Originally posted by mad hooker
okay, maybe it will be hard for a 396, what if i went with a 408? i know it woud be easier to get more power. see guys the thing is i dont want anything bigger. like a 427 is maybe a little to big. and i dont want this thing to be a super gas hog. what would you guys recomend i use if i got a 408? for the numbers i want?
1. Less cubic inches means that your going to have less torque, unless you use nitrous or a supercharger.

2. Yes, with a 408 you will get more power than with a 396 {all else being equal}. 408 - 396 = 10. So expect about 10 more HP & 12 more Ft. Lb's Tq.

3. a. gas milage & big block don' t belong in the same sentence.
b. You will get better gas milage with a 502 & a small cam
then with a 396 & a big cam.
c. Plus mainly how you drive it is going to determain your gas
milage. I once had a 396, 375 HP '69 Nova. I drove it like
I stole it and got around 5 MPG. But THEN gas was 30 cents
a gallon
4. Unless money is no object & you have some sort of 'mental thing' about a 396, go with the crate motor I mentioned......