Mild performance engine build suggestions

You know I've been looking for those E-Street heads as I saw them mentioned elsewhere but couldn't find any info. You wouldn't happen to know of a site or store that sells them, and for how much?

ETA: Okay a little Googling did the trick. Looks like both Summit and Jegs have them, as well as a few Ebay stores for nearly $100 less than either site. I'm a little concerned about clearance but according to a Hotrod.com article I read as long as I stay below .520 on the cam lift I should be fine (which is much higher than I was going to go anyway so score!). Gah, so much WANT!

Okay. So a new cam, RPM AG intake, E-Street aluminum heads, stock pistons honed w/ new rings or possibly bored out up to .040 w/ new pistons and rings.

And I haven't even started on the body work.
*fallz down ded*

 

http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/5023/10002/-1

also your local Oreilly store should carry them, that'll save you on the shipping cost.

 

Come on now, don't fall for that Bullsh-t. Holleys are great daily driving carbs. Set em once (tuned for the build) run a good electronic ignition, feed it nothing but clean (fuel filters are a must) quality fuel and leave it the hell alone. It'll stay running for years without adjustments. Mine do. Even my three twos haven't been adjusted in 6 years.

 

I second the choice for a holley carb...Set it and forget it.

 

I have to agree with the mild cam & lifters. Mine is 512 lift & 230 duration. Great street & strip cam. I went with the RPM performer intake, topped with a holley street avenger carb 570cfm. MSD distributor. Bored .030, stock heads & headers. The carb is a bolt & go. I've taken trips to southern California & Canada with no problems. Rebuilt the C-4 trans, with a 2500rpm torque converter & 355 gears in the rear. Cruises 60mph at 2800 rpm. Talk about a sleeper. It sure wakes up when the converter kicks in. I had the same idea as you when building my engine. I love driving it. But, it's your car. Do it the way you want...

 

Hey Coop, what kind of gas mileage do you get with your setup? That's about what I'm considering too, but don't want to get down into the low teens on MPG if I can help it...

 

Check your hood clearance with the air gap. It is higher than an aluminum intake. It may hit the hood unless you use a low profile air cleaner.

 

coup, dig the set up. what about the mpg?

 

I've been looking around Jegs and Summit for a low-duration cam but the lowest I'm finding with the rise I want (upper 400s to 500) is a 270. Coop, where did you get your cam? Can I look into HO motor cams even if my block is stock?

 

Comp cams and Edelbrock both have "off the shelf" cams that will work within the RPM range of the manifolds and stock heads.
Most cam makers list the "effective" rpm range of their cams.
Some of the manifold manufacturers list the effective rpm range that each manifold.
Select the parts that go together with your application. All the parts have to work together for a good running engine.

 

I wouldn't mind going the Edelbrock RPM package route but it's just a bit too expensive. Plus I was looking into a shorter duration than the Edelbrock cam as I've been made to understand it helps gas mileage. I'll be the first to admit that I am still learning on this though, so if you have any particulars I should look for please enlighten me. What lift/duration goes well with what intake/carb combo, etc?

To those who've given me the numbers of your engines, THANK YOU. It's giving me a base to work with. I like Coop and Scooper's builds, sort of a mild combination of street and strip. One of my main concerns is to keep fuel consumption down as much as I can; while it'd be cool to have an 8-second car, I can't take the single digit mpg's that tend to go along with it.

 

Who's gonna do the rebuild? If you an Dude do it, do you have a machine shop lined up for the engine work?

Gonna have to make your list of wants on power,cash, how the car is driven, cash, what you will upgrade to the rest of car, cash, and last but not least,,,, cash!

Don't buy any parts till your game plan all comes together,,, well, unless your like me and like the garage full of mixed-matched parts that you'll probably never use!

Gas mileage can be had,,, but if you want to spin tire when you want,,,, well, every time your in the car that feeling is gonna be there! Gas mileage will only really bother you when you pull up to the pumps! Yes there is a happy medium,,, er, so I am told! Good sounding exhaust or tire smoking car will never let me go green!

If your rebuilding tranny, Paul may be close enough for you to work with and you'll get your second gear chirp! Thinking you oughta change torque converter will give a good boost also!

Understand on the rear and that can wait, but do your planning on what you will end up with when all done. Not the best combo right now but saves changing later,,, also fires you up to make the changes a little bit quicker

It's good to get ideas from the others on their engines, but unless you do exactly as they did,,, well, it'll be different. If you take the heads from one guy, pistons from another, cam from another and top it all off with the killer intake and carb from 500hp slick,,, well, again, your wallet is empty and your tires will dry rot!

YEP,, I gave you no how to on getting your crank turning them tires faster than your car, Sorry, I have some stock 302's stuck in the garage somewhere (more stuff I guess I wont be using) So I can't tell you which way and how to fulfill your dreams, but, I could steer you to people near me, Pa and thats to far away, that I would take my list to and sit down with to discuss this project. Then after I scratched out (not really) my list, I either give them my engine to build or order my parts and give them my machine work to get done. (never order pistons before block is done)

Sorry on long post, been up way too long, also,,,, did I say anything about looking in your wallet??? Make your budget and git er done!!!! O yea,,, double your budget!

Good Luck

 

Lol budget has already been doubled - much more and I might have to triple it! I figure, though, that asking questions (yes even the stupid ones) and getting it right the first time will save me money down the road. As much as Dude wouldn't mind that (he's arranging to build himself a V8 for his Maverick) I don't think my peace of mind or pocketbook would really like that.

Once I get the engine together I may take a trip down to San Diego to get the gearing and tranny done, but we'll see. More money - wow, it never ends does it?

 

Got my little nap! No stupid questions ! Good to get your info an guess what I was saying, get your game plan all together with a complete picture before you buy some of or that. Run your build by someone your confident with and YOU make up your mind! Good Luck!

 

Lol that's why I'm posting here, I don't know many in my own life who know the finesses of building an engine.