The new short-deck cast-iron Bow-Tie block (available this spring as part No. 24502650) measures only 8.200 inches from crankshaft to deck, .825 inches shorter than a standard block.

It all started with the Task Force pickup truck, which received the small block in 1954 for the 1955 model year.It was the G1 265-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) V8 unit, which generated 180 horsepower and ...