originally LA 318 4bbl Engine??

Yes, '78 was the first year for an LA318 4bbl. engine. It was available in most models from vans to pickups to Aspens. Nothing particularly high perfomance about them. The head ports were slight bigger than the earlier ones but they're smog heads and the same as the 2bbl. ones so nothing special. The extra HP came from the cam, 4bbl induction, and dual exhaust....same thing you can do to a 2bbl engine.