AT THE REDLINE L88 MEMORIES The Regular Production Option (RPO) L88 was only available for three production years, exclusively in the Chevrolet Corvette. Starting in 1967 and ending in 1969, this engine was the standard bearer for Chevrolet Performance and was not intended for street use. It was a potent 427 CI Mark IV big-block platform highly developed with emphasis on reliability, high horsepower and light weight. A huge part of the exotic nature was due to its high-flow aluminum cylinder heads, an aggressive solid-lifter camshaft and stratospheric 12.5:1 compression ratio that required a minimum 103 octane fuel. Only 216 L88s were factory installed, but production continued with the sale of over-the-counter crate engines as well as virtually every other special component. That’s where this particular story begins. JOHN KRAMAN John found career success as a sales manager of autos and then aircrafts, and he is a licensed Federal Aviation Administration pilot and mechanic. He joined Mecum in 2006 and is now the director of company relations and the company spokesperson at public events. As the supervisor of Mecum’s on-air talent, John further utilizes his skillset as a commentator and analyst for the televised coverage of Mecum auctions on MotorTrend and MotorTrend+. He enjoys tending to his personal car collection, spending time with his wife Christine, four grown children and five grandchildren, and also performing in the classic rock trio, Redline 7000. As a junior in high school in 1973, I had the privilege of working for Sterling Speed and Engineering in Rockford, Illinois, under the tutelage of owner and master mechanic Carl Johnson. It just so happened that Carl was a sponsor and engine builder for a formidable Midwest oval short track racer named Joe Shear, #36, and his teammate Dave Watson, #37. The pair were the dominant force in matching Camaro Late Model stock cars at tracks like Capital Super Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin, that is now called Madison International Speedway (WIS). It’s a high-banked half-mile asphalt oval track known as Wisconsin’s Fastest Half Mile Track. WIS is still in use today after some ownership changes over the years and recently hosted the 15th annual Joe Shear Classic 200 race in memory of Shear, who passed in 1998 of cancer at age 54. The event brought back my own personal memories of the 427s that Shear and Wilson utilized so successfully in their heyday, as I was the kid who was responsible for the L88 cylinder heads that topped the stout big-blocks. Shear would drive down from his shop in South Beloit, Illinois, in a faded gold ‘65 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon with the cargo area loaded up with brand new boxed parts, while I was there waiting, eager to help unload this bounty onto rolling carts. As I recall, the Budweiser Chevrolet dealership in Beloit, Wisconsin, was the source, as it was that company’s name on the white GM boxes. I would take possession of the sparkling new assembled cylinder heads and was always surprised at how easy they were to handle due to the light weight. I would grind match both the intake and exhaust port openings, verify and set valve spring height, clearance and tension plus lap in the valves to the seats. A final inspection was to verify that all critical mounting surfaces were flat and lightly crosshatched, so the head, intake and exhaust gaskets could bite tightly into the surfaces. In the summer of ’73, shop foreman Jim Licari and I drove the hour or so to the track each week, and I can vividly recall the sounds and sights of our guys running in first and second, much to our delight. The point of the story is that all the engine parts we used were stock yet blueprinted L88 items. This includes an 850 CFM Holley 4-barrel carburetor as factory installed. While the aftermarket was full of high-performance goodies, it was the factory-engineered L88 that truly was the pinnacle of performance during this era. We believed that around 550 HP versus a rated 430 HP was obtained with open headers, but we never completed any dyno testing to verify. In any case, it’s no wonder that this special engine is so legendary today. It has unquestionably earned its reputation. 38 // MECUM.COM
