don,t get so involved in the process you can,t see the goal

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
do you ever get so wrapped up in your projects engine , that you can,t step back and see that the costs don,t justify the results???

I just got thru reading a HOT ROD MAG engine build where they got 505hp/500 tq from a 383, they listed the parts(never mentioned the machine shop costs) and just the parts alone cost $6359.11 (and that assumed you had a block from a 350 your starting with as the block was not included in the price!!)now thats about what your average hot rodders going to spend ($5500-$7500)to get that power level if he builds a 383 sbc to 500hp, but being basically I big block guy at heart I stepped back and had to ask WHY??? WHY GO THRU THAT EFFORT and COST to get that result??and your still forgetting those machine shop costs and the potential screw-ups
remember thats about $6500

FOR ABOUT THE SAME MONEY YOU COULD BUY A BBC 502, SAME POWER BUT FAR MORE GROWTH POTENTIAL
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Ascripts/pricesdata.cgi


OR IF YOUR REALLY INTO SBCs,FOR JUST UNDER $7000 YOU COULD PURCHASE A 454 SBC ENGINE
http://ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html

THERES DOZENS OF OPTIONS, BUT THE MAIN POINT IS THAT IF THEY HAD STEPPED BACK AND LOOKED LONG AND HARD AT COST VS THE RESULTS......WELL ID SURE HAVE A 502 BBC or 454 sbc VS THAT 383 SBC
that was 500 flywheel hp in the HOT ROD MAG BUILD UP BTW

while I agree that a sbc can be fun....and impressive ,a bbc engine similarly built (TO the same power level PER CUBIC INCH) will almost always make the smaller engine car look silly, sorry but its just physics, lets say your 383 sbc camaro weights 3500 lbs and has 500hp thats 7 hp per lb... and 1.30 hp per cubic inch....if I install a 496 which ois the stroker version of a 454 much like a 383 is the stroker version of a 350- I have a 113 cubic inch advantage, and thats 147 extra hp at the same 1.30 hp per inch of displacement, sure I weight about 100 lbs more, or 3600 lbs, but Ive got 645 hp to move that 3600lbs.. or only 5.6lbs per hp to worry about accellerating, thats an advantage of about 20% in favor of the BBC combo

theres thousands of combos each engine could be built to,power adders etc. but the bottom line is that a larger displacement and better flowing heads on the bbc have advantages, and that its foolish to spend $7000 on a 383 if you could build a 454 sbc for about the same cost
all IM saying is step back and look at the cost vs results before diving into a project

lets assume you have a 1992-96 corvette and its got an LT1 engine, thats seen better days, you can buy a 396 displacement 450 hp replacement for about $9000
OR
but personally I can,t even imagine spending $9000 on an LT1 if I could buy a 454 sbc for $7000 or a 500hp bbc for $6500
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/ChevyBi ... assem.html

but then swapping in either engine for your LT1 would be reasonably easy and especially in the case of the 454SBC the swaps almost a drop in deal

http://ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html
http://www.lt1intake.com/

and where your current LT1 injection can be adapted to the 454 sbc engine

its NOT a direct bolt up but THE LT1 intake CAN BE EASILY ADAPTED TO FIT THE EARLIER STYLE heads and ADAPTED to use a DISTRIB IGNITION
go to that LT1 INTAKE site and ask questions

http://www.lt1intake.com/files/faq.html


the point is theres OPTIONS,think them thru before spending your money and your not married to the original block/engine

NEVER DIVE HEAD FIRST INTO A PROJECT WITHOUT DOING SOME BASIC RESEARCH ON PARTS AVAILABILITY AND PRODUCT SUPPORT, BUT IF YOUR REALLY DETERMINED ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BE MADE TO WORK IF YOU WANT TO THROW ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY INTO THE PROJECT
 
MAKE THAT LIST OF PARTS AND MACHINE WORK NECESSARY TO COMPLETE YOUR DREAM CAR!

