L88 vs. LS6

[Keith Tedford]

In '69 Beare Motors sold 3 COPO Chevelles and an L88 Corvette. Our salesman got to test drive these cars and didn't see much difference performancewise. Closed exhaust really seems to choke the radical cammed engines. One thing for sure, The L72 and LS6 are pretty mild mannered around town. If you are doing much driving, low octane pump gas can get to be a problem and won't work at all with the L88. Our L78 seems to work fine on the 92-93 octane gas that we have around here. The Clarys can show you how to make your engine produce some real power.

[owners2]

Wow ,some great responses so far. It will have an aftermarket intake & headers & it would be nice to drive it on the streets some. Trying to make a choice so i can go ahead & send out the motor.

[TimG]

I had this conversation with a friend last weekend while at the NCRS judges retreat in Dallas.
He's considering an LS6 Corvette vs. an L88 Corvette. Although the LS6 is a 454 and it is an extremely rare engine option, the L88 is just a buzz word for high performance. The 427 engine is so well known and it was raced in NASCAR well into the '70's. It was a good engine and that L88 hood is just wicked looking. With real L88's not selling for less than $200,000 now, it's apparent that they're popular. By the way, there will be 20 to 50 L88's at the NCRS Nationals in San Antonio in August. If you like L88's, come to San Antonio to see the largest collection of L88's ever assembled.

[olredalert]

Tim,

-------You would have loved the power curve in my old LS6 Vette. It had a 3:55 gear and just pulled like a freight train from about 3200/3500rpm all the way to redline. A bone stock 1969 L88 with the original 2 inch exhaust would get an a$$-whoopin from a well tuned LS6 with that same 3:55 gear. Thats my opinion and Im stickin to it.........Bill S

[Chevy454]

But, put a tune on that L88 and the LS6 is gonna see taillights! HA!

While not an L88, we've had several L72s as well as an LS6 or two...around town, LS6 has more down low which makes it easier to lug around and show off at the drive-in. But in a straight line, they definitely don't spin up the way an L72 does...our L72 and LS6 were set up exactly the same, and while the LS6 made excellent power, it took it a *skoche* longer to do so and couldn't make it as high...I loved my LS6, don't get me wrong...only thing wrong with that car was that every where I went *EVERYONE* had a red w/black stripes '70 LS6 Chevelle...whether it was real or not!

[TimG]

I'd love to try either an LS6 or L88, I've never really driven either one hard, Bill. I've been for some fun rides in both, though.

[LS6 RAT]

Why not a 1971 LS-6? Uses most of the HD components of the L-88 and is just as scarce as production L-88's. With the swap of the low compression pistons to a higher compression piston, and no other changes, the engine dynoed at 493hp in otherwise stock configuration.