1966 Chevy El Camino Big Block And Turbo 400 Trial Fit - Wide Load

Follow along as we test fit a Big Block with a Turbo 400 transmission combo in our 1966 Chevy El Camino project car.At first glance you might assume that getting a big-block to fit into our project El Camino would be a cinch. Originally you could order a '66 El Camino with the 396ci option with stock iron exhaust manifolds and manual steering; and believe it or not, it fit like a glove. However, when you add aftermarket rack-and pinion-steering, a stock oil pan, 2-inch headers, and a Turbo 400 transmission, space becomes scarce in this A-body. Our motor swap took us a tad longer than we had expected. However, the outcome surely outweighed our efforts. If you're wondering why we didn't make it easier and drop in a small-block, we put aside those thoughts way before we ever started this project. Besides, our big-block already made serious power on the cheap and we couldn't let the motor live out the rest of its days on the dyno. If you remember in "Budget Stomper" (Feb. '08), our combination was good for 701 hp and 702 lb-ft on nitrous. In our eyes, it was a perfect match to throw into the El Camino. After all, it is a truck and it's going to serve the magazine at hauling around dyno-mules and parts, track days, and even duties around the house.


Photo Gallery: 1966 Chevy El Camino Big Block And Turbo 400 Trial Fit - Chevy High Performance


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