Despite money but without spending a fortune in an exotic build.

I had a very good experience with American Speed of Ill, their 'Brutus' 550 hp SB low compression race engine is still running strong after 10 years of (nearly) trouble free history...

other inputs?

 

Mark at VortecPro puts together some incredible big block combinations with what most would consider mild parts. All depends on how far you want to go but he's got many pump gas/hyd roller/iron oval port engines out there running deep in the 10's and driving cross country in full weight cars.


I've been to his shop and see the meticulous detail he puts into them. He machines/builds/dyno's them himself...not some kid hired off the street.

JIM

 

Has Mark / VortecPro made his move to Texas yet? I am about ready to have him build me a big block for my 69. Mark.....are you out there? I guess I could call him.

 

Apologies for not being 100% responsive to the OP question. But an alternative is buying either a short block, long block, or turn key engine from GM Performance Parts catalog. Here's the catalog: https://html5.dcatalog.com/?docid=7e...6e1ced3&page=2

Their BB engines are on pages 172 to 188. BB components on pages 190 to 208..

Also for BB learning, check out "Richard Holdener" on Youtube. Richard talks too fast. I listen to his videos at 0.75 speed.
Here a sample:
In one of his videos, Richard compares a mild BB with a radical BB. Interesting in that the mild BB produces more HP and more torque below 4800 rpms. The mild BB runs out of power at 6000 rpm, the radical continues on to 700 HP at 7000 rpms.

 

Mark Jones @ VortecPro. You can’t beat his power/quality per dollar. Best engines I’ve ever owned have come from Mark.

 

I have a very highly modified 427 in my 1968 Corvette that started life as an L71 Corvette back in October of 1967. I built it with 500+ HP in mind and it ended up with 12.25-1 Compression ratio and closed Chamber Cylinder heads. I have a Factory L88 Hood from a 1968 L88 that was destroyed. This hood makes driving around with High Compression a lot easier as the air entering the combustion chambers is ambient and the fuel-lines are insulated to keep the fuel as cool as possible. I am using the L88 carburetor base-plate to seal the hood to the base-plate so all the air is drawn in from the base of the windshield. Cold air and cool fuel make power!

In 1992 I started re-building the 427 into it's present condition. The cylinder heads I have are Cast Iron but are the same as the Aluminum casting used on the L88 engines. I built my 427 with the help of a buddy with a speed shop. He and I assembled the engine in his shop and when finished it was installed by a very high quality Corvette restoration shop. My buddy used to build Porsche engines for the Can Am series and he knew a few tricks from that experience. This was my First Big Block GM engine so I wanted to get help to be sure I didn't waste a ton of money.

There is a point when you make too much horsepower for daily street driving. My C3 convertible is very fast and would drop down into the 11's had it been allowed too. I tried a set of DOT Drag Racing tires and promptly blew out one of my Half-shafts. At the quarter Mile I spun my tires for 1/8th mile before getting traction. I did long burn outs and they did not help either.

High Performance means it is going to be expensive. I have a Four Bolt Corvette Block, Forged Crankshaft, forged Connecting rods and forged Pistons. My heads have been ported and every piece of the valve-train was replaced with new and the block was painted inside with Glyptal paint to help seal the block and get the oil back to the oil pan FAST. 25 + years ago I spent $9k on the engine alone.

My C3 Corvette can not be depended on as a daily driver because it does not drive very well on wet roads. In the rain it will not stay in it's lane when you let the clutch out slowly.

Before I move on to "Pushing up daisy's" I want to give this C3 to my daughter as she asked to inherit it. I can't give anyone a Corvette like the one I have out back, most people are not used to that kind of power.
I am going to have to pull it and change the pistons to lower the compression and switch to an aluminum cylinder heads at the same time for her. I don't want to have her get hurt because of my pursuit of power with the Corvette. I might drop the compression to 10-1 and keep the water/methanol injection system operational....

When the little Asian "Race" cars see me on the street I just laugh at them, they clearly have not raced a "Modified" Big Block Corvette before.... Not many young folks know the feeling or Sounds of a tuned Big Block accelerating at full throttle. By the time my engine gets going I am in getting into the Hand-Cuff range. I can go from 0-110 mph just on a entrance ramp getting on a highway... You need self control to drive one of these. The best part is I can do that with a 3.36 rear end and not a 4.11.

P.S. I have not ever had to rev my 427 up to over 7000 rpm very often and it really doesn't need to go this high. I would not go to 7000 with a big block very often. Unless you are going to race the Corvette I would avoid the 7000 rpm number. The BB motors don't NEED to rev to make incredible power. Sure I could have gone HUGE as well But I love the way my 427 revs. It is a great numerical combination and it revs freely, reminds me of the 327 engines as they were awesome as well.

 

Mark Jones at Vortecpro. Built me a 496 2 years ago. I have 5or6k miles on it so far and it has ran flawlessly.

 

I'm guessing here'd be a pretty good chance of a mishap just lugging the race gas around for mixing and filling etc!

 

My BB 427 runs on 91 Octane fuel with no problems unless it is the middle of July and the heat is severe and the engine is really HOT. That is why I used the 1968 "Closed Chamber" Cylinder Heads, they don't have a serious detonation issue. The newer style Open Chamber Cylinder heads have an issue with pinging easily but they make cleaner emissions.

I have tried Race gas,100 Octane Low lead Aviation fuel and Tetra-ethyl Lead fuel additive which is extremely toxic and the best thing I ever did was inject Water/Methanol injection for keeping a high compression happy. Windshield washer fluid is wonderful and cheap unlike race gas.

As soon as the systems starts injecting the fluid into my throttle body my engine see's 115 octane fuel coming in and pinging just doesn't happen. I have never measured the power increase but it does jump when it activates and the engine's combustion temperatures drop while it is injecting.

 

If I didn't feel like doing it myself.....I would have Mark VortecPro build one for me.....his attention to detail is second to none.

Jebby

 

Mark Jones @ VortecPro.

 

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...4-rebuild.html

 

OOH! I was thinking about the Blueprint Engines 454 small block, but how cool would the 650HP 496 be in my Vette?!?!