Don't want to risk grenading a numbers-matching engine? Try these "Junkyard Jewels"....

A lot of people want to race their musclecars, but are afraid of throwing a rod out the side of a numbers-matching block. So you have a badass machine that never sees the high side of 4,500 rpm because the owner is afraid of breaking it.  The way around this dilemna is to put your precious original engine in a plastic bag on an engine stand in your garage, and then build a second, stompin' one based on something you could care less about if you blow it up.  Here's several great examples. # 1. 1996-2001 "Vortec" 350 Chevy. These were used in millions of Chevy and GMC trucks, vans and SUVs, so theirs no shortage of them in junkyards. The bonus is the "Vortec" heads breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones. Edelbrock, Weiand and Holley offer intake manifolds that are compatible with these heads, and the engines have roller cams from the factory. Super Chevy magazine built a 400 hp "Vortec" 350 for $2,600!!  A dynamite substitute for an L79 327 or L46, LT-1 or L82 350.  # 2. 1991-current 454 / 502 Chevy. There are millions of these in 3/4 ton Suburbans, Pickups and vans and even Avalanches. Hardcore drag racers snub them because they like the '90 and earlier MKIV-the MKV and MKVI's have hydraulic roller cams and a heavy valvetrain that doesn' like to rev over 6,000 rpm. If you want 700+ hp that's problem. But you can build a 500 hp 454 or 502 that has a glass-smooth idle and makes gobs of torque, and pulls hard to to about 5,800 rpm with out any valve float problems. When you've got 500 ft lbs of torque right off idle-you don't need to rev to 7 grand. And GMPP and Edelbrock make performance aluminum heads and roller cams for these engines. Truth be told-if you build one of these right-it will probably run just as quick or quicker than the L34, L35 or L78 396 or L72 427 or LS5 or LS6 454 that your trying to protect!!  # 3. 1992-2003 Dodge 360 "Magnum" V8. There are millions of these in Dodge Ram trucks, Dakotas, Durangos, and Jeep Grand Cherokees. The "Magnum" heads breathe better than any factory iron head and some aftermarket aluminum ones. Edelbrock makes 4bbl intakes for these engines. A hotted-up 360 Magnum would run circles around a stock 340-Mopar Performance sells a 360 Magnum crate motor that's rated at 390 hp and 460 lbs of torque. Quite a bit more than the 275 hp a 1970 340 made- and equal to the legendary 440 / Six-Pack.- but you don't need to spend the money on a crate motor you can build a nasty one cheaply-with a stroker crank to give you 408 inches-you can easily make more than the 425 hp of the mighty 426 Hemi. And if it blows up-go to the junkyard and raid another Cherokee for a replacement!!  # 4. 1985-97 Ford 302 / 351W. There are millions of these in junkyards in Ford trucks and vans. Ford SVT and Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer high-performance aluminum heads for these engines and there's stroker kits to turn a 302 into a 347 or even a 363, and kits to turn a 351 into a 392 or a 427. Edelbrock even offers "Cleveland" style heads and  "E-Boss" manifolds so you could build a clone "Boss" 302 or 351 if you wanted to. Think what a rocker a 427 inch "Boss" motor would be!!  That should make your Mustang, Torino, Fairlane or Cougar fly. # 5. 1961-76 Ford 390. There were tens of millions of these used in various Ford cars and trucks. Edelbrock makes aluminum heads for them and their "Performer RPM" package boasts 450+ hp. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly-but 450 honest hp will turn any street car into a rocket. And they look identical to a 427 or 428 if your building a Thunderbolt or Shelby clone, or just don't want to risk blowing the 428 CJ in your Torino, Fairlane, or Mach 1. # 6. 1977-79 403 Olds V8. Although they were onlu used 3 years-there were millions of them put in Pontiac Firebirds and Trans-Ams,Catalinas and Bonnevilles,Buick Park Avenues and Electras, Olds 88s and 98s, and tons of big BOP wagons. Anything that fits a 350 Olds fits these-so hot rod parts are readily available-and 53 extra cubes in your Cutlass would make it a real sleeper. Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from there "Performer RPM" package and that was on a 350 test mule. The 53 extra cubes would put hp in the 425 to 440 range-more than the 370 a vaunted "W30" 455 was rated at!!  #7. You'll notice there's no Pontiacs on this list. The reason is they've been out of production since 1978. And-with a few exceptions-389, 400, 428 and 455 Pontiacs were used in virtually every model. There's nothing special about them-and something like 15 million were produced from 1965-78. If you have a Ram Air IV 400, or a Super Duty 421 or 455 or a 455 HO, you know how rare it is, and you've probaly already gone to a junkyard and gotten a generic 400 block out of something to play with. So go build a mean motor and get to the strip.....Mastermind