Thread: Dirt Road Build 402

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Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Nice work on the BBC, but man that 331 is so nice!!! I like the intake and 2 deuces too!

Thank you. That Hemi is a serious budget build, too. I found it on the Local Craigs list. For 400 dollars. Went to look at it and it was a total rustball. But the guy was adamant that had "his grandbabies" not pulled off the plug wires and cap and stuffed the distributor and carburetor full of dirt, it would run. He even made sure I saw that it turned by hand.

SO I said "what the hell and took a chance. After all, how many times can you buy an early Hemi for 400? SO I got it home and tore it down. It was one of the cleanest engines on the inside I had ever seen! He was right! I fully believe it was a running engine. Anyway, I measured the bore. Found out it's a .030 over 331. The numbers verify it. It is also a "severe service" truck engine, which means it is a thick wall casting, meant to be bored many times. I COULD have bored it to a low deck 392, but that's not what I was after.

So I called the guy back just to let him know how happy I was and I just happened to mention that it's a 331, not a 354. He would have it no other way but to send me back 100 dollars, so my purchase price was not 400, but 300 dollars.

Oh and that intake? It's a pretty rare piece. It came off a Fire truck. Originally it was a dual one barrel intake, and man, those were some BIG one barrels. Almost 2 1/4" diameter barrels. SO I ended up using some trans dapt one to two barrel adapters, and putting two 2GC GM two barrels on it. I sent the stock hydraulic cam out to Oregon Cam Grinders and had them grind it to a small street solid. .453 lift and 240 @ .050 duration on a 106 lobe separation. It will at least sound nasty with zoomies. lol Maybe I should start a thread on the whole truck?