History The last Chevy big block .... :-(

The last Chevy big block

Here’s another sad sign of the times. A story in the Buffalo (NY) News daily paper makes note that today will mark the end of the****embly line at the GM plant for big block Chevy engines. The plant has been making “rat” motor style GM engines for 50 years. On Dec. 18, the last variation of the big block class of V-8 engines that have been produced at that plant since 1959, is scheduled to roll off the line.

The plant’s current V-8 production equipment was installed for the Mark V series. The V-8 was the plant’s longest-running engine line, but new trends in the auto industry made GM’s trademark automotive engine obsolete. Currently the plant's main engine line is the L850. It also makes inline 4- and 5-cylinder engines.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/12/14/daily25.html

 

well... that*****s

 

been on the news and air waves, at least I got two of those old behemoth Mark IV's out in the garage to keep the fire going

 

well...poop.

 

i thought big-blocks (as we know them) weren't produced until 1965?

They haven't been installed in cars since, i think 1976 so not such a big deal. Besides GMPP has been producing the big block and will continue to do so?

2) i feel that these new v-6's, as installed in the camaros, mustangs etc. are sort of like the new small blocks and the current v-8's---LS series etc. which are producing some amazing numbers are sort of like the new big blocks. Which means big blocks are sort of unessesary anymore.

But even back then, they(the bigblocks) were producing some horrendous numbers, so even back then they were kind of unnessesary.

 

Wow, this is a bummer, I guess technology is finally is catching up.

 

unnessesary? what planet are you from???

 

Geeze it's not like there will be an immediate shortage of them.....you can still find usuable flatheads...they quit making them in the mid fifties....

 

My father-in-laws GMC farm truck has a big block. It pull's my Merc effortlessly. I think it pulls better than some diesels I've pulled with.

 

The article says they started with the "W" series engines in 58 which were the 348 & 409s and those are considered to be the first "big blocks" even though they aren't the same as the later versions. Also alot of the GMPP crate engines the last few years have been made in Mexico so this may not affect the availability at all. Still sad to see, especially for the Americans who are out of a job because of it.

 

I knew some guys that worked in the plant and was lucky enough to have a couple of "guided" tours. Never got to see the foundry run but to watch all the different machine operations run in there was amazing. A sad day in Tonawanda for sure.

 

Very sad day indeed. Just more proof that the "Idiots" running GM into the ground still have their heads firmly planted in their****es!

The good news is that there are plenty of aftermarket companies that will continue to produce BBC parts for many years to come.

 

rip bbc

 

Well, i'm not happy about it, but coming from a practical standpoint bigblocks were never really nessesary in cars. Trucks yes. Especially 1 ton and greater.

Today's engines, not just 8cyls, but 6's and 4's are producing some fantasic numbers. Just a stock LS2 makes 400hp/400tq naturally aspirated while delivering 20+mpg. Thus, making big blocks even more "unnessesary."

 

That is a sad story...unless you are a chick with more leg hair and armpit hair than most of the men here have, eating twigs and leaves. We have a friend who has a sister that would be stoked about this story. Her sister lives in Portland, Or and she only flushes her toilet once a day so there are not "wasting to much water." Crazy fools.

 

There is nothing "practical" about oldschool hotrods and you're absolutely right about modern technology making more horsepower from smaller engines. And those guys running around with all those carburetors.. geez man, don't they know fuel injection & computer controlled ignition is the way of the future ? Maybe you would feel more comfortable hanging out on a Honda forum ? I hear they are getting some amazing numbers by stuffing Accura engines in Accords.... WTF dude....I think you took a wrong turn and ended up in the wrong neighborhood

 

even with the fear of being told to hang out at a honda forum......

I gotta say, I can appreciate the qualities of a big block....

BUT...... It doesn't break my heart that they won't be makin em anymore........ I could care less....

there are a ton of small blocks and big block floating around.

and in the true spirit of hotrodding, I have no problem taking the best of modern technology and incorporating it into my car when I want to.....

 

Get over "practical". This ain't about practical. It's about hot rodding in which there's no replacement for displacement.You want "practical"? You'll find it on a Toyota Camry forum. The discontinuation of the big block is a sign of the times, and it ain't a good one.

Bob

 

The point is GM is not in business of making old school hot rod engines. They are in the business of selling NEW cars to the masses (at least that is the idea) and big block engines are not what the masses want so GM stopped producing them. To call a guy out because he states that GM has better technology in smaller engines that they are putting in (again) NEW vehicles seems uncalled for.

