one factor often over looked or lost in the planing and buying parts stages is keeping your focus not on the engines hp, yes it sounds great! your building a 600hp plus corvette!
but what are you going to do with the car once its built?
can you even drive it realistically on the street?
have you included, the necessay roll cage so you can safely and legally drive it at the track?
will the car have the BRAKES and cooling REQUIRED? but on what you plan to do with the car, once its built and after you've spent countless hours building the car and engine and enough money that your sure the wife would divorce you if she knew the true cost!
I recently had a guy request I build him a high dollar 454 SBC, and he wanted to get about 600hp, by the time I included all the tricked out parts in the proposal he has requested it was getting to be almost silly on the price vs the the potential results, now it would without doubt have produced the intended 600 plus hp, but it would have cost him almost $11-14K(depending on his selected choices)
for which he would have a killer sbc, that would be designed to run at high rpms and produce 600 plus hp..
but I pointed out that it would be a fairly high stress combo that would not be very street friendly, and he intended on having the engine installed in a corvette that would see about 95% street use
(probably seeing the track only long enough to get a few et slips for bragging rights and spend 95% of its time parked at car shows or local car meets).
the 600hp goal was mostly for bragging rights.
I pointed out that a 406 SBC with a nitrous kit , or a supercharger would save him over 20%-to 50% in the cost , (depending on the components selected)and provide him with the 600 plus hp during the 5% of the time he might actually use the power level.
I also pointed out that he could build a 540-555 displacement BBC that would last longer , have more torque and cost less while having the 600hp instantly available, and if he was willing to run only race octane fuel and high compression, or run a supercharger,and/or use nitrous on that BBC combo he could easily far exceed that 600hp, which ,because the car would see very limited use any way, as its to be a weekend toy, might be even better.
after pointing out the differences in cost, and potential power curves its almost a total no-brainer that building a large displacement bbc , or a nitrous or supercharged sbc or bbc combo is a more economical route than building what would be similar to a large displacement NASCAR engine, that produced killer hp at high rpms N/A for street use.
EXAMPLE
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
Complete Engine
$10,995
OR
http://www.ultrastreet.net/engines/540_realstreet.asp
I really don,t see how you can beat these combo deals for the price
Ive built lots of engines for both myself and the local muscle car owners over the last 40 years, and Ive rarely had anyone I built a BBC for say they wish they had gone with a sbc, except when mileage & gas prices were a big issue, but I frequently have guys tell me that they wish they had gone with a 454-540bbc after they have been driving a 400-500hp sbc for a few years and find that it either won,t keep up with the bbc cars or more frequently its because its street manors suck compared to a bb car with similar performance.
if you build a 383 that produces 450-500hp its just not usually going to have the same drive-ability, on trips or in traffic,nor are you going to have the same peak potential
but what are you going to do with the car once its built?
can you even drive it realistically on the street?
have you included, the necessay roll cage so you can safely and legally drive it at the track?
will the car have the BRAKES and cooling REQUIRED? but on what you plan to do with the car, once its built and after you've spent countless hours building the car and engine and enough money that your sure the wife would divorce you if she knew the true cost!
I recently had a guy request I build him a high dollar 454 SBC, and he wanted to get about 600hp, by the time I included all the tricked out parts in the proposal he has requested it was getting to be almost silly on the price vs the the potential results, now it would without doubt have produced the intended 600 plus hp, but it would have cost him almost $11-14K(depending on his selected choices)
for which he would have a killer sbc, that would be designed to run at high rpms and produce 600 plus hp..
but I pointed out that it would be a fairly high stress combo that would not be very street friendly, and he intended on having the engine installed in a corvette that would see about 95% street use
(probably seeing the track only long enough to get a few et slips for bragging rights and spend 95% of its time parked at car shows or local car meets).
the 600hp goal was mostly for bragging rights.
I pointed out that a 406 SBC with a nitrous kit , or a supercharger would save him over 20%-to 50% in the cost , (depending on the components selected)and provide him with the 600 plus hp during the 5% of the time he might actually use the power level.
I also pointed out that he could build a 540-555 displacement BBC that would last longer , have more torque and cost less while having the 600hp instantly available, and if he was willing to run only race octane fuel and high compression, or run a supercharger,and/or use nitrous on that BBC combo he could easily far exceed that 600hp, which ,because the car would see very limited use any way, as its to be a weekend toy, might be even better.
after pointing out the differences in cost, and potential power curves its almost a total no-brainer that building a large displacement bbc , or a nitrous or supercharged sbc or bbc combo is a more economical route than building what would be similar to a large displacement NASCAR engine, that produced killer hp at high rpms N/A for street use.
EXAMPLE
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
Complete Engine
$10,995
OR
http://www.ultrastreet.net/engines/540_realstreet.asp
I really don,t see how you can beat these combo deals for the price
Ive built lots of engines for both myself and the local muscle car owners over the last 40 years, and Ive rarely had anyone I built a BBC for say they wish they had gone with a sbc, except when mileage & gas prices were a big issue, but I frequently have guys tell me that they wish they had gone with a 454-540bbc after they have been driving a 400-500hp sbc for a few years and find that it either won,t keep up with the bbc cars or more frequently its because its street manors suck compared to a bb car with similar performance.
if you build a 383 that produces 450-500hp its just not usually going to have the same drive-ability, on trips or in traffic,nor are you going to have the same peak potential
