Remember that oversized battle axe of a crate engine that Chevrolet Performance revealed this week? That 632 cubic-inch, 10.4L ZZ632 V8 that has 1,004 horsepower and an appetite for Hellephant and Godzilla meat? Of course you do. Well, turns out one of those 10.4L big bad Big Blocks is currently in the engine bay of a Camaro Z/28, courtesy of Hoonigan, and Chevy. And it will be on display at the 2021 SEMA Show at the beginning of November.
Hoonigan, whose mission statement is to “just make cars fun” should have no issue getting the Camaro done in time for the show. Chevy Performance offered up a third-gen Camaro Z/28 that was originally used as an engineering development car. And while the third-gen Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 never featured an engine as big as the 454 big block (the biggest it offered was the 350, which is 5.7-liters), this one-off third-gen Camaro did.
We’re sure that this Camaro engineering mule is full of stories and is truly a piece of GM history, and go figure that not everybody from the company was on board with handing it over to get chopped up by the Hoonigans, who got the engine so early that it’s actually a mock-up, and features 427-numbered valve covers, probably to keep the surprise from leaking out.
But sometimes the means to the end don’t matter. Sometimes. Being that we appreciate automotive history, we’re not sure which end of the scale this outcome will end up under, but the fact that America’s Mullet Machine is getting an engine swap to the tune of 10.4-liters, to us, seems like what any Camaro owner would want to do.
Image via Chevrolet## Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 + 10.4L Chevrolet Performance ZZ632 Big Block V8 = SEMA
The ZZ632 Big Block V8 crate engine delivers 1,004 naturally aspirated horsepower, and 870 lb-ft of torque to go with it. The massive engine can also spin at an astounding 7,000 RPM, and runs on 93 octane pump gas. No need for E83 or race fuel. Or forced induction, for that matter.
To go further, the ZZ662 V8 is the largest and most powerful crate engine Chevrolet Performance has ever announced. The engine is so powerful there is a disclaimer on Chevy’s press release that mentions the motor, if used on public streets or highways, will likely violate state laws, regulations, and emission policies and that it should only be used on closed courses.
Building a 1,004 Horsepower Camaro Z/28
Suppy, one of the Hoonigan builders on the project mentions in the video they will delete air conditioning. He also states they will remove power steering in favor of the rack and pinion system, upgrade the suspension with coilovers, add a new rear end and engine cradle, and manage the engine with a four-speed Jerico transmission. There’s also a shovel used as a hood prop. That’s expected to make it to SEMA, as well.
Spoiler alert: the end of the video shows that the team was, in fact, successful in fitting the ZZ632 Big Block V8 crate engine (or at least the mock-up of one) where it belongs: the chest cavity of a Chevrolet Camaro. And if they weren’t able to do it, we’re sure Chevy would have sent in a squad to make things right. There’s no way the Hoonigans would have gotten left behind.
The rest is yet to be seen, however the clock is ticking as the SEMA Show is less than two weeks away.
It’s just a prop, y’all. Watch the video.
