Perfomance: Optima Challenge
The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational was an invitation-only event that took place this year on Saturday, November 6 – right on the heels of the leading specialty automotive trade event, the SEMA Show. Held at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, the event was created to challenge the finest street machines in the world—in order to showcase the quality, performance and talent of the country’s top builders, performance parts manufacturers and car owners. The new Road Rally, sponsored by Detroit Speed & Engineering, Vintage Air and Pro-Touring.com, started with the close of the SEMA show floor on Friday, November 5. The route took finalists on a ‘Vegas-style’ rally ending at the location of the Invitational track.
“This year’s event once again exceeded our expectations in terms of excitement, the level of performance and design, and the involvement of the entire performance industry,” said Cam Douglass, director of Marketing and Product Development for OPTIMA Batteries. “From muscle cars, to hot rods, to imports and street trucks, we had the hottest cars in the world out on the track showing these vehicles really can do what they are built for.”
The entire event, from the pre-SEMA builds to the awards ceremony, was shot for a national TV show, which will air in early 2011 on a national cable network. For more information visit http://www.optimainvitational.com/.
Mark Stielow and his highly-modified and beautifully executed 1969 Camaro came out on top—winning the coveted title of OPTIMA Batteries Ultimate Street Car of 2010.
By Courtesy of GM
1964 Impala
An aluminum-headed 350 that makes 355 horses!
As far as crate engines go, this one is a winner. The ZZ4 350 Turn-Key crate engine has been one of our most popular high performance crate engines since we started GM Performance Parts. Its legendary status is based on an incredible performance level that is stone cold reliable. We’ve packed the ZZ4 350 crate engine with a forged steel crankshaft, hypereutectic pistons, hydraulic roller camshaft and lifters, and aluminum cylinder heads. The ZZ4’s Corvette-derived high-performance heads feature high velocity intake runners and D-shaped exhaust ports to promote efficient and unobstructed flow through the engine – providing strong power and torque at all RPM levels.
The ZZ4 350 is delivered with an aluminum dual-plane intake manifold, HEI distributor, cast iron water pump, damper, and flexplate. Our Turn-Key ZZ4 350 crate engine also ships with all the parts you need to get it running. That includes an accessory drive package, fuel pump, chrome air cleaner kit, Holley 750-cfm carburetor, starter, and spark plug wires.
By Courtesy of GM
1982 CHEVY C-10 SEMA SHOW TRUCK
Big Block Performance with Torque to Spare
When you’re ready to really step it up, it’s time for the GM Performance Parts ZZ572 and its massive 620 horsepower and 650 ft-lbs of torque. This is flat-out, the baddest
‘Street Rat” available that will run happily on pump gas. The ZZ572/620 features 572 cubic inches of pure big-block dynamite and ships to your door as the coolest array of orange paint, chrome detailing and aluminum construction you’ve ever seen.
Several custom-designed components make the ZZ572/620 king of the street. Chief among them is the strong, four-bolt block created with a 4.560” bore to achieve the 572 cubic-inch displacement. The 572 is fortified with a forged crank, forged rods and forged pistons. Everything about it is designed to offer you the ultimate big-block experience.
To feed all of those hungry cubes, the 572 is topped off with a single-plane intake manifold—port-matched to the rectangular-port aluminum heads. A custom hydraulic roller camshaft uses .632” lift perimeters to lead the charge. GM makes no apologies when the loping, aggressive idle of this camshaft attracts rapt attention from the sidewalk.
The Deluxe ZZ572/620 comes complete from oil pan (with windage tray) to carburetor, including an 850-cfm Demon four-barrel, HEI distributor, red sparkplug wires, an aluminum short-style water pump, and the automatic transmission flexplate.
The ideal combination of big-block parts designed and validated to GMPP standards, the 572 has been vigorusly tested in real world applications.
By Courtesy of GM
THE HYPER-AGGRESSIVE LS3
The hot new small block V8 in the GM lineup is the hyper-aggressive LS3, offering a high-revving 376 cubic-inch combination that represents generations of small block V8 development and engineering.