PERSISTENCE ALMOST ALWAYS RESULTS IN SUCCESS
I can,t begin to relate all the times Ive just kept working at something and eventually it gets done or I find the problem, Im facing and get that fixed and then proceed, really the only sure way to fail is to give up! it can take years but if your persistent you'll eventually succeed..BUILD THAT DREAM COMBO, but think it thru before starting, if your putting this much time and effort into something make sure its what you really want, so your not wasting a great deal of time and money!
one other factor that's commonly overlooked is that increasing the engine output alone won,t make for a great car
and that lowering weight and matching the drive train gearing to the engines power curve rather than just slapping randomly selected "better" heads, cams and intakes etc.on your engine is rarely effective, in the long run.
yes you might have increased your engines horsepower significantly, but in a heavy car with a less than ideal suspension your very unlikely to have as fast a car as some guy who did the research and has a matched combo, even if he has less horsepower.
 
before you go dumping a stack of cash into that small block combo youve been dreaming about ,think about the final resulting combo and its power to weight ratio and what the car will look like!, you might want to think of this option.

a older datsun (Z) and a big block chevy,

http://www.sdpc2000.com/product/12371171/502502DeluxeKitGMPerformancePartsCrateEngineAssembly.aspx

or
http://www.ohiocrank.com/enginespage1.html

FEATURED ENGINE *
550 Urban Assault Engine
Price


The goal was not top horsepower, although 600 is pretty good, but a broad torque curve. This engine had 625 ft. lb. of torque at 2800 RPM and still was above 625 at 4800. Based on the brand new Merlin III block and featuring Merlin iron heads and aluminum intake the new 550 has produced some phenomenal numbers on the dyno. The engine was designed for daily street use and starts great and idles at a smooth 700 RPM. On the dyno, 18 pulls were made to optimize timing, jetting, etc. Different rocker ratios and carb spacers were also tested.

The engine features all premium components including 4340 steel crank, H-beam rods, forged SRP pistons, Sealed Power plasma moly rings, race bearings parts that will take a good shot of nitrous. A complete Comp Cams valve train is used including the latest technology hydraulic roller cam. Top line brands like MSD, Manley, Holley, and Moroso finish the package.

Options:
for aluminum heads add $800
many options available Complete engine carb to pan
$8,995

doesn,t look bad

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=312
03200019.jpg


viewtopic.php?f=44&t=883
 
BTW one of the most common SCREW UPS in building engines is those "DEALS" most guys always seem to get on parts about 1/2 way thru there collecting parts stage of the build up, YOU CAN,T GENERALLY START SWAPPING COMPONENTS FROM A WELL PROVEN COMBO AND EXPECT DECENT RESULTS, BECAUSE ITS NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON FOR THOSE PARTS YOU GOT AT A KILLER PRICE TO BE EITHER NOT DESIGNED FOR THE APPLICATION OR NOT TRULY COMPATIBLE WITH THE OTHER COMPONENTS
in many cases I can either point out a known decent combo or look one up for you in my records, if you
are asking for a good engine combo?
the key is generally matching displacement,compression air flow cam timing and the drive trains gearing to the intended rpm band and hp goal, following a known combo is the smartest route, want to go that route, do some research, ask questions look for similar combos and try to get all the info you can,
if so, whats a realistic budget, and what parts if any do you currently have on hand?
have you researched a complete parts list and researched the machine shop costs, are the parts readily available?
I can give you a good combo, in many cases but if like most guys you don,t follow the listed components the results may vary wildly, building an engines a bit like baking cookies, if you follow the recipe exactly you get predictable results, but if you substitute parts that look to be similar you may find the results are vastly different, about like if the recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar and you substitute three cups of salt, because it looks nearly identical and you happen to have a deal on salt vs sugar, well substitute parts that look to be similar in an engine from a known combo and the results might be like those cookies made with the salt vs sugar!

well the same basic concept does apply to cars!
and similar LOOKING parts don,t always result in similar results

