Thread: A poll for the Chevy guys, and others too.

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Ok, the old 'maro has got to go. One of the threads I did on it was about the color, with all the helpful information given by all of you the car will be painted Resale Red. It's time for me to start lining up some engine parts and I'm curious what the opinions are as to a powerplant for the car..... So, which combination is going to offer the best return on the dollar?


1. Big Block with a stroker kit taking it to 496 inches and a 400 hydro. Reworked oval port cast iron heads....

2. 540 inch Big Block, solid roller cam, aluminum heads, and all the other go fast goodies and a well built 400 hydro with hi stall converter

3. 355 small block, GM heads, hydraulic cam, 350 hydro with a shift kit.

4. Stroker small block (383 or 406), solid roller cam, aluminum heads, 400 hydro, hi stall converter and all the other go fast stuff



A bit of other info about the car....It will have coilover suspension, triangulated 4 bar, tubular A-Arms, 9" Ford rear, 6 point roll bar, frame ties, strut tower braces, a ton of body mods, 4 wheel disc brakes, dash full of Autometer gauges, and a bunch of trick stuff all over.... Weight will come in at around 3,000 pounds dry....

Unless you find an absolute HP nut the basic 355 SB will give you the best ROI in the engine room.

Plus, they're cheap to put together/

I agree. I don't think you could recover the additional money spent to go the big block route. If there was a $10,000 difference it might make sense, but I don't see that happening. I think the other components will be the big money bringers.

Don

Dave, Just my two cents, but the turbo 350 may not be a good seller with the high price of gas. An OD trans might be a good selling point, AND they tend to have a lower ratio first gear than the T350 so you get economy for cruising on the Interstate AND a strong first gear/

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I agree. I don't think you could recover the additional money spent to go the big block route. If there was a $10,000 difference it might make sense, but I don't see that happening. I think the other components will be the big money bringers.

Don

I'm with Geezer & Don, 355. Reliable as hell. People buy the complete package anyway. Won't get what you want after you spent tons in the motor. Keep it simple and fast. My 2c.
Bryan

My 2 cents, Resale red needs something with a soul to get the money, ok just won't bring it. I think that it needs a heart, the BB stroker will be very streetable but yet have enough grunt to "raise a wallet" right out of the pockets.
There are a million out there with stock drive trains, yours isn't stock so IMHO the engine shouldn't be either.

what about a Twin turbo 350? that would appeal to a lot of people as the word Turbo usually does.

Can you post a pic to maybe get a idea of what it looks like? I think a pic of it will give a better feel of what it is/needs. If its looking plain than just the basic 355 should be fine. If its looking like a beast might want to set it off with some thing more "killer". Just my 2 cents. With the suspension youve added it can handle all the above.

Originally Posted by Matt167

what about a Twin turbo 350? that would appeal to a lot of people as the word Turbo usually does.

Hmmmmmm................

Dave, You know where my mindset on motors has gone lately. I would get either an LS2 or a 6.0 from a late model GM truck or SUV. Put either an OD automatic or a T-56 6 speed in it. You would have a car that could be scary fast and still be drivable and get decent fuel mileage. These LS conversions have become bolt ins now with kits from folks like BRP hotrods: http://www.brphotrods.com/. This is the way of the future. Even if you don't like the EFI, now there are numerous options to use a carb with these new motors. For the money you would spend on a stroker big block you could easily do the LS. Best of both worlds!

Pat

Originally Posted by Stu Cool

Dave, You know where my mindset on motors has gone lately. I would get either an LS2 or a 6.0 from a late model GM truck or SUV. Put either an OD automatic or a T-56 6 speed in it. You would have a car that could be scary fast and still be drivable and get decent fuel mileage. These LS conversions have become bolt ins now with kits from folks like BRP hotrods: BRP Muscle Rods Your LS1 - LSX Conversion Kit Specialist. This is the way of the future. Even if you don't like the EFI, now there are numerous options to use a carb with these new motors. For the money you would spend on a stroker big block you could easily do the LS. Best of both worlds!

Pat

This would be my vote, Dave. The Gen III and IV series engines are way ahead of the older engines in design and potential. They already have all the stuff we used to spend big speed buck on like aluminum heads and roller cams; plus they have 6 bolt mains to boot. No contest.

Originally Posted by falconvan

This would be my vote, Dave. The Gen III and IV series engines are way ahead of the older engines in design and potential. They already have all the stuff we used to spend big speed buck on like aluminum heads and roller cams; plus they have 6 bolt mains to boot. No contest.

well there is a contest they just do not drop in older cars it will cost money/time to hook at all up they can run and run better in stock form then the older sbc they are $$ to hook it all up. a bbc 496 is the best bang for the buck NO ALUM needed and not much more then headers cam and intake

Hard to beat the roi of a BBC vs mouse, and the Elky did just cost 80. to fill up the other day. But it is only for cruising, and well many SBC at my cruise in may beat me, none of them have that big cube sound, trip every car alarm in the parking lot, or cause people to run out of the bldg when I start it up. I'm reliving my teenage years, while trying to hook my 13 year old on old is good.......still. But certainly not for daily driving, thats what the Yukon is for.

I would have to say #4

I think I have to agree with Pat. Cheap gas isn't going to come back. A stock 6.0 makes nice power and will yield better mpg than any of the choices you mentioned. Hank