{"id":109223,"date":"2026-02-28T10:56:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=109223"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:56:04","slug":"collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Collector Car Corner\/Cars We Remember"},"content":{"rendered":"

— Readers ask about my favorite \u2018big\u2011block\u2019 Chevrolets —<\/strong><\/p>\n

[By Greg Zyla]<\/p>\n

Over the years, many readers have asked me which \u201cbig\u2011block\u201d Chevrolet was my personal favorite. Truth be told, there have been many. To help answer that question, I\u2019ll start with a conversation from 2023, when I received a letter \u2014 followed by a phone call \u2014 from Gary Latta of Vestal, N.Y.<\/p>\n

Gary told me about his incredible 1970 Chevelle SS powered by the legendary 454 LS6. He\u2019s owned the car for 43 years, and I\u2019m hoping to visit him this summer to finally see it in person.<\/p>\n

Gary admitted that much of the joy of these cars isn\u2019t just driving them but working on them yourself \u2014 right in your own garage. That\u2019s something today\u2019s computerized vehicles have largely taken away. Open the hood of a modern car and, half the time, you can\u2019t even see the engine.<\/p>\n

Naturally, our conversation turned to Chevrolet big\u2011block engines, especially the high\u2011performance versions. I ended our call by telling Gary how fortunate he was to own one of the most desirable muscle cars of all time.<\/p>\n

Even here in 2026, I still believe 1970 was the greatest year for muscle cars. We didn\u2019t know it at the time, but looming just ahead were unleaded fuel, emissions mandates, and horsepower\u2011robbing smog equipment. By 1974, the Hemi \u2019Cudas, 440 Six Packs, 455 Buicks, fast GTOs, solid\u2011lifter Chevy big\u2011blocks, and the mighty 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs were all gone.<\/p>\n

\"Collector<\/a>

Our author\u2019s Chevrolet 454 LS7 was available as a crate motor offering and labeled \u201cfor off-road use\u201d only in 1979. It is shown here between the chassis rails of his Vega Panel Wagon funny car. (Zyla collection)<\/p><\/div>\n

My favorite big\u2011block of all<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

My personal favorite was my 1968 Camaro SS\/RS, equipped with the L78\u2011code 396\/375\u2011horsepower big\u2011block.<\/p>\n

Thanks to my mother co\u2011signing the loan, I bought the Camaro used from a Ford dealership in Vineland, N.J. It sat atop a rotating display with \u201c$2,995\u201d written in shoe polish across the windshield. What caught my eye immediately were the \u201c396\u201d fender badges. I knew right then it had the engine I wanted.<\/p>\n

When the salesman stopped the turntable and opened the hood, my decision was made. I bought the car \u201cstraight sale\u201d \u2014 no trade\u2011in. Maybe I could have saved a few hundred dollars, but that L78 engine, with just 12,000 miles on it, was staring me in the face. The 375\u2011horsepower decal on the air cleaner sealed the deal. Even better, it was an SS\/RS, the top Camaro option that year.<\/p>\n

What mattered most to me was that the L78 was essentially the same engine offered in the 1965 Corvette, where it was rated at 425 horsepower. Interestingly, 1965 was the only year a Corvette ever came with a 396, although plenty of 427s \u2014 and later some lower\u2011compression 454s \u2014 would follow.<\/p>\n

Like the LS6, the L78 used solid\u2011lifter, flat\u2011tappet camshafts, which meant two things: more aggressive cam lift and the need for frequent valve\u2011lash adjustments. For me, checking valves became a weekly ritual.<\/p>\n

The perfect setup<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

I had just returned home from Army National Guard active duty at Fort Jackson, S.C., and following my purchase, there sat my dream muscle car in the driveway. Everything about it was exactly right: a Muncie M22 \u201crock crusher\u201d four\u2011speed, a 12\u2011bolt rear, and 4.10 gears.<\/p>\n

The first upgrade came soon after. I ordered a set of Hedman headers from the Sears & Roebuck store where I had just landed a job in the paint department. My first Sears credit card wasn\u2019t plastic \u2014 it was cardboard \u2014 with a $400 limit. The headers cost about $120.<\/p>\n

