Hey guys i just talked to my one mechanic and was tellin him about how i was goin to be buildin a bigblock and what not and he was in my thoughts tryin to talk me out of it. how it will be a bitch to fit in there and there wont be any roomfor anything. then he was tryin to tell me just do a 383 instead becuz its well a sbcand it will just drop in there but also the bbc with drop in there excupt the exuast and distruibutor will be a problem.

what do u guys think? he told me just sell the big block but i already have the motor torn apart and i dont have any sbc sittin in my garage so i cant just tare apart that and go and have it built.

also probably within the next 2-3 years if not sooner the car is just goin to be a strip/show/weekend driver. becuz im goin to be restoring the body also and im not skimpin on any cheap stuff so i do plan on dumpin tons of money into this.

what u guys think? also the motor will be a 496 bbc with probably a Procharger F1 and front mount innercooler.

 

Do it BBC style... plenty of stroked 350 SBC 3rd gens out there, not too many BBC 3rd Gens, and it's got the "oooh, ahhhh" factor because it's obvious it's a big block once you open up the hood (good for your show part), more power for street/strip.

Plus, you already have the BBC in your possession, your mechanic is just being lazy... he probably gets paid the same amount no matter what engine he puts in, and he knows the BBC will take him longer.

 

go with the big block , since you allready have it . it will be cool to have a big block in the car too.

 

Intended usage.

Unless that is established, it really doesn't matter what can be done.

A 496 BBC with intercooled F1 Procharger is going to be about as impractical as you can get. Fun, maybe; but in order to run it at the track you're going to have to really step up the safety equipment significantly.

You can kill yourself with a 383 without too much effort. The only question remaining is how much you want to speed up the process...

 

Five7kid is completely right. You will need to step everything up in your car if you go with the BBC. Brakes, Suspension, Probably a roll cage and 6pt harness, SFC's, rear end. Of course you probably already knew that. And you'll probably have to do the same with a 383, just not to so harsh a degree. Then again you did say that money was no question, so I'm guessing you dont care

 

I'll say this: "You only live once."

 

what he said.

 

Application and fist of dollars are THE factors to consider.

The chassis and suspension stuff have to be done Anyway otherwise with either you will just burn up tires.

Figure out what it will cost from where to are right now to continue with the BBC. Then figure out how much it will take to stop with the BBC and change to the SBC. Which ever is cheaper is the best route. If it is close enough - say within 10% - then let your heart be your guide.

How will you feel when you finsih and have a safe, operating SBC in your car?

How will you feel when you finish and have a safe, operating BBC in your car?

Even if it takes a WHOLE LOT MORE CASH AND TIME to do the BBC will you be upset when it is working?

How much less aggravation would it take to make the SBC viable FOR YOU?

Does it matter how you hit your performance goals? Does 11 seconds in the 1/4 feel different with a BBC than it does with an SBC?

When people go "Ooooooooo" when you tell them about your car will it sound/feel different if it is a BBC or SBC? Does it matter?

Nobody can answer those questions for you but you. When it is all done it is your car that you have to drive and maintain. No one else's opinion is going to help you when the car is complete or if you are in the middle of a lone slugfest to complete it, or when it is nickel and diming you to death (which can happen with either one if you don't pay attention). No one's "I told you so" is going to help you finish it when circumstances come up to challenge your resolve to finish the project.

Speed costs. How fast are you willing to go?

Jason

 

Id go with a big block, or a 400 cu.in n\a.

I dont see why get a 496 WITH a blower ....

Unless you're seriously in drag racing or any type of bracket

racing ..

 

well in about 2-3 yrs when im sure ill be done with the car it will be just a Show/Strip car and some driving on nice days. Ive already seen a 82 camaro up here in my area that has a 427 bbc but its all prostreeted, the car has been on the Power Tour.

anyway, yea the car will be intended for mainly show/strip/weekend worrier type driving.

i planned to dump about 7-8 grand into the motor along with no blower so if i want that blower ill gladly dump more money into it. now this motor wont be done up right away. im plannin on it takin about 1 yr to fully build safely and right with all the right pieces. ive been dumping money into this car sice day one and i doubt it will stop. only more will get dumped in with better payin jobs.

i figure for trans ill either get a th400 or have my th350 set out and built bulletproof. and ill probably end up either gettin a Strange or Moser rear end enless i can find a Dana44 i think it was that came in some camaro's and bird's.

