1971 Chevelle Engine Photos & 402/454 cid Engine Production Numbers
[ 1965 ] | [ 1966 ] | [ 1967 ] | [ 1968 ] | [ 1969 ] | [ 1970 ] | [ 1971 ] | [ 1972 ]
1971 402/454 Engine Production
The L34 engine was dropped from the Chevrolet lineup of engines and in its place, the LS3 was used for all non-454 Mark IV engine sales. Figures are for Chevelle ("A" body), Full Size Passenger ("B" body) Camaro ("F" body), Nova ("X" body), and Monte Carlo ("G" body) platforms and are broken down as such.
The LS3 is a 402 cid Mark IV engine listed as a Turbo-Jet 400 and was available on all factory V8 wagons, the standard Chevelle series sport coupe and pickup, all Malibu series body styles including the Custom El Camino. The LS3 was identified with '400' emblems on the front fenders the same as the '350' and '307' emblems. When an LS3 equipped SS-optioned Chevelle was sold, only the SS emblem was used on the front fender behind the tires and no engine size was designated. This is also true of the two 350 engined SS Chevelles and only the 454 engine received any engine size designations. See the how to identify a 1971 Chevelle SS page.
LS3 figures: The LS3 is one of 4 available engines with the RPO Z15 SS Equipment option. Chevelle and Monte Carlo figures for this engine are broken out in the table below. Therefore the LS3 figures for Chevelles and Monte Carlos include all sales of the LS3, not just in combination with the SS Equipment option.
LS5 figures: The LS5 engine required the SS Equipment option, the two 350 cid and 402 cid engines could be ordered without the SS Equipment option. A total of 19,293 Z15 optioned Chevelles were sold.
RPO | HP | Transmission | Suffix | Production | Notes |
LS3/MC1 | 300 | Heavy Duty 3-speed manual | CLS | 550 | "A" body |
550 | Total LS3/MC1 Engines | ||||
548 | Total LS3/MC1 Chevelles | ||||
99.6% of total LS3/MC1 engine/transmission production went into cars. The MC1 H.D. 3-Speed transmission was only available in the Chevelle. | 002 | Service Engines | |||
LS3 | 300 | Manual | CLA | 02,935 | "A" & "F" body |
LS3/M40 | 300 | TH-400 | CLB | 80,697 | "A," "B," & "F" body |
83,632 | Total LS3 Engines except MC1 | ||||
Total LS3 Car Production except MC1 Transmission | |||||
Chevelle ("A") and Monte Carlo ("G") | 17,656 | 00,550 | LS3/MC1 | ||
Full Size Passenger ("B") | 64,182 | 02,935 | LS3 | ||
Camaro ("F") | 01,533 | 80,697 | LS3/M40 | ||
Total LS3 Cars except MC1 | 83,371 | 84,182 | Total LS3 Engines | ||
83,371 | Total LS3 Vehicles except MC1 | ||||
99% of LS3 engine production went into vehicles. | 00,811 | Service Engines | |||
LS5 | 365 | Manual (M22) | CPA | 3,148 | Total LS5 Engines/Manual (M22) |
3,035 | Total LS5 Vehicles/Manual (M22) | ||||
96.4% of LS5 manual engines went into production vehicles. | 0,113 | Service Engines | |||
LS5/M40 | 365 | TH-400 | CPD | 12,234 | "A" & "B" body |
12,234 | Total LS5/M40 Engines | ||||
Information does not clearly break down LS5 production with M40 TH-400 automatic transmission and combines both Chevelle ("A") and Full Size Passenger ("B") figures plus the M40 was available with both the LS3 and LS5 engines in the Chevelle. | |||||
LS6 | 425 | Manual | CLA | 04 | "A" |
LS6/M40 | 425 | TH-400 | CLB | 10 | "A" |
14 | Total LS6 Engines | ||||
00 | Total LS6 Chevelles | ||||
14 | Service Engines | ||||
These engines were used by GM engineering and public relations. No LS6 Chevelles were released as a regular production option. |
Unknown
CLB ~ LS3 with TH400 transmission
Baltimore
CPA ~ LS5 with manual transmission
Note the unusual "9" in the partial VIN. This is a 307 engine for a
Powerglide so it's unlikely someone would restamp this engine.
Kansas City
Cannot make out the engine date of the 1971 Monte Carlo LS5 but
partial VIN is clearly visible. Note that like 1970 Kansas City
tended to stamp the partial VIN 'upside down.'
Van Nuys - Los Angeles
CPA ~ LS5 with M22
CPD ~ LS5 with TH400
Engine Photos
LS3
LS5 in a Monte Carlo SS454