1968 'Chevy II' 327/325 HP 'L-79'

[Paul Ceasrine]

1968 Chevy II 'L-79'

327/325 HP

Anybody ever see one.

Chevy's 'Pop' Compact

[Alan Roehrich]

Never seen one. Factored at 300 in stock. Dome pistons (5cc), 61cc "double hump" heads, 0.447" lift, 2.02" and 1.60" valves, and a 750 Q-Jet. Stick only. Looks like a decent piece, although that will be a flat cast iron manifold, there is some potential there, I think.

[Lee Valentine]

Paul a guy had one in 1968 , hung around speed parts center. I believe he might have been Ruth Hurd's first husband. Division 1 stock racer Ed Bednaz tried one in stock a few years ago when the factor was 325 H.P. it wasn't bad could be pretty good with lower factor. This also the engine the Bob Ingles started with in The Royal Plum.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Hot Rod Magazine {May 1968}

Tested one at Irwindale Raceway {Actual Test Date; February 1968}

Shipping Weight...... #3090 lbs.

3090 lbs. ~ 325 HP = 9.51 Wt/Hp = {D/Stock}

Camshaft..... .447" Lift ~ 306* Duration ~ 76* Overlap

[Rich Biebel]

In a Corvette with the same engine specs.....it was rated as a 350 HP engine...

I don't recall that engine at all back when I raced a '68 Chevy II

With a 300 hp rating it sounds like a good combo.......but manual trans only so that is probably why there are very few if any out there running..

2.02-1.6 valves....decent lift hydraulic cam specs...

I'd like one of those cars.....Had one 43 years ago.....LOL

[james schaechter]

I think it could be a good deal. It should like the bigger carb. The alum intake on the 66 isn't as good as one would expect either.

[bigsixman]

Paul: We had three of them in our general area back in the day. Between the 3, they either had 3.31 or 3.55 gears with the M-20 4 spd. They were not the terror that the 66 L-79 cars were. I think that the smog system, 1968 additional car weight and the cast intake and Q jet contributed to the slower times. None of these cars were played with, they were street cars with only headers and traction bars. We also had two 1968 L-79 chevelles that ran similar.

[Paul Precht]

Originally Posted by Lee Valentine

Paul a guy had one in 1968 , hung around speed parts center. I believe he might have been Ruth Hurd's first husband. Division 1 stock racer Ed Bednaz tried one in stock a few years ago when the factor was 325 H.P. it wasn't bad could be pretty good with lower factor. This also the engine the Bob Ingles started with in The Royal Plum.

Back around 77 or so I worked in a machine shop with Ritchie Zul that was building destroked big blocks for Bob Ingles Pro Stock, 366ci with 348 cranks. I did the block work and was pretty excited as a 22 year old kid to have any part in the building of a Pro Stock engine, open headers in a small dyno room, LOUD.

[Paul Ceasrine]

In 1968,

I remember that L-79 engine combination in the Chevelle with a 4-Speed only, but never in a Chevy II {Post/Coupe}.

Hot Rod Magazine had a stock one with 3.55 Gears, and 7" x 27" Casler Slicks running 14.60's @ 95 MPH.

Very impressive for that time period.

[spikeyz0]

I own one 1968 nova 327 325hp m20 12bolt 355 gear needs restoration teal blue bucket seat car very rare 1200 ever made.They were non ss cars so they were good sleepers