An amazing engine in its stock configuration, the addition of high flowing rectangular port cylinder heads, loads the LS3 with potential. To tap that potential, GM Performance Parts (GMPP) offers the LS376/480––an LS3 with an upgraded camshaft that releases another 50 horsepower.
The LS376/480 comes with the same great features as the LS3 crate engine. The bottom end includes a six-bolt aluminum block, nodular crank, high performance rods, and 10.7:1 pistons. The high-flowing rectangular-port heads share their design with the LS7. An EFI intake manifold feeds the hungry engine, while 1.7:1 roller rockers work with the upgraded camshaft.
Let the tire smoking begin…
By Courtesy of GM
A new small-block legend in its own time!
When GM dared to release a redesigned small-block in 1997, it succeeded beyond the expectations of enthusiasts around the world. Known as the LS Family V8 smallblock, the first and most popular version is the high-performance LS1 available here as a complete crate engine from GM Performance Parts.
In many ways, the LS1 is superior to any smallblock that came before it. A deep-skirt, six-bolt-main block, with structural oilpan and other carefully engineered features, helps make the LS1 a strong, smooth running and dependable engine. A highlift camshaft actuating big 2.00/1.55 valves in symmetrical-port cylinder heads helps make it an uncompromised performer.
The engine is rated at 350 horsepower and 365 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine includes a GTO style oil pan, electronic drive-by-wire throttle body, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, fuel rail with injectors, balancer, and 14” automatic transmission flexplate. It makes a great performance engine for your performance vehicle project – just add your wiring and electronics.
By Courtesy of GM
The Legend of the all-aluminum big block continues
The year was 1969, and the musclecar wars were in full swing. Each one of the big three had developed their own version of the ultimate high performance big block engine. Then, GM unleashed the ZL1, the most powerful engine ever released by General Motors. Based on an exotic aluminum block, the ZL1 offered only the best components from the L88 engine including a high compression piston, high flow aluminum heads and intake, and a bombproof bottom end. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chevrolet big block, GM Performance Parts has brought back a modern version of the ZL1 for your chance to relive musclecar history.
The Anniversary Edition 427 starts with a retooled version of the ZL1 aluminum block using the exact same tooling that helped create this legend in 1969. The advantage of the aluminum block is that it offers the completed engine the weight of a small block with a whole lot more power. The block offers a full-strength structure including thick deck surfaces and 4-bolt mains.
Building on that foundation, the short block contains a forged steel crank, forged steel rods, and forged aluminum pistons for a 9.5:1 final compression ratio. Aluminum, oval port heads have a 110 cc combustion chamber and carry 2.19-inch intake and 1.88-inch exhaust valves. A matching, high-flow aluminum oval-port intake feeds the heads with the help of an 870 cfm carburetor. The camshaft is a hydraulic roller with valve lift numbers of .510-inch on the intake
and .540-inch on the exhaust. We even added 1.7:1 aluminum roller rockers. Like the original ZL1, the Anniversary 427 comes grossly underrated at 430 horsepower.
With a full list of features, this modern ZL1 is one of the most exclusive big block crate engines ever offered by GM Performance Parts. But, we didn’t stop with just a great engine! Once you purchase an Anniversary 427 big block crate engine, you enter a very exclusive club because only 427 of these engines will ever be produced. To document the rarity of this engine, GM Performance Parts will include a complete owner’s kit with each of these engines. In that kit, you’ll find official Anniversary 427 emblems to place on your car as well as an engine data plaque and certificate of authenticity that share a matching serial number with the valve covers.
Only 427 of these crate engines will ever be produced, and then the ZL1 tooling will be retired forever. We hope that you will be one of the elite hot rodders to celebrate the anniversary of the big block Chevy with GM Performance Parts.
E-Rod ‘55 Chevy
Vintage style complements modern performance, efficiency and emissions standards in GM Performance Parts’ ground breaking E-ROD - a ‘55 Chevy powered by the innovative, new E-ROD crate engine package. It includes a complete LS3 engine, emissions equipment and supporting components that enable classic cars to pass California’s stringent smog tests. 
