Hi. I have an 89 formula 350 that does not have the engine or tranny in it, but has the TPI system and computer. I have a virgin 350 block that I am going to build for the car, but I was wanting to get some opinions on what engine setup to go with. I thought about building a TPI engine to go back with an original look but I'm not sure that is what I am going to do. The car will see more street time than anything with an occasional 1/4 pass. I will be building the engine off of the 350 base I have. So what engine setup do I go with? I am wanting between 400 and 450 horsepower. So give me you opinions on what 350 based engine to go with! Thanks for the help and have an awesome day!

 

You're not gonna get 400 horses with the stock TPI system unless you add nitrous or boost, whether supercharging or turbocharging. For a 400 hp mpfi 350, you'll need some other intake manifold, whether the Accel/Lingenfelter SuperRam, or the Holley/Weiand Stealth Ram, which is not emissions-legal, or the TPiS Mini Ram.
Next, you'll need the ever-popular Vortec 350 heads to reach 400 HP, and that's about as much as those will get you. The best choice would be AFR 180cc heads. They'll easily support 450 hp, and they're emissions-legal.
Figuring out a cam can and should wait until you decide on intake and heads.