plus if i went with a 383 stroker i want to turbo charge it and either build my own pipes or get that BBSdesign kit and still that motor would cost almost in the same range as the bigblock. becuz both motors wouldhave fully fordged internals but with the 383 id probably go fuel injection and then thats were i think alot more money would come into play. with the big block ill just end up goin carb.


also if i run the car at the track it would have all the little safety equipment needed to go how ever fast i choose to. which i think i might limit it to like very low 10's to mid 9's but also i wont be goin to the track every weekend so its not goin to be a full on out drag car.

also ive already considered the chassie and suspention already, thats what part of the restoration is about wheni start on that this winter/spring. a second set of sfc, 6 or 8 point roll bar, custom stb, tubular front crossmemeber, but ill still have a factory style suspention, im not goin to tubbed out the rear and back half the car or any of that. i might get some mini tubbs put in but other then that im goin to repare what rust is there and make sure that chassie is nice and strong.

i think this is mainly a very big learnin experience and a big project. right now im workin on things piece by piece slowly and im sure with the more knownlage i get down the road and experince i bet i can make thisinto a great car.

becuz now that i have alot of motivation and a good point in the direction theres really goin to be nothing thats goin to stop me excupt for cash and it something happens to me other then that its all game. and to thought i was goin to sell this car is something bad happened.

 

It's alot funner going just as fast or faster then alot of "race cars" running BBC with a N/A, pump gas sbc just my .02!!

Beileve me though, if you build a 496 with the right parts, you will need no S/C to go into the 9's. And there is no sound in the world like a finely tuned BBC running open headers, ahhhhh music to my ears

 

Do the big block, they fit fine. It is only my unbiased opinion =) I know two things.... you don`t have to build the snot outta one to have an insane amount of torque.....and you`d better have brought your american express card

 

That is one sweet looking BBC install!

 

well i wont be running open headers but maybe some custom cutouts. mainly since ill be driving this on the roads. and now im unsure of the s/c or not. mainly becuz ive seen another 82 with a bbc in it and then greezemonkey's engine bay andthey seem kinda bear even with the massive bbc in there. it was more of a thought to spice things up a bit.

 

I'm right in the middle of a 496 buildup for my strip only 82 Camaro. All the hard work was all ready done to my car when i bought it. The previous owner had a big block in it and it looks like there were some areas that needed "convincing" to fit that motor in there.

I'll also agree with not needing a pro charger to make a ton of torque and HP. My motor, when complete, N/A will have about 800 hp, and should put my car into the 9's pretty easily.

As long as you are willing to spend the money on this, you'll get it done.

 

As long as you use the right parts, like 3rdgen BBC headers, etc... you shouldn't have any problem fitting a BBC in there.

The only real problems dropping in a BBC are getting the right oil pan, headers, and a low enough intake/air cleaner (unless hood clearance isn't an issue) and all can be solved by doing some research.

 

Dooo eeeet I've got a 427 sitting in the garage waiting to be finished off.

 

If you are doing a BBC you will have to mod your front end to handle the extra weight. A lot of guys put all the money in the motor and consider the front end a secondary project. All that power and degraded handeling/braking is a deadly combination.

I would consider an LT1/LS1 based 383. More than likely you will have clearence issues with your hood also.

A late model LTx bbc will save you at least 50 pounds with aluminium heads. I was able to shed 150 pounds on the engine and 30 pounds on the torque converter druing my LS1 conversion.

 

Aside from the added coolant, you can get a BBC to weigh in pretty darn close to a iron headed sbc. Aluminum heads on a BBC should almost be manditory for the hp/weight ratio. Add aluminum water pump, intake, valve covers, radiator, etc...and you probably wont notice any difference over the sbc you got now except the crazy amount of torque!!

 

yeah i had already planned on gettin alot of stuff in aluminm. like the heads, intake, water, water filler neck, and i wants sure about the vavle covers becuz i was goin to the ones that say 454 on them with the GM logo, i think those are either alumin or plastic. i also planned on goin with either a PA or Profab crossmember.

 

Go big block. If i can do it, anyone can. Its not hard, just work that would need to be done. Hey greezemonkey, well have to meet up next year, the 468 C.I. and a 700r4 doesnt mix..
Hopefully, this winter, ill have it dyno tuned....

 

Yea tell me bout it..few years ago I went thru 6 but it really was not the 700`s it was the builder...got 2 now.. both will crack the windshield on a upshift Yes on the meet up..where you want to meet the DRAGSTRIP???

