Ok
I plan on rebuilding my engine.
I'm hoping to get atleast 450 horse,a decent ammount of torgue, enough to (at risk of sounding childish) "lay a patch" :jester and probably do the quarter in about 13 or less..
I was thinking about the whole elderbrock performer package thing. but I'm not sure it will make me happy.
I don't know too much if anything about rebuilding an engine...I have books and stuff I plan to read soon.
any suggestions from anyone who has done this and gotten in the area im looking for ?
Thanks again all !

 

How big is your budget?
If you can afford a stock 454, you should consider it.
Gobs of torque & reliability.

 

My budget flexes with my wants :D
I've actually been looking for a 454 but I can't even find a bare rusted out block at a reasonable price.
Have you done the conversion ?
How much (roughly) did it cost for the entire conversion ? brackets and everything.
But if I was to go with a 454 I'd probably want to go completly high performance, forged pistons uhh yaknow all that really strong stuff , and a blower..
So to hold me back I kind of want to stick to the 350 :D

 

I haven't installed a big block yet, but I wish someone forced me to build a 454 when I was messing around with a 383. Hindsight is 20/20.
If you stick to a budget of around $1400-$1500 and don't go over it, a small block is the ticket. In fact, for around 2k, you can get a GM crate motor from Scoggin Dickey or one of the other pref parts dealers. http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...tart&catid=120

 

I'm in the same boat except I'm using a 350 4 bolt from my dead Suburban. I've never built an engine so this should be a learning experience. I have no time table and no one is rushing me. I'll still be able to drive my '70 since that engine is still good but I want more power. I want a real high performance engine in my Vette and I just couldn't throw that Sub's 350 away. Anyway the engine is still in the Sub and I hope to have it removed within the next two weeks. I've been disconnecting things a little at a time the last couple weeks.

I've had my eye on this ZZ-450 for some time. I printed up a parts list for this engine and plan to build myself a ZZ-450 clone! I priced a few of the parts and the most expensive item so far were the heads! $1,500 I think, and the Scat crank was about $600. Based on the list the engine should roughly cost about $3,500 or so just for the parts. But it'll be one screaming SB.





[Modified by 1970 Stingray, 9:48 PM 9/20/2001]

 

First, you don't need 450 HP to spin the tires. A $1200 Mister Goodwrench will turn the tires. 450 HP on the street is a lot and even a big block huffs and puffs to get that. Aim lower, like a 350/350, that will snap you head back.

Suggestion,
Build a very high reving 350. Big heads and a lopey cam. Wind it up and spin the tires to Firestone. :D

 

1970stingray, That seems perfectly what I want.
A little pricey though...
'bout $6500
maybe I could find some other options to get something like that ?

 

I agree with 71coupe.

I just replaced the dead l48 in my 76 with a 350 rated at 350hp. The local speed shop here sells crate engines with warranty and was all my vette needs. I had the shop make some minor changes such as cam and valve springs, but other than that it was basicly the same engine as the gm 350/350 crate engine.

If these guys would not have been local, reputable, and included a warranty,... I would of went with a gm crate. They have a good warranty, and if you have a chevy dealer near you then you can get the engine.

And the 350/350hp is modestly priced and you know you will have your warranty backed by a local gm dealer.

 

So how much did you pay for your local "crate engine"?

 

I paid $1500.00 for:

- A 350 4bolt seasoned block it was hot tanked and magnafluxed for cracks, then bored and align honed 30 over.
- New clevite cam bearing installed as well as pioneer freeze plugs.
- The crank was turned 10 10 on the rod and main journals.
- The rods were totally reconditoned and stress releaved.
- Felpro gaskets (thin shim head gaskets for more compression)
- New Keith Black hyperutectic flat top pistons installed on the rods and hasting rings.
- A new high volume oil pump installed and pick up screen.
- All bearings are clevite 77
- Comp cam Hi Energy rockers/ pushrods
- Comp Cam xe274h Duration(274in/286ex) Valve(.487in/.480ex) @ 110 & lifters
- A new cloyes double roller timing chain.
- 882 casting number heads that have all new guides and 3 angle valve job. the valve size is 1.94 INT and 1.50 exh.
- New Z-28 springs were installed to help the new camshaft.
- Edelbrock Performer dual plane intake
- Harmonic balancer
- Flow Kooler water pump
- oil pan/timing cover/valve covers.

I think that was a great deal considering he is giving me a 1yr 20,000 warranty since he installed. The cost was less than a GM crate 350/350 by far, but had I not grew up with the guy and been friends for almost 25 yrs I doubt I would of gotten off so cheeply. So I would not use this cost as a comparision guide.




[Modified by 1976C3, 9:16 AM 9/21/2001]

 

1 Base model GMPP 4-Bolt crate engine - $1200
+
1 Set Vortec Heads Assembled - $400
+
1 CompCams XE268H Camshaft - $100
+
1 Set Coated Headers - $250
+
1 Edelbrock Performer Aluminum Intake - $100

=384hp and 401 lb-ft. of torque for $2050

This a similar setup to what I'm running... minus the heads. Their cost precludes them for me at the moment. Check out this link for more info... http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/cl.../chp/gm350.htm

 

Ya, that's a little pricey for me too. I'm hoping to save some bucks buyin the parts and doing the assembly myself!

 

e3press - The Vortecs are good, but you can't go over .450" valve lift without machining the guides down. That XE268 cam you have has a .480" lift. with 1.5 rockers (might be a little noisy)

 

Here is what I have in the works. 427, 12.5 compression, L-88 cam, heads yet to be determined, 2 inch headers, hopefully tripower, but if not chevy hi rise with 850 dp, crane HI6 ignition, If cam to much will drop to 435 cam which is nice street cam with 520 lift. :cool: :blueangel: