350 Rocket For Drag

[Jax86Cutlass]

Hey guys, wondering if the 350 Rocket motor I currently have in my car would be able to be beefed up enough to be a respectable drag motor. I know anything can be done with enough money, but would it be more cost effective to go with a different motor, or can I beef up the 350 Rocket? Right now it's stock, gold from the mid 70's from what I understand

 

[80special]

Yes it can be. But not cheap due to aftermarket support. Some people say mondello is shady but I have had good luck with them. Upgrading my 71 rocket now with .640 266/277 solid roller H beam rods and gapless rings so I can run heavy nitrous. Mondello ran my setup in a 70's cutlass and it was a 9 sec car. You can always have it machined for Chevy connecting rods and Pistons but then why not get a Chevy.

 

[marcar1993]

You can build a strong runner with an olds 350. What year motor is it? What heads are on it? (Look by the #1 spark plug for a number or number and letter code) With minimal work you can make a fun street car with the right heads and decent compression (just like most motors). If you want to make big power, that can be done too, but it will take a little more work, just like any motor.

I'd stay away from mondello, it is no longer Joe, but a name for a company that has nothing to do with the legacy. He has screwed many, but more than anything, he is EXPENSIVE. Buying through him, yes your olds will be pricey to build. There are plenty of vendors on the forums who take care of their customers and offer better parts at better prices. I'd give realoldspower.com a look, don't mind the attitudes, sadly its the downfall of the site, but there are many knowledgeable people there.

 

[Jax86Cutlass]

The car is currently running what I believe to be #8 heads, about the worst ones from what I understand

 

[80special]

http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/oldsfaq.htm
Almost anything you'll need to know

 

[80special]

#8 are trash. The smaller the # the better. I have #7 milled to 60cc with big block port size, valves and victor intake opened up on runners. For the price of machine work it's about a draw to just get a set of aluminum heads rather then find some good heads and have them built. Are your mains windowed? That will have an impact on block strength.

 

[marcar1993]

Take the 442.com info with a grain of salt, it is known to be only semi accurate.

#8's aren't the greatest, but they aren't the worst either. I do believe the 8's have a big chamber, meaning you won't have deep dished pistons, which is good in your case.

If the bottom end is good and doesn't need to be touched, you will have a relatively small piston dish (14cc I think?) so an earlier head with smaller chambers will help boost compression as well as the better flow. Combine that with some cutting on an earlier head (if through compression ratio MEASUREMENTS it is deemed necessary) you can get a great long block with potential to make some power relatively easily and inexpensively.

What you need to do now is give us some more information. What trans do you have? What rear? What are your plans and goals?

 

[Jax86Cutlass]

The transmission is a TH350. The rear end is the stock 7.5 with an open differential and .373 gears in it. My plans and goals are to lighten the car up a bit, remove the back seat and simplify the interior, and make the car a street/strip car. Something manageable on the road, but a good car to take to the track too

 

[marcar1993]

What kind of e/t do you want out of it, what is your budget?
A lot will depend on the condition of the bottom end too, as to whether you need to rebuild it.

 

[Jax86Cutlass]

A bit of a limited budget right now. I'm sure this sounds stupid, but I'm not familiar with terms, what does e/t stand for?