Building a 302 / 3.00" stroke / 8,500 RPM, V-8 Car Options

[drive-ability]

I have started gathering parts to build a large journal 302. This is the engine this car needs to really work. The 350 is made to move a truck, where as a 302 makes the best balance of HP and torque. Ya the parts are expensive about 3 times the cost of a 350 but you only live once. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
I'll keep you V-8 guys posted!

[byndbad914]

I think that is a good choice for now IMO and knowing what you have been looking for up to now which is a good, smooth riding streeter car.

Down the road a really badass combo is a 400 block and 350 crank (the big bore helps to unshroud the valves on a good aftermarket head and with the 3.48 stroke you can get a 6" rod in there and good rod/stroke ratio). Built a couple of those - one for another 69 Camaro drag car (built a lot of ripping small blocks for 69 Camaros!) With the 930 trans you could use a "big but streetable" hyd roller cam, shift just under 7K, the motor would sound fantastic, run forever and should be able to push 500HP on pump gas if built right. 377 cubes assuming .030" over 400 block. SRP has an OTS piston for that combo - go flattop and 11:1 and run 91 pump gas.

That would be the engine I would recommend for a street 914 with a 930 trans. The only reason to shorten the stroke is to spin it and that just isn't a "street" way of thinking. I almost built that for mine but I really like to spin 'em so I went short stroke. Streeter would have been 377 for that light car.

[drive-ability]

I think that is a good choice for now IMO and knowing what you have been looking for up to now which is a good, smooth riding streeter car.

Down the road a really badass combo is a 400 block and 350 crank (the big bore helps to unshroud the valves on a good aftermarket head and with the 3.48 stroke you can get a 6" rod in there and good rod/stroke ratio). Built a couple of those - one for another 69 Camaro drag car (built a lot of ripping small blocks for 69 Camaros!) With the 930 trans you could use a "big but streetable" hyd roller cam, shift just under 7K, the motor would sound fantastic, run forever and should be able to push 500HP on pump gas if built right. 377 cubes assuming .030" over 400 block. SRP has an OTS piston for that combo - go flattop and 11:1 and run 91 pump gas.

That would be the engine I would recommend for a street 914 with a 930 trans. The only reason to shorten the stroke is to spin it and that just isn't a "street" way of thinking. I almost built that for mine but I really like to spin 'em so I went short stroke. Streeter would have been 377 for that light car.

Considering your experiences building engines and having your car set-up as it is , your advice is important. I think the time just wasn't right to build a engine of this caliber. I have read some great reviews of your set up / 400 - 350 and did consider that displacement. I built this car to drive, and I hope to have it running again in a few days.
P.S. I just love the sound of your car going down the back straight in the video... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[byndbad914]

Considering your experiences building engines and having your car set-up as it is , your advice is important. I think the time just wasn't right to build a engine of this caliber. I have read some great reviews of your set up / 400 - 350 and did consider that displacement.

Just to be clear about my combo, I recommend the 400-350 crank combo for 377cubes at .030 over for your car. Mine is actually 400-327 crank for a total of 353 cubes at .030 over. Just wanted to be clear that I used a shorter crank than I recommended to you for a more streetable engine.

I like big bore to stroke ratio motors and getting a good rod to stroke ratio for longevity. That is just my thing. But on that note, I have built a ton of 383-430 cube stroked small blocks for big torque. With the light little car, that 400-350 crank combo would be really really cool and the acceleration would make your eyes bleed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Mind you that combo will still make a lot of torque, you might be near 460-480 lb-ft and 500HP with a good hyd roller cam. The key is that those long stroke short rod motors can spin but not for long at high rpm without needing some sort of refresh. A pretty straight-forward combo of stock 400 2-bolt block with studded mains (and a girdle would be good), a stock steel 350 crank, 6" H-beams (they're cheap and we had a set in a 347 budget Ford with 30psi in the 8s!!) and OTS SRP pistons (or Ross,etc) would be an reasonably price combo that would live forever in that car even if you shifted at 7K everytime.

And with a 24"-25" tall tire on the rear you could clear 130mph before going to 4th (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) I hit 141mph with mine before shifting to 4th at 7300rpm. And I clear 60 in 1st which at sea level would be in about 2.9-3.1 seconds assuming I hooked up.

P.S. I just love the sound of your car going down the back straight in the video... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thanks... I don't think that was 7K yet either on the warmup laps, maybe 5500. but that said, sprint car headers with 3.5" straight thru mufflers slipped on them will make anything sound mean (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Uncorked tho' and I can't hear myself think...

edit - when you want to build a serious SBC, PM me and I will get you Troy's # in Anaheim. He will give you a good quote (I have always felt he charged too little for his knowledge and capability) and build a solid engine to do exactly what you want. For reputation... he has recently been doing almost all if not all of PI's engines for their Panteras including a twin turbo one right now and has a nationwide reputation and sales. I built roughly a short block a day for about 4 yrs straight and they are still at that level. I had 400 under my belt in one year (some were complete engines of course but all have a short block)