[2020SS1LE]

I started the enclosed thread in the 1LE section. I’m trying to determine the criteria that determines when this plaque is mounted on LT1 engines. To date I have a total of 4 known 2020 SS 1LE that have responded postive (counting myself) Do any of your non 1LE Camaros have this plaque mounted on the engine?

ENGINE PLAQUE ON SS 1LE
Hello everyone, I’m new to this forum but have been lurking in the shadows for the last several months lol. I came across an interesting thread topic in the ZL1 section in reference to certain ZL1 and ZL1 1LE Camaros having a plaque mounted on the super charger stating that the engine was assembled at the Performance Build Center in Bowling Green Ky.

I was working on my 2020 SS 1LE the other day and when I removed the driver side fuel rail cover I discovered that this plaque was mounted on the intake manifold cover? Have any of you found one on your SS 1LEs ?

[Petrol Head]

First some clarification: the ZL1 has the LT4, not the LT1. The LT4 is a supercharged LT1. LT1 has 455 hp, LT4 has 650 hp. 1LE is a handling package only (brakes, suspension, wheels and tires) that is available on both the SS and ZL1.

Interesting. All LT1 and LT4 engines are assembled in Tonawanda, New York for both 2016-present Camaro SS/ZL1 and 2014-2019 Corvette Stingray/Z06. The final assembly for all Camaros is East Lansing, Michigan and the Corvette assembly line is in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

So the question is, were these engines supposed to go into Corvettes but somehow made it into Camaros? Possible shipping/logistical error or error in applying that stamp on engines headed to East Lansing and not Bowling Green?

You could always call GM’s employee directory to find out where Ms. Carothers works lol

[2020SS1LE]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

First some clarification: the ZL1 has the LT4, not the LT1. The LT4 is a supercharged LT1. LT1 has 455 hp, LT4 has 650 hp. 1LE is a handling package only (brakes, suspension, wheels and tires) that is available on both the SS and ZL1.

Interesting. All LT1 and LT4 engines are assembled in Tonawanda, New York for both 2016-present Camaro SS/ZL1 and 2014-2019 Corvette Stingray/Z06. The final assembly for all Camaros is East Lansing, Michigan and the Corvette assembly line is in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

So the question is, were these engines supposed to go into Corvettes but somehow made it into Camaros? Possible shipping/logistical error or error in applying that stamp on engines headed to East Lansing and not Bowling Green?

You could always call GM’s employee directory to find out where Ms. Carothers works lol

What has been discovered so far is that this plaque is placed on engines that were hand assembled by one person at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green Ky. This action was reserved for the the LS7 used in the Z28 and the LT4 and LT5 used in the Corvettes. Now some are showing up in the 2020 and possibly 2019 ZL1 and ZL1 1LEs. A source at GM allegedly stated that future engines installed in the ZL1 will be hand built by the Performance Build Center at Bowling Green. To the best of my knowledge I’m the first one to find a LT1 engine with this plaque installed on it. Very curious indeed, and also kind of cool.
I was also contacted by a C6 Corvette Zo6 owner who stated that his engine had one of these plaques on it. Interesting information but I am mainly interested in the 2020 year model Camaro.

To date a total of 3 other Camaro SS 1 LEs have responded that their cars have this plaque.
I appreciate your feedback and I am aware of what exactly each engine and suspension designation that was mentioned is.

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by 2020SS1LE

What has been discovered so far is that this plaque is placed on engines that were hand assembled by one person at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green Ky. This action was reserved for the the LS7 used in the Z28 and the LT4 and LT5 used in the Corvettes. Now some are showing up in the 2020 and possibly 2019 ZL1 and ZL1 1LEs. A source at GM allegedly stated that future engines installed in the ZL1 will be hand built by the Performance Build Center at Bowling Green. To the best of my knowledge I’m the first one to find a LT1 engine with this plaque installed on it. Very curious indeed, and also kind of cool.
I was also contacted by a C6 Corvette Zo6 owner who stated that his engine had one of these plaques on it. Interesting information but I am mainly interested in the 2020 year model Camaro.

It is cool no question, and first thing tomorrow morning I’m going out to look at mine. But I question the GM source. With the Corvette going mid-engine the Corvette and Camaro are no longer sharing engines.

