L89 Nova???????

[Mr70]

None that I know of.
Lets be clear we're talking FACTORY assembled cars here,not Dealer or OTC installed.

[SS427]

Recently Ive had numerous conversations with Fran Preve of the Tonawanda engine foundry regarding just this subject. He to this day still holds the plant production records from that era.

According to Fran and I quote "The Tonawanda engine plant kept VERY accurate records on engines built during each model year. These "Summeries of Engines Built" list EVERY engine we built by assembly number and description. This number crossed over to a suffix code so from them I could determine how many of each SUFFIX CODE we built. Sometimes, as in the case of the L-89 engines built, I had further records. In these cases it was "engine canceled, not replaced" and then a date.

In the case of the L-89 engines in 1970, in October 1969 the L-89 option was canceled, not replaced. there were (off hand) 18 L78/L89 engines built before the option was canceled. As far as the LS6/L89 NONE WERE BUILT. Period. In model year 1970 NO aluminum head LS6 engines were built. In 1971 there were 200 LS6 engines built and put into Corvettes, ALL were aluminum head (due to the lowered compression ratio).

I've spent many years researching big block production (ALL big blocks). I'm always open to new information, DOCUMENTED AND IRRIFUTABLE. But if anyone wants to contradict me they'd better have better records than I do!"

I trust Fran knows what he is talking about and has investigated all his documents from Tonawanda.

[Schonyenko2]

[ QUOTE ]
"Not to change the subject, but I seem to recall an LS-6 conv. with aluminum heads that had the build sheet."

That LS-6 Chevelle Convertible was just that,and not an LS-6/L-89.
Bill Clement at ChevyCraft in Tex. was the one who owned it and made that claim at that time.The paperwork was doctored to reflect the Al. Head option,and soon disproven.
That car was orginally sold here new at Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet in Roselle,Il.back during 1970.
I don't believe any 1970 LS-6 Chevelle was assembled w/L-89 Al.Heads from the factory.

[/ QUOTE ]

The article I read was from years ago on the LS6 842 chevelles. They claimed at the time there may have been 3 I believe. The article talked about how Chevrolet had an issue with doing it as the LS6 was a new motor using old 842 head design.
Now perhaps It's the same car that Rick P. mentions as having bogused docs. But the main subject matter of it all delt with unusually optioned cars not just L89 options. Options like liquid tire chain, optic fibre, etc. Seemed like it was a Super Chevy(not always the last word in absolutes.)
If Rick N. says he believes there are none until proven so, I would agree with him.
As far as novas again, they present a different problem in authenticating as there is no specific suffix code for an L89 application as there is for Camaros, Chevelles, or Corvettes. That's why if there ever were any, you would need verifiable paperwork, or a credible original owner.I understand that it sucks that original owners sometimes get "encouragement money" to remember things that weren't, or bogused docs. But unless you want to pay big money for something that isn't you'll need to be very careful.

[mockingbird812]

I have the article on the "LS6 w/ Aluminum Heads" at home and will post it tonight.

[92646]

Why did they still use closed chamber heads in 1970? The open chamber heads had been around for awhile. It made more power and got better results with the smog regulations. In 1971 did they use an open chamber head with a closed chamber piston to lower the compression?
Mark Sheppard

[Chevy454]

[ QUOTE ]
Why did they still use closed chamber heads in 1970? The open chamber heads had been around for awhile. It made more power and got better results with the smog regulations. In 1971 did they use an open chamber head with a closed chamber piston to lower the compression?

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure it necessarily made more power apples-apples...today's Pro Stock engines aren't open chambered, quite the opposite...tiny, tiny chambers with a huge quench area. With an open chamber, to get any kind of compression you're talking a BIG dome, which means more weight in the piston, which means a heavier pin, which means a heavier rod, which means a heavier counterweight...that's a lot of *heavier* components, and these engines were already struggling with rods/bolts living as it was. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me...

IIRC, the 074s (L88, ZL1, '71 LS6) I believe were the only open chamber production BBC stuff...top shelf stuff indeed, but old technology as well.

[m22mike]

[ QUOTE ]
I have never seen any doc's on either car. Show me the doc's. As I have said before of the Gibb 50 nova's we have found 20+ But there is 311 alm. head nova's there should at least 100 of them found by now. JMO

[/ QUOTE ]

Since we are on the subject about L89 heads, has anybody ever questioned this 311 # for L89 cars made?
311 Camaros, 311 Chevelles...etc...

Mike

[al8apex]

[ QUOTE ]
"Not to change the subject, but I seem to recall an LS-6 conv. with aluminum heads that had the build sheet."

That LS-6 Chevelle Convertible was just that,and not an LS-6/L-89.
Bill Clement at ChevyCraft in Tex. was the one who owned it and made that claim at that time.The paperwork was doctored to reflect the Al. Head option,and soon disproven.
That car was orginally sold here new at Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet in Roselle,Il.back during 1970.
I don't believe any 1970 LS-6 Chevelle was assembled w/L-89 Al.Heads from the factory.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember that car going through the B-J auction with the heads in the trunk some years ago. I heard that person did a lot of doctoring ... on lots of things

[Jeff H]

[ QUOTE ]
Since we are on the subject about L89 heads, has anybody ever questioned this 311 # for L89 cars made?
311 Camaros, 311 Chevelles...etc...

Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

I always thought that was a mix up since both cars shared the same engine codes. I can't imagine they made exactly 311 of each.

[mockingbird812]

Chevy High Performance, August 1995...