ARRGH!!! Which engine?

[elks]

Well I am now starting to plan my build for my grandpa's 72 longbed. I want to build the engine and drive train first.

So I am looking at options. I will have about $6000 grand to build my motor. Note this is for the parts, all labor will be done my self. My big issue is what to build.

I am thinking about going crazy building a massive horsepower truck that looks like a sleeper. I am talking about a truck that pulls up to the light and trows you into your seat then trows you again jumping gears all the way up.

My original thought was taking the 350 in it (stock never rebuilt, has a thrown rod) and building a 383 Stroker that puts out some good horse power. Also then gearing.

Or going big block power and making a tire burning monster...

Either way I am looking for a hot rod type of vehicle that may go for a cruise every once and a while...

What do you think? I could also take a 350 and go pretty extreme.

[rideharder]

may not be the "typical" motors but id go for a
-351/379/401/432/478 CI bigblock V6 (preferably a bigger one) 478 has 430+ft# torque at 1400rpm.
-637 cubic inch (10.4 L) 60° V8. one big ass small motor lol
-62 to 65? 409 w code.
-63 alum. block 427 w code...only 128 ever made in cars with 10 extra motors as spares.
- or a 283 with a 265 crank in a 327 block...ballin 302 that with a lot of head work can hit 9000rpm and maby a turbo.

thoes were all my options...then i desided to go with a cummins. easier and cheeper lol.
may be going over your 6k mark with some of thies but would e a one off for sure.


but seriously u could build a 302 and rev it to the moon or 383 and get a good torque range. mod up a 396 and make more torque and be a little diffrent. cant stand the 350 craze, not saying its not a great motor to build but way to over played in my books.. hence my options^

EDIT: Oh also the 05-07 alum. block 327 HO are a killer motor with good power and milage. and could be had for a prety good price at a reckin yard. and they take mods well

[Duncan and son]

The only subtitute for cubic inches is cubic dollars

[Youngbuck7072]

i would buy a 454 and stroke it to a 496 with the kind of money your working with. If you want to make mad power, get a turbo off a cummins...

[Beat68CST]

BBC!

396/402/427/454 With 049 heads, .125 dome top pistons, roller cam, nice matching aluminum oval port intake, find a good forged stock crank, (which I have a few :P)

that would be cool (:

[Jacfourteen]

Big block!

[tantrumpipeline]

bbc, no replacementfor displacement

[northerngmc]

lsx






All for around $6000........

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by northerngmc

lsxAll for around $6000........

There ya go. Why put a boat anchor in when you can have an LSx.

[Pop's C-10]

For 6 g's you could get LS based drop out with trans & all...add a cam & tune..

[stich626]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

There ya go. Why put a boat anchor in when you can have an LSx.

easy.. it be way over 6k
mounts/headers/wire'n it up
front dress, etc

I love my bbc but the cost of all the little parts added to the cost, and it adds up quick..

if you can find a bbc with everything (dressed) to rebuild you'll be miles a head..
most junk yards are not parting out ls' based engines yet..
so getting the assesory brackets etc will add to the cost..

you have a sbc.. I'd take the 6k and build a 378(383 but only 30 over not 60) as you said it's never been overbored..
and use the extra cast left over to buils a drivetrain that will not go boom behind it..

goood luck..
FYI you can get 6.0 ls engines for under 1600.oo j/y if you plan on going that route.. no reason to pay 6k for one..

[ChevLoRay]

You should be able to find a 6.0 in the wrecking yards, mate it to a 4L80E using available wiring harnesses from the aftermarket, and add a cam/kit and a little tweaking of the heads and have something that is driveable and will perform. And....you should have some money left over.

My experiences with arbitrary "budget" limits is that they are frequently over-shot and that's not good. My $7500 build budget on my '69 is probably twice that amount and it's not done.

You sound like a younger person, to me. We all have dreams....and we should. It's what makes life, liveable.

My opinion stands, though. Go with something that is common-place, like an LS-series engine and do a little tweaking with it. Knowing that there is no substitute for cubic inches, locate that 6.0 and start from their. They're becoming common-place in the wrecking yards, and that brings the prices down. A big block is not as common as it one was. That makes the initial purchase higher than a small block. An alternative is to find a complete vehicle that has the engine you want, but it needs to be a running specimen. What are the chances that you can locate what you want?

