Ok, I dont want to go cheap but I dont want to go expensive.
Either SBC or BBC, n/a.

Post some good combo's..this will be going in the 73 I used to own (brother is buying it from the guy I sold it to) and since he's young (21) and goes to college he doesnt have the money to build a 11-12 sec car so I volunteered to help.

 

I always liked 427 BBCs, but on a budget I might go with a really worked 350 or 400 smallblock. Its cheaper than the BBC, and therefore you can buy better parts for the 350/400 ( higher performance cam,heads,pistons,etc.) I'll try to think of a powerful, but cheap, setup for you.

later.

 

Got-Lt1 - thanks! i've got a few ideas, but I want to hear from some old-schoolers and young'uns for their ideas.

 

Alex,
You can't go wrong with a good ol 406. You can make these mild to wild and still do it on a budget. I have 2 of them one mild (79) and one wild (68) I can help you out on the details with either one of the motors I have if you want some specific ideas when you decide.
Cory

 

To go fast cheap, I always liked cubic hp. Used big engines that came out of 68-70's full size cars are gotten for almost nothing and go real fast with minor work. When my 383 goes belly up, I will be putting in a 455 pontiac! The motor will cost $200, intake $150, cam/lifters $150. After all is rebuilt, I expect 450 hp for less than $1000.

 

I don't know if you guys want a project or just something that'll get the car up and running pretty quick, but I always wanted to do a twin turbo SBC. You can do it on a budget too if you don't mind doing a little fabricating. I know you said N/A but I've always been fascinated by turbos and wondered why domestic builders never really embraced them.

I'll try to find the mustang page [Yes, I know, blasphemy, but it was a budget setup] where they turned shorty headers upside down and mounted the turbo's from a Thunderbird super coupe right to the collectors. It was even a carbureated setup if I remember right [I want to say Holley 750 DP].

That's hopefully my project after I get out of college, but maybe you guys can find the bugs for me

 

nape/all: thanks for the replies. I like the idea of a turbo charged sbc, but its a pain in the butt just finishing my blown 68 and I dont want to go through that until I decide to rebuild mine. I like the idea of running n2o, so I'm kinda leaning towards a all motor 468bbc+ or a 383/406sbc w/200 shot of n2o. Its about 2-3 months off before I start but I just want to toss around a few ideas cause I'm tired of researching and lookin around
heads for sbc, 220cc Pro Lightning heads 10-1 CR, victor jr intake, 750 holley.

 

Do i qualify as an old schooler?

Small block on spray id say forgo the engine build..Buy the 350/330HP GM crate engine..Run a vortec perfromer rpm maybe some roller rockers,demon 750 and a 175 shot..With 1 3/4 headers and a ram air box for the air cleaner..That will get him in the 12s with traction a shallow converter and gears..Thats off teh top of my haid..

As for the big block id get a solid short block 468 is the easy one to build and run some performer rpm heads a hydro cam like in the 280 total duration range and at least an 830 cfm carb...

 

I got that motor and I run 12.9's, so that setup should go faster.

 

i would go with a 400 small black with a federal mougal rebuild kit If you could get a core for a 400 you can get a remanufactered 400 that is only lacking intake, carb and distubtor it will even come with oil plugs and oil filter internally balanced and blueprinted. for about 800$ with a 500$ core

 

you looking for a street motor, or something crazy?
The good ol' 377 idea strikes me as fun - get some heads with a real shallow valve angle, tiny chambers, and put a solid roller in there for real RPM's

you can also de-stroke a 502BBC with a custom crank, and make something for equal RPM's, but with a whole lot more cubes.

 

Well, to add my $0.02............

I really liked the 383 that I had in my '81 Z28 --- it had enough torque to pull down a house (or at least it felt like it did!) and IMO, torque is a lot more important than HP. I had 2 different sets of gears in that car when I had it --- 2.56's originally, and then I switched to a set of 3.42's. Even with the 2.56's, the car would pull strong out of the hole, and yet up top it had tons of room to play (and although I never had a speedo that read high enough, I know it would have been good for ~150MPH+). With 3.42's, the car had "neck-snapping" power off the line, and was still "snappy" on the high-way (but without O.D., it was screaming to run above 100MPH).

The motor I had didn't really have a "wild" camshaft (for gas-saving reasons!) but I know that with a nice roller cam, or even a higher lift flat tappet (hydraulic or solid) cam, it had way more potential than what it was putting out. Take a look at my sig below, and on the page for my '81 it lists all of the stuff the engine had.

Nowadays, it seems that more and more people are building strokers, so the price for stroker kits isn't that bad. Also, the benefit to a 383 IMO, is that you can stick with a 350 block, which is much more common than a 400 SB, and is easier to find in a 4-bolt version (I don't even know if 400's came in 4-bolt versions?? ). HTH

 

This is going to be a daily driver, right? I imagine he wants to keep the a/c and power brakes and such..
For good torque, and MPG, try this...
find a good 305 core, pick up the 400 crank/rods/piston kit from Speedomotive or PAW, or gather your own. Vortech heads, and either a 750 vac sec, or EFI conversion (budget permitting).. a nice hyd roller similar to the hot cam (or use a late model 305 block and run the Hot Cam Kit) Do some home bowl cleanup on the heads, some 1-5/8 headers, and a 700R4 with a 2800 stall, 3.42 rear gears.
A similar motor with no port work, a CC 268 hyd flat tappet, and dual plane, made 400 tq, 330 hp at the flywheel. And the 305 bores are smaller, and help out on the gas mileage. Plus good 305 cores are a dime a dozen. Try finding a 400 block in good shape cheap...
If you use forged pistons in it, spray a 200 shot, assuming good traction, it might see high elevens...

 

Real simple combo, that can go 11's even if you mess somethin up:

468ci bbc
Studded 2-bolt block
Reconditioned 7/16" GM Rods
Eagle 4340 4" stroke crank
-781 or -049 casting Oval Port open chamber heads
-minor bowl work/casting clean up, performance valve job, 2.19/1.88 valves
Performer RPM intake
750 Mighty Demon Carb
1 7/8" headers
Camshaft:
If budget allows, a mild Solid Roller would be optimal for power. Something around 256*-262* duration and a 112-114 lsa for nitrous.
If short on cash, I'd use a Comp 304S solid flat tappet, 260*/.629" lift/110* lsa

Either cam will make 500+ hp/500+ lb.ft. with the solid roller probably picking up some 35-45 hp over the solid. This combo runs mid 11's in a 10" tire 4,000lb chevelle. 200+ horsepower worth of nitrous and a 500-1000lb lighter car, and your goin LOW 10's or high 9's with a properly tuned chassis.

 

joe: Thanks! I was looking for someone to post something like that. Thank you to all who posted though! What if I make my bro's motor too good and he beats me?