Motor for drag strip

[jeffs56]

Hey guys I'm currently building a 56 chevy pickup and I have a complete frame with the straight axle leftover. What my thoughts are is to drop a motor and get the body parts and drop those on and be able to have a race truck. My question is what motor do you guys recommend. There are so many choices. I'm thinking 454, 383, or LS. What would you guys recommend to build or get. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks

[Keith Seymore]

How fast do you want to go? How much to you want to spend?

K

[ptc]

It all depends on the following items:

1. Your wallet size
2. Your testicle size
3. Your wifes acceptance requirements
4. Then what class you want to run
5. and again back to #1 and #2....




But seriously - how fast you "want to go" and your "expectation of winning" equates to everything!

There is some serious hardware out there now these days on the "street racing scene" that has never been available to anyone but high dollar racers. There is a grudge match in SAC this weekend where there will be $250,000+ street machines!!!!! Billet HEMI blocks, heads, twin turbos, blowers, its amazing stuff . This Datsun Z car is running a 427CI SBC with a F3R Procharger at 30lbs boost on it, dyno'd at the rear wheels at over 1400hp ---- you think that thing flys!!!!

[vin63]

To help give you a better, more detailed recommendation, we'll need to know what kind of racing you want to do (class, how quick you want to go, or what your ET goals are)? As the others noted, a lot of the rest comes down to money.

I've raced for 30+ years and built my own cars to race in everything brackets, Super Class and Nostalgia index classes, to nitro Funny Car and Outlaw Fuel Altered. Most people understand that the quicker you go, the more money it costs, but the real cost is consistency/repeatability (it's one thing to hit an ET goal, it's quite another to hit that same ET several rounds in a day or weekend). Let us know what your racing goals are and I'm sure some of the people on this forum will point you in a good direction.

Originally Posted by jeffs56

Hey guys I'm currently building a 56 chevy pickup and I have a complete frame with the straight axle leftover. What my thoughts are is to drop a motor and get the body parts and drop those on and be able to have a race truck. My question is what motor do you guys recommend. There are so many choices. I'm thinking 454, 383, or LS. What would you guys recommend to build or get. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks

[jeffs56]

Well I'll just race locally at famoso raceway in bakersfield. I don't want to get crazy I just want to go out and have fun. I want to try for around 12 sec so nothing extreme. Just seeing what my options are. Is that feasible or am I totally off. Thanks for the advice

[vin63]

Originally Posted by jeffs56

Well I'll just race locally at famoso raceway in bakersfield. I don't want to get crazy I just want to go out and have fun. I want to try for around 12 sec so nothing extreme. Just seeing what my options are. Is that feasible or am I totally off. Thanks for the advice

Yeah, if you want to run in the 12.99 - 12.60 ET range, you're probably looking at having to make around 400 bhp in a 3600 lbs vehicle. It would be more cost effective to build a carbureted small block Chevy - parts are readily available. What's your budget for this engine?

[jeffs56]

I would like to keep It around 2k-4k I know that's not much but like I said I just want to do,it for fun. I have a 350 motor that needs rebuilt. I have a 454 4 bolt main. So if you guys recommend the SBC how would you recommend I build it and what heads to use. Also if you recommend the 454 how and what would I use for that. And then there is the LS not sure if that's a good route or convert it to carburetor and not use the fuel injection. Let me know thanks again for helping out

[djracer]

The last thing I would build is a sbc. I would buy a junkyard 6.0 and do a carb cam and some headwork and you are done. The ls stuff from the factory rivals some of the nicest stuff made for a sbc. With that said if I was going Max effort I would start with the biggest BBC I could afford!

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by djracer

The last thing I would build is a sbc. I would buy a junkyard 6.0 and do a carb cam and some headwork and you are done. The ls stuff from the factory rivals some of the nicest stuff made for a sbc. With that said if I was going Max effort I would start with the biggest BBC I could afford!

Good advice right here . A used 6.0 with a small cam and a 243 or 799 head and an intake with the MSD box (6012 I think) adapted to a early trans (350,400 or glide) and go racing .

[ptc]

The guy just said he is on a $2K-$4K budget! ----- LS stuff is not cheap these days....

If he just wants a 'play truck' to go out and have a good time with and not have to worry about 'tuning headaches' I agree with vin on this.... go SBC - ALWAYS lots of parts available for cheap ANYPLACE and especially at the drags if you break something....

[vin63]

Originally Posted by jeffs56

I would like to keep It around 2k-4k I know that's not much but like I said I just want to do,it for fun. I have a 350 motor that needs rebuilt. I have a 454 4 bolt main. So if you guys recommend the SBC how would you recommend I build it and what heads to use. Also if you recommend the 454 how and what would I use for that. And then there is the LS not sure if that's a good route or convert it to carburetor and not use the fuel injection. Let me know thanks again for helping out

For $2K - $4K, I would machine your existing 350 block (if it mags OK) and spend the money on a nice stroker rotating assembly and use what you have left over on a nice set of cylinder heads, like from Brodix, or similar., and a cam to match.