We all seem to think that we are this huge segment of the automotive world and our wants are what everyone elses are but the reality is that is just not the case anymore. What we consider cool and essential in a vehicle is a very small segment of the car buying public and it is not surprising that the big 3 manufactures are not that interested in it anymore.

 

Just stash a few old truck motors in the shed and call it good. The after market will be making good heads for these motors for many years to come, so a rebuildable bottom end is all you really need.

Buy 'em while they're cheap though.

 

K13 if I came across like I was calling the guy out then I apologize but.. this is a place for traditional hotrods not a place to discuss the merits of modern technology. There are plenty of places for that and I hold no hard feelings against those guys. It's also not the place to discuss "new cars" or why the manufacturers do things the way they do. Taking jobs from Americans in Tonowanda and sending the jobs to Mexico and then expecting the American taxpayers to bail them out pisses me off. So please understand that when I read a post about another icon of oldschool American car history has gone the way of the dinosaurs and people who are supposedly hotrodders are calling it progress I have to question where they're coming from. No offense intended and not here to get into a******** contest with anyone.

 

Did anyone expect Government Motors to keep building big blocks?

 

That's cool not trying to start a******** match either. The only thing I would say is it doesn't sound like they are losing their jobs (althought I know alot are and that*****s) just switching what is being made at that plant which now is engines for todays cars.

Hot rodding is all about stuff that has gone the way of the dinosaur so although it*****s losing the production of the big block because of advancements in technology, or what the general poulation wants is no different than the flathead not being made any more or straight axles or Model A's. The world moves forward and there is nothing that can be done about it and I don't think that seeing it for what it is should be caracterized as turning your back on this hobby or the American Car culture.

In it's day the Small Block and Big Block pushed other technology aside as well it is just happening again and unfortunately for guys/girls involved in our hobby the technology is going in a direction that does not jive with the history of what we love.

There is a huge dichotomy in loving something from the past and hoping it won't change and it is a unrealistic goal. Guys back in the day had nothing to look back upon so when new technology came out they embraced it. Now I know that is not at all what this site is about but it is reality.

 

Yes it is true that newer engine can produce amazing numbers...BUT!..if you knew anything about engines, you would know HOW they get these numbers in these new "throw away" engines...they shave weight, increas stroke, and shorten pistons, and 150 000 miles later...you buy a new one, or trade the POS in on something new. NOTHING beats old iron! RIP BBC

 

I have a '70 Chevelle LS-6 I bought new. Also have another 454 and a couple of 427s sitting in the garage; all from the Tonawanda foundry. Sounds like my retirement fund just increased.

Sad to hear this. Just another part of our history we now have to preserve.

 

nobody wants that big old iron anymore

don't agree?

click here and prove me wrong

454 and T400 for sale cheap

 

The news said 150 + was on that line (which was less than 3 % of total engine production at the plant) of that 150 + only 45 had been relocating to a different line. The workers denied comment or interview but the big cheese had an ear to ear grin for some reason.

 

______________________________________________________________

I'd think, that they count the 348 as the first big block, completely different than the small block, and that would have been in '58. The conventional big block was installed and sold to the public in '65. In the vette, chevelle and full sized cars.

If you are impressed with the numbers that these small blocks of today have, they are somewhat a take off of a BBC. Just imagine the numbers a BBC would be showing if GM devoted the R&D that they did to the SBC. If the BBC was not necessary then there would be no such thing as big block P/S motors, no need for mountain motored P/S, you'd have sbc in trucks, not big blocks.

You probably will mave more HP per cube in a sbc, but I think the big block will always out produce a sbc.......

 

OK, to clarify:

i love big blocks so let there be no mistake about that. i'm not happy about "regular" big block production being stopped at tonowanda.

What i meant when i said i felt big blocks were unessesary was i meant in my opinion unessesary in production cars---i.e., the muscle car era/corvettes etc. . A small block producing 300 hp would be perfectly adequate, and pretty fast already in my opinion.

Muscle cars are great, so is a BWW 7 series with a 12cyl. But the key is nessesity.

i didn't mean to imply newer tech is better than bigblocks, it's just that for current sales objectives they're no longer needed.

 

I didn't realize they were still making them for anything other than GMPP crate engines. What on earth were they still putting them into?