Id be the first guy in line to say there's always a good deal more to learn,and no one knows everything, but Im constantly amazed at the guys that won,t take advantage of the years of experience that some of the older more experienced members on the site have to offer.
theres several members here with extensive experience,people willing to take the time to help out,who get NOTHING in return except the knowledge they helped out the younger guys, those older more experienced guys just don,t think you should make the same mistakes they have seem made over and over,that can be avoided. you would be foolish NOT to take advantage of that experience since its freely offered in good faith, but if you would rather learn things the hard expensive way, its your choice!
there's KNOWN formulas,fuel/air ratio charts,pressure curves, volumetric efficiency limits and stress limits and relationships between components, that can be use when intelligently selecting components, ignoring those formulas almost always results in less efficiency, power and greater cost
Edit/Delete Message

your engines torque curve is more the result of displacement, compression,ratio,selected cam timing and both header design (scavenging) and intake design (SINGLE vs DUAL PLANE ETC.)than just port cross sectional area alone, and if your wearing valve guides the valve train geometry and clearances, and lubrication system, and the oil used in it, and your valve spring rates and seals need to be carefully checked and a rocker stud girdle and roller rockers used
and port cross sectional area and flow numbers have a larger effect than port shape alone
naturally you'll need to match the port cross sectional area, length, and plenum to the intended displacement and rpm band, and cam timing, but just assuming a swap from rectangular port to oval will always result in more torque will not always be true over the whole power band, especially if the rest of the combos designed for a totally different rpm band than the heads you've selected.
tweaks like tuned merge collectors, and slightly different cam timing and intake swaps can get a great deal more of the torque potential from a slightly different port size,and there are calculators you can use to find a limited selection of choices,in header length, diam., collector, intake port length and cross section and runner length, plenum size, cam timing and valve size to look thru.. too narrow your search for the best match to your application vs just guessing and swapping parts till you think you've got it correct

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=333

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=906&p=1473#p1473
 
here is an excellent example of something that looks great as a concept, but then reality steps in and its rather obvious cost vs value becomes a big problem

http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/world-produc ... -1235.html

http://www.racewayengines.com/raceway_fuel_injected_engines.htm

http://gmhorsepower.com/LS7-Zo6.php

http://airflowresearch.com/articles/article108/A-P1.htm

http://airflowresearch.com/articles/article109/A-P1.htm

http://www.worldcastings.com/products/engines/ls1-ls7-chevrolet-engines/




The main idea for the design is to use the superior cyl head design of the LS generation in competition applications where computer controlled engine management is not permitted.

The Motown allows a traditional distributor/ignition system and the use of all the common accessorizes we use in these applications.

It will bolt to a power glide trans (or a T350/400), it will accommodate the mid plate & front plate used in most drag chassis, and all accessorizes will bolt right on so no need to re-engineer new brackets, etc.

The classes we deal with are Super Gas, Super Comp, Super Pro, & Top Dragster in NHRA, and Hot Rod, Quick Rod, Super Pro, Super Stock in IHRA.

Just think about making 800 hp N/A from a small block!!!

800hp for $18K?


http://ohiocrank.com/enginespage1.html

FEATURED ENGINE *
620 Super Class Complete Motor


Price


This is a special project for the Super class, and serious bracket racer, that needs power and torque, but also has to make rounds all day without motor maintenance. This engine now makes 900 HP at 6400 RPM with 830 lb. ft. of torque at 4800 running 33 degrees of timing. The cam lift is only .748 and the rockers are Jesel shaft mount. No need to check valve springs and lash between rounds.


Engines are built with Merlin III blocks, Brodix BB3X, or Dart 345 heads, Merlin X intake, Ohio Crankshaft 4340 forged 4.75" stroke crank, H-beam rods with ARP 2000 bolts, Canton pan, Comp cam, Felpro gaskets, and Melling oil system.

