Jalopnik: small block

314 HP Small Block 350 Is The Cheap Way To Power Your Day

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EDT

It's so easy to bag on the tried and true GM small block 350. Tech lovers will chide it for the decades old architecture. They'll point to its pushrods as a vestige of another era now that we live in a world of overhead cams and variable valve timing. When it comes to bang for the buck though, critics don't have a leg to stand on. Because the design has been around for so long, tinkers and grease monkeys have had decades to squeeze amazing power from its eight cylinder block.

Parts are so plentiful that a good case can be made for the use of a 350 in your post-apocalyptic cruiser, simply because you could pull up to any smoking GM wreck and probably find a replacement water pump. And cheap too. Here's a brand new example found on eBay which puts out some strong power and only rings the 'buy it now' bell for $2,195. How can you go wrong?

The Real Speed Racer: Modified Fiat X/19

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:45:00 EST

Many, many moons ago my band practiced next to a garage filled with speed freaks. Three dudes, who shall remain nameless, sat inside all day, every day, chain smoking, blowing lines and building stuff. One day I showed up for practice and my formerly 600 watt bass amp now pumped out 6,000 watts. Sure, it sounded like a lawnmower attacking a raccoon, but that wasn't necessarily bad for my band's sound. They also made a remote control ashtray out of zip-line toys and last I heard they were working on a "force field." Then the DEA showed up and raided the hell out of the garage and there was some sort of stabbing in Florida. But pay no mind. Even if those boys had freebased an entire '56 Harley gas tank full of Modesto's finest, they would have never been able to top this masterpiece.

We're going to let the owner do all the talking here, while we just sit back in admiration:

1979 Fiat X/19
400 C.I. small block Chevy. Tornado transaxle all metal body engine in rear. 400 + horsepower. Lot of goodies, electric exhaust dumps.

Does idle rough, big camshaft. No power steering or power brakes.

Is streetable, but is an eye catcher sitting still.

Not only an "eye catcher," but apparently a cattle catcher, too. And only $19,000? Gary and Janet would be proud.

Killer dash, dude.

(Tip of the non-ironic trucker cap to Derek for the tip) [eBay Motors]

500-Horse Camaro? The General's Next Small Block V8 to Get Direct-Injection

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:15:39 EDT

According to Ward's Auto, an experimental 6.2-liter, direct-injection V8 producing upward of 500 hp could be factored into the next Chevrolet Camaro equation. The engine would coincide with the Gen V version of the small-block V8, based on GM's existing all-aluminum Gen IV (L92), which powers the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali and Hummer H2. According to Wards, the prototype powerplant resides in the engine bay of an Escalade being tested at GM's proving grounds. One GM engineer says it's developing "well north" of 450 horsepower, a 10 percent increase in low-end torque and three percent to six percent better fuel economy. That from the new injection system, which features eight high-pressure injectors that squirt fuel directly into the side of the combustion chamber at 2,250 pounds per square inch. [Ward's Auto via Motive]