[LT4Greg]

Strange discovery!

[2020SS1LE]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

It is cool no question, and first thing tomorrow morning I’m going out to look at mine. But I question the GM source. With the Corvette going mid-engine the Corvette and Camaro are no longer sharing engines.

If I’m not mistaken the LT4 installed in the Vette is a dry sump engine where the LT4 used in the ZL1 Camaro is wet sump. IMHO as it stands now with the information I have received so far it appears that these hand assembled engines are being installed in the cars that have the track ready equipment installed. According to the responses I have received from members of the Corvette Forum the base model Corvette C7 LT1 do not have this plaque. Very curious indeed.

[LT4Greg]

I’m wondering if maybe they put an LT4 longblock in the car but it would have a lower compression ratio due to it being a supercharged engine instead of the LT1 being a naturally aspirated engine. Strange!

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by 2020SS1LE

If I’m not mistaken the LT4 installed in the Vette is a dry sump engine where the LT4 used in the ZL1 Camaro is wet sump. IMHO as it stands now with the information I have received so far it appears that these hand assembled engines are being installed in the cars that have the track ready equipment installed. According to the responses I have received from members of the Corvette Forum the base model Corvette C7 LT1 do not have this plaque. Very curious indeed.

Ask those owners, and you do the same, to look at the window sticker. That tells you right in there where the engine was built.

[Petrol Head]

I just checked mine. No stamp.

[ChevyRules]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

It is cool no question, and first thing tomorrow morning I’m going out to look at mine. But I question the GM source. With the Corvette going mid-engine the Corvette and Camaro are no longer sharing engines.

It may be a way to keep those people employed and their skills sharp while they are in a transition period. Probably once the Z06 is announced and the line ready to be retooled to build the 5.5L V8( or whatever it ends up being), LT4's in the ZL1 will probably be sole sourced from Tonawanda again.

[twinschief]

Originally Posted by ChevyRules

It may be a way to keep those people employed and their skills sharp while they are in a transition period. Probably once the Z06 is announced and the line ready to be retooled to build the 5.5L V8( or whatever it ends up being), LT4's in the ZL1 will probably be sole sourced from Tonawanda again.

That was my assumption as to why some of these 2020 engines may have been built there. Probably to keep people employed between c7 production ending and c8 production starting. We might have a nice interesting fact in a few years if only a few months of 2020 camaros received one man one engine built LT1s. (FYI mine was built by a woman named Jennifer so yes woman can build engines) haha

[2020SS1LE]

The Performance Build Center started in 2005 in Wixom,Mi. They built several different engines. It was moved to Bowling Green in 2014. At that time they were building LS engines, expanded with the new LT engine in 2016 and earlier models had to order the Z07 option package to get a hand built engine. If It didn’t have a Z07 option, the engine came from Tonawanda NY. In 2017 the PBC was given all Z06 engines. From then on, all Z06 and ZR1 cars were PBC engines. LT1 engines were added, but in small numbers, but I believe the engine plants were at full capacity. At some point, we got all LT1 manual transmission cars.

The above statement is from a reliable source at the factory who wishes to remain unnamed. This would explain the Corvette side of it.

[2020SS1LE]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

Ask those owners, and you do the same, to look at the window sticker. That tells you right in there where the engine was built.

Sticker is not very helpful in this area. Mine states final assembly point was Lansing Mi USA, engine United States, Transmission Mexico.

[2020SS1LE]

Originally Posted by twinschief

That was my assumption as to why some of these 2020 engines may have been built there. Probably to keep people employed between c7 production ending and c8 production starting. We might have a nice interesting fact in a few years if only a few months of 2020 camaros received one man one engine built LT1s. (FYI mine was built by a woman named Jennifer so yes woman can build engines) haha

Could be. May never find out the actual reason they were put in certain Camaros. Counting myself you are the 5 th person to reply to my threads who has this plaque on their 2020 SS 1LEs. The common thread so far seems to be the cars are 2020 SS 1LEs which do have manual transmissions.

One thing for certain as it stands now the numbers of cars with the hand build will be low compared to the total number of the total Camaros built.