Every component is available off the shelf, the bore size will allow two rebores, and the compression is 14.3:1 which does not require the ultra expensive gas, or could be run on alcohol. The Best part is the price at $10995, less carb, ignition and valve covers, this is a really great deal.
Options:
Holley 1250 Carb $975
MSD Ignition $695
Valve Covers $295
Aluminum Block $2350
E85 Carb $1300


some how 900hp for $11K sounds better
Complete Engine
$10,995


OR

FEATURED ENGINE *
565 Cubic Inch Big Block Chevy - 1000 HP with a good deal more torque


Price $17K




This engine has the very best components including 12 degree Profiler heads w/ Victory Ti valves, JE pistons, Ohio Crank forged aluminum rods, Jesel Rockers, Comp, Holley 1250 carburetor, Williams pan, MSD Ignition with crank trigger, etc. This combination could be tuned for more power, it has standard tension rings, valve seats cut for durability, and a very safe tune up.

Options:
Speedtech plate system - add $600
Speedtech fogger system - add $1,700
Jesel belt drive - add $850
Oliver billet rods - add $600
Billet cap block - add $300
O-ring and copper gaskets - add $175
many additional options available

$16,950
 
now build with a plan in mind,no matter what you do you'll need a low restriction exhaust, decent performance gearing, a manual trans or a higher stall converter and bigger & better brakes so that's where Id suggest you start, a well designed, low restriction exhaust and headers would be my first suggestion along with matching the drive train, rear gearing and torque converter stall speed, to your goals before even touching the engine, but keep in mind the torque rating of your eventual engines power range when selecting components, then if it seems like the cooling system, suspension and brakes will need to be upgraded those should be given some serious thought before you get into the engine, now that's backwards from what most guys do, but it tends to prevent extended down times or driving a car that's constantly breaking down or having a car with enough horsepower that will have a tendency to get you killed when the rate of acceleration, far exceeds the cars ability to steer and turn, at high speeds or far out performs the brakes, and suspensions ability to stop the car once a decent engines installed.

Id also strongly suggest building a second separate pure performance engine, that can be swapped into and out of the car over a weekend so your never out of transportation for long if that car is your main source of transportation rather than a weekend toy!
once you get into high compression, larger cams, better heads, superchargers ETC, you tend to run into machine shops that don,t return parts as promised and speed parts that need to be modified before they work correctly etc. you sure won,t be the first guy that gets shipped the wrong parts or has a machine shop ruin component
rather than modifying your main, and possibly only cars engine to the point where a break down.(and any car will eventually break down, but high performance engines have a slightly higher tendency, to do so) will put a serious check in your life style.
besides, its always nice to be able to drop the procedure your involved with for weeks at a time at YOUR convenience, family concerns, or if lack of funds, lack of time or just lack of interest , or the local machine shops promised due dates, on returning parts, or the local speed shops back ordered parts, prevent you from finishing some stage of your engine build up.
having the ability to reinstall the stock engine and drive the car without worrying about getting to work or taking trips is a nice option to have on any long weekend notice.
take your time and build a killer combo, but don,t paint yourself into a corner, use your head and plan the steps carefully, you certainly don,t want an 800hp supercharged monster under the hood if the wife needs to use the car to get groceries and you don,t want the dual quads, on a tunnelram a supercharger ,stack injectors , or other really obvious mods sticking out of the hood, if you need to park the car where its not under your constant watch and where its out of the weather and in some place its secure from thieves.
if it looks nice people notice and theres a small number of guys out there that seem to think stealing cars or pouring a chocolate shake down your injector stacks is perfectly acceptable behavior!
you don,t want to get stuck with just building what came under the hood simply because that's what was there either!
do the research,and remember a mildly modified high compression 477-496-502- 540-572 big block will provide a great deal more dependability than a highly modified 283-307-350 with the same hp, without power boosters, and a 383-427 sbc, or even a 396-454 496 etc. bbc with a centrifugal supercharger or a turbo can put out amazing hp levels and still fit under a stock hood, if your really good at fabricating some components and if you give a great deal of thought to the installation, and take measurements before you start selecting the car the installation, will be made in,and components you'll use in your personal cars engine build-up and the drive train that will be used..
heres not much glamor in doing things the reasonable route,
if your building a modern hot rod, that's to be used on the street
the complementary mods Id suggest be done first are
to install headers and a low restriction 3" exhaust,
then go for a 3000rpm stall torque converter(if its an auto transmission)
and a 373:1-to-3.90:1 rear gear ratio and an over drive transmission, like a 700r4,or 4l80e
followed by better brakes, once that's done you can work on the engine , and expect to have a balanced set of components
example
having a low 14 second car the handles and brakes far better than the car that looks so similar to your buddies car,
when his car is running in the low 13s or high 12s because, he went into the engine , in his car first,
rather than upgrading the drive train, suspension and exhaust first, like you did,
sure is hard for most guys to do!
but it pays off later when you swap engines and your suddenly in the low 12s or high 11 second time slot or even faster with a car that's not always in the shop!
especially when your car handles, and runs consistent times and his runs off into the barrier at the end of the track because his brakes suck and he can,t turn well, and you see his engine constantly overheats, and hes consistently replacing parts, parts that failed because they won,t work correctly in the application

