What you can do on the cheap is to copy my approach and add in a roller cam perhaps.
I used a 2 bolt L48 150hp 350 v8. Reused the crank and pistons, added new bearings, a lunati hydr flat tappet cam 1500-5800rpm, 64cc edelbrock rpm heads with 1.5 true roller rockers, performer intake, and a wideband tuned quadrajet. Also used a HEI ignition and hedman longtubes with true dual 2.5inch x piped exhaust.
Cam headers rockers and HEI was bought new. The rest restored/rebuilt (by me)
Very cheap. Very effective. Very good on gas for a true 350hp daily driver.. Remember the engine is half the job. Stallspeed, transmission and rear end ratio can help drastically in gaining speed that is usable for a little tarmac terror.
My clients at the shop are always suprised at how eager and willing this little mouse motor is. It revs up and down freely gets good gas mileage and sounds the part.
LS engine would be better but definitely more work. So would turbo-anything.
People tend to forget what a properly setup "oldschool" engine trans rear end can do in these relatively light cars.
If your budget is 4 grand, this route will be my advice. Stay oldschool.
I used a 2 bolt L48 150hp 350 v8. Reused the crank and pistons, added new bearings, a lunati hydr flat tappet cam 1500-5800rpm, 64cc edelbrock rpm heads with 1.5 true roller rockers, performer intake, and a wideband tuned quadrajet. Also used a HEI ignition and hedman longtubes with true dual 2.5inch x piped exhaust.
Cam headers rockers and HEI was bought new. The rest restored/rebuilt (by me)
Very cheap. Very effective. Very good on gas for a true 350hp daily driver.. Remember the engine is half the job. Stallspeed, transmission and rear end ratio can help drastically in gaining speed that is usable for a little tarmac terror.
My clients at the shop are always suprised at how eager and willing this little mouse motor is. It revs up and down freely gets good gas mileage and sounds the part.
LS engine would be better but definitely more work. So would turbo-anything.
People tend to forget what a properly setup "oldschool" engine trans rear end can do in these relatively light cars.
If your budget is 4 grand, this route will be my advice. Stay oldschool.
