The Best american car ever made

[Slicks]

okey, so smaller engine or "small blocks" were ussually a long time ago and bigger engines,"big blocks" are more recent.
i got it.

Not really.
Like said already, anything under 7 Liters (427ci) is a small block engine, anything over it, is a big block.
Generally "small blocks" are used later in time than big blocks, the EPA really killed off the idea of big horse power in 1972. Most cars then went to small blocks.
Like today for example the only American performance car that uses a bigblock that I can think of is the Viper (500ci/8 liters). Cars like the Mustang, Camaro, Corvette etc. are all using "small blocks".

[nota]

Not really.
Like said already, anything under 7 Liters (427ci) is a small block engine, anything over it, is a big block.

Except for a stack of sub-7 litre big block engine variants that spring to mind (mine at least) including examples like these

Ford
352
390
406

Mopar
361
383
400
413
426 x 2

GM
396
400
401
425

There are undoubtedly many others, Edsel eg

[Slicks]

Except for a stack of sub-7 litre big block engine variants that spring to mind (mine at least) including examples like these

Ford
352
390
406

Mopar
361
383
400
413
426 x 2

GM
396
400
401
425

There are undoubtedly many others, Edsel eg

Aww crap, I forgot about those, your right.

[kigango123]

so small block is anything under 7 liters and big block is over, and gm, ford and dodge have been producing these decades ago. seems abit confusing but i think i got it.

[nota]

Like today for example the only American performance car that uses a bigblock that I can think of is the Viper (500ci/8 liters).

I thought Viper's alloy V10 engine, along with the iron V10 truck variant, are in essence both based on Chrysler's existing small-block V8 (specifically their 360cid A-Block) but with a couple of extra cylinders added?

If so, why do you classify what is basically a variant of Mopar's small-block engine family as being a big-block?

[Slicks]

I thought Viper's alloy V10 engine, along with the iron V10 truck variant, are in essence both based on Chrysler's existing small-block V8 (specifically their 360cid A-Block) but with a couple of extra cylinders added?

If so, why do you classify what is basically a variant of Mopar's small-block engine family as being a big-block?

Ive never heard that before, I always thought it was a bigblock.

[2ndclasscitizen]

I've always thought the big and small block capacity thing was manufacturer specific.

[nota]

so small block is anything under 7 liters and big block is over, and gm, ford and dodge have been producing these decades ago. seems abit confusing but i think i got it.

Think of it this way

Engines may be of diferent capacity (cubic inches) but still belong to the one basic design. These core designs are called engine 'families'

Using Chevrolet as an example, their first V8 was the 1955-on 265cid, which through bigger internal - not external dimensions, was enlarged over the years firstly into a 283cid, then evolved futher to a 307, then 350 and ultimately a 400 wherein it reached the limit of the engine's design and could not be enlarged futher

(Btw these numbers all relate to the engine's internal size in Cubic Inch Displacement, its swept capacity)

However Chevrolet required a larger engine, so it designed a new and completely different V8 engine-series the Mk IV, which was able to accomodate more internal capacity. This new engine is physically bigger (both internally & externally) and debuted as a 396, eventually growing to 454cid. None of the major components of the larger engine-series is shared with or will fit the smaller engine-series (aka family)

To easily differentiate these two different engine families, the smaller motor (265-400) is referred to as the Chevrolet small-block, while you can guess the name of the larger unit. And the same basic principle works (in general terms) with the other US manufacturers - except for AMC which only made the one engine family, in varying capacities

Btw for a nostalgic laugh, the public nicknamed Chevrolet's small-block engine family as the 'Mouse' while their big-block was known as a 'Rat' motor. In response Ford couldn't resist branding their performance-oriented engines 'Cobra' as of course snakes eat rodents. Chrysler got the last laugh by calling their 1960's Hemi 426cid mega-motor the 'Elephant' .. as these stomp on both snakes AND rodents

[gtface]

The LS7 in the new Z06 is 7 liters (427 ci), but it is considered to be a small block. Is it just a really really bored out small block?

[Ingolstadt]

Challenger + Charger + Mustang (None of them would be that famous if all of them did not exist in the same era.)

Corvette (Legend in US)
GT40 (Legend all over the world)

[Slicks]

The LS7 in the new Z06 is 7 liters (427 ci), but it is considered to be a small block. Is it just a really really bored out small block?

The LS7 is a bored/stroked LSx engine, yes.

[092326001]

gt40.

[#3 Tasman Bloke]

I liked the Superbirds purely for a reason. Because Jessica Simpson loved washing it more than the fact that it is a muscle car.

[rhsxc]

As far as modern ones go definitely the C5 or C6 Corvette or the Saleen S7
Classics:
Shelby Cobra

[Old Sage]

1957 Chevy

Chevy made a little 366 rat - commercial truck engine. I saw a 707ci in a Camaro last week. That makes a 468 seem like a 283.
Then there's Pontiac with no designation for the 326/389/421 and Ford's 4.6 is as large dimensionally as their big blocks.
What does it all mean?

Good observation Nota, remember, elephants are afraid of mice.
If you are really old, you remember the original designation of the Chevy Mark II/IV as a porcupine.