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Not sure if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon. After driving and listening to a big block vette, my other rides are lacking something. Displacement. Always been a fan of small blocks and the way they can interchange. Plentiful and inexpensive to modify. Figured any small block could be modified to the point where it could smoke a BB. That may or may not be true. I am now hopelessly hooked on Rat engines. Started a search on Craigslist for an early bone stock unmolested 454 to modify. Believe it or not that was not easy. 454s are becoming scarce. At least the early blocks, pre 74. Finally found one out of a 74 GM 1 ton. Score, 500$ complete. Gonna start tearing it down this weekend. I hope there are no surprises. So what do you prefer, taste great or less filling.?
Well, IF you leave the engine in the back, as you show it, You will experience VAST improvement of vehicle dynamics......especially in straight line traction. in other words, your truck will become a legendary "street racing sleeper".
just buy 1 of my 588'' engines, only dyno time,alum heads 1150 holley dom carbs,.724'' lift full roller setups,bowtie blocks,cola stroker cranks,manley h-beam rods,750hp at 5200 rpms [with lots to go] on pump gas
just buy 1 of my 588'' engines, only dyno time,alum heads 1150 holley dom carbs,.724'' lift full roller setups,bowtie blocks,cola stroker cranks,manley h-beam rods,750hp at 5200 rpms [with lots to go] on pump gas
$$$$. Big block power = $$$$. dmaxx that engine you described sounds awesome. Also sounds expensive. Finding out that BB engines are big money to build. Gonna try to build this one on a budget. If that's possible.
$$$$. Big block power = $$$$. dmaxx that engine you described sounds awesome. Also sounds expensive. Finding out that BB engines are big money to build. Gonna try to build this one on a budget. If that's possible.
Ray
A BB on a budget is possible. I just dropped $12k into a "little" 496. Pretty much everything from the throwout bearing to the water pump.
Well, has taken a bit longer than anticipated to get this build going but here it is. Had some subscribers to my post and wanted to follow up. The machine work has been done for a while now, but the Corvette has been taking up a lot of my spare time. With summer winding down, I figured I had better get this going.
I stuck with the plan of building a budget Rat found on Craigslist. Feeling Like my small block cars just don’t have the torque that the Corvette has. I now have everything needed stem to stern to put it together. It came in at just a hair over 4 grand and is expected to put out north of 500hp. I wanted more H.P. but the cost goes way up past 500 and after all, this is on a budget.
Machine work is outstanding, Thank you Rob. Here are some pics of the block and heads sporting fresh VHT Chevy orange.
The 454 in my 68 convert came out of a 78 1 ton truck. The RV and old truck section in the junkyard is the best place to look for a used motor. The PO of my car started adding power and I am finishing the job. Nothing beats the exhaust sound and wide torque curve. Good luck on yours.
At the shop waiting for the trans to be rebuilt and installed on the block before I picked it all up. Attachment 48345903
All installed back into the '68. Waiting on me to finish up additional work before the first test drive, but did a light break in at 2000rpm for a half hour or so. Attachment 48345904
I remember when I first joined offshoreonly. And they were talking about 454 s and there were saying that's just too much cam for such a small engine. And I'm thinking what? And then I see some of the cubes those guys are running 6500 RPM full throttle all day long. they don't even want to bother with 502 blocks cuz the bores are too small. Course 300 hours and it needs a new top-end. And they generally have two of them side-by-side.
Last edited by derekderek; Oct 26, 2018 at 06:18 PM.
"Jealous" can be a fun way for me express when to me someone has something sweet i would love to own but i have seen "jealousy" make some people very angry, bitter souls,
Year car, body style, and in this case the engine can and does cause that.
Re re reading this 2017 thread and what i wrote back then my feelings have only intensified,
My 454 was sadly tampered with, it will need to be gone through and being ADD and OCD it drifted into my mind should i just go small block and i quickly knew for me no way, it would feel like settling, like something was missing.
Sure there will be small blocks that can spank my bb but they will have much more money in them than i do my bb,
I do like being able to say yes, my corvette IS a big block,
So if all a person wants or needs or desires is small block i support that for them but this thread is about bbs and i for one get it...and have mine
Last edited by The13Bats; Oct 26, 2018 at 07:36 PM.