Don't let your emotions run away with your checkbook....

[stich626]

tons of wrecked caddy's with the 6.2 alum block with auto
2500.00ish will get you the whole thing, (engine/tranny/ecu etc)

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

You should be able to find a 6.0 in the wrecking yards, mate it to a 4L80E using available wiring harnesses from the aftermarket, and add a cam/kit and a little tweaking of the heads and have something that is driveable and will perform. And....you should have some money left over.

Don't most 6.0's already have a 4L80E? Maybe only the 1500hd's didn't?
What would "tweaking the heads cost" and how much gain would that net?

[stich626]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Don't most 6.0's already have a 4L80E? Maybe only the 1500hd's didn't?
What would "tweaking the heads cost" and how much gain would that net?

I'd leave the head as is,, the hd trucks got the 4l80
most others the 4l60
the caddy 6.2 is 400+ and these trucks are not as big or heavy

[brad_man_72]

there's a reason everybody is swapping in ls based engines into everything. Cam tune turbo.

I'd put the truck on a diet starting off with a short bed! Lol less weight and shorter wheelase. Throw in a under bed fuel cell and you should have alot more traction.

[angelo_32806]

I did a edelbrock RPM kit
Heads cam intake and carb on a .030 over 350 and I am very happy and spent about $4500.00

[LEEVON]

If you want simple, cheap and powerful get a 6.0L (approx $1500), add another $2k for carb intake, msd 6010 controller, cam, springs, pushrods, carb, headers, adapter plates, trans adapter and an electric fuel pump.

You can make 400-450hp cheap and easy. No need to spend big $$$ on machining or on a crate LSx...

I can't justify building another small block.

[mcbassin]

Definetly go with the big LS engine and $6K should be more than enough if you don't go crazy on mods. And you said you were building it. There are a bunch of guys on here that have done it. Check with Don (68 Short Step)
here are some of his threads:
Link
Link
Link
Dennis the mennis:

Link

[292farmer]

292ci I6 bored .060 with larrow and sons blower intake, with 144 weiand blower 650cfm holley double pumper. 290* clifford cam, rhoads lifters. long tube headers, lump port kits 2.02int/1.6exh valves. should be good for 500hp and 650lbs torque@6psi. be one hell of a motor different too!! heres a vid of one such 292 not sure his hp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVP0B48Od9 o[/ame]"]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVP0B48Od9 o

[67ss&99ss]

$5699.99, 454 c.i. 425 hp, 500 ft lbs, will run on 87 octane and a warranty, looks like 2 years or 50,000 miles.

http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...68774/10002/-1

[Radman]

I built the 454/496 stroker combo with a 700r4 in my shortbox. from tear down to machine work to frt pulley combo you are looking at close to $10,000. thiswill get you close to 600hp and over 500lbs of torque and a idle that sounds like a prostoker!!! If i was doing it again it would be with a 6 ltr ls style combo with the carb and a cam upgrade. you get 500-525hp a idle thats just a little lumpy BUT you get 20-25 mpg and it looks way cool under the hood if you can find some after market valve covers that replace those crappy looking ones. These new style engines are great

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by 292farmer

292ci I6 bored .060 with larrow and sons blower intake, with 144 weiand blower 650cfm holley double pumper. 290* clifford cam, rhoads lifters. long tube headers, lump port kits 2.02int/1.6exh valves. should be good for 500hp and 650lbs torque@6psi. be one hell of a motor different too!! heres a vid of one such 292 not sure his hp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVP0B48Od9 o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVP0B48Od9 o[/URL]

that is sweet

[Fitz]

[QUOTE=292farmer;4287026]292ci I6 bored .060 with larrow and sons blower intake, with 144 weiand blower 650cfm holley double pumper./QUOTE]

A blown I6 is really cool!

[mrhino]

with 6K I could Build 4 kick ass small blocks.
Honestly, If I had 6k to put in a engine, It would be a LS for sure it would have more power than a big block and get 25MPG