Small-block musclecars can really run if their done right......

Everyone wants the big-block musclecars and this is why they command such high prices. However-for the enthusiast on a budget all is not lost. There are a lot more base model Chevelles, Cutlass and LeMans models out there with 350 cubes under the hood than there are SS396 / 454s, 442s, or GTOs with 400 or 455s in the engine bays. Ditto for Camaros and Firebirds. The same applies to Fords and Mopars. There are way more Mustangs,Torinos,Cougars and Montegos out there with 302 or 351 cubes under the hood than there are with 390, 428,429 or 460. There's way more Duster / Darts, Cuda / Challengers,and Road Runner / Satellite / Coronet / Charger models with 318 cubes under the bonnet than there are with 383s or 440s. Here's how to get the most "Bang for the Buck" from each line. # 1. Small-Block Chevy. This is a no-brainer. There's more speed equipment on the market for Small-Block Chevys than anything else on the planet. I mentioned before that Super Chevy built a 400 hp 350 with all new parts for $2,600. Magazine writers spout numbers flippantly-but believe me-400 honest hp will turn any street car into an absolute rocket. And that's just for starters-with a SBC your limited only by your wallet and imagination. For example-Edelbrock is selling a supercharged SBC crate engine with over 700 hp. For most of us-were either going to have to use the engine that came in the car-or find a used core to start with. Either way your ok. Two-bolt main blocks and cast cranks and cast pistons are find for this kind of use as long as rpm's don't go over 6,500. Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet offers brand-new Iron "Vortec" heads for $650 a pair. Their 64cc chambers will bump compression on the average 350 from 8.2:1 to about 9.5:1-that'll give you a nice power and torque boost in addition to the 30-40 hp the improved breathing will give-testing has shown that these heads breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones. This one simple bolt-on could be worth as much as 50 hp. That's a screaming deal-many machine shops charge that much to re-do your old heads and they don't breathe nearly as well as the Vortecs. You'll have to buy a "Vortec" style intake-but Edelbrock,Weiand and Holley all offer performance Vortec intakes for about $200. The main thing is go for a cam that builds maximum torque. Crane,Edelbrock,Lunati, and Comp Cams all offer excellent street cams that will make mega-hp and still have 12-15 inches of vacuum at idle. Their catalogs will give you recommendations on axle ratios, converter stall speed etc. The reason I recommend these cams over the factory performance cams-the old standbys-350 hp 327 cam, the L46 / L82 350 cam, the LT1 cam  etc-is you have to realize those "classic" cams are based on 1964 camshaft profiles and are not computer optimized. The modern cams will make more power,idle better and get better gas mileage. # 2. Small-Block Mopar. If you have a really light car-i.e.-Duster / Dart-318s can really run. They respond well to basic hot rod tricks-cam, intake, headers, etc. But the reality is in a heavy car-like a Road Runner or Charger-their just too small for serious performance work. Just like the Chevys-a 350 makes Waaayyy more power than a 305, yet costs no more to buy or build. Same here-a 360 makes way more power and torque with the same equipment. If you have a 360 in your car-by all means use it. If you don't-I would hit the boneyards and look for a '92-2003 360 "Magnum" V8 out of a Dodge Pickup or van or a Jeep Grand Cherokee. There are millions of them around. The good thing is besides being cheap and plentiful- like the Chevy "Vortecs"-the "Magnum" heads breathe better than any factory head and many aftermarket ones. And again-Edelbrock makes Performer and Performer "RPM" intakes that bolt-up to the "Magnum" heads. And they have roller cams from the factory. Edelbrock and Comp Cams offer excellent replacement roller cams for these engines. Eagle and other companys offer stroker crank,rod and piston kits to turn a 360 into a 408 if you so desire. Blueprint Engines offers a 408 crate engine that has 375 hp and 460 lbs of torque-you could duplicate that build pretty easily. Edelbrock claims 417 hp from their "Performer RPM" package on a 360-so the potential is there. # 3. Small-Block Ford. Again-if you have a light car-a Falcon / Maverick / Comet or Mustang / Cougar a 302 can really rock. In a heavier car like a Fairlane, Torino,Montego