Sometimes steping back into older technology is better than dealing with those with the new. The C4 guys are great but they are beefing up TPI's, stealth rams, etc. And the build I'd like to do is not related to the C4. So I'm hoping your guys will be more up my alley

I have a 1980 el camino, That I'm building for the 1/4 mile and once a month street use. (mpg... HA!) Money is a problem.... I have it, it's there, but have to go cheap and good (BUDGET!!!). With that said, I know what I want to do will not be easy, nor cheap but PLEASE keep in mind I'm a 21 year old, F/T college student, F/T worker, and I'm helping my parents whom have some health issues. The money I have established isn't something I can replenish quickly, so I want to get this build right the first time.

Here's what I have:

1980 el camino roughly 3000lbs (current state)
400 CID (std bore) block, 509 cast.
stock crank, -.010
Heads - 882 drilled for 400 block
intake - torker II, air gap, performer (i have a few intakes.)
Carb - 750 cfm edelbrock
NOS - edelbrock system #70001 I believe
Cam - dont have specs on hand but it's supposedly a 3/4 race cam (already New in motor)
Long tube headers (p/n 85001 dynomax)
Timing gears too

I dont have but thinking about:
Rods - 5.7
Pistons - Forged flat top/.100 dome (10.5-11:1 compression)

I believe that's about it?

I'm wanting to run a 10 second 1/4. I don't care if it's 10.9 or 10 flat .... I know gearing is the key to a fast time, But I can't gear the car without built motor to tune from. So TQ is king, @ 5252rpms HP becomes top dog.... I'm pretty sure anything close to 650hp will place me in the tens with a full frame G-body. I'm sure you guys have more experience than me.

please keep it simple and to the point. IF you've built 377+ please list compnents and part numbers if you can. I havent been to the strip in awhile as a driver.... I want to go back! It'd be like winning my own personal award of achievement.

Note: This is the only motor I have.

 

Whats your compression ratio now? and what kinda condition is your bottom end in? Have you done a leakdown test or compression test? Some things you may want to know before making any decisions.

 

That's a good question the rods and pistons that are in it came with it. However after being rebuilt and put back together... the motor has mismatched pistons and rods.... The guy was drunk when he put it back together. "You can use them pistons" yeah the motor has never been fired since the rebuild. I was talking to my dad abot the motor tonight and he's thinking about having it bored .030 over. to straighten out the cylinder walls if it needs it. I need a set of rods and pistons lol. But I'd assume 8.5-9:1.

A little history about the motor.

It was machined and rebuilt my senior year... so about 4ish years ago. we built it for my dad's truck but that got side lined then I picked uup my el camino for a Grad. present... and was given the engine if I wanted it. since I basically was there from start to finish "heck yeah!" I was leaning towards forged flat-tops with a 6" rod but the machining scared me to a 5.7 rod and it wouldnt need much of a mod. I understand that the 5.565 rods aren't for performance but make great TQ... but the walls take the abuse. So, I figure 5.7 is a good length with maybe a .100 dome top... to help make up for the comp. loss... My dad said tonight "I was hoping I was out of this years ago, but I guess I have to get back into it now" . I'm hoping someone can lead me to a parts/price/performance list. That'll make getting everything together easier and probably cheaper.

 

First things first ... don't suggest that kinda hp on a stock cast 400 crank ... they have virtually no radius/fillet.

Sounds as though you need a complete rotating assembly to survive your stated goals.

Please state your budget & be realistic.

 

Heads - 882 drilled for 400 block Cam - dont have specs on hand but it's supposedly a 3/4 race cam (already New in motor) These heads are a smaller valve than you will need to flow enough to make a 400+ cubic inch motor work to run 10s, Anything call a 3/4 race cam also not enough to do this. Is it a solid lifter cam, or roller????

 

882 heads and 650HP are usually not used in the same paragraph. If you want to run 10's you need new heads and forged rotating assembly. HP costs money set your goals a little lower if you can't afford it right now. Even with a shot of nitrous you are not going to anywhere near 650HP with those heads.

Realistic goals for those heads fully ported are 300-350HP you are looking at 13's in the 1/4 mile. As stated above "Please state your budget & be realistic." and we can help

 

I agree about the 882 heads, remember now this was originally built for my dad's truck. with current budget the heads have to stay for now, If you'll through out the name of a good breathing head I'd apprecate it (can always change em)

Yes I know the cam isnt a 10 second cam, But then again we're not 100% on specs... I'll look for them when I get a chance.

Budget:

There's already $1500 in the machine work.

Odds are it might go back to a shop so probably another $1000-1500

Then a good rotating assembly is what $1100?

Heads (sometime) $2000ish

I know $5000 will build a stout motor, (not including money in it) approx. $3500 is what I have.

