Only a few days after getting my car put back together after painting, I yanked the engine out. Now the block is getting bored 30 over and I'm ordering a forged 331 stroker kit. If I can get the thing all put back together 11's shouldn't be too far off. Only problem is I'm very afraid that I'm going to get caught up in this whole quest for a fast Maverick and get into alot of debt. The good thing is that I got lucky getting into the housing market in CA and now have lots of equity to use for car stuff. Anyways, anyone have any comments or suggestions on building a 331 before I take the plunge?
331 stroker.....get quality parts.....balance it......dyno it....the works...since you are looking for a race setup.... i would have if i had the money at the time....but other things kept popping up and the maverick had to get done.... if you have the time....pay little by little as scrapper suggested...then you wont rush like i did and wish you hadnt
using the equity in your home is not a wise decision. if something happens where you can't make the payments for any reason you may lose the house. most people that get into that situation didn't believe it could happen to them.
Well see how much it is to do your way first then check out other places which already have the engines built for you ready to go like DSS. It really depends on how fast you want to go. If you want around 650 horsepower go with the Super pro bullet for $3199.99 If you dont care about going that fast they have the base bullet 331 that you can beef up a bit, That short block is $1999.95 Just some suggestions http://dssracing.com/
I really recommend NOT going in debt. My car sat in a garage and didn`t run for 11 years due to the fact that it was my last priority (family first!) I did buy a few parts when money was available, and over time I made quite a few upgrades and changes. But then 3 years ago when I did get it back running it was extra sweet because I knew I had done the right thing from a priority standpoint ...and the day I drove it out of my driveway I owed Nothing as far as the car was concerned. Just my
I put together a 331stroker for my brother with a local machinist. Honestly If I could go back and do it over I would build a351 stroker. Not much more money. Way more reliable and easier to achieve a streetable racer. Just make sure you get a good main girdle use premium parts and balance balance balance did I mention balance??? Also no point in building a stroker if you don't have the heads to use that extra air not to mention intake and exhaust system up to the task.It gets expensive quick. Good luck and pay as you go or save until you can afford to do it right. Keeps the car down time......well down.
That's what being "The Man" is all about IMO Get married have kids gotta put them first in almost everything. Still...... you gotta take care of yourself every now and then too
You guys are right about the debt thing. I have 2 kids and want to be a good dad, but I'm sure you guys understand what it's like getting the race bug. Something I've wanted to do since I was 13 yrs old. I'm selling my RV travel trailer to help pay for the car, but I have been around racing to know that costs skyrocket and that's what I'm worried about. I bought the kit today from adperformance.com in WA. Decent quality stuff for good prices. I got a Scat competition kit with a forged crank, scat forged H-beam rods and probe pistons. At the last second I got crazy and ended up getting what I have always wanted- dome pistons good for 12.9:1 compression with 58cc chambers. Probably will add to the cost of the motor, but oh well. I'm on my way but will be careful about debt. Thanks guys for the reality check, I should just listen to the wife more.
go with what you can afford and have fun. i've seen a lot of guys go overboard on building a BIG motor, then something happens and there sitting on the sidelines for the rest of the year cause they can't afford to fix it.
I don`t mean to "hi-jack " this thread ..but I just wanted to share with you all something I saw as a teenager about having Hot rods that made a permanent impression on me. I had a neighbor who was always out in the carport working on his Mopar...every day. he would take it up the road and spin the tires off it ,and since I loved Fast cars I always loved it when he did that. He also liked to tell me all about how fast it was ,and all of the new equipment he was adding to it...I thought that was really cool also. Then one day I began to notice when his kids would come home from school the school clothes they whore were old tattered hand me downs,some of which I recognized from when they had been worn by the older siblings... I was only about 14 years old at the time, but I made myself a promise that even though I loved Hot rods ...MY Kids would would NEVER do without the things they deserved or needed because of my hobby. After that realization I never was nearly as Impressed with my neighbor,or his car as HE thought I was.
If anything, my kids are too spoiled. I'm going by the old proverb: "A family that races together, stays together." The big temptation is that I have 2 houses and about $350,000 in equity. I still felt guilty spending $1400 on a stoker kit. It's all about balance I guess. I'll keep you all posted on the race car build. I gotta make it a reality.
I know the feeling about family first. I bought my Comet a year ago... Haven't put but maybe 150 bucks into it until recently. My son was born between now and then, and im still paying Children's hospital for him, but they saved his life and I am very grateful and thankful for that. I just now got back to where I have some extra money and started to spend it on the car, and him more also. Car will never come before him, but I sure do dream about the day that he takes my car down the track for the first. time. Pay as you go... Don't go into debt trying to get a fast motor. You can always add things as you go.
I'm doing the pay as I go routine, any extra I can swing goes into the project, and whatever other luxuries I decide we might want,... the thought of having a payment just to finish it isnt something I'm willing to do. the funny part is, I save up, order parts,....and by the time some parts finally get done and get to me,.... I could have ordered a whole bunch more stuff I figure about the time I think it'll take a while, and order more things, then the expensive stuff will be here right away and I'll be screwed ,...so, its a vicious cycle of hurry up and wait I think in the end it'll gonna be worth it,...plus it will be paid for !
