We’re not talking Ford Mustangs, Plymouth Barracudas, or the Chevrolet Chevelle SS here.8 Old Muscle Cars You Didn’t Know Had Big-Block V-8 PowerThe well-known names in classic muscle car performance were almost always associated with big-block engines, be they Ford Mustangs, Plymouth ’Cudas, or the Chevrolet Chevelle SS. What you may not know is those same big-blocks were often available on larger cars as either optional or, in some cases, standard equipment, giving them the same tire-smoking capabilities as their more famous siblings. Here’s a look at eight old muscle cars you might not have realized wielded big-block power. 001 1966 chevy caprice black front three quarter mecum auctions1966-1976 Chevrolet Caprice You could go big without going full luxe at the end of the 1960s and still satisfy your big-block craving at your closest Chevy dealership. The Chevrolet Caprice beckoned, and in an era before it shared its platform with the fancier Impala, it made for an under-the-radar choice for those seeking massive horsepower. Surprisingly, the Caprice offered not one, but a trio of big-block V-8 engines. First-year buyers had a choice between the solid-lifter, high-compression L72 427-cubic-inch unit (425 hp) or a 325-hp, 396-cubic-inch design. By 1967, the L72 had been removed from the order sheet and replaced by 385-hp, 427-cubic-inch engine, but it was back the following year. 001 1969 chevrolet caprice big block 427 v8 engineFor 1970, Chevrolet cleared the decks with a 454-cubic-inch big-block that was good for as much as 390 hp and over 500 lb-ft of torque. This option’s LS5 engine was the top choice for lighting up the rear tires after dropping the kids off at school, but you had to act fast: Power ratings were dropping for Chevy engines across the board. The 396 (actually a 402 at that point in terms of displacement) posted 300 hp in 1971, and the 454 sagged to 365 hp. In 1972, the latter was down again to 270 horses, and by the end of 1976, the smog-choked monster could only cough up a measly 215 hp. 003 1969 oldsmobile toronado beige side view mecum auctions1968-1976 Oldsmobile Toronado Personal luxury was all the rage in the 1960s, and the trend brought with it several stealth muscle cars that packed the big-block fun of their smaller and better-known contemporaries, bundled with a high standard of creature comforts. The Oldsmobile Toronado—as with many of the vehicles on this list—was part of this crowd, but it was unique for more than just its big-boned take on two-door performance. The real story with the Toronado was its front-wheel-drive layout, something that was virtually unheard of in the United States at the time, and the first to emerge from Detroit. 004 1968 oldsmobile toronado 425 engine mecum auctionsThe Toronado was built around something called the Unitized Power Package, or UPP, which combined the transmission and engine into a form factor that could be dropped into a traditional vehicle platform without the need to re-engineer it for front-wheel drive specifically. Initially, this setup included a 425-cubic-inch V-8 engine from Oldsmobile’s Rocket family, but in 1968, the car was upgraded to a 455-cubic-inch big-block that developed up to 400 hp for W-34 models and 375 hp for base models. The engine was also good for 500 lb-ft of torque (with all measurements “gross” rather than SAE net as they became later in the decade). In 1971 the Toronado’s sporty character was taken down a notch or two, and although it retained 455 big-block power, the engine suffered from the same environmental regulations concerning emissions and unleaded gas that befuddled many automakers of the era. Output consistently dropped—first to 350 hp, then 250 hp, then a paltry 215 hp by the time it was removed from the lineup following the 1976 model year. 005 1969 mercury marauder x100 maroon front three quarter mecum auctions1969-1970 Mercury Marauder X-100 Size wasn’t an obstacle for creative marketing types and equally pliable product managers seeking to inject a little sizzle in some of the muscle car era’s largest land whales. Mercury had a good thing going with its Mustang-sized Cougar coupe in the 1960s, but it also tried to turn heads among those shopping for a much bigger two-door with the X-100 edition of the Mercury Marauder. 006 1969 mercury marauder x100 429 big block engine mecum auctionsThe Marauder had long been a Mercury performance staple, but the X-100 was a step beyond what the company had offered in the past. A slight slim-down of the Marquis coupe, the Marauder was based around a 429-cubic-inch big-block that produced 360 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, which was more than enough grunt to get the Mercury moving at speeds that made braking an adventure. It also tacked on a slightly more aggressive suspension to keep pitch and churn at a minimum, along with a healthy helping of visual menace that distanced it from the staider Marquis. 007 1969 dodge polara 2 door stellantis1969-1973 Dodge Polara In 1969 Chrysler introduced its “fuselage” styling to large models like the full-size Polara, balancing out the hard angles of previous family Mopar coupes with curved sides and a flowing roofline that helped it stand out from the crowd. 