If I can only put a bullet proof bottom end together then it's a start! I can always swap heads, and cam. I'm just trying to get pieces lined up, as in Part numbers, and specs. that way I dont put it together and go "ahh heck, now I have to pull it out again, I used the wrong parts" I dont have the time nor money to play that game.

 

Not even close. A full frame El Camino with driver in it will weigh in at about 4200 pounds. In order to run a 10.9 1/4 mile, you need about 830 horsepower at the flywheel. If you want to run a 10-flat with that much weight, you need right around 1,000 horsepower at the flywheel.

For reference, we wrap up about $15,000 in a 10-second engine. A $3500 to $5000 budget will probably get you in the 13's, and you could even break into the 12's if you get a set of heads.

If you want to run the 10's, get a lighter car and a bigger budget... You're going to need some really good heads and a very stout rotating assembly along with a bullet-proof valvetrain.

 

80 El caminos dont weigh any where near that, more like 32-3400 tops. How big is your driver?????

 

You better put that car on a scale. You'd be surprised what it weighs. My 64 Vette Roadster weighs 3400. Let's say you strip the car out and get it down to 3500 pounds with driver. At that weight, you still need 700 horsepower at the flywheel to get the car to run 10.9, and you're not doing that with the 882 heads or with $3500. You might want to change your goals just a little - a 12-second car can be a lot of fun, and will probably fit your budget a bit better.

How big is you driver...? Huh??

 

$3500 budget.

• Block machinework should not be as much as $1K. DO zero-deck the 400 block ... no known thin composite gaskets available for sbc400.
• Build a 420" w/strong bottom end ... all forged ... flattops ... 6" stroker profiled rods ... 3.875" crank ... costs no more to build a forged 420 than a forged 400.
• Run the rest of your stuff until you come up with ~$3K for heads & cam.

 

Yeah he should shoot for 13s with his current parts and maybe some mid 12s with good heads and a modern cam. "3/4 race cam" LOL I haven't heard that term since the early 80s.

But I agree that 80' el camino is not NEAR 4000lbs. In 77' they went to the small G body style on malibus and El Caminos. My friend in high school had an 81, 4 door malibu with a 267 V8. It was his grand mas car and she gave it to him for his 16th b-day. It only had 17k miles on it. This was back in '93. We took it to the track and weighed it and it weighed 3270lbs with a half tank of gas. Thats with ALL factory equipment installed and working, including the baby spare and jack.

I would be suprised if that 80' El Camino weighed over 3300-3400lbs MAX without the driver.

Vet88 definetly needs to re-evalute his goals for his hardware and budget. When I was super young and broke, we would just build decent 350-358" SBs and dumped a ton of nitrous through em. LOL

 

Like you never missed a shift, I just missed the R,,,,, I am not disagreing with you about what kind of HP it takes to go that fast, Just what the car weighs.

 

I honestly have no freakin' clue what you're talking about. Good luck with the project. Send me a timeslip.

 

I am NOT the guy doing the project, You jumped on my post where I said the 80 El Camino will not weigh 4200 pounds. If you start at the first post and read them all you might understand.

 

Just one more to clear this up and then I am done. Lars, you stated in this post that the car will weigh 4200 with driver, I know that an 80 El Camino weighs about 3400, so I am thinking that you have a 800 pound driver. Thats is why I asked [ How big is your driver] Thats it.

 

I think the big thing people are missing here is you won't get that thing to hook up. You have to get the power to the ground to run fast. With 650 HP in an El Camino you won't do anything but put on a great smoke show!

 

 

Man I thought you guys were gunna be better than my side (C4 section) I prolly shoulda posted there. But anyways, look the G-body el camino weight roughly 3200lbs. I've taken weight out of the doors, hood, front bumper, gutted interior to make room for custom light weight interior The car should weight somewhere around 2800lbs. .. prollly should've found a g-body forum.

THE g-bodies hook relatively well with the factory design. trust me I've seen one with a big block lift the front wheels a foot and 1/2 into the air from a dead stop on the street... don't tell me it won't hook. I have a nine inch for it, fabed up and all new internals Everything. Paid $500 for it. So dont give me any "you can't build what you want for that price" I'm telling you I can if you would help me instead of fighting me!

WHAT I WANT IS:

Parts list
Part numbers
power ratings
and what has to be modified.


Thank you.

This is more what I'm looking for, HELPFUL STUFF!

You guys don't get it... I've got so many problems going on around me this car is my release. I HAVE PRO-STREET GUYS with RACE PARTS! Willing to throw in their spare parts cheap to help me I NEED a list to have them go over... No one's helping. my fault for not stating that.

 

build the bottom end now, forged everything. do heads when you can. And build as many cubic inches as possible!

I cant help with part #'s sorry