 

Milan.. Sound good? U have a good builder? I have been trying to learn it myself, and read up on it, but always something seems to go wrong... i gott get it back together, some 5.0's are talkin some **** to me... ughh, only if it was on the road....

 

Pm`d you 496

 

Sorry for high jackin the thread, but what it all boils down toe is Big blocks in little cars go VROOM. he he, ull like it, go with Lemons headers tho, hookers are not very kind to the camaro frame.

 

496 do you have the lemon headers? i know there alittle more then the hooker headers but do they fit alot better and all that fun stuff? im also goin with either a PA or Profab crossmemeber so that clearence there wont be a problem.

 

'82 Z28 Best time to date, 210 shot 11.55 @ 119 mph, 1.83 60' 10/9/04
350, AFR 195 heads, Eagle ESP 6" rods, CompCams 294S, Victor Jr, ProMagnum RR's
TES headers, 3 inch single exhaust, Spintech Pro Shootout, 4.56 gears,
Ultimate Vasco TH400 w/3000 stall, Spohn T/A and C/M, Currie 9 inch


Sorry to highjack this thread but EvilCartman, it just struck me that not all that long ago you mod list was not as well modded as it is now. I think I remember your car being in the 14s or 15s like a year ago.

Thats all.

Kevin

 

Yes, if you put a BBC in your car, lighten it up as much as possible, so you can retain some of the handling it had with a sbc.

(BTW - anyone ever notice "BBC" is always typed in caps, and "SBC" isn't? )

 

Yup, little over a year ago the 305 ran 15.21 @ 90 hehe I dropped the 350 in last November.

 

its all what you want. dont listen to everyone else. if you want to do ith then damit do it.

i was huge on bbc's for a while. then as i got better working on cars i learned that you can get better or more from a sbc. the a sick twist of fate brought me to 6cyl's. my 6 cyl car runs better 1/4ers then 3/4 of the sbc and sbc cars in my area. they are all ing the 13 and 14 range. im in the 12's on mild work. for my next camaro im building the same 6 as my grand prix. well ok maybe a little better than that motor.

if you really want the wow, whynot a properly built bbc with a edlebrock proflo rpm efi kit. or dual tunnel ram. the efi you can fit under the hood and really scare the crap out of people. either way goodluck

 

In 1995 I had the heads done on the 396 (still in the original '66 Impala in which it came), as well as rings & bearings and a new cam. The first time I got on it after break-in, all the rod bearings were wiped out (the original oil pump wasn't up to the task, and the Melling interferred with the original oil pan baffle). So, the engine came out and was put on the engine stand.

My plan was to re-do the 350 I had in the '57 at that time with something like Twisted Wedge heads, more cam, better intake, etc. However, those BBC ports kept staring at me from the engine stand. So, in 1997 the 396 was fixed up, put back in the '66, and finally in 1998 went into the '57 and the 350 & '66 went bye-bye. In the process, the '57 only gained 70 pounds utilizing some weight reduction efforts, and ET went down by a half a second vs. the admittedly weak 350 SBC (note the caps, Adam...). Since then, the ET's have dropped even more, so that more than 2 seconds have been taken off the 350 times.

While it is true that you can make some great power out of SBC's, I'd argue that it takes some pretty expensive aftermarket parts to make the same power you can get out of BBC's with factory parts. The real decider is if you want to spend the bucks required to achieve the weight savings you'll get with an SBC.

 

All I can say is I just put a mark V crate motor in my 88 Z28, its the 425 horse 510 ft. lbs. motor, I put a shift kit and corvette servo in my 700R4 and used almost all the stock stuff haven't been able to hook up power steering yet but used 68 impala ss manafolds because I didn't know anyone had ever put a big block in a third gen before but I even ran tall moroso valve covers had do do a little shaving on the air condetioner box but it all fit a lot easier than I thought it would did it in two full days and two half days drove it yesterday and was completly blown away went to town tonight and wasn't there twenty minutes and a kid I know who has a 92 gt mudstain wanted to race me,The greatest thing about this motor is its a great sleeper it idles as smooth as can be,went out and raced him he got me for the first 150,200 ft. (first gear is completly useless as you could emagine) but I went by him so fast thet he went back to town and told everybody thet I put nitrous on my car and I was chickin **** for not telling him....but when I ordered my headers tonight I ordered a nos big shot and and a holley blue full pump.....I'll show him nitrous

 

I'll post some pics tomorro after work it has manifolds on it so don't laugh...I'll have to out run you!!!

