Corvette Engines As Miniature Automotive “Art”
Note the quarter on the display base for scale.
Modern high-performance engines are just amazing machines. A quick look at the most powerful production engine to ever come out of Detroit is the supercharged LS9 ZR1 Corvette engine. This 376-cubic-inch engine has a Net horsepower rating of 638-HP. Measured in the old “gross” power rating system and the number would be easily be in the low 700-HP range. The ZR1 and it’s little brother the 505-HP Z06 can easily smoke ANYTHING from the old glory days of the stump puller muscle car era and get double the gas mileage to boot!
But this isn’t about numbers, it’s about aesthetics. Take the plastic or carbon fiber covers off on any LS-powered Corvette and you’re greeting with a maze of complicated hardware. I guess I’m “old school,” but I enjoy looking at old, pre-smog control device muscle car and racing engines. The simplicity of those old mills was oftentimes “art.”
And “art” is what this entry is all about. When I was a Sr. Designer and project Manager with Matchbox Collectibles I tried over and over to get management to allow us to make beautifully detailed, scale die-cast models of muscle car engines. it seemed cool to me, as well as the design team. But the marketing guys and management said, “Why would anyone want a model engine?” (DUGH!)
I knew that someone else would grab such an obvious concept and pull it into reality. And that’s exactly what the folks at Liberty Classics have done. The company offers a stunning line of 1:6th scale pre-assembled model engines of some of the most famous Ford, Chrysler, and Chevy high-performance engines from the 1960s. Each model is made to factory dimensions. and looks spot on!
We offer the entire lineup of die-cast engines at our www.Precision-Illustration.com site, HERE. But for this post, we thought we’d dish up two photo galleries featuring the famous L84 ‘63-’65 Fuel Injected 327, the small-block “Fuelie” and the 427/435m aluminum-head L89 big-block with those awesome 2, 2-bbl carbs. Each model is approximately 4-1/2” long and about 5-inches tall on the display base. It sounds like a cliché, but they’re even better looking in person.
If you’d like to purchase one or both, we have PayPal buttons under each gallery. Each engine is just $35.99, with $8 for shipping. If you buy both engines, we’ll take $5 off each model and shipping is $12.00.
Enjoy the show! – Scott
Here’s the L84 327 Fuel-Injected Small-Block Corvette Engine Gallery.
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Price: $35.99 + $8.00 S&H. International shipping rates vary, use the Contact Us links for shipping quotes.
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Here’s the L71 427/435 Big-Block Corvette Engine with Aluminum Heads Gallery.
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Price: $35.99 + $8.00 S&H. International shipping rates vary, use the Contact Us links for shipping quotes.
The Parchment Prints
Parchment Paper print 1967 – 1969 427/435 Big-Block Corvette engine.
Parchment Paper print 1963 – 1965 L84 Fuel-Injected 327 Small-Block “Fuelie.”
The 11×17 Laser-Etched Prints. Just $49.95 + $8.00 S&H
11×17 Laser-Etched on Metalized-Mylar 1967 – 1969 427/435 Big-Block Corvette engine.
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11×17 Laser-Etched on Metalized-Mylar 1963 – 1965 L84 Fuel-Injected 327 Small-Block “Fuelie.”