When they arrived, my friend Bernie Cardia installed them at his new garage. I swear they added 20 horsepower \u2014 maybe more. Believe it or not, I still have those headers today, and they\u2019re in excellent condition.<\/p>\n

The Camaro became well\u2011known around town and even more so when I took it to college in Emmitsburg, Md., in 1971. After seeing what the car could do, most people didn\u2019t want to race me \u2014 except for two.<\/p>\n

Both races were for $50, serious money in 1971. One was against a spotless Z\/28 Camaro, backed by a friend who owned a 428 Cobra Jet Cougar. His father, I later learned, was part\u2011owner of the Baltimore Colts.<\/p>\n

After I beat the Z\/28, the Cougar owner put up another $50 and called me out. According to a friend near the finish line, there was a \u201ctractor\u2011trailer\u201d \u2011length gap between my L78 Camaro and the Cobra Jet. That ended any further discussions.<\/p>\n

A memorable encounter<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

There was a third \u201crace\u201d of sorts \u2014 though it wasn\u2019t intentional.<\/p>\n

One cool fall evening on Route 15 near Hagerstown, Md., a car pulled up tight on my bumper after I left a gas station. Still in first gear, I gave it a quick run, speed\u2011shifting the M22 and pulling away \u2014 but not by much.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the car behind me was a Ford police cruiser. The lights came on just as I hit fourth gear.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the officer was a car guy. Instead of a ticket, he wanted to talk Camaros. He had just taken delivery of his 1971 cruiser with a 429 Police Interceptor, and I gladly popped the hood to show him my L78. We parted as friends \u2014 and I drove away very relieved.<\/p>\n

One more big\u2011block memory<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

My next big\u2011block came in early 1979, when I ordered a 454 LS7 crate engine from Campbell Chevrolet in Shamokin, Pa. The price? $1,480, with \u201cFor Off\u2011Road Use Only\u201d decals on the valve covers.<\/p>\n

That engine went into my 1972 Vega econo\u2011funny car. After a rebuild by drag\u2011racing legend Jack Kulp, it ran 9.65 seconds at 135 mph, using nothing more than an Isky flat\u2011tappet cam and an 800\u2011cfm Holley double\u2011pumper.<\/p>\n

The car used an ATI Turbo 400, ATI converter, 4.88 gears, and a bulletproof 1957 Pontiac\u2011Olds rear.<\/p>\n

Last thoughts<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

The L78, LS6, and LS7 big\u2011block Chevrolets remain among the most respected and powerful muscle\u2011car engines ever built. Their legacy lives on \u2014 not just in numbers, but in memories.<\/p>\n

Next week: a less technical look at Pontiac GTO history and my favorite year. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

Author\u2019s note: I do not condone or support street racing \u2014 then or now. I lost my best friend in a street\u2011racing accident. It is extremely dangerous.<\/p>\n

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated automotive columnist who welcomes reader input on classic cars, auto nostalgia, or motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com<\/a> or Greg Zyla, Roosevelt Street, Sayre, Pa. 18840.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

— Readers ask about my favorite \u2018big\u2011block\u2019 Chevrolets — [By Greg Zyla] Over the years, many readers have asked me which \u201cbig\u2011block\u201d Chevrolet was my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":109226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\nCollector Car Corner\/Cars We Remember - Owego Pennysaver Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Collector Car Corner\/Cars We Remember - Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"— Readers ask about my favorite \u2018big\u2011block\u2019 Chevrolets — [By Greg Zyla] Over the years, many readers have asked me which \u201cbig\u2011block\u201d Chevrolet was my...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/The-Owego-Pennysaver-49179420591\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-28T15:56:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/28103140\/Car_Collector3-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"268\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"psadvert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"psadvert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/\",\"name\":\"Collector Car Corner\/Cars We Remember - Owego Pennysaver Press\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/28103140\/Car_Collector3-1.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-28T15:56:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#\/schema\/person\/e03684194434956dfb61f5ffcbc19492\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2026\/02\/28\/collector-car-corner-cars-we-remember-3\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/28103140\/Car_Collector3-1.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/d28r85ckdoaa46.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/28103140\/Car_Collector3-1.jpeg\",\"width\":500,\"height\":268,\"caption\":\"Greg\u2019s 1968 Camaro SS\/RS had a 396 under the hood, putting out an advertised 375 horses. 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