Demon 340 vs Camaro 396 (400)

dibbons said

Many Chevy guys called the BB 402 the 400. GM even put the 400 emblems on some cars. Many also continued to call it the 396. but in 70 GM actually gave the 396 engine a .032 larger bore, thus making it actually 402cu in. It is the same engine Chevy put in the 71 Chevelle SS . I had a 71 BB 402 not too long ago that also had the 400 , 300 HP decal on the air cleaner lid.

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Really? I've never heard them. Here's how Chevy marketed them. The 396 before 1970 was a 396 in every passenger car and light truck. From 1970 on, they were the 402. The reason for the increase in size was because the then new to the scene small block 400 which had a bore size of 4.125". Rather than continue to make piston ring packs fir the 396 (4.094" bore), Chevy smartly bored the 396 .030" over to 4.125 to keep from making two separate ring packs. From then, all the passenger cars were still marketed with the 396 engine, even though it was a 402 and the trucks were marketed as having the 400 even though they had the 402.

And your imagination is good. Chevy never once marketed the 402 as a 400 in cars.

At least not in America.