Budget Hop-Up for a daily driver

[PA-IndianRider]

I know you guys are all shakin' your head saying "I knew he wouldn't leave that El Camino eventually do it"..... yeap gonna swap out the V6 - 3 speed manual for the 350 - 4 bolt I have collecting "dust" in my workshop mated to a 4 speed. Just like you guys... can't seem to leave "anything" alone (stock) for too long...HA!!

Even so I am NOT going to do much more than the V8 swap other than some "dress-up" items on the engine and possibly some "LOW-BUCK" performance upgrades.

The engine was running (purring like a kitten) when I yanked it out of '72 C10.

I plan to take a look inside the engine to make sure all is well .... and hopefully I will not have to rebuild. With "swap meet season" just around the corner here in western Pa I am going to keep my eyes open for a better set of heads to rebuild. Would prefer to use something better rather than getting a valve job/etc on the "stock ones"

ONE.... I on't want to tie up too much money (unless you want to donate...ha!!!) and mainly because it is a daily driver....and TWO.... it's NOT a race or show car.

I do have a NEW Edelbrock "Performer - Air gap" also laying around in the shop that I "could use".... also would upgrade fuel system alittle with electric fuel pump, more efficent fuel filter and of course some kind of "ignition" grade and headers.

Like I said before.... being I am trying NOT to have the engine completely rebuilt I know will also LIMIT the amount of hop-ups I can do without asking for trouble.

Based on my "history" with hot rods .... It'll be tough to HOLD BACK.... a "mild" street cam would be nice for added performance & fuel economy.... and also rump-rump sound.... but being the El C is driven daily (and in the Winter as well) I know i need to keep things "under control" and not turn this into a "fussy car" that is tempermental and a hassle to drive on the street ....especially during cold weather.

Would appreciate any suggestions & advice.... thanks.

[djracer]

I know where you can get a deal on some new gm fastburn aluminum heads. They are a deal but still not crazy cheap. 950 shipped to you with heads gaskets if he still has them. they are about 1300 in Jegs without head gaskets.

[Marv D]

OK,,, cheap, mild upgrades, add a 'little' better than stock.
Start with a decent exhaust system. 99% of the cars out there can use some dramatic improvement there. You don't want 3" flomasters and monster pipe,, a nice 2.5" true dual exhaust is just perfect for most ANY driver. Intake and carb,, well it's hard to improve on the efficiency and reliability of a stinking ol Q-jet in good working order (quadraflood POS I hate those things,,, and hate that they work so well) So depending on your intake, it may take the spread bore or not, let that be your guide on what you do for intake and carb. No sense in dumping a ton of $'s in improving induction if the motor doesn't need it. And it probably won't need it unless you change the engines way of thinking (cam) Don't get stupid there eoither,,, a little 268H is about all a stock emmissions era motor (heads and compression) can tolerate.
So,,,,, exhaust upgrade, maybe a mild cam, and intake and carb IF the one you have is in poor shape.

[Super73]

Originally Posted by PA-IndianRider

"mild" street cam would be nice for added performance & fuel economy.... and also rump-rump sound....

Ok, that is a tall order there. Typically when you go bigger on a cam your gas mileage doesn't improve it gets worse. That rump-rump sound has a lot to do with how many degrees of overlap and where the exhaust valve opens. The more overlap generally speaking the less volumetric efficiancy you have at lower RPMs. The sooner the exhaust valve opens a lesser force is put on the piston taking away some power.

But on the flip side, the more overlap, the further it moves your TQ band up in RPM to make HP. The sooner the exhaust valve is opened, it aids in reducing pumping losses by allowing the gasses to have more time to exit.

I would suggest using a custom grind if your going to do a cam in it.

Decisions decisions...

[Pyrotechnic]

What ratio's does the 4 speed have, what rear end gear are you running, and what tire size ?

[grinch4om]

for me, if the 350 is sound, put it in stock, 4 speed,(a 5 speed would be ideal), good exhaust and drive the wheels off it. Stock q-jet, a/c maybe even cruise and drive a car you don't have to think about. Turn up the tunes and enjoy a stock no breakdown vehicle.

[PA-IndianRider]

From all the answers/replies I have had from you on this thread & all the others all of you have replied to me in the past I bet a dime to a dollar you know the "tuggin' & pullin' I am going thru with this project. My "piston head" self (high performance) is tuggin' me in one way & and my "be-economical" other-self (boring) is pullin' me in the other direction.

If this was an "all out" build project I would just take the 350 to the shop for a complete rebuild and add the "right stuff" inner & outer parts to make the perfect street/strip machine..... but it isn't. But even so the more I think about this "project daily driver" the more I think I need to have the engine rebuild done.

As I write this I am reminded of the saying "what time & money I save now will only be wasted when I have to do it the RIGHT WAY later". That goal would be .... a 350 with around 300 - 325 hp .... yet mild enough to be a good for daily year round driver .... possible ??????

The V6 El C already has a new MagnaFlow catback 2 1/2" exhaust (with no catalitic converter) which I will adapt to the new V8 full length headers. (No emission inspection being the car will NOT log over 5k per year)

Yes...decisions... decisions....decisions .....

[Super73]

I think it is very doable with the right combo. For instance (slightly extream) take my friends early 90's RX7 LS1 swap. He went with a "stealth cam" and AFR heads on a stock shortblock. Car makes 400+ rwhp through a 3,600rpm stall yet idles like stock and I do mean that. Has run a best of 10.4x on motor with a good DA and countless 10.5-10.6's.

Car drives to the track getting mid 20mpg..

Given it is sub 3000lbs but my point is alot is posible if it is well thought out. It just might cost you some money.

Rebuild the shortblock. Use stock stuff for the time being. Think about this combo and put some money away towards it. It isn't that hard to pull heads and a cam out later and put the better stuff on it. Doing it right the first time well, it can be done in stages sort of..

[PA-IndianRider]

Originally Posted by Super73

...... Rebuild the shortblock. .... Use stock stuff for the time being. Think about this combo and put some money away towards it. It isn't that hard to pull heads and a cam out later and put the better stuff on it. Doing it right the first time well, it can be done in stages sort of..

This is probably the direction I am leaning towards .... but will probably get a set of heads rather than rebuilding the stock ones..... some sort of mild street/strip cam and a Performer manifold with Holley carb.

[Rodms]

Well I'm gonna be nice ,to heck with the dress up crap ,the worst looking crap I've ever seen would fly,Don't be afraid to buy some used parts and paint them suckers black,Its nice to look nice but if you win everyboby will want it!!!!