I want to build an engine for my 84 Z28. My choices are 383, 377, or a 406. The parts that I have now are heads- I have are Dart SS with 2.02 and 1.60, an Eldelbrock Torker intake, 1 5/8 tubed heddman headers, and my tranny is a built 700R4 with a 2500 B&M stall converter with lockup. I want something that is good to drive to town as well as line up on the weekend if someone wants a shot. I will gear the car accordingly and cam it the same. I want at least 420-440hp if I can. Any thoughts?

 

There is no replacement for displacement

 

RWHP or flywheel horsepower?

Are those heads the base or undercover ported version?

For budget 383, for go fast 406.

 

I a have 400 engine hp 6 in rod 355 lightweight in it now and it's good but a 400 RWHP would be alot sweeter. I want to build a bigger engine basically the same. The heads are the base nothing special but best aftermarket heads I have. I have Vortecs on the 355 with Edelbrock RPM Airgap and a 600 cfm Edelbrock carb. I was told today don't waste my time with a 406 just stay with the 355 and was also told a 421 and 434 was too big for the street. I raced circletrack and that engine is in my Camaro now. I'm not really good with street/strip engines so what would be the best. BTW I would like hydrolic lifters like the antipumps, the Rhodes lifters in my 355 have handled 6800 with no trouble.

 

dump the torker intake and grab a victor jr or air gap

 

Exactly.

If you don't have much cash, just pick up a cheap Gen 1 4 bolt 350 block off of Craigslist for a few hundred bucks, and do a mildly cammed 383 stroker setup, +/- 9:1 compression.

Or, just keep it simple stupid, and go for slightly higher compression on a regular old 350. Engine factory makes 400 horses with 9.7:1 compression and a little 650 carb on their 350.

There's not much of a point in going for all the cubes and the bragging right of a 383 stroker or a 406 unless you want 500+ horsepower. At least if you find yourself in a race, you could just say that it's just a 350.

 

But on a full rebuild there is little cost difference in building a 383 so why not take advantage of the extra cubes and run on the extra torque a 383 makes not worrying about big Hp numbers
You can run taller gears , get better fuel economy and still go as fast as a hot 350

 

If you want both good driving manners and high power, displacement is the way to get there (all other things being equal).

On the other hand, if you want good driving manners, 440 HP, and good fuel economy, a head/cam LS1 does it with ease...

 

 

I believe that, but my bro-in-law's family put a LS from an 07 GTO in a 79 TransAm and I don't think that is a very economical thing to do. But the stock rod angle of a 400 is crap, what does that effect in the performance of the engine?

 

Very little to nothing; especially if you don't use stock 400 rods.

The Torker intake is crap. Sell it to the next greater fool looking for "nostalgia" and get something competitive, no matter what CID you build.

If you have a 350 block and have to buy a crank and pistons ANYWAY, there's NO SENSE WHATSOEVER in NOT building a 383.

If you have a 400 block, there's EVEN LESS SENSE in building anything less than a 400. That pretty much rules out a 377. Against all my advice, I built one of those for somebody about 25 years ago; after a few weeks racing it, they told me they wished they had listened to me, after they got beat coming off EVERY corner by EVERY 400 in EVERY race EVERY time. Don't do it. It costs extra, takes extra work, and in the end you get less. That's using your own money as the weapon to shoot yourself in the shorts.

Not sure how a 412 or 421 or 434 is too big for the street. I have a 454 that seems to work just fine on the street. GO FOR IT if that's what you want.

 

Whoever told you that has never had a quick street car. The 355, while versatile is a puny small block, Ill never build one again. If you got a good 400 block by all means build it, youll love the torque it makes at all rpms.

Something called a sticky tire, let your friend know they started making those decades ago.

No such thing as too much motor, just not enough traction

 

Or not enough brakes.

Probably the #1 deficiency with a lot of motor is not enough sense.