This is an original Chevrolet Performance ZZ4 crate engine that was bought new and never used, it’s been sitting in its factory crate for 20 years in storage, and it’s now being offered for sale for the first time.
The Chevrolet ZZ4 was a crate engine that first appeared in the mid-1990s, offering a simple, powerful bolt-in upgrade for those with a small block Chevy V8. With 355 bhp the ZZ4 would bolt right up to original engine mounts and bell housings, making the engine swap process surprisingly easy for most.
This is an original Chevrolet Performance ZZ4 crate engine that was bought new and never used, it’s been sitting in its factory crate for 20 years in storage, and it’s now being offered for sale for the first time.
History Speedrun: The Chevrolet ZZ4 Crate Engine
The Chevrolet Performance ZZ4 crate engine sits in an important place in the small block Chevy timeline, it arrived in the mid-1990s as a high-output evolution of GM’s earlier ZZ-series crate engines. The ZZ4 was designed to deliver reliable street performance with factory-level reliability at a price most could afford – and due to the fact that it shared Chevy 350 architecture it was a bolt-in engine swap for many GM vehicles.
At its core, the ZZ4 was a 350 cubic inch (5.7 liter) Gen I small block V8 built around a cast-iron block with four-bolt main caps. Bore and stroke follow the classic small-block dimensions of 4.00 inches by 3.48 inches.
One of the ZZ4’s defining features was its hydraulic roller camshaft, which reduces valvetrain friction and improves the longevity of the cam and followers compared to earlier flat-tappet designs. Compression is set at 10.0:1, allowing the engine to run comfortably on premium pump fuel.
The engine was fitted with lightweight aluminum cylinder heads fitted with 1.94 inch intake and 1.50 inch exhaust valves, fed by a dual-plane intake manifold.
In factory crate configuration, the ZZ4 was rated at 355 bhp at 5,250 rpm and 405 lb ft of torque at 3,500 rpm, figures that made it one of the strongest naturally aspirated Gen I small block offerings from Chevrolet Performance during its production run.
The ZZ4 was marketed exclusively as a crate engine rather than as a regular-production passenger-car engine. It was intended for hot rods, restomods, kit cars, and engine replacement applications, where buyers wanted modern drivability without moving to the then-new LS architecture.
The Unopened Chevrolet ZZ4 Crate Engine Shown Here
This is an unopened and unused Chevrolet Performance ZZ4 crate engine, as noted higher up its been sitting in its factory crate for 20 years, stored away in a warehouse. The original owner is now selling it in the hopes that it’ll go to a new home where it’ll be fitted to a car and put through its paces.
The Chevrolet ZZ4 was a crate engine that first appeared in the mid-1990s, offering a simple, powerful bolt-in upgrade for those with a small block Chevy V8. With 355 bhp the ZZ4 would bolt right up to original engine mounts and bell housings, making the engine swap process surprisingly easy for most.
As you would expect for a ZZ4, this engine has a displacement of 350 cubic inches (5.7 liters), with an iron block, aluminum heads, and a dual-plane intake manifold. These engines are good for 355 bhp and 405 lb ft, and they’re known for being solid, reliable V8s that seem to last forever.
This crate engine is now being offered for sale out of Clovis, California on Bring a Trailer, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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