I was discussing options for the build I've started with friends, and we hit on all the standards; 350-355-383-400. Then, someone asked me why I wasn't building a 427. My response was "Because I have a small block", and the reply back was "yeah, a 427 small block". Can this actually be accomplished? And what kind of power would I be looking at compared to the 383 I had planned to build?

 

It can be if you can afford an after market block...for a street car, and a "normal" budget stick with the status quo.....355-383.....and enjoy having extra beer money.

 

Can't beat cubic inches
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...e/viewall.html
A 600 HP 454 CUBIC INCH small block the same size as your 305

 

Couple of things here to consider.Hp is way,way.over rated.Common sense says you spending thousands of dollars to be able to tap into those HP ratings a selective number of times a yr because they are achieved at RMP's you don't normally use to drive on the street certainly is a waste of time and money.Guys don't like hearing that,but the facts are the facts.We all have been brought up on the thinking HP is what to strive for........


The practical answer to that is a stroker engine with a broad flat torque curve.That is money wisely spend for street light racing.


Never the less no matter what size engine you build stroker or not.THE POWER IS MADE IN THE OVERHEADS-HEADS,CAM,AND EXHAUST. The need for a bulk of a investment in a build in there is either a deal maker or breaker.It follows along with the size of the engine as to how much it costs to satisfy the engine's needs.The Vortec trigger pulled is fine when your talking about a 350/355,but once you reach the level of a 383 home ported or not,aftermarket heads is critical.Really a bad build plan to build a stroker and then once they get to the heads,cam,exhaust,look for a cheap way out of the corner they now have painted themselves into.Far and away much better build plan is if that is the plan for a stroker,don't build the stroker and apply that money for a stout 350/355 with the understanding it's power output is going to be at a higher rpm range.This is the laws of physics on engine size and although electronics has had a impact on it some,still not by a huge amount.

Any size engine needs to have a strong reliable long term bottom end.Not any of the spin tactics word games of "cast steel" cranks,but a quality steel forged crank.Again that costs you in the short term,but pays back over the long term times 10.

Now I can almost guarantee guys are going to post testimonials about what they have and what is does...........................thing is they don't know what they have left on the table and what they DON'T HAVE..............

 

And there you have it.

 

I'm quite happy with my build, mild as it is. But yes you can have a sbc 454 if you have the money to waste. If your going to be at the track a lot I would say do it. But if you're just using it to tool around town then you just need something to get you there and be fun right? A mildly built 350 will get you there and be a lot cheaper as 1gary said

 

1gary's advice is dead on the money! I'm running a Super-Rammed 355 with AFR 190's and a Comp 502 (XR269) cam, and my buddy's 95 Formula is running a 383 with the LT4 Hot Cam and AFR 195 Eliminators. Both perform very stout on the street. He has a bit of an edge due to the extra cubes, including a hefty bit more torque, but both combos worked out great for taming most of the other street cars out there! A 427 SBC is pretty much an exotic and expensive engine to be fooling with on a street/strip type application.

 

How many newbies turn up here after owning their car for 10 min and say
" I want / need 400 / 450 /500HP " ( some magical HP figure they pulled out of their ar*e )
without every having driven a street car with anywhere near that amount of HP and seeing what is required to keep it on the street;
both in driving skills and drive line upgrades ?