etc-a 351W / 351C offers a lot more "bang" for the buck. If your car has a 302-there is a ton of speed equipment available-almost as much as there is for Small-Block Chevys. There are stroker crank kits to turn a 302 into a 347 or a 363. If your car has a 351C-by all means use it. There is still a ton of speed equipment available for these engines including aftermarket heads. The downside is they were only built from 1970-74-so unless the car you have or are buying has one in it-their pretty scarce. If you have to buy an engine-I'd get a 351W. They were used in various Ford car and truck models from 1969-1997. Ford SVT sells high-performance 351W based crate engines to this day-even 392 and 427 inch strokers. Your limited only by your wallet and imagination. Edelbrock and Trick Flow offer "Cleveland" style aluminum heads that will bolt up to Windsor blocks and Edelbrock offers "E-Boss" intakes-so you could build a "Boss 302" or "Boss 351" on your own. # 4. Small-Block Oldsmobile. Of GM's "other"-i.e.-non Chevrolet 350 V8s-these have the most potential. The Factory "W31s" were grossly Under-rated at 325 hp. Think about this-the generic, "station wagon" 350 4bbl engine made 310 hp. The "W31"-with high-performance heads,special exhaust manifolds,an aluminum high-rise intake, and cam so hot it was only available with a 4-speed and 3.90:1 or 4.33:1 gears-only made 15 more hp???  Riiiiggghhht.  Anyhow they were available in virtually every Olds model from 1968-1980. Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their "Performer Rpm" package. Like I said-400 hp will make any street car a rocket. Another alternative is to use a 403. They were used in millions of Buick, Olds and Pontiac "Big" cars in the late '70's as well as hundreds of thousands of Pontiac Firebirds and Trans-Ams so their fairly plentiful. Anything that fits a 350 will fit a 403-and 53 extra cubes would definitely put you at about 425 hp and 450 lbs of torque with the Edelbrock "RPM" package-not too shabby for a "Smog Dog!!"  # 5. 350 Pontiac. "Rodney Dangerfield" here gets no respect from enthusiasts-mainly because Pontiac engines are externally identical from a 326 to a 455. If you want a big power infusion-you simply swap in a 400, 428 or 455. And-because of their small-bore / long stroke design-the big-valve heads from the larger engines-that you would need to make SERIOUS power-can't be used-the valves will hit the block. However-if you have a Firebird, LeMans or Ventura with a 350 under the hood, don't despair. They respond well to basic hot rod tricks. You just accentuate what the factory did-make big torque at low rpm. With a '68-74 factory Iron 4bbl intake or an Edelbrock Performer and matching cam or the Crane "Blueprint" "068" cam and a set of headers you can make 325-350 hp and 400 lbs of torque pretty easy and still have 15 inches of vacuum at idle, and pull hard to 5,500 rpm. With 350+ lbs of torque from idle on up-you don't need to rev to 7 grand. Scoff if you want-but that power level with an axle ratio between 3.23 and 3.73 would put any LeMans or Firebird solidly in the 13s on street tires with a glass-smooth idle. If you need to go faster than that-then you have to step up to a 400 or 455. People talk about notching the blocks to make the big heads work-but why? You still only have 350 cubes-and a 400 or 455 is going to make substantially more power and torque with the same equipment and no more cost. Places like Butler Performance advertise 550 hp Pontiac engines that run on 89 octane gas-but they aren't 350s!!!  You might notice that the 350 Buick V8 is conspicuously absent. The reason is unlike Chevy, Olds and Pontiac there was never a factory high-performance version, and aftermarket support is non-existant. I mean Edelbrock doesn't even make an intake manifold for them-and Edelbrock makes intakes for EVERYTHING from Flathead Fords, 348 / 409 Chevys,215 inch BOP / Rover V8s,472 / 500 Cadillacs and 2.8 GM V6s, and Honda / Acura 4-bangers!  No one makes cams or headers or anything for them. Sadly-if you want to hot rod your Century / Skylark / Regal-you'll have to get a 400 / 430 / 455 out of a big car and swap that in-there IS speed parts available for those-or-blasphemy, I know-swap in a Chevy, Pontiac or Olds V8. Buick guys don't like it-but that's the lay of the land-if there's no parts available there's no parts available. Anyhow-that's what I'd do to save money AND go fast with a small-block musclecar. Hope this helps out. Mastermind           .