Sometimes dynamite comes in small packages.....

The trend in the buff magazines always seems to be "Bigger is Better". Everything they feature has a 500 inch monster motor. If you can afford that, by all means do it. However-there are a lot of people who don't need or want a 500+hp engine. They'd just like a little better than stock performance from their base model car. Here's my suggestions on how to do this. # 1. 318 Mopars. There are a ton of 318 powered Duster / Darts, Challenger / Barracudas, Satellites, Coronets and Chargers out there. In all it's history-the 318 was Chrysler's lowest warranty engine. Their bulletproof. '92 and later "Magmum" heads will bolt up to earlier blocks, and Edelbrock sells "Magnum" bolt pattern Performer and Performer RPM intakes. With headers and dual exhausts, maybe a mild cam and a good shift kit in the Torqueflite-you'd be amazed at how fast a 318 can run. Especially in a light car. So before you sell your sould for a big-block or a 360 crate motor, you might consider warming up the 318 that's already in the car.  # 2. 350 Pontiacs. There are a lot of 350 powered LeMans, Tempest, Firebird and Ventura ( Pontiac's version of the Nova ) models out there. Basic hot rod tricks-4bbl carb and intake, headers and or dual exhausts, mild cam-really "wake up" a 350 Pontiac. You can make 350 hp and 400 lbs of torque pretty easy-which should give you some exciting street performance-13 second 1/4s in most cars. Beyond that-you'll need a 400 or 455. The reason is the small-bore / long stroke design. It gives them great low-end torque, but the big-valve, big port heads used on the larger engines that are necessary for really big power won't fit. ( The valves wil hit the block. )  # 3. 350 Olds. There's way more 350 Cutlasses out there than there are 400 and 455 442s. Like their Pontiac cousins, they respond very well to basic upgrades-4bbl carb and intake, headers, etc.  Edelbrock claims 397 hp and 400 lbs of torque from their "Performer RPM" package on a 350 Olds. 400 honest hp will make any street car into an absolute rocket.  # 4. 302 Ford. There's a lot of Mustangs, Cougars, Torinos, Montegos, and Mavericks and Comets with 302 power. Except for the small-block Chevy, there's more speed equipment for a 302 Ford than just about anything else on the planet. A buddy with a 440 Road Runner got his doors blown off by a hot 302 Maverick one night. With the right equipment in a light car-you can quote Chuck Berry's classic "Maybelline"- "Nothin' outrun my V8 Ford"  Mastermind