I am running a 421W and have not touched the spring towers. I believe in the adage that there is no substitute for cubic inches. I built my car as a sleeper and it works very well. I have run a 12.34 @ 110 with a 3.50 rear end and closed exhaust. Yes, it is no fun changing the plugs, but I run good plugs and a MSD ignition and only have to do it about every other year. I have gotten so I can do it in about 45 minutes with the engine cold. With aluminum heads and intake, I don't think it weighs any more than an iron 302. As others have said, you have to decide what you want for yourself. Good luck. Lee "THE MAV" Richart
That's the same block I was going to get until I changed my mind to spend more cash and save more weight on an AL block. Blew my wad too soon.. now kicking myself on a daily basis. Figure I'll probably stop kicking myself just as soon as I get it on the track though. Sure won't hurt my weight transfer/60' foot times and final ET either. 8.7 big bore block would have allowed more stroke AND longer rods. Now I'll just get one or the other.. or both in smaller quantities. lol I've never talked to the owner about his combo but there is an old clapped out looking 72'? Maverick small bumper car running an 8.7 block around the St Paul area. .. (tried a few times in the past couple years but we don't get down there as much anymore since I got myself into some trouble in the "wee morning hours".. and especially since Porky's was moved away/really cool old-school covered parking drive-in style burger joint.. seems to be always a bad timing thing).. Hearsay from some of the locals indicates that it's a long rod 331 and he street races with it. Supposedly makes well more than 500 horses to the wheels and sure sounds like it does too. 2 x 4 tunnel ram.. no hood.. what appears to be a fully locked rear(squeals rubber when he turns out of the parking lots).. really big-n-nasty sounding cam.
The main problem with the 8.7 blocks is a very limited intake selection. You basically have to run spacers under a 8.2 deck intake and they can be hard to seal up. The 8.7 deck blocks are also hard to find and even harder to find stroker kits for. We attempted to do an 8.7" deck dirt late model engine and nobody could actually put their hands on a block when we tried to pay for one. If you can actually find one now, you will probably end up with an $800 set of custom pistons, intake spacers and a heavy engine since the blocks are way overkill for a street engine. SPark
All very true and good points. This was the same block(8.7") I was going to buy before I decided to toss my whole wad at the AL man-o-war block. I was told by Dart that sufficient stock was on hand when I called last September but had a hard time with how much heavier my front end would end up. Didn't think I could ever get enough engine setback with that particular block so I went the other direction instead. There are however many lightening programs available for that casting.. Dart has their own in-house file as well.. but then I would have closer to the same money as if I just started out with the AL block from square one.