008 1969 dodge polara convertible 383 engine mecum auctionsAlso putting in work was a 440-cubic-inch big-block V-8, the very same unit found in more traditional muscle cars like the Dodge Charger and (eventually) the Dodge Challenger. The engine was good for 375 hp—just like in the police-spec sedans that were popular with law enforcement at the time—with torque hovering just under 500 lb-ft. That engine remained in the Polara mix until the car was nixed after 1973, although by that time, its output had been throttled down to 220 horses. 009 1970 chevy monte carlo rear three quarters mecum auctions1970-1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was one of the more reasonably sized personal luxury cruisers of the early 1970s, but these modest proportions would only last a short time before it suffered from the same ballooning dimensions that affected nearly all full-size coupes of that period. 010 1970 chevy monte carlo 454 ls5 big block engine mecum auctionsDuring the first two years of its run, it was gifted with the option of a 454-cubic-inch big-block when ordered in SS 454 trim. In addition to delivering 360 hp and a whopping 500 lb-ft of torque, the package also came with a more capable suspension and the option of more aggressive gearing. This is one of the rarest SS models of its time, with most muscle fans opting for cheaper Chevelles and traditional large coupe buyers uninterested in paying for that much engine in the twilight of the golden age of leaded gas. 011 1973 buick centurion brow big block engine mecum auctions1971-1973 Buick Centurion Even rarer than the Monte Carlo SS is the Buick Centurion, another generously sized two-door that roughly coincided with the Chevrolet but which didn’t carry on into a second generation. Introduced in 1971, the Centurion was tasked with attracting buyers bored to death by boulevard baleen like the Electra, and a strong part of its appeal was tied to the availability of a big-block V-8. 012 1973 buick centurion 455 big block engine mecum auctionsEarly adopters were exclusively served with a 455-cubic-inch engine that, with optional dual exhaust installed, was good for 345 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. Even more appealing? You could get a manual gearbox with the big-block V-8 as part of the A9 options package that installed a large-valve version of the 455 (similar to the drivetrains found in Stage 1–branded Buick cars of that time). In 1972, things took a turn for the worse with a 250-hp rating for the 455 (switching to net power ratings and dealing with smog regs), and this engine carried over as an option for the final 1973 model year. 013 1971 1973 buick riviera big block engine motortrend1971-1976 Buick Riviera The 1971 Buick Riviera’s boat-tail good looks helped it maintain its status as a styling icon even as it moved away from the striking design of the original model. Also luring customers into the showroom was a 455-cubic-inch big-block V-8 good for 330 hp when the Riviera was ordered in GS trim. 014 455 big block engine 1972 buick full sizeThat 455 would stick around for the next five years of Riviera production, with the car going through a generational redesign for the 1974 model. Gradually its advertised output dropped to 265 horses for the GS, then 260 hp for Stage 1 cars in 1973. By 1974, the big-block delivered 245 hp, still in Stage 1 trim, but any hint of performance was put aside by 1975 as the Riviera lurched deeper into smog country and a 205-hp rating. 015 1972 gmc sprint 454 engine red side view mecum auctions1971-1975 GMC Sprint The El Camino gets all the press, but never forget GMC produced a car-truck clone of its own called the Sprint. Arriving in 1971, the GMC Sprint had almost the same access to the GM parts bin as its Chevy cousin, which meant it, too, could be ordered with a pair of big-block V-8s (402-cubic-inch and 454-cubic-inch options, respectively). 016 1972 gmc sprint 454 big block engine mecum auctionsThe move from gross horsepower to net horsepower ratings hit the Sprint hard: In its first model year, that 454 was advertised at 365 ponies (available with the SP package, which bundled together much of the same equipment found on the El Camino SS), but that fell to 270 for 1972. In 1973, the Sprint switched to the Colonnade design language but kept the 454 going all the way until 1975, despite following the same downward trajectory in terms of power production that faced all other versions of this engine during that time. 017 1966 chevy caprice 427 big block engine turbo jet details mecum auctions8 Old Muscle Cars You Didn’t Know Had Big-Block Power 1966-1976 Chevrolet Caprice 1968-1976 Oldsmobile Toronado 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder X-100 1969-1973 Dodge Polara 1970-1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1971-1973 Buick Centurion 1971-1976 Buick Riviera 1971-1975 GMC Sprint
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