This Classic Chevy Crate Engine Has Sat Unopened For Over 20 Years

Something pretty rare popped up for auction on Bring a Trailer this week: a factory-built Chevrolet ZZ4 crate engine that reportedly sat unopened in a West Coast warehouse for more than two decades. It's not every day you get a glimpse at a piece of GM Performance Parts history preserved in its original condition. The Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch V8 was auctioned at no reserve in Clovis, California, which is where it's sat ever since the seller bought it new approximately 20 years ago. It finally sold for $6,200, with the highest bid coming in mere seconds before the end of the auction around 2:40 PM EST on January 13.

According to the auction description, the ZZ4 engine remains in its original shipping crate and has never been run. Crate engines are designed to be installed and driven, not forgotten, which makes this a pretty strange case. In fact, it's something quite exceptional in both the collector and performance marketplace alike: a period-correct, high-output small-block Chevrolet that's effectively been frozen in time since the early 2000s. And while used ZZ4 engines are not that uncommon, untouched ones with documented long-term storage are obviously a lot more difficult to find.

Originally sold through GM Performance Parts, the ZZ4 crate engine was marketed as a turnkey performance solution for hot rodders, restorers, and racers looking for that classic small-block architecture combined with modern reliability. It was rated from the factory at 355 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque with a 10.0:1 compression ratio (which no doubt had something to do with its reputation as one of Chevrolet's most popular crate engines of its era).

At its core, the ZZ4 is built around a cast-iron four-bolt main block, giving it strength and durability under higher loads. Inside, the engine features a nodular cast-iron crankshaft with undercuts and rolled fillets. You'll also find aluminum pistons and a steel roller tappet camshaft. The top end has aluminum cylinder heads with 58cc combustion chambers and an aluminum dual-plane intake manifold. Also included are a water pump, distributor, and flywheel. Basically, the crate engine comes with everything needed for an installation that never came.

Although the auction listing didn't detail any recent inspections or testing (unsurprising, given the engine's unopened status), one has to wonder how the long-term storage might've impacted its parts and performance, if at all. Nevertheless, there's a ton of appeal in preserving the engine as a collectible artifact from GM's performance catalog. Not to mention the highest bidder's opportunity to install a "new" classic small-block with period-correct specifications that are no longer produced in the same form.