need help on which route to take for a motor

[Cbrown67]

i need some opinions
I am looking at my options as far as a motor

I am having a toruble deciding between a 327 a 350 a 427 or a 454

here is what it would go in
69 c20 with 38 inch tires on it. im not looking to go wheeling with this truck more for show

now i know 327's love reving high 350's are very coman so parts are plentaful and with big blocks you can gain massive amoutns of tourque and high horse power which some inside work

now i dont think i would need a 4 bolt main of any point ebcause i dont plan on beating the snot out of it wheeling

let me know what you guys think

[Kerry P]

If I were going to use it everyday I go small block, preferably 383. If its a toy bigger is better.

Kerry P

[kwmech]

C20 with 38's??? 4x4 would be a K20. If just for show I'd go with a 383. Lot of work to get a big block stuffed into a 4x and make it right

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by kwmech

C20 with 38's??? 4x4 would be a K20. If just for show I'd go with a 383. Lot of work to get a big block stuffed into a 4x and make it right

this one. You can get bigger stroker combos, but this will be an easy choice.

[rollinhard]

I was running a 402bb in this truck with a mild build and it worked awsome but make sure you get a good cam combo

[Cbrown67]

thanks guys!

and yes it is a c20 haha

[bigsnookmaster]

I'd go with a 406 small block, or if you go BB, I'd go 454. There's no replacement for displacement!

[panda68]

bb all the way. good power and they look freakin cool.

[kwmech]

38s on a 2 wd?...........interesting on how that's gonna look

[C20-67_N_MO]

Originally Posted by kwmech

38s on a 2 wd?...........interesting on how that's gonna look

I was thinking the samething.



You have a 4x4 right?

[Stocker]

38s on a 2WD truck? First time for everything... I'd love to see pics.

[BIGBLU 72]

my vote goes for a 400 small block! a lot of ppl will hate on them but in my opinion they are greatest motor GM made. big block cubes in a small block shell!

[my67c20]

Have a 383 with a 4:56 rear and granny trans. Love it lots of rpm and torque. Bad part is people look and all they see is a small block. Buy thats my vote

[llowlife]

Depends on your budget and patience. If you need to work alot of parts etc sometimes its almost as cheap to build a stroker (383) If you have a good 350 motor that doesn't need too much work (not as likely as you may think) you can build a very nice 350. After you get done working the heads it may be cheaper to go with an aftermarket set. You can make some serious torque with a 383 and still have a nice daily driver.

I built a 72 4x4 with a 454...it was alot of work but was worth it when it was done. I still regret selling it to South Dakota...needed the money. Boils down to again how big the budget and how patient are you and what is your building experience, or what are you willing to learn. After looking around it seems BB parts may almost be cheaper to an extent.....

I have a 388 that I am just putting the finishing touches on. I have been building chevys for over 30 years and this one taxed even my patience at times. A stroker can take alot of work to fit together if it decided it wants to be difficult. Some fit well others are a labor of love...its a roll of the dice sometimes

[BADPURPLE70CHEVY]

Originally Posted by bigsnookmaster

I'd go with a 406 small block, or if you go BB, I'd go 454. There's no replacement for displacement!

Got a fresh 406 in mine and the torque and power is hard to beat.

[capev86]

why would you want a 327 in a truck?

383 is the best bang for the buck.....350 practicality and economy but with more torque.

the 400's are very nice but not as durable due to the siamese cylinders. i do have a low mile 406 that has cross drilling in the block AND heads and it never had cooling issues while towing, but something to consider. i'd just build a stroker out of the stock 307 in my 72 burb c20 if i didn't have this engine already.

there is a company out there that makes deep skirt blocks based on the 55-95 small blocks but allow you to run a 4 inch stroke vs the 3.75 out of the 400. you can get it way past a stock 454 in size. if going the LS route, the vette z06 ls7 7.0 is very alluring, and i hear there is an aftermarket ls based block that can take up to a 4.5" stroke.

big blocks definitely have the wow factor, but i'd rather run a banks powered duramax if i need that kind of power. never in a rush when driving my 72 burb. it's all about towing power!

[Cbrown67]

thanks guys alot of good info here

and hahaha it is 4 wheel drive not 2

[72marino]

id go 383 stroker. cheaper than a bb build and just as powerful. my 2 cents. but i also have a turbo 6 buick that can out do bb and smallblock hee hee hee

[Bad70sbchevy]

Hey, if you want a lot of low end torque for cheap, what about a straight 6. Either that or a 383.

[ChevLoRay]

Go with a 292 inline and visit the Clifford website and pick out your goodies.

But, there's no substitute for cubic inches.

[mr48chev]

I guess we first need to ask what it has in it now or what it came with originally. Most likely it started out with a 350 and has all the pieces to mount a small block. I'd vote with going with a stroker small block or the 406 small block for ease of installation.
It may not have quite the "Bubba" factor of a big block but if you aren't going to use it to tow with or haul a camper the extra power is a bit of a waste anyhow.

If it is primarily a show rig I'd say a good running healthy sounding engine that is extremely well detailed with all detail items coordinated with each other is more important than what size the engine is.

[Ole Greenie]

My truck originally had a 307 in it. At some point that motor was swapped for a 454 which was tired when I got it. I found a loaner truck with a fresh LS6 BB in it. It was a 72 Long bed the guy used for towing his toy hauler. It had about 5000 miles on it. I swapped out motors and resold the loaner truck. Cost me about $350 for a crate LS6.

Just another way to skin a cat. I like the 383 too! Great motor. Bottom line is determine what you want and work to get it. Don't settle.

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by Ole Greenie

My truck originally had a 307 in it. At some point that motor was swapped for a 454 which was tired when I got it. I found a loaner truck with a fresh LS6 BB in it. It was a 72 Long bed the guy used for towing his toy hauler. It had about 5000 miles on it. I swapped out motors and resold the loaner truck. Cost me about $350 for a crate LS6.

Just another way to skin a cat. I like the 383 too! Great motor. Bottom line is determine what you want and work to get it. Don't settle.

REAL LS6, or modern LS6?



or

[Ole Greenie]

Yea...a REAL LS6...When I talk to chevy folks about the motor in it and without looking, they think it is a newer LS6-5.7L motor...although the newer generation motors are the way to go if you drive everyday. At 11-13 mpg, the BB is a bit thirsty!

[Bad70sbchevy]

Dang, thats pretty good for a big block, my 355 sbc only gets as high as 12 going down hill with a good tailwind granted mine wasn't set up for daily driving.