Even though the Chevy 454 big-block engine is no longer in production cars, you can still buy it as a crate engine. Here’s a look at its hp and cost.
Introduced in 1970, the Chevy 454 — affectionately known as the Rat Motor – was the largest displacement Chevrolet engine to enter the big-block engine showdown of the muscle car era. At 454 cubic inches, it delivered more cubic inches than Chrysler’s 426 HEMI and Ford’s 429 Boss big blocks, and it generated ample power in the Corvette with the LS6 454 engine rated at 450 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.
While those big-block competitors have fallen by the wayside, the Chevy 454 soldiered on in production model Chevrolet cars and trucks for several years following the collapse of the golden age of muscle cars. The venerable Chevy 454 would even see a return 20 years after its introduction in a production performance vehicle of sorts: the Chevrolet 454 SS pickup truck. The 454 SS had a peak of 255 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque from the Gen V 454 in 1991, but even that iteration is now 30 years old.
