There are a couple of choices. I built my first choice for a dream engine, and I love it. However, it costs me $45 a tank of gas, and burns it like it was still a quarter a gallon. I built a high rpm 427 big block. It's a great engine, just has horrible single digit gas mileage.

SO, if I were to do it over, there's one other engine I'd consider. I'd probably try harder to have my cake and eat it too, kind of like what Monty did. However, his project is a lot more money than I'd want to throw into an engine. That's just because he built it to the nines.

What I'd do is get a 400 block, and destroke it to a 377. Then use 6 inch forged rods to get a 1.73 rod/stroke ratio, and some dished pistons. Then a good aluminum head design, maybe AFR, and probably a Holley Stealth Ram FI set up. Then I'd twin turbocharge and intercool it.

Stay out of it and you just have a fuel injected small block, with a very rev-happy nature. You'd probably see 18 or 19 mpg on the highway. Get on it, and you get massive power pushing your body deep into your seat. The nice thing about turbos are that they just freewheel when you don't use them. They're just there, not contributing anything, until the engine loads up. There is no parasitic loss, but it's there when you need it, in a big way.

I would have easily had as much, or more, than my 427 produces, but I definitely wouldn't have had single digit gas mileage. My Vette would have been more of a driver, and the way I've built it, I've lost that somewhat.

 

WHAT the heck thier is no 427 SMall BLOCK for 3500, thats complete BS :bs The cheapest one is more than $7,000 where did you get a figure 1/2 that? :confused:

 

The 3500 from above was not the price. It was the RPM at which the peak torque was reached.

 

Ugh, damm, I thought I could have gotten a 427 for $3,500, instead they sell them for almost twice that amount. :crazy:

 

I'd have to go with a modern ZL-1 engine.

Always loved the 427 BBs, and any all alum version with such recognized name from Covette history would be my dream engine.

Des

 

$3500 is for the 427 SBC shortblock from Bill Mitchell. Still not too bad for the $$..


[Modified by hogan64, 12:03 PM 3/9/2003]

 

There aren't many cars that engine would even fit in let alone a vette. The LT5 is about as large overall as a big block.

 

Hey Deslok,

Thats a really good looking C3, could you tell us what kind of rims are those and is it lowered? Also is my vision really mest up or do you have sidepipes? Where could someone get sidepipes like those? :confused:

 

427 ZL1- carb'd and built for hi rev use! (Ti valves, hi C/R, etc)
377- normally aspirated for simplicity
533 for street use!

 

To those that say "anything over 500HP is not usable", that argument is just silly. My Viper has 450HP & the SL55 I just got is at or just over 500HP. Not only is it COMPLETELY usable, I find myself often saying "what if" I had a few more hundred horsepower. It's all about what you like! Technology has also rendered that argument obsolete. The SL is extremely firm footed with the computer management. I can pretty much punch the thing. It will squeal a little, then acquire. The new Bugatti is being released with just over 1,000HP. It has all wheel drive & will likely get decent traction the way they have designed it. Over 500HP is clearly usable & for some of us - desirable!

That being said, my dream engine for a C3 is the one I am presently investigating. I have the 2300 compressors on my quad. Whipple has recently released their 3300 series which will fit right on the quad manifold I have now. They have even agreed to work me a deal to swap them. These things come with 12 120LB injectors!! Insane. With a super tall deck 700+ CI engine, everyone is convinced I can hit the magic 2,000HP number on pump gas. The biggest issue in talking to people seems to be engine clearance, so I might be forced to build a moly frame, but we’re talking about dreams here – so in my mind, its open game. Now THAT is completely unusable power!

 

:eek: Damm Merlin your Corvette looks absolutely awseme. It really does look like something that could have been used in Terminator 3 :lol:

But I was thinking, if you could loose traction with those 13inch wide tires at high speed, how wide or big of a tire would you need if you exceed that number? 15inch? 16inches wide maybe? Also do those mercedes have some sort of electronic differential control? Maybe thats what our vettes need t gain more traction? :confused:

 

Thank you! :cheers: As for the "could lose traction" thing, there's no could about it. A better way to phrase that woud be "if I could GAIN traction"! Hehehe... It's definitely a problem with the Vette, but once it's moving it hooks up surprisingly well - all depends how you drive it. The SL has all kinds of crazy computer controls in it. The brakes are even electronically controlled now with a hydraulic backup system. The car has anti-roll as well. All this stuff makes it pretty heavy, but VERY sure footed. I've even read some tests where they floored it in the rain & the car was able to gain traction amazingly fast. I haven't tested that theory yet - want to wait until I feel more secure with the car - I just got it recently. So far, I've been amazed. There is a CL65 made in Stuttgart that has 737LB of torque running through it. I'm willing to bet it gets pretty decent traction. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that high powered cars are a handfull to drive, but with some progressive out of the box thinking, it can be done!

 

Steve,

After I get John Meany's new Big Stuff III EFI system, I'll let you know how it works, but I have a feeling you'll like it. It incorporates traction control among other trick features - it's gonna have the power of the high-end Motec systems at around the FAST price.

 

I have an old 60's muscle car making 500 to 600 lb-ft of torque. Aside from having had to dramatically beef up the TH400 and stall converter, it's been very tractible and driveable around town. But man does it go, instantly, when you squeeze the throttle. Massive power. That's why I prefer a torque engine over a high rpm horsepower engine that has weak torque. The torque engines are so much nicer to drive around town.

I think big blocks were the ideal passenger car engine. Their only problems were getting them to run clean enough for emissions, and their gasoline economy, which is quite bad. Now these big inch small blocks are the "big block" of the present, and they're making close to the torque of some of those old big blocks, or in some cases more. So don't get too caught up in the high rpm thing. Not only does the engine have to work harder to get to its power potential, but the parts are much more expensive and exotic.

You'd be surprised how much torque you can get out of cast iron parts. And if you don't believe it, I've got a couple of muscle cars here for you to try, next time you're in the neighborhood.

 

For big blocks, Scoggin-Dickey has a 502 w/ 602 TQ and a 534 cu in w/ 685 TQ. Much be very fun to drive!!!!!!!!!!!! :yesnod:

 

My 505 Project so far...




[Modified by zZArAZz, 4:20 AM 3/27/2003]