Gm Performance Parts E Rod 55 Chevy GM Performance Parts (GMPP) introduced the E-ROD concept vehicle at the 2009 SEMA Show, in Las Vegas. The E-ROD crate engine package is available through GM dealers, authorized GMPP retailers and via the GMPP Web site, www.gmperformanceparts.com. List price for the LS3 E-ROD package is $9,375.
“E-ROD represents a revolution in hot rodding by offering an unprecedented, emissions-legal engine and emissions system that carries approval from the influential California Air Resources Board (CARB),” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, product marketing manager for GM Performance Parts. “We developed this system because it’s the right thing to do, but our engineers did not sacrifice the performance that stirs hot rodders in the first place. It is a compromise-free package that delivers great power and efficiency, with the emissions of a modern vehicle.”
Gm Performance Parts E-Rod ‘55 Chevy The core of the E-ROD package is the LS3 6.2L V-8 engine that is rated at 430 horsepower. Emissions equipment included with the package includes catalytic converters, a fuel tank evaporative emissions canister and more. GMPP worked closely with CARB and SEMA officials to develop the kit and secured approval that makes E-ROD-equipped vehicles legal in California and other areas that follow CARB’s recommendations and emissions standards. No other O.E.M. or aftermarket manufacturer offers a comparable, CARB-approved system.
Courtesy of GM
Build-it-Yourself Kit of GM Performance Parts’ 502” Rat!
Get this “beast in a box” and then finish it to your satisfaction! GM Performance Parts has put together the ZZ502 Base as a convenient partial engine assembly. You get the big-block V-8, four-bolt main muscle and just enough of the “finish work” to take the headache out of choosing parts – without missing out on the fun stuff!
The Base Engine, which boasts 4.47” bores and is stroked to 4.00”, comes with aluminum, oval port cylinder heads with generous 110 cc combustion chambers. Its big time valvetrain features 2.25” intake and 1.88” exhaust valves to keep it breathing easy! The crankshaft is forged steel and is paired up with a hydraulic roller camshaft for great performance.
All you need to add is attitude – and an intake manifold, carburetor, water pump, distributor and plug wires. Everything but the attitude is available from your GM Performance Parts dealer.
GM Performance LS2: March 2010 Edition
When GM dared to release a redesigned small-block in 1997, it succeeded beyond the expectations of enthusiasts around the world. Known as the LS Family V-8 small-block, the first and most popular version is the high-performance LS1 –available here as a complete crate engine from GM Performance Parts.
In many ways, the LS1 is superior to any small-block that came before it. A deep-skirt, six-bolt-main block, with structural oil pan and other carefully engineered features, helps make the LS1 a strong, smooth running and dependable engine. A highlift camshaft actuating big 2.00/1.55 valves in symmetrical-port cylinder heads helps make it a uncompromised performer.\
The engine is rated at 350 horsepower and 365 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine includes a GTO-style oil pan, electronic drive-bywire throttle body, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, fuel rail with injectors, balancer, and 14” automatic transmission flexplate. It makes a great performance engine for your performance vehicle project – just add your wiring and electronics.
GM PERFORMANCE 383:1966 CHEVY NOVA
The GM Performance Parts HT383 has been specifically engineered for low-rpm torque, and it’s packed with durable parts that are all brand new. It produces 435 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm, but more importantly, it produces more than 400 lb.-ft. of weight-moving torque from 2500 rpm all the way up to its 4000 rpm peak. In other words, your trailer’s worth of weekend fun is barely noticeable when hooked to a vehicle equipped with the HT383.
The bottom end has a 383 stroker forged steel crankshaft, heavy-duty rods, and hypereutectic pistons. The block is cast iron with 4-bolt main caps, and it’s up to the task of making lots of power for years to come.
The brand new HT383 makes a great alternative to salvage and rebuilt engines. Once installed, the HT383 makes it possible to look forward to that big hill or long haul. Don’t just drive to your favorite fishing hole – be the first one there!