 

Hope that engine will handle a big shot... Even a cheater setup would waken that thing right up.

 

well i just got a new cheaper idea for the motor. i was readin i think it was Chevy Hi-per. and they did a build up on a 496 bbc and turned out i think it was 625hp and 605 or 610 ft lbs of tq. on the motor. so i think ill go that route but put some nitrous on the motor maybe a 175 or even if i dare 200 shot of nitrous. but ithink ill still spend alot more on the motor like all fordge internals and whatnot.

 

my friend put a 540 bb in his 84z28. he said he spent 8 hours doing clearance for the headers.

 

which headers did he use?

 

i think he used hooker long tubes. he said they were the only manufacturer that he could find. ill double check with im on monday. he also had a couple of other problems too. he blew up a built turbo 400 trans, and he has some serious traction issues.

im not trying to talk you out of doing this. i just want do give you the heads up. i think that you should stick with the bb. good luck

 

Something I just thought of... My 350 uses an oil pan from a '79 Camaro. So if and when you frop your big block in, you should maybe look for a pan for a '70-72 big block Camaro. That would probably fit like a glove.

Thats if you don't already have a pan.

 

Any 4 qt chevelle pan (stock replacement) fit the camaro k member fine, problem is you need a little more capacity if you run more than 4,000 rpms. I started with a 4 qt when I first dropped a bbc in mine, one trip to the track was enough to break the oil pick-up tube, the circlular part came off of the tube. Moroso`s 7 qt pan and pick up have done fine since, it does hang below the k member about an inch though

 

Headers are also available from Ed Quay and Lemons . Contacted them both recently and they both still make them. I'm undecided between the two...

 

I strongly dont recomend Hooker headers, they are a very very poor fit for the price you pay. For the oil pan, I use a stamped steel i bought at my local machine shop. Said it was for a Chevelle and fits perfect. With an oil cooler, 7 qts fill the system.

 

i know everyone thinks bigger is better, but a nice 383 with a supercharger or even twin turbos is one hell of a motor

 

yeah i was orginally goin to do a single turbo 383 but this ended up happening. i think when the 305 is out ill rebuild and doin a single turbo on that and maybe get a another 3rd gen or drop it in my moms 93 caprice wagon

 

good plan


in my opinion there is no better engine then a 383 for the thirdgen. add a supercharger or single or dual turbos and you have one hll of a monster that doesn't weigh a ton. add a t-56 and its probably the best combo anywhere

 

actually thats kinda the idea i had for my moms wagon which i pretty much use since she got an 04 monty ss. i planned on ether a supercharged or turbo charged 305 , t-56 tranny, air ride and custom paint job and some rims and dual exuast.

but i ended up with the big block instead and after xmas and after i pay off my Snap On bill then the fun starts.

 

I stumbled on this thread looking for something else.

So it's been 2 years. Ever get the BBC installed?

 

hey, nope never got to install the bbc. i had the block machined and clearnces checked. in the mean time i started to redue body work on the car and also due 91 z28 gfx. well once i started that ended it. found out that the mechanic that owned it hit a deer and hit the passengerside HARD. well the frame was bent but not by eye.

i was tryin to put the edelbrock stb on and had huge problems getting it to bolt on right. then gettin into the body work, every panel needed to be replaced.....i mean every single one, either it had major rot or some type of small damage.

well it all led me to parting out the car, selling/trading the bbc. i sold/trade the bbc for a 350 4bolt main and a decent chunk of change.

now i have an 05 Gto. i think before i buy another 3rdgen, it will be bone stock, low milage and in damn near mint shape. i know sounds like im dreaming huh? lol i just have too much now to have 2 fun cars. But i do work at a very known race shop (Cartek Racing) so i now have tons of options

 

The only thing I can say about this thread is if your going to get headers get them from Dan Lemons. Dan custom built the set for my car (I have a ZZ383 crate motor in my 82z for now, and they fit great!!!) Beautiful workmanship, he takes great pride in what he does, and he is a great guy, and now a good friend too.

My friend has a 502 in his 70 Chevelle and the Lemons headers fit right out of the box and were much better the the Hooker that he ordered and had to send back because they did not fit.

Sometimes a few extra bucks is well worth it!!