Chevy 350 Small Block Crate Engine: How Much Does It Cost & How Much HP Does It Have?

The 350 cubic inch small-block V8 is one of the most popular engines Chevrolet has ever produced. During its long run, Chevy saw fit to drop the 350 into two generations of the beloved Chevy Corvette, select years of the Camaro, and many Chevy trucks. With 295 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on tap in its earliest form, this engine delivered a decent amount of bang per cubic inch right away. Over the course of its lifespan, factory-issued versions of Chevy's 350-inch V8 produced between 145 and 370 horsepower, with higher output available from crate variants and racing builds. 

The small-block 350-inch V8 eventually yielded to the newer LS series, and you can no longer buy a new Chevy truck or SUV with the older small-block V8s. While you can probably find a rebuildable one in a salvage yard for a few hundred dollars and Amazon sells the EngineTech full Chevy 350 rebuild kit for $356, crate engines offer more horsepower and a warranty from the builder. You'll pay thousands of dollars for a well-built crate motor, but the selection is impressive. BluePrint engines sells 18 different crate 350s starting at $4,650 for a 341-horsepower long block with valve and timing covers, oil pan, Holley Sniper Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI), HEI ignition, and aluminum heads. For $9,099, you get a 391-horse version with all of the above plus thermostat and housing and a full set of engine accessories with serpentine belt and black pulleys. The first production Chevy to get the 350-inch V8 was the 1967 Camaro SS. The next year the 350 was an option on the Nova as well, and for 1969 it was the standard Corvette powerplant and could be had as an upgrade to any Chevy production car.

The 350 V8 shared a 4-inch bore with Chevy's 327-inch small block, buts larger displacement came thanks to a 3.48-inch stroke vs the 327's of 3.25 inches. At 295 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, that first 350 cubic inch small block could catapult the Camaro from 0-60 in about 7.8 seconds. The high-performance L-46 350 V8 available in the 1969 Corvette made 350 horsepower, and the LT-1 appeared the next year with solid lifters and an 11:1 compression ratio that added another 20 horses. 

Chevy introduced tuned-port electronic fuel injection to the 350 with the L98 variant in 1985. The modern fuel delivery and updated intake manifold helped enable output of 230 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, and Chevy improved that by 20 horsepower before scuttling the L98 after 1991. The most powerful factory 350-inch Chevy V8 is the aforementioned LT-1, a beast that made 370 horsepower in the 1970 Corvette and 360 hp in that year's Camaro Z/28.

The second=generation LT1 350 (note the lack of a hyphen here) debuted in the 1992 Corvette and featured an updated cooling system that helped it produce 300 horsepower. A 376 cubic inch V8 appeared in the 2014 'Vette, and to get significantly more horsepower from a Chevy 350 V8 you'll have to explore crate engines. These sturdy V8s are assembled with upgraded components and are available from a wide variety of suppliers. You can buy one from GM Performance Parts (GMPP) through your local Chevy dealer; GMPP offers various configurations of 350, 357, and 385 cubic inch V8s. The most powerful of the GMPP-built 350s is the fuel-injected ZZ6, which makes 420 horsepower and 408 pound-feet of torque. 

You can buy a GMPP crate 350 in a short block for a few thousand, but the turnkey version of the ZZ6 will cost between $10,000 and $15,000 in most markets. There are plenty of aftermarket sources for cheaper, well-built Chevy 350 V8s as well. BluePrint Engines was founded by Norris Marshall in 1982, and the Nebraska native still runs the company that sells 18 variants of its 350-inch V8 with various fuel delivery options and output ranging from 341 to 391 horsepower. Prices range from $4,899 to $9,099 depending on configuration. You can buy BluePrint or GM Performance Parts 350 crate engines from JEGS High Performance, and Summit Racing sells a house-built 300 horsepower 350-inch Chevy V8 for $4,499.

If you're looking for more horsepower and have a couple thousand extra dollars to spend, It's easy to enhance a 350-inch Chevy V8 with beefier internals and upgrades to the intake and exhaust systems. A kit with forged crankshaft, rods, and pistons will cost at least a thousand dollars, but exhaust headers for most 350-powered trucks and SUVs can usually be found for $250 or less. When it comes time to troubleshoot and service your 350-inch Chevy V8, you can find plenty of support and replacement parts online or through local clubs or marketplaces.