Mark,
The big block Chevy engine did get it's debute as a car engine (1965 Chevelle
and Corvette), but the 366 and 427 truck engines are a different breed.
Externally the engine looks very much like the familiar 396, 402, 427, or 454;
however, as Mike mentioned, the deck height is taller, a very heavy 4-ring
piston is used and the heads have very small intake ports (often called
peanut ports). These engines were never installed in cars...they truely are a
truck engine. The light trucks that came with big blocks had a variety of the
"car engine", not the tall deck truck version. The 366 and 427 truck big
blocks were installed in heavy trucks such as school busses and other "fleet-
type" applications.
Indeed, the tall deck truck 427 can be used in stroker applications allowing
the use of a long stroke and still utilize a long connecting rod; however,
this would be a very exotic engine which would probably use no factory parts
but the block (very expensive).
Brian Morrison
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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