Im tryin to figure out what kinda motor i should use for my 1979 Z28. I wanna run mid-low 11's eventually, but right now ill be happy wit low 13's and work my way down. Should i use a 396 SBC stroker, 383 wit nitrous, blown 383, blown 355, or nitrous 355? Or do yall got a different idea? Ima use a 350 block seein 400sbc are hard to find. Or should i just use a 454 i can git ahold of? The only problem is tha 454 is ina motorhome and i dont knoe if it'll be worth me pullin out and it might not have any hp. But then again, hp sells cars, tourque wins races.

Gee,imagine what I voted for :bowtie: :)

11's can be achieved without "power adders". I worked with a guy that had a 355 running 11.1....s on motor in a '78 Camaro. The trick is to take weight off the car and let it work in your favor. Are you on a budget? Unless you just want NOS or forced induction, you really don't "need" it. A 383 with AFR 195 Elminators and a good roller cam/valvetrain with EVERYTHING matching & tuned should put you where you want to be with some weight loss and traction.

Im not sure of my budget seein ima hop my car up while im drivin it and savin up. I really wanna keep 10.7/1 compression at most. What yall suggest i do to shed some weight off but keep it safe on tha street? Got Rat, ya got any idea what kinda power a 454 outta rv might have? Im not sure of tha year or make. My Z is gonna have posi-traction and eventually prolly either 3.90 or 4.10 gears, if that helps any. i want a 4-5 speed but im not sure if i wanna go thru tha trouble of puttin it in. I insist of workin on my own cars wit help from experienced mechanics. Luckly my step-paw and good friend both are.

I probably know less than anyone on here about building engines for 1/4 mile use, but I would be a little concerned about nitrous or blower on 383 with stock rods, and if you have to buy an aftermarket rotating assembly it would cost about the same to just buy a 454 and stick a cam in it, headers, intake, carb, and pair of aluminum heads, or you could save some bucks and change the heads later. My back hurts just thinking about pulling a cast iron BB head while leaning over the fender.

I think it just really boils down to what do you want in it, a small block or a big block, a blower or naturally aspirated.

You could also do 406.

i voted for the 454. that is what is sometime going into my car, just as long as you have better luck with it than i do. go darkside.

a turbocharged small block...I have one...and its niceee.
:crazy:

Any one of those engines listed can get you into the 11s.. properly built.
But the question is, what are you doing with the car between 1320s? Trailer? Street?.. It's gonna take more of a SBC to do the same as a BBC... So what are you willing to sacrifice?
I personally like SBCs better for street use, but only cause I drive mine. I'd sooner spend $$ on getting a faster SBC than BBC. But then again, a lot of that is cause of the other changes I'd have to make to the chassis, and because I'm not looking at a specific timeslip goal.

Well, between races ill prolly be cruisin and lookin for races. Not to mention playin on tha backroads. Well to tell ya tha truth, i wont give up when i hit low 11's. Ill prolly just keep goin and see what kinda numbers i can pull, while keepin it street legal and a weekend car. Ill never be trailered unless its too far away.

Bb.

What part of Georgia are you in?

I have built numerous small blocks over the years but have always wanted a big block so that is what I am building now for my 79 Z28, a 496 stroker with AFR heads.
Small blocks are nice, fast and do have a lot of potential but there is something to be said for a big block under the hood.

I vote Big Block if you have the option

Gee,imagine what I voted for :bowtie: :)
smallblockchev:eek:

Well yall, I've made my decision. Even tho its gonna be a while b-4 i can put my plans into action. Ive always liked tha darkside ;) . Matter of fact, thats all i used to be into before my friend showed me SBCs are cheaper and can be hella fast. What yall recomend for tha 454? Im not sure wat year model or how much power it has or anythang bout it. But, its always fun to learn. Should i save my motor up and stroke her, git her blown, bottled, what? Yall gotta remeber im only 17 and funds are limited.

If 454 is what you are going with here is a combo I built for a guy
that was dynoed.

2 bolt 454+.030 9.0-1 781 heads(large oval port open chamber)
2.19/1.88 valves pocket ported.
Small isky hyd. cam (280 mega cam 280ad. 232@.050 .550 lift with 1.7 rockers 108 lca) sharp roller rockers springs to match. performer rpm intake
Holley 830 DP. 2" dyno headers.

475 HP @ 5570 rpm 532 FT/LBS @ 3720 rpm

The lowest we pulled it was 1050rpm torque was 440 FT/LBS.
Torque was over 400 FT/LBS all the way to 5650 rpm.

This was a street motor not a race motor, but it shows what
ci. will do.

a turbocharged small block...I have one...and its niceee.
:crazy:

I have one too...Martin System?

My car should be solidly in the 12's. It ran 13.2 before on crappy street radials and now its lighter, with a stronger motor, better chassis, and a little bit more gear.

500" LSX from GM

I can certainly attest to the fact that the 420 that Tommy built is pretty sweet! May take a shot at the same for my Vette...