Well i held off on posting too many replies and I'm glad I did. It started out pretty depressing, but I held off and it was good to see that many on here did get my point.
I simply wanted to point out that HP numbers are variable, depending on which ones you look at, and that HP should not be the only goal of building your car. Others in the thread have said the same thing in different ways.

Dep

 

I can't resist posting to the tork lovers. If tork is your ultimate goal, then you can't go wrong with this:


Duramax Diesel 6.6L V8 Turbo Engine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The available Duramax Diesel 6.6L V8 Turbo engine features:

With the required Allison six-speed automatic transmission:
365 horsepower @ 3000 rpm
660 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1600 rpm

There ya go!!!! All the tork you could hope for. Have fun pulling down trees and hauling heavy loads.

Dep

 

Along the same line as your thoughts Dep, aren't ya all getting tired of the hype and copy spent on the today's high hp engines? I mean, do I really need to know how somebody built a 600hp engine (thanks to Hot Rod and Chevy High Perf magazines...)? Do I have the coin or inclination to really push things even to 500hp with a small block engine?

If I am to believe my rear wheel dyno numbers from 2-3 years ago (pre-divorce) when I really enjoyed working on and tuning my cars in the "... pursuit of more power...", I'm sitting comfortably in the 280-320flywheel hp and 380-400 flywheel tq region and thoroughly enjoy driving my 'not so high performance by today's standards' C3 (224rwhp/289rwtq).

I haven't seen a 350ci engine hop up article in a very long time... all of the copy is on 383ci + small blocks, mammoth big blocks and the new LS- engine lines. I'm really getting bored with it all.

 

With you 100% Ted. I think there are quite a few on the forum that feel the same way, too. I always wonder what people do with 500HP on a street engine. You certainly can't and shouldn't be racing on the street. So those engines are probably most appropriate for the strip or track. I'm sure you know why all the rags talk about the 383. It's become the cheapest, easiest way to get performance out of a smallblock. In other words...a "no-brainer". But it's not really all that impressive any more. The saying "been there, done that" certainy comes to mind when thinking of SB 383/406/427. As you said, I'd like to see an article with less radical changes and closer to an original design. Heck, NASCAR is able to get 750-800HP out of a 358. Granted, they are using some pretty fancy heads on them, but they are still closer to a 350 than a 383-406. I would think about the most HP anyone can effectively use for todays street cars would be something like the 1970 LT-1. I think all these 383-406 motors are more about "bragging rights" than actual practical useage.
I also note there are quite a few posts asking for help with the 383 engines. Much more so that stock CI motors.
And certainly an L-88 or LS-7 engine is about the maximum performance level a BB would need to be taken to for driving on the street..
Again...having a mega-monster big block is more for popping the hood at car shows, than any kind of practical street setup.

I think you setup is quite nice and appropriate for the street with an occaisional blast at the strip. .

Dep

 

Dep:
I'm in the 550-600HP ballpark with my 468 and it's primarily street driven, but does see a good bit of track time as well. For me it feels nice to know that I have that much horsepower when I'm on the street because I have nothing to prove. I think I used to have the "small-man" complex when the car used to be a stock 180HP 350 (always felt like I had something to prove). It's also fun to do the occasional burst of speed from 0-30/40MPH just to feel power of the car. You are correct though, the track is the only place that racing should be done. As someone pointed out the dyno is merely a tool to help tune your car go faster.

 

I sure understand Shane!!!
It must have been a dramatic change when you switched over to the big block. Bet you had a huge SEG----> when you first floored it
Don't get me wrong...I sure don't have anything against a hot motor. If you can afford it and the gas it drinks and extra maintenence, go for it!!!! And I agree 100% that the dyno is just an evaluation tool.

Dep

 

Whatever makes you happy...... that should be you goal....I am having more fun with 277 rwhp than most guys are with 500

 

How the heck do you know? Don't talk down large HP motors because you don't have one. To each their own.

You know, this follows another famous topic "how bigs your junk." Some say "bigger is better" others say "it isn't how big it is, its how you use it." You ask me, it all depends on who's doin the ridin

 

what part of "whatever makes you happy" did you miss ???

