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2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
Hi and welcome again!
To 'up the horsepower' you might want to start with a full tune up (plugs wires rotor cap etc) and a compression test.
After that read this and advance your timing and post back about your budget and we'll help you spend it.
You can do a mild build on the motor, the cost is up to you - speed costs money - how fast $ do you want to go.
I would get a crate 350 motor, or a crate 383 if you want power and an overdrive transmission from a speed shop - Jegs / Summit etc. For the cost you end up with a car you can drive on the highway and get decent gas mileage.
I put a 5 speed in my 71 and love driving it, 25mpg and I can cruse at 70 all day long.
My trans is matching # so I kept it.
You could sell the engine and trans (if it does not match) and re-coup some of your money.
Does the 75 c10 engine run and have good oil pressure? Does it have good compression?
Since you brought home a project car, you must have some skill level?
I would find out if the block is a two bolt main or a four bolt main. How much horse power are you looking for? If the block checks out, you could swap out the cam and heads to pick up some good HP. I am thinking that working with what you have would be the most economical for you.
Does the 75 c10 engine run and have good oil pressure? Does it have good compression?
That's where you need to start as there's no point in building horsepower on a bad foundation. Plus is there's issues there that will have major impact on the budget.
BlackC3vette: Good compression and good oil pressure. It's a 4 bolt main and I was thinking the same as you....cam and heads. I just like to ask others with more knowledge than me. After 60 brain cells start to fall out.....
BlackC3vette: Good compression and good oil pressure. It's a 4 bolt main and I was thinking the same as you....cam and heads. I just like to ask others with more knowledge than me. After 60 brain cells start to fall out.....
With good compression and oil pressure, you could just work with that block and bolt on a set of aluminum heads to make it breath better. Along with a new cam and maybe an intake, a considerable hp gain could be seen over the stock engine. I am trying to keep in mind the concept of daily driver and budget. It's just an option because a crate motor is basically a drop in procedure. Keeping your block and rotating mass requires a plan.
First you need to select a set of heads. Lots of choices out there. 180 or 195 cfm would be what I would look at. Also the combustion chamber cc's/cyl. head gasket need to reflect where the compression ratio needs to be.
Next you need to pick out a cam with a lift and duration to take advantage of the cylinder heads. The heads and cam combo needs to be a good match.
The original intake could be kept or replaced with an edebrock air gap or rpm. The problem with a higher rising intake is you may have to use a dropped air cleaner.
Anyway, these are just some of the basics that need to be planned out.
Being over 60 myself, I can understand the brain cell problem.
Last edited by BlackC3vette; Jan 29, 2017 at 11:11 AM.
Reason: grammerr
Keep what you got no use in changing blocks
Who knows what most of them have been through over the yrs?
Blown, baked, poor machining etc
Wondering if sticking a borescope in a spark plug hole could tell you more about the pistons in it what compression you may have etc before you start buying parts.
Basic head/cam/intake headers should make a fun DD without killing the budget. If its low compression which it ma be just dont get carried away with the cam.