$1k to spend on motor, suggestions?

[cochino12]

I need to wake the Blazer up a little bit and need some suggestions, I dont need a total drag car but want something similar to my old 85 c10 with zz4. Right now it's a bone stock 350 runs great no smoke supposedly only has about 75k orig miles, th350 w/shift kit, 2:73 rear gears. I"m only looking to spend about $1000-$1300 on motor upgrades (exhaust to come later).

I was thinking of getting some vortec heads, intake, and cam and later I'll swap the highway gears for some 3:73's. Its mainly a weekend driver so not really worried about mileage, needs to pass smog, and I'm in Denver if elevation matters. So any suggestions?

[manimal]

Youre prolly on the right track with your choices. But I would do the gears FIRST. What size tires are you running? If you go with a bigger cam then it will raise the rpm range, and you dont have the gears to support that.

[cochino12]

Instead of actually doing a gear swap I'm going to pull a 3:73 12 bolt from a truck at a friends house but it will be a couple months before its ready. Tire size is be somewhere between 27-29", not sure if I want to change the rally's yet

[tds]

Gears for sure. What's the rear end gonna cost you.

[cochino12]

Originally Posted by tds

Gears for sure. What's the rear end gonna cost you.

$0 , Its in a 4wd but I am pretty sure all I need to do is swap shafts to change it to 5 lug. If not there are 10-12 bolts on craigslist for around $100 all the time

[Crush]

Originally Posted by cochino12

I need to wake the Blazer up a little bit and need some suggestions, I dont need a total drag car but want something similar to my old 85 c10 with zz4. Right now it's a bone stock 350 runs great no smoke supposedly only has about 75k orig miles, th350 w/shift kit, 2:73 rear gears. I"m only looking to spend about $1000-$1300 on motor upgrades (exhaust to come later).

I was thinking of getting some vortec heads, intake, and cam and later I'll swap the highway gears for some 3:73's. Its mainly a weekend driver so not really worried about mileage, needs to pass smog, and I'm in Denver if elevation matters. So any suggestions?

Cochino,

I had a '78 a while back and did EXACTLY what you're talking about. It was a fairly low milage stock 350 and I put on a set of Vortec's with roller rockers, Air-Gap intake and a Comp Cams lifter/cam/timing chain set (268 I think) and a set of FlowTech Long tubes. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. It took a boggy stock 350 and REALLY woke it up. I would run high 13's low 14's in that thing all day and was a blast to drive.

Sounds like you are right on track with what you want to do!

[cochino12]

Originally Posted by Crush

Cochino,

I had a '78 a while back and did EXACTLY what you're talking about. It was a fairly low milage stock 350 and I put on a set of Vortec's with roller rockers, Air-Gap intake and a Comp Cams lifter/cam/timing chain set (268 I think) and a set of FlowTech Long tubes. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. It took a boggy stock 350 and REALLY woke it up. I would run high 13's low 14's in that thing all day and was a blast to drive.

Sounds like you are right on track with what you want to do!

Thats what I wanted to hear and that's one of the cams I was looking at too.

Anybody see anything wrong with buying used heads? I saw these vortecs on craigslist but no price, guy told me to make offer. What do you think they are worth?

[Jonboy]

I would offer $300-350 for the heads and intake.

[babyJay]

A nice Pro-form dress up kit will set you back $200, if you like

[Crush]

I'm with Jonboy $350 for it all. You can get brand new heads for $580.

I went back and looked at my old reciepts. I did order the High Energy 268. It was the biggest cam I could run with stock springs. Vortecs have a max lift of .475 and this cam ran .454.

If you get those heads get CompCam kit 249-K12-210-2

Comes with new springs, retainers, cam, lifters, timing chain,etc... ran me $330

I also was running a 600 Performer Edelbrock.

It was fun and was the whole reason I bought this K5....missed my other one soooo badly.

[bagged74]

Originally Posted by Crush

I'm with Jonboy $350 for it all. You can get brand new heads for $580.

I went back and looked at my old reciepts. I did order the High Energy 268. It was the biggest cam I could run with stock springs. Vortecs have a max lift of .475 and this cam ran .454.

If you get those heads get CompCam kit 249-K12-210-2

Comes with new springs, retainers, cam, lifters, timing chain,etc... ran me $330

I also was running a 600 Performer Edelbrock.

It was fun and was the whole reason I bought this K5....missed my other one soooo badly.

That thing is a blast to drive isnt it? I kinda miss it.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by bagged74

That thing is a blast to drive isnt it? I kinda miss it.

haha...yeah. Been tweaking the tune lately. Got it allllllmost to where I want it. Started running pig rich when I got it back to FL. Haven't had the time to mess with it until the last week or do. Changed out the jets and metering rods and springs....got it to where it'll light 'em up out of the hole...and with a 3:08 rear end..that's been a challenge.

Gonna switch out the Team G with an AirGap I have to see if that'll wake up the bottom end. If I can get the power out of this 383 that I think I can...I may just sell the 421.

Anything happening with the 72?

[SRH916]

I wouldn't buy them new, we got alot of vortec heads in at the machine shop with cracks we couldn't fix. I would go new. Maybe just me though.

[swb85]

For price comparison, I bought my vortecs for $350 shipped. They were completely rebuilt with new stainless valves, 3 angle valve job, cleanup mill & new guides..... but came with no springs/retainers/locks.

[Jonboy]

Seems like the Scoggin Dickey upgraded Vortecs aren't a lot more and will go .550 lift, IIRC. Also keep in mind all of the head bolts (I think) and intake bolts (for sure) are different on the Vortec heads too.

[collin86]

$1000 can get you a lot or NOS that will wake that motor right up

[MylilBowTie]

Whats the specs on the 421?

[Crush]

Originally Posted by MylilBowTie

Whats the specs on the 421?

splayed 4 bolt 400 , Scat crank, Eagle h-beams, Ross pistons 10.5:1, Doug Herbert Hyd. Roller 287/287 .575 lift, Hydralic Roller Retro Lifters, TrickFlow Aluminum heads, Comp Pro Magnum 1.6 rockers, AFR Rev-Kit, RPM Air-Gap

[sweatmachine]

I was thinking of doing the same mods to my '78 350 Heavy Half. It has 110k original miles, no smoke, runs well, etc.

It has the stock auto trans. If I go w/ new heads, cam, intake, and some headers will I need to do anything to the trans to handle the power? (sorry for the newbie question)