bring pressed back in the seat running through the gears. Cam wanted to keep on revving all the way to 7,000RPM.
GOT ME AN 18 GRAND SPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR.LIKE THE WAY THE C-2 LOOKS...YOU GOT 2 MENTION THAT THIS CAR WOOD NOT BE DRIVABLE 2-DAT BECAUCE WOULDNT U NEED APROX. 100 OCTANE GAS OR CONSTANTLY ADDING OCTANE BOOSTER IN YOUR TANK?
The 1966 & 1967 had the same emblem on the rear (as pictured). The 66 had the same emblem on the front left side of the hood. 1966 only year for the hood emblem.
1965 TO 19 69 VETTS COULD ALWAYS WITH 411 GEARS OR MORE GO 12 SECOUND WITH THEIR BIG BLOCK MY FATHER HAD A 1965 396/425 AN SAID COULD ALWAYS BEAT THE 427 LOL THOSE PORKIE PINE HEADS ON THE 396 WAS THE BEST DAD RAN LOW 12 ALL DAY WITH 456 GEARS I AT 16 YEARS OLD DAD GOT ME A 1966 STINGRAY BUT A 327/ 300 BUT CHANGED THE MOTOR AN WHEN WITH THE LT1 350 AN ANGLE PLUGS HEAD AN CAME OUT WITH 460 HP BUT DAD ALWAYS SMILED AN SAID JOHN THE SMALL BLOCKS R FOR THE BOYS BUT THOSE VETTES FORM 1965 THROU 1967 IF U EVERY HAD ONE U WILL NEVER FORGET
No. It was available on the 400 HP 427. It was the same engine as the 390 horse 427 only with the tri power. I have owned an L71 435 horse coupe since it was new and have memorized just about all the '67 specs.
Rick Murray Wow! Thanks Rick. As a former owner of a 390hp 67 427 Vette convert. I never even knew about a tri power closed chamber oval port 400hp version. They all ran good. The 390hp just a bit more street friendly. Still made serious power with a lower rpm power band. A bit less on the top end in a car that already scares me? Yeah, that's ok. For a street cars
@@gregorytimmons4777 And you could get air conditioning with the 390hp (also 400hp) if you wanted it, on none of the other big blocks was a/c available.
No flame arrestor, no choke, no fan shroud, nearly .600 inches lift on mechanical lifters......hard to believe a car maker would offer something like this to the public.
Yeah, selling that car "back in the day" for 10 or 20 grand and learning they are selling for 3.5 to 4 million dollars now might just be cause for suicide I'd say.
That management at corvette could have put a heater and radiator shroud to make them more " streetable" instead of hiding their true hp to customers who were confused by that shit they pulled on us!!!!🤣🤣🤣
Your proof-reader (if you use one) dropped the ball in your written description info., though it's correctly stated in the video. L71=435hp, L88=430hp.
@@dougwebb704 You maybe right Doug. I own a Marina blue 67 and I've watched the video several times. Sometimes I think Lyndale...and other times I say Marina blue. Like to hear him say what color in the video! Cheers
I guess you missed the part in that video about the Chevrolet engineers NOT opening the front of the scoop because due to the aerodynamics associated with the shape of the hood, air passes right over the scoop. That's why they have a cowl induction system because the fresh air does hit the back of the scoop. See the guys with the slide rulers typically understand EXACTLY the physics behind the engine and they've done the calculus (that's fancy math). If it would have helped to open the scoop, they would have done it.
HOW MANY OF THE 20,1967 L-88s WERE THE COUPE BODY? THE REASON I ASK IS, A CLIENT/FRIEND OF MINE SAYS HIS IS VERY REAL! IT APPEARS AUTHENTIC. IT HAS 3243 ORIGINAL MILES & ALL MILES ARE TRACK ONLY.IT STANDS AS A RACE ONLY CAR. HELP ME OUT PLEASE. COULD IT BE REAL? OR IS HE JUST DREAMING? THANK YOU. GREG C.
Yes, there were next to no '67 L-88s made soooo.... C3 L-88s in similar condition run about a half million dollars. How many have you "stepped down to"?
The redline on those tachs were all the same regardless of the engine, making it under rated for the L88s. Factory L88s could rev to 7 easily, and if well built and balanced they could live at 8 grand very happily. However, an original engine in a multi million dollar car should be handled very carefully, just in case.
The hottest 327's and 427's got 6500 redline... lesser engines got lower redlines... but the L-88 didn't even HP peak until around 6600... so just ignore the redline...
F165 you could definitely get automatics in 68-69 L88 corvettes and ZL1 Camaros. Running straight headers those motors did make 525-550hp with no engine mods. If you don’t believe me look up Pure Stock Drag racing and you’ll see Pet Simpsons wife running a 69 L88 vette on stock tires turning low 11’s through the factory exhaust.
