The original story, https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=255367

The older brother seems to be serious. He keeps sending me eBay links to performance parts (so far, he's batting 0.000, but he's learning). His dream car for going on two decades has been a '62/'63 Nova convertible w/SBC/4-spd.

What I've got in the works:
-ZZ shortblock (steel crank, pink rods), needs .030"-over pistons/rings but crank is fine. Planning hypers w/10cc dish/reliefs, chomemolys - .039" head gaskets & dish will control compression w/58cc heads. Have a set of ARP rod bolts I'll install.
-ZZ4 cam (and to think I sold an un-run take-out 2 years ago). I've got all the lifters & stuff. I'll sell my brother my current cam/lifters (he had his eyes on that 327/350 HP cam/lifters/timing set kit you always see - talked him out of that). Alternative is to just run the current flat-tappet in it and save a few bucks.
-The rest of the stuff currently on the 305. I'll have the valves cleaned up and positive stem seals installed, springs checked.

Between cost for the shortblock, what I'll have to get, what I have, and labor (valve job, cylinder machining), it'll run me about a grand minus what I can get for what I won't need anymore.

Assuming this doesn't fall through, too...

 

So you're basically planning a ZZ4 with Torquer S/R heads?

Sounds like a stout plan, five7 (Now I will read the other link...).

 

whew, when I first read the subject of this thread, I thought you were updating us on your "regularity" Thank goodness I misread that one.

 

Not enough vowels. "Regularity" is a different topic, anyway. Want to discuss that...?

ZZ4 - not the "plan" per se, but not a bad destination. I'm probably paying a little too much for the shortblock, but it should include some things that can be resold to offset the cost a little. And, some of the machine shop work is included. As usual, the "little things" add up to more than half of the cost.

 

Picked up the shortblock tonight. The guy was pretty cool, had a clean, well-equiped machine shop in a double garage-sized building he just built behind his house. He roughed the cylinders for .030" over already. Weighed the rods for me, varied from 604 to 608 grams - think that's close enough? After I get the pistons, he said he'd finish the honing and hang the rods for another $100, and if I wanted to deck it, $40 for that. We'll see.

Also won a ZZ4 cam.

Let the overspending begin...

 

great find.

welcome to the dark side..... 4" bore

 

Hey, it's your brother's money, isn't it? Go whacko!

600+ gram rods (with bolts, I hope)? Them's beefy little *******, eh? By the time you balance them to within 1.5 grams each (including end-to-end and overall) you should have them down in the 585ish range, maybe. The last set I did that I still have the spreadsheet on ended up at a nominal 582 ± 1 (steel). Polishing off the parting lines is always good for a few grams itself. I might be a little ****, but under two grams is good enough to make me warm and fuzzy. If you're going to spin it up a bit, you might want to spend some more of your time or his money.

Hey, you've got all winter.

BTW - I saw a decent engine stand at a swap meet for under twenty bucks - Too bad I didn't grab it.

If the budget is getting tighter, you can find hydraulic roller cams for as little as $150 now - and not imports.

 

Nah, couldn't expect it to be his money. First come first served, him being a man of the cloth, all that, didn't think I should try to push it.

Rods were with bolts & nuts, yes. I was going to try to avoid excessive anality (there's a subjective concept for you) on this one. I was thinking with a cam that tops out at 5250 RPMs, it wouldn't be strictly required - with the ARPs on duty. But, I suppose it could be pursued.

The crank will benefit from a polish, but otherwise it's in great shape.

For all the engines I've pulled & stabbed over the years, I've never had my own cherry picker. Checker has a sale going right now for a hoist & engine stand for $149. Think I'll finally bite on that one.

What's winter got to do with it? This is for the daily driver...