More "Junkyard Jewels"......For you engine swappers.....

After the "Studilac" post I get some inquirys about other engines that might be great for the low-budget engine-swapper. Everyone fights with machetes for 454 Chevys, 440 Mopars, 460 Fords, 455 Buick, Olds and Pontiac engines, and the prices are high. Some times junkyards want $1,500 for something that's locked up and may need a ton of work. That's because people are stuck on the "Bigger is better" thing. Yes, more cubes is the easiest way to more power, but there's a lot of viable powerplants out there that can be bought dirt-cheap, and still really rock with the right equipment. Here's some to think about. # 1. 390 Ford. These were used in just about every Ford car and truck built from 1961-76, so their not hard to find. There is good aftermarket support-Edelbrock even offers High-Performance Aluminum heads. Edelbrock claims 417 hp and 434 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" package. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly, but rest assured 400 honest hp will turn any street car into a rocket. # 2. 383 / 400 Chrysler. The 383 was used from 1963-71, and the 400 ( a bored-out 383 ) was used from 1972-78 in millions of Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge cars trucks and vans. There is a ton of aftermarket support and believe me- a properly built 383 / 400 can make just as much power as a 440-just at higher rpm. # 3. 400C / M Ford. These were used from 1971-82 in various Ford cars and trucks. 8:1 compression, two-barrel carburation, single exhaust and salt-flats gearing gave them a rep as a "Dog". However-every year in the Jegs' Engine Masters dyno challenge there's at least two or three of these making 500-600+ hp. We all know the "Cleveland" style heads breathe well-( Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer aluminum heads as well ) give him some compression, a cam and decent intake and exhaust and this "Smog Dog" will surprise the crap out of a lot of people with bigger engines. # 4. 400 / 430 Buick V8. If you can't find a 455-this is the way to go. Their plentiful in "Big" cars in boneyards, and anything that fits a 455-including Edelbrock heads and intakes, cams etc-will these engines. A great swap for 340 / 350 Skylark / Century / Regal owners.  Anything with 400 or 430 cubes is going to have some serious low-end torque even in stock trim. # 5. 403 Olds V8. Although they were only produced from 1977-79, they were used in millions of  BOP cars, so there's a lot of them out there. Anything that fits a 350 Olds fits these-so there's plenty of speed parts available. Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" Cam / Intake / Carb package-and that's on a 350. 53 more cubes will put you well over the 400 hp mark, and smooth out the idle. A bolt-in power infusion for 330 / 350 Cutlass owners. Or if you have a Disco-Era Firebird Formula or Trans-Am-400+ hp would make those smug "Real" 400 Pontiac T/A owners eat some crow. # 6. 360 AMC V8. AMC enthusiasts search the galaxy and spend way more money than they should chasing 390s and 401s. The 360 was used in Jeep Grand Waggoneers until 1992 so there's millions of them around. Edelbrock offers performance aluminum heads, and I've seen these in the Jeg' engine masters challenge putting out 500 hp. So don't sell your soul for a 390 or 401. One of these will move your Javelin / AMX with more than enough alarcity. Or for the low-budget crowd- How much of a rocket would a hotted-up 360 powered Gremlin or Hornet be?  Mastermind