This is a small block Chevrolet V8, but unlike the pushrod/overhead valve original this one now has a single overhead cam per bank. It’s not a long-forgotten factory prototype – it’s an Aardema-converted engine.
The kits developed and sold by Pete Aardema back in the 1990s were remarkably clever. They kept the pushrod engine’s heads in place, adding the overhead cam units in place of the original valve covers.
The kits developed and sold by Pete Aardema back in the 1990s were remarkably clever. They kept the pushrod engine’s heads in place, adding the overhead cam units in place of the original valve covers.
Pete Aardema quickly became a bit of a legend in hot rod and custom car circles thanks to his unusual overhead cam conversion kits for classic American V8s – his own Ford Flathead V8-powered hot rod has a single overhead cam per bank.
He’s built kits for a number of different production American V8 engines and completed dozens of conversions himself. More recently he amazed the automotive world with a bespoke-built 6.0 liter land speed racing engine capable of 900+ bhp at almost 10,000 rpm.
Perhaps the engine conversion kit that Aardema is best-known for is the one shown on the engine in this article. As noted higher up, it allowed almost anyone to convert their small block Chevy V8 into an overhead cam powerhouse, all with the original heads remaining in place.
How Does It Work?
How it all works is so simple it almost seems surprising that some version of this wasn’t productionized by General Motors. To prepare for the conversion, the original engine would have its valve covers, pushrods, rocker arm assemblies, and the water pump removed.
The Aardema kit would then bolt into place with the cam lobes acting directly on the valves for improved control. It also eliminated wasted energy consumed in the pushrod and rocker arm system, and allowed the use of lighter valve springs and a higher redline RPM.
Once the Aardema kit is fully installed, the new serpentine belt would need to be slipped into place to spin the cams, with engine timing during this phase being understandably critical to avoid having the valves make the acquaintance of the pistons.
In a period article in Hot Rod magazine it was noted that one of Pete Aardema’s modified 350 cubic inch (5.7 liter) small block V8s was good for 350 bhp at 4,600 rpm, with aluminum Corvette heads in place for optimal breathing.
Once the Aardema kit is fully installed, the new serpentine belt would need to be slipped into place to spin the cams, with engine timing during this phase being understandably critical to avoid having the valves make the acquaintance of the pistons.
It’s not known exactly how many Aardema kits were sold and installed on engines, all we know is that they’re exceedingly rare and the engine shown here is the first example we’ve come across in years.
The good news is that this engine is now being offered for sale out of Yuma, Arizona, with no reserve. If you’ve been looking for an unusual V8 for your project car, well, it doesn’t get much more unusual than this.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.