I know I am having more fun running 13's than guys with overbuilt cars who never drive them.........if that isn't you, then congrats...it sounds like you are having fun.....

 

These are the parts that don't make sense:

and

Don't say that. Again, like I said, "how the heck do you know?" Have you gone and interviewed all high HP motor owners and found the majority of them agree you're having more fun?

If you're gonna say, "whatever makes you happy" then don't contradict it with an asinine statement like these. Many people thoroughly enjoy just building a high HP motor. Many also drive them as well, and I would put money on it that most of them have fun.

Yes, you have fun with your 277RWHP car. Congrats. Leave it at that.

 

I must add that a 200 foot burn-out makes me much happier than a 5 foot one.

 

Awww c'mon Big_G, I KNOW all you do is make a quick
"chirp"

Dep

 

Busted!

 

 

Yeah, the survey results were that 86.2% of guys with big motors wish they were me I guess that means most.

In case you missed it in my signature, I am drag racing the heck out of my car, little motor and little cubes, and that is what I was referring to when I said I was 'having more fun...".

But I guess you have never met a guy with a car that was 'too fast' and 'too nice' to actually, you know, race or even drive ????

Nah, that never happens.................

 

how many that are bashing the big cube small block have owned one? i have had 4 350's two that were very healthy and ran very good. i also have had one 383 and that was a very street friendly car. it had tq everywhere and pulled very nice. it was a very practical engine combo. i put over 100,000 miles on it. i liked the big cube small block so much that i am now building a bigger cube 395 small block to replace the 383. all the parts are all forged and off the shelf parts. it does not cost that much more to build a 395 than it does to build a 350. i bet i will have more fun with my 500ish hp big cube sb than others will with small cube lowish hp sb's. it all works out to what you can afford and what you enjoy. it doesnt really matter to some people what size or hp they have. for some, the thrill is getting what they have to perform at its best and that is cool in my book. some people like to be a little different and have something more extream and unique, that is what i like. others just want the biggest baddest thing they can get their hands on. to truly enjoy that, it takes cash, lots of skill to keep it running, and a few dead brain cells.

 

Well perhaps we should define "fun". If you get a woody "peeling out", that could be fun. But I have a webpage where a guy runs a SMALL SMALL smallblock. Actually, this is what I plan for my car. This is actual proof that you don't need "Mountain Motor" cubic inches to go fast.

http://www.z28camaro.com/oldrel.html

The specs for Strickler's Camaro are what I will be aiming for. Imagine this:

During the 1968 season, "THE OLD RELIABLE" Z/28 ran elapsed times of 11.70's at 116 mph keeping up with many Super Stock 396 Camaros! This was a stock Z/28 intake manifold and carburetor, stock hood, Stahl Headers, 5.38 gears, and nine-inch slicks.

Current Specs:

TECHNICAL DATA
VIN number 124378N411100
Build Date 04A (first week of April)
Color Corvette Bronze
Interior Code 712, black standard
Car Shipper Shipped on April 11, 1968 to Ammon R. Smith Auto Company, York, PA
Engine Data Cubic Inches, 302
Cylinder heads #3917291, completely stock, no porting allowed!
Stock rocker arms & valve springs
Intake 302 aluminum intake, casting #3917610
Carburetor Holley, #4053, 780 CFM 4bbl
Camshaft Crane, .480 inches lift, 272 degrees duration, valve lash, .016-.016
Pistons GM 302, .030" oversize
Horsepower 456 @7700rpm
Rear Tires 9" x 30.0" Hoosier's
Rear axle & ratio 12-bolt, 5.57 Richmond Pro Gears
Clutch 10 inch, three finger from Advance Clutch Technology
Shift Points 8200 RPM
BEST ET 10.80 @122.30mph

The website worked this moring but appears to be down for maintenance now. But the numbers above are lifted directly from it.
Note that there is very little of the big $$$$ goodies that everyone is running out and buying for their cars. Most everything on there is stock

Dep

 

FTR: I don't think I was bashing big cubes or big motors.........

I was just agreeing that hp isn't everything.......

 

But with 5.57 rear gears, the only place you can drive it is at the track or a place with a low speed limit. The trick is to be able to get it to run that fast with street gears.

 

Ummmm...WHY?????? Certainly you aren't doing street racing???