Happy 4/27!
What more can be said about the 427? Chevy’s legendary V8, which powered some of the greatest Corvettes, Camaros, and Impalas in the 1960s, made its debut on the 1967 Corvette Sting Ray. The L71 three-carburetor, 435-horsepower (with 460 lb-ft of torque) big blocks left their St. Louis factories and changed the world. The pushrod engines fit snugly in Chevy’s fiberglass sports car, and with a 4-speed manual, took the car to 60 in 4.7 seconds on its way to a mid-13 second quarter mile. Aluminum cylinder heads were a $369 option that saved a stunning 150 lbs off the front end. Exactly 20 ultra-rare L88 427s were sold that year. Expect to pay $3 million or more for one today.
In 1987, Hot Rod Magazine’s 75th birthday tribute to Chevrolet began with a letter from the editor, Pat Ganahl, and his teary-eyed overview of the automaker’s role in his life. The mid-‘50s Chevys. The 1961 409 Impala, and the 327 Corvette. But then: “10 years later (‘71/’72) it was all dead or dying… in terms of quantum leaps, I’d say the 435-horse, triple carb, 427-inch, big-block ’67 Stingray was the end of the line. Subsequent Chevys were just bigger, heavier, and slower.” At one point in the ‘70s, the Corvette’s specific output got as low as 165 horsepower. Even by 1987, things still looked bleak.
Today, a variety of Chevy products are quicker, faster, or more powerful than the 427 Sting Ray. Yet the number 427 recalls the best of Chevy’s best years. The 427 did everything we asked of it, and it is revered appropriately. As long as humans interact with cars, this will remain true.
When people in Biblical times looked back on their legacy, they also asked if they did everything that was asked of them. In Samuel’s case, this was true. Samuel was a prophet roughly 1,100 years before Jesus, and his leadership of Israel was marked by his anointing of Saul and then David, Israel’s first kings. In his farewell speech, he reflected on his faithfulness to God’s call:
“I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? … Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? … If I have done any of these, I will make it right.” (1 Samuel 12:2-3)
Of course, he hadn’t done any of these things. His record was spotless. He then highlighted God’s leadership, and the Israelites’ stubborn resistance to that leadership. He reminded them that asking for a king was kind of foolish. To prove this point, he asked God to send rain onto the wheat harvest, and he did. What king can do that?
At any time, we have the opportunity to reflect on our faithfulness to God’s call. It won’t look spotless like Samuel’s, but God doesn’t expect perfection from us. Instead, he asks us to acknowledge our imperfection – daily – and rely on God for forgiveness, and strength for the next time.
Yet we can feel legendary like Samuel, or a 427 big block, when we practice faithfulness to God above the unfaithful stubbornness around us. When the Israelites said they wanted a king, they really needed stability and security from God. When people clamored after the 427, they really wanted a naturally aspirated powerhouse that sounded great and didn’t break the bank. It didn’t necessarily have to be a 427. These days, the upcoming Corvette Z06 has a 333-inch, all-aluminum flat-plane-crank V8 that should make 650 horsepower while still returning 24 mpg on the highway, all for around $90,000. When circumstances in your life suggest that compromising your faith is the best solution, remember the faithfulness God calls you to, and see what the best solution really is.
When Chevy took their C5 Corvette racing in the early 2000s, its 7.0-liter pushrod V8 had 585 horsepower and 574 ft-lb of torque. Oh, and guess how 7 liters of displacement is measured in cubic inches? That’s right, 427. The 427 had a good run before we said goodbye to it, and now we can look forward to meeting a new legend.