the problem seems to be that most guys can,t accept the idea that a few good(EXPENSIVE) parts that are well matched will produce better results
than twice as many low cost parts, that, and most of us have a problem spending $1500-$2500 on a set of heads or a block when parts that look similar cost less than a 1/3rd of that cost
and when what they think is a screaming deal on the inferior parts comes along they jump on the purchase rather than getting the more expensive components, that they really need.


trust me here,
a decent set of brodix,trickflow,dart, or afr heads, that are carefully matched to your other components, selecting the largest displacement you can afford and matching the cam timing to the cars gearing and compression ratio,for the combos application and a decent dart block stuffed full of quality forged components that are,selected for a certain power range and rpm band are going to produce better power than youll ever get close to with ported stock heads and a stock production block

and yes every time I get almost enough saved for my dream parts list I also have those Emergency's come up and I find I need to spend a good percentage of the car budget on other things so your not the only guy facing that problem

I get asked all the time is certain mods are worth the expense?
will the changes make the car faster?
will the car be a P.I.T.A. to drive in traffic?
will the car tend to over-heat? etc. or if the changes are likely to reduce the cars dependability.
any experienced hot rodder will tell you that at some point the quest for more horse power is most likely going to effect the cars durability, and then at that point it becomes a weekend toy.
the truth here that's frequently ignored is that each modification will usually require matching modifications to maintain the cars drive-ability and dependability.
add that big lopey cam, and it won,t work correctly without matching mods like increased compression and larger port heads and a low restriction exhaust, and it tends to raise the effective rpm band.
raise the effective power band and you increase the need for a stiffer rear gear ratio, higher stall converter, to match that power and rpm band increase.
but that without question, increases the heat the drive train produces,and usually will require a better oil cooler, and larger radiator,and its the radiator and transmission cooler,thats frequently over-looked until the problem becomes more obvious,or dependability usually suffers.
in most case guys get so focused on increasing the horse power they forget or ignore the additional matching components that help cool and keep the engine and transmission cool and lubricated.
once you've got the extra power you'll usually need suspension mods to use the power, better/larger more efficient, brakes and a frame and body will generally require frame stiffeners, better engine mounts, better shocks,maybe a roll cage.

when do you reach that point, when you need to start thinking of the car as a complete package vs just adding minor mods???
Ive always said theres a darn simple test!
if you can jump into the car in question,with a couple suit cases, turn on the radio and air conditioning, and drive from lets say Miami to lets say phoenix, using pump octane fuel, with a couple rain storms along the way,without worrying much about getting there, without having to make repairs "its a street car" if you would be certifiable thinking you could make the trip, its no longer , at least in my opinion a "STREET CAR in the true sense"
but keep in mind a well though thru combo with matching components can easily have double or even triple the stock horse power or even more and still maintain that street car durability and ability to make those long trips, its just a matter of thinking things thru and choosing and correctly installing ALL the required components, and realizing that an engine that has the potential to make really impressive horse power at high rpms may rarely be required to run up into its max power band when used in a street car, so a good deal of thought as to the daily use and true average rpm levels should be considered
 
