Jan 29 , 2024
Big Block Chevy: The Icon of Muscle Car Engines
Ah, the mighty "Rat." Who can ever forget the first time they dropped the clutch on one of these bellowing tire burners? The right spring got mashed flat with all that torque, the left fender rose high up, and the car just went. Mostly straight ahead. Pretty much, at any rate. As you approached that stop sign a lot sooner than you expected, you found out there was a real good reason for ordering the disc brake option.
The Birth of the "Rat"
Starting with the magical numbers 3-9-6, the new big block, or "Rat" as it came to be known, was everything its little brother, the small block or "Mouse," wasn’t. It was huge and heavy, for one thing. Especially compared to the svelte layout of the contemporary 283–327 lineup. It had a revolutionary new head design with staggered push rods and big valves that could handle all the gas you could shove into it. It was strong as an ox, put out as much torque as a tornado at dusk, and forced its corporate rivals to bang their heads in frustration as they raced to catch up.
Continuing the Legacy
That legacy lives on today in the Smeding family of Chevy big block crate engines, as well as their long and short block assemblies. All of these engines feature top-quality forged steel cranks, roller cam assemblies, and forged rod and piston sets that are balanced to perfection and fitted like a glove with eight fingers in it. Except for the short block, you get high-flow heads with big valves and carefully tuned runners to make the most out of every cylinder.
They aren’t just sent out the door either. They are fully test-fired and run to make sure that everything will happen the moment you are ready to launch for the first time. You get a complete dyno sheet and a full unlimited mileage 3-year warranty—that means business. With new blocks and all new parts that are meticulously assembled by a dedicated crew of actual car guys, you get the perfect match between the convenience of crate builds and the craftsmanship of an old school custom builder. All of it can be delivered right to your door and even financed on easy terms if that is what you want.
Choose Your Champion
Pick your favorite Rat from Smeding’s lineup and watch all the big, bad kitty cats run for cover.