The muscle car era was dominated by big-block V8s, but there were a few small-blocks that could run with the best of them, including the Chevy II L79.
As celebrated in song and story, the ’60s muscle car era is mostly a tale of mighty big-block V8s with 400-plus cubic inches and output ratings of 400 horsepower or more. However: There were a few cars with smaller-displacement engines that really could run with the big dogs. Easily one of the best examples is the 1966 Chevy II when equipped with the L79 V8, boasting 327 cubic inches and a conservative rating of 350 horsepower. Dropped into the lightweight Chevy II body shell, it was a potent combination.
Introduced in 1965 primarily for the Corvette, the L79 V8 was virtually identical to the wildly tuned L76 Corvette-only V8 rated at 365 hp, but with one key difference. The L76’s high-lift, solid-lifter camshaft was replaced with a somewhat less radical hydraulic cam with .447-in lift and 221 degrees duration at .050 lift. Known as the 151 cam for the last three digits of its part number, it’s been called Chevy’s first serious high-performance hydraulic camshaft for the small-block V8.
Dyno tests of authentically restored L79s demonstrate that the engine can easily top the factory’s SAE gross rating of 350 hp at 5,800 rpm and 360 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. Indeed, in most respects L79 was identical to the L76, with the same 11.0:1 compression ratio and double-hump cylinder heads with 2.02-in intake valves. However, the V8 pictured just above is the Chevelle version (note the different snorkel orientations on the air cleaner). For installation in the Chevy II platform, some hardware changes were required, though they didn’t affect the engine’s potential. (While the L79 was officially offered in the Chevy II only in 1966, experts have verified that somehow, six were also built in ’67.)
Unlike all the other Chevy platforms, the Chevy II chassis was designed to accommodate a front-sump oil pan. So here the small-block V8 required a unique oil pan with a long pickup tube that stretched from the oil pump at the rear of the block to the sump at the front. Also, a Chevy II-specific block casting was required with its oil filter pad moved up to clear the steering linkage, and its clutch linkage mounting was relocated as well. This was true of all 283 CID and 327 CID V8s when installed in the first-generation Chevy II, not just the L79.
In its May 1966 issue, Car Life magazine tested a Chevy II Nova SS hardtop with the L79 and four-speed gearbox (the mandatory transmission choice). Fully loaded with options including air conditioning and a test weight of 3530 lbs, the Nova turned in a quarter-mile time of 15.1 seconds at 93 mph—bona fide muscle car performance. The editors were clearly taken with the L79 Nova package. While they found the 9.5-in drum brakes totally inadequate, they wrote that the potent but docile V8 was “a pleasant surprise.” They asked in the header, “Who needs 400 inches for supercar status?”
Photo courtesy of Hot Rod
Naturally, the drag racing crowd was quick to notice the L79’s potential. However, due to the Chevy II’s low advertised shipping weight and 350 hp rating, the Chevy Ii’s power-to-weight ratio landed it in NHRA’s A/Stock classification. And there it was required to run head-to-head against the Motor City’s most powerful production cars, including the Chrysler 426 Street Hemi.
In ’66, this set up one of the epic drag racing duels of the 60s between the Hemi Plymouth Belvedere of Jere Stahl and Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins in a L79 Nova, running times in the high 11-second zone at nearly 120 mph. (Rick Voegelin tells the story here.) Stahl usually came out on top, but often for reasons unrelated to performance. On the quarter mile, the two combinations—mighty 426 Hemi vs. small-block V8 Nova—were more or less equals. (Lead photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.)
The Dart GT with the 340 was another potent small car, medium engine combo.
Yes indeed. And the neat thing about both was there was untapped potential in stock form. With a few easy changes they would really fly.
The L79 was directly responsible for how powerful the 340 was. Mopar had the engine developed & ready to cut tooling for when they got hold of a Nova with the L79.
The performance impressed them of course, & once they tore the engine down & looked at the heads, they essentially coped the L79s design for what would be the 340 heads. There were some port differences due to the different layouts, which actually made the 340 breath even better than the L79. That’s the reason it was often called the “Mini-Hemi”.
One of the first “fast” cars I rode in was a 1962 Chevy II that belonged to my next door neighbor, Tom Hilding.
Tom converted a six cylinder 1962 Chevy II with a 327 4-speed and left the 6 cylinder badges and hubcaps on the car. Ruined me for life
I bought a 63 Chevy II right out of HighSchool. Not the same but a fun car for the money.
Could a 67 Camaro be spec’ed like this? It had to be similar in weight-to-power?
My Chevy II was a 1964 Acadian Invader, sold through Canadian Pontiac-Buick dealers. It had its own special trim, unique tail lights, and a Pontiac-like split grille. The wheel covers were re-badged Corvair items.
One of these in the other lane could mean big trouble for us Mopar guys even with a properly tuned Street Hemi. Grumpy’s Toy Chevy II verses Jere Stahl’s corporate factory Hemi in NHRA A/Stock was a coin flip all season…
Had one, as a teen, into my mid20s. Used to pick on 440/727 B bodies with it. They never saw it comin’.
My wife of 53 years had a 66 L-79 Chevy II Nova when we met. I had a 65 GTO Tri-Power. The rest is history. We drove the Nova for 8 more years until we sold it for $600 Wish we still owned both of them.
Are there any old men that ever lost a street race? (I never lost a street race because I never participated in one.)