lets talk about combos and budgets

grumpyvette

grumpyvette

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Staff member
I have this valid and rather interesting question

Grumpyvette, I building a 41 chevy 2dr sedan street rod.Nothing radical.I want the car to be a driver with a little "GO POWER" under the hood.I'd like to build a sbc engine.Yes I will do most of the work except when I need to have machine shop work done.I going automatic transmission.Posi rear,with 3:55 gear range.4:11 maybe to much for the highway use.Not looking to 1/4 mile the car unless it was just a nostalgic meet or hot rod show.I would differently like to build a engine that would correct for the era.Say if you where hot rodding this car in the mid 60's.Any thoughts would be great.Thanxs for your time



my first few questions have got to be,
whats the car weigh?
whats your budget?
does it have to be period correct or just look like it?
what parts if any are you starting with?
what experience and tools do you have?
do you have a place to work?
what time frame are we working with?
does it need to pass emission testing?
always, if you deal with any machine shop, assume your dealing with a guy who really doesn,t give a crap,
and print out in fine detail , what you want done ,,EXACTLY....with specific dimensions and a diagram,
with ALL those dimensions printed boldly , try hard to get both a firm delivery date and a agreed upon total price
IN WRITING WITH HIS SIGNATURE, and several pictures of the parts and him holding the parts and a receipt
that the parts listed individually, to be worked on are in what ever condition they were in, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES
this will be a minor P.I.T.A. but it will save you a whole lot of misunderstandings and arguments
never deal with any shop that says things like,
"come back next week I should get too it by then"
or "stuff like that generally costs about$300-$400, but I won,t know until I get into the project"
or won,t give a firm delivery date, price or sign a
receipt, or agree to a firm price... youll see why if you ignore this advice in spades
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=7697&p=26187#p26187
 
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id start by suggesting you make a detailed list of your goals and figuring out at least where the engine can be assembled and a basic budget and a realistic time frame.
if you have at least a place to place an engine stand and a salvaged engine core or some idea what your trying to do, an engine stand to place the block on and a plan then you can start. this can be a simple engine rebuild with a few upgrades, to enhance performance and durability or an all out purpose built engine built from scratch, theres no reason you have to get into serious modifications or extreme expense

144850_lg.jpg

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200305217

BETWEEN work sessions, keep the engine in a dry reasonably warm area up on the engine stand

(1) spray machined surfaces with oil

(2) use an engine protective bag and DUCT TAPE




300px-Duct-tape.jpg



SUM-G1009_SN.jpg



wd-40-br69235874.jpg


ID SUGGEST READING THRU THESE THREADS FOR IDEAS AND INFO, theres a ton of good info in the links and sub-links
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1018&p=5018&hilit=+engine+stand+storage#p5018

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=614&p=12734&hilit=spare+engine#p12734

GOOD 6" CONNECTING RODS FOR A 383 SBC
http://m.summitracing.com/parts/sca-26000716

viewtopic.php?f=87&t=339&p=17566&hilit=spare+engine#p17566

viewtopic.php?f=87&t=11053

viewtopic.php?f=87&t=4523&p=11968&hilit=spare+engine#p11968

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=519

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=38

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=3814

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=5078

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=7697&p=26187#p26187
 
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Grumpy thank you.I have most of the tools you outlined in the above posting.I also have 2 very reputable machine shops to deal with for any seriouse work.I will answer the above questions best I can,
1)Car's weight at this piont is unknown.But the car(1941 2dr chevy sedan) will have glas fenders(front&rear) and glass hood.
2)Budget? When my credit car fails :lol: :eek: :roll: Seriously it will go hand-n-hand with the build time.
3)I want the engine and car "LOOKING" like it was built during the 60's.No fancy "bling bling" on the engine.Aluminum intake on a chevy orange engine :cool: .I like to make the engine a "SLEEPER Looking".
4)I don't have a engine or trans at this time.
5)Tools and experiance(Check my introduction post ;) )
6) At least 3yrs.Why? because I'd like to drive the car on my 50th birthday :D
7)Emmisions, Don't hav to deal with emmisions.
 
