Ok, here's what I decided to do (in case you remember my original first post) I can't afford a big block, so I am currently getting my small block 400 built (it's down at the machine shop now) I had a 4 bolt main, but the machinist swapped my block for a 2 bolt main, because he said 2 bolts were stronger than 4 bolts, in a small block 400, that is. He is gonna make this into a 418ci that will (supposedly) net me between 550-600 horsepower on pump gas. I will let you know the specs on the engine parts when I know them. I just dropped the block off to get cleaned, will find out more monday or tuesday.

I plan on getting my 700r4 rebuilt to handle this much horsepower

Most of the use of this car will be on the street, so this is what I will be going with (at this time, unless convinced something else is better)

Kenny brown subframe connectors (maybe his whole suspension kit #2, if I can scrape the moola together)

An aluminum driveshaft (No, I haven't started looking at them yet, and have no idea what they cost)

I would like to get a true dual exhaust system that would bolt right on, as I have no way of bending pipes and tubes. Any suggestions? I have read the boards, and it seems as if the general opinion is that hooker is good, but am thinking of going with borla (IF they have a bolt on, or can make a bolt on system for my 87 Z28) No, I don't have the emmission inspection here in KS, so that's not a problem. But would like to get bolt-on stuff, for ease of install, and ease of uninstall at a later date.

Moser 12 bolt rear end, with 3.73 gears. The machinist suggested 4.56 gears, but a buddy said that with that high of gears, you break things real easy?? So, he talked me into going with 3.73 gears, with some kind of lo-pro tires (No, I haven't started researching tires yet) Kind of wanna go with a "stock" look, to make a sleeper.....

Am wondering if anybody makes a fuel cell that will kind of, sort of, bolt right on where my original gas tank is? (Again, so no major mods to the sheet metal/car)

Am NOT going with a roll bar, as I don't plan on racing this at the track, or getting real crazy with it either....... I wanna have easy access to the back seat area, and I need all the room I have now to get into the front seat, without a bar right there..... :-)

Am I missing anything? probably. I got about 2 whole weeks before I start tearing stuff apart (and hopefully it will go back together right the first time? yeah, right!) :-)

Any comments, suggestions, criticism (very light) :-(, will be greatly appreciated.

by the way, I just wanted to add that after getting on the internet here and searching around, this is the best d*mn board for F-bodys on the whole internet!! (In my humble opinion)

 

I have a fairly well built 383 in my car with a 700R4 behind it and with the measley 2.73 I can't plant the tires in 1st or 2nd gear without easing into it. Consider many traction upgrades and wait on the gears and rearend swap. I have talked to many people who are running 100-150 track passes with big blocks and still using a beefed up 7.5 10 bolt rearend. I think that the traction devices will make you happier and then do the gears. I planned on 3.73 gears for mine, but since I can't connect with 2.73 I will wait awhile for traction solutions. If you pick the right cam and get traction and then put the 3.73's in there I wouldn't be suprised if you pulled the front tires with that engine. Good luck!!

 

I think some of your anticipations are somewhat unrealistic. Have you added up the cost of this stuff??? Start smaller and replace as need. For example, why buy a 12 bolt when your 10 bolt is fine? Why buy an AL driveshaft when they offer little to no benefits?? And 4.56 gears?!! Like the previous post said, yeah right!

 

Gofaster: Yes, I have added up all the cost of this stuff! That's what I was doing, was trying to get a feel of what all this would run me..... I had about 10k to invest in this, but after adding everything up that I wanted, plus I know there's gonna be a LOT of little adapter things here and there that will probably account for 500-2k, if I do it right, then it started going close to 20k!!

So for now, I'm doing what the previous poster (sorry dude, short term memory gone) said, and doing little traction upgrades, and then I'm thinking seriously about just taking out the 305, and putting in a 350. I think, after a lot of thought, and a LOT of reading that if I take out all of the TPI stuff, I would be making a serious mistake, so am gonna try and leave it all in, and make it work on a 350 for now!

So for now:

Bilstein shocks on the way.

Panhard bar on the way.

Strut tower brace on the way.

Lower control arms on the way

Gonna get a bushing kit to replace all the bushings

Plan on getting a High flow cat with exhaust system (No headers yet, gonna wait until I get the 350 in, or wouldn't they be the same, since a 305 is the same block?)

Thought about a Pro spring kit, but they all lower the car. Why would I want to lower it anymore? Think I will go with original OEM springs, like some from Monroe.

Plan on replacing the front end with Heavy duty parts from Moog, or the like.

 

You can get the headers now if you want, they should bolt right to your 350 without any problems. IMO it is easier to change all of the exaust at the same time. That is if you have the dough to get everything at once.

 

418-what combo is that? 2 bokt blocks are inherently stronger than 4 bolts from the factory. but ya dont get the coolo neato 3 freeze plugs per side that always impresses my old lady when i show her-but i wonder why she is always laughing when she walks out of the garage-nah its probably nuthin-anyhow if a 060 overbore is in the combo i would try for another core block. a 700 handling 600 hp and you are hooking up tractionwise-kablooey-seeya-what induction system was used to arrive at that figure? and not a word about a cooling system upgrade-oy-even pop riveting a round plate to the original pump impeller-slow down a bit now and it will pay off in the long run with a ride that you still have instead of selling off along with spare parts cuz the build up wasnt thought thru and a step by step plan was not used as a rough guide-anyhow good luck and i dont mean any of this in a negative way-i have been in your shoes before and i have to, now, deal with customers with ideas like yours and sometimes the hardest part is talking the guy thru what he wants and most the time we scale back a bit but he ends up as happy,if not happier with the finished product. thats my 2 cents seeya

 

I commend you on choosing the Th-700R4, best auto, but if your builder is trying to fetch that ammount of hp from that 418, it will most likely be in the high rpms. Now on a typical 1/4 sprint, The 700 shifts from 6000 rpm, down to 3500. Now this may be right out of your powerband, so having a motor that makes less horsepower but it's power is centered at about 4500 rpm, will be quicker than a high rmp, big power motor. Give us the stats, before he builds a Mark Steilo motor: 610 hp at 7200 rpm!!!!

 

Well, I just heard from my machinist yesterday, and it appears he ran some numbers (not sure if he got desktop dyno, or how he arrived at these figures) Anyways, he says he can make the small block 400 into either a 377ci, or a 410ci. The 377 would make 509 horsepower, and the 410 would make 506 horsepower. He told me what the torques would be, but I didn't write them down. Am pretty sure am going with the 410ci.

I just told him that I wanted it to be in the 450-500 horsepower range.....

 

Good decision. The 377 makes good hp, but very high up, with no bottom end. Horrible for the 700. The 410 not only has the cubes, but the stroke to be a real torque monster.


The only good that I have heard come from a destroked motor, similar to a 377, is in competition where displace ment is limited, or drag raceing or sleeper cars, which can run big slicks. I saw an article where a Malibu ran quicker with a 477, the the 502 it was destroked from. Sill could run 11s, with street tires.

 

to make that hp and the 400 will do it at 6000.

Ask him what the torque difference is.

On a good surface (like concrete) first gear will only light the tires if i hammer it below about 10 mph. Otherwise it just jumps.
The othergears are not much differnt.

C4 yourself.
Speedo is about 10percent fast and I was not turning it more than about 5800 rpm.

http://cis.tamu.edu/~jcb9392/speedo-1st-2nd-3rd.MPG

PS, thats a old T5 and a 10bolt with an auburn (nothing else)