[Marv D]

Yeah the LS is the small block of this melinium, BUT there is a 'wall' around 600-650 HP that when crossed, puts $ per HP in one of 3 categories

Expensive,
Extremely expensive,
and simply STUPID expensive.

A SBC is a cheap economical HP motor up to 575-600 HP. There are so many tried and true economical parts to make make 650 it's almost a pick up the phone and order a box of parts. BUT reliable components to make 650-800 quickly jump to that extremely expensive category.

A LS motor because of being somewhat of the new kid on the block,, upper end components are roughly 1.25x that of the old format SBC. And quality parts to make 800+ quickly fall into the STUPID expensive bracket.

As much as I'm not a BBC guy, making reliable HP up to about 700ish is most economical in a BBC block. You can get into a production block, 496 stroker kit, with a decent set of heads for around $6k.

You can NOT get to that level in a old school SBC for that $ with QUALITY components,, (more like $8k) and to make 750 in a LS platform your easily at $10k

MIND YOU,, that is NORMALLY ASPIRATED and gas.

A economical high HP trick these days seems to be stock junkyard LS and throw boost at. There are guys here that have single, Procharged and twins on LS motors, Get them to give you an honest $ they have invested in making.

All that said... for the budget and goals, I'm 100% with Vince (like that's any surprise) You can put a nice iron stroker kit together for around $1500, $2000 in a good set of heads, and just gonna have to shop and save for a roller cam and valve train (maybe sell a little plasma when your wife isn't looking)

Last point I'll offer, NO matter what you think you want to run (i.e. your 12 second goal) make EVERY purchase and item look forward to the day when you want 10.00. This sport is like heroin,, the first one is free,, then your coming around looking to sell your little sister for a new intake

[djracer]

I agree that speed is like crack. The only difference is go fast parts are lega!

I bet you I can make an honest 600hp with a junk yard 6.0 short block with a cam intake carb and ignition with minor headwork. Take .040 off the deck of the heads. A decent port job and you are done.

Atleast the ls stuff would hold some value. The sbc stuff is dirt cheap now cause nobody wants it. If you want more than 600hp build a BBC.

I have had all 3. The issue with the conventional sbc is you have to have aftermarket heads and once you get up on horse power the block is your weak link and aftermarket blocks are expensive for any platform.

Give it allot of thought start with a platform that has some room for growth as it really sux to have to buy everything over when you change platforms.

[71Dragtruck]

I'd build the BBC, use a good rotating bolts and pistons, If you don't hit your speed goal with that a small shot of nitrous is cheap and won't hurt it with a conservative tune.

[jeffs56]

I think I'm leaning towards the 350 or 383 since I already have the block. Im thinking 383 with a big cam. Not sure about the heads. What are a good inexpensive set of heads. I'm not totally against 454 since I have access to a good 4 bolt main std bore for $150. But i think BBC is at least twice as much as SBC. and not sure about doing the 454 stroker to 496. Thanks for chiming in guys

[djracer]

You need to do the 454. You might even want to look for a used one. A BBC will not be twice as much. The only thing about a 454 I would only run a roller or hydraulic roller cam! The power is in the Cam Shaft and heads more so than anything.

[Marv D]

Originally Posted by jeffs56

What are a good inexpensive set of heads.

[hotrod 80]

Ok ...., ill recant .......If a guy craigslist shopped and worked it from every angle SBC or BBC could be done . My personal LS example 2002 6.0 55K miles $750 . 243 heads $199 (traded 317s for valve job and spring swap) 224R cam and springs used $300 Id be very surprised if its not making 500-525 .

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by Marv D

Camel toes!

Gary

[68c10owner]

Guys, hi goals are are 12 second truck. This isnt rocket science. Use the 454, run it on pump gas, run the oem heads with some work (no peanut ports, big ovals) and run a hydraulic roller. Stock bottom end with good rod bolts and forged pistons. Would push this truck into the 11's with the right parts.

[ptc]

Did the OP ever find a motor yet?

I know where he can get a killer deal on 454 turnkey for $2800 in his area.

[jeffs56]

No I didn't end up getting one. I'm still injured with some bad nerves in both of my feet. So it got put on the back burner. That 454 sounds like a great deal. I appreciate you guys taking your time to respond and help with all the information. Thanks guys

[19671972C10]

Yea you can run 12s easy with a awesome383 with a TH400 manually shifted, 3.73s, and 12.5"wide slicks, and slapper bars.

[moggey01]

I've been away for a while helping rebuild the engine shop that burned down at TRE. Taylor is up and running again and I spent last week helping get engines ready for customers to run. All the mentioned combinations will run fast. I think the LS stuff seems to like a turbo . Here lately the growing class is the small block shootout. Nitrous cars are limited to 1 carb and cast manifold. The nitrous combination uses and older style small block combination. This combination has proven to be fast and consistent. Justin is 3 for 3 since they started this class. I agree with Marv that a big block is the cheapest power. It does not require a whole lot of work to make them run. It is all about your pocket. They will all make power.

[69GMC910]

496 with afr265's and a hyd roller.