You may have heard of the number “350” thrown around, especially if you’re listening in on conversations about cars. If you aren’t an enthusiast or just not well versed in the various terms and slang for cars, you probably won’t have any idea that it was the heart that powered most American cars and trucks since the late 1960s, or that its still popular today among racers and performance enthusiasts.
“350” refers to the ubiquitous 350 cubic inch small block Chevy engine. Most enthusiasts refer to the small block by its cubic inch displacement, which happens to translate to 5.7 liters using metric measurements. This engine happens to be one of the most popular, well known and sought after engines in the United States and the world over. The 350 has been in production in one form or another over a span of four decades, with constant variations and improvements that have lead this type of engine to be one of the most popular for passenger, performance and racing vehicle use.
The 350 was first put into production in 1967. Its first incarnation saw the light of day as the L48, then available in the Chevrolet Camaro pony car. Shortly thereafter, it was made available as an option in the Chevy Nova compact, making its way into the rest of the Chevrolet lineup by 1969. Since then, its been a constant presence within the Chevrolet lineup, finding its way into mainstream sedans, pickups and luxury coupes. It even found its way into the Corvette, the premier sports car and flagship of the Chevrolet marquee. The 350 was also used by other major brands within the General Motors empire whenever the need arose and was also surrounded by similarly sized engines developed by Buick and Oldsmobile, although there are plenty of differences between the latter two that help set it apart from the Chevy 350.
The 350’s lure is its relative simplicity, longevity and overall reliability. Aftermarket parts are plentiful for this engine and it is relatively easy to bring out its high performance potential with only a few modifications. The fact that it’s been a mainstay in many GM vehicles for so long also means that it’s easy to find junkyard parts and even intact engines. It is also the choice for many homemade engine swap projects and can also be retrofitted in many GM vehicles with little to no modification necessary.
The 350 is still in production, manufactured by GM Performance as a “crate motor” – an engine that is pre-built and shipped to the customer with very little assembly required. The most basic form of this engine is available for under $1500 and currently puts out a net 195 horsepower. With modifications, this motor’s net horsepower can be reliably increased to over 400 horsepower.
- What is a Big Block Engine?
- What is a Small Block Engine?
- Used Ford F-350 SD DRW
- Used Ford F-350
- Used Ford F-350 SD
