Chevrolet's ZZ632 big block engine may be the most recognizable crate engine in the 10.3-liter displacement class, with a price of around $34,000. But it isn't the only 632ci big block available.

The U.S. is known as the land of excess for many reasons. Take the automotive landscape, for example. You have big SUVs and even bigger engines. However, there was a time when engines in American cars ...