The Chevrolet 454 LS-6 big block V8 is one of the true kings of the American V8 arms race of the late 1960s and early 1970s, before emissions legislation came along and ruined the party for everyone.
The LS-6 version of the 454 was the top-spec version of the engine, above the LS-5 454, it officially came with 450 bhp at 5,600 rpm and a whopping 500 lb ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. Many period automotive magazines felt these numbers had been understated to avoid attracting the ire (and excessive premiums) of the all-powerful insurance companies.
The LS-6 version of the 454 was the top-spec version of the engine, above the LS-5 454, it officially came with 450 bhp at 5,600 rpm and a whopping 500 lb ft of torque at 3,600 rpm.
The Chevrolet 454 LS-6 Big Block V8
The Chevrolet 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) big block V8 was directly based on the earlier, and perhaps more famous, 427 (7.0 liter) big block V8. The 454 kept the same 4.25 inch bore, but increased the stroke to 4 inches for that extra 24 cubic inches.
The 454 debuted in 1970 in LS-5 and LS-6 form. The LS-5 was good for 390 bhp and 500 lb ft of torque and it was used in models like the Corvette, Caprice, Chevelle SS, Monte Carlo SS, and El Camino SS when the customer ticked the RPO Z15/LS5 option for the SS454 package.
The LS-6 version of the 454 had a series of modifications over the LS-5 to produce more power, it had a compression ratio of 11.25:1 (later lowered to 10.2:1), as well as larger intake and exhaust ports in the iron heads, a solid lifter camshaft, an uprated camshaft, a low-rise aluminum intake, forged aluminum pistons, and a four-barrel 800 cfm Holley carburetor.
The LS-6 would only remain in production for two years, 1970 and 1971, before leaving production in 1972 due to emissions regulations. This left the LS-5 as the top big block engine option, but even then it was only temporary, leaving production itself in 1974 in the shadow of the 1973 Oil Crisis.
Today, the surviving examples of the LS-6 sit in the engine bays of some of the most desirable vehicles from the golden age of the American muscle car, a testament to a time before the federal government started paying attention to what was coming out of tailpipes.
The Crated 454 LS-6 Big Block Shown Here
The engine you see here is the only factory-crated 454 LS-6 big block V8 we’ve ever come across. It’s said to have been built at the Tonawanda plant, and bought from a Chevrolet parts department near Roanoke, Virginia in 1981.
The engine you see here is the only factory-crated 454 LS-6 big block V8 we’ve ever come across. It’s said to have been built at the Tonawanda plant, and bought from a Chevrolet parts department near Roanoke, Virginia in 1981.
It has remained in its crate since then, though the listing explains that it was occasionally turned by hand while in storage to avoid it seizing due to decades of no use. The block, cylinder heads, and valve covers are painted blue and the engine block casting number is 14015445.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Roanoke, Virginia at no reserve on Bring a Trailer. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
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.