think thru the cash cost vs the value of the modification to reaching your goals,
it makes very little sense to me to spend lets say $1000-$1200 on a custom intake on an LS1 to gain 20 horsepower,when a cam swap, and a nitrous kit could get the same, or even MUCH better results at 1/3rd the price, or the same price, THINK IT THRU, a decent nitrous kit and a cam swap could easily result in an extra 150hp for the same $1000-$1200 or guys that buy $2000-$3500 killer heads in some applications where the heads are designed to flow 300-400 cfm then stick in a cam that has significantly less potential flow and rpm potential, those heads are designed for high rpm power so the rest of the combo and the drive train MUST match to allow them to work at near their full flow rates, or put those heads on a short block with low compression,and a restrictive intake designed for street use, and restrictive headers.
If your going to invest in heads designed to low 300cfm-400cfm you want to match all the other components, used in the combo to maximize that flow potential, you'll want to max the displacement to the limits of your budget and increase the compression to the limits of the fuels octane rating, use a free flow non-restrictive exhaust and gear the car to operate in the upper rpm range where the heads can use that potential flow.
its INSANE in my opinion to slap $3000 heads on a engine thats geared for highway cruising and then match them to a transmission that shifts at 4500rpm,or use headers, connected to a stock exhaust and a nearly stock cam, where theres ZERO chance you can even occasionally get into the rpm ranges and flow potential of those heads
as a general rule
you get a good deal more potential power from a solid lifter. or solid roller lifter with a minimum of 245 duration at .050 lift in a sbc or at least 5-10 more degrees duration in a bbc, a decent intake designed to flow similar numbers to the heads and use of a 10-11:1 or higher static compression ratio ,that results in at least a 8:1 dynamic cpr and drive train gearing that's designed to keep the engine in the 3800 plus rpm where a cam like that can allow the heads to breath, before the investment in those heads will prove its full worth, and youll need a set of tuned headers and a low restriction exhaust before the engine can breath efficiently.
the most common screw up I see is not thinking thru the complete package,exhaust, drive train,rear gearing, brakes, cooling, lubrication,tires, suspension etc.

now admittedly IM writing this some what tongue in cheek, because Im well aware of the addicted, at times even RABBID SBC faction,
BUT as a dedicated BBC, and old school Pontiac, and mopar BIG BLOCK FAN, who likes building 454-540 bbc, 455-468 Pontiac, 440-500 MOPARS and 392 hemi,s, IM always amazed at the guys who want to stick with the sbc rather than upgrade,to a basic block config thats designed for the extra displacement. but I get guys in my shop all the time who want to build 427-454 SBC engines, for street strip use, and expect both decent street manors and 550-600 flywheel hp
I build ocasional sbc engines of 406 (.030 over bore 400sbc engines)and 426 (4.185 bore/3.875 stroke sbc engines)displacement, but far more 383-396 simply due to the base 350 block being far more common, I build a good deal of 383s designed for nitrous us, that easily exceed 550-600hp on the giggle gas, but once you get over a 3.875" stroke things are getting pretty tight in the cam/connecting rod clearance so I try to steer them into a BBC combo if I can, for the simple reason that its a lot simpler to build a 482-489-496 BBC (4.25" stroke 454 with or without a slight over bore) and in most cases the final product cost per horsepower will be slightly in the bbc favor once you try to exceed 550-600hp N/A
yes I can hear the screams already!
but after you have a few brandys and think it thru, many guys find Im correct,If your goal is 550-600hp plus N/A, and you want both reasonable drive ability on the street and an occasional bonzi charge to impress your buddies with reasonable chances of taking the car out without maintenance issues, a big block makes more sense to me