ok lets start with basics , would you rather build a nice small block or BIG BLOCK Chevy engine,? keep in mind the BIG BLOCK generally won,t cost much if any more and if your just looking to build a vaguely period correct engine the big block certainly is also correct. it will generally have more torque and horsepower once done due to a better cylinder head design and larger displacement.
and because your starting from zip in engine parts, your not limited to CHEVY engines, the 440 mopar, 400-421-428 -455 pontiac, 455 buick, 472-500 caddy and ford 429- 460 come to mind here, If I was in your shoes Id at least think about a non-chevy engine before deciding, keep in mind you can frequently find a 500 caddy, 455 buick, 440 mopar or 460 ford engine in a salvage yard for FAR LESS cash than a big chevy
any yes Ive built at least a few of each engine family, but I would prefer the Pontiac, Chevy or big mopar as theres more parts available
Id at least look thru the local salvage yards for great deals

back in the 1970s we used to swap engines, and transmissions and rear differentials about as fast as a salvage yard had them available at a good price and large displacement was ALWAYS a HUGE HELP in making power, there were and probably still are 500 caddy and 440 mopar powered camaros and t-buckets

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/ford-boss-302-vs-chevy-dz-302.16075/

101_0132.JPG
 
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I haven't thought about "big block counrty" As for engine makes,I like to keep chevy with chevy and so on.I will think about this over thanksgiving holiday.
stefanP
 
obviously what youll be using the engine for plays a huge role in what youll be building, but I can,t even imagine an application where a 350-383 sbc won,t be cheaper to build , as the 327 generally used a small journal crank thats a bit harder to locate, and small journal rods, and remember, most sbc first gen engines make about a maximum of 1.2 ft lbs of torque per cubic inch of displacement in a combo using common stock components and cams with octane levels compatible with crappy 87 octane gas, and a 350-383 sbc will produce more useable torque in the lower rpm ranges than a 327 would, look, chevy swapped from the 327 to the 350 displacement as its about the ideal compromise in a first gen sbc engine for DURABILITY, MID RPM TORQUE and potential MILEAGE when geared correctly the 383 won,t generally produce a great deal more peak hp, if both are built correctly but the larger displacement easily produces 40 ft lbs and about 40 more horsepower in the lower and mid rpm range, making it much more noticeable in (SEAT OF THE PANTS ACCELERATION) but keep in mind any engine you rebuild is likely to cost in the $800-$2000 range MINIMUM to completely rebuild CORRECTLY.
so if your just looking to get transportation, a mild 350 crate engine with a warranty is a great idea,
http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance/80 ... 3/10002/-1

obviously youve got a ton of other options, and if your into performance a BIG BLOCK might be a valid choice.
 
Id PASS on the Buick nail head engine, theres several reasons, but small valves and not many modern speed parts top the list,
yes theres no doubt that the engine can be built to produce impressive hp,if you have a good budget ,but Id select a 455 Buick or 472-500 caddy or 428-455 Pontiac, 454 Chevy, 460 ford, as a starting point, far faster

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automoti ... rangement/

http://www.carcraft.com/thehistoryof/65 ... index.html

http://jalopnik.com/5178051/engine-of-t ... k-nailhead
 
grumpyvette said:
ok lets start with basics , would you rather build a nice small block or BIG BLOCK Chevy engine,? keep in mind the BIG BLOCK generally won,t cost much if any more and if your just looking to build a vaguely period correct engine the big block certainly is also correct. it will generally have more torque and horsepower once done due to a better cylinder head design and larger displacement.
and because your starting from zip in engine parts, your not limited to CHEVY engines, the 440 mopar, 400-421-428 -455 pontiac, 455 buick, 472-500 caddy and ford 429- 460 come to mind here, If I was in your shoes Id at least think about a non-chevy engine before deciding, keep in mind you can frequently find a 500 caddy, 455 buick, 440 mopar or 460 ford engine in a salvage yard for FAR LESS cash than a big chevy
any yes Ive built at least a few of each engine family, but I would prefer the Pontiac, Chevy or big mopar as theres more parts available
Id at least look thru the local salvage yards for great deals

back in the 1970s we used to swap engines, and transmissions and rear differentials about as fast as a salvage yard had them available at a good price and large displacement was ALWAYS a HUGE HELP in making power, there were and probably still are 500 caddy and 440 mopar powered camaros and t-buckets

101_0132.JPG
Click to expand...


still going deeper into the rabbit hole tonight i find more engine porn, for those too caught up in the valve cover yes that a big inch caddy motor.... INSIDE A ~2500ish POUND DATSUN! YESSSS!
 
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