Introduced in the mid-1950s in mass production, the small-block V8 engine became an American institution, powering everything from pickup trucks to SUVs, from muscle cars to performance cars, and everything in between. Everyone built them: Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, you name it.As their name suggests, small-block V8 motors are generally more compact and lighter than traditional big-block V8s, and therefore are easier to install in the engine bay. Because of this, a car powered by a small-block V8 will generally handle better thanks to improved weight distribution; it will also accelerate faster and will burn less fuel than a car that has a big-block V8, which is typically heavier.Furthermore, the smaller dimensions of a small-block V8 make it easier to fit into a wider variety of cars, making it a default choice for builders. Generally, small-block V8 engines are also designed to achieve higher engine speeds than big-block V8s, which makes them an obvious power source for performance car builds. On the other hand, big-block V8s have their advantages as well.For example, the fact that they are engineered to offer as much torque as possible at lower engine speeds makes them ideal for towing and high-durability applications in vehicles like pickups, vans, and heavy-duty trucks, as well as high-power applications like drag racing, where their larger displacement and torque come in handy. The LT-1 Was The King Of Small Block Power In The '70s Bring a Trailer Now, everyone has their favorite small-block V8 engine, but one of the most iconic has to be General Motors’ original LT-1 motor (Gen I) produced from 1970 through 1972 model years. This short-lived engine left a lasting impression on the market, mainly because it absolutely destroyed most big-block V8s in terms of output and performance when it launched at the peak of the muscle car era.Bring a Trailer Available exclusively in the C3 Corvette and second-generation Camaro Z/28 high-performance models, the racing-inspired LT-1 was produced in relatively small numbers – a total of 21,147 were made over three model years (4,977 Corvettes and 16,170 Camaro Z/28s). Those included some 53 LT-1 V8s that made their way into the first-ever Corvette ZR-1.Bring a Trailer The small number of Corvettes that had the LT-1 engine is due to the fact that this motor was a pricey option: it cost $447.60 for the 1970 model year, close to 10 percent of the price of a new Corvette. Additionally, for the 1970 and 1971 model years, the LT-1 could not be had with air conditioning because it would throw off belts at high rpm, according to Hemmings. This limited sales further.The Z/28 option for the Camaro was also a costly one, with an original list price of $572.95 on top of the 1970 Camaro’s base price of $3,412. But buyers who got an LT-1-powered car did not regret it. The Hard Numbers Of The Gen-I LT-1 V8 American Muscle Car Museum With a displacement of 350 cubic inches (5.7 liters), the LT-1 was built for performance by a team of engineers led by the legendary Zora-Arkus Duntov, a.k.a. the Father of the Corvette. It had a cast iron block designed to handle the high 11.0:1 compression ratio and heat generated by its high-performance setup.GM records show that the motor featured an overhead valve (OHV) design, forged aluminum pistons, a ‘178’ high-performance camshaft, solid lifters, a high-rise aluminum intake manifold, a Holley 780 CFM four-barrel carburetor, a transistorized ignition system, low-restriction exhaust, a baffled oil pan and high-volume oil pump, among other performance-oriented components. LT-1 V8 Engine Specifications (1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray) This setup allowed engineers to give it a redline of 6,500 rpm, although power fell off significantly after 6,200 rpm. As for the official ratings, the LT-1 was factory-rated at 370 hp at 6,000 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm in the 1970 Corvette, which was a massive amount of power in the era.Interestingly, the 1970 Camaro Z/28 had a slightly lower power rating of 360 hp at 6,000 rpm and the same torque rating of 380 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm, even though it was essentially the same engine. This probably had something to do with Chevrolet's policy of maintaining the Corvette's status as the absolute top-dog in the lineup.In both cars, the LT-1 motor was paired with a standard close-ratio Muncie M21 4-speed manual gearbox, although a 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission was also available in the Camaro; the Corvette was manual-only. 1970 Was The Best Model Year For The LT-1 V8 Via: Bring a Trailer It’s worth noting that the power ratings of all engines prior to 1972 were gross hp figures versus net hp ratings beginning in 1972. Basically, the gross hp ratings were measured at the flywheel on an engine stand with zero accessories connected – no alternator, water pump, power steering pump, AC compressor – and an open exhaust.That may be why some owners complained that their C3 Corvettes and Camaro Z/28s did not feel as powerful as GM advertised them to be. The switch to net hp measurements partly explains the LT-1’s massive drop in power for the 1972 model year, when it was rated at 255 net hp and 280 lb-ft of torque with all accessories hooked up, emissions hardware and a completely stock exhaust system.But that wasn't the only cause. The year before, GM rated the LT-1 at 330 hp gross/255 hp net and 360 lb-ft of torque, as the compression ratio had to be lowered to 9.0:1 to comply with emissions regulations. That means the best year to have the LT-1 was in the 1970 Corvette and 1970 Camaro Z/28. So, how quick were these LT-1 V8-powered cars? The Performance Was Sensational For The Era WD Detailing, YouTube In a MotorTrend road test from May 1970, the 1970 Corvette with LT-1 power covered the standing quarter-mile in 14.36 seconds at 101.69 mph. The 0–60 mph time is estimated by various sources to be as low as 5.7 seconds. These were solid numbers for 1970.The 1970 Camaro Z/28 offered similar performance, with a Car and Driver road test from May 1970 revealing a 0-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds, a top speed of 118 mph, and a standing quarter-mile time of 14.2 seconds at 100.3 mph.Bring A Trailer With this kind of performance, the 1970 Corvette LT-1 was found to have an edge on its main rival, the 1970 Porsche 911E, both in a straight line and in corners by MotorTrend. As for the 1970 Camaro Z/28, its only worthy opponent was the legendary Ford Mustang Boss 302. While the Z/28 had more straight-line speed, the Boss 302 was more track-focused and handled better in corners.And if you want further proof of how advanced the LT-1 was for its time, look no further than its predecessor, the Gen-II LT1 V8 motor, launched in 1992 on the C4 Corvette. The original LT-1 was so good that GM decided to resurrect it two decades later and use it as the basis for the Gen-II LT1 motor.The second-generation LT1 V8 shared many dimensions and parts with the original LT-1, including the 350-ci displacement, the similar crankshaft, bore spacing and engine mount locations, but was fitted with modern upgrades like a port fuel injection, reverse-flow cooling system and much more. The legend of the original LT-1 lives on.