I doubt theres many of us that would not like to be driving a brand new corvette!
or maybe your checking balance is more likely to look kindly on a corvette thats only a few years old?
if you can afford it thats certainly a great way to go, but many of us would like to go that route but due to reality our expenditure on automotive related toys are limited, by factors such as affording houses, and food, or we need access to a larger seating capacity so our corvettes a second car, so we are driving an older corvette. .
ok , lets say like many of us, your driving a corvette thats 5-30 years old and theres a seeming endless progression or repairs, and you start thinking about trading it in on a newer model, now naturally the condition your cars in and what needs to be replaced,repaired or adjusted is a major factor here as is your skill level and familiarity with tools and having the time and place to do the work, but theres also a huge tendency to look at a newer car as a car that's far less likely to need repairs, which is not always true, because at some point you've replaced or repaired a good deal of the potential problem areas, in your current car.
yes I know your goal is to have a fast car that looks good, obviously you need to make personal choices, just remember that, you can replace interior components like seats,, do paint jobs and replace engines a whole lot cheaper than the cost of a new corvette in many cases.
paying $600 for a complete brake upgrade ,and $1200 for new tires on your current car, is usually going to be a whole lot cheaper, in the long run than monthly car payments on a new car.

the need to do repairs will be an intermittent part of ownership with any used car , so get used to occasionally replacing parts or adjusting things, if you step back and total up the cost over a long time period it tends to cost less than the constant car payments, of having a new car.(especially once you realize once you drive any car off the lot its a USED CAR, and in most cases you pay a good deal extra for a bumper to bumper warranty after the first few years and that many "WEAR ITEMS" like belts,hoses and brakes and tires, are seldom covered in any warranty)
look at it this way, you may need a new clutch, or transmission,new tires,new brakes, a new water pump, a valve job, etc. over any given time period, its part of owning a car.some parts have a rather predictable life expectancy, for example you can reasonably expect to replace brakes every 60K or water pumps at 80K, and tires depending on your driving style at between 30K-50K
purchasing a newer corvette could easily cost $35-$75K, every choice is a compromise in some area,but while you can occasionally delay repairs car payments must be made on a set schedule.
over a 72 month payment time frame that,s a monthly payment of at least $500-$1100 OR MORE a month and those month roll by rather fast, your almost always ahead maintaining a used corvette, especially when you factor in the far higher cost of insurance on a newer vette, into the financial picture.



OK ILL STEP BACK, YOU CAN START SCREAMING AND BURNING MY LIKENESS IN EFFIGY
 
one area I see guys screw up all the time is in selecting the drive train components
now most guys just use what came in the car or the transmission that was originally attached to the engine,that can be a good idea but at times its not the best route to go.
EXAMPLE lets assume you build a nice camaro or slip a killer 383 sbc in an early 240z datsun, and you've installed a 2500rpm stall converter and a 3:90:1 rear gear and 26" tires, but retained the original th350 transmission the engine came with??
at 70mph your running 3600rpm and for long trips that insane
swap to a 200r4 or 700r4 and you could cruise at about 2600rpm with the over drive locked

just a question?
why, would you choose to install a th350 with no overdrive when a 700r4 or 2004r would basically give you the top end speed and lower rpms your looking for and still retain the 3.90:1 rear gears off the launch gear advantage
with a 3.90 rear gear ratio and an over drive transmission, a sbc that pulls 6300rpm, and makes 500 plus hp with a 26" tire should in theory, far exceed 160mph, in a 2400lb z

200-4R
2.74
1.57
1.00
0.67

700R-4
3.06
1.63
1.00
0.70

http://www.thirdgen.org/calculations

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=555

please don,t think I have not made HUNDREDS of mistakes in the last 45 years and done my FULL share of things,that were not well thought thru, but EVENTUALLY I learned to step back and look at ALL the options and my budget and make semi-rational decisions.
I did almost the exact same thing you did back in 1968 with a camaro, and a 454/th400/4.88 rear gear,
quite a few years later I helped install a different transmission with an overdrive installed in the car, and it made a huge difference (even thou by that time the car was owned by a friend)he still drives the car and we both are amazed at how much better the combo is with the od transmission
 
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