The Backstory
The plan for this engine was never to do a giveaway — it wasn't even our engine. A customer had brought it to us to put the Whipple blower on, the Wegner front drive kit, a few internal upgrades, and dyno it.
After doing all of that, we got word from the customer's son that his father had fallen and was seriously injured. Faced with a long road to recovery and mounting medical bills, they asked if we would be interested in buying the engine from them.
The Build
By the time this engine was ready to leave the shop, it had everything done right. The Whipple blower was on, the Wegner front drive system was fitted, internal upgrades were completed, and it had been strapped to the dyno. This wasn't a half-finished project — it was a complete, proven combination ready to drop in a car.
When the family asked if Steve Morris Engines would buy the engine, the answer led somewhere unexpected.
"We didn't really have a use for the engine, so we decided to give it away."
— Steve Morris Engines, on why the 454 LSX became a giveaway
What could have been a simple transaction became an opportunity to put a fully built, dyno-tested 454 LSX into the hands of someone in the community — at no cost to them. That's the kind of decision that defines how Steve Morris Engines operates.
When the name came up, it went to someone ready to put the engine to work immediately.
Stephen had a 2011 Chevy truck waiting for exactly this kind of combination. The engine went straight in — and we're excited to